Happy Birthday to you,Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Kelli,
Happy Birthday to you.
Kelli, have a great 29th birthday today and a Happy New Year's Eve to all!
Unfrozen Cave WomanIn yet another effort to introduce me to the 21st century, my family gave me an iPod for Christmas. It’s my first iPod. Seriously.
I’m not quite sure how I managed to resist Apple’s catchy marketing all these years. I thought that iPods were "neat"; they just seemed like an extravagance I could live without. My stepson (who’s had an iPod since he was 10) would just walk away shaking his head as I explained to him that I had no need for such a thing. "But," he would argue, "you love music and you could fit the hundreds of CDs you own on this tiny little thing and have them available all the time!" I didn’t need to have them available to me all the time. I have CD players in my house and car and never listen to music when I’m out running and biking. Done deal. Or so I thought.
I got my first real iPod craving the morning of the 2008 Hy-Vee Triathlon. Hy-Vee’s a large race and requires that participants be on the grounds well before race time. As I stood in the darkness making final preparations, I REALLY wanted an iPod. That lasted approximately 10 minutes. Soon after I was happily chatting up other athletes and listening to race announcements.
I managed to live without an iPod for another 6 months.
Then it got cold. (Before everyone starts razzing me about being a wimp, I’ll just admit it- I HATE the cold. I used to embrace it- mountaineering, skiing, snow-biking- I loved it all. Unfortunately, I just can’t take cold weather cycling like I used to. More specifically, my fingers and toes can’t take it. And I’ve tried everything- super-duper gloves, socks, shoe covers, those little heat packets- nothing works for very long.)
In past years I’ve managed to maintain my fitness through the winter months by focusing on running (cold but not as likely to result in loss of fingers and toes) and swimming (nothing like a warm pool on a cold winter morning). That’s changed this year. Committing to PRC means committing myself to being the best cyclist I can be and that means time on the bike. This translates to time on a trainer…in my basement.
The first few weeks went OK. I have an old Discman and pretty much perfected the art of switching CDs during my training sessions. Yes it was cumbersome and, yes, there were a few mishaps, but I was making it work.
The intervention happened in early December. Fueled by the stacks of CDs on our dryer, my family sat me down and patiently explained to me how my resistance to modern technology was negatively affecting our lives. After listening to their stories and watching their nifty iPod demo, I caved.
So, now I have an empty iPod. I’ve got tons of CDs but don’t foresee putting all of them on the Pod. I need some NEW tunes for my new toy. That’s where you all come in.
What tunes do you like to train to? Who’s your favorite new/old artist? Recommendations, please!
Vote Cityview's Best Bike Shop~
Posted Sunday, December 28, 2008 by the Pulchritudinous Women of PRC
Hey everybody! Take the survey on Cityview's website for "BEST OF" (you don't have to fill out everything, just the topics you want to vote on).Click HERE and vote daily. When voting, of course considering the following:
BEST BIKE SHOP: Rasmussen Bike Shop
BEST LOCAL SPORTS TEAM: Punk Rock Cycling
Thanks!
Still Haven't Done Your Christmas Cards?~
Posted Sunday, December 21, 2008 by the Pulchritudinous Women of PRCWell, let PRC give you a hand. Here are a few of our favorite card ideas for this holiday season...
You could go with the bike chain Christmas tree card
or the bike chain santa card
or the PRC favorite, the Specialized Nutracker classic. Click HERE for a link to this animated card below. The song is performed entirely on bicycle parts.
Listen for pedals clipping, spokes turning, derailleur cables plucking, freewheel spinning, caliper brakes clamping, pedals hammering, disc brakes hitting, spokes plucking, shifters clicking, chain pulling & brakes squeaking.
Merry Christmas to all from the women of PRC!!
We're taking a poll. Which is your favorite holiday/bike picture?
