Coffee and Cycling

Author Archives: rianatheglutenfreevegan

• Coffee, bread and Jam

  Posted at 8:15 pm by rianatheglutenfreevegan, on February 19, 2019

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  One of my comfort foods are bread. Not so much anymore since I became gluten intolerant, but still. My favorite breakfast is a slice of toast with homemade apricot jam and a cup of black coffee. 

  The coffee, bread and jam really have nothing in common. They just complement each other, and in my world, they naturally go together. People are like that too. Some people just naturally “go together”. 

  I have always been all about family. Family first, family second and family third. Whatever would please my family, would be the choice I make. For example, I love traveling. But I cannot afford to travel to Europe for a holiday and then travel to see my family in the same year. Therefore, I will travel to see my family instead… since I feel it is the right thing to do. If I travel for holiday, and then say I cannot afford to travel to see my family, then I clearly put my love for traveling and exploring ahead of my family. It simply implies that I love traveling more than my family. That I would place my needs ahead of spending time with my family… 

  Truth be told, my family and I are not like coffee, bread and jam. We just do not go together well. Do not understand me wrong. I love them dearly. My mom and dad are my save haven, and if I had the means, I would visit them very frequently. And we are like coffee, bread and jam… But that is where it ends. 

  My friends are my coffee, bread and jam. Through the years I have made wonderful friends that have become my family. We come from different world, have different views and experiences, and yet, we just naturally go together. I have seen families that are like coffee, bread and jam. And it always renders me a little sad, because that is what I want too. I also want family that goes together. It literally used to bug me and eat away at who I am, trying to figure out what I do wrong. Why can my family not also go together?  Honestly, I cannot tell you why. I just do not know. Do I need to know why? No, I don’t. I no longer allow it to eat away at who I am. I enjoy seeing family and have learned to take it for what it is. Spending time with family has the same feeling as having dinner with complete strangers that you took a liking too. You laugh, talk and spend a couple of hours together and then do not speak again until you run into each other again, by accident. 

  My family and I will never be coffee, bread and jam. But it is oaky. Just because we are blood relatives, it does not mean we have to be best of friends. The secret to being happy is not about family. It is about the coffee, bread and jam you have in your life. Appreciate those that goes with you. They are after all, your true family, your coffee, bread and jam. 

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• Don’t be a hypocrite just because it is Valentine’s day

  Posted at 12:04 am by rianatheglutenfreevegan, on February 15, 2019

  

  
  

  I sat at a coffee bar today and watched people walking by. I have never seen so many men carrying bunches of flowers before!

  Sipping my coffee and watching them, I remembered when my husband and I first started dating. We started dating in October of 2001. And one of the first things I asked him was to never bring me anything on Valentine’s day….

  Why? Because I want him to think of me at any random time and bring me flowers or chocolates. I don’t want him to be influenced by a man made day called Valentine’s day or induced by the media to bring me flowers or chocolates. According to https://www.graphicmaps.com/which-holiday-is-the-most-expensive, 18.9 billion US dollars are spend on Valentine’s day. Why? Would you not rather your loved one bring you flowers or any gift on a random day of the year, just because that significant other thought of you? 

  Well, that is me. I want my husband to see something, feel something or just think of me at any random day or time, and surprise me with something. I dread the idea of expecting something just because it is in my opinion a money-making day. It is so commercialist, it has nothing to do with love. 

  In fact, Valentine’s day make hypocrites of us. We do what is expected of us, and not necessarily what is in the heart. Everybody else is buying flowers and chocolates today, so I have to do it too! Reality check. I did not buy my husband anything. We have been together for 18 years, and I have never bought him anything on Valentine’s day, nor has he bought me anything or taken me out to dinner on Valentine’s day. He knows that I would not value the gesture at all and would rather be quite disappointed in him for being so cheap.

  Valentine’s day is nothing but a commercial day and that is why industries love it. They advertise and have specials and almost make you feel guilty for not feeling it and participating. To my fellow anti-Valentine’s day mates- as the Australians would say- I salute you. Stay strong and buy him/her those flowers tomorrow or on any other day but Valentine’s day!

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• You are not entitled to “Thank You”

  Posted at 3:23 pm by rianatheglutenfreevegan, on February 11, 2019

  

  
  

  Why is it that we think we are entitled to a “thank you”? 

  I mailed a parcel to a lady that I thought was my friend a while back. We have known each other for many years and have shared many coffees, bike rides and laughter’s. Even the occasional tear or two. Naturally, we have not seen each other for several years, as we live in different countries. Yet, she is close to my heart, and I often think of her and then I reach out to her by email… to just get no response, feel miserable for a while, feel better again, and the in a couple months, repeat. 

