He's here!

Liam Thomas was born on August 19th at 10:03pm. At some point soon, I'll post a little bit about his birth story, but right now I'm still overwhelmed with everything. In addition to bringing this tiny person into the world, we bought a house and moved into it. Talk about overwhelming! Trying to pack/unpack your entire life while a week overdue, and then with a brand new baby while you are still healing from the delivery is insane. The husband has been amazing through this whole process, and I don't think I could have gotten through without breaking down without him.

Right after delivery. I was in labor for 30 hours (I didn't feel most of it, thanks to the epidural), and pushed for about 25 minutes. Easy peasy.

Liam is wonderful. He's so strong and alert. Breastfeeding can be a bit of a battle, but we're both learning. I don't remember what sleeping was like. He loves to nap during the day, but for some reason I can't make myself sleep. I used to be able to nap during the day with no problem. Not anymore. Instead its "quick! Do ALL the things before he wakes up for his next shrieking/feeding!" Between breastfeeding and pumping, I might get an hour or so of "down time" before needing to tend to Liam again. It's exhausting, but rewarding. I will admit to having a few hormonal breakdowns (including cold flashes. Who knew you could feel freezing in 90 degree weather?!). Thankfully, the husband was there to keep me from going bonkers. It's quite an adjustment going from pregnant to not-pregnant. It's strange to have my body back for myself (for the most part. My breasts still seem to be held hostage.)

Daddy picked out the coming home outfit.

Kid loves to sleep.

Daddy's first night. Kiddo is sleeping, but dad isn't.

He likes to conduct a symphony in his sleep.

We went outside for some vey brief sun. Still snoozing. I swear he doesn't sleep ALL the time.

I am so eager to get back on the bike. There is a fantastic trail near the new house, and I get to watch people riding/walking/running on it every day. I can't wait until I can explore this new area and see where it can take me. I'm still healing from the birth, but in a few more weeks I should be cleared to go. I'm hoping that in the next few days, we can at least take a few walks together. I haven't really been able to stand/walk for more than 10 minutes at a time without soreness/pain. It's starting to fade though.

It's strange living so far from DC. Looking at photos on twitter and instagram, I find myself missing activities that I used to take for granted: running along the Mall, night rides around the monuments, biking through Rock Creek & the C&O canal, group rides, 5K's downtown... I don't regret moving at all; it was definitely time. But I will still miss the ease in which I was able to participate in those things. However, I'm also eager to see what sorts of things I can participate in HERE. There are beaches and parks, and I've already found a local cycling group that does a bunch of rides. I'm sure there are local running groups and races too. And I'm still going to participate in the "big" cycling/running events in DC too.

Speaking of, the 50 States Ride and the Boundary Stone Ride are both coming up. I've done the 50 States Ride a bunch of times, and its one of my favorite rides to do in DC. It's also one of the more challenging rides I've ever done. You wouldn't think that simply riding around the city (the "goal" of the 50 States Ride is to ride on every single state street/avenue) would be difficult, but you would be wrong. There are some killer hills in the city! And for some reason, this ride loves to attract bad weather. It's always either super HOT or super RAINY.  I believe registration is already full though (its a super popular ride), but they are always looking for volunteers! Check it out here: http://www.waba.org/50-states-13-colonies/

The Boundary Stone Ride is one that I've heard about, but never had the chance to participate in. Similar to the 50 States Ride, the Boundary Stone Ride is all about exploring DC by riding to all of the old DC Boundary Stones. Doing the whole ride amounts to a metric century, or you can simply break it up into "sides" (about 15 miles on each side).  It will be taking place on Saturday, September 19th, and you can find more info about it on their facebook page or registration page. Registration is free, and you still get a t-shirt and a swag bag! (So, make a donation!) Phoenix Bikes will be providing bike support at rest stops, and Boundary Stone (of course) and DC Brau are sponsoring the ride and hosting the after-party. I'm seriously considering doing this ride. I should be healed and recovered by then.  I doubt I could do the whole metric century, but I could at least do a side, maybe two.

For October, I've registered for the Law Enforcement Ride & Run to Remember again. This will be my 3rd year participating, and I will be part of a team again (Blood, Sweat & Tires). It is a fundraiser for the NLEOMF, so stay tuned for more info on that!

That's it for now. It's been a whirlwind and it doesn't look like it will be slowing down anytime soon.

Bike Wash Fundraiser This Saturday!

Hi folks!

