As if one blog wasn't enough (two blogs is company!), today marks the debut of my new espnthemag.com action sports blog, which (I think) will post every Wednesday. Check it out here.

Of course, the new blog won't change the frequency of this blog, or its content. It will just give me more work to do. So, on that note, a bit about my trip to Vermont last week to report a story on snowboarder Kevin Pearce, who will be featured in our Winter X Games preview issue in January ...

I traveled to his hometown of Norwich last week because Kevin and his older brother David were shooting a PSA for the National Down Syndrome Society. David has Down Syndrome and is a truly inspiring person to be around. Spending time at the Pearce home, it was easy to see why Kevin is such a down-to-earth, level-headed, all-around good kid. When I meet people like Kevin (or, more often, folks on the opposite end of the behavioral spectrum), I often think to myself: I want to meet your parents. You know, learn what to/not to do when the time comes. The cool thing is, because of my job, I often have the opportunity to do just that.

I won't give away the entire story, but I'll just say the Pearces are amazing people. They opened up their home and their lives to a writer (me) they'd never met, and made her feel extremely comfortable and welcome. They were honest, open and just a lot of fun. On my final day, we toured the Simon Pearce (Kevin's dad) glass factory and I got a lesson in blowing glass. I will never look at stemware the same way again.

STEP ONE: Twirl liquid gas heated to volcanic temperature on the end of a metal stick while simultaneously holding wooden spoonlike object and dipping it in water. Goal: create perfectly round ball of liquid glass. (Note: Mr. Pearce told me it takes five years to learn the glassblowing trade, eight years to get good, and 10 before you are good enough to work for him. I plan to bypass his plan and wow Mr. Pearce by being an instant glass-blowing prodigy.)

STEP TWO: Remove glass/metal stick from wooden spoon, lean back, place metal stick in mouth and blow. Keep twirling the stick. Blow! Twirl! Blow! Twirl! Don't stop twirling! Or blowing!

STEP THREE: Learn lesson -- Stick is made of metal. If you do not place stick gently onto your lips, you will cut your lip and begin to bleed. (Step 3A: Clean off blood, prepare to try again.)

STEP FOUR: Repeat steps 1 and 2 (skip, but remember!, steps 3 and 3A) until you have created beautiful, hourglass-shaped, bubbly glasslike object. (That is then tossed back into the furnace under the guise of being "below standard".) Clearly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Step 5: Scribble note to self reminding self not to quit day job.

Check out my most recent Action Sports Report (or ASR) on espnthemag.com, which posted today, and will post every Tuesday from here until eternity.

While you're on the site, take a minute to vote for 2008 NEXT athlete of the year. Not that I'm trying to influence your voting (I would never do such a thing), but I am writing about Falcons rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. And if Ryan wins the fan voting, he (and my story) make the cover. Seriously, vote for anyone you want. Racecar driver Joey Lagano, pitcher david Price, basketball prodigy Ricky Rubio ... or rookie sensation MATT RYAN, who is in the process of lifting the suffocating Atlanta Falcons from the depths of the NFC South to the mountaintops of the NFL post-season.

The (blatantly obvious) choice is yours.

I spent the past week in New York City, experiencing The Big Apple as a visitor for the first time in a decade. It was so much fun. My return trips as a guest star in our New York office are my new favorite bonus of living on the West Coast. However, it is unseasonably cold in New York right now, so my fingers were frozen and I was unable to update the blog. Okay, poor excuse. Honestly, I was just having too much fun ... and Le Parker Meridien doesn't have internet on the 10th floor. It does, however, have the best brunch spot in the city.

While I was there, I filed my weekly action sports blog, practiced my Italian and went ice skating with Vampires. That last one will just have to remain a mystery.

Welcome to my newest blog-in-a-blog, which will be a regular feature here on AR.com. What's the B stand for, you ask? Well, a couple of things. Blondes (Lindsay Berra and me) and Bikes (the pedal variety). For the next year, Lindsay and I are training to ride from NYC to San Francisco. Throughout that time, will chronicle our journey here, as well as on espnthemag.com down the road (pun intended).

Initially, the idea to turn ourselves into badass (another B!) cyclists was born of necessity. I had back surgery; Lindsay had hip surgery and with each, our running careers disappeared. We started riding, as most people do, as a way to reclaim the thrill of a long run without the wear and tear on our bodies. Once we started riding, we needed a challenge. This was what we came up with.

Knowing it would be tough to take three months off work for a cross-country ride, we pitched the idea of combining the ride with our work, a feature we are tentatively calling Blonde Sportswriters Bike America. (Better suggestions for our tour name are warmly welcomed.)

Okay, you've decided to start riding with us. (Yay!) First things first: You need a bike. There are about a zillion types of riding—mountain biking, road cycling, beach riding, BMX—but from here on out, I'll assume you are taking up road cycling.

When Lindsay and I were looking for bikes, the first thing we did was decide what type of road cycling we would be doing. Since our main goal was to ride cross-country, we looked for a bike designed for long rides. When we heard Giant was debuting a women's specific line (called Giant for Women), we were intrigued. After much research (and several calls and e-mails to our friends Eric and Tiffany at Giant), we settled on the Avail Advanced 2, a lightweight performance bike with a comfortable geometry designed for riding a lot of miles a week. (Size XS for me, who is 5'2"; size M for Lindsay, who is 5'6".) Be prepared to spend around $2-3,000 on a new bike. If that is out of your price range, there are a few alternatives. First, find the bike you want. Then watch the internet, e-Bay and Craig's List for the same bike at a great discount.

Next, we chose pedals (Shimano 105 SPDSL), shoes (Shimano WR40), a saddle (Specialized Jett women's 155 mm saddle) and a helmet (Specialized Decibel Helmet, size small). For help with each, we consulted an expert at our local bike shop. In my case, that shop is Cynergy Cycles in Santa Monica, and my bike tech (and local coach extraordinaire) is Ron Peterson. Ron also fit me for my bike, but we will get to fittings in our next post. Finding a great shop with knowledgeable techs is key. Find someone you are comfortable talking to and ask him/her questions. Lots of them.

Next, it's a good idea to purchase a saddle bag and fill it with everything you will need for a long ride (and a tire change). Here is what is in mine (besides $20 and a spare ID) ... a Microflate Nano mini co2 tire inflator, CO2 cartridges, tire levers, a spare tube, a multi-tool and sunscreen.

Also, a few extras to consider purchasing: a headlight, rear light and reflectors if you plan to ride at night (or at dusk!); an odometer/speedometer computer and a water bottle cage.

Once you are all geared up, it's time to get fitted for your bike. Then, we hit the road.