In.sight

"‎When you’ve worked hard and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do..."

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:51:30 -0400

“‎When you’ve worked hard and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. No, you reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.”

- Michelle Obama

"Q: Do you have any advice on how to have productive political conversations with family or friends..."

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 17:01:07 -0400

“

Q: Do you have any advice on how to have productive political conversations with family or friends whose main source of information about the world is Fox News?

A: No. I would suggest either giving them drugs or taking them yourself.

”

- Frank Rich via Reddit

blua: Hold down the alt button and click on the reblog icon.

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 02:29:18 -0400

blua:

Hold down the alt button and click on the reblog icon.

Running away.

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 02:25:42 -0400

I’m trying to decide how many times I’ve run away.

Does it count when you ask for help?

Does it matter if you’ve been kicked out — but only a little — but you take the opportunity to flee?

Is it real if you have somewhere to run to?

Depending on your response, I’ve either run away three times — or not at all.

I’m only just now thinking of this, because I’ve always wanted to flee, to recreate myself, to found a new life.

But it never works out how you think.

Typically, when you go away, you’re burdened with the same old.

You’re the same person, no matter what.

But now I’m in a new place. And I’m not the same.

I’m not running. I’m catching my breath.

Day 49

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:54:39 -0400

Walk: 31 mins

Today, I resolved to stop and take some pictures. :) Stats Bike:...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:16:08 -0400

Today, I resolved to stop and take some pictures. :)

Stats

Bike: 12.71 miles

Time: 1:07:51

Avg Moving Speed: 12.1 mph

Max Speed: 19.3 mph

It looks like I set a PR for a mile! :03:56 (av speed of 15.2).

The pace of the ride was quite varied. In addition to some fast miles, we also rode 3 total miles over 6 minutes. This was just the nature of the route. We rode just under 2 miles to get to the American River Trail, spent 7 on the trail, and it was another 4 miles home. That’s 6 miles on the road, with lots of traffic stops. I’m not above “coasting through” a light, but I always slow to ensure the coast is clear, down to the point where I’m basically balancing in a stop.

Conditions

It is gorgeous out. Hot (88°), sunny, very light breeze. We entered the trail in a new spot, and I got to seem some interesting sights, including:

A homeless community or two. I’m talking full-on communities of a dozen or so people each that we could see. (I felt safe with Lucus, but I would NOT go this way alone.)
Some very beautiful birds, including herons and yellow-billed magpies. Oh…and Lucus nearly ran down some morning doves. That wasn’t awesome.
A party on the river. People were sunbathing, listening to music and basically all-out partying. I’m not gonna lie…it looked pretty cool. Cooler than me, anyway.

And I nearly hurt myself. Oy. My shoelace wrapped itself around my pedal, and I didn’t notice until I couldn’t rotate the pedal any further. I’m proud that I didn’t a) Fall or b) Cause harm to another biker. It was a little touch-and-go, but I stayed calm.

All in all, this was a great ride.

Bad Brigitte!

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 13:58:31 -0400

How did I let 4 days go by without an update? Bad, bad Brigitte!

Day 44

Walk: 33:10

Day 45

Run: 28:22

2.25 mi

This needs a bit of explanation. Thursday was the first really warm day this Spring. It was in the upper 70s and sunny. Contrary to everything I know about myself, I thought this would make a GREAT time to go for a run.

But here’s the thing. The sun is my kryptonite. I overheat like a carburetor. It doesn’t even need to be that hot. So, true to form, I wilted. I had to walk a bit. I think my total run distance was closer to 1.75. bleh

Day 46

I had the best of intentions on Friday, but I didn’t manage my time well. Lucus came home from work a bit early, so we could beat the weekend crowd on our way to Santa Rosa, where we had tickets to see Mike Birbiglia. I also had a meeting with a potential new client! All told, Lucus and I got caught in traffic and barely had time to eat dinner.

Long story short: My 20 just didn’t happen.

Day 47

After spending the night in Santa Rosa, we drove to Sonoma to meet the California branch of my family. I was nervous heading over there, but we has a great time. We ended up staying 5 hours!

By the time we got back to Sac, I was wiped. We spent most of those 5 hours socializing in the sun, and it was in the mid-80s. I tried to nap a bit, failed, and basically Lucus and I ended up heating up some leftovers for dinner and watching a movie.

