Check out my Rack!

I bet you think this post is going to be about boobs, huh? WRONG!

I needed a way to get Cupcake home from the bike shop without leaving my car there, and not running/walking to the shop since I am still lazy (yes, you can be a runner and be lazy!). So I pretty much needed to get a car rack (haha, told you it wasn't about boobs). So I headed over to bike supplier (http://www.revolutioncycles.com/ if you couldn't guess) and picked up a Saris Bones 2 rack (runs for $129.99). It's SUPER easy to use (even though I had Alex put it on for me), light, and holds 2 bikes (in case Cupcake gets a sibling).

Once I mounted the rack on Spike, I loaded up Cupcake, and we took our first trip....home.

Once home (with both my car AND bike) I got ready for a nice ride on Sunday.

What's a nice ride you ask? Oh, let me tell you.

Apes version: A lovely scenic ride to fellow sorority sister/resident/blogger/friend Ashley Jones' house where lunch is waiting for me.

Real-life version: Hilly ride of hell to Annandale, resulting in sore legs.

Yes, I rode my bike from Clarendon to Annandale (about 10 miles).

Yes, it has CRAZY hills and my bike is a single speed (NO SHIFTING) so I had to walk it uphill about 3 times

Yes, lunch was delicious (thanks AJ)

Yes, my legs were pretty much immovable once I got off the bike (esp since my legs were still hurting from my Sat run)

Yes, Ashley had to drive me home since there was no way I could make it home alive riding on Cupcake.

Now I would like to say this was my first solo ride (and a RATHER AMBITIOUS one at that) and it was ALL street. By ALL street I mean, no bike lanes. So at first I tried to stay as close to the sidewalk curb as I could but then eventually realized that the gravel/sand/etc I was riding on was NOT conducive to Cupcake OR my legs. So I forced those cars to go around me (sorry drivers) in my lane, as I had every right to be on the road as well - I mean my mode of transportation DID involve wheels as well. When possible, I did use the store parking lots to bike through instead of the street, so it helped a little. At one point, I did this and I met with a guardrail staring me in the face. So I had to lift my bike over (I felt like I was training for a cyclocross) and then keep riding.

Luckily, Ashly had some banging sandwich items so I ate 2 of them. Then we hit the movies (she drove) and then dropped me at my place to get Spike so we could transport Cupcake back to her home. Before she sent me on my way she equipped me with a Tupperware of mom-made pot roast for dinner (totally didn't eat it last night, but I am going to SCARF that down for lunch today....mouth already watering for it).

So there we go....bust weekend of exercising, and Cupcake is up and moving! :)

And with my hours being scaled back at Rev Cycles, I will have some time to actually run/exercise during the week (once my legs feel better)!

- apes -

You heard it here first...."Slogging"

Since our 12k got cancelled this past Saturday, Leo and I decided to go out for a long run.

The idea behind the run was to metro into DC, get off on a stop, then run back to Arlington. This way we couldn't just "turn around" if we were tired. We would have to push ourselves. Good idea, right? Let's just see...

So I tried to put a pic of the route below, but it came out all pixel-ed and crappy. Anyways, we ran from Stadium-Armory to Clarendon (for those of you who aren't lucky enough, the metro stops will mean nothing to you. For those awesome ones that DO live in N.VA, you will totally understand the length). The only rule was "GO THE WHOLE WAY TO CLARENDON!" - don't taxi in (Leo) or metro in (April).

Anyways, we got off at the Stadium-Armory exit (where RFK stadium is...some of you may know this as the spot for Shamrock Fest). And once we figured out the direction of where we were going, we headed off.

Sidenote: don't worry - I had our directions written on my hand, and had also written them out for Leo on some paper (since I KNEW I wouldn't be keeping up with him).

