Monday, July 18, 2011

Lemon Cupcakes and Cycling Justice

Two quick orders of business:
1) I went to a farmers market this weekend with OUAL, 365 Days of Awesome, and Fat GirlTrappedInSkinnyBody.  We got Yogurtland.  It was awesome. Also, we took no pictures.  But...you already know what we look like eating Yogurtland, so I think it'll be ok :).

2)  I love all things citrus but it's hard to find recipes for orange / lemon deserts!  So I was pumped to make these LemonFilled Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting.  
from Eat, Run Read.  She posts a cake of the week, and they always look AMAZING.   Annndd...they were amazing.  And because they have filling and are thus fancier than the average cupcakes, your friends will be impressed.
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On to the main post....

 By now, if you read my blog regularly (hi brother!), you know I have a terrible sense of direction.  I get lost on the regular and my iphone data plan with the map has probably saved me an entire week of my life.

I went on my second group bike ride today with the dudes and gals at Surf City Cyclery.   I got a legit bike jersey for my b-day so I was pumped to show off my new duds.

When I showed up at the bike shop at 8AM, there were a lot of pro looking cycling dudes there.  And one girl.  That's the funny thing about cycling I'm starting to discover....while running has become pretty much 50/50 gender, cycling is still majority dudes.  While this is wonderful for getting "lots-o-smiles-from-cycling-dudes" (single gals...new hobby??), it's a bit intimidating.

Turned out the other girl was even less experienced than I was, so soon after we took off, the group was pretty spread apart.  Still...I felt good!  Sometimes I was almost hanging with the fast dudes and the wind rushing past me felt great.  "Maybe I will be the world champion of biking one day", I thought to myself.

And then I got brought back to earth....

I took a wrong turn and got lost from the group....on a bustling road about 6 miles from the end.  After about 5 minutes of standing around waiting to be rescued, I pulled out the iphone and realized I could ride on the busy road and get back to the shop.   I told myself "Stop being a freaking wuss, ignore the cars, and ride back on this road".

So I bucked up and drove towards the Shop....except I didn't.

A few miles later, I noticed the road opening up and signs to get on I-405.  (Yeah...that road they closed this weekend for "Carmageddon!").  

Ooopsy.

Wrong way.

Somewhat heartbroken, I turned back around and went back over the freeway overpass.  Very appropriate place for an inexperienced biker.

30 minutes later and sweaty as all getout, I got back to the bike shop.  The guys were nice about it and one Starbucks Refresher and bagel later, it was all good.

The ride was still a blast.  Biking rules.

I'd like to offer a "moral of the story":
If you see a biker riding on a way too busy road (like near the entrance of a freeway), don't get too TO'd.  They might as dumb as I am and got separated from the cycling herd in a process of "dumb-cycler natural selection".

Lucky me, I'll live to see another day of glorious biking!   And that's somethin' to celebrate :).

10 comments:

  1. Next present for you: some sort of bike gps that tells you where to turn so you dont get lost ;) Those cupcakes look sooooo awesome! Please ship some. I am sure they will not be gross by the time they get to me.

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  2. ha ha you crack me up! I get lost running all the time. And I am so smart and never even carry a cellphone while I run. I am glad you are okay and alive to tell about it. :)

    Those cupcakes look so delicious!

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  3. Hahahaha. I love this post SOOO much. Getting lost is the story of the my athletic life. Thank goodness for GPS. Also, those cupcakes look amazing.

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  4. Haha. I have an equally good (bad?) sense of direction. Too funny!

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  5. So glad you survived! More opportunities for more cupcakes! Those look incredible.

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  6. Awww I am directionally impaired as well! I have claimed that it is in fact a disability and there is nothing I can do about it! Glad you got back safe :)

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  7. haha...oh u poor thing and i'm THE WORST about getting anywhere...i'll jump on the disability excuse christina has going. i'm just glad u got back and didn't get too much heat for it. ;) and duely noted on this new untapped resource for hottie dudes. :P

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  8. Was it scarier to bike on the freeway or the time you ran down I-10 hehehehehe :D?

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  9. Cupcakes with filling AND frosting...sounds like such a yummy treat. But not only that....the lemon flavor makes my mouth water!

    Sweet bike ride, nice recovery from being lost! I always get a little nervous on group runs when I get separated from people, but I usually manage to find my way. But I think on a bike it'd be more difficult because the speeds are so much higher and it seems like it would be easier to fall behind or have more distance between you and the next person.

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  10. Getting lost must be my primary goal in life. I have the worst sense of direction if I don't know where I am... or even if I do! People know not to ask me to meet them somewhere anymore. True story: I got lost using a GPS.

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