Face”crack,” MySpace…and now Twitter?~
Posted Thursday, December 18, 2008 by the Pulchritudinous Women of PRC
I mean, seriously, how many more of these toys are out there? Too many more and I will just never work. At least this is what I said when we first heard of it shortly after its launch and promptly went on strike against even logging on to check it out.For you newbies (or as the techy geeks might say, LATE adapters), essentially Twitter is people writing one line about what they are doing. Um, a status update. Whatever. Another one? I'll take Facebook status updates any day, I thought.
But then I read a story on, get this...Facebook, about someone hosting a party for all her "Twitter Friends." The next day she posted pictures of all these folks, arms around one another, beers in tow. "The Twitters Finally Meet" read the headline. You've got to be kidding me, I thought. What kind of geeks…
Well hells bells, the pics, they all looked NORMAL. Not a one in a Star Trek t-shirt. And then there was a Twitter ROMANCE I read about.
So of course, I eventually log on and check Twitter out. Turns out Twitter has Lance Armstrong "twittering." I have never been a big Lance fan, but a quick run through his Twitters and I am astonished at how often he updates his um, "twitter."
And I was also astonished at how much information I could glean from this guy on any given day about the general course of his life; his workouts, his foundation, his ex-wife, his kids, friends, interviews, drug tests.
He actually updates the thing every few hours. From here, I could see just how insane the guy's schedule is on any given day, how many hours he's riding, with whom, and I think most interestingly, within seconds, EVERY time the drug lords come knocking, Lance Twitters. We are at 10 pees and counting, for those of you who are interested.
I have been simultaneously intrigued at the issues Lance seems to care about. I've checked out new bands, art exhibitions, articles, photographers, friends, and have also watched as he's single handedly gotten other cyclists Twittering.
You can find him (and links to all the things Lance loves) at: www.twitter.com/lancearmstrong and I am now considering inviting him to my first Twitter party. ;)
-Ali
I'm not sure if any of you follow this site but dang, it's pretty entertaining. Hilarious in fact!Looks to be crappy with freezing rain, ice and snow tomorrow so if you're sitting at home with nothing to do and just surfing the web, be sure to check out Bike Snob NYC blog. There's always some good stuff...
Better yet, look for the Rasmussen Bike Shop koozie as a gife away item on the site! Probably DQ's work.
Hey girl, you bored? Not working too hard or training? Well... then take some time to run through the Designs For Women website from Specialized. It's got some good videos, product reviews, for all to enjoy. VISIT THE SITE NOW!
The mighty PRC Cranksgiving is behind us now by weeks; but I cannot help but bring mention to three things for which I am oh so thankful.So, in no particular order…THANKS GOES TO:
Kelli for taking the fine initiative to pull this sucker off. I am familiar with the concept of the alleycat as some of my friends in Bellingham, WA have pulled off a few of them there, and I know they are a whole wack of work. Kelli will be the first to thank a bazillion other people who helped, but it was sure nice to show up and simply be given a job, and then just allow Keely, her dad, brother and me to pedal away in the lovely white stuff falling from the sky.
I am also thankful for Keely and her tribe and their stellar navigation skills of the city of Des Moines. I would still be riding around looking for some of those places, given that I reside in the booming metropolis of Ames. And perhaps more importantly, when we needed shades so we could see the road through all those big fluffy flakes, she steered us straight to a drug store display chuck full of $15 diamond studded pairs. She later declared, “It was a whole other ride after we got those shades!” And I could not agree more.
And finally, thanks be to the infamous Riggs, for once again putting the Bad Monkeys on the map for something other than their pimpy bus and all the pimps within said bus. There are a number of reasons for which Riggs HAD to win this year’s Cranksgiving, not the least of which are to win back his pride after a Ragbrai 2008 ass whooping on the final day into the final town. I will let him spew forth the inaccuracies of his story and leave it at this…he alone has the golden crank trophy and he should be very proud.
