About thefasteryoupedal

Hi! I'm Liz and I am a 38 year old teacher from Las Cruces, New Mexico. I'm also a fan of mountain biking, road biking, running, and traveling. I'm always up to try something new! This blog is for me to share ideas and also to receive new ideas!

Trifecta Omnium March 2013

Posted on April 3, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Every year Las Cruces (and the Zia Velo team) hosts the Trifecta Omnium race for the NMRS series. It starts the season off with some good grudge matches and gets the legs all warmed up for the road series ahead.

The first day consists of a Time Trial that is 20k and takes place out by the Las Cruces airport. The picture above shows the road they take out and the turnaround point. I was lucky enough to be the volunteer at this point, so I was able to see the action!

Don’t let the bright sun deceive you, Las Cruces had to show its “true colors” when it comes to the month of March. Even though we are told we have one of the best weather places in the country, the only draw back is the wind. These poor riders were fighting off 50 mph winds!

This is a picture of Mike coming up on the turn. He thought he was doing terrible because of his time coming up the road with the wind, but on the way back he was able to have the wind in his favor. He podiumed for this race! He was able to get third place out of 35 riders in his category! I am so proud of him! If you recall our previous post on long-term goals, one of Mike’s goals was to podium on the Trifecta TT.

We weren’t able to get any pictures of the Criterium race (where they lap for a half an hour) because they had to cancel it because of the weather. It is usually held the same day of the time trial. The next day the Zia Velo crew headed up to Hillsboro to race in the road race.

Hillsboro is located about an hour and a half from town. The weather was beautiful and there was a lot of hill climbing. Mike was able to stay with the pack and even made it to the final sprint! He launched his team mate Phil Simpson to win second place!

See last year’s post: https://bikingcouple.com/2012/04/22/trifecta-omnium-in-las-cruces/

Overall, Zia Velo did an awesome job representing!

Top Ten Clothes I Would Recommend If You Ever Get Pregnant

Posted on April 3, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Since I only plan on getting pregnant one more time after this, I thought I would document things that I am experiencing this pregnancy for later times to come, as well as to new moms out there that have no clue what they are doing (like me).

I really have been trying to figure out the clothes situation without going into major debt because, let’s face it, maternity clothes are WAY expensive! I came up with a top ten list that I think will last me nine months and longer!

1. Larger Underwear: This is such a taboo subject, but you have to be realistic that your underwear is not going to fit and it’s going to be WAY uncomfortable. Invest in at least 5-7 pairs so you don’t have to repeat or do laundry all the time.

2. Pajama Pants/Nightgowns: I have always been the fan of pajama pants in the first place, but never before have I loved them so much as when I come home from work or a workout and don’t want anything constricting me. I also am a believer of one cute nightgown that you could wear around, as well as in the hospital when you are delivering.

3. Workout Pants/Sports Bras: Seeing that I am…ahem…flat chested (size A pre-pregnancy) right here, I have never understood the sport bra mentality until I became pregnant. Two words. Life Saver…and a pain saver too. Also, workout pants are great around the house, doing chores, running quick errands, etc. They are the all around “mom jean” but you look like you just got done doing an awesome workout in the process.

4. Maternity Jeans: I didn’t believe this one until I hit about 17 weeks. I originally just bought one size up in my jeans and loved them, but now that I am pooching out even more, I am glad that someone suggested to get them. It doesn’t mean you have to wash them every time either. They are the staple for casual night or a date night with the hubby.

5. Black Skirt: I suggest getting a knee-length or a long skirt. Personally, I prefer my floor length black skirt that I bought pre-pregnancy and it is AWESOME. You can switch any top around with it.

6. Black and White Cami Undershirts: Love them. I bought the Rock and Republic brand at Kohl’s that are super long and help with feeling “supported” when it comes to my stomach. Also, if some of my shirts go a little short, they help out with a layering look.

7. 3-5 Blouses: No need to go too crazy and wear a different outfit every day. If you get the jeans, workout pants, skirts, and tights, then you really have a lot of different ideas for outfits.

8. Cardigan Sweaters/Blazers: I am a huge fan of these anyway WITHOUT being pregnant. I feel better because when I am not feeling too cute on some days, these sweaters elongate me and make me feel skinnier. I would start with the staples: black, white, brown, or grey and then get creative!

9. Dresses, Dresses, and More Dresses: A friend of mine recommended maxi dresses. I am still on the hunt for a cute one and would love to wear one since they are so comfortable. I also love my empire waist dresses that I bought pre-pregnancy.

