Putting on a Price on Dreams

Well, I did it. After 9 weeks of working out and watching my diet, I've completed my goal of competing in the NPC 2011 Southern California Championships in San Diego.

To make it even more rewarding, I placed in the top five of my class.

So was it worth it? 

You do the math:

• Professional show bikini - $450.00 
• Training and meal plan - $90/month
• Entrance Fee - $80
• Spray tan at show - $150
• Show Makeup - $100
• Highlights for hair - $130
• French manicure and pedicure - $50
• Waxing (lots of it) - $100
• Bikini Bite - $10
• Hotel and Travel - $250

Being over 35 and coming in 4th in my class: Priceless

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Showtime: 2011 NPC Southern California Championships

My Makeup Artist

3:05 p.m. Friday, San Diego

It’s the day before the 2011 NPC Southern California Championships.  This is a bodybuilding competition for those of you who aren't sure exactly what I have been training for. I'm in the bikini competition as I'm not exactly super buff and I thought I was ready until I saw the girls checking in the lobby of the hotel. They are so much thinner and toner than I am. I may be out of my league. What have I gotten myself into?

So glad I resisted being bad the last few weeks and stayed on my plan. At least I know I gave it everything I could and didn’t cheat.

4:30 p.m. Friday, San Diego

Time for my spray tan session. I’m hoping somehow this tan will make a difference and my muscles will suddenly pop, but when I get there the woman is shocked at how pasty I am. They do two coats and it’s a little blotchy. The woman spraying me stops in the middle of the third coat to talk to her boss. 

Apparently, I'm still too white, but they are worried this next coat will make it too thick and the tan paint won't dry.  They decide to wait and do an ultra-coat on me the day of the show.



The tanning tents.

 5:30 p.m. Friday, San Diego

Bored sitting in the hotel room. I can't eat anything or drink anything - and all that's on TV is Bridezilla and a Fraiser marathon. I also can't sweat as it will ruin my fake tan. 

Hoping to check in early and feeling very orange in my new tan, I go downstairs, but no one is there. I guess when they say 6:30 is check in people really don't show up until that time. 

Walking back to the elevator, a girl calls me over to the bar area. I know she's a fellow competitor because she's orange like me. 

Her name is Kristi and this is her second show.  We instantly bond as I'm completely lost at what to expect the next day. I'm also totally envious as she is allowed to drink wine the day before to help her dehydrate.  My trainer is more organic and I have to dehydrate the old-fashioned way -- by peeing. 

6:30 p.m. Friday, San Diego

It's registration time.  I signed up weeks ago for women over the age of 35 in the over 5'8" bikini category, but there are no other tall women so they lump us all together.  So now I'm competing with the cute short girls. I'm a little worried as I think the shorter girls always look so much nicer than us taller gangly girls. I also learn that I should have applied to compete in other categories for more chances of winning. Oh well, I'm learning as I go. 

My makeup.

9:00 a.m. Saturday, Makeup

It's the day of the show and so far I feel great. I'm not hungry and not too thirsty -- considering I haven't had anything to drink since 2 p.m. the day before and it was a hot car drive to San Diego. At this point, I thank my crazy days at the news station when I don't have time to drink or go to the bathroom for my stamina.  

I show up to discover my makeup session and the instructions on where to stand on stage are at the same time. Panic sets in. Should I learn what to do on stage or should I get my makeup done? I opt for makeup. Might as well look good -- even if I end up standing in the wrong place.

10:00 a.m. Saturday, 2011 NPC Southern Cal Championships

Make up is done and I look at little like a drag queen, but so do many of the other girls.  I have fake eyelashes, lipliner that makes my lips look bigger and my tan is also fake -- and now much darker.

The only thing not fake are my breasts...and they aren't cooperating.  They don't want to stay in the tiny bikini top and I don't know how to fix them.

Jeann, one of the people running the Jana Tan area, sees my desperation and comes to my rescue (thank goodness). She tucks, pushes and nudges them into place.  

While doing this she says, "If Shannon Dey was here, she could tame these puppies in a second. I've seen her tuck girls in and make them look great."

Shannon Dey! Shannon Dey is my coach. Suddenly, I feel confident again.  If people are talking about my coach like she's some sort of NPC/IFBB miracle worker, then I know that my training must have been the best and I'll make it through the show looking great.

