Why I love San Francisco, reason #3,542

Paved paradise and put up a parking lot?

Maybe the opposite...


Rendered image of an upcoming Pavement to Parks installation at busy Mojo Bicycle Cafe, near my house

nice stroke. heh heh heh.

Momentary feeling of pure awesomeness yesterday...
Recently started taking spin classes with my triathlon club at M2 Revolution, a local biking/triathlon training center that is owned by Michael McCormick, a former professional triathlete.

TWICE in yesterday's class he commented on my pedal stroke. First, he just stopped by my bike and said that my pedal stroke looked good and asked if I rode a lot. I, of course, was flabbergasted (and in the middle of a 10 minute interval) and mumbled something incoherent along the lines of "kind of." Then in our last interval, a strong 30 second push, he POINTED ME OUT in the class and said that I was showing a good example of a strong pedal stroke.

So, why did that feel so awesome?
Pedal stroke is a pretty big deal. Newer riders tend to just push down on the pedal. Eventually, you learn that you get more power when you also consciously pull UP as well (obviously this is when you're clipped into the pedals). The result is (and here's where I'm kind of talking out my ass here, since I don't know if I can visually tell the difference) a revolution that looks like a smooth circle, without the chop of the push/pull.

Hills are a great way to work on pulling up, since your cadence is probably a little lower and you're working against more resistance. AND you'll want every muscle working to get you TO THE TOP!

I've been considering getting a new bike. That session pretty much solidified it for me. I mean, if a professional triathlete (who, according to folks who have been in the class for a while, does not give out compliments too often) is going to say something like that, I'm due for an upgrade from my first road bike!!!


More bike geekery, from RoadBikeRider's weekly newsletter:

Cyclists come in all shapes and sizes. Here's a guide to the menagerie:

   Climber
Body type:  lung on a stick
Distinguishing bike characteristic:  single water bottle cage, no valve caps
If not a cyclist, would be:  runner, supermodel or loincloth-wearing ascetic
Favorite conversation topics:  weight in grams of cable end caps; long-forgotten taste of ice cream
In the peloton, likes to:  hide

   Sprinter
Body type:  quads the size of beer kegs, elbows sharper than a stiletto, multiple road-rash scars
Distinguishing bike characteristic:  11-tooth cog, shredded front-tire sidewall from sticking wheel into tight places such as others' cassettes
If not a cyclist, would be:  street fighter
Favorite conversation topics:  anything involving smack talk
In the peloton, likes to:  yell at everyone to "Close that gap!" but never takes a pull

   Time Trialist
Body type:  flexible enough to join Chinese acrobat troupe
Distinguishing bike characteristic:  aerodynamic frame, wheels, handlebar, water bottle, cable end caps
If not a cyclist, would be:  computer programmer or engineer
Favorite conversation topics:  drag coefficients, most recent visit to wind tunnel, slipperiness of skinsuit
In the peloton, likes to:  get on the front and ride, dammit

   Commuter
Body type:  N/A
Distinguishing bike characteristic:  grime
If not a cyclist, would be:  NASCAR driver
Favorite conversation topics:  carbon footprints, climate change, recyclability of objects not commonly known to be recyclable
In the peloton, likes to:  ring handlebar bell

   Ultradistance Rider
Body type:  all of the above
Distinguishing bike characteristic:  lights, handlebar bag and/or large seat bag, comfy saddle
If not a cyclist, would be:  institutionalized
Favorite conversation topics:  food, miles/kilometers ridden, food, extreme weather experiences, food
In the peloton, likes to:  "Peloton?"


----------
and in other news... re: boys. when it rains, it pours. but we all knew that already, right?

This is what happens when you ask me a simple question about trash...

Again with the emails. This one is between the guy who's into weirdos and me.

Guy:
"Which is better, composting or recycling?"

Me:
 no solid answer, but here are some pros and cons of each. composting seems like a clear winner, until you get to the part where recycling actually reduces the production of NEW materials, which is always a very good thing.

composting -

• material is handled locally, reducing GHG/costs associated with transportation
• output is an organic soil amendment
• keeps organic matter out of the landfill, where it would be producing methane
• the program can be expensive to implement and maintain
• may falsely encourage people to be less conservative in creating green waste

recycling -

• some materials are transported a long distance to be processed (plastic & paper are sent to china, for example). however, often times these materials are loaded into container ships that might otherwise be returned completely empty
• output material replaces virgin materials, which is less environmentally and energy intensive
• keeps materials out of the landfill where it may produce methane while biodegrading, or leach toxins into groundwater supplies (in the case of some plastics & batteries)
• cost to municipality varies greatly with the price of recyclables
• some materials - like glass and metal are truly recycled - some plastics are severely downcycled into products that are not as useful
• may falsely encourage wasteful products since it is "recyclable" after a single use

also, i'm not an expert. i'm pretty darn educated on the topic, but this would be a better discussion with actual numbers to back up each of the points.

guy:
Wow, I'm not going to lie to you, that was a much more detailed response then I expected.  How about this (you gotta dumb these things down for me) if I have a clean napkin should I recycle it or compost it?

me:
compost
-------------------
If it had been a clean piece of paper, I would have said to recycle. But a napkin? That's not going to be recycled into a piece of writing paper. Maybe into tp? I'm not really sure. If anyone cares to comment, I'm definitely interested in learning!

