Flow and Shine

Healthy and Active Living in Southern California

[flowandshine-blog]

Surfing with my Bestie

I got to surf with my bestie today. I haven't been surfing as much due to this whole bike thing. I need to put a rack on my white bike. The beach is only three miles away so it would be an easy commute. 

My bestie is moving to SF in a few weeks, I will be so sad to see her go. 

[flowandshine-blog]

Car Tow and New Bike

Two major things happened

My car got towed :( and :)

I felt a little like this:

Second, all my parts came in and we got it almost completed

Isn't it beautiful?

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What a Week!

I had a monstrous work week. I worked the past seven nights in a row, for 12 hours in the ED. Thes best part of my week was this:

I got to see this view everyday and my way to and from work. I get to see it at the top of Precidio Park. It makes me happy. I especially need it when I am so tired. 

On my last night, I came home to enjoy this refreshing beermosa. 

Ingredients: 

Beer (Preferably New Belgium)

Orange Juice

We went out on Wednesday Night, had Dinner at Panama 66 and stopped by the Reuben H Fleet Science Center, where they had a Back to the Future Party. It was so nice, especially after 7 nights of work. 

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Backpacking and Surfing

I took a good week off from the Bike. Although, I don't have my custom bike ready, I have been car free since Tour de Fat. I had a week off of work, so my husband and I took some time to go backpacking and surfing up the California Coast.  

We stopped at Morro Bay on our way up to Big Sur. We love Morro Bay, it is so isolated and the surf is usually empty, except it is always wind blown and I guess there are a bunch of sharks in the water. I hope I never get to see one. 

Afterward we headed up to Big Sur for some backpacking. 

We love backpacking, it makes us feel so isolated, but usually there are a lot of other backpackers trying to feel the same way. It gives us a chance to live pretty minimal. It is a nice reminder to what we actually need in life, which really isn't that much. 

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This is what I am like when I ride home after a miserable shift at work

This was me today on my way home from a miserable 12 hour night shift in the ED.

Except I say stuff like shower, sleep, eat, bed, happy, tired.  

[flowandshine-blog]

Water Baby

I am a water baby, and I need my fix! AHHHH!

Since I gave up my car for my bike, I have only surfed once. This is a long way from before, when I was in the water 4-6 days a week. 

Surfing with the Ball and Chain and my Bestie

My bike doesn't have a board attachment yet, so I have to settle for carpooling with my husband. 

My ride needs a surf rack

My main spot, I can surf this blind

My new custom made main ride 

My favorite spot that is a pain to get to

This is tricky, especially since my husband and I have opposite schedules. He surfs after work at 5pm-ish and I surf after work at 9am-ish. That, and and we usually fight in the water the entire time. Or, at least we used to. 

He is a wave hog and a bossy pants. He yells at me when I don't catch a wave or I don't make an appropriate turn and I get upset because he is so bossy.  

My version of a Longboard - 7'6 Murphy

I mostly think about this

Sunset is the Best

Surf Camping with the Family at San Elijio

My Nephew, a natural

One of my many Fishes

I am looking forward to getting a surf rack on my bike so I can bike to surf

How do you bike to surf, Kayak, snowboard, ski? How do you bike with a big load? (That's what she said?)

[flowandshine-blog]

This Nurse Bikes to Work

I had to work all weekend. BOOOOOO

And I work Nights - 7 pm - 7:30 am  BOOOOOO

I am an ER Nurse at Scripps Mercy San Diego. Conveniently located a little over 5 miles from my house. YAY

Five miles doesn't seem like much, but when you are in San Diego you'll understand the commute. I have so many damn hills and every day I curse those hills as I go up them. I also thank those same hills as I go down them because I go really really fast. 

I am using a pretty great set of Panniers to get me there and back. I don't mind a backpack but when you are carrying so much gear, it works a little better than a back pack. 

My commute has turned to a little more than just getting to work. I am lucky I have a locker room and shower I can use, but I usually don't head straight there. I usually go to the gym before to get a nice workout in before I head to the job.

This is how I get to work, gym ready on arrival. 

I workout for a bit then get ready for work. Luckily I have everything I need in my bags. 

After twelve full hours of nonstop work, I am happy to head home. The best part in the down hill on Presidio. 