So here's the low-down on the run...or my version of touring DC

Mile 1: We ran/jumped through lots of snow, not the most fun thing to run through. We ran through Eastern Market. I thought about how we stayed in Eastern Market for Obama's inauguration, and had to walk this area...never thought I'd be RUNNING through the area. We ran through the area where Leo bought his Obama hat. When we got to Independence Ave on our right, we got confused because our directions said turn left. So we kept going straight, and then Independence came up on our left. WHEW!
Mile 2: LOTS of fun stuff to see during this mile. I was also surprised that I still had Leo in my sight (as in, I was still running on the same block as he was!). This was probably the best leg of the route.
Mile 3: I lost sight of Leo right before our turn on 14th (about 3.5miles). I was worried I would miss the street, but luckily I didn't!. I got a great feeling when I was running and when I looked to my right was the capital (capitol - I never mastered knowing the difference) building and when I looked to my left was the Washington Monument. Holy Patriotism. Anyways, it was really cool. I ran with a smile for about a block. Then I realized the next turn was K street, and the streets weren't an alphabet letter yet! At the end of this stretch my knee started to hurt, but I wasn't going to stop.
Mile 4: So I realized I ran past G street. "HOW MUCH LONGER TILL K STREET". I couldn't remember the alphabet by this time, and the streets kept switching from a name to a letter so I thought I was going to die before I got to K. This is when I realized how slow I actually was, and coined the term "Slogging" - slow+jogging. When I finally got to K street, I though "Sweet, next up is the Key Bridge then I am HOME FREE" (I was wrong. I needed to get to, and through, Georgetown before I hit the bridge back to VA). When I ran past Archibald's ("premier gentleman's club") I had a little laugh. There were 2 men in suits as bouncers, 2 other men in suits smoking by them, another suited up man at the podium (at the end of the 'entrance carpet'), and the last man in a suit was just walking up to greet the rest of them. It looked like a mob meeting, and not a strip club.
Mile 5: Woo-hoo, I caught up to Leo!! I saw him walking, so I called out to him and caught up. I told him to run till Georgetown then walk, since part of Georgetown is a little uphill. We ran past McFadden's and both had a laugh. Ahh, the memories (or lack thereof). We hit Georgetown, and it was PACKED! I lost Leo quickly due to all the people. I was dodging people, cars, shopping bags, meters, etc.
Mile 6: THE END (for me). By this point I couldn't go on any further with all the people milling around Georgetown and plus my foot was really starting to ache, and my knee wasn't feeling ANY better. I made it through a whole 10k though (6.2 miles) in 1 hour, 10 min (roughly). Crappy time for a 10k though, but whatever. I walked/limped the rest of the way through Georgetown, and across the key bridge to VA.
Mile 7: I limped to the Rosslyn metro, and got on to Clarendon. I didn't sit because I was afraid I would turn into Barney (HIMYM) in the episode where he ran a marathon and I wouldn't be able to move my legs. So I instead stared longingly at all the empty seats around me.
Mile 8: This didn't exist for me, but on this mile, Leo stopped at Rev Cycles to chat with Alex.
Finish (8.7): I walked into O'Sullivans (our meeting spot) to find Leo wasn't there. HE DID THE WHOLE ROUTE! I cheated. UGH! I guess it's not really cheating since I was injured (knee, foot) but I still felt like it. Once Leo got there, I treated him to a beer since he went the whole way.

So, all in all we realized the IDEA of the run was good, BUT we started WAY to far away. If we had started a few stops earlier, then we would have both been a LOT better off. But oh well, the half marathon is a month away and we need to step up our game.

So I checked to see if Slogging was on urban dictionary...and it is. But here's what they have as the top 5 definitions:

Slogging
1. To go out with preset expectations to find the most raunchy, slimy, disgusting, slow, slutty, and hoggish girl (most similar to a slog). This typically is an undertaking performed by less than attractive men who make it a frequent hobby. so pretty much the what the wingman does
2. was the same as above
3. Sloppy snogging. Either while one or both people involved are drunk or just REALLY BAD at kissing and won't let go of your face with their face. snogging is just the British term for making out
4. When a male or a female pursues someone of the opposite sex relentlessly, to a radical extent to establish some sort of intimate relationship though it has been made plainly clear that the relationship is to go nowhere except friends at most. Best associated with crazed ex's who haven't gotten over their ex. kinda just sounds like a crazy ex, or a stalker
5. The process of bending over and drinking directly out of the sink faucet. WAIT, there's a NAME for this? I just call it being lazy and not having a cup handy

- apes -

12k - Postponement (AGAIN)

So I get to work today...and find this email in my inbox:

Hello April,

We are emailing to inform you that the DC Road Runners/Capital Hospice 12K has been postponed again due to snow and ice on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, the Custis Trail and Bluemont Park.

Subject to approval by Arlington County, we are rescheduling the race for Saturday, April 17th.