I don’t regret it, though. I had a great time with my California cousins (first cousins twice removed, I think) — and there was no way I was heading back into the heat once I got home.

Day 43

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 05:50:23 -0400

I have no concrete data today. I went to Chico for the first time, and it was awesome. I love it there. The entire town is a cool attitude. I walked around for hours, in my new shoes. Now my feet hurt. :)

Day 42

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:51:00 -0400

So. About these new shoes. OMG I WALK LIKE A GIANT.

Please allow me to elaborate.

For my entire life, I’ve been teased for walking on my toes. I spent years trying — and failing — to “walk like a normal person.” Heel - toe.

Never before tonight have I actually felt my heel hit the ground.

But these shoes! And my long stride! OWWW. My heels hurt SO HARD.

I’ve been wearing minimalist and barefoot shoes for years. My ankles and calves are stronger, and I no longer suffer shin splints. But I simply wasn’t prepared for the sensation of taking an evening stroll wearing a truly barefoot shoe.

It’s like re-learning how to walk.

Stats:

Walk: 29:45

Day 41

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:46:30 -0400

This has been an absolutely perfect day. First, Lucus and I hit up the farmers’ market. Wow. This thing must’ve been larger than the Green City market in Chicago, and it was CHEAP!

I saw on Yelp that some people complain about the prices. It’s one of the many things I’ve noticed people around here take for granted. Good prices on local — and quite often organic — produce. This is definitely a subject for another post (or maybe my main site), but we keep getting all these incredulous looks from locals when we tell them we just got here from Chicago. Why’d you move here, they want to know? On one level, I get it. San Francisco is so close, and oh-so trendy. But, you know what. We can bike and run and go to cheap farmers’ markets here. It’s not a perfect place, obviously, but it has a lot to offer. Plus…shhh…don’t tell anyone…I think San Francisco is over-rated.

But that’s a topic for another day.

After the farmers’ market, Lucus and I went to our happy place. Get your mind out of the gutter! I’m talkin’ bout REI. I love me some REI. We went to buy a bike rack, but of course walked out with much more. Including some new shoes for me! They’re barefoot trail shoes, and I love them! I started wearing barefoot-style shoes 3 years ago, and I’ve been steadily progressing as my legs get stronger. I can’t stand wearing a stiff sole now.

After we got back from the store, we loaded up the bikes on our new rack and hit the trail!

I don’t think Sacto natives know how good they have it with this trail. The lakeshore trail in Chicago is stunning — and incredibly dangerous for cyclists. Pedestrians and sun-bathers regularly cross Chicago’s lakefont path without looking for cyclist, runners or even other pedestrians first. It’s why I only rode on it once when I lived there; the scenery wasn’t worth the risk of a collision. We preferred to drive out of the city to get to other trails. The American River Trail in Sacramento is stunning (I’ll stop to take pictures next time) and safe. People actually know to walk on the left! No kidding!

Alrighty, no more proselytizing about bike paths. :) I’m off to have a beer and whip up some curtains for my office.

Stats

Bike: 11.33 mi

Time: 54:24

Avg Moving Speed: 12.5 mph

Max Speed: 18.0 mph

Elevation Gain: 67 ft

It was a perfect day to bike. Sunny, breezy, 70°.

Day 40

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 01:56:30 -0400

Stats

Walk: 21:48

Day 39

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:29:05 -0400

I went to Oakland today, so I actually planned ahead and did yoga in the morning. Winner!

The only downside was that Lucus texted me that he’d be home (I needed to get the car from him) earlier than planned, so I had to cut my practice short by 20 minutes. Glad I got a short practice in, though, because I’m home now (it’s 11:30 pm), and I’m pooped!

Stats

Yoga: 28:07

Day 38

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:22:45 -0400

I went for a walk, and it promptly started raining! Luckily, this happened the instant I stepped out the door, so I was able to change into my rain coat and forge ahead.

I LOVE being out in the rain.

Stats

Walk: 37 minutes

Day 37

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:23:06 -0400

After not doing much of anything, my body needed to be loosened up considerably. I did a nice, slow yoga practice with lots of standing poses.

Stats

Yoga: 34 minutes

It would’ve been longer, but Lucus called right as I started savasana. He was traveling, so I figured I should pick up. This was a very rare occurance. I typically ignore the phone when I practice, and I almost never skip savasana.

