Hello Boulder

It has been quite some time since I put something on here.  Lets just say life has been, well, life.  You get caught up on the day and day, open your eyes one morning and realize two months have gone by.  In order to break the mundane routine, the same training grounds, we packed up bikes and headed to Boulder, Colorado.  This trip kind of came randomly.  I figured, you only live once (yes, that’s yolo) and I was in need of that change. So we spent weeks looking at the Airbnb pictures of the house, anticipating this trip.  I knew it was going to be hard, I knew it would be grueling, but as a girl from the flat lands of Miami, this would be my first experience with real climbing.  Clermont?  Sugarloaf? Pretty much a joke to what we were about to climb.   I pictured, I imagined, and never did I think it would be so….incredible (yet painful).

After a much delayed flight, we made it to the house up on the mountain side, pretty much just in time for sunrise.  We were supposed to nap, but the last thing I wanted to do was sleep.  Hell, I was in Boulder.  So I sat out on the porch, watched the sunrise and light spread on the mountain around us.  What a poetic sap, right?  I’m just getting started.  Some breakfast on the terrace, fancy coffee making and bike building, we were heading on the rocky dirt road for some “light” climbing.  I don’t do well with rocky gravel roads, first thing I learned.  What….the….blame altitude, lack of sleep, rookie experience but 10 minutes into our first climb and my heart rate had sky rocketed.  I could barely catch a breath and felt like I was about to lose breakfast.  This was the easy part of the climb, mind you.  I turned it around, found a safe spot and gathered myself.  I did this two more times until I finally made it up to part that “flattened” out.  By this point I had lost everyone, including my Ziploc (my cycling wallet) with ID and credit card, and what felt like my soul.  After a 30 minute search up and down, one of the guys had found it earlier and stashed in their pocket.  Crisis averted.  So I continued on the road, roaming, lost on a mountain.  I figured at some point, they’d come back down the same road and they did.  The funny thing (but not so funny) about having a house on a mountain is that after a few hours of cycling, you have to climb back up to the house.  Ha. I was barely able to eat much, so my energy levels were at about -5.  I felt pretty awful and did my best to hide it (probably unsuccessfully).  With a little help, showing me how to pace on a climb, made it up.  I don’t know how pace on a climb, second thing I learned.

If I thought day 1 was a struggle, day 2 was, well, I don’t know how to even put into words.  We had an ex Miamian, now Boulder local, take us on what was some well-known climbs.  Mother of god, Flagstaff.  15 minutes, still climbing, 30 minutes, still climbing, 45 minutes, I am still climbing.  The array of emotions you go through.  “I can’t do this”, “man the f up”, “oh look at the view”, “it’s not worth the pain”, “yes it is”, “I got this”, “is that a tear??”, “think of the photo op”, “F that I’m done”, “why am I such a little bitch”, “must keep going”, “when is breakfast” I don’t think I would have made it as far as I did if it weren’t for one of the guys that came back, for what I felt was emotional support and a literal push up the mountain.  He patiently, even though I was not exactly a ray of sunshine, rode next to me, took breaks, until I literally could no longer pedal.  Note to self, unclip quickly or you will fall over. I don’t think I thanked him enough. I made it up Flagstaff and up towards Super Flag (where it took a turn for the worse).  The top of Super Flag will have to wait for the next trip.  It was very disappointing but there wasn’t much to do but just know I have to keep training, keep trying, keep building and getting those #gains.

Wait, we’re not done.  Lets go to a harder climb.  Magnolia.  It has such a pretty name, but it isn’t.  It just looked scary.  I gave it a try and knew I wasn’t making it far.  I turned it around and kept on the highway road we used to get there.  Nothing mattered but that exact moment, not how far I could get up the mountain, not watts, speed, how far I have to go, the disappointment in my performance, cycling gossip, bills, or troubles.  I was on a road between two mountains, absolutely clear blue skies, fresh air, riding along the side of a small river.  It was just a reminder of the joy riding brings, why I do what I do, why I love this sport so much; for what it could show me, for the places my bike could take me. If nothing went right the rest of the trip, it would still be a great trip.

We did some running, hiking and of course more riding the next two days.  Climb by bike and climb by foot.  We did it for the views (pots of gold) and the Instagram post, of course.  We laughed, a lot.  Drank good beer, shared a lot of stories.  A melt down or two and got some really good tips from a cycling veteran.  I could tell you this, the city itself surprised me, but the friends and cyclists I was with, impressed me.  Don’t tell them this though, I’ll never live it down, but their will to keep going on these climbs; their ease making it up, it was motivating.  They are great athletes.  It makes you want to get stronger as a cyclist.  Their love for sport, it rubs off.  They made the trip what it was, pretty memorable.  This was not only a great trip but it opened my eyes to what I want next, what I want to do and put a plan into place to work towards and get it.  You could say I’m excited for what’s next. ~AddingMoMiles

The Not so Resolution, Resolution.