OK seriously?!?! POSTPONING AGAIN!?!?

1) Move the location if you need to!
2) I need this race BEFORE I run the half marathon (next month)
3) Rescheduled to my BIRTHDAY - YEAH RIGHT!

Looks like another non-race weekend, a race that I NEEDED to do. Guess I'll have to run on my own then...maybe this time I actually WILL.

- apes -

Snow + Wind = Blizzard?

As everyone who has a TV (or if you live in the DMV you looked out your window) knows, we got snow. I don't mean a light dusting....but enough snow to conjure up the names "Snowmaggedon", "Snowpocalypse", "Snowtorius B.I.G.", and "Snowgasm" among many others. Also enough to keep me out of work for 3 whole days (4 if you count the week before - 6 if you count the bike shop being closed on the weekend).

Well, it's also enough to cancel both my races (2 separate weekends). So here's the NEW schedule of my races:

Capital Hospice 12k (7.5 miles) - moved from 2/6 to now on 2/20 (perfect, because now I have time to work off all the alcohol/fried chicken I consumed during my snow days!)
Love the Run you're with 5k (3.1 miles) - moved from 2/14 to now on 2/28

Now while that is super convenient for me (and my training) - I did make sure to give some thoughts/networking done for the marathon in Oct....

I ended up out and about on Wednesday night (after a day of TRYING to sled at Iowa Jima. Really, it consisted of sitting on serving trays like back in college. The trays in college were much more efficient). Where I ended? Liberty Tavern, as it is ALWAYS open in the worst weather. So after a few Hot Toddy's (sp?) to warm me up I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a while. I mentioned to him about the marathon and his response was "How about I just sponsor you". Sponsor eh? When I asked what that would entail, he said "I'll give you $10 and you just write my name on your jersey". Great Idea? I THINK SO! I could get a plain white running jersey and mark it up with names of my "sponsors". Works for me!

But then it got better...

We headed over to O'Sullivans (of course). As I was talking to one of the bartenders he asked how my running was going (Leo and I used to stop in during our runs for water). I told him about the marathon, and about the sweet drinking game (see below for rules) I thought up for my friends. But I told him I needed a place for them all to gather to play. Of course, he said "Just tell them to come here!" So I went a step further..."Why not have O'Sullivans be a sponsor!?! I'd wear a 'follow me to osullivans' sign on my jersey, in exchange for food and drink when I get done". We agreed, and shook hands to make it official. After thinking about it - I may see if this 'sponsorship' will just cover the entrance fee, and food after. Great idea? I think so!

Marathon Drinking Game (so you can play on your own): To prepare, you need to register (once it gets closer) to receive my check-point updates. Then, the day of - have a pep talk with your liver - it'll need it. Once the race starts, take a shot. Every time you get a text saying I passed checkpoint, take another shot. When I finish, take your final shot. Now, you can easily substitute this with chug a beer, etc. DO NOT WORRY - the checkpoints are NOT every mile. It is every 5k (3.1 miles). So there will be about 30 min between each shot....the further into the marathon I get, the more time between shots you will have (as there's no doubt I'll get slower). It'll be about 8 or 9 shots in the span of 4 or 5 (or maybe 6) hours. Now, if I am friends with you enough to have ever drank with you, I know you can handle that. If not - you should try anyways.

So in my imagination, here's whats happening: I run past a checkpoint, the text comes into the bar - and a round of shots is ordered. This goes on for a few hours, and others in the bar decide to get into it as well. Once I get to the bar, everyone is hammered (YAY!) and there a lots of new people to make friends with...because I helped get them drunk without even being there!

So in real life here's whats prob gonna happen: I run past a checkpoint, the text comes into Leo at the bar - and he orders a shot. He gets hammered on his own, well not on his own - I am sure he will be WITH people, but he will be doing the shots on his own and is blacked out by the time I get to the bar. I don't really get to meet new people, and he has probably already wandered home. Oh wait, I just remembered....he's running it too. Crap! Who's gonna be in charge of the game now?!?!? Hmmm....looks like I need to do some recruiting.