1:00 p.m. Saturday, Prejudging 

By this time I'm so thirsty, that all I can think about is water.  But I refuse to give in - just in case the few drops will bloat me up.  I know now that was foolish, but like I said, I'm learning as I go.

I walk out on stage and do my poses in front of the judges.  Halfway through I remember that I should be smiling and flexing. I quickly show the judges my pearly whites and try to flex my muscles -- even though I know it's too late to impress them now. Poop.

1:05 p.m. Saturday, Waiting, Waiting, Waiting and more Waiting

Now I have to wait for what seems like forever.  Final judging is at 6:30 p.m. and I've already checked out of my hotel.  I sit in the car for 30 minutes, but that only results in me getting hot. I don't have to worry about sweating as I'm sure there is no water left in my body to purge. I haven't gone to the bathroom since 5 a.m. and my tongue feels like cotton. I know I'm not alone in feeling like this because all the girls are talking about the same thing.

As I start to wonder if my makeup is going to melt, I decide I might as well check back in the hotel and pay for another night. At least there I can finish reading "The Hunger Games" in air conditioning.

BTW...the Hunger Games was perfect for this competition as I felt that my fellow competitors were like the district tribunes in the book. Like them, we all bonded as we were suffering together -- even though we knew one of us would be better than the rest. We were like some sort of futuristic bronze-colored clone army of buff men and women.

3:00 p.m. Still waiting

Now I'm bored and getting really hungry and thirsty.  I no longer have any energy and just want to sleep...and eat... and shower because now my tan is feeling really sticky and yucky.

 In fact, I don't even care about showing up for judging anymore. I just want it to be over.

4:30 p.m. New problem

I finally have to pee. However, I am afraid to because urine removes the tan and I don't want to have white dots "down there" so close to final judging.  Should I wait? No, I should let it out as getting rid of the bloating was the whole reason I was restricting my drinking.  I go...but very carefully.

4:45 p.m. Cheating

Now have major cramps. Don't know if it's because I'm hungry or because I'm thirsty. Whatever is causing it, it's not fun.

Still two hours to go before judging and I don't care anymore. I drink two gulps of water, eat a scoop of peanut butter and a bunch of carrots. It's not the most gourmet meal, but it's the only food I have in my suitcase. Well, I have asparagus and a disgusting piece of broiled chicken at the bottom of my cooler, but I'm saving those for later.

7:45 p.m. Final Judging

Feeling much better after my little "cheat meal", I'm ready to face the judges for the final time. This time the audience is full, and even though I know the judges have already made up their mind (or maybe because I know they have made up their mind), I walk out and am much more confident this time. 

I come in fourth and am on cloud nine.  Yay!!! I love this competition. I'm going to compete again and again and again. (Well, after taking a week off to celebrate).

Like a fool off on a planet far away, I stand there smiling as people clap.  The girl beside me grabs my hand and holds it up for me  for the group "thank you" pose. Duh...

The girls at these things are so wonderful.  They help you look good all the way through, even when you are clueless. They even make you feel okay when you are waiting as they too are complaining about being thirsty and craving sugary treats.  They may look all perfect, but they have the biggest hearts in the world.

But the best thing is that they "get" you.  After spending months in isolation, working out like crazy and eating plain food that your friends don't understand, you are suddenly with a 100 people who just as determined and passionate about the challenge as you are.  It's incredible.

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A little French pampering

What’s does a NPC competitor do the night before a fitness competition? Get her nails done.

Yup, that’s right. After weeks of sweating, lifting weights and eating healthy, the night before my big competition isn’t spent in the gym. Instead I spent it running around Midtown and East Sac looking for a place that does French Manicures – without an appointment.

My first choice was Curvee on H Street because that’s where I get my hair done and I know they were having a $40 deal for a mani/pedi. Sadly, they were booked up and couldn’t squeeze me. But it turned out to be a blessing, because otherwise I would have never discovered East Sac Nails & Spa.

Located at H and Elvas, East Sac Nails & Spa just opened 6 months ago. It’s clean with a nice relaxing atmosphere. The staff is friendly – plus they know what they are doing.

You aren’t going to get those chairs with the massage. Instead, you get the real thing: Hands on service with people who are trained to do nails.

The price for a basic manicure/Pedicure is $40, but you can get a “deluxe” version for $10 more. This includes a deep moisturizing exfoliating treatment, a hydrating mask or a paraffin dip and hot stone massage.

It was well deserved 60 minutes of peace.