We’re 16 days into the New Year; many of us have looked at our resolutions post and wonder how we already went wrong.  It was a plague of “new year, new me”. I wonder why we wait for new years to better ourselves, but that’s a philosophical question for another post. So in true fashion, I evaluated “resolutions” that I could and maybe should make for the New Year.  I realized that most I will not keep, nor will I try.  I probably made them in 2008, 2009, another attempt in 2011, and failed miserably in 2013.  So in 2014 I focused on two goals, not a resolution.  One was to better my career.  Six months of about 210 resumes sent, 130 e-mails, and about 25 interviews, I am sitting in a job that a genuinely enjoy.  My second goal was to do something I considered really epic.  I wasn’t sure what, but I wanted it to be memorable.  So I signed up for an Ironman.  290 hours of training later and that goal was completed.

Failed resolutions included mundane things like eat less dessert.  Who are we kidding?  Get abs…please refer to previous resolution.  Cut back on coffee, this would never lead to a positive outcome. Religiously get mani and pedi’s (never.going.to.happen.). Call my mother more.  I try, I really do.  Make better romantic/relationship decisions.  But then life would be so extremely boring. Control my sarcasm.  I’ve learned it’s just part of my charm.  Make sure my room is always organized; after all I’m a grown woman. It’s just too exhausting, so some days my bed will not be made.  Curse less, skip out on pizza, drink less beer…just plain miserable.  I’ve learned through my many years of failed resolutions that none of these things make me a better person, athlete, or really help me grow as a human.  Most of them just make me grumpy and possibly less tolerable.

AMEN.

So for 2015, I don’t have resolutions because life improvements started months ago.  So I’ll just challenge myself to do more this year.  Put in more miles, double 2014.  Ride my bike more.  Run more, lift more, climb more, hell do more burpees.  Do more epic shit. Love more, laugh more, and add some  more kindness.  If it scares me, do it.  If I have to seriously deep dig to accomplish it, do it.  If it makes me stronger, do it. If a race is going to hurt, do it.   Stop thinking, doubting, over analyzing.  If it isn’t for me, get rid of it.

This year is a little different.  I am apparently supposed to have all my races for the year selected and planned but that really isn’t the case.  I’m actually kind of torn and have taken a bit of a detour.  I am genuinely enjoying my road bike.  Yes, there are a few triathlons I plan to do but what I’m really excited are road races.  I’m looking forward to learning more, riding smarter, and putting in more time.  New experiences, like the possibility of a Team Betty 2015 training camp and some tough rides.  “Turn the pain into power.”~ AddingMoMiles

Count Your Blessings

Food comas and food babies plagued people all over the US last night, myself included.  Actually I still have a food bump this morning…and I’m ok with this.  I was lucky enough to be surrounded by lots of love this holiday and two of my favorites.  I say it that way because most of my life I wasn’t able to.  It’s not a tradition my family participated in.  Last Thanksgiving didn’t go as planned, and wasn’t exactly filled with love but that’s a story for another day.  So before we dug into the grub, someone at the table asked what we were thankful for…and it got me thinking:

• How much and how little my life has changed.
• My friends and the women who surround me.  The family I got to pick and that have been there so much for me, especially these last two years.  I’m still waiting for our reality show contract.
• My family, we are a circus of crazy (and I’m an active participant in this crazy) but there is not a group of people that can make me feel so absolutely loved as they do.  My sister is on speed dial, you know incase I ever have to hide a body.  My mom, she’s the ring leader of crazy, is an example of real strength.  My old man, he keeps me grounded.
• My health.  No matter what I put my body thru (A LOT), it keeps going, keeps fighting.  I’m lucky to be able to do what I do, train and race. I know that one day, that won’t be the case.
• The mental and physical strength I’ve reached this year.
• Ironman, sometimes you lose yourself in what you love…sometimes you find yourself.
• Pizza, of all meanings.
• The little home my roommate and I have built.  Sometimes messy, but it’s ours.
• Finding a job I am genuinely enjoying, where my opinion actually matters and coming into the office isn’t so bad (though I rather be on the beach)
• Cold sand…just feels nice between your toes.
• My training buddies, jungle buddies, Jungle Fitness, Reaction, All4Cycling, all of it. Where else can I find someone as insane as myself?
• Whatsapp.  Don’t judge.
• Coffee.  I don’t even have to explain this.
• Motivational quotes.  Not all of us may post them, but I know all of you love to read them.  Your secret is safe with me.
• Love and losing it. You learn a lot about yourself.
• Team Betty.  Now, representing this brand is beyond great.  But what I wasn’t expecting was the impact of getting to know some of these women, their story and their strength.  It’s humbling and motivational.
• My bike, how did my bike end up so low on this list??
• Champagne and orange juice…yes mimosas, which of course is included in brunch.  Again, don’t judge me.

