it's just a ride.

What we want.

2008-05-27T01:46:00.000-07:00

By Linda Pastan

What we want
is never simple.
We move among the things
we thought we wanted:
a face, a room, an open book
and these things bear our names--
now they want us.
But what we want appears
in dreams, wearing disguises.
We fall past,
holding out our arms
and in the morning
our arms ache.
We don't remember the dream,
but the dream remembers us.
It is there all day
as an animal is there
under the table,
as the stars are there
even in full sun.

Back in the saddle.

2008-01-27T22:19:00.000-08:00

I tried to duck training camp this year. Sign-ups happened while I was still in Sweden, so I easily talked myself out of it. Why, after a month off the bike, would I choose to suffer through a weekend full of climbing up the monstrous hills of Bodega Bay?

Well, my good friend E. informed me that "not being in shape" was, in fact, a really bad excuse to avoid training camp (given that most people go to training camp for the purpose of getting IN shape).

So I went. What I'd forgotten about was all of the other reasons people go to training camp:

Good riding.

The Aggie's Favorite Detour.
(Photos by Ms. Amanda)

Amazing weather. Beautiful views.

Great people and good eats.

Another Aggie fave: Freestone bakery, in Freestone, CA. Can't beat their sticky buns.

Or cheesebread.

What more could I ask for?

I ♥ Davis!

2007-10-14T01:24:00.000-07:00

UCI Road World Championships 2007: Stuttgart, Germany

2007-10-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

An awesome trip. Read more.

Do the Green Thing: Walk

2007-10-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Or ride your bike. Either way works for me.

GO AGGIES! Collegiate Track Nats 2007

2007-09-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

Pics by Miss Amanda

6th in the team omnium and some nice individual placings as well. Gotta love those Aggies!

Dopers suck.

2007-07-26T09:36:00.001-07:00

In Memory of Corinne.

2007-06-28T12:45:00.001-07:00

I was so sad to hear of this news: a WCCC rider, Corinne Crawford, died on Tuesday. She was struck by a car while riding her bike.

I did not know Corinne very well, but I do remember that she was an incredibly friendly, kind person. She stepped up this season to ride for Cal in the Women's As category, and since I spent most of my time in the Bs, I was able to watch the As in action. All season long, I remember being impressed by the effort and dedication Corinne put out there for her team -- even if she didn't always get top results, she really worked HARD and stuck with it. She was also one of those people who, as far as I knew, was well liked by everyone, from ALL teams. Just a good person.

There is a memorial ride happening this Saturday. I really wish I could make it. If you go, please send my best to the Berkeley team.

Info on the ride (from Cal Cycling):
On Saturday, June 30th, we will do a ride in Corinne's honor. We will meet at Sproul Plaza at 9:30am, team members will say a few words and then we will leave at 10am. We plan to arrive at the site of the accident at 12 and leave flowers and anything else you would like to bring there. All are welcome to join us. It is an approximately 20 mile ride to the intersection. Those not wishing or unable to do the ride are welcome to join us at the intersection at noon.

If you are unable to join us, you can leave your thoughts on her
CaringBridge website: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/corinnecrawford

More on Corinne (from Cal Cycling):
Corinne was a true renaissance woman. She was a dedicated and caring
teacher, had a singular gift for languages, and was a red-belt in Hankido.
She was also a gifted cook and knitter, as well as a musician and she even
dabbled in classical radio DJing. She was a brilliant scholar, a tender
friend and a feisty, unstoppable spirit.

And more...
UC Berkeley's student newspaper, the Daily Californian: http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=25343

The Contra Costa Times:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/centralcontracosta/ci_6249875

Please keep her family, friends, and the WCCC cycling community in your thoughts and prayers.

Last post... on this blog (for now).

2007-06-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

My plane for Sweden is taking off in six and a half hours.

I have my bike packed, my six months/three seasons worth of clothes packed, and as soon as I finish this blog entry, my laptop and my stupid-baggie-of-three-ounce-liquid-items will be stashed away in my backpack along with oodles of random crap...

Off to Sweden. Six months.

Check it out here: linneainlund.blogspot.com.

Holy guacamole...

2007-06-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

9 DAYS TIL I LEAVE FOR SWEDEN.

For six months.

Jeepers.

Here's to the last push through finals and to good ol' "pre-trip syndrome".

bibliolovin'

2007-06-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

Today, I learned how to use the library.

Yes, I am a junior in college. And I hardly EVER use the library.

Why? I'm scared. I am just so intimidated by that huge mass of a building.

It’s too big, too quiet, and I have a minor phobia of librarians because I am afraid they will think I will think I am stupid and inept. And I am – when it comes to using libraries – but I love, love, love books. How to reconcile all of this?

Well, today, I learned how to navigate this building. And I think I’m in love.

I talked to FOUR different librarians, all of whom spent between five and twenty minutes helping me do research and find books. The librarian on the first floor, with a smile, sent me up two floors to the agricultural reference librarian, who showed where to look on the library website and then directed me downstairs to the government information and maps area, where two different librarians spent at least fifteen minutes pulling out books from who knows where and looking up call numbers.

Amazing.

Unfortunately, the only thing that bursted my wow-this-is-awesome bubble was running into a classmate. He’s doing research for the same class. Same paper. Same deadline. AND – he’s researching the same topic.

I admit: I did not play nice. This guy isn’t exactly a slacker (okay, maybe he is), but I’m pretty sure he’s not at the top of our class. And I wanted those books.

In my defense, he was not proactive. He merely looked over my shoulder and hovered behind me as I got six more call numbers and eight more books from the reference stacks. Ya snooze, ya lose, my friend.

Paper’s due tomorrow at five. Off to paperland.

Paper Plate Awards

2007-06-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

The "official" end of the season party was last night. Good times and great paper plate awards.

Receiving my award from the team prez.

My award:

Says Plastik, "This means next season you have to race A's again."

Cheese??

2007-06-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Parmesan cheese.

Proud sponsor of the Giro???

Max at Mt. Hood...

2007-05-31T08:59:00.001-07:00

92 miles in the break. Whew.

The buggies are back.

2007-05-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

Last night, I stayed up way too late.

I had to throw together a powerpoint for my class on urban and regional planning. A five minute presentation on my term paper. Six, seven slides at most. But utilizing my expert procrastinating skills, I somehow manage to be up until 3:30AM.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, I decided to wander downstairs. Maybe grab a cupcake and a glass of milk. Study food, you know?

When I switched on the light, this is what I saw:

I took a step back and froze. The roach scuttled towards the dishwasher and then stopped. CRAP, I thought, that is so, so, so GROSS.

(You know that Fear Factor TV show where they do gross things like put contestants in a giant hole and then dump barrels and barrels of cockroaches on top of them until they’re swimming in bugs up to their neck? Yeah. I would not do well on that show. At all.)

I had to gather myself for a moment, and then I carefully sidestepped over to the kitchen sink, and grabbed the can of Raid. The roach freakin knew I was coming. As soon as I had that can in my hand, the roach starting running. I started spraying.

He was a tough little bugger. I sprayed him with Raid for a good 15 seconds while he ran towards the stove and I nailed him with the poison. Finally, he stopped running, starting writhing, and died.

I passed on the cupcake.

It wasn’t quite as bad as the night a genuine la cucaracha held me hostage in my bedroom. I was in Mexico for a month-long homestay, about to turn off my light and go to sleep, when I see a big ol’ black bug go under my bed. I was faced with a dilemma: figure out some way to deal with the bug or just forget about it and go to sleep, risking the chance of waking up with a roach crawling all over my face.

Initially, I opted for the latter option, but I could not shake my fears of creepy crawlies in my sheets. So, I grabbed my shoe. I looked under my bed. Adjusting my eyes to the dark, I hung off the edge of my bed and stuck my head down below to get a good look. There it was.

I wildly whacked the ground about fifteen times and then took a look at the bottom of my shoe.

Yep. Got it. I didn’t wear those shoes the rest of the time I was in Mexico.

(I set four more bait traps… crossing my fingers that my last two weeks in Davis will be bug free…)

Mt. Hood...

2007-05-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Whoops! A little timing blunder (well-handled by Cal Giant and all involved).

Maybe next year...

Mt. Hood! Stage numero uno.

2007-05-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

Gosh, those Strawberry Boys are good, aren't they?

Smashing O'Neil by 12 seconds?? BJM by 20 seconds?? What did Devon eat this morning?

They went 1st, 21st, 35th, 41st, 66th, 70th, 92nd...
...not bad. Not bad at all.

max: um, so we'll have to ride on the front tomorrow
its 112 miles

me: woohoo
sounds like, um, fun

max: yeah
its going to be an epic day tomorrow

I can't wait to hear more... !!

Lost and Found

2007-05-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Last May, I lost my time trial helmet. I last saw my poor LG Prologue sitting on the floor of the rental van that my team was using to haul our butts all over Lawrence, Kansas. My last memory of wearing that lid involved helping my team score a national championship, so I admit that I felt rather attached to that awkward looking hunk of styrofoam and plastic.

It all went wrong at the end. Our flight back to California left mere hours after the Nats crit ended, so my team was scrambling like crazy to pack our bikes back into their boxes, pick up dirty chammies from the hotel room floor, and sneak in a trip to Topeka to hand off a jersey to an injured teammate craving some stars and bars.

And, alas, my helmet did not make it back with me. I got home, waited a few days before begrudgingly unpacking the huge mess in the living room, and I could not find it. It was not there.

I sent at least three frenzied emails to my team listserv – “have you seen my helmet??” – begging for its return. My name, number, and school were written on a sticker on the inside, so surely if someone had it, they’d know it was mine. No one responded.

Until now. One year, 8 days later, I got this email:

From: One of our Men’s As
Subject: Aero helmet?
Date: Tue, 22 May 2007 20:03:23 -0700 (PDT)

Were you missing an LG TT helmet at one point? If so, I think its here....

-Men’s A

So, my helmet is back (sans visor, but it kinda made my nose itch anyway). Where it has been the last year, I have no idea. Why no one on our team recognized my helmet sitting in a corner of one of our cycling houses is beyond me. I have a sneaky feeling that somebody who doesn’t have a TT helmet may have decided to “borrow” mine for a season and not tell me, but oh well. I forgive you, mystery teammate…

---

Max was here for a week and now Max is gone for a week. Darn Mt. Hood and darn my finals. Wish I could be there.

---

We’re lookin at 22 days until I leave for Sweden. YIKES. We had a “pre-departure” meeting at the study abroad center and I met the five other students from UCD who will be there for the summer and/or fall. A good group, actually, but the general consensus was that we’re all so nervous we’re about to shit our pants. I was half joking, but when I voiced my “forget about this Sweden crap, let’s just stay in Davis” sentiments, everyone else nodded their heads in agreement.

I know this is going to be fun, but as my mom keeps reminding me, it’s gonna be one of my most challenging experiences ever. I think I’m okay with that.

---

I’m coping with all of this by making banana cupcakes. Insanely good recipe here.

Max has been here for a whole week!

2007-05-22T21:55:00.001-07:00

Which makes me SO happy! I miss him when he's not around.

(I think he misses me, too.)

Like Apple Pie (part 2!)

2007-05-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

We're a pie kind of family.

On birthdays, my brother and I almost always request a pie from Fat Apple's instead of a cake. Olallieberry, apple, chocolate velvet... mmm. It's just what we do.

