MY NEW FRIEND CALLS ME PARIS HILTON.

It has been 3 weeks since bike purchasing day! Can you believe it? It feels like that event happend a lifetime ago. So much has happened and we have met so many many fabulous people. Its crazy!

Seeing as how it is now 10:30pm, and I'm riding 30 miles tomorrow, we'll keep it short; here are the top 5 highlights from today's training ride:

1. Potty Break. Apparently it is a "rule" that if you see a toilet, you better use it. Today's pit stop took place at a car wash.

2. Our new friend, Ian, refuses to call Caitlin "Caitlin." Her name according to Ian is Paris Hilton. How did I find this out? Caitlin rolled up to one of our pit stops, stopped her bike and announced to me in the middle of Burbank, "My new friend calls me Paris Hilton." All the while, her hands are on her hips, she has GIANT sunglasses on her face and she's super blonde. I mean, he has a point....

3. Mark and Cory. This is the danger of finding yourself on a training ride with me and Caitlin; you will find yourself on this blog....anyway, Mark and Cory are two of our new bffs. Cory is a 1st time rider, and bless his heart, is riding on some loaner bike that the Center was storing down in the dredges. But he shows up every weekend on that PIECE of equipment, with a smile on his face and curls in his hair, and entertains us whilst riding. Mark, on the other hand, did ALC last year. He knows the ropes, and in fact his favorite safety signal to call out is "MAN HOLE!" ...yeah. You read that right. Also, this is the following educational conversation we had:

Autumn: "Nordstrom Rack sells cycling glasses?"
Mark: "Well, they're not cycling glasses per se, but athletic sunglasses, yes."
Autumn: "Hmmm...."
Mark: "You should see some of these queens that show up on this thing all wearing these big ole Pradas under their helmets...." (read in some attitude and a head flip here or there)
Autumn: "You mean similar to the ones that Caitlin has on?"
Mark: "I'm just sayin'...."

4. After about 7 miles, everyone decides to become best friends. Then, the safety call outs become a little less safety related and more entertaining. For example, today's code call out: "HOT GUY! (while full-finger pointing to the person)" This is the "safety call out" when there is an attractive looking fellow running on the sidewalk without his shirt on. You call this out so everyone behind you knows to slow down while you get a good look. It is very important to be safe while on a training ride.

5. Reflectors, although required to be sold on every bike by law, are "douchey." My bike had to under go reflector removal today so that I would not look like a "newbie" anymore, but rather a girl "in-the-know." I think Caitlin and I are officially professional cyclists now.

~~Autumn