- apes -

The hunt for Strawberry Lava

Background: Georgetown Cupcakes is a CUPCAKE bakery (more like boutique, or cupcake bar) located in Goergetown (hence the obvious name). They make 100 "secret flavor" cupcakes a day. They are flavors not on the regular menu and give them away for free. FREE CUPCAKES?!?!? WHATTT?!?!?!? Yes! But there are only 100 of them, and in order to get one, you HAVE to know the "secret flavor" (aka. the flavor of the free cupcakes). Kinda like a secret cupcake club...the password gets you a cupcake! They post the secret flavor on both Twitter and Facebook, so you have to either follow them or be a fan to know what it is.

Since I work in Tyson's I never get a chance to get there and get their cupcakes...sad face. BUT since the "Blizzard of 2010/snowpocalypse/snowmageddon" was happening in DC this past weekend, our boss told us not to come in on Friday so we didn't get stuck. A day off work = GEORGETOWN CUPCAKES!!!

I talked to my buddy Alex @ the bike shop, and we decided that since my bike had been completed (drop handlebars was the final task!) we would ride to Georgetown for whatever the secret cupcake was and ride back.

So Friday morning comes...and I check in with Georgetown Cupcakes. The secret cupcake is STRAWBERRY LAVE FUDGE!!!! Apaprently they decided they wanted to serve a little of heaven on a platter on Friday. Well outside it's snowing, but not sticking, so it's like fluffy rain. I get my butt outta bed (a little hungover from Dawson's return celebration from Iraq the night before) and bundle up to head outside. I walk the (a little more than) mile walk to the bike shop (car was still there from the night before) to meet Alex and get my finished bike (which was waiting at the store)!

Once at the shop, I buy my first pair of cycling shorts (aka diaper shorts)!!! I tried them on, and I felt like those babies at the beach who have those saggy diapers and kinda waddle around. But whatever, its part of being a cyclist and I DID NOT want to have an achy bum after my ride. (check out the info on the shorts at the bottom of the blog).

So I get re-bundled up, and Alex does as well and he hops on his super sweet mountain bike, and I get on my newly retro-fitted city bike. As you can tell by the picture - his bike was MUCH more appropriate for the weather we were getting, but I looked the part of a cyclist MUCH more. He didn't even have a helmet on!!

We get on the road, and make the 5 mile (almost downhill) trek to Georgetown. Let me tell you....those cycling shorts were like sitting on a CLOUD! I mean, it might have been the crazy nice sella italia saddle I was still riding on, but my bum DEF wasn't hating life after the ride.

Once we get to Georgetown, since I haven't been in the Rev Cycles Georgetown location, we stopped in (mostly to get warm). They crew there was thoroughly impressed (and quite jealous) of how I fixed up my District.

After we made our visit there, we headed to CUPCAKES! Tiernan (the 3rd part of our trio - the 3 of us are the weekend sales crew) met us and luckily he brought a lock so we could lock our bikes up!

We got in line for STRAWBERRY LAVA FUDGE...but they were all out!! :( BUT - we jumped in the major line (20ppl deep) bought some anyways!

Enjoy the photo montage below:

<---Tiernan and I waiting in line. I am SOO excited about the cupcakes. He just looks like he came up from scuba diving (he was SUPER warm but still very funny looking). He got a choc lava one and by the end of it his hands and face were covered in chocolate lava!!!

<---Alex with his coffee & cupcakes
He got a Hazlenut one and a chocolate one I think.

He didn't get the concept of it ONLY having cupcakes.
I think now he gets it though, maybe?

<--- Apes and her sweets! I got a strawberry one, and a coconut one. The strawberry one's icing tasted just like a strawberry milkshake. ME = TOTALLY HAPPY! My coconut was pretty awesome too - but not as good as the strawberry one.

Once we got all cleaned up from our cupcake-ing, we separated from Tiernan and Alex and I headed back to VA.

I was SUPER worried about the ride back to VA, since it was downhill all the way to Georgetown, I was afraid it was gonna KILL me (and my single speed) going uphill the ride back.

I tried to wave at the Georgetown store on the way home, and I almost hit a meter...so I decided to keep both hands on my handlebars for the rest of the ride.

The hills weren't too bad on the ride - when it got bad, Alex would pull up beside me and push me up, so I was feeling great! My legs weren't in pain (like they were when I used to ride my super heavy beach cruiser around Arlington!). My bike is so light, it wasn't bad at all!

The key bridge was my favorite part of the ride: wider sidewalks and less people...and FLATNESS! I even clipped in ONE of my feet on the bridge. But once we got to the end, I unclipped so I wouldn't fall. I'll get the hang of these clips one of these days (I hope)!