We waited for a weekend til I was in Berkeley to honor Max's American citizenship (with a pie of course!). My mom bought the pie and I made a flag:

We took a picture, and then while we munched, I browsed through the files on my mom's camera and I found this:

September 2006:

February 2007:

Like I said, a pie kind of family.

creepy crawlies

2007-05-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

We have a problem. A bug problem.

Spiders are everywhere here in Davis. Not a big deal. A squeal, a tissue, and a trash can will remedy this problem rather quickly.

But we have four new guests in our kitchen:
Roaches, pincher bugs, slugs, and CENTIPEDES.

We set traps for the roaches. I almost stepped on the slug (I've only seen one), but I scooped it up on a piece of paper and threw it outside. The pincher bugs are squishable enough.

But centipedes??? What the heck do you do with centipedes?!

I've seen at least five and they're living under our oven, I think. I spent this morning researching how to get rid of them. First, I tried to figure out the species, and wikipedia greeted me with pictures like this and this and this. Ugggh. My skin got all prickly with phantom bugs.

No luck. Ours are just long and plain looking. Lots of short little legs.

The good news (thank you Google), is that we do not have the worst kind of centipede invasion, where the bugs are nocturnal and lightning fast and impossible to kill. Our are black, slow, and waltz out onto the linoleum every morning. But apparently they can live for up to 6 years. I'm glad I'm moving out of here in a month.

The biggest problem is that they're carnivourous, which means they are eating some OTHER creepy crawlies living under our stove.

Gross, just gross. After my ride today, I'm hitting up ACE.

Addendum...

2007-05-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

I ranted about ridiculously irritating school kids on Friday... and I take it back.

Today, I had the BEST tour group of kids from Iron Horse Middle School in San Ramon. They were so polite, so attentive, asked great questions, and essentially reminded me why I like this job! It probably helped that they were all 12-year-old girls (no boys) and there were only 15 (not 25) of them, but whatever. Iron Horse Middle School rocks my world.

Other randoms: I bought a pair of tour guide appropriate flats to keep my feet cooler during my long walks backwards around campus and my plan failed. Gargantuan blisters now adorn my heels. Darn shoes. I had to limp home to change back into flip flops. Thank goodness Nordstrom's has a good return policy.

Also, for the first time since I started tour guiding in February, I met Hopper. I almost choked on my water when I saw him, but apparently Hopper is the resident blue jay that flies into the Visitors Center and sits on top of the TV, and while the "All About UC Davis" promo DVD plays, Hopper eats seeds, poops, and hops back and forth between the TV cart and the visitor's desk, waiting expectantly for crackers. Or so I've been told.

Professor Ramblings #5

2007-05-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

Prof. X strikes again...

"You know those books, 'Women Who Love Too Much' and all those other advice books on women who fall for the wrong guy? Well, that's me. I always fall for the wrong social policy.

I think, 'This time it will be different. This time we'll get our national health care system. Will Prof. X finally meet her dream social policy?'

I give this lecture every year, but I get my heart broken time after time."

“Okay, any questions?”

2007-05-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

I really like my tour guide gig. It pays, it's flexible, and it's a fairly predictable job. For one, almost every tour group is made up of the same kind of people:

The eager parent. (Stays near the front. Asks too many questions. Laughs at my bad jokes.)
The eager student. (Has been accepted to UCD. Most likely from NorCal. Accompanied by friendly mom/dad.)
The SoCal girl. (Blond. Hates NorCal. Is usually won over by the Greek life spiel, our awesome rec facility, and the pink UCD sweatshirts we sell in the bookstore.)
The parent on a cell phone. (Drops off the back of the group every 20 seconds to answer another call.)
The hard-of-hearing guy. (Um, move to the FRONT, will you?)
The chatty cathies. (Talk amongst themselves the entire tour, then ask questions I’ve already answered.)
The nobodys. (Don’t talk. Don’t smile. Nearly invisible.)
The UCD grad. (Knows too much. Reminisces about UCD in the 70s.)

Last Monday = quietest family tour ever. I was missing #1, my eager parent. C’mon, where are you? There were a couple of parents at the front who looked like they were itching to ask something, but they kept quiet, until finally:

Me: “Any questions?”
Parent:“Yes, can you give me the percentage of classes with 15 students or less, please?”

Seriously? You know UC Davis is a PUBLIC school, right? I mean, 25 or 30, maybe, but why should I know the percentage?

Me:“Um, that's a great question, but I don’t know that particular statistic…”
Parent: “30 students or less, then, please??”
Me: “Yeah, I just don’t know the answer to that. But you could ask admissions…”

She gives me a look that clearly communicates her opinion that I am utter crap at tour guiding and there is no good reason for me not to know that statistic. Ugh. #9. The dissatisfied parent. This is something all tour guides dread, because no matter what you say, it’s never good enough.

The other dreaded campus visitor is #10. The know-it-all. They ask questions you don’t have the answer to and then answer it themselves.

Know-it-all: “Do you know if anyone in the Mondavi family attended UC Davis?”
Me: “I’m not sure, but they have been very generous in donating funds to our campus.”
Know-it-all: “Actually, both of the Mondavi’s kids went to UC Davis.”
Me: “Oh. Well, that’s great information, thanks for letting me know!”

But the spring is over, so most of my tours are now large groups of middle schoolers and high schoolers, who are the most apathetic little punks ever to walk the earth. Here’s the breakdown:

Twenty loud, obnoxious students.
Five quiet, nice students.
One or two friendly chaperones. (They thank me genuinely for the “great tour” though they made no effort whatsoever to quiet their chattering hoards.)

I had a particularly bad group of high school freshman this past week. They were from the North Bay, and frankly, freshman year is WAY TOO EARLY to be looking at colleges. Our tour guide script is not written to entertain wee little freshman. It’s written to entertain parents with bad jokes while simultaneously giving incoming students a hint at student life. These high schoolers just do not care. They spent the entire tour talking and giggling and trying to trip me.

And their two questions:

Girl #1: "So, like, you can get a BUI ticket, right? (BUI = biking under the influence). But can you, like, get pulled over for talking on your cell phone while riding your bike?"
Me: "No."
Girl #1: "Oh." Looks hugely relieved.

Girl #2: "hehehehehe!!! Okay, um, like, those two over there (points at friends who are cowering in the middle of the group) want me to ask you… is there an In-N-Out in Davis??"
Me: "Yes, there is."
Girl #2 and her friends: OMG! Yay! (Half of the group screams with joy, literally.)

Like Apple Pie

2007-05-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Max became an American citizen today!
He's over in SF right now, taking the oath.

Go Max!

Summer = delicious fruit!

2007-05-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

It's sweltering in the valley today, which means summer is practically here. To "celebrate," I bought a huge box of GIGANTIC strawberries at Safeway. As the checkstand lady said, "Wow. Those are huge. Each strawberry by itself is probably one serving of fruit." Or darn close to it.

They're definitely not organic (and not Cal Giant, either), but they're oh so delicious.

mmm.

Long distance? nah.

2007-05-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Berkeley isn’t that far away from here.

--> 64 miles by car (only an hour on I-80)
--> 92 miles on a bike (4 hours with a tailwind)

But it’s far enough away to make me a little bit lonely.

Maaaaaaaaaax!!! I haven’t seen you in more than a week!

Come to Davis! I miss you.

Professor Ramblings #4

2007-05-03T23:28:00.000-07:00

From: mysociologyprof@ucdavis.edu
Subject: totally optional!! for golden state warriors fans
To: soc#-s07@ucdavis.edu
Date: Thu, 03 May 2007 21:55:41 -0800

Class,
Was that a fantastic game or what?!! and my absolute favorite player,
adonal foyle, even got to play at the very end...did you fellow GSW fans
catch the weird irony--of life imitating your midterm of earlier in the
day?! namely, just as in the extra credit question i gave you re:
Nowitzki's injury and the question of playing him--Baron Davis gets a
hamstring injury early on--and then comes back and plays the rest of the
game, ,more or less on one leg?! hopefully the sports pages tomorrow will
tell us more re: what kind of injury, what the team docs said, what the
implications are for the next series, etc...meanwhile, this is a wonderful
night ...

Prof. X

More, more, more!

2007-05-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

Cravings I have fulfilled in the last month:

Pop tarts (brown sugar cinnamon).
Mini golfing at Scandia (Max won one game, I won the other).
French toast made from delicious artisan German bread (which I bought at, er, Safeway…).
New underwear (Mom took me shopping! thank you Mom!).

Current cravings:

To make a tie dye shirt
To get to Sweden. Like, now.

And with that, I defer to my other blog…

Distractions.

2007-05-01T20:24:00.001-07:00

This is how we party!

2007-05-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

Like WCCC Champions. A little barbequing, a little shotgunning, a little champagne, a little celebrating... enough to knock me out for the night.

Courtney biting holes in slices of cheese while I laugh. Boys talking about boy things.

I was the only girl who shotgunned! C'mon!!
I was so tired from racing and race directing I didn't even need alcohol to act goofy.

Silly boys. Note lovely biker tans.

the end.

WCCC Championships!

2007-04-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

2001. The last year the Aggies won the WCCC Conference Road Championships.

It’s been six years… a long time coming.

I was race director for this weekend. I swear that I WILL NEVER BE RACE DIRECTOR AGAIN. Unless I get paid. Otherwise, it is a thankless, stressful job meant to destroy my life. Luckily, I had an amazing co-director, so we had each other to complain to, and now it’s OVER.

Day 1: After the morning's TTT, we subjected our poor riders to a mean RR course out in Birds Landing in the delta – a 20-mile rolling loop with some good hilly kickers, including a bottle-launching, tire-popping, five mile gravel road section with some crazy corners.

Of course, the first 90+ degree day in the valley HAD to be the day of our road race. It was H-O-T. No wind. No trees. No shade, save the ten square feet beneath an EZ Up tent. My course marshals had no idea what they were in for, and neither did I. By 1PM, we had run out of water. People dropped out of the race in hoards. My feet and the back of my calves burned into a lovely shade of red. Those Men’s As may look happy, but by the end of their 84-mile race they had grimaces and a nasty layer of dried spit encrusting their lips. Brutal, just brutal.

The scariest part of my day was calling 911 for a girl who had sliced open her elbow in a fall on the gravel section. The best thing to have missed was my co-race director’s discovery: two used gallon water jugs full of urine that somebody left behind in the feed zone and for us to clean up. Wow, what a nice gesture.

Still, there was some stellar racing, and nobody died, which in my book is a success. Our conference is ridiculously strong right now, and there was some sweet racing happening out there.

The people who rock my world are all the volunteers on my team. There is a select group that show up for everything, take on extra shifts, and never say “no.” They take on more than they should, but, miraculously, never complain. One guy, who didn’t even end up racing because of the special conference field limit, actually spent Saturday night hammering together podiums in his garage. A UCD alum came for the crit and did all of the results so we don’t have ANY post-race paperwork to deal with. Another girl, who came out to ride in the beginning of the season but got injured and has raced only a few times, came out both days and volunteered almost all day. Who are these people? Where did they come from? Why are they SO AWESOME? I am amazed.