Check them out. They are located at 713 56th Street in East Sacramento.

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Secret Wish: Be a guest judge on food show



Bobby Flay during taping of Iron Chef America - AP

 This request could not have come at a better time. After weeks of eating bland low-fat food, I received an invitation to judge a cooking competion. Yay!!

You know I love food - really good food, but I bet you didn't know that I've always wanted to be a guest judge on one of The Food Network cooking show.  I've always been reluctant to apply because I don't eat red meat -- but if they ever have an extreme dessert or chocolate challenge and need someone to taste stuff, I am soooo there.

This time I'll be judging the "Who's Cuisine Will Reign Supreme" challenge at Atria El Camino Gardens in Carmichael.  I don't know much about it yet, but I've been told that it will be an Iron Chef-style competition -- which I love.

I also know the chef's competing are Chef Ray Duey from Woodbridge, Chef Susan Stangroom, Chef Ron Barker and Chef John Holloway.  If you're a big Food Network fan then you might recognize Ray Duey from there. He was part of the team that won The Food Network Challenge: “The Rematch: Fantasy Fruit Sculpture".

Can't wait to see what they make.  It's happening on June 23 - just over a week from now.  So cool!

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Sneak Peek: The bikini has arrived

It's actually more red in real life.

It’s five days until showtime and I’m starting to worry. I’ve booked my fake tan session, my hotel and pre-cooked my food. Everything is ready – except my body.

Last week my coach Shannon Dey told me my butt was still looking too flabby. I figured, whatever…once I get my professional show bikini, it will hide all those flaws.

WRONG!!

I got my bikini Friday and guess what, it doesn’t hide anything. If anything, it enunciates the flaws. How can something so shiny and pretty make me look so bad?

So when Shannon told me I had to skip my weekly cheat meal of pancakes and do even more cardio, I was sad, but I listened. She was right. I need to work harder.

So far I've lost 6 pounds and 4 percent body fat.  I know, not exactly the big change you'll see on the Biggest Loser, but my goal was more about "re-shaping" rather and losing weight.

So how do I look? You’ll have to wait and see because I’m not posting anything until I have the complete package ready – including the tan.

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Testing out the “best” cellulite cream

Cellulite sucks. After working out for 8 weeks on this killer exercise and cardio plan, I admit defeat.

Yup, that’s right. All those experts in magazine articles who say it doesn’t go away were right. I really thought I would be the exception to the rule and that if I worked out really hard and toned up my squishy areas, my skin would become all smooth – kind of like an air mattress when you pump it full of air.

Alas, the dimples are still there.

So now, after spending an hour on the internet doing research, I’ve ordered what people have reviewed as the “best cellulite cream” – well, the best one I could find for less than $35. I didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on magic lotion that may not work. I’m a little skeptical when it comes to things like that and figure if I’m wishing for miracles, I might as well as wish for my own fairy godmother.

So what is the best cellulite cream on the market? Apparently, it’s Fat Girl Slim by Bliss (you can get it at Sephora). The active ingredient in it is caffeine which the dermatologist they had on Good Morning America says is proven to help diminish the appearance of cellulite. This also means that I could have probably rubbed coffee on my problem areas and saved myself some money. Oh well.

Anyway, this Bliss stuff does work.

I’ve been slathering it on twice a day for the last four days and I’m already seeing a difference. The dimples on my butt are looking smaller, plus its super soft. I’m not sure if this is really an advantage, but I figure if I’m already sharing my cellulite secrets with you, you might as well know everything.

There’s only one problem with this cream. The name.

Why do they have to call it Fat Girl Slim? It’s totally embarrassing to have this big jar of cream sitting on my counter that says Fat Girl Slim. It’s like advertising to all my guests that I have a cellulite problem and am desperate to get rid of it- which I am.

And yes, I did try to put it in the cupboard, but then I forgot to use it.

I also find the word “fat” offensive. Cellulite has nothing to do with weight. As a size 4, I definitely don’t consider myself a chunky monkey – unless I happen to be standing beside Victoria Secret super models, but really – how often is that going to happen?

But name aside, I recommend Bliss’s Fat Girl Slim as a temporary solution to diminish the appearance dimples caused by cellulite. If you’re going on vacation, start using it about 2 weeks out for best results and bring it with you. When you stop using it, the dimples return.

Miracle in a jar? Yup. Now bring on the fairy godmother.