I haven't had much time for blogging lately (and that won't change for another month or so, unfortunately) but I did want to let you know of a fundraiser that The Daily Rider is hosting for me this Saturday.

If you are like me, you are GLAD that winter has finally ended (except for this sudden cold snap). The days are getting longer & the weather warmer, so its time to ride! But maybe your bike needs a little TLC from all the winter mud/salt from the past couple of months.

Let me wash it for you!

For $10 a bike, I will scrub down your frame & drivetrain. All you gotta do is sit back & relax. Browse the lovely selection of The Daily Rider. Have a few beers. Whatever. I'll be doing all the work ;-)

Where will your money go? To the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund via the The Police Unity Tour (in which I will be riding in less than 17 days, eeeep! Another reason why I haven't had much time for blogging).

When I did this fundraiser last year, it took approximately 20 minutes per bike, and we did 2 bikes at a time. So plan accordingly. I'll have a limited amount of stuff (buttons, water bottles, etc) to either raffle/give away. You might get something nice!

The Police Unity Tour Bike Wash Fundraiser

at The Daily Rider

1108 H St. NE

Saturday, April 27th

12pm-4pm

$10/bike

Police Unity Tour Swag Available.

Some photos in the meantime:

The National Law Enforcement Memorial Seal

In Valor There is Hope

A day at the Memorial

The Righteous are Bold as a Lion

How they Lived

This is the bike I'm riding in the tour itself. I borrowed it from a friend. Kermit was great last year, but I wanted to try something a bit lighter.

Remember when I said I was doing the Rock n Roll Half Marathon? Well here I am (was)  crossing the finish line!

I really hope that I will have time to write a little more about why this ride is so important, and the reasons behind it. I know I wrote a little bit about it last year, but this year has become even more important to me as I've had to say goodbye to yet another coworker & friend. Until then, check out my posts from last year's ride.

Here, here, here, and here.

P.S. There is nothing like going back through the blog archives to see how much this year's winter weather has sucked and kept me from getting in some good rides. Poo.

P.P.S I just want to mention that I went to The Bike Rack for a custom bike fit since I will be riding a borrowed bike, and not only was the bike fit super awesome, but they donated the cost of the fitting outright. SUPER nice of them to do that, unasked. So, yay local bike shops!

Short and sweet

Because I'm exhausted. And sore. And sun-burned.

Day 2 is done. I forgot to restart my GPS tracker on one leg of the ride, so it skipped about 13 miles. All told, I rode about 82 today. And it was brutal.

They said that today was going to be hilly, but honestly it was mostly rollers. I didn't leave the big chain ring once. The problem for me was a)the wind- it was brutal coming over the open fields. B)riding in a pack of various skills- once I got a good momentum going, we would have to slow way down, and c) bike fit- my legs & lungs were fine, but parts of me were screaming in pain because I still had bike fit issues.

At first it was my lower back, but a short fitting session with one of the mechanics cured that. Then it was my right foot, specifically my toes. I think my cleats are too far back. My right foot was (is) in agony-I almost couldn't walk on it.

By the time we finished, I felt awful. I didn't drink enough and the sun was just beating on me, so I know I was dehydrated. The last 23 miles felt like the longest time of my life.

But I did it. Every damn mile.

Tomorrow is the final day. I get to sleep in my own bed! "Only" 46 miles to go. Ha!

There is a welcoming ceremony for all of the chapters of the Police Unity Tour at 2pm at the National Law Enforcement Memorial (400 blk of E Street NW). I encourage all of you to come!

Riding along (that's Mir with the giant grin on her face)




It turns out that Sharpie makes an excellent sun block.




Fixed gear bike. And he did all of the hills on it.



The mobile bike shop/after hours beer joint.




And that's it. Bed time for me. See you on the flip side!

This may be incoherent...

because I'm pretty tired and Parks & Recreation is on...and well, priorities people.

Day 1 is DONE, D O N E. My GPS said I did 97 miles, but the cue sheet said 93. Either way, it's the longest I've ever ridden in one day. And tomorrow, I get to do it again, but with more hills. (actually "only" 85 miles).

1. The wind was killer today. A few times I felt like I was being pushed off the bike. It definitely made the ride today a bit more difficult.

2. I really need to invest in a good bike fitting. The mechanics on this ride are SUPER good, but I need more time with them than is available on this ride (the lead mechanic has a shop off the W&OD trail but I can't recall the name of it). My lower back was screaming at me by the end. Advil wasn't touching it.