Day 2: The crit in Sacramento’s Land Park was just what the doctor ordered. Shade, shade, and more shade. Land Park’s beautiful green grass and trees made Birds Landing look like the frickin Sahara desert. The crit course was perfect. There was only one crash (and another ambulance) but racers didn’t grumble and the double chicane kept things pretty safe.

We got edged out by UC Berkeley last year and we were really bummed. Stanford and UCD were duking it out this year hard core, and it was truly thanks to all of our riders in all the categories that we scored the title. Winning is always pretty sweet. Now, I’m fighting that post-race stupor. It’ll be an early night for me.

UC Davis Women's B = WCCC TTT Champs! (yay!)

Finally... UCD as the 2007 WCCC Road Champions!

How NOT to start your week.

2007-04-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

I got four hours of sleep last night.

This morning I woke up at 5:10AM to catch the 5:54 Amtrak train back to Davis. At 7:10, the train rolled into cow town.

At 7:25, I shoved my environmental planning paper (due last Thursday) under my professor’s door.

At 7:40, I got home. Put away my bike. Did some reading for class. Went to sleep. Had a dream. Here it is:

I’m at some huge NRC race. All the best riders are there and I keep catching glances of all the big names zooming by me in spandex. I ride on my bike through the expo checking out cool booths.

It starts to rain and everything gets wet. I see Max and wish him a safe race and he tells me not to worry. I see some of my Aggie teammates dressed in DBC elite kits and wish them luck, too.

Suddenly a random, unknown collegiate rider comes up to me.
She says, “They’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for you!! Where have you been? C’mon!”
“What are you talking about??” I ask her, startled.
She tells me, “You’re one of the race directors! And we’ve got a crisis!!”

Random collegiate rider girl drags me up a wet, muddy slope. We pass lots of smiling, famous cyclists who seem to be enjoying the rain. We stop in front of a wooden shack. She opens the door, and inside the shack is a single, dingy room with a card table and six folding chairs. It’s empty. “I’ll be right back!” she shouts, “I’m going to get everyone else.”

While I’m waiting in the weird, run-down shack, somebody knocks on the door. It’s Levi Leipheimer and he looks lost. “Oh my god!” I shout at him. “Levi! Can I have your autograph??” He smiles and says sure and while I’m trying to figure out what he can sign (a piece of paper? My shirt? Oh! My hat!!), he pulls out a jersey covered in signatures that all look the same. I give him a weird look. “Aren’t those all your signatures?” I ask him.

Suddenly, four other young collegiate riders barge into the shack. “Get out of here Levi!” one rider shouts, and he leaves. The group of collegiate race directors seem really upset.

Apparently, if you’re a race director, you were supposed to be here for this meeting. I had no idea, but they were all out in the rain looking for me, and now they seem relieved that I’m here. I ask what’s wrong, and they jump right into it.

“The $2000 cash prime is missing,” one says.
“It’s raining so hard we might have to cancel the race,” another one says.

But I can tell there is something else going on. The room is tense. I ask the girl who dragged me up to this impromptu meeting of collegiate race directors, who are suddenly responsible for one of the biggest American cycling races ever, what is going on. She gets a desperately horrific look on her face and whispers it in my ear. “Bob killed himself. He shot himself in the head.”

Bob, in my dream, actually had a different name – a cyclist who is very well known in the NCNCA circuit. He’s a very nice guy, a good racer, and he’s married. Everyone starts shaking and I quickly start up my laptop, which magically appears on the table in front of me. I google Bob’s name, and it’s true, I find his name on a bunch of websites. I start sobbing. I can’t believe it.

As race directors, we have to vote on whether to cancel the race and whether to tell the riders, Bob’s teammates, and the entire peloton what has happened. Everyone says, “no! no! we can’t tell anyone!” and I say, “we HAVE to tell them!!”

I run around in the rain sobbing for awhile and then I get woken up from my dream by my cell phone. Now, in real life, it’s 10:10AM. I fumble for my cell phone but miss the call. There’s no caller ID. I go back to sleep again and then get another call five minutes later. I try picking up, but I have no reception, so I hang up.

I check my messages.

“Linnea, it’s Ryan at the front desk. You had a tour scheduled for 10AM this morning, and it was supposed to have started five minutes ago. I’m calling to find out where you are. Call me back at 752-0…” I delete the message and get ready to call him back.

I realize a bit too late that I didn’t know the number for the front desk at the Visitor’s Center. It’s 10:15. I spend five minutes getting the stupid phone number and by then, no one is picking up. Well, that’s strike numero uno. Two more strikes and I’m fired. I’m expecting an email reprimand any minute now. Damn it.

I guess race directing this weekend is an even scarier prospect in my dreams than when I’m awake, because everything is pretty much coming together, though I can't say as much for my tour guide gig.

Argh.

It's official: I'm a sandbagger.

2007-04-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

Stanford race weekend results:
I won the Women's Bs ITT by 14 seconds and helped our Bs win the TTT by 5 seconds.

Heh.

There should probably be a rule that prohibits current national collegiate TTT champions from racing in the Bs category, but I admit winning was kinda fun. They didn't need me in As because we have a STELLAR group of four girls who are completely capable of capturing that national win again this year.

Kansas, May12, 2006: One of the best days of my life.

I have two (unrealistic) wishes:

1. To go to Nats again this year. I know it's not going to happen. If anything, I could probably be helpful in the TTT, but like I said, we've got a ridiculously good women's As squad this year and they've got their TTT dialed in. Plus, my season is pretty much over, and I'm okay with that. I have many, many seasons ahead of me, and there's a lot of other stuff going on in my life right now.

2. I really wish there was an "A minus" category -- for crash-recovery victims like me, who are scared of downhills and packs and tight corners, but still have some horsepower and a competitive drive. I know there aren't enough collegiate women to break it down into A/B/Cs, but maybe someday...

I'm going for a TTT repeat next weekend at the conference championships, but then I'll just sit back during the RR and crit and do my lovely race director job.

Go, Aggies, go!

More bad news. I promise to be more optimistic tomorrow.

2007-04-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

My housemate has three pets: two dogs and a cat.

The first dog, Peaches, is 13-year-old brittany spaniel who’s blind in one eye, covered in benign tumors (you can feel the lumps when you pet her), and is partially deaf. For a while, they thought they were going to have to amputate one leg. I thought we could give her an eye patch and call her Peaches the Pirate dog, but so far she still has all four legs attached.

The other dog, Peja, is a 4-year-old, 86 pound mutt who’s named after this guy. His bark is worse than his bite and he’s really pretty harmless, but he comes in handy when you need to scare off the occasionally delivery man or people selling things you don’t want.

Finally, we have the cat, Sophie, who’s a small little black kitty that my housemate adopted after she and her sister found three kittens in a cardboard box under a car on a rainy day. Sounds like a sad Disney cartoon, but it’s true. Sophie is a little fireball. Bundles of energy and loves to duke it out with Peja’s tail.

The best part about these pets is that they’re NOT MINE. I have a kitty at home in Berkeley and I love her dearly, but to get the joy of petting and playing with these pets without having to pick up their shit, walk them twice a day, or feed them is a pretty sweet deal. I love living with them.

Bad news, though: My housemate’s pets, as well as my housemate’s sister’s pets, have been eating tainted pet food. They just announced the recall today.

The worst part is that a week ago, her sister’s cat died. From kidney failure, which is what these tainted pet foods do. She paid over $4,000 in vet bills. Holy moly.

We’re hoping little Sophie, who isn’t even a year old yet, is okay. They’re at the vet getting blood work done, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I need some good news.

2007-04-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

178 dead in Baghdad.

If I don't feel 100% safe in my classroom here at UCD, I can't begin to imagine what life is like living in place where bodies are getting blown up every hour, or so it seems.

Last night, Max reminded me that it's almost impossible to escape the bad news. That's all we see and, at times, it's overwhelming. There is some good news out there, but it's never on the front page.

This morning, I saw the article on Baghdad, and my housemate's boyfriend told me the Supreme Court had upheld the partial birth abortion act...

We spent ten depressing minutes wondering what the world would have been like had the Supreme Court NOT upheld George W. Bush's 2000 election victory.

Probably nothing would have stopped 9/11. But Afghanistan? Iraq? Gun laws? Abortion rights? I'd like to think things would be different...

But they're not.

I'm ready for my escape to Sweden, I really am.

Shooting at Virginia Tech

2007-04-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

I spend too much time on the internet. As soon as the shooting happened, I knew. It was all over SFGate, the NY Times, CNN…

Crap. I went downstairs and told my housemate and her boyfriend, “somebody shot and killed 20 people at Virginia Tech.” They just looked at me. I paced around the kitchen, grabbed an apple, and went back upstairs.

The death toll is up to 33, now.

“I saw bullets hit people's body," Sheehan said. “There was blood everywhere. People in the class were passed out, I don't know maybe from shock from the pain. But I was one of only four that made it out of that classroom. The rest were dead or injured.”

Earlier this year, a UCD student brought a fake gun to his professor’s office hours. At the time, I thought, “How stupid," but after reading his submission to our campus newspaper apologizing, I just felt sorry for the guy. I don't feel sorry for him any more.

College campuses are wide open. There is no security. You just trust your college peers, your community, to do what’s right. Davis has never been somewhere that I felt vulnerable in any way. In reports, Virginia Tech students say the same thing.

“I always thought my school was safe.”

My friend Shoshana wrote a really thoughtful blog entry on what happened today. She echoes a lot of my own thoughts. I don't like to think about it, but this could happen anywhere, and as a college student at a large university, the idea is absolutely petrifying. I cannot imagine my classroom, my dorm, or my peers being assaulted in this way.

“Everyone's talking about it, no one can get it off their minds, everyone wants to leave campus as soon as possible -- get home.”

And then I think, too, of all the violence that is happening all around the world, in Iraq, in the Sudan… in way too many other places.

And it’s hard to know where to start, how to make a difference, or how to change things, when you don’t even feel one hundred percent safe.

Busy.

2007-04-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

Amidst a busy quarter of group projects, research papers, a frantic haven’t-found-a-place-to-live-next-year housing search, an endless, gouge-my-eyes-out, going-on-five-months study abroad application process (next step: $130 residence permit), and fighting tooth and nail with Solano County bureaucracy to plan the WCCC collegiate championships race, it’s nice to get a message on your phone from an awesome teammate:

“Linnea, it's Eric. This is your weekly multifaceted call. All the bases that I hope to strike in one phone call are:

Number one. It's only a collegiate race, so keep your head together, and it's not that big a deal.
Number two. Do you need any help?
Number three. You're much faster than you think you are, so don't give up.
And number four. Those girls are bitches.

So, let's see. I think that’s it. Working in backwards order, in case you missed anything: those girls are bitches. You're faster than you think you are. Do you need any help? And keep your head together, it's only a race.

I think that's everything, so if you'd like to respond to any or all of these comments, you know how to get a hold of me. See you later. Bye."

***

We got rained on big time for Picnic Day. Didn’t seem to dampen the ag town’s spirits though. My mom and I sloshed around campus all day, trying to find where all the booths had been relocated because of the weather.

Best event of the day was the Doxie Derby, where little Dachshund dogs run their little hearts out across the UCD basketball court. Winner got a stay at some fancy dog hotel.

