January Jammin'

Every year, time goes by faster and faster. Rather than trying to figure out why that is, I am trying to cram 30 hours worth of living in every 24 hours I get. This week I need to finish up planning for the East coast launch of the Fall Winter clothing. Stressful, but fun. It's especially fun to visit places I haven't been before in Tennessee, Ohio and Connecticut. Been to those states, but not to the cities I will be in this trip. And New York, while intimidating, expensive and on a different realm of my comfort zone, much of the time, is also one of my favorite cities to be in. It's exciting, overwhelming, metro-everything, and feels so American in a high-energy kind of way.

Here in Reno, where life is slower, people are fewer, life is simpler and the air is cleaner, we have been enjoying the mild winter to it's fullest. The last time I rode my bike outside in January so much I lived in California. And amazing as this sounds, that was 5 years ago. You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take California out of the girl. So I am pretty pleased about riding my bike outside this January. Not sure what that will mean for our water supply this summer---but the reality is that you can't do much about the weather. (I could get on my soap-box about global warming and all the things that we all should be doing about this, but I won't. I can only lead by example and know that I do my share, know that I can always do more, and hope that this is high on President Obama's "to-do" list. He's got a very long list.)

Mike and I are heading to the Bay Area the day after I get back from NYC---Tour of California, mixed with work. Then to LA at the end of month. Oregon and Washington shortly after (more soap-box carbon footprint mess...sigh...) But way more fun with Mike going too!

So---not much to report from the lovely mountains here in Northern Nevada. I hope your weekend was relaxing and fun! Here's a little flyer for the Nashville Fashion show!

Happy Sunday!

An exciting week ahead in the USA!

It's all over the news, all over the net and impossible to have a conversation with someone without being all excited and full of great hope for our country. Our first African American president! Wow! When I look and listen to Barack Obama speak, I feel tears well up in my eyes and feel so proud of everyone for voting for this eloquent extraordinary man. Like we are finally willing to say, it is time to do things differently, and be the amazing country full of different and amazing people that we are. Sigh...very proud to be an American.

I was going to write about my rides and my running adventures, but so many of you are plagued with really cold, snowy weather, that it just didn't seem right. That said, I rode my bike outside all week during the week in sunshine with zero wind and springtime temps. It is such a strange weather pattern. Mike and I wake up and look at each other in disbelief. It isn't the near 80 degree temps that my California friends are enjoying---it's more the high 50's! (but high 50's here is the same as high 60's in SF---as there is no moisture). Today, we decided that not watering our lawn (a.k.a. weeds) and taking 20 second showers this summer due to drought is kinda worth it.

On Saturday, I went for a long easy-paced 90 minute run. If running didn't beat me up so much, I would run all the time. I just got a new pair of Newton Running shoes for All-Weather, and I spent the first 45 minutes just looking at my feet because they are such cool looking shoes. Running down the hills around here really takes it's toll on my "hip-flexors". If I was a guy, I would say I pulled my groin muscle. (Do girl's have groin muscles?) In any case---I will practice running backwards to build up the right muscles (Thanks for tip, Mom!)

Today I set out for a long over-due 3 hour ride. Imagine 3 hours with only 1 stop-sign and maybe 10 cars and who knows how many feet in elevation gain (it felt like it was all uphill!). Really lovely.

I am heading East on February 2 (Colorado, Tennessee, Ohio, NYC, and Connecticut), and then will arrive home for a day before heading to Sacramento for the Tour of California Prologue and then to the Bay Area for a week. Mike will at least be joining me for the Bay Area trip (I hope), as I hate spending my birthday and heart day without my guy and my hound! I am hopefully going to be home for a week after that (but maybe not) before heading to LA/San Diego & then Seattle and Portland.

Mostly this week I am rejoicing in my newfound hope for the USA! I hope you are too. Happy Sunday!

Beautiful!

Oh my gosh it is so beautiful out today! We had a pretty incredible weather system come through yesterday. I think the wind blew at a steady 50 mph for 24 hours. Some of the gusts would literally "blow you away". Even Mike when he was walking the Scrapper out in the canyons he was almost "blown down". It's pretty incredible---this mountain weather. Mike actually went out riding in it---it was even spitting water and ice, but he left in the morning anyway, thinking the weather man was wrong. When I "got the call" a few hours later, I was hardly surprised. Not really a weather call---but a flat tire with a broken spare call.

The Scrapper and I left in the ice to the rescue and right as we climbed the hill back home the sky started spitting snow, ice and rain at the same time with a little bit of hail thrown in for good measure. We made homemade burritos and watched something silly on TV.

But this morning we woke up to a cold and beautiful day. Really beautiful. Like the sky is so blue you can't believe it isn't technicolor. And the air is so clean because anything that was in it was surely blown to the East. The streets were coated in ice this morning but the sun dried it up and out we both went. I ran out in the hills and canyons and as I would come up to any desert brush, a swarm of quail would fly up. My eyes were tearing from the cold, but the crispness of color was amazing. After 5 or so miles I picked up the Scrapper for the last mile or so to run with her. She really likes the cold weather (a lot more than her mom---though her Mom has a new appreciation for it now that she is running and not riding in it.)

In any case---I hope you are enjoying the first few days of the New Year! Happy Saturday!

Happy 2009!

I love January 1st. I always do. It's one day that I don't even care what the weather is like; it's the first day of a brand New Year---all full of hope and good intentions. Mike and I were asleep before the ball dropped in NYC. Pretty pathetic if you ask me---but we are hard pressed to stay awake much past night-fall! And the weather is fantastic here and so we were looking forward to nice New Year's Day out-of-doors festivities. When I asked Mike if he was making any resolutions he told me he absolutely wasn't and he never has and never will do anything so silly. I am not making any either---but I would like to run a marathon this year. Just need to figure out which one. Easy to say in January when the bike biz is less busy and I have time to train, but I will run the distance even if it isn't an event-style kind of marathon.

Speaking of which, I headed out into sunshine in my Newton kickers today and I ended up running with this gal who is almost 60. She was small and weathered and lean and mean. Been running in the high desert all her life. And she is fast, but steady. We ran a little over 5 miles together before we parted on our separate ways. Her name is Audra and she about killed me with the pace. But she gave me something to aspire to. I've seen her out there running almost everyday since we moved here. I know when the weather gets warmer I will be back on my bike---but I sure do like the simplicity of running. Just needing shoes and a road means this year while I am traveling, I can bring my shoes and run everywhere!

Speaking of which, I am heading out East in February---the circle of the year and visiting retailers will begin in a month. It will be interesting to see what the year holds for the bicycle business. This is a very different recession. But I am full of the New Year buzz (and a runner's buzz on top of that) and so I am looking forward to whatever the year has on offer.

I hope your New Year's celebrations were safe and happy! My folks are headed over the hill to visit in a couple of days. The snowy passes required a delay of the holidays for the Mehler gathering...

Happy New Year!