10. Tights: These are great because if you have any large shirts, dresses, or skirts that just need a little length to them, then you can pull these on. Plus, they are WAY comfortable!

36 Weeks!

Posted on March 31, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

How far along: 36 Weeks, 2 Days

Maternity clothes: I still wear the same old clothes. I’m getting a little worried because most of my maternity clothes are long sleeved and winter-type clothes. It’s getting so hot out though, so I have to be creative on spring clothes! Flip flops are my best friend. I love them!!

Stretch marks: No. My stomach still looks like plastic!

Sleep: It’s hit or miss. I have been in major nesting mode this week so I hardly have slept. I was expecting to take a lot of naps this week because of Spring Break, but I feel like there is so much to do!

Best moment this week: Spring Break!! So many small fun things: listening to her heartbeat again at the doctor’s appointment, my mom coming into town, eating at restaurants I had never been to, making dinners to freeze, SHOPPING, walking A LOT, and much more. I also enjoyed watching Mike hang out with his brothers too. He was having a good time!

Miss anything: Being comfortable when sleeping. I miss running and biking a lot. I wonder how long it will take for me to bounce back.

Morning sickness: None

Movement: She is definitely getting all squished in there, but is moving around a lot. She kicks more than actual moving. She LOVES to stick that butt out!

Food cravings: Sweets. It’s always sweets.

Anything making you queasy or sick: At night I don’t feel too great, so I don’t feel like eating as much. Sometimes I feel queasy when I wake up.

Have you started to show yet: She is one big girl. The midwife was bragging about how she can tell the size of the baby born based on feeling on the stomach and estimating that way, instead of using an ultrasound. She said she has been pretty close on a lot of her patients. She told me that I will have a nine and a half pound girl if I go the full term! So yes, I am showing.

Gender prediction: Still freaking out on the fact that she COULD be a boy.

Labor signs: I’ve had a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions this week. I also have been feeling a little lower back pain too. She is getting ready!!

Belly button in or out: Out. Boo.

Wedding rings on or off: Off.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am a maniac when it comes to being home. I want things clean and done right away, so we will say moody. Poor husband.

Looking forward to: My WEEKLY doctor appointment this week. No more waiting two weeks! It’s getting real!!!

A Day At The Park

Posted on March 24, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

The nice thing about this time of year is that we are starting to get out of the winter slump. Thankfully, we live in a town where we don’t get crazy, snowy winters. We have major wind, but on some days you will get the perfect Las Cruces weather, which is the reason why Las Cruces is one of the “Top Ten Places to Retire”.

http://www.lascrucescvb.org/las-cruces-named-a-top-10-sunny-city-to-retire-by-aarp/

And we had one of those days the other day, so Mike and I headed out for a little frisbee playing (courtesy of a frisbee-obsessed hound) and some walking for me. (I have been told to do 20-30 minutes of cardio a day…not counting the million steps I take walking around my classroom all day!)

Every fall the Rio Grande is dried up to preserve water for the irrigation needed in the spring. It is kind of sad because I guess the water levels are pretty low here, so I am curious to see how high it gets when they release the water again.

There is something about the outdoors with your family that makes everything better. It’s so fun to go on “family dates” to the park.

Doesn’t he look like a little kid ready to go to Disneyland??

35 Weeks!

Posted on March 24, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

How far along: 35 Weeks, 2 Days

Maternity clothes: The same old outfits week by week which consist of: black pants, khaki pants, flower dress, striped dress, and black capris. I refuse to go buy any more maternity clothes. I love dresses…so comfy!

Stretch marks: No. My stomach looks like plastic though!

Sleep: Not too great this week and then all of a sudden last night was the most amazing night of sleep! I think I wore myself out! We had state testing and I was on my feet all week so I blame it on that. It is really uncomfortable to lay in bed so I have banished myself to the couch at night so I can sleep sort of sitting up.

Best moment this week: Making it through testing and walking out the school doors on Friday knowing I don’t have to me back for a week and two days!

Miss anything: Being comfortable! It’s getting very uncomfortable to even sit. I love standing, but then my feet swell! I can’t win!

Morning sickness: None

Movement: She sure does love to stick her butt out! She gets mad when I sit because I think I squish her, so I stand up a lot. She has been punching me a lot too!

Food cravings: I really wanted potato chips this week and I can’t! I ate two chips the other day and my blood sugar rose to 140! Just two chips did that! Boo!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken. I hear that happens a lot to people.

