Today's my birthday! Which is sort of like a mid-year chance to make new resolutions all over again.

I've grown a lot as a cyclist in the past few months. I still have so many obstacles that kick my butt (or, ya know, toss me over the handlebars...literally), but it's crazy to be riding routes/trails that I did even just a few weeks ago and doing monumentally better than before. My goal for my 23 year old self is simply: if I'm scared of it, I gotta do it. 
This, of course, applies 98% to on-the-bike only. Let's be real, I'll never not be an anxiety ridden baby. And I'm alright with that!
Right now, my biggest challenges on the bike are just psyching myself out. I come up to a big hill or a technical downhill and my first instinct is to get off the bike. After that, it's nearly impossible to convince myself to get back on it.

I'm working on being able to concentrate my thoughts back into a good place even after I stumble over part of a trail.
I got the chance to go riding with a new trail mate today. It made all the difference being able to watch the lines she was taking and ask questions while we were out.

Last week was filled with very exciting news that I cannot wait to share publicly. Right now, all I'm allowed to say is that I'm more excited for cross season than I ever thought was possible. More on that real soon!!

Also, Patrick and I have decided to venture into something creatively new. I'm still working out the fine details and, as my new-found-adult-self, I'm not open to sharing every piece of our new project until I feel comfortable with the way it's going. But, just know, that I'm very stoked on everything that's happening right now. I'm really excited to see where everything ends up.

So yeah. Here's to 23! I hope I can convince people to like me this year.

Wastin' Away in Margaritaville

This past weekend was my momma and I's semi-sort-of-annual-mother-daughter-vacation! We've been going to Gatlinburg, Tennessee since I was about 12, so this year we decided to switch it up and spent a lovely weekend in Myrtle Beach and Charleston.

Neither of us had ever been to Myrtle Beach and spent only minimal amounts of time in Charleston so it seemed like a perfect idea!

Unfortunately, the weather didn't quite agree with us going to the beach mid-April. Our first two days in Myrtle were spent wishing we had brought more sweaters. The temperatures also meant that any lounging on the beach we were planning on doing was pretty out of the question. We spent Friday wandering around the shops along the boardwalk. By Friday evening, we were out of things to do. (One can look at only so many "Myrtle Beach 2016" tank tops & shot glasses). Bummer when we still had two days of vacation! So we decided to do what anyone else in our position would do - let's take a road trip from our road trip!

A quick Google search revealed the Charleston was only 2 hours from Myrtle. Saturday morning, we woke up super early and started the trek to The Holy City. With Myrtle not exactly being our cup of tea, Charleston ended up being everything we wanted in a city! The weather cleared up, we had all new things to explore, and we spent the afternoon roaming around taking pictures and reading all about the history of the town.

It took Mom and me about six times longer to walk anywhere than it should have because we would both stop every 500ft to take a million pictures of someone's house. Everything in Charleston is so dang pretty! 

Once we were done oogling over downtown and were in danger of having full memory cards on our cameras, we got back in the car to search out Folly Beach.

Folly Beach has a special place in my heart, so I had to be sure to visit it again. This time last year, Patrick and I drove overnight to Charleston for his birthday and got there right as the sun was coming up. We ended up taking a nap on Folly, eating lunch, and turning around to come back home.

Essentially, that's what Mom and I did on this trip. We ventured out to the beach just long enough to snap some pictures.

Sunday was our last day on vacation. The drive back to Atlanta is 5 hours, so we had to leave early to avoid falling asleep at the wheel.
We got up really early, excited to see that the good weather from Charleston followed us back to Myrtle. We were finally able to venture out to the beach to take in all the beauty that had been hiding itself over the past 3 days.

We got back to Atlanta right around 2pm. Patrick was leaving at 3 to meet his friends for mountain biking, so naturally I had to tag along, too. I was exhausted from an amazing weekend, but it was great to be back on my bike.

Thank you, Momma, for an awesome weekend!

Right down the Middle

I've had Sophia (my mountain bike) for a week, officially! We've only had time to take her out on one proper outing so far, but I think that was enough for me to fall in love with her.
Last Monday, we ventured out to Cochran Mill Park, a nature center about 30 minutes south of the city. They have a series of trails spanning about 11 miles and ranging in skills from beginner to advanced.
Patrick was nice enough to stick to the beginner trails with me, while our other friends went to do a couple of loops around the advanced. I know I'll get better and I shouldn't be so tough on myself after a day of mountain biking, but holy cow! those beginner trails kicked my butt.