3. I need to bring the chamois cream with me and reapply it after 60 miles. Ouchie.

4. Nutrition was okay today, but my stomach was a bit uneasy at times. Still not sure how to avoid this.

5. The horses & cows & goats & rolling fields were beautiful. Until the last 17 miles when I wanted to set fire to them all. And also to the sound of ball-bearings in a rear hub. God help me.

6. The high point was the schools that came out and cheered us on, with Pom poms & mascot. Also all of the folks along the way that honked and waved.

7. Riding in a large group with cyclists of different abilities can be challenging and aggravating. Patience and emergency braking skills are necessary.

8. The dude doing this ride on a fixed gear bike is insane, and a bad-ass.

9. I am so proud to be part of this group.

Motivation cards from school-kids:




Me and Mir getting ready to set off:



Gathering together at the setting off ceremony:




Here we are again:




Can't tell whether this is real or temporary:




Folks from all over rode with us:




Motivation:









Representing WABA:



Down to my toes:




The most delicious beer ever. Just kidding. Even 95 miles can't make Bud Lite tasty.




The mileage:


Onward to tomorrow!

Checked in.

I am currently blogging to you from my swanky hotel room in Richmond, VA. We've checked in, picked up our swag and had our pre-ride meeting & dinner. I haven't really gotten to know anyone yet, but I can tell its a pretty tight group. I still have butterflies in my stomach, but there's not much I can do at this point. I think I will be fine :-)

I'm currently in bed finishing my last beer and then I plan to drink a crap-ton of water and turn in. I'm already sleepy. Wake-up is at 5am tomorrow, so ouch.

Fancy swag:




"Beautiful" Richmond, VA. Notice the rain :-/




Kermit is tucked in for the night.




I have no idea what is going on in this movie because it is stuck in Spanish mode.


I did find out who I am riding for:

Corporal Kevin Lee Aigner of the Travis County Constables Office, Texas. End of Watch September 10th, 2011.

I don't know much about Cpl. Aigner. According to his Officer Down page, he was 38 years old, married & had 4 children-two sons, two daughters. He died when he developed breathing problems after assisting residents in an area suffering from wild fires.

I know that when he went to work that day, he expected to come home. His family expected him home. We all did.

Tomorrow, I dedicate my ride for him.




P.S. Major thank you to Roy (@rgarris) for getting me & Mir & our bikes and stuff to Richmond. #BikeDC people really ARE the BestDC people.

Twas the Night Before...

Not Christmas, that's for sure. I'm taking a break from packing my stuff to write up a short blog (and to eat a turkey sandwich).

Tomorrow afternoon I leave for Richmond, and then Thursday morning I will begin a 220 mile ride back to DC to honor the 163 men & women that made the ultimate sacrifice in 2011. Each of those names will be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial. Each rider on the tour is assigned a specific fallen officer, but I won't find out who I am assigned to until tomorrow.

This week is Police Week, and for residents of DC that usually conjures up images of hordes of drunken cops being obnoxious downtown. Please remember that that is only a small, and unfortunate, part of Police Week. Police Week is not only to honor the Fallen, but to take care of those they left behind. You may see buses escorted by Police coming through the city. They might even delay you or make your commute a little longer. Please remember that on those buses are husbands, wives, children, & parents, and they are grieving a tremendous loss. The escorts, the ceremonies, the pomp & circumstance- its the very least we can do for them.

This is what it means to be part of the Law Enforcement Family-we take care of each other. When one is hurt, we all hurt. When one is killed, we all suffer the loss. We may have willingly signed up to Serve & Protect, knowing the potential consequences, but our families did not. That is why we ALL step in to take care of each other's families, even if we've never met.

I'm pretty nervous about this ride. I don't think I've trained enough and I know it's going to be difficult. I have never ridden these distances over a single day, and I have to do it twice (the 3rd day is "only" 46 miles). When it gets tough, I plan on looking at the bracelet with my Fallen Officer's name on it, and thinking about his family waiting at the Memorial and how tough it must be for them.

I also want to thank all of you that donated, because it was your donations that let me get this far. Once the ride is over, I plan on sending out thank you notes & letters. If you need a letter documenting that your donation is tax deductible (it is!), let me know.

I plan on tweeting and posting while I'm on the ride too, so stay tuned!

Bike Wash this weekend! Photo contest!