We hit up the parade, the alumni photo booth, some UCDMC exhibits, and searched for the olive oil display with little luck. We watched a couple of my friends perform with their a cappella groups, and the Design Department’s fashion show was impressive, but as my mom said, “I think you’d get along better with those singers than with these design girls.” Righto, Mom.

Professor Ramblings #3

2007-04-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

The way my professors talk, I will have nothing else but professor ramblings to blog about for the rest of the quarter.

One of my professors opens each class with a story. Often it's a tale about the work he does with other universities, or his consulting for the IMF, or such-and-such a conference in China, or the interview he had with 60 Minutes. He's a name dropper, that's for sure, but he must be good because all sorts of people call him up for advice.

Today, he actually spent the first ten minutes reading us an email conversation between him and a top consultant at McKinsey. He stood at the front of the class, waving around this print out of the emails, reading off these personal conversations. It was very odd.

“You see guys, McKinsey hires the top five percent of students from Harvard, Princeton, and Yale’s business schools, and maybe the top two percent from Cal Berkeley. You meet these people and you think, ‘holy shit! These people are fucking smart!’ They are some of the most important advisers in the world.”

Among other things, McKinsey is noted for being the best and the most influential consulting firm in the world. They also, though they’ve tried to sweep this under the rug, had a $10 million dollar contract with Enron and many believe they turned a blind eye to signs of trouble in order to maintain this oh-so-profitable relationship.

But as my professor points out, this is often what consulting firms do. Spin the facts and present their client in a positive light.

Well, my professor shared these thoughts with some high-ranking dude at McKinsey, an amazingly brilliant guy who makes SEVEN figures. And this guy got pissed. He wrote my professor an email telling him how insulted he was and how he was so mad he could hardly type out the response. And now:

“I’m in trouble. I lost my temper and I forgot that it’s bad to mess with the powerful guys. Luckily, I’m in a university and I’m tenured, so they can screw off.”

Happy Easter?

2007-04-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Since when do retail stores CLOSE on Easter?

Seriously. Did I miss something? I thought retailers were supposed to exploit religious holidays for all of their commercial worth! What is consumerism in America coming to??

So, I came home to Berkeley for Easter. I’m a good Methodist and after TWO church services (one at sunrise, one at the normal churchy hour) my mom and I ventured out in our Easter finest to eat lunch and do some shopping.

I had a Gap gift card I’ve been wanting to spend, my mom wanted to stop by Ann Taylor, and I’d even convinced her that I really needed a new bra from Victoria’s Secret, so off we drove to that silly-but-I-admit-I-kinda-like-it mall in Emeryville. You know, the one that looks like Main Street USA but is really just a bunch of spiffy facades wedged between IKEA and I-80 and the railroad tracks?

The fact that the parking machine at the entrance to the parking lot said “free parking” and there was no parking attendant in the booth should have been the first sign that something was amiss. But, unaware, we parked our car in the very empty parking lot (sign #2), and walked down Bay Street Lane.

The doors to Victoria’s Secret were locked. The lights were off. “No new bra???” I exclaimed, and my mom and I scurried down to Ann Taylor. You could see all the cute spring dresses on display but again, no lights, no open doors. Gap was kind enough to post a “closed for Easter Sunday” sign on the door. We shook our heads in disbelief. How could this be?? Here we were, wallets willing! We were not about to give up.

As we exited the parking lot, we contemplated whether, in past years, we had actually ever gone shopping on Easter. We weren’t sure, but I went ahead I dialed 1-800-FREE-411 (have you tried it?) and told the automated machine that I wanted the number for Victoria’s Secret in Walnut Creek. Surely, the rabid consumerism that plagues the suburbs would have convinced the store to throw a holiday sale. Plus, I’m sure you could stage an awesome Easter egg hunt in a bra shop.

Alas, no answer. It seemed that American consumerist culture had failed me.

But still, we persisted. We got on I-80 and drove to Albany, home to Target. Of all stores, surely Target would be open. My mom needed a bleach pen and I can always find some cute sunglasses or earrings or peruse the clothing selection for something that will help disguise my farmer’s tan in a cute and fashionable way. We waited at the left turn signal behind four other cars, and as we drove into the entrance we were met by yet another tragic sight: acres of empty asphalt. We watched car after car drive into the lot and do a u-turn by the store’s entrance to drive back out. Leaving, we saw another queue of cars waiting to turn into the Target entrance. Man oh man, just think of the money that Target was losing by not catering to these materialistically faithful American shoppers!

So, what WAS open on Easter, anyway? Well, Picante for one. They make a mean brunch. And every store in El Cerrito Plaza: Bed, Bath & Beyond was actively soliciting our money, as well as Barnes and Noble, Longs Drugs, and TRADER JOE’S. I love Trader Joe’s, but WHY were these stores open, and not Gap? Ann Taylor? Target? Urgh.

Now, here’s the pathetic part. We ended up at Shoe Pavillion. Yes, Shoe Pavillion. And even among all of their cute flats, I could not find a single pair that fit my feet. In the end, I walked away with a $10 pink headband, some TJs yummies, and some quality time with mom (always nice).

Next weekend: UC Davis Picnic Day. And some shopping in Sacratomato (take that Emeryville!).

I am mad.

2007-04-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

Which probably means I should not be blogging. I don’t care.

Let me say first that collegiate racing is an awesome opportunity. Along with the local USCF circuit, racing collegiately is the best way to learn the ropes, meet cool people, and race with some great talent from throughout the California and Nevada. But there are a couple of things that sometimes get to me, like the hyper-competitive spirit that can completely ruin a day of racing.

This weekend at UNR we won a race fair and square. But someone contested the results, using personal attacks to make up for their insecurity and their loss. I am really fighting hard to NOT go into details. I’m trying to let it go.

It shouldn’t have affected my attitude. I know we won. I should have taken it in stride, used the knowledge that even with less confidence than last season, my fitness, mental willpower, and great teammates helped me earn that win. It should have carried me into the next races feeling good about my team and my ability.

Instead, I sat in the car and cried. I was so anxious about whether or not I could adequately contribute to my team and what other people thought of me that I didn’t even start the race I drove all the way to Reno to do. I totally and completely regretted it afterwards, leaving me even more upset and mad.

I know that I can offer a lot to my team and it doesn’t matter what other people think of me. But I am pissed that in a sport that I love, there are people who are so competitive that they are blinded by stupid results. We’re not getting paid to ride. We’re riding for fun. We’re riding to become better cyclists. We’re riding because we love it. Not because we want to insult people and draw out arguments over silly results for just one event of an entire season.

I’m working on turning this around. Making it into something positive. I’m going to train even harder, move on, and kick some ass at the last races of the season.

That is all.

More Professor Ramblings

2007-04-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

I'm off the wait list! I'm now enrolled in the Sociology of Health Care which is shaping up to be a very cool class.

The professor, whose last name rhymes with coffee, is delightfully outspoken, and, like the professors I have this quarter, had plenty to say on the first day of class:

"This is a political class -- it's not a rally though, because if it was there would be people shouting over here and people shouting over there, it's a classroom. The only rule here is civility.

"There is no political correctness in this class. I won't judge you or grade you on your beliefs. But I will not pretend to be dispassionate on these issues. There is no way I could be. I am know for writing about and speaking my mind on abortion. It will be a class on system bashing -- a system that allows 50 million to be uninsured!

Sometimes when I'm teaching this class I feel like I'm committing academic malpractice. It's just one quarter and we can't cover everything. And there is so much to cover."

and

"Okay, so here's an example. Let's say that UC Davis is in the final four. Oh dear, I'm not even at mental health on the syllabus yet and I'm already delusional."

and

"Let me strongly suggest, and it's not required, that you watch Grey's Anatomy. The reason is that it gets at a very important part of medical training -- it shows the enormous competition among doctors in training to get to do procedures. A real truth of medical training is that other people's tragedies is what makes for good training and good doctors."

Oh yeah this class is gonna be good.

Professor Ramblings

2007-03-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

Spring quarter. Day 1.

Still reeling from last quarter. I thought I flunked out of school but then got a 3.9 GPA for the term. I don't know why it always works out so WELL -- you'd think I'd get a B or a C once in while to teach me a lesson and convince me not to procrastinate.

But let's jump right into the new quarter.

BAM.

Ramblings from Professor #1 (who is so far my favorite):
"George W. Bush is hands down the worst President. EVER. Actually, he's one of the worst leaders in all of history. I can only think of a few others who were worse. One was Czar Nicholas, who was advised by Rasputin of all people! Think Cheney. Oh, yeah, and Caligula.

"But, on the other hand, if you want to learn something about rising to the top, there is something to be learned. There are some very clever people who have been able to move Bush, this complete bumpkin, complete moron, up to the top. You can learn a lot about moving up through the ranks if you like stabbing bodies and climbing over them.

"But I don't care. I'm only going to be around for another thirty years. The question is, why don't you care?? College campuses are so peaceful these days. Have you just accepted everything that is going on? These jerks have taken this country and devalued it in a way that even Vietnam didn't devalue it. You guys are going to be here for a while longer to see the results and it sure as hell won't be pretty.

"Okay. I won't say anything else that depressing this quarter, I promise. Let's get on to the syllabus."

I'm excited about this guy. Tells it like it is. Okay, here's the next one...

Ramblings from Professor #2:
"The sooner we start, the sooner we can get out of here."

I hate this man. Clearly, he enjoys interacting with his dear students. I didn't find out he was teaching it til today and am desperately trying to drop his class. Blech.

Ramblings from Professor #3:
"What would joe blow, joe jerk on the corner say about maturation?"

"You gotta know about the kind of critter you're dealing with."

"Einstein's genes on a hot rock aren't going to get you a physicist."

Ummm, right. I'm shopping for an alternative to the said class above, and this is NOT the one for me. Too biology focused (alleles and phenotypes and all that). And the professor said "critter" about nine times too many.

TEN WEEKS TIL I LEAVE FOR SWEDEN!!!

On-the-bike sightings

2007-03-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today, I was sporting a half-n-half kit: half Cal Giant poser (jersey) and half UC Davis (shorts). It’s a confusing outfit, since people might only figure out who that helmetandsunglassesclad chick is when they pass by her and see the UC Davis emblazoned shorts. Still, I always hope to see familiar faces on my rides, and today I saw a few, along with some weirdos, and maybe, just maybe, a famous, very attractive actor.

Sighting #1: BMC/UCB’s Kyle while riding along Wildcat. A nod, but no wave. It got me thinking about the crit this weekend and how much I wish I raced it.

Sighting #2: Weird guy at Inspiration point where I stopped for thirty seconds to don a vest and sneak a bite of my PowerBar (which tasted surprisingly good). I am becoming paranoid that my ex-boyfriend is secretly stalking me, so my “creepy men” radar is on alert.

Sighting #3: Trac! Riding down Canyon! I am 99% sure it was you. But I am also 99% sure you did not know it was me.

Sighting #3.5: Weird hiker dude near portapotty on Canyon. I’d needed to pee since Wildcat but failed to stop earlier. The hiker guy was pacing around in an obsessive manner and it wasn’t til after I’d finished my business that I realized he was doing some kind of weightlifting routine and wasn’t actually generating an evil stalker kidnapping plan.