  This time round I made her a parcel since I heard from another friend that she is experiencing some change in her life and that things are a bit difficult at the moment for her. So, I made her parcel with a couple things that I thought would have some meaning for her. UPS can be quite expensive, but I really wanted to do this for her. Spending the money was not that hard and I was waiting in anticipation for the parcel to be delivered. When the notification came that it was delivered, I found myself checking my email obsessively and even my mailbox. I even checked her address with a friend to make sure I had it correctly…. And as the days pass, with no word from her, so did it dawn on me: Why did I think she had to thank me for something I did out of me own free will. She did not ask me to send her a package. In fact, she has very definitely been ignoring emails from me for the past couple of years. The parcel might have been an embarrassment, or a bad memory lane event, or just not appropriate at the time. I thought the parcel was thoughtful and obviously put together with love and care… But that is my personal interpretation of my gift and my actions. Someone else might have experienced it completely different.

  And so, I ask again: Who said I was entitled to a Thank you?

  We are brought up with the notion that if someone give us something, we say thank you, because we are polite, and it is the norm. But just because it is the norm, it does not make it mandatory right? I even say thank you to the cop who fines me for driving to fast. Why do I thank him for a $100 ticket? Because I was brought up with the notion to say thank you when someone give me something. 

  Maybe my little parcel was like a traffic ticket to my friend. And maybe she had enough guts to say: You know what, I did not ask for this gift, I do not want it, and I am not saying Thank You for some insensitive thing I did not ask for….

  Well, whatever the case may be, and however long I ponder about it… a Thank You would have been nice. Not because I deserve a thank you, or that my intention with sending the parcel was to get a thank you. Purely because it is the decent thing to do. It is not really about the thank you as it is about begin acknowledged for caring. I obviously care much more for this person than this person cares for me. I know, if I received a parcel through the mail, regardless of whether I like the gift or not, I would have acknowledged the gesture with an immediate thank you note.  Maybe that is why I am hurt, I measure against what I would have done. While in reality, I am not entitled to a thank you. 

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• Learn to Compromise

  Posted at 2:58 am by rianatheglutenfreevegan, on February 9, 2019

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  Cycling has always been my first choice of sport. Don’t ask me why, because honestly, I do not know why. I think it is a combination of the distance I can do on my bike versus by foot and also being outdoors… After making this comment about being my first choice in sport, I just realized that is not completely true…

  I loved running. I would go for a run every evening after work. My best friend at the time was a long distance runner and naturally, I became a runner too. We would run together and then cook together. Go for hikes in the mountains, cycle together and just do things friends did together. 

  After a serious back injury (due to bridge jumping), I had to give up running. The neurosurgeon that operated on my back suggested getting a bike. It took me a while to accept my running days are over, but eventually I realized it was over and I bought a bike. It has been so many years since giving up running, that I seldom think about how much I loved running.  So essentially, cycling is my only love, my true love. 

  I had a choice: I could sulk and be miserable my whole life, or I could embrace the change that was forced upon me, and cycle. My personality does not allow me to sulk and wallow in my own misfortune. I must admit, sometimes it sounds attractive to just do nothing… But then I would end up being even more miserable and I think doing nothing is hard work…. So I compromised. 

  At first it was a compromise, to get on a bike and cycle for hours to get the same pleasure I would from running. It was something I had to force myself to do. However, I kept going. And honestly, I have forgotten that it had been a compromise. I have over the years forgotten that cycling was not my first choice and that I had to compromise and give up what I loved the most. Today, I cannot imagine my life without a bike. In fact, when we moved to the USA, I told my husband: if my bike does not go on the plane with me, I am not going…. And here I am. I arrived in the USA with 2 bikes and well, very little clothing! I guess, that means I compromised again… or knew with a credit card in my back pocket I could by new stuff!

  The point is, we all compromise at times. It is part of life. But we have a choice: we can always refer to it as a compromise, or we can make the compromise something we love and stop thinking of it as the “day I gave up something, the day I compromised. I do not think of cycling as a compromise anymore. It took time yes, but I stuck to it and it today I can honestly say: cycling is not a compromise, it is a blessing and a great joy!

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• About Starbucks and coffee

  Posted at 2:02 am by rianatheglutenfreevegan, on February 7, 2019

  

  

  

  Although Starbucks might not be my favorite coffee house, I must admit, the fact that they around just about every second corner, has made me a regular customer.

  I seldom drink a milky drink. I prefer my coffee black with no sugar. And this is where Starbucks really lose points with me. I drink coffee because I love love love coffee. I do not know if I have succeeded in clarifying just how much I love coffee, but really, I do love coffee. It is by far my favorite drink. I find coffee calming, reassuring and comforting. If I am homesick or just not myself, I drink coffee. If I am happy and content, I drink coffee. When I wake up, I drink coffee. And when I cannot sleep, I drink coffee…. No, don’t go there: it is not my coffee drinking habits that has led to insomnia. It is rather insomnia that has increase my coffee consumption since I now drink in the early morning hours too.

