Back to the races!

I have always done 12 to 24 hour mountain bike races either SOLO or with one guy. But this time I joined a great group of gals for the 12 hours of Temecula.

Monique, Melissa, Bern, Tiffany

It's usually a lot of pressure to ride duo with a guy because he rides so fast and he expects so much out of me. Not to mention, I put a lot of pressure on myself during my solo races to finish a certain number of laps and compete with the top women. But I must say, it's a totally different experience to ride "just for fun" with a bunch of nice women. I had a great time and I remembered why I love mountain biking so much.

Jason and Heather put on another great race! This was the first time they left out the infamous "Dam Climb" and it made for a very "flowy" race course. Had I have been in shape, I would have ridden my single speed Niner. But alas, I stuck to the gears and had an incredible time.


Although I found the course to be super "flowy," it was quite technical with lots of ruts, rocks, and steep drops. There were several places were they posted "Caution" signs and there certainly could have been more of those signs all over the course. :)


Unfortunately Melissa took a nasty spill. She was scratched up and bruised pretty badly. They thought she may have had a separated shoulder so she was carted away in the ambulance. Turned out it was nothing major and she's fine. The very next day she was asking us when we could race again. Tough girl! That's why I love her!

And I must give props to the best support crew in the world. Carl and King Rich are always there for me for assistance and mental support. Thanks guys!

Sofia's Baby Talk

President Barack Obama

The Inaugural Address

It's different to actually read the speech as opposed to just hearing it. Kind of like reading the book then watching the movie I suppose. I missed the speech on TV so I decided to read the first few lines to see what kind of sugar coated words the President's speech writers put in front of his face.

Yes, yes, that may seem a bit pessimistic, but isn't that the way it usually goes? Words, words, words. They don't mean a thing. (Is that a song?) Well, after the first few lines, I was hooked. I read all four web pages of the speech and even got some strange moisture in my eyes a couple of times. (Damn, those writers are good!)

Huh well, as I read it, I imagined President Obama speaking those words and putting true feelings behind them. I could see him in my mind and I could feel the power of his voice. The words flowed through my mind and body and subsequently drowned my governmental pessimism with renewed hope for the future.

I was actually excited and motivated! All the while thinking, "I hope they do it, I hope they do it, I hope WE do it. Let's make a change for the better! Can we?"

So my question is: Will the government use that speech as a general outline to construct specific goals for our country and implement those new ideas to better our nation and the world? Or will the Inaugural Address remain only sugar coated words, written by very good speech writers, forgotten in the back of some history book?"

Training With Senorita Sofia

I've finally lost enough weight to be able to jog without my knees aching (or without my belly bouncing...yuck!) I like to take Senorita Sofia out to enjoy the lovely SoCal weather so I put her in the baby jogger and off we go. Our jogging loop follows the trails near our home. It includes 4 short but steep hills and it takes us 55 minutes.

Although Sofia is big and tall for a 4 month old, she is still a little small for the jogger. My adventure racing teammate Christian made us an "insert" to put inside so that Sofia can be supported. Little Lady seems to really enjoy the ride. She gets very calm when we start out and then of course she falls asleep about half way through.


I always used to hate jogging, and in my adventure racing days, I would have to force myself to go. But with Sofia, I'm actually enjoying it. Could it be because I'm running with a buddy who doesn't care how hard I'm breathing? Is it because I can jog really slowly without anyone else thinking I'm a wimp?...I mean since I AM pushing an extra 25 pounds. Or is it because I'm so happy to be sharing the beauty of the outdoors with my Little Lady? I think it's all of the above.

I've also been able to spend a little more time on the bike. During the week, I'm up at the crack of dawn riding my trainer for 45 minutes. On the weekends, I get in some longer road and mountain bike rides. Having goals is very important and motivating for me so I'm currently preparing for my first mountain bike race since pregnancy.



By The Numbers

4 Months since I gave birth to Sofia

5 Hours I rode my bikes this weekend (most I've done in 1 year)

24 Pounds I still want to shed

6 Days until my first mountain bike race since pregnancy

Miss Gilly's gift to Sofia: The Jolly Jumper

Sofia's First Christmas

Although my little Senorita Sofia had no idea we were celebrating Christmas, she was still filled with joy. She is the best present Greg and I could ever ask for.

Santa visited Little Lady Sofia in Texas. He must have known how good she had been through her first 3.5 months of life because he brought her lots and lots of presents! So many presents, they had to be shipped to SoCal in a very large box.

Texas Pic by Christina Ybarra

We had Little Lady Sofia baptized at the church where Greg and I got married in New Braunfels. There were so many people there to witness the blessed event. My brother Stephen is her Godfather.

New Braunfels, TX Pic by Christina Ybarra

My Lady (a.k.a grandma) provided Mamacita with the cutest little shoes and she actually kept them on through the entire church service!