This weekend, I took the Traffic Skills 101 course offered through the League Of American Bicyclists. This is the prerequisite for their League Certified Instructor training. With this certification, I can go on and teach others about cycling safely with traffic. There is an especially high need in Sacramento for LCIs to teach school-aged children. Brainwash them young! Get them on bikes early and often. Indoctrinate them to the freedom and joy of pedaling along on your own. There is a lot of misinformation about what a cyclist should do and where they should be on the road. Parents don't do their children any favors by trying to keep them on the sidewalk, or even worse, in their car. I am so excited about this opportunity to work with children and watch them light up as they learn how to handle a bike with confidence and skill. 

The class was in Roseville on Friday night and all day today. I was bummed, at first, thinking that I would have to drive all the way out to Roseville (~50 miles roundtrip) but I put a message out to the class asking if there were any carpool options. I ended up arranging a ride for Saturday but since she was leaving straight from work, I was going to still have to find a way in for Friday. Luckily, I realized that by taking the bus and my folding bike in, I would still be able to get a ride back! It took a fair amount of maneuvering, especially after getting to the stop and realizing that I didn't have enough cash, then I didn't have enough change, then I got on the wrong bus, then I had to bike around Roseville (yikes!) in the dark and over some of the most poorly designed roadways. Anyway, I got there! I was proud of myself and I have still not had to drive since last year. In fact, this was the first time I had even been in a car since before New Year's. We are definitely learning how to minimize car trips. 

Today's class was mostly about bike handling skills. We did some drills in the parking lot: scanning, emergency stops, shifting, etc. It always seems much harder when you're trying to focus on the actual technicalities instead of just riding. The only part that I had real trouble with was the quick turn--an essential skill to avoid a right- or left-hook. It takes counter-intuitive steering to lean into a sharp turn, safely sweeping you out of harm's way. I am going to keep working on that one until it's second nature. Although many of the topics covered and general lessons were pretty familiar to me, it's always great to relearn and remind myself of what/why I am doing certain things. Also, it's always good to realize the skills you are lacking or slipping on so you can be a better driver on the road. 

I really think this is a class that everyone should take--bikers and (especially) car-drivers alike. Did you know that the number one cause of bike accidents are bikers riding the wrong way down the street? Did you know that the fault of bike accidents is almost a 50-50 split between bikers and car drivers? Doorings and being hit from behind are actually pretty low on the list of causes, although the resulting damage tends to be much more extreme. 

As the League says "cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." This is a message that we all need to be reminded again and again. 

I especially enjoyed meeting other cyclists and the instructors of the class who all had the same passion for bicycling and making the roads safer for everyone. I certainly feel safer on my bike now and reenergized my confidence in taking the correct and safest position in the flow of traffic. Please take this class as soon as you get the opportunity! 

I always feel a little silly when people ask how we're going to ride through Winter. For goodness sakes, it's Sacramento, not Michigan! I don't have to wear a balaclava or add bike spikes to my tires. The worst things we have to get through are fog and frost (maybe a little wind, some rain here or there, etc.). Granted, I do feel pretty darn proud every time we get out of the house and onto our bikes in less than comfy weather. I will admit that it's more of a challenge these days with the extra layers and accessories. The struggles of shoving a wriggling toddler into a snowsuit that had the brilliant idea of coming in two extra difficult layers. It's like a wrestling match! I consider any morning that we manage to bike without the whiney "I'm cooooooold!" complaint from the back a success. 

I did feel silly ordering the snowsuits last fall and although we haven't used them very often, I think they were the perfect option for mornings like these. Today, Big Brother had on three or four long-sleeved shirts, fleece lined pants, snow bibs, two sets of socks, and my fleece. Little Brother (yes, he's screaming in the photo but it's just because I covered his hands and he still wanted to eat) is wearing three shirts, a pair of sweatpants, socks, and his snowsuit that has a separate fleece layer. I tried to keep his hands covered (he doesn't like mittens) but his screaming won and I opened them back up, showing him how to keep his hands tucked into the sleeves. 

Neither one complained! 