Sighting #4: INSANE driver coming down Pinehurst right before the hairpin at 40-50 MPH! No exaggeration. I almost rode off the shoulder in fear of my life. He careened around the hairpin at 25mph, tires squealing, rickety car rattling. It was a bit disturbing. Moments earlier, headed the same direction, was a nice looking middle-aged woman in a Volvo and I spent the rest of the grind up Pinehurst hoping that the crazy punk did not run her off a cliff, but rather ran HIMSELF off a cliff and spared the rest of humanity.

Sighting #5: There weren’t too many cyclists out today at 3:30PM, apparently, but going down Tunnel I saw a Spine/UCB Paul look alike. Hmmm.

Sighting #6: Perhaps the best one of the day. As I got to the intersection of Domingo and Tunnel/Ashby, I had to wiggle around a car or two to turn right. After maneuvering over a storm grating, I got ready to turn right, I look up and right in front of me, this is what I see:

It was either Simon Baker (whose name I did not know until I got home and looked it up, and it took me ten minutes afterwards to realize he was that gorgeous actor man in the Devil Wears Prada) or someone else who looked exactly like him. He flashed me a million dollar smile which made me melt as I rode away and looked over my shoulder thinking, “was that really him?”

It was an interesting ride, and otherwise uneventful. Now, off to my final Berkeley spring break meal of Cheeseboard pizza (and Fat Apple's pie for dessert, maybe?). As soon as I return to Davis, an official sugar moratorium will be put into effect…

McEwwwwwwwen. More Race Reportage.

2007-03-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

So, I suppose I ought to offer a more general race report…

This weekend was the UC Berkeley race weekend, the first race in the second half of the collegiate season. From here on out, no downgrades (which is why I was spending my time in Bs. Nowhere to go but up!).

THE ROAD RACE

The road race was a massacre as usual (see previous post). The Men’s A race, according to Max, “Davis doing whatever they want, toying with the field, and still winning. It wasn’t even Davis versus anyone else. It was just them.”

Ouch. Max is sad that they don’t have stronger numbers in the Men’s As this year (I would be, too), and Davis is fielding a strong bunch of returning riders, many of whom helped win the National title last year. The sizable pack stuck together for the first two laps, but McEwen destroyed any sort of cohesive group and soon they were trickling through in twos and threes.

In the end, the field blew apart and Paul of UC Davis attacked a three man break and won solo, crossing the finish line a least a minute before anyone else was in sight. So, two Davis boys and a Cal Tech rider took the top three spots, closely followed by Jared from Cal Poly and Mr. Max from Cal.

The Women’s A field this year has some crazy strong riders. I have to give props to Ms. Amanda of UCD who is looking so-pro along with a couple of our fast new riders, Julia of UCSD and Marianne of UCLA who both represented their schools at Nats last year and are still going strong this season, Arwen of Stanford, who in her very first season has already won two races and gotten several top five finishes, and the Cal women, who are a force to be reckoned with, as always.

From the start, a solid group of six riders emerged as the strongest, with a secondary pack lagging behind. The speed of these two groups ensured that the rest of the women exploded off the back within a lap or two. By the finish, like the men’s race, nobody rolled through the finish line with more than one or two others keeping them company. The win was a solo victory by Stanford’s Arwen, followed by Mo from Cal, Julia of SD and two UCD riders rounding out the top five.

THE CRIT

Berkeley’s crazy .4 mile crit circles a city block right next to campus. The men complete SEVENTY laps in just an hour, so it’s a NASCAR style crit at its finest. A sweet downhill corner scared me off from racing today, but makes for a challenging course for the fields.

Coach Judd won the alumni race and Dennis G. showed up full of Thai food and claimed he was an alum of Grand Rapids Community College.

I missed the Men’s A race, but I hear it was dramatic from the start. Attack after attack led to a break with UCD’s Tyler and Cal Poly’s Fred and a Stanford dude. Tyler did most of the work and rumor has it that Fred promised to sit up and let him go for the win. Never trust anybody whose first name is Fred and last name rhymes with Ham because he lied and sprinted anyway. Tyler lost out and got third. Meanwhile, back in the field, a silly silly UCSB rider dove inside the last corner and crashed out everybody but the top five riders. Another Stanford-dude-who-wasn’t-Rand and Max were among the lucky survivors.

The Women’s A race demonstrated once again the diverse range of talent, skills, and speed in that field. Many of the same women who represented the top six women yesterday made up a group of ten or twelve who stuck together for most of the race. An initial five girl break with two Davis, one Cal, one Stanford, and one UCSD rider was roped in by some hard teamwork by Cal and the final sprint saw Cal’s Lauren as the winner by several bike lengths. Another Cal rider, two Davis riders, and Stanford made up the rest of the top five.

WOOboy. Crazy all-day racing and some good spectating. Next year I’m ditching the feed zone and rolling out to McEwen with my cowbell.

Only Reno, UCSB, and Stanford races left until the conference championships! Bring it!

McEwwwwwwwen. Race Reportage.

2007-03-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

Where to start, where to start… oh yeah. McEwen is EVIL.

No one loves McEwen. The abhorrence and repulsion is universal. (Even one of the Berkeley riders yelled loudly as he rode through the feed zone, “I hate this course!!”)

After each race you could hear choruses of “I popped.” “My legs are dead.” “I ran out of go juice.” “I bonked.” “I hurt.”

Yeah, well, welcome to the UC Berkeley Road Race.

First, let's go back in time to last year's road race. Same course, same shattering of the field. Here's a lap by lap progression. You can see I'm attempting to be humorous on the first lap, but by the third lap, I'm just tired and angry that someone is taking my picture:

Now on to this year's race.

Race report (short version): I raced the Women’s B team time trial (we got second) and the Women’s B road race (I didn’t finish). And I have thoroughly developed a phobia of going down hills.

Race report (long version): I won’t jabber on about the TTT, it was fun, although I’m used to be the person who is either barely hanging on or gets dropped at some point. Racing with the Bs meant that I was the strongest girl. I was the one cajoling my two, soon one, remaining teammates to “HANG ON! STAY ON MY WHEEL. KEEP IT UP! COME ON YOU’RE DOING GREAT!” and we did pretty good.

Here’s a picture from the start of the road race (I’m on the far left):
I like it because my hair is blowing around and looking pretty cool. I was in the front right away and the adrenaline was pumping through my body like crazy. I will try to skip over the boring parts, but here’s the overall look at my race:

I got dropped on the DOWNHILLS.

Not on the uphills. In fact, when we hit the insanely steep incline section of the race, McEwen Road, I passed about six or seven people. Fighting gravity and the extra pounds I need to shed were not a problem. But every downhill I couldn’t resist my desire to start coasting, drifting backwards, tapping my brakes… and each time I found myself farther and farther off the back of the field, watching them speed away. It especially sucked because my legs felt great for the first time in a while. My “okay, I might actually have my racing legs back” moment was completely side swiped by a “ohmygosh I hate downhills” moment.

After I got dropped on the first downhill, the pack was still in sight. I was incredulous that I’d let myself get dropped in the first ten minutes of the race. It was not because my legs were failing, it was because my BRAIN was failing. So, I hammered like crazy and caught the field again. “Alright,” I thought, “I have the horsepower.” And I was back in the race, albeit after wasting TONS of energy. Well, you can probably guess what happened at the next downhill twisty bit (where last year someone crashed out and hit a guard rail). I braked. In all the turns. My brain told me: you don’t want to slide out, don’t want to fall, don’t want to take a risk here. Brake, brake some more, you’re going to fall if you don’t.

Well, crap. If this hadn’t been the case (and had my back not been hurting), I’m convinced that I could have easily been in the top five at the end of the three lap race. But I must have some sort of regressive PTSD from last May when, riding downhill, I watched half of the entire field crash in a giant wave before it gobbled me up too. And the more I’ve thought about it, the more I realize that every time I visit the Bay Area, I frequently plan my rides around which hill I will/will not have to descend.

For example, going down Grizzly Peak is scary because it’s narrow and there are too many cars and blind corners. But I prefer that over descending Wildcat when it’s wet or covered in debris, or when I’m feeling tired, because my hands get sore from braking. Pinehurst is a longish descent with that yucky bit at the top, so I’ll go over to Redwood if I can because it’s wider.

See? And I don’t have to confront this issue to often in Davis, where, frankly, there are many hills to be had.

So I am bummed. If anyone has any tips at all on descending technique or getting over fears of fast downhills, please please let me know.

More pics:
The As race (my super fast UCD teammate Amanda and also-very-fast Lauren from Cal):

Max who "felt like crap" and still got fifth:
Feed zonin':

McEwwwwwwwen. Gross.

2007-03-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

For any former WCCC collegiate racers out there (MYB? Trac? Panda?), you may be familiar with the wrath of McEwen. This hill is part of UCB’s leg shredding road race up a god-knows-what-percent climb in Crockett.

Here’s a picture, but it just doesn’t do it justice.

This hill is going to be dominated tomorrow morning, but not by me. Thankfully, due my injury/I-have-not-really-been-training ailment, I only have to go up this sucker three times in Women's Bs. I believe the Women’s As have to drag their butts up it four times. Men’s As? SIX TIMES. Max, for one, is stoked. I think he go up that hill fifteen times if it meant he’d have a better shot at winning.

You should really come watch this race and see all the skinny, hill-dwellers dominate. I’m just hoping that I am not sad and pathetic and get dropped while racing Bs and wearing stars and bars on my sleeves, because I’d rather turn out to be the best frickin sandbagger ever so I can justify moving back up to As, despite my overall lack of anything but a solid base. (Race info here).

In other news, my parents left town on Tuesday to visit my brother in NYC, without me. They called me from Broadway last night where they saw the Producers (so cool!). I’d be more jealous except that Max and I flew out there in December and did tons of awesome stuff. It’s nice to go back to NYC after you’ve done the over-priced touristy stuff, like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, because then you can do stuff that is off the beaten track. Grimaldi’s pizza, Park Slope, Prairie Home Companion (live), Magnolia bakery…

The only challenge in their absence has been the car, which they generously left for my use. However, yesterday I discovered that the front right tire was abnormally low and the rear right tire had a screw in it. Normally, I pride myself in being very self-sufficient and creative, but ohmygod it’s a car! What do I do??

Call Mom, of course.

She tells me, “call Don’s Tire Service on Gilman” and “here’s what to say. Just be nice and they’ll be nice back.” Right. Okay. So I call.

Don: “GoodafternoonDon’sTireServiceDonspeaking.”
Me (in a silly, girly, shit-I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing-voice): “oh! Hi! I’m calling because, well, my mom always brings the car to Don’s to get new tires and I found a screw in one of them today and she said to ask you about hazard road uh-something? And so I was wondering if you could repair them? And when?”
Don: “Well, I don’t make appointments.”
Me: “Um, okay?”
Don: “So what are you going to do, huh?? Are you going to bring it in today or what?”
Me: “Is now good?”
Don: “Sure, see you soon.” *click*

I drove down to Don’s Tire shop and explained the situation again, in person, to Don himself, who sarcastically suggested that he should sell me five new tires instead of repairing the existing ones. I tried to laugh heartily, but was horrified by the thought of how much that might cost. He had me drive my car into the nearest open garage bay, and as soon as I had pulled onto it, he proceeded to switch on the hydraulic lift thing and suddenly my car, with me still sitting inside, was in the air!

“Leave the keys!” he said, and opened the door, and I tried to navigate out of the elevated car in my flip-flops and mini skirt without flashing the 60-year-old man. Back in the office, he asked, “What is that thing, a Geo??”