Ode to a cupcake

It’s 12 days before my fitness competition and while I’m not hungry, I’m starting to make a list of things I haven’t been able to eat in the last 8 weeks.

One of them is this decadent S’Mores Cupcake seen in the photo. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve seen in a long time, and if you ever go to Toronto, then I suggest you add, along with seeing the CN Tower, China Town and the Hockey Hall of Fame, a visit to Nadia’s Cheeky Treats - The Cupcake Boutique. You won’t be disappointed.

Now, if the photo of the cupcake isn't enough to tempt you, I promise the description will have even the most diehard healthy eaters drooling.

THE MAKINGS OF S'MORE GREATNESS

It all starts with a crunchy graham crust bottom.

It sounds simple, but the crust is what makes this cupcake unique from any other cupcake. Without it, it's just a chocolate cupcake with stuff on it. 

The crunchy graham crust is brilliant, but what else would you expect from baker extraordinaire and Toronto's own cupcake Diva, Nadia McIlveen?

But while I love the graham crust, it's only the beginning.  On top of that you have a super-moist chocolate cake filled with marshmallow butter cream, chocolate sauce and mini chocolate chips.

But the S’Mores cupcake isn’t done yet. There’s even more delicious goodness to tempt you.

To top off this incredible cupcake is more marshmallow butter cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. Then there’s a light sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.

WHAT'S A S'MORE WITHOUT THE TOASTED MARSHMALLOW?
Finally, there is the part we’ve all been waiting for: The toasted marshmallow that makes a s’more a s’more. This is topped with a Hershey’s Kiss for that one last bite of chocolate decadence.

MMMMMMMM…..mmmm…

Are you drooling yet?

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Girl power - times two!

Kristin and Michelle

If you think I do a lot of stuff, you have to meet my friend Kristin from Tampa. She makes me look lazy. She works full time at a high stress job, but yet checks out concerts, sporting events and triathlons – plus, she still has time to watch every episode of Gossip Girls.

So when she called and told me she had a 12-hour stopover in Sacramento, I knew we were going to have fun. I’m talking Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz girl power fun – without the tons of money and the adoring fans.

Of course, before we went out, we had to do a quick 4 mile (she did 5 miles) run just to warm up and then it was time to hit the town.

For those who have been following my blog, don’t worry…I was a good girl and didn’t go off my training schedule. I kept to my no alcohol, no fattening food diet, which also meant I was the designated driver.

Michelle and Kristin’s Night of Fun:

1) Eat like Queen: A girl’s got to eat so we started with a light meal at Red Lotus. Love that place. You have to get the eel and shrimp dumplings if you go. They are soooo good. I got the lemon grass soup - also good and low in calories.

2) Be a Rock Star: We then wandered over to Blue Cue and discovered on Friday it’s karaoke night with a LIVE rock band. Whoo Hoo!!!

Yes, you get to sing with an actual band. Naturally, we had to do it. But what should we sing?

At first we considered “Hungry Like the Wolf” – until we realized we only knew the chorus. In the end, we belted out a really bad version of “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon.

No recording contracts for us.

3) Go Country: After being a Rock Star, it was time to get a little bit country at Bulls – where they have a mechanical bull in the middle of the bar. You know we HAD to try it, just because it was there and Kristin was certain the bull was sad no one was riding it.

4) See a Mermaid: Kristin and I have been friends for years, but I had no idea she always dreamed of being a mermaid. In fact, it’s her dream job, AND if she lived in Sacramento, she could apply for that job as Dive Bar has a girl dressed up as a mermaid who swims back and forth in big tank.

Kristin spent about an hour staring at her and wishing she was the mermaid. Maybe one day...

5) Hang with Queens: A night on the town is not complete unless you visit at least one gay bar. I’m not sure which one we went to, but it had great music and the bartender made Kristin a special fruity cocktail called a raspberry lemon drop. Her review? Five out of five stars.

6) Wind down with Munchies: Ink is a late night staple in Midtown Sacramento. They are known for their Mac and Cheese, egg sandwiches and ice cream brownies. They also serve food until 4 a.m. which is why we were there at 3 a.m.

With no place to sit, we shared a table with a bridal party. When Kristin asked the bride for her relationship advice, she said, “Don’t get mad if they aren’t perfect because you aren’t perfect either.”

Now that’s good advice.

7) Sleep - kind of: Our night of fun ended around 4:30 a.m. and by 7 a.m. Kristin was on her way to catch her plane back to Tampa.