The views that come with mountain biking are definitely worth the suffering.

Once I got my sea legs (or is it trail legs?), things were overall pretty smooth sailing. Luckily, we got to the trails pretty early so, for awhile, it was only us out there. I was thankful to have my warm-up time to myself without having to worry about running across other cyclists, hikers, or dogs. However, right after leaving this beautiful river, the beginner's loop got even more intense. We climbed for what felt like forever (it was less than 500ft over 15 miles...whoops!) over rocks and roots. I quickly found out that I definitely need to study up on my climbing skill set. I'd get momentum going, but as soon as I saw an obstacle in my path, I panicked and got off my bike. Right now, the biggest goal for myself is just not be afraid. I've only ever broken my pinky finger and the thought of getting significantly hurt is always in the back of my mind.

By the end of the day, I only crashed once. Got a gnarly chain ring tattoo on the back of my leg and the most ridiculous bruise ever on my knee when a stick tried to stab into it. There's something really humorous of being on the ground and hearing your boyfriend yell "you're okay, don't cry!" as he rushes over to you. Sometimes I think he knows me a little too well...



My only problem now is that I don't want to go back to road riding. Even my 2 mile commute seems tedious now.
We're off to Chattanooga this upcoming weekend to visit my brother for Patrick's birthday. I'm real excited to check out some new trails in a new city.

New Bike Day (#3)

She is a Specialized Jynx Expert 650b

Meet Sophia - the newest addition to our constantly growing (bike) family.

I hadn't exactly been in the mountain bike market for very long...or, well, at all. Patrick and his friends have been almost exclusively riding their mountain bikes lately, but due to my work schedule, I was never off when they were going riding anyway, so it never much mattered to me that I didn't have one.

Naturally, however, there was that tiny part of me that saw how much fun they were having and envied not being out there too.
A couple of months ago, Patrick and I agreed that we were going to split the cost of a mountain bike for my birthday in May. We picked out the perfect one!
 Early last week, we found out that Specialized was extending their Spring Savings sale which make the bike we'd be scoping out incredibly affordable. Since the sale was ending about a month before my birthday, we decided to move up our purchasing date to as soon as possible.

& she has 27.5" wheels

Unfortunately, a couple of days after that decision, Pat comes home to tell me that the bike we were looking out was sold out. And the worst part?! One of their customers ordered one of the last ones in my size! I was heartbroken.
But, at least their was less pressure on my wallet and our time crunch was over...

Today, I went with him to work at the bike shop (the dudes there are nice enough to let me mill around on my days off and "help" work on bikes). Before we opened, I see Pat rolling down the exact bike I had my eyes on and he tells me that it's for that other customer, but he wants to see if the sizing would be what I'd need to get. So I halfheartedly get on the bike to test it out.
He then tells me that it's actually mine!!! I spend the next couple of minutes half-crying, half telling him to stop messing with me before I decide to believe him. But alas, she is all mine!

I'm impressed by Patrick's ability to keep a secret (and a straight face). My work schedule has also changed, meaning we have a day off together again. Hitting the trails early next week & I cannot wait! All the camping! All the mountain biking! Could not be more excited for summer!

Updated - absoluteBLACK Oval Chain Rings

Awhile back, Patrick was selected as a brand ambassador for a really rad company called absoluteBLACK. They specialize in creating oval chainrings for bikes of all shapes and sizes.
And perhaps my favorite thing of being someone's partner, is sharing in their excitement when something cool happens to them. So naturally, I asked him to let me take pictures of how GREAT the new chain ring looks on his bike.

absoluteBLACK offers a variety of colors for their product, which is convenient since I've found cyclists to be some of the most finicky and aesthetic driven people when it comes to their bike. (not hating, I'm quickly becoming one of them, too!)

Patrick selected the red chain ring for his new bike, a Stradalli frame with Boyd carbon wheels that he'll be using for cross season. He's great at obsessing over the smallest details on his bikes, which always turn out looking amazing in the end result.