A GEO? Okay, I know my family’s car is cheap, but a GEO???

“It’s a Corolla. A ’96 Corolla.” He grunts and types it into his computer. I ask him how long it will take, like are we talking a half hour, an hour? i.e. I have to go on a bike ride at some point, is this stupid car going to ruin my day? He fails to provide me with a specific time frame, so I ask if I might have the time to get some coffee across the street.

“Tell ya what,” he says to me, like the silly know-nothing-about-cars girl that I am. “Go over there and sit where you can see the garage,” and points at Jimmy Bean’s. “When you see us pull your car out of the garage and park it over there, guess what that means?”

“It’s done?” I ask. “It’s done.” He says.

So I had a chai tea and read the Chronicle and my car got fixed for only $40 (which I think is a deal) and my mom commended me for “dealing with a very grown up experience.” Thanks, Mom.

*Spring Break Food Update*
Wednesday: Cheeseboard Pizza and bakery, a Berkeley classic.
Thursday: Vik’s Chaat House, the best Indian food outside of India, and chai from Jimmy Bean’s.
Today: Gordo’s burrito for el almuerzo. Que bueno!

I love: sugar, cycling, and Berkeley.

2007-03-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

I’m going through a sugar withdrawal. No joke.

Here’s the deal: finals are stressful. And the best cure, in my book, is eating some yummy sugary goodness. The second best cure is riding my bike, which burns off all of that yummy sugary goodness. The problem is that during finals, I don’t have a whole lot of time to spend on the bike. But it’s really quick and easy to, say, throw back a bunch of chocolate covered pretzels, or a cookie or a piece of cake from the campus bakery. A chocolate chip bagel here, a bag of M&Ms there…

And, when yummy sugary goodness > exercise, you have a problem. When I stepped on the scale this afternoon, I had mentally prepared myself for the possibility that I might be one, two, or four pounds heavier. And I had gained nothing. WHAT?? How does that work? A pleasant surprise, I guess, but for next quarter I’m pledging less procrastination and less sugar.

And while lunch at Cheeseboard pizza with a Cheeseboard chocolate cookie chaser was probably not the best idea, it was DARN good. Man oh man, I love the Cheeseboard.

I’m home sweet home and officially done with school until next Wednesday! Sleeping in, riding my bike, and sampling even more of Berkeley’s delectable culinary offerings are on my list of things to do. And I’m stoked.

P.S. On my way home, I saw Panda!! She’s got a keen eye, spotting me on my way down Tunnel. She was not rocking the Minty threads today, but she figured out who I since I was in my Davis kit. Saying hey was a very nice way to end my ride.

Holy smokes!

2007-03-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to break out of the usual today and tag along with some local club riders on a ride out to Sacramento.

If you hadn’t heard, on Thursday there was a freakin HUGE fire that destroyed several hundred feet of a railroad bridge. The American River Bike trail passes right beneath the bridge, so now it’s blocked. A DBC-er wanted to go check it out, and being the closet train-obsessed person that I am, I decided to go.

It was just three of us. My two ridemates were nice, grey-haired guys in their 50s, outfitted with panniers and helmet mirrors. Recreational riding is such a different scene from the testosterone dominated race rides -- it's nice to kick back. And I appreciate the idea that when I'm “old” there will still be people to ride with.

Anyway, we toodled along the bike path out of Davis and on to the causeway. It’s been over a year since I’d ventured this way, because it’s not the most pleasant ride. The causeway connects Davis to West Sacramento, and the elevated bike path and I-80 are basically one in the same. Only a 3 ½ foot concrete barrier and a chain link fence stand between you and four lanes of traffic. It’s loud, it’s long, and I’m always happy to be done with it.

Since it's Sunday, the ride through West Sac was surprisingly pleasant and low traffic and we rode past Raley Field (go Rivercats!), across Tower Bridge, and through Old Sac. Then we hit the American River Bike path.

It’s really pretty sweet. Unlike the Bay Trail it’s not intersected by streets every two miles and the scenery was beautiful. We were going pretty slow though… one of the guys couldn’t seem to carry on a conversation AND pedal at the same time… so every time he said something we’d go from 15 mph, to 14 mph, to 13 mph, to 12 mph… and I’d have to ride around him to bring us back up to some sort of reasonable pace.

Sure enough, as we neared the train trestle, a large sign informed of us a detour and we were re-routed up onto a levee.

Here’s what the fire looked like when it happened on Thursday:

That last shot was taken from Davis, which is 15-20 miles away from where this happened.

The fire was so intense because the bridge’s wood was soaked in creosote, which prevents the wood from decaying but is also extremely flammable. And I always wondered what that funky, smoky smelling stuff was around railroad tracks… it’s creosote.

Today, the scene looked more like this:

…except that all that debris on the ground in the first picture is already gone. Apparently, Union Pacific knows how to make shit happen, because I read in the Sac Bee that they have crews working 24/7 so they can have it repaired by May for a bargain price of $30 million bucks. (Politicans and Bay Bridge contractors, take note.)

I said goodbye to the guys for the way home and picked up the pace a bit. I got to Paris-Roubaix it through the cobbles in Old Sac and the causeway went by a lot faster… beautiful day. I hope this weather sticks around a while longer.

One final, one paper to go.

2007-03-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so that last post was a bit over dramatic and a bit embarrassing (the perils of blogging). I came very close to deleting it this morning but then decided to save it. My plan: refer to this entry as often as necessary during the upcoming quarter to avoid a repeat. And, moving on...

Max is racing in the valley AGAIN this week. He's been spending quite a bit of time driving I-5, and I can't say I envy him. But he's been having good time racing, BBQ-ing with his host housing, stealing oranges from people's orange groves... sounds like fun to me. Bear and I talked to him several times today.

His TT went better than last weekend.
M: "I wasn't last!"
L: "Come on, you weren't last at CVC."
M: "Yeah, but this time I finished ahead of all of the women!"
L: "Oh. Well, I mean, that's good, but Christine Thorburn and Katheryn Curi weren't there. And neither was Tina Pic, or..."
M: "Fine, fine. At least I didn't feel like I was riding into a brick wall."

The crit's tomorrow. $10,000 in prize money! Pretty sweet. With any luck, his team will bring home some of that moolah.

Spring break starts on Tuesday! Can't wait.

Supercaliprocrastinatingexpialidocious.

2007-03-16T23:39:00.000-07:00

Finals are KICKING MY ASS.

I will try my best not to whine and rant and seethe, but I am not a happy camper.

This is mostly due to the fact that I am a procrastifectionist. I am obsessed with achieving the perfect paper, the A grade, the best PowerPoint I can muster…

...and yet I wait til the last week of the quarter to start typing my papers and reading my books.

The worst part is that I get away with it. Way, way too often.
I did A LOT of procrastifectionating last fall, and yet, for the first time in my college career, I got a 4.0. It felt pretty good.

What does not feel good:

Last night, I finished a 17-page paper. At 2AM. And it’s already a day overdue.
This morning, I turned in that paper and managed to squeeze in a brilliant 30 minutes of studying before running off to a final. Filled every single page in that 16-page bluebook, damn it. And probably got a B. God, I hope I got a B.
This afternoon: attempt #2 to start and finish a research paper the day it is due. Result: (not surprisingly) I am still 4 pages short of done.

What the hell? What was I thinking? Throwing away ten weeks of work through a finals week implosion??

...

Needless to say, I will probably not be getting a 4.0 this quarter.

Grumble. Lesson learned.

urrrggggh

2007-03-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

It was just one of those days.

2007-03-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

I could NOT get my butt out of bed. When, at 9AM, I finally peeled myself out from between the blankets and pillows, I went downstairs. My coffee mug was dirty. I was out of milk. And I’m tired, tired, tired of oatmeal. Blech.

I had a doctors appointment. I was late, but I still had to sit and wait for ten minutes and fill out forms that ask too many questions that cross the line into “isn’t that a bit personal? Is this really necessary information?” My doctor’s appointment was the kind where they poke you in places you don’t want to be poked. Not fun.

Class. Books. Research. Finals. Papers. Five. Days. Of Class. Left. I know, I know. I’m a college student and I’m paying for this and I’m not allowed to complain. Bah.

Apparently, the Long’s pharmacist’s new goal in life is to make me miserable. When I drop off my prescription sheet, they tell me, Half an hour. So, I wander over to the magazine section and read Women’s Health, People, and California Weddings. On the other side of the store, I pick up a half gallon of milk, some new shampoo, and a hair smoothing cream I read about in Women’s Health (suckered me in, dang it). On my way past the sugary-bad-for-you aisle, I grab a Cadbury Creme Egg. What the heck.

Forty-five minutes later, my prescription has not been filled. I won’t discuss the details of this prescription, but this medicine is not in pill form. They do not have to count out 47 little pills into a bottle. It comes in a pre-packaged box. It is stored in the pharmacy fridge. I could just go back there and grab it myself…

Is this a new prescription? A refill? Let me check on it for you. I set my shampoo down and peer over the counter as the poor technician, who has been assigned to fill my seemingly impossible to procure prescription, trots back into the pharmacy. I can see him talking to the pharmacist, who looks at me. I look at him. He says something to Mr. Technician dude, who then trots back over to the register. Sorry, it’s not ready. Another few minutes. I get back in line. Ten minutes later, I'm at the front of the line again and it’s still not ready. I say to him, a bit desperately: They keep it in the fridge, right? I mean, don’t you just have to get it out of the fridge? Mr. Technician is unfazed. The pharmacist needs to sign off on it. Um, why don’t you have a seat.

The guy who had been standing in line ahead of me gives me a sympathetic look. Better luck next time, eh? Right. I throw my shampoo and milk and silly $3 hair product into a basket and start contemplating whether I am gutsy enough to steal the creme egg. Just stick it in my backpack, right? Long’s owes me a 60 cent chocolate, creme filled egg for making me wait… an hour. Geez. I’m getting hungry.

I sit down in a chair across from the pharmacy counter. I can’t see the pharmacist, but each time Mr. Technician serves another customer I give him the evil eye. I think, Why aren’t you checking on MY prescription? For the next ten minutes, I focus on telepathically communicating my discontent, but my frown alone seems to be making the guy uncomfortable. He stops making eye contact. Finally, the OTHER pharmacy technician, who is younger and considerably more attractive, senses my cloud of frustration. What’s your last name? he asks and then effortlessly plucks my silly little prescription box from a counter a mere two feet away. I want to ask him how long it’s been sitting there, but I just pay and leave. I’ve got a bike to ride and a crème egg to devour.

OIaf Vanderhoot rocks.

2007-03-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

I gather that this is a general statement of fact. However, here two more reasons why he rocks (among others):

For putting me a on his blog roll. (I was pretty surprised, since my blogging skills fall short of many on his list. But hey, I'll take it.)
For getting me heartily addicted to the cycling blogsphere through his linkage hub. Holy moley, there’s a lot of good reading to be done out there.

And here's why I'm bringing it up. Despite the all the wonderful blogs to be read, I sometimes feel a little rude just jumping onto the blog wagon -- especially when I'm reading and commenting on the scribblins of people who I hardly even know. I mean, “Who is this Linnea chick, anyway?”

Briefly:
This is my darling boyfriend, in case that wasn’t yet clear.