I don't know how she did it, but she got home late in Tampa on Saturday night and then did the Dirty Double mud run early Sunday morning and came in second.  She might not be a mermaid, but she is a rock star when it comes to doing stuff.

Sigh…sometimes I miss my gal pals.

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Keeping it real with Alejandro Reyes

News10 Blog U (I'm taking photos at the left)

Last year I did a psychic reading with Jesai Chantler over the phone. I’m not going to share the whole thing with you, but he did say he saw me attending the Oscars or the Emmy Awards or a similar red carpet event.

At the time, I thought he was way off base as none of my scripts were being turned into movies and I wasn’t dating any celebrities – so what were the chances?

It turned out that he was right. I did end up attending the Official Oscar Watch Gala for News10 in February and just a couple weeks ago I was nominated for an Emmy so will be going to the Emmy Awards in June. Amazing.

THE PATH OF LIFE

The other thing Jesai told me was that I was right where I was supposed to be and I was still on my true path. This surprised me as I had thought moving to Sacramento threw me off my path. Not that I don’t love it here. It’s pretty, relaxing and is surrounded by vineyards (and you know I love wine). It’s just that it’s not exactly Paris, London, New York or any other mega-city.

But just like he was right about me going to a red-carpeted event, he was right about being in Sacramento as I’m meeting remarkable people every day – or, as was the case last night, a whole group of remarkable people.

Last night I drove to Stockton to co-host our News10 Blog U event. It was small event of about 20 people but all were aspiring bloggers who were full of passion, energy and great ideas. There was Manuel who was thinking of doing a DUI electrician blog, Anthony who plans of unveiling his street fashion blog soon, Kyle who writes the http://www.TheGirlKyle.com, Kamica who owns Baby Cakes & Co… and so on. Each person had a unique story – and you know I love hearing about stories and dreams.

But the person who pulled it all together was Alejandro Reyes.

IS THERE A MAGNET FOR THAT?

I met Alejandro Reyes my first day in Sacramento. Really. I got here and the News Director told me to go check out this TweetUp that was happening that night -- and among the hundred or so people that were there, I met Alejandro.

Apparently, Alejandro wasn’t just attending the TweetUp; it was his event. I learned months later that he was voted as one of 15 people to watch in Sacramento by Sacramento Magazine and was one of the city’s most respected social media gurus. See? I was in the right place at the right time.

And last night Alejandro brought that whole “being in the right place” message home.

While talking to attendees last night, he said, “Discover your gifts and build your life around them.”

Brilliant. So simple, but so right.

Instead of worrying about being in the wrong place, maybe I need to focus on the end goal. I don’t need to live in Paris or London to use my gifts. I can start using them here and see where my path takes me. Maybe meeting these remarkable people is why I’m here, as each week I find someone who keeps me inspired and moving toward completing my goals.

Discover your gifts and build your life around them…hmmm… I think I’m going to tell him he needs to make a magnet that says that.

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31 days and counting

It's just 31 days before my NPC competition in San Diego. Yes, I am counting down them down – but only because I was a little less dedicated during my first four weeks on being on the program than I should have been.

My trainer says you won’t see a lot of change in your body the first four weeks, but considering I have to be show-worthy in just a few weeks from now, I’m starting to worry. Although I'm really hoping she's right. Each morning I wake up hoping a miracle happened and my body finally realized that it needs to start showing results.

Alas, there have been no miracles.

So now I'm analyzing the last four weeks of training to see what I need to do to improve my results. Yes, I did workout every day in the last month -- except for a couple of days when I worked extra long days at the station and was too exhausted to go to the gym. My excuse? Sometimes you just have to put sleep first and start fresh the next day.

Yes, I did follow the daily meal plans – mostly. I admit that I did trade out a couple of the meals for frozen Weight Watcher dinners a couple of times to mix it up a bit. Probably not a good idea. I also had one bad binge day where I drank wine and ate onion rings. As you can imagine, this is a big no-no.

So now I’m being extra good and following everything on the plan exactly.

I even made all my meals for the week and put them in little containers so I could take them to work each day. And I bought a fashionable cooler bag that looks like a purse so I can carry all my cooked fish around without getting food poisoning.

For the next few weeks, I am determined to be dedicated.

I can do it. It’s only 31 days -and counting.