This list can continue on and on, may have even forgotten a few important ones.  I know that some of them sound mundane and a little silly but it’s kind of the little things that make you happy you have to be grateful for.  We can’t always control health or peoples actions but we can have things that just kind of make it easier to get by (yes I’m talking about coffee).  Its things that without, you wouldn’t exactly be as happy as you are.  Do you know how many great moments I’ve had around a few glasses of mimosas?  I found out about the first baby in my group of girlfriends over mimosas.  We were having them, momma to be wasn’t.  I’ve had some of the greatest conversations and laughs over a cup of coffee.  I’m a lucky girl. ~AddingMoMiles.

 

Badass Is Beautiful

Katherin Switzer, Mary Barra, Hilary Clinton, Grethe Rask, Jane Hodgson. A lot of these names, with the exception of Hilary Clinton, a lot of us may not know.  I’m not going to lie, I googled 2 of them.   Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and the too famous Kim Kardashian.  The first group of women actually did something beneficial for women and continue to do so, while the others are just ridiculous.  Jane Hodgson, she was the first doctor ever convicted for performing an abortion. High five for standing up for womens right.  Miley Cyrus, humped a foam finger onstage, congratulations.  Katherin Switzer, the first woman to compete with a number in the Boston Marathon, 5 years before women were officially allowed to compete in it.  Race officials actually tried to remove her mid race.  Poor man just wasn’t up to par with her physical abilities.  Selena Gomez, Grammy winner?  More like lip synchs to computer made songs.  Mary Barra, first woman CEO of any major auto company.  Given I don’t think she’s doing the best job, but she got there.  Grethe Rask worked as a surgeon in the Congo and set up her own hospital village.  Could you imagine the monster size mosquitoes that woman had to fight off.  Kim Kardashian, she released a sex tape, and not a very good one.  My social media was full of pictures of her very fake and photoshopped ass.  I don’t see a lot of post of Diem Brown, she lost her battle with cancer at 32.  #cancersucks.  Now, if Kim Kardashian wants to strip down to her birthday suit for everyone to see, that’s her choice.  Actually, more power to her…I’ve never really been a fan of pants either.  The issue is this is what our society chooses to glorify.  Ms. Kardashian was very proud of her ability to balance a champagne glass on her back side.  Girl, put that away.  If I had a daughter, I wouldn’t want her thinking that’s something she could put on a resume or thinking that was an actual skill.  I can probably balance a beer bottle on my pudge, that’s nothing special.  Instead of putting the spotlight on women who are actual role models, we teach young girls that twerking on stage is the way to go in the life…and then wonder why they end up strippers.  We glorify stupidity, image, and fat asses (with the exception of Miley) as examples of what they should strive for.

I will tell you this, I’m grateful for women like JLO and Kim for giving thick women the confidence to be thick women.  When I was a teen, sexy was a pale and very skinny size zero.  I was of the thick Cuban genes , with tanned skin, and black hair…that wasn’t going to happen.  I was never really comfortable in my own skin until society said, hey it’s ok to be thick.  Sad, I know. But now you have to have a thick bottom, with a thigh gap, and teeny tiny top.  You know what, screw that and every shape women are supposed to fit.  My cankles aren’t going anywhere, my thighs will always be a little (or a lot) big and if they touch, they touch! But I’ll tell you this, I am fit, I am healthy, and I really do try to eat clean (sometimes dessert is just too good).  I exercise more than just daily…maybe more than the recommend.  I may not have a six pack, but I look at the body I’ve been given and I am proud of it.  It lets me do what I love day in and day out.   I shouldn’t be shaming it.  We need to stop telling women what they should look like and celebrate being healthy.  I shouldn’t look in the mirror and want to change pieces of me (which does happen a lot).

What’s led to my women empowerment rant?  Kim’s bum all over my newsfeed and I’m very excited and honored to be selected to be a Betty in 2015.  Betty Designs (www.bettydesigns.com) is a line of women’s triathlon and cycling clothing.  But it’s become a little more than that.  It’s become a brand that inspires women, of all shapes and sizes, to be fit and active.  It spreads the attitude that badass is beautiful, strong is beautiful and I get to represent this.  I’m thrilled and grateful to be a part of a group of women who have the same passions and mentality.   I’m a Betty ~ AddingMoMiles.