It’s through him that I know who many of you are. (A good chunk of ya, anyways.)

I started a blog here first, because even in November I was getting excited about leaving the country. And then I thought I’d take a stab at the day-to-day stuff, much of which revolves around a silly, two-wheeled contraption.

So, now it's my third season racing. I still have a lot to learn, and there are some good bike racer women (and men) out there with interesting blogs, so I tune in to see what tidbits I can pick up about being a better racer, a better grown-up, and, why not, a better blogger.

So, that’s me. And hopefully, I’ll meet most of you face to face some day soon. After the collegiate season wraps up, I’ll be out and about a bit more…

All around the world.

2007-03-12T23:48:00.000-07:00

Kate’s in Egypt.

Shoshi’s in Australia.

Sade just got back from Spain
(and France, and the rest of Europe, too.)

And, right now, the city of Davis is looking pretty boring.

Originally, I’d decided against studying abroad and I was pretty grumbly about it. I’d either be gone for the ENTIRE fall or the ENTIRE spring, and that meant it would throw off my training for the collegiate season or I’d miss the season completely.

But it hit me last fall – the university makes it SO EASY, they’re basically plunking the opportunity to travel right in your lap. Fill out some forms, get a couple of letters of recommendation, renew your passport the day your study abroad application is due after having your Dad make a special trip from Berkeley to drop it off because oh my God I thought I’d lost it but hurrah I have it and now I need to wait in line at the post office and have them expedite the service and shit it’s going to cost $200...
...aaaaaand you’re set.

So I did all that, and I’m IN!
I’m outta here in June. Off to Lund, which apparently is THE bike town of Sweden. I’ve already tracked down a bike shop called Cykel City Lund. I’m bringing my old road bike and cyclocross is REALLY big in Sweden, so I may have to look into that as well.

Sweden, as you know, is also right next to Norway, home to my favorite sprinter, Thor Hushovd. So, maybe I’ll wander across the border and take a look around.

And I can’t wait! Whee! Just one more quarter, one more quarter…

The Wu Meister

2007-03-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

A quick shout out to Jeff Wu, cycling official extraordinaire and Cal Aggie Cycling alum. He’s officialing all the NRC races this month, so say hello if you see him.

Jeff scored a sweet gig in February -- assistant judge for the ToC. When the race came through Davis on my birthday, I skipped class and parked myself downtown in front of the sprint line. Shortly before the peloton arrived, Jeff pulled up in an official ToC car, sporting an ear piece and looking all secret agent like. After a couple of minutes of talking, he promised to chat with the chief judge about changing the name of the sprint line through downtown to “Linnea’s 21st Birthday Sprint Line – Winner Gets A Date with Linnea,” but it didn’t work out.

Darn. And I wouldn’t have minded having a chat with Christophe Laurent of Credit Agricole. (I bet he knows Thor.)

Bear the mechanic.

2007-03-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

While my boy is off racing in the valley, it's handy to have someone around the house who can help me with any bike issues that might arise.

Introducing: Bear.

Max and I met Bear at Albertson's in Lancaster, California. We were road trippin to the UCLA-hosted race. Bear, who's originally from Alaska, was in town for a Bear Conference. (No idea why they chose Lancaster, of all places).

Anyway, we liked Bear, Bear liked us, and history was made. Max taught him a few tricks, and now he's a pretty good wrencher. He's getting my equipment ready for the UCB race, which is only a couple of weekends away. Hopefully he'll come hang out on McEwen and cheer us on.

Time for a ride. Enjoy the weather!

I'm on the radio!!

2007-03-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

Last week, I was interviewed for KIIS FM's Community Council show (it aired last Sunday) to share my experiences with Youth Noise.

I've been involved with Youth Noise for the last six years. They're an awesome website geared at getting youth (14-22) involved with issues they care about. I got hooked on this website in high school and spent way too much of my time debating on the message boards with other youth about the tobacco industry, politics, global warming, gay marriage, terrorism, and the quality of urban schools.

I was vocal enough that Youth Noise hired me on as a paid intern for the last three summers and they hooked me up with opportunities like traveling to Africa and Thailand.

Anyway, you can stream it here. The first part of the broadcast is my boss talking... I start talking a little more than one third of the way through the podcast.

Check it out.

What's for Dinner?

2007-03-07T09:24:00.000-08:00

Red meat, that’s what. This is one of my all time favorite recipes. Give it a shot.

Tuscan-Style Steak with Arugula and Parmesan
Serves 4.

Note: Tastes best when you use REAL parmesan cheese (it should have “Parmigiano-Reggiano” on the rind). Buy a hunk and grate it yourself. Go for a long ride before you cook – that way you can justify serving this dish with a big, crusty loaf of bread to soak up the meaty, garlicy juices left on your plate.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced or mushed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon chopped fresh (or dried) parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh (or dried) oregano leaves
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 boneless new york strip steaks, 1 to 1-1/4 inches thick (8 to 10 ounces each). Trim the exterior gristle and pat dry with a paper towel.
8 cups loosely packed arugula
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut into thin shavings

1. Whisk together in a small bowl: the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Nice and hot = caramelization and a tasty crust on the meat, without overcooking the inside. (Avoid non-stick/Teflon pans! You won’t get the yummy pan juices or crust on the meat.)

3. Meanwhile, season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper. Lay the steaks in the pan and cook, without moving, until a well-browned crust forms, about 5 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip the steaks. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more for rare or 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board, cover with with aluminum foil tent, and let sit for 5 minutes. (Don’t skip the foil tent step! Letting them sit makes the steak juicier.)

4. Divide the arugula evenly among 4 individual plates. Cut each steak crosswise into thin strips and arrange the steak over the arugula . Drizzle pan juices over the greens. Rewhisk the dressing and drizzle it over the steak and greens. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve hot!

Weeknight Kitchen®

Nothing much to say...

2007-03-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

UCSC this weekend, featuring climbing, climbing… and how about some more climbing? Road race (same course as University RR), then a hill climb time trial, then a team time trial… urgh. Just gonna try to hang on.

steephill.tv

Have you heard about this? It makes me want to throw something. Unbelievable. I grew up in the Berkeley Public Library system and adored it. Couldn’t imagine someone taking it away.

---

It’s THAT time again. A Merrill Lynch sponsored “Cookie College?!” Touting kiddy entrepreneurial skills for boxed baked goods? I love those thin mints, but I think Lauren’s got it right this time…

---

Got a referral from the MD to a chiropractor!
And, better yet, a pilates DVD from the boyfriend.
Should help my back out a bit.

---

Sunday’s ride was 100% shorts and jersey weather. Perfect riding, and it’s looking like a beautiful day in the flatlands…

Hi! My name is Linnea and I'd like to welcome you to UC Davis!

2007-03-02T16:04:00.000-08:00

I just gave my first tour as a UC Davis Tour Guide!
Gosh, all those little high school kiddies and their parents are cute…

Way back in 2004, when I was looking at colleges, I did at least 10 of those college tours: Willamette, Lewis and Clark, Chapman, UC Irvine (bleh), Cal Poly SLO, UC Santa Cruz… I did it all in this big whirlwind tour of California and by the time my mom and I got to Orange County, I said “Screw UCLA, let’s go to Disneyland.” And we did.

All those tours taught me that 1) I didn’t want to go to school in SoCal, and 2) private schools are SMALL. Like, smaller than my high school. If I can walk across the campus in five minutes or less, it's not my kind of place.

I also found out that a bunch of universities seem have underground rooms/labs full of cadavers for research. By the time I visited Irvine, I was pretty keen to this “fun fact”, so when the student tour guide asked, “Guess what we’re walking over right now??” I shouted, “Dead bodies!” which sort of freaked out the other people in the tour, but I was right. Another cadaver lab.

I was also surprised at how much the tour guides made a difference as to what I thought of the school. Boring tour guides made for a less interesting school, fun ones made me like it more.

So, I try to make kids want to come to UC Davis. ‘Cause I love my school in a big way.

Fun Facts You Might Not Know About UC Davis:

--> 1 in every 300 Californians is an UCD grad.
--> UC Davis is ranked 14th among public universities in the U.S.
--> There are over 40,000 bikes in the city of Davis (though I’ve heard the bicycles per capita rate is actually 2.1, which would add up to a lot more).
--> The UC Davis Food Science and Technology Department developed, in conjunction with other research institutions, the fruit cocktail and fruit juice concentrate. We also researched how to make ketchup thicker.
--> UC Davis is also home to student, blogger, National Collegiate Time Trial champion, and cat 3 cyclist, Linnea.
--> UC Davis has a brand new brewing facility (equipment donated by Anheuser Busch) which produces one bottle of beer every 30 minutes.
--> Our crop sciences department became famous in the 50s for creating the thicker skinned tomato (aka the square tomato) which can withstand the pressure from mechanical harvesting machines.

Now you know.

Anyone need a study buddy?

2007-02-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

My older brother told me that I will miss my college days once they're gone. Don't worry. I know that working at a desk all day (I do it every summer) is a lot less fun than being in school.

But let's focus on the now, shall we?

Serious academic deadline implosion.

My brain will be working in overdrive for the next three weeks until every last research paper, group project, bluebook, and scantron has been turned in.

Bonus: everyday someone else manages to remind me that UC Davis' spring break consists of a measly 6 days. Six days! That's what I get to look forward to?!

I'm gonna go get some more coffee.

Thinking sunny thoughts...

2007-02-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

Okay. So, it's really, REALLY raining outside.
And it's 40 degrees. And windy.

So, I'm going to set up the trainer in the kitchen
and think happy thoughts.

I love the beach
especially when it's sunny

I love my team.

I love riding TTT.

I love crashing really hard
not getting too hurt
and being able to eat a banana afterwards
while looking kinda goofy

I love wearing pretty dresses.

And I really, really love my new bike.
Ruby-licious.

Snelling

2007-02-25T14:17:00.000-08:00

On the way home from the valley yesterday, I was trying to think of something I could say about my second weekend racing on the road since last July… and couldn’t really think of anything very profound.

Basically, I compressed my vertebra in a crash last July and now my back is really messed up. Just 45 of minutes of hard riding and my lower back starts to ache, and then it quickly progresses to the point where it feels like I have 40 stab wounds permeating my muscles.

Combine that with the fact that, mentally, I am not yet back into the racing groove: I am scared of packs, cornering, and going down hill.

It’s pretty swell.

Anyway, I was starting my third lap at Snelling when it all fell apart.

Somebody in the front attacked.
I was towards the rear of the group, for fear of being sketched out or sketching someone out (though I consider myself a pretty predictable rider, and have never been told otherwise).
My back was really starting to get to me.
The pack accelerated and some stupid woman gapped me.
After some yo-yo-ing, my back and brain said “that’s enough,” and the pack got away.

Dang it.

It could have been worse, though. I’d say at least 30 people had their race cut short by one or two flats – thanks to some local residents who showed their love for the cycling community by sprinkling the road with tacks.

Upside: the weather was gorgeous and the drive considerably shorter than last weekend’s. Also, it’s almond blossom season in the valley. Pretty spectacular.

ToC: Amen!

2007-02-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

One last birthday wish...

2007-02-22T23:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks Ali!

P.S. First night drinking legally was fuuuuuuun.

Sweet breeze.