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FINALLY getting into training mode:On Saturday, I rode my trainer at the Lakeside Fitness center in Pleasant Hill for 2.5 hours. (Thanks for letting us use the room Joe!) I had a good time, even though I was on my trainer. I got there at about 10am and rode by myself and then Sara showed up. Maria came too so it was good to talk with the girls in person. And I have to add, it really was silly watching Sara figure out her new trainer! That Saturday was the only real training I've done for a while. The last time I was on a bike was Cranksgiving! I hate riding in cold weather but it's been a stressful and busy last couple of weeks for me, so it was really nice to get on my NEW bike. I also used a new trainer Saturday where you're able to adjust the resistance. I don't know how many girls have that kind of trainer but it ranges from 1 to 5, 5 being the most resistance. I started with a low resistance of 2 and moved up to 4 and a little bit of the 5 before the 2.5 hours was up. That was more enjoyable than my last trainer. The only trainer I have ever used before this one, was broken and was a pain to pedal and I could only last an hour on it. That could be the reason why I did hate inside training so much!
Overall, I had a good time and I didn't feel too bad. During the ride, my seat hurt and my knees were feelin' some pain. I figured my thigh muscles are pulling up on them so I tried to stretch as much as possible. Afterwards I got an awesome strawberry protein shake, went home and took a nap. It felt good to be on the bike again! At this point in time, I don't know how often I will be going to team practices but I’ll try. It’s a long drive from Pella but I’m definitely excited to get to know the girls better... I also don't know what days I work. I'll be sure to ask off some days for training!
But that's all I have to say for now. See you at practices!
-Alaina
If you haven't heard, PRC's very own Keri is knocked up! Yep, that's right... she's totally preggers; someone beat ya to it. And very soon, Keri will be the first girl to give birth while wearing a PRC jersey. So, as a team, we've decided to seize control of this child and raise it as our own.Yes, Keri's child will have 11 PRC mothers. Meaning her son will either grow to be the most awesome person in the world, or a completely confused, mediocre, not-going-to-invent-anything headcase of a being. We just don't know. We've got a long road ahead. So the first step we're taking as a team is to name Keri's baby... so far, here is what we've come up with:
Ultegra Watts Blake
Flashy Flash Blake
Ruby Dolce Blake
Jay Elder Blake
Funkmaster Decamegatron Blake
Tupac Blake
Donny Quixote Blake
Mini Slugger Casey Blake
Barack Biden Blake
Benjammin Wheels-Of-Steel Blake
As you can tell, we need some help. If you have any ideas for naming Keri's unborn son, please tell us. Please, for the baby's sake... give us your best ideas.
Come join the Des Moines Cross Country Ski Club for an afternoon full of cross country ski fun! This is hosted at the Raccoon River Nature Lodge, home of the future "Raccoon River Ski Trails".Enjoy this pristine setting, while sipping on warm cider, eating delicious holiday treats, and socializing with fellow outdoor enthusiasts.
Host: Des Moines Cross Country Ski Club
Where: Raccoon River Nature Lodge, 2500 Grand Ave, West Des Moines
When: Saturday, December 6
Time: 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Schedule of Events:
2:00pm - Fun run/bike/hike through the future xcountry ski trails
3:00pm - Ski technique clinic - not equipment necessary!
4:00pm - Waxing demonstration
5:00pm - Social
Coaching and demonstration led by Kristin Gallagher of Zoom Performance: Endurance Coaching Services.
Cost: $25 at the door
For more information, contact DMXSKI Club at dmxski@gmail.com
We've recently discovered the website CyclingSingles.com. A free dating personals for singles who love cycling... and upon discovering such a website we were led to only one question, "Are you serious?"Hey we've got an idea for you... if you want to meet someone who enjoys cycling, perhaps you should try, I dunno, CYCLING!?!? We didn't even want to waste our time creating a profile... but if you have, we'd love to hear how's it's working for you...
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