My toes however...brrrrr! 

By the way, in case you're wondering, I was wearing wool socks (not enough!), leggings, jeans, two layers of warm base layer shirts, my jacket, scarf, and wind-resistant gloves. I would have changed the shoes that i was wearing (Mary Jane Keens) to something warmer but I had finally gotten Little Brother into his suit and didn't want to have to put him down to tie my shoes. My fingers were also still cold, I should have added a warm layer to my gloves. 

Last night I couldn't sleep so instead, I came up with the most awesome idea--I am going to go on a biking adventure (of some sort) each month! I already have January's planned: Big Brother and I are riding North for a biking overnight (or two or three or four)! 

Most of the trip has already been beautifully mapped out by the folks behind Central California Cycling. You may remember that we used their suggested route to go to Modesto and found it to be fabulous. I'm trusting their judgement again and we're riding to Chico. Unfortunately, Jose won't have enough time off to do something epic like this for awhile. I went back and forth about bringing anyone else into the trip and came to the conclusion that this is going to be mama and Big Brother time. The route is flat, we're breaking it up into two days up, two days back with a day of rest in the middle. It's close enough that if we have any problems, we can easily call for help. If we don't make it all the way, no worries, we're just doing our best. Big Brother is the most patient little guy I know and as long as we bring plenty of dinosaur books, he'll be happy. I'm not ready to try to bring both boys on my own yet but I'll make sure that Little Brother gets a little overnight of his own in the near future. 

My bike of choice for this ride is the Mundo, of course. I already know that I can go long distances on it (90 miles in a day!) and it can hold plenty of gear (not that we'll need a ton since we're hoping to link up with Warmshowers hosts). The deck gives Big Brother two seating options: holding on when he wants to be involved and working, tucked into the Peanut Shell when he wants a rest/read a book/eat a snack. 

We're basically set to go already (although we have some time). The only things I think we would need are another Baguette for storage and wheelskirt-like protection, finally installing a thick tube and tire liner for the front wheel (like the one already in the rear), one of these handy little Mundo multitools from Antload in Portland to deal with Mundo-specific repairs, and a quick tune-up from Tim over at Practical Cycle to make sure everything is tip top. We've already made contact with a lovely couple outside Marysville and hoping to hear back from someone in Chico to find a place to stay. It would be easier than camping in January and bringing extra gear and much cheaper than finding a little motel (although that's not out of the question, if needed). 

I am so excited! 

Not to overshadow the mini-adventures we have each day: today we went to the Sacramento Zoo and rode the marry-go-round! 

For those of you who might be curious, this is how my little guy naps in the Peanut Shell: 

The iphone didn't say rain. We at least had the foresight to put the kids in their rain jackets for the cold. It was wet out. A heavy, drippy, foggy rain. Enough moisture to be dripping off my Nutcase visor. Riding with the kids on the back of the Mundo felt like they had gained an extra 50 pounds. It was as if they were water-logged. Heavy. Tiring. It also didn't help that my cold is still lingering and trying to decide if it's going to come back or finally (please!) go away. My cold is such a jerk. It's a good thing that my kiddos are so cute and awesome. They were super happy to be riding. There wasn't a single complaint during the entire 6 mile ride to church. 

After a great time with friends and playtime for the kids and chocolate cookies to bribe them to get back on the bike, we were ready to go. The weather had cleared up but I was tired so Jose rode home with the boys and I got to ride the Easton. 

Truthfully, this post doesn't really have anything new to offer other than pointing out that my kids are super cute. It's been hard to be sick for this long, neither being able to stop everything or push myself into doing awesome things. Riding a bike is just about the only exciting thing I get to do these days so it's especially great that I get to ride everyday, even if they're just basic trips to get our errands done. I can't wait until March (we'd all better be healthy by March for goodness sakes!) when we're planning our awesome family camping trip to Beal's Point! Are you interested in joining? Contact me!

Last night I sent my mom a text: "Can I have the car? I have a home visit in The Pocket." That was going to be my plan as I was tired, still feeling sick, the BionX wasn't charged enough, and it would be a 15+ mile trip into an area I'm not really used to riding in. 