Stone fox

Turns out the guy from last week doesn't think I'm a total weirdo. Or, if he does... he's into that sort of thing. Huzzah!


Despite my single-on-Valentine's-Day-since-2007 status, I'm fairly indifferent towards Valentine's Day. Not totally tnto it, but I have coworkers that like to make holiday cookies and share candy. And I AM into that. I'm also into overheard quotes - such as the ones in this article from today's SFGate.com.

-- "Dude, what's 'stone fox'?" "Old school for 'hottie.' " (Two teenage girls, overheard in the parking lot of a Corte Madera shopping center by Anne Capron)

-- "I'm not usually this forward, but can I help you get your s- together?" (Middle-aged man to younger woman cleaning up after her dog, overheard at a Sausalito dog park by Alison Marquiss)

-- "We didn't click at first, but after four cocktails, I realized he was really cute." (Woman to woman, overheard at SFO by Roger Thornhill)

-- "I don't know what to talk to him about." "Talk to him about ecology." "Yeah, but what do I say?" "Tell him you're worried about the planet." (Young woman getting advice from older woman, overheard in a Kaiser cafeteria by Matt Perry)

he sure did pick his occupation appropriately...

In keeping with the plagiarizing emails theme of the week... a conversation from my triathlon club group. The only thing I did is remove the actual insurance company name. I swear. Read it aloud.

I recently switched to Insurance Company and need to designate a primary care physician and gyn in San Francisco. Can I get your best recommendations, please?

When I was at Insurance Company I used Dr Mike Hunt.

He was very gentle.

winner winner chicken dinner

Thursday went something like this:

Day:
Happy, but tired. Went to see Wicked on Wednesday and it was AWESOME. I haven't been to a big musical like that in years (like... Les Misérables in Chicago) and forgot about the sensory delights of the big theater. Amazing dancing, voices, the pit orchestra... colorful, moving sets, the story, the chills from hearing the singers hit those chords just SO... Worth a late school night out for sure.

Got a good amount of work done while singing the Wicked soundtrack in my head all day. (If you're at all into showtunes, go download the Broadway version now. Really.)

Evening:
Angry. Scared. My bike commute home was one of the most horrible rides of my life. I've never been so close to being hit so many times in one ride.

Night:
Excited, slightly delirious. Show up to meet date for a beer. I had met him once, briefly... so I was way pleasantly surprised to find him v cute! And smart and easy to chat with, despite this being only the second time we've met.

What? A guy that I'm actually interested in getting to know better? Oh, that must be the right time to get all sorts nervous, lose most powers of speech and turn up the ditz level by a few notches.

By the end of two beers and a surprise pub quiz night, he has found out that I:

• am slightly lactose intolerant*
• do not have a car
• do not have a tv
• do not have a couch
• that I knit
• that I have a cat
• that I live in a small studio
• that my college undergrad major doesn't really exist anymore

Wow. I am a winner.

I'm going to have to bust out one hell of a hilarious/intelligent/flirty "had a fun time" text/email response to try to convince him he should go out with me again.


*This came out of a conversation that began with the debate about Fat Tire vs. Sierra Nevada. CP and I have found that most people really like one or the other, but not both. Of course, this dude had to go and eff with our data by liking both. His debate was Cheese or Oral Sex. As in, if you had to choose between the two for the rest of your life, which would you pick. It was easy for me, given that I don't eat a ton of cheese anyway b/c of the whole lactose intolerance thing.

Lunch and other updates

Another day, another awesome email. This one, however, *I* wrote to a friend/coworker.

Subject: Salad today. It's a winner.
Romaine
Cucumber
Radish
Avocado
Roasted butternut squash (roasted w/brown sugar & coconut oil)
Quinoa
Yellow bell pepper
Corn
Beets

EVOO, balsamic vinegar, agave syrup, black pepper, lime juice dressing

A lot of it is kind of old, since it's from last week & I just kept adding to it - but HOLLA! The butternut squash + quinoa sends it OVA THE TOP.

Response:
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmn! That sounds sooooo goodical! I am going to get some food right now, I can't stand it!

-----------
And that is how you know that you're communicating with a friend/coworker, not just a coworker. Also, we'll see how long it takes for me to start foraging for chocolate to balance out all those veggies. My estimate: 5 minutes 30 seconds.

In other news and feats of athletic prowess, let me know if you want me to bench press 100 pounds for you. Cuz I can.

And, I'm an idiot for running a "practice" half-marathon on Saturday before doing an actual half-marathon this Sunday.

And, I've got a potential date/non-date on Thursday. A guy who does triathlons. As two fabulous friends have pointed out (again with the copying of emails...what's with me this week?):

HW: Very exciting!  A new boy to workout with AND potentially make out with!  Perfect for you. 

CP: I agree, you must have a boy who likes to ride bikes if anything is going to work :) Excited to hear the updates. 

Fortunate, indeed

It's emails like this that make me wish I had a Twitter account. Just so you could read what greeted me when I  opened up Outlook this morning...

"Today is my last day at .  I am a Third Generation employee, however, I am so fortunate to be able to retire, since my grandfather passed away on his way to work one day, and my father passed away while working here for 33 years."