Have you started to show yet: She is the size of a honeydew melon now. Big girl! She is also measuring larger still, but has been from day one so who knows. I hear so many stories from everyone measuring big…and then they have them two days late, so who knows!

Gender prediction: Girl. If it’s a boy…we are in trouble!

Labor signs: I’ve bad a few Braxton Hicks but not very much. She is head down, which is good!

Belly button in or out: Out. I can’t even look at it. 🙂

Wedding rings on or off: Off. I am swelling up a lot this week. This is the first week that I had really swollen feet and hands!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody. Can’t wait to be normal! I always end up crying at least once or twice a week!

Looking forward to: Spring Break with the mom…shopping, doing nothing, sleeping, nesting, etc… I’m also looking forward to getting her out of me!!!

34 Weeks!

Posted on March 18, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

How far along: 34 weeks, 2 days

Maternity clothes: Dresses and yoga pants. I now have officially grabbed some of Mike’s shorts to wear too. Thank goodness for husbands. 🙂

Stretch marks: Luckily no, but I am VERY shocked I don’t have them yet because it feels like my stomach is a huge balloon about to pop!

Sleep: Not too great. I have to sleep sitting up or on my left side. Little girl likes to sleep on my left side so then its a little uncomfortable. I wished I would have invested in a body pillow or one of those pregnancy pillows. (I was too much of a cheap skate!)

Best moment this week: Going to my doctor’s appointment and they snuck me into the ultrasound room to confirm she was head down (we were questioning it). The doctor was playing with the machine and I got to see little girl’s face (with HAIR!) and she was punching me like a boxer in all her fury. She is a feisty one!! She has gotten so big!

Also my mother in law and sister-in-law threw me a baby shower for all of my friends and family in Las Cruces. Some family came in from Tucson too, which I thought was very sweet. It was fun to sit and chat with the girls and hear stories. Little girl got so many cute clothes….she is going to be a fashion diva!

Miss anything: Being comfortable. Walking normal. Not having cankles. Sleep. Running and biking. Donuts. Cupcakes. REAL milkshakes. The usual…

Morning sickness: A little bit this week. Just queasiness.

Movement: A LOT! She likes to move and kick. Her butt is right at the top of my stomach so she likes to stick her butt out (and she has a BIG one)! It’s our form of entertainment.

Food cravings: Sweets. Doesn’t surprise me considering that is my normal craving when I am NOT pregnant. If I didn’t like sweets, I would weigh 115 pounds…

Anything making you queasy or sick: Eggs and Chicken

Have you started to show yet: Yes, I am starting to freak out about the fact that I am almost 50 pounds heavier than my normal weight. That is the only concern right now because even the midwives are yelling at me about it.

Gender prediction: Girl. A very feisty one too.

Labor signs: No. She hasn’t dropped yet.. I can’t believe I COULD go six more weeks.

Belly button in or out: Out. It happened. And it’s gross. 🙂

Wedding rings on or off: Off.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody and anxious and crazy. Even I am annoyed with the insanity of my hormones. I’ve cried, laughed, yelled, and every other emotion this week. I can’t wait to be normal! (Is there such a thing? Hehe.)

Looking forward to: SPRING BREAK! Holla!

33 Weeks!

Posted on March 10, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

How far along: 33 weeks, 2 days

Maternity clothes: I have switched over to wearing a lot of dresses. It’s funny because I always wondered why people wear mumu’s, and now I totally understand! They are so comfy too!

Stretch marks: No, I have been lathering on the lotion still!!

Sleep: It is hit or miss. I had a bad sleeping week at the beginning of the week this week because little girl decided she wanted to shift to the bottom of my stomach and cause me to have round ligament pain all night.

Best moment this week: My work baby shower. I am so grateful for the kindness of the people I work with! They made me feel so special.

Miss anything: Sports. Running. I miss donuts. I walked into a work meeting this week and they were eating donuts and they looked so good! I really miss mountain biking now that the weather has been so beautiful!

Morning sickness: No….just not as hungry. I don’t have any room!

Movement: Yes. I actually LOVE the fact she moves because I am so paranoid about her being OK. They always ask me “Can you feel the baby move?” or have me monitor her movements, so I will take it!

Food cravings: Donuts, but I can’t eat them. I am really digging the spicy food right now. Also, I have some girl scout cookies waiting for me in the freezer so when I come home from the hospital, I can taste the awesomeness of them!