I am usually too lazy to change back into workout wear, so I head home in my scrub bottoms and my tank. I look pretty nerdy in it, but then again I just worked my ass of saving lives in the ED, so who cares. 

Now I get one night off and then I head back for another three in a row, YAY...... OH GOD!

What do you wear to work? Any tips for me?

[flowandshine-blog]

Bike to Happy Hour

I met some friends for happy hour last night. It was an adventure. We meet in Solana Beach, about 16 miles from my house. I thought about transit, and then I thought about all the pizza I ate the night before and all the food I was going to eat that night, so I decided to bike up there instead. 

I thought I would use my husbands bike since it it so cute (vintage) and lighter than my go to bike. I regretted it as soon as I hit the wonderful San Diego hills (Torrey Pines). My commuter/touring bike has so many more gears on it and makes it easy for me to get up the steepest hills. Sure, it is slow, but I can carry so much cargo and still get up fine. 

I thought about stopping at some point and taking transit the rest of the way, but then I figured, I made it this far, I might as well keep going. 

About half way through, I saw the Karl Stauss Brewing Company Tasting Room and figured, well, I might as well stop for a beer, so I did. 

I kept going after the nice refreshing beer and water. Through Rose Canyon, through UCSD, along the coast on Torrey Pines Road, past Del Mar, and finally into Solana Beach. 

As usual, I hit up the carbs big time at San Diego Beerworks. I just love bread. I had a few drinks, hung out with my friends, all Nurses at Scripps, and headed out for the Coaster back home. 

Luckily, after rush hour, there is plenty of room for bikes. It was nice and relaxing. Once at old town, I had another thee mile bike ride home. 

I came home, had some ice cream with strawberries, showered and went to bed. It was a pretty great day. 

[flowandshine-blog]

Carrying Pizza on a Bike

I am learning about all sorts of stuff so far. For example, this is how you carry pizza on your bike.

I had some people over and I wanted to feed them, so I headed over to Little Caesars since it is located less than three miles from my casa. It all worked out pretty well. All I needed was a bungee. 

[flowandshine-blog]

Oh Coronado!

So this is Happening in Coronado, Ca right now.

Why is this important or even interesting to me you ask? Well, Coronado is located 7 Miles from me. My husband and I often hang out over there for day dates. We bike over to the ferry, take they ferry over to the island, eat and bike back. We don't hang around Coronado Island too much, mostly because it is pretty crowded. Everyone heads over there for the weekend. Cars, Cyclist, Buses full of tourist. It's no secret that Coronado is tourist central. These women oppose anything and everything related to attracting more people to Coronado. So why did this make news, well probably because they said stuff like "makes me dizzy," "gives me vertigo," "bike lanes are like taking my daughter to a tattoo parlor and covering them in tattoos." How could you not make fun of this? So keep an eye out on Coronado and if you are in the mood, Share this. They could probably use a laugh.

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Grocery Shopping on Bike

Today is my first grocery shopping trip on a bike. Big props to all those that have been doing it for years. 

I still haven't gotten my new bike and my car is stilling sitting on the street, but I am trying to take this challenge seriously. So i am riding my trusty white bike I have had for years. 

It made me realize a few things. 

I need a front rack

I need front panniers

lugging stiff on your back sucks

Good thing there is a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's near my work, because I will be stopping there frequently on my way home. 

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Tour de Fat San Diego

What a day! It all went by too fast. 

Once we got up and rode to Tour de Fat, about 11 miles from my casa, we were already starving. Luckily we brought plenty of food and some Pizza. 

They call this Cannibalism

I felt pretty special on that stage

My friends had a great time, as they usually do and we raised some money for bicycling.  YAY

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Setting up for San Diego Tour de Fat

Today is a big day. All those weeks of preparation, lead up to this. Below you will see several pictures from past Tour de Fat Events. 

As you can see it is a pretty big day for me. My husband calls it my highlight of the year. And it is. More this year because we want it to be bigger and better than years past and because I got selected as the Car for Bike Trader. YAY!

It all started with a bike ride to Downtown to meet Andy and Matthew for a morning news segment. I was warned I may not do or see anything, but simply going made me feel pretty involved. Turns out we had one great segment, and one that was totally cut thanks to some politician with too much spray tan. You can see the good one here.  Thanks to Mixte Communications for all your had work on Tour de Fat.