Day 36: Fail

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:29:00 -0400

I wish I had a good excuse for not getting my 20 in, but there is none. I took Lucus to the airport, then ran tons of errands. We share a car, which means I only have access to it when he’s not working, so I was determined to squeeze in as much as possible.

After being out and about for nearly 7 hours (counting a lovely breakfast with the husband before we went to the airport), I got home and just sat around.

Awful.

I mean, yeah, I was tired out from all the “running around.” But I feel stiff today. When you get in the habit of daily movement, your body quickly reminds you why you’re doing it.

Off to do some yoga and set things right.

Day 35

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:19:00 -0400

After yesterday’s ride, I was too excited to wait to take my new love out again. But I took it easy. Even though I bought a famously comfy Brooks’ saddle, a girl has to adjust!

My legs were a little tired at the beginning, but after a few minutes, I felt amazing. It helps my confidence to know that 5-10 miles is no big deal, because I have 5 months to train for the triathlon’s 20.

Stats

Bike: 5.01 miles

Time: 27:05

Avg Moving Speed: 12.3 mph

Max Speed: 18.5 mph

Conditions

Was it ever gorgeous out! I went out around 2 p.m. 70° and light clouds. Just perfect.

This is my new bicycle! It is a 1976 Motobécane Grand Touring....

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:48:00 -0400

This is my new bicycle! It is a 1976 Motobécane Grand Touring. There are two things that drew me to the bike. The frame (Vitus 172 double-butted steel) and the gorgeous leather bar grips. Look at the stitching! All the components are original; this thing is in pristine condition.

This is only important to the geekiest of geeks, but I’ve become obsessed with steel-framed bicycles. The ride is much more comfortable than aluminum (the steel absorbs shock), and it’s pretty much indestructible. It’s also lighter than you’d expect.

As the name implies, this is a touring bike. It’s meant to be loaded and ridden long distances. However, it’s much sprightlier than my hybrid, and it’ll serve me just fine in the triathlon this September.

I took it out for a spin this afternoon. It’s my first time on a road bike, so I wanted to go for my first ride with Lucus along. I’ll be honest. I was as nervous as I was excited. We did a short trip to the American River trail and back (with a couple of miles on the actual trail).

I didn’t even try to ride in the drop position or change gears until I got on the trail. Do you see the gear shifter? It’s mounted on the body of the bike — not the handlebars. To top it off, you kind of ease it into position. It doesn’t click right in like my hybrid or even an STI shifter. I have a bad habit of over-shifting; this bike will certainly cure that.

This was an exceptionally easy ride. I wanted to get the feel for the bike, not break any records.

Stats

Bike: 10:25 miles

Moving Time: 55:07

Avg Mov Speed: 11.2 mph

Max Speed: 17.7 mph

Elevation Gain: 29 ft

{and yes, I’m wearing bike shorts under my dress}

Day 34

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:32:49 -0400

Today I test rode more bicycles. And I bought one! More on that to come. For now, I’m logging the time I spent test riding, which barely scratched 20.

Day 33

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:03:28 -0400

Last night, I went to bed much earlier than usual (sometime around 10). I’ve found that whenever this happens, I wake up in the middle of the night. It’s like my body thinks it’s nap time, not sleep time.

I woke up at 2 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep. So I grabbed my book and started reading. I didn’t go back to sleep until 7. Then, I slept soundly until about noon.

Oddly enough, I feel great. While technically, I slept a total of 9 hours, I was worried the fragmented nature would throw me off today. Instead, I woke up ready to go!

So I decided to skip working today (benefit of being self-employed) and clean my house. This is embarrassing, but I haven’t mopped since we first moved in. It’s been 2 months! EW!

I deep cleaned the majority of the house. The only rooms I didn’t get to are the guest room (because it’s the only room not really put together) and the living room (because I don’t have a vacuum yet). The rest is sparkly clean.

Stats

Housework: 3.5 hours

Day 32

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:28:17 -0400

I’ve decided to count running errands on my bike. Why? I broke a sweat! I’ve also decided I need to chill on the requirement a bit. If the idea is to get up and moving, why don’t I count errands on my bike, even if I ride 10 minutes here/15 there? The point isn’t hardcore workouts, it’s being active every day.

I didn’t time the biking, but based on past rides, it was just over 20. I’ll time it next time.