Anything making you queasy or sick: I was eating eggs in the morning for the last few weeks and now all of a sudden the smell disgusts me!

Have you started to show yet: I keep getting the comments on how big I am. I am glad that I am in the third trimester so I at least have an excuse as to why I waddle around so much! There is no hiding it now!

Gender prediction: Girl. I am a little worried that she COULD be a boy because we sure do have a lot of girl stuff! How funny would that be?? (or not funny…)

Labor signs: No. I’ve had a lot of lower back pain this week and lower abdomen pain from her weight. I can tell she is getting heavier and she is definitely getting lower in my belly.

Belly button in or out: It’s sticking out…boo.

Wedding rings on or off: Off.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I was REALLY moody at the beginning of this week, but seem to have more energy and happiness by the end of the week.

Looking forward to: My family baby shower put on by my mother and sister in law this week. I am spoiled!

Work Baby Shower

Posted on March 8, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

I am lucky enough to work with some really great people at Zia Middle School. I have been there for the last four years and have made a lot of great friends throughout the years. My team put on a baby shower for me this past week and bought me this beautiful cake.

So many people chipped in to make quilts or buy gifts. I felt like such a lucky girl! There are so many talented people out there! I wish I knew how to quilt!

My wonderful friend Stephanie made this diaper cake for me. Not only did she make it, but inside of it there were MORE gifts. I was so spoiled! P.S. She may or may not have burned herself in the process….yet another sacrifice for me. 🙂

Mike was able to show up for the breakfast in the morning. I was glad he was able to come because he has never met my coworkers before and I am always coming home and talking to him about them.

We had a staff breakfast in the morning and then at lunch time we ate in the library while I opened presents. Look at all the wonderful things I got!

Baby Olivia is one lucky girl! I am one lucky girl for working with such awesome, supportive people!

El Paso Bandit Races #1

Posted on March 7, 2013 by thefasteryoupedal

Bike season is back in force! We are so excited for two reasons. One, that means that spring is here and that there will be more daylight. Two, biking season is here and winter is gone!

El Paso has a “bandit” series on the weekends once the racing season starts. Last weekend they had their first bandit race in El Paso. Mike was able to go and represent Zia Velo and see some old friends from El Paso that like to road race too.

Mike is checking out the competition on this turn. The race was about 60 miles long (which is good because the upcoming Trifecta race will be about the same distance..pictures to come!)

Mike was able to stay with the main group and was able to make it to the end with them. The last part of the race was VERY close. Mike came in fourth place!

Here’s to the start of the bandit season and some awesome pictures that were taken along the way!

Valley of the Sun 2013

Image

Mike participated in a three-day bike challenge in Phoenix, Arizona over President’s Day weekend in February. He competed in the Category 5 race last year when he was starting up road riding and switched to Category 4 this year.

We drove up the night of Valentine’s Day to stay with Mike’s sister in Tucson, which is only an hour and a half away. We spent the whole car ride playing trivia games about each other. It’s amazing what road trips have done for us to get to know each other throughout the years. We should go on a game show!

Friday was the time trial on the west portion of the Phoenix area. Last year, Mike placed fourth in his category with a 33:45 minute time. This year he knew he was going to have more competition, so we made it a goal that he would get under 33 minutes. And that is just what he did. His time came out to be 32:20. With that great of a time, he still made 12th place! This year the competition was fierce. Considering the first place person was only 50 seconds from Mike’s place, we will take it!

Saturday was the road race in Casa Grande, Arizona. We stayed at a hotel in that area so it was nice to not have to get up as early. Mike’s race was at 11 am. We showed up to watch the other racers take off around the bend. Mike was dropped on the hill the previous year and made it a goal to stay with the pack. And he did! Unfortunately, they put his group on hold at one portion of the race because the racers behind them were catching up with them. I guess this is called “neutralizing” the group (which I think is a little unfair). They had to ride at a slow pace for about five minutes, which hurt their chances of getting ahead. He still was able to stay with the pack and did well!

Sunday was a beautiful day to end the racing weekend. Mike participated in a Criterium race, which means they do many short laps around a block in a half an hour. It is an intense race and it makes me very nervous because of the high speeds and the short corners. His race actually had a really bad crash! Luckily, Mike was not a part of it! He was able to make it with the group at the end.

Overall, Mike had a very successful race. He placed 15th overall out of about 75 people. He was able to stay with the group of riders and learn more strategies for his upcoming Las Cruces race.