After this I rode back home, boooo, ate and headed over to help setup for Tour de Fat. The New Belgium Staff works their butts off. Big props to them for getting this up and running in a different city every week. 

After several years of setting up and breaking down, It felt natural. New Belgium, have room for one more to join the tour?

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San Diego Tour de Fat Car for Bike Trader

Let us starts in the beginning...... I have been a Board Member with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition for many years. I started out as the Education Coordinator, left briefly and came back as a board member and now as the Board Secretary. For years I would meet Car-Free people and thought, I could do that. I never did though. I never took the challenge on. Then last year Andy Hanshaw, the Executive Director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, asked if I would be willing to be the Car for Bike Trader. The thought crossed my mind, but I never went through with it. For an entire year after that I kicked myself for not accepting. Then something amazing happened. New Belgium decided to bring Tour de Fat back to San Diego. After working on and enjoying the event for years, I would finally accept the challenge in front of an entire audience. That is, if I was lucky enough to be accepted. They asked that I make a 2 minute video stating why I would like to be the Car for Bike traded. There were so many thing to say like; the environment, the money, the exercise, the community etc, etc. But the truth was, I have been ready for a while. I always felt guilty for driving less that five miles anywhere and I already had many car-free friends, it just felt natural. All I really needed is my husbands support. My husband is a pretty legit guy, as in, has a real job, is responsible, lives like an adult. I on the other hand feel like a hot mess compared to him, and occasionally he reminds me that I am. When I first suggested it he shot me down bad. He through I was crazy, but then again he always thinks I'm crazy.  I had to talk about it nonstop for a year, for him to actually see that I was serious about it. He talked about selling my car, and it brought me to tears. I have had this car since I was 19 years old. I couldn't just toss it aside for something new and shiny. That was my first major purchase as an adult. I bought that car with my own money, and I took care of it. I always thought I would run it into the ground. We talked about donating it instead, since we could use that tax break. (Legit adults talk about tax breaks, I've learned that since being married to a legit person) Donating it didn't seem so bad. When New Belgium decided they would bring Tour de Fat Back, I knew I was meant to be the Car for Bike Trader. After looking at many videos, I decided to do a something a little more cheesy

I know...It's a little goofy, but I left it was like a breakup. 

On Thursday morning, I looked online to see if anyone else submitted a video and would you know it, some guy submitted a video Thursday afternoon. After the deadline. My heart just about broke. Prior to that I was the only submission and was already looking into a new bike. 

Thursday Prior to Tour de Fat was a Tour de Fat pre-party. We do it every year to get every one pumped for the event. I knew I had to go check out the competition. Except I was the only person that submitted a video present.  

Well, after a few New Belgium drinks, I forgot about the whole thing and let the would decide. Not that I didn't plead my case, but the beers let me relax a bit. 

Mid sandwich, with a mouth full of food, they announce that I will be this years Trader. I ran up paper towel and everything. I was so excited. Like I won the lottery.

I did win the lottery. So today begins a new chapter in an exciting year of my life. 

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Lately

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2015 Disneyland Half Marathon

After I dragged my bestie to the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in May, her mother loved the idea and decided she wanted to do a half marathon also. Lucky for her I am a wiz at getting bibs for Run Disney Events, and I was able to get her and my bestie in. 

I've never been so far back, We started at the end since they arrived pretty late to the start. Since we walked the race, we stayed pretty close to being cut.  Nancy didn't train any further than 5 miles so doing 13 was pretty tough. I felt bad, because I had to be on her most of the race. But I am glad I did, She finished!

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America's Dinest Half Marathon - AKA AFC Half

Why I never take pictures of San Diego Races, I will never understand. I guess it's because I run in these areas so much, it doesn't really strike me as that interesting. 

Anyhoo, I ran AFC Half again. It is one of my favorite San Diego runs. It is downhill for half of the race, very flat for some time, and the final few miles uphill. The crowd is great and they pick the most scenic and iconic parts of San Diego to have the course. Great job OMBAC. 

I paced my friend Brian for this race. This was his final race for the San Diego Triple Crown.  Of all the Triple Crown races, I would say this was the hardest. The heat was insane! 

It was rough toward the end, I think the combination of the heat and dehydration hit hard, He pushed through it though. He works hard and finished. I am so proud of him. 

Great Job Brian!