As far as the science behind oval chainrings, studies have been done at major universities throughout the country, concluding that, unlike traditional round rings, the oval design works better with the body to transmit power more evenly with each pedal. That means riders are able to generate and maintain higher power levels.

After about a month of riding with these new chain rings, testing out all sorts of different terrain, Patrick has said that he can definitely back up the company's claims on their performance.
Living in the city, maneuvering around traffic, means that just when you get up a good cadence, you're guaranteed to hit a red light. However, with absoluteBLACK's chain rings, he is able to pick up his speed again in no time. And as someone who is consistently riding with him, I can vouch that on this bike, he takes off. 

It's not only on the road that he's seen a major difference. He bought the Stradalli as his cyclocross bike so, naturally, he's been testing it out on all sorts of gravel, mud, and grass trails. No matter what terrain he's on, the effects from the chain ring holds true. I'm excited for him to get further into his training, and for that spring rain to come and make our training all the more fun.
He stands behind absoluteBLACK to the point that he's currently planning to switch over all of his bikes to these oval chainrings...on top of the million other upgrades he's currently saving up for, of course.

Gettin' Serious

Lil cross babe got road tires put on her. She looks much less tough now...

The weather has finally become constant spring! No more worrying about making plans a week out, only to have them canceled by a random day of 30 degree weather.
But with that, it means that all the big plans I spent all winter putting off, I finally have to start doing. That means making myself actually get out of bed at 7am to get in a couple miles of riding before going to work, holding myself to a strict training regime, eating better, doing yoga/stretches consistently, etc. (I may have gone a little overboard with spring plans, honestly)

Yesterday, I did my first real group ride. I spent pretty much all day hyping myself up for how nervous I was to go out with a group. I wasn't sure who else would be going out, but I knew the leader of the group...and his legs are about the size of my torso. Hours before the ride, I was texting other lady cyclists desperately looking for someone who I'd feel comfortable riding (and potentially failing) alongside. In the end, I got a couple of well-needed pep talks (thank you, Rhys!) and was sent out to do the ride on my own.



Despite some minor annoyances that come with riding in unfamiliar groups, I had a great time on the ride. It was a pretty low-key 18 mile ride, with some climbs that gave my thighs a good burn.

Altogether yesterday, I got in right at 40 miles. Not bad!
Now, I'm just working toward getting in the habit of getting in about 20 miles even on days that I have to work. Right now, only training one day a week just ain't cutting it.

Oh & I also got my very own (!) Loose Nuts jersey. Which means that I finally have my very first jersey & now that I rep Loose Nuts on my person 90% of the time. I'm really lucky to have stumbled upon such a great group of people who are constantly motivating and inspiring me to get better.

Plans are to rest for the rest of the week. We're planning on starting our hardcore training regime on Monday, so I'm sure I'll be making a ton of posts about getting my butt kicked and all my tiny little brags during times when I don't.

Starting in April, Patrick is leading a group ride out of his work, Outback Bikes. If you're in the Atlanta area, definitely come hang out with us!
We're still working out all the details but you can join the group on Facebook for more information.

If Ya Can't Beat 'Em...

 After fighting against making the switch to clipless shoes and peddles for months, I finally did it! Despite what everyone had said in regards to going clipless, I just couldn't imagine it making that significant of a difference to bother spending money on new equipment for my bike.

Yesterday, I spent the day working with Patrick at the bike shop, just building bikes. The owner said he'd give me $10 per bike I built. Instead, I decided to build enough so I could afford a trade of work for new shoes. And I got em!
First pair of cycling shoes I've ever had. Despite it taking me close to an hour to learn how to clip in and out (I'm still not fully comfortable with it), I've never felt so awesome on a bike. Can't believe I took so long to make the switch!

Not to get all ~emotional~ about an inanimate object, but it's real strange to feel so ~connected~ with your bike.
(I also really need to get out of the habit of using ~~~ to mock myself)

I'm excited to make this giant step in preparing myself for the racing season. With a new, amazing bike and now this new pedal setup, I'm starting to run out of excuses for why I'm slow/don't want to throw in an extra 10 miles on my ride.
Gotta get better about pushing myself.

2016: Year of the Not Wimp