  I regularly order an Americano at Starbucks and every time before I take a sip, I brace myself for that acidic bad taste I know I am going to get. I specifically ask for an Americano, since it is a freshly brewed espresso with water and yet, it tastes like the coffee that has been sitting in a flask or coffee pot for way to long. And then secondly, to make matters way worse: Starbucks only serve coffee in to go containers. When I sit down to drink coffee, I actually want my coffee in a porcelain cup. It tastes way better. I know, that probably increase the price of their coffee since they would need to hire a dishwasher. But just think about it, would it not be nice to park the bike, and drink a decent cup of coffee in a porcelain mug? I have actually considered carrying one with me on my bike. No, not a metal cup, a porcelain one. It is something that would make me very happy and make me enjoy my coffee more. And just maybe, their so-called Americano would taste better.

  Oh, and don’t get me wrong, I do sometimes resort to a milky (almond milk that is) drink. But only occasionally, normally when I am exhausted, or just a little under the weather emotionally. It is way too sweet and should not be called coffee. Also, I worked hard to burn those calories, one milky drink from Starbucks destroys all the effort I put into burning calories on my bike.

  Starbucks, you will always be on my routes and so I will always be a loyal customer. I am just saying it could be better! My favorite Starbucks on route is the one on at the REI store downtown. Take the Mary Carter/ South Platter trail downtown. Close to the Aquarium. I often do a 80km circle route: Mary Carter/South-Platte to Confluence Park, connect with Cherry Creek trail until you hit the Highline Canal trail, close to Cherry Creek Reservoir, or continue on the Cherry Creek till you intersect the C470 trail and head back to Mary Carter. I park at the Carson Nature center and jump on the Mary Carter trail. You can go downtown all the way without ever cycling or crossing a road. This loop is fairly flat and nice for distance.

  Riana

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• Be prepared for change

  Posted at 7:25 pm by rianatheglutenfreevegan, on February 4, 2019

  I plan my day ahead of time. I have a cycling schedule or training program if you will and I normally plan my week around training and the weather. Well, as we know from experience, the weather guys do not get it right all the time. In fact, a couple years ago one of the “April Fool’s” jokes were: “We will now predict yesterdays weather today”. I am sure we have all had days where the weather just did not permit us to do what we had planned to do.

  We have to be prepared for change. I for one, do not do well with change at all. With weather in Denver a little hormonal this time of year, I should know to not plan my week as I naturally did. I had a nice bike ride planned for today with some coffee along the way. But when I woke up this morning to let the dogs out, feed the cats and wake the kids, I realized: it is not happening. Unless I am willing to brave the wind and the chill it brings along. I was not.

  I am prepared in the coffee sense of matters. I have a wonderful coffee machine that willingly makes coffee every couple of hours. I grind and I temper and the machine produce espressos with Crema repeatedly. Although not going for a bike ride makes me very depressed and puts me in a bad mood instantly, the smell of coffee and the velvety taste eases my discomfort time and again.

  And, accompanying my coffee and often my bike rides, is my vegan and gluten free rusks. Being South-African, rusks are comfort food that takes me to a very homy place that makes me feel comfy and loved. Although I had to adapt and develop a recipe that I could eat with all my food intolerances, I think I can safely say: I developed a recipe that is quite successful and tasty. Healthy and wholesome. It is completely grain-free, vegan and naturally gluten-free. And, it contains no sugar! Made with lots of nuts, dried fruit and grain free products, it is the perfect cycling and coffee companion.

   

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• The Journey Begins

  Posted at 2:38 am by rianatheglutenfreevegan, on February 4, 2019

  

  Truth be told,  this journey in Colorado started 5 years ago, when I arrived in Denver with my bike, 2 children, a husband and 3 cats. Having my bike with me gives me identity, makes me feel happy and promote feelings of contentment. Of course my husband, kids and cats (now dogs and a horse too) makes me content and happy too. but freedom to cycle and explore, that just brings a different kind of happiness and contentment. Maybe I should not go into that. I am not comparing my love for my family and furry friends to my love for cycling, exploring and drinking coffee… it is after all very different categories of love and should never be compared or even remotely put in the same sentence.

  I love my bike(s). I’ve been cycling for years and years. At some stage it was all about speed and naturally that ended in a bad, actually very bad crash. After 7 surgeries and some miserable recovery time… well, I got back on my bike. It just did not sit right with me to quite the thing I love most (after my family). But the love of speed and need for speed was replaced with endurance rides. Most of us can gain speed by training for it, and I guess it is true about endurance too, but endurance is just different. I actually think it is addictive. I for one do not much like the first couple of miles. I just love the suffering after many miles, knowing many more is to come! The mind over the body part, that is what I love. Where my body says no more please, and my brain says, you will because you can. And that is when the fun starts and pure enjoyment sets in…. and that is normally where my husband will comment: I own a pickup….

  And so I will share my bike journey around Denver and Colorado as I continue to explore. I will share some routes I did last year on the Ride the Rockies too… time permitting though! I do tend to be so consumed with my bike, I may not always share my exploring!

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