2007-02-22T18:13:00.000-08:00

Doing 30/30s into a gusting 20 mph cross headwind: stupid.
Doing 30/30s with a 20 mph tailwind: absolutely glorious.

I felt like I was doing 50 mph.
Leaving all my imaginary competitors in the dust.
Simply invigorating.
WUPAH!

Rolling onto campus and almost getting hit by a car that decided to pull out of a blind parking lot at 20 mph really killed the high though.
Swerve, oh shit!, screech, not good.
Thought I was gonna roll over the hood.

Well, the legs feel good at least.
Though shouting FUCK YOU! felt pretty good, too.

Some birthday wishes...

2007-02-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday! No wonder you didnt come to class...i dont blame you... Have a good one.

***

Because time moves faster over here, its your birthday where I am. SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Reporting from the future, I can tell you that you will have an awesome, uncontrollably great birthday and 21st year in general.

P.S. I will drink a toast to you tonight, and everyone will look at me like I'm crazy for drinking on a Tuesday night, and it will be awesome.

***

Subject: 21st year prayer vigil

Dear Linnea,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I just want you to know I will be holding a prayer vigil this evening during
any carousing that might be going on!

I'm very glad you were born!

***

Welcome to the 21 club. Happy Friggin B-day.

Birthday Pie!

2007-02-20T08:29:00.000-08:00

Why Having No Internet Access Sucks

2007-02-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize how appallingly dependent I am on the internet until my modem-router decided to die on Monday morning.

Since then, I haven't been able to:
-check the weather (so I don't get caught in unexpected downpours. See: Monday night)
-read the news (not that what's going on in the rest of the world matters)
-check my bank account (to make sure I haven't overdrawn my account while paying for bike-related items)
-check facebook (and plan out who to invite to my 21st)
-check my email (sigh)
-read all of the blogs I am addicted to (especially after the Martinez-Cherry Pie double header this weekend…)
-google (my world is google)

Of course, I can use the labs on campus, and thank god for that, but once I'm home I'm stranded in the land of NO INTERNET.

I've opened my browser about 15 times in the last 3 days only to get that dreaded "no connection" page, which makes me want to stomp on my keyboard. Or that broken, good for nothing, no longer under warranty router-modem box from AT&T. (aka EVI&L.)

And when I finally arrive in a computer lab on campus, you'd think I'd feel more relaxed. In control. My blood pressure should drop. The tension in my shoulders should disappear. Mouse and keyboard at my fingertips, everything in the world should be back to normal, right?

Wrong.

Over 65 new emails, most of which I actually need to read. (I checked my email at the lab yesterday afternoon!) I've been here for more than 2 hours, already, and I'm not done doing all the things I wanted to do. But I’m getting hungry. And unlike my formerly-internet-connected-computer at home, there is no fridge/stove/microwave nearby this computer lab PC to satisfy my stomach. No food, just a bunch of undergrads, five printers, and a nerdy CRC assistant.

So, now I'm off to my unplugged, disconnected home where all my computer is good for is playing music on iTunes and using Microsoft Word to write my paper that is due on my birthday and that I'm still putting off.

ARGH!

Rainy Day Ride.

2007-02-09T00:27:00.000-08:00

Mile 1: Rain? You call this rain?

Mile 7: I am sooooo hard core. I haven’t see a single cyclist yet. No matter that I am riding sans hat and fender, I am riding. HARD CORE. Yeah.

Mile 10: These gloves I got for Christmas are amazing. Miracle gloves! My hands are dry! Warm! Can’t say as much for my left foot… darn grocery bag.

Mile 15: Apparently I am also riding sans clif bar. Shit, I’m hungry.

Mile 20: Okay, I’ve got one dollar. What do I do? The 76 station, that’s what I do!

Mile 25: King-size Snickers bar for a buck. And I’ve still got half left for after dinner. If the promise of fajitas and half a Snickers bar won’t get me home faster I don’t know what will.

Mile 30: Miracle gloves? I take it back, allllll back. I am wet. And cold. Just think about fajitas... fajitas, fajitas, fajitas...

Mile 38: Still no cyclists in sight. What the hell? This is one of the most popular roads in Davis. I know it’s raining, but really… anyone? Teammate? Tri geek? 45-year-old recumbent cyclist? Jogger? Dog?

Helllooooo????

I love my bike.

2007-02-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

(photo: Lauren T.)

My new favorite website #1

2007-01-31T14:41:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Mom, for providing me with a link to my new favorite website: zafu.com

I have no clue where the name comes from, but zafu will search its database to find pants that will fit your body. Genius, right?

The questions they ask you are so nice, too... like:
- How do jeans fit on your waist?
(Very tight, a little tight, OK, a little loose loose, very loose.)
- Viewed from the front, you'd describe your waist as...?
(Defined, average, undefined.)
- Which seat shape is most similar to your own?
(Flat, average, full, prominent.)

Very polite questions, and with cute pictures to match. It's a nice approach, considering that, generally, my answers to the above questions would not be "a little tight", "average", and "average", but rather: "out of the dryer they're a bit too snug so my fat spills over the sides, but by the end of the day it looks okay," "not defined enough," and "average, I guess, but nothing special."

I mean, they spin the questions to make you feel as if an average butt (sorry, "seat") and athletic thighs are good!

Anyway, all this + height + weight + age + favorite brand = jeans that work for you.

My results = 45 pairs! That will fit athletic thighs?? Really??

I will be testing out this process with a pair of Lucky Brand jeans (from Costco, believe it or not), so we'll see if this is a success or not...

All-Weather Riding... (or not)

2007-01-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

Rainy days.
Pea-soup foggy days.
Typhoon-y days.
Freezing ass, face numbing, ice in the gutters/snow in downtown SF, wait-this-can’t-be-happening-in-Northern-California days.

I’ll ride in almost any weather. Not happily, but I'll do it.

And I’ve ridden in the wind before. A 35-mph headwind sure makes doing SFR on the flats a LOT easier. But the gusts outside right now conjure up unpleasant images:

I’ll wait a couple of hours before I chammy up, I think.

'Tis the spirit of the season.

2007-01-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

New York City - Day 3

2006-12-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

10AM - Wake up! pancakes for breakfast!
11:45AM - Walk/jog in Central Park with Max while Carl's at PT
12:30PM - Return to find ourselves locked out of his building.
1:000PM - After a half an hour on the stoop in the drizzle and 45 degree weather (advice: don't wear shorts if you don't have keys), we're inside once again.
2:30PM Off to Brooklyn! We scarf a large pepperoni pizza from Grimaldi's and then stop by the Brookyln Museum to see the premiere of "Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990–2005", her new photography exhibition.
5:00PM - Walk through Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park and Park Slope (think College Ave). Coffee and a game of Scrabble at the CocoaBar, dinner at Mr. Falafel, desserts from Sweet Melissa Patisserie (mini pumpkin cheesecake, banana cream pie, and lemon tart) -- we ate them on the train on our way over to Broadway.
8:00PM - Prarie Home Companion Christmas Show at Town Hall. Third row from the stage -- Garrison Keiler so amazingly close I could have sneezed on him!
11:30PM - Tea, menorah, and Simpson's. Bed.

Coming home tomorrow!!

New York City - Day 2

2006-12-21T22:29:00.000-08:00

There's something us and about getting a late start...

9:30AM - Woke up: coffee, oatmeal, eggs, and a trip to the gym.
12:30PM - shower, lunch... I played darts, Max read, and Carl did PT.
2:45PM - finally outta the apt. to begin our crazed, whirlwind tour of all things New York (see below).
3:00PM - bus to 86th. Subway to 54th and walked to Rockefeller center to see the tree and ice rink (and laugh at the skaters who paid $25+... we only paid $9 at Bryant Park and beat the crowds).
3:45PM - Picture in front of gigantic ornaments and Radio City music hall on Avenue of the Americas. Subway to 34th St to see Macy's storefront windows and do some shopping. Fruitless trip to Kmart (a 3-story big box).
4:45PM - Subway to Times Square. Shop at Toys'R'Us + one-other-store-I-won't-mention-because-it-would-spoil-a-xmas-present.
5:45PM - Subway to Christopher st. in the West Village. Eat gnocchi, linguine, and conchiglie at La Foccacia (Bank St.) and eat delicious cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (famous!).
7:45PM - back on the subway to Times Square for the Lion King. Amazing!
10:45PM - stopped by the webcam to wave hi to Mom and Max's parents. Then back home!
1:45AM! - We light the Hannukah candles (menorah courtesy of Brooklyn's Lubavitch youth; they're giving them out everywhere!). Carl books a trip to Cancun, Max and I conquer the dart board. now it's time to SLEEP. (Looks like it will be another late morning.)

New York City - Day 1

2006-12-20T19:59:00.000-08:00

11AM - watched my Mom win the Price is Right showcase showdown
1:30PM - walked along Central Park to the Metropolitan Musem of Art
5:00PM - subway to Bryant Park to ice skate!
7:45PM - subway to S.E.A. thai restarant in Brooklyn (super trendy-ness)
11:00PM - back home, time for bed (so we can get up early and work off the yummy dinner at the gym)

More pics soon and another update tomorrow.

Tanlines are the ultimate fashion accessory.

2006-12-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

I'd have to agree with that, but it's winter, so I'm starting to look like the guy on the right...

Procrastination...

2006-12-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

Now back to studying.

This is what finals looks like...

2006-12-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

Crash fest.

2006-08-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

It’s been four weeks since my last crash.

My first season was completely crash free, but now that I’ve entered season TWO, I’ve been taken out by TWO crashes within a TWO-month period. Yikes. Most recently, it was, as I heard someone later say, a “sympathy crash.” Two women hooked bars on the left side of the peleton, and over on the right side of the peleton a girl slid her bike out in front of me. I went over her and over my handlebars.

I landed on my head and smacked my back into the pavement pretty hard (we were easily going 25-30 mph). I couldn’t even get up for a minute or two because I didn’t want to move or bend my body in anyway, so I just sat there, on my butt, in this goofy, yoga-like moon position until spectators/the-on-call-EMT-dude were convinced they could move me off the course.

The result?

One broken helmet (third one I’ve toasted since November)
One broken fork. (I rode on it for a week before I realized the bizarre wobbly motion when I applied my front break wasn't a good thing).
One broken L1 vertebra (also didn’t discover this for a week, but it sure hurt like hell).

My broken fork (can you believe I didn't notice that??):

Broken spine (not actually my x-ray…
and mine isn’t this bad, but you get the gist):

So, that’s it for season #2. I wanted to keep going through September but it wasn't meant to be.

Anyway, it could have been worse. I didn’t end up in an ambulance, my frame didn’t crack, my kit didn’t get ripped up (nor did I get much road rash), and I’m not in a coma (a la other unfortunate cyclists). Heck, I’m not dead! And that oughta count for something. And hey, it’s kinda hard to want to continue the season when I don’t trust anybody’s wheel.

But helmets and forks are pretty freaking expensive. :-(

Til February!

P.S. (It’s also worth mentioning that I totally sympathized with Kessler when he went over the guard rail in stage 14 of this year’s TDF. The clip is in Norweigan, which is awesome):

First. Post. Ever.

2006-08-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm going to give this blog thing a try.

To keep you entertained while I ponder my next post, here's my new favorite YouTube clip.

Enjoy!