I hope you guys are ready for the Big Bike Wash this Sunday! I am super excited because it looks like its going to be a lot of fun. For those that might not know about it:

Bring your bikes to The Daily Rider (1108 H St NE) this Sunday from Noon until 4pm for a thorough scrubbing. $10 per bike will get you a wash & lube (including chain). The money is to support The Police Unity Tour, which myself & my friend Mir, are riding in May. The Police Unity Tour raises money for the Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. We will be riding from Richmond, VA to Washington, DC from May 10th-May 12th.

Finish Line Products (they make all sorts of bike maintenance goodies) is helping to sponsor the Bike Wash. And that means...prizes!

First up is this nifty Bike Bucket:




Tweet or email me a photo of your "filthy" bike by 11:59pm (EST) Saturday. Include the hashtag #bikefilthy. The person with the "filthiest" bike will win this bucket! (please keep photos safe for work).

We've got some other stuff too, but I haven't figured out a good contest for it yet.

Anyway, you will definitely want to be at this event! What if you don't have a bike to wash, or you want a wash but don't have the cash? You can always volunteer to help us wash them! Shoot me an email if you want to help out!

Note: it will be a lot easier if you bring your bikes directly to the rear of the shop, rather than through the front door. There is alley access off of 11th St. We will have banners and signs up, so don't worry.

Also, we will be having a #BikeDC happy hour (yes I know there's no happy hours on Sundays. We do our own thing) after the wash. It will most likely be at Lil Miss Whiskey's since its right next door. So make sure you stick around for that!

Great News! Bike Wash & 30 Days of Biking

It appears Spring has sprung around here, judging from my itchy, watery eyes. The cherry blossoms have bloomed, and the trees are are getting greener by the day. This can mean only one thing: bike season has begun!

To kick it off, I'm starting with 30 Days of Biking tomorrow. This year I'm not counting work-related cycling, so I won't have an excuse not to get some "fun" riding in. This will be my 3rd year of participating. I love challenges like these, because it forces me to get creative with my bike trips and I always end up learning about something new & interesting to do. I'm going to make it a goal to blog everyday during this.

First up: planning tomorrow's ride. I think I'll head towards the SW area. I don't get over there very much, and my brief commute through the area this morning reminded me of how interesting that quadrant of the city really is. Of course, I will have to do a lot of tourist dodging...but meh. It will still be awesome. I'll be taking Betty, since its going to be more of a ramble than a ride.

Even more exciting is the Bike Wash I'm organizing on April 15th. If you're like me and ride your bike all year long, your bike might be overdue for a little TLC after all the cold, muddy rides this winter. If you are doing 30 Days of Biking, you'll need a shiny, clean bike after all that riding. Plus apartment living can make it difficult to keep your bike clean if you don't have the room & equipment to wash your bike. Let me (and some other volunteers) do it for you! And it's all for a good cause. 100% of the proceeds will go to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, via the Police Unity Tour.

The Daily Rider, a brand new awesome bike shop that recently opened on the H St. NE Corridor has agreed to let us have the Bike Wash in the rear of the shop. How awesome is that?! Don't have a bike to wash? You can buy one there! (just kidding. Maybe. The bikes are gorgeous. Don't say I didn't warn you about temptation.)

The Daily Rider at 1108 H St. NE

The best news of all? Finish Line has offered to help out and donate some products for the Bike Wash! That might mean not only will your bike be super clean & shiny, but you might walk away with some pretty nice swag too.

And the cleaner your bike gets, the dirtier I get*. So..there's that.

The details are as follows:

What? Bike Wash Fundraiser! Get your bike shiny & clean. I'll even get that nasty crud off of your chain.
Where? The Daily Rider: 1108 H St. NE
When? Sunday, April 15th from 12pm-4pm
Why? Fundraiser for the Police Unity Tour
How much? $10 per bike gets you a full wash.


And remember, 100% of the proceeds will go to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund and will help me meet my goal of raising $1700 by the end of this month.

Afterwards, there might be a #BikeDC "happy hour" at a nearby establishment so it might be worth your while!

Speaking of fundraising, it is time to ramp up my efforts. I'd like to raise at least $1,000 by the end of April. I am thinking of having a contest soon, where the winner that donates the most amount of money in a certain amount of time will win a prize from me. What do you think? Any other ideas?


*That's literally, not euphemistically.


Don't have a bike, but still want to participate? Volunteer to help me wash bikes! I will repay your efforts in beer. Just shoot me an email if you want to help out.