Once we made it back to the store in VA we got back into non-cycling clothes so we could get home.

It was such a fun trip on my bike! Well, I guess I should stop calling it just 'my bike' now, as we gave it a name. What name would suit my bike? CUPCAKE! Since it was our first real ride (once the full retro-fitting was done) and I like cupcakes. So now Spike has a friend. Spike, Cupcake, and Apes...what a great family :)

So now I want to start riding it EVERYWHERE (well, except to work in Tyson's). I also now know when I get my next bike, I want a mountain bike. That way I can ride in ANY weather - I have to be careful with cupcake, she can only ride in good weather since her tires are slick (but no worries, I'm switching her tires to ones with more tread).


Pearl Izumi Attack Shorts $75.00

So these shorts have the chamois in them (gives them that wet diaper look) but are SUPER comfy! It kept my bum comfy, and I didn't get uncomfortable in them at all. They have leg grippers on the inside on the legs, so they didn't ride up and move around (perfect since I was wearing my tights over them).



- apes (and cupcake) -

12k Race on Saturday

So this weekend I have signed up for a 12k race (http://www.dcroadrunners.org/sign-up/custis-12k) along with Leo and Juan. Now 12k is about 7.5 miles. Well, that's a little longer than I have EVER ran!

The longest I have run has been 6.4 miles (just on my own) and I haven't even ran in like 2 weeks. So I am sure I will be STRUGGLING with 7.5 miles. I thought I would have PLENTY of time to get ready for it (until it snuck up on me) but with the basketball game taking up my only evening to run last week, and then Monday I just could NOT get motivated - I just haven't ran.

Now, recently we got a TON of snow up in Northern VA/DC - including last night, and more snow is scheduled all week, AND weekend.

So as much as I want to run the 12k on Saturday, I wouldn't mind it being cancelled (due to weather) since I have been slacking. The race is by the SAME super-unorganized group as the 5k from January, and apparently it's not even a chip-timed race, we have to keep our own time. WTF?!?!? - so yeah, a cancellation wouldn't be SOO bad for me...but I DO need the training.

- apes -

Spike got hurt!

First off - I know I haven't posted since last Monday. I guess that means you can tell I also haven't exercised since last week. I know I know, hopefully I can pump out a run today (it's my only evening off AND I have a 12k race on Saturday...THIS SATURDAY).

Now normally I can get atleast ONE run in, but last week my only day off was a Longwood Alumni reception/bball game. We went to the Wizards vs. Lakers (where of course the Lakers won) so I didn't have time to squeeze in any exercise...unless you want to count my liver exercise.

Ok, so onto Spike.

For those who DON'T know - Spike is not an animal. He is my soon-to-be 3 year old Toyota Corolla!! I got him back in 2007 on a weekend trip back to my college (Longwood University...located in the REAL FARMVILLE).

So anyways...it started snowing on Saturday morning, and I had to get to the bike shop (yes, in the snow). So as I was making the not-exactly-a-right-turn turn from Washington Blvd. to that little side street by the ABC store in Clarendon, the stupid driver beside was was turning (there's 2 right turns at this intersection, one is a right turn, and one is like a veer-right onto the street turn). Well she went to TURN RIGHT, and as I went to VEER Right (2 different streets) she decided she didnt want to turn so she straightened back out, and as I swerved to avoid her I jumped the curb and Spike got hurt.

He ended up with 2 busted tires and a busted rim. UGH!

So once at work, I have to call up AAA and renew my membership - so I could get free towing. Spike got his first ride in a tow (he loves his new adventures, even if they will cost ME a fortune). So I get him looked out at Mr. Tire (the mechanics said they'd take care of him, and even read him a bedtime story) and of course...there's more that needs to be done:

- 4 new tires (2 were busted, and the other 2 were almost bald - I already knew I needed to look into new tires, so I was kind of prepared for this)

- New Brakes

- Realignment

Of course it's not cheap....so a nice little chunk of $1000 is gonna be around the total cost. Oh goody, it looks like I know what I will be using my tax return for (if I get anything back).

I guess that's what I get for not exercising last week - now I will be mooching rides, walking/running, or biking (my bike will have its new handlebars tomorrow hopefully) everywhere until Spike is back in tip-top shape!

- apes-