The Beginning

If you're lucky, you land a job where your coworkers become family- the funny, supportive, wise variety- not the ones who show up at the train station to meet your new boyfriend in college sporting light up sneakers, a cat t-shirt, and a neck brace for no discernible reason (yes, that happened).  Mary was my "work mom," the embodiment of kindness, whit and, as I came to learn, strength.  So, when she announced to our small department she was going to undergo treatment for lymphoma I wanted to support her.  Around that time, I randomly received a postcard for Team in Training.  It was fate! So it was through this organization and event that I was able to support her.  I would train to pedal 100 miles around Lake Tahoe and raise money for cancer research in honor of Mary.  If she could show up to work after each treatment, I could deal with the discomfort of endurance training.

When I registered, I was somewhat active ( I realize I likely overestimated my base abilities but that was a minor detail).  I knew I could hike several miles and putzed around on a heavy moutain bike on some rails- to -trails paths in my baggy sweats.  I thought a six mile ride was a good workout as was a three mile hike.  That was about the extent of my fitness. I never rode a roadbike, didn't own one and had no idea that chamois butter was a thing.  And, I was NOT built like a traditional cyclist.  I have booty and thick legs.  Very thick legs.  Not to mention boobs.  Oh, and cellulite in a size 14 body.   From the time I could walk, this has been my existence.  I had a brief stint in college where IBS dropped me into the underweight BMI and people glowed at how great I looked.  SMH.  Once I graduated, the IBS went away and the weight went to the other side of the bellcurve- a source of conversation amongst everyone who knew the skinny "before" me vs. the chubby "after."  I no longer got the glowing reviews.  Now I got the compliments on my earrings and I listened as these same people made comments about how they cant believe someone with "those knees", who was clearly much smaller than myself, could wear shorts.  These comments only served to heighten my sense of self-consciousness and further destroy my wavering body image.

Now the thought of wearing shorts in public, let alone lycra ones, made me experience pangs of panic including immediate heart palpatations, flushed skin and a sweaty ass.  You can imagine how I felt going in to the store and trying on these shorts and the chronic disappointment and embarrassment of dropping $$$ on new cycling capris only to realize on a ride that when you bend over, they are essentially see through and all cars and cyclists behind you can see your crack.  Or SURPRISE! I bought a pair that slides down my rear so now I am spending My ride trying to keep them up and can't focus on form or debris littering the side of the road etc.

 I googled everything I could related to booty size and cycling clothing fit and came up with nothing.  Apparently I was the only one out there who had this experience?  As years went by and my interests expanded to include long hikes with scrambles and back backing, I noticed the same theme: the norm is most active clothing is simply not designed for curvy women. Hiking pants hung too low, cut into my thigh each time I had to scramble up a boulder or I wore out the cuff bc the inseam was clearly made for some Amazonian model.  But the reality is, curvy athletic girls are out there.  We're on the same trails, the same roads, putting in the efforts and drinking in the same views.  But our clothing needs are vastly different.

I conceived of this blog as a way to share my experiences with brands I have used on my adventures and to share some of these adventures with other curvy girls out there.  Maybe you are looking info on clothes, considering a new adventure, or maybe youre wondering what it takes to get started.  I'll share a little bit of my experience, noting I'm not at all an expert.  I'm just a girl with some curves and some miles under her belt.  I dream of and spend weekends exploring.  And I want to be comfortable in my clothes and in my own skin.

To Manufacturers of clothing: finding cycling and hiking clothes to fit and flatter a curvy body shouldn't be such an awful and expensive endeavor.  You can and need to do better. You're missing a market!