However, by morning, I realized those were all pretty pathetic excuses. If I was really going to reach my goals of not driving and getting more exercise, I had to make an effort and push myself. Luckily, the boys got me out of bed at 7 am, giving me enough time to get the bike out and plug it in for a few hours to top off the battery. I tried to give myself extra time to account for my inevitably getting lost but I just couldn't get out the door that easily. 

The route was pretty simple, riding along the Riverside bike lane. Once I got into the Pocket area, it was more complicated trying to follow a twisted maze of paths through a park. Luckily, I had my iPhone handy and was able to save myself from too much backtracking. 

I showed up to my appointment about 10 minutes late but not sweaty or stressed (I had averaged about 14-16 mph the whole way but did get lost quite a few times). The best part was arriving in such a great mood. 

Going home was much easier because I was more confident in the route. The park was much easier to navigate and it led me right up to the Sacramento River Parkway. Sadly, the Sacramento River Parkway is frequently blocked from private residences' illegal fences. South Sacramento is missing out on what could be an amazing biking resource like the American River Parkway. Hopefully, with all the work that the Sacramento River Parkway Coalition is doing and the recent positive political actions, this could be up and running in the next few years. 

Got home and immediately loaded up the kids onto the Mundo to meet family in midtown for lunch. I was so happy to have been able to do a long bike ride quickly but not end up exhausted and be able to function for the rest of the day. Even though I used an electric bike, I was able to eat an awesome grilled cheese with lots of bacon and still have plenty of calories left over to have a full dinner. Some people might say that having an electric bike is cheating. I say that driving is cheating. If I hadn't had the BionX, I would have driven today. I am so happy that I didn't! 

Since starting our biking challenge last year, I've gained back 15 of the 30 baby-pounds I had worked so hard to take off. I assume the reason is mainly because biking makes me hungry and although I ride regularly, I'm not riding enough for the amout I consume.

Goal #1--Eat less by actually tracking what is going in my mouth. No more mindless nibbling/snacking/gorging. My Fitness Pal (a free website for calorie counting) is what helped me get the weight off in the first place. Time to get back to it. It helps me stay accountable and aware of what I am choosing to fuel myself with. If that's a brownie, fine, but everything in balance and moderation.

The biking is pretty awesome in that I get approximately 300 extra calories a day but it's like being pregnant--it's not an excuse to go overboard. The MFP helps me keep track of the calories I'm burning with the biking and living and helps me refuel with the appropriate amount.

This is 2013 biking challenge #1, learn to balance my biking and eating. Anyone care to join me or share tips? All fun, no judgement, of course!

It's hard to get excited when we've been sick for the past three weeks. Just as we think we're getting better, Little Brother went down again followed by Big Brother shortly after.

We were all asleep by 10pm New Year's Eve.

Big Brother and I continued our New Year's Day tradition by joining ~50 other adults and kids at Sutter's Landing for a morning walk along the river. We crunched the still icy mud and watched for birds. Big Brother has been especially interested in dinosaurs lately so he made sure to point out all the "tracks" he could find.

Sadly, the big guy's energy waned quickly and his temperature spiked shortly after the walk. He rode back home in the Peanut Shell, enjoying the cool air but coughing up a storm.

We haven't done much since. I got Tim to weigh the Mundo--a whopping 79 pounds!

I also peeled up the trailer seats to get as much mold out and spray it all down with Bac-Out as suggested by some bikey friends. Thankfully, Chairot had the foresight to make the seats washable. It's looking much nicer now. The Peanut Shell also got a much-needed scrub down. The hay bale took a toll on the cushion but underneath it was even worse. There were entirely new life forms emerging from below. The straps and padding all joined the Chariots' in the wash. A nice, clean, new beginning for the new year.

There isn't much that I want to do differently for this year. I feel like we are on the right path and I am looking forward to continuing. Slowly, we are simplifying our lives, clearing out the clutter, and trying to make healthy choices. We will slip up from time to time but overall, we're doing okay.

All the best for 2013 from our family to you and yours!