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Pancakes never tasted so good

After cycling in the Gold Country Century ride in Auburn on Saturday, there was only one thing I wanted. Pancakes. Light, fluffy, yummy, pancakes with maple syrup.

This probably doesn’t sound like a big deal, but because I’m still following my Bombshell Fitness meal/workout plan, I only get to have one cheat meal a week – which means I can’t eat all the food that I want, whenever I want it. This really sucks when you are a foodie like me.

Even my cheat meals are restricted to certain foods and certain portions because I guess they know that I would totally go over-board and eat everything I could in one meal if allowed. The good news is that pancakes are on my “acceptable” cheat meal list. But I’m are only allowed two (if Blogger would let me insert a sad face, it would be here.)

So on Saturday morning, I dragged my butt out of bed at 5:30 a.m., loaded my bike in the car and drove off to Auburn for the Gold Century ride. The whole time I wasn’t thinking about whether or not I would fall off my bike because of my stupid clips (still have not mastered them). I wasn’t thinking about how cold it was or whether it was going to rain on me. Nope. I was thinking about pancakes.

I biked up the 2300 feet of hills and covered 50 kilometers in 2.5 hours. It was hard work and it was cold...and windy. I hate biking in the wind. My legs were numb and I couldn’t feel my fingers. There were times towards the end when I was panting up hills and wondering if the top would ever arrive, but I made it -- all because I knew that when I crossed the finish line, I would get to have pancakes.

And they were good. Just check out the photo. Aren’t they drool-worthy?

I’m sure my fitness trainer would cringe if she saw this, but I figure if I only get to have one cheat meal a week, I’m going to have the best, most decadent pancakes I can find – and in my neighborhood, these magic pancakes are at Orphan in East Sacramento.

No, they don’t have whipped cream or chocolate sauce on them or anything really junkie, but they do have blackberries and bananas. And they are just sooooo good. I savored every bite.

I’m sure I looked a mess sitting there by myself, all sweaty and still in my biking outfit. I also had major bad hair because of the bike helmet, but I didn’t care. I was having pancakes – and I deserved them.

I was a little good (only because my fitness competition is 33 days away), and left a quarter of my pancakes behind as I figure they are probably a little bigger than the average pancake.

But man…they were delicious. I may have to get them for my cheat meal again next week.

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Conquering one hill at a time on the Gold Country Century Ride

In January, I was asked to take part in the Amgen Celebrity Ride as part of the Gold Country Metric Century. I was excited that I would get the chance to cycle on the same route the Amgen Tour of California cyclists would ride on. I saw myself speeding over the hills of Auburn with the grace and elegance of the pro-cyclists.

The event was this past Saturday and while I wasn’t quite the Olympian I had thought I would be, a couple of the organizers told me I was probably the first woman to finish the ride. They said this was pretty good for a flatlander (that’s what the foothill cyclists call Sacramento dwellers). Whoo hoo!

Not that it was a timed race, but you know I’m a little competitive so I did pedal my heart out the whole time. AND I totally loved the ride.

The Gold Country Metric Century is perfect for both novice cyclists like me and more advanced riders. It took place in Sierra foothills by Auburn in California and riders had the choice of doing the full 100 kilometer ride with 4600 feet of climbing or the 50 kilometer ride with only 2300 feet of climbing. I took the 50 km one – but next year I might do the whole thing as it wasn’t as exhausting as I imagined it would be.

Sure there are hills. Um…actually, there are a lot of rolling hills, but the scenery is gorgeous. It’s all farmland, vineyards and trees. And the route takes you through Old Town Auburn and through a number of winding roads. It's lovely.

It’s also not crowded which a bonus.

In total there were about 200 of us doing the route instead of the thousands of people that have shown up at other century rides I’ve done. When you have thousands of people, it feels crowded and a little stressful – especially if you’re like me and tend to go really slow up the hills. I’m talking grandma-walker speed here. I swear, on the flat areas I’m cruising effortlessly at 18 to 20 mph, but as soon as there is a little hill, I’m down to 5 or 6 mph. Pathetic really.

Anyway, this ride only has a couple of hundred people so it’s peaceful and relaxing. You encounter enough people along the way to know you’re not alone, but never feel the pressure of having someone breathing down your neck. I was almost sad when it ended.

It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning. Plus, all the proceeds from the event went towards the Auburn Community Cancer Endowment Fund.

So a win/win for everyone.

By the way, if you happen to be Auburn during Amgen (May 17), check out their other events.

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