mental preparation

I've been surfing the Internet and have come across a few articles regarding mental toughness in cycling. I'm starting to think that I won my race not by my physical fitness but more so by my mental capacity. Somehow I have harnessed this ability and tapped into it - early on. Which means I can sharpen that skill that much more and kick the snot out of my competition.

spring fever

Had a solid effort this morning on my bike. Headed down to Seward park and did a 12 minute tempo on the way. Then did 4 laps on the crit course - it will be thrilling. Then lastly headed home and had a nice tailwind for the last tempo effort. And of course, a ride to Seward is not complete without the arboretum jaunt with a finishing sprint. Came home and wolfed down some yogurt and granola, 1/2 sandwich and off to work. Feeling good.

Well rested

You know this vacation couldn't have come at a better time. It was right around the time I needed a rest week - and to be able to take 5 solid days off the bike - my legs feel fantastic. No issues today with the achilles - although the stormy spring weather was challenging.

I can't believe I turn 27 on Thursday. Life flies by. I want to have some major accomplishments under my belt by my 30th birthday - say a gold medal or something.

Ryan and I went climbing tonight - I'm afraid my upper body is getting too weak. I was able to flash a V2 - which is pretty impressive for me. It must have been that rest week.

Sprinting felt super good today - I was powering through them. My monitor said I would jump 10 mph between the 5 second split. Not too shabby. But I must still work on it....

back to it...

So the UCI World Track Championships lit a fire under my ass. That was super cool to experience - glad I got a chance to see it. Unfortunately the US preformed pretty poorly - Jennie Reed placed 6th in one event. GB achieved 4 gold medals and Aussies did the overall best with 9 medals. I get excited just thinking about racing - and seeing how far I can push myself toward my goal.

Meanwhile, back on the PNW front, Melinda, Roz and Katy raced the Snohomish course. Melinda did fairly well - in the top 15 or so. The thing to note though - is that Group Health was staring at the warmup tent and pointing at our team for people to watch out for. Apparently they went so far as to ask Roz where Rachel and I were for the race. Ha ha! I guess I am now a marked woman. That just adds more fuel to the fire.

So my friend, what's next?

Mar 23

Solid effort yesterday. Did South end, mercer and home in under 3 hours. Pushed it on the rolling hills and am a tad sore this morning. Hopefully I'll be able to get some exercise while in the concrete jungle... maybe some surfing or something. And maybe, just maybe the sun will be out.

When I get back - can we get together to go over long term planning?

computrainer night...

Put in some time with Tim and Jill. Roz showed too - without a bike. Had a nice mellow ride.

Looking forward to some time away from home - should be nice.

Training is going well - can't wait for the next race. See previous posts.

Planning ahead...

I've been thinking about the upcoming races. I don't recall discussing which were the more important ones. What I would like to focus on are the key races - the ones where I will be able to advance my position and are challenging. Crits make me nervous - just because I have no idea what they are like. I'm looking forward to track - but that will come during the summer due to the resurfacing. I feel like I am starving for more information and skills. I crave it.

I'm going to yoga tonight for the first time since my achilles injury. Don't worrry I will take things easy and not risk it at all.

The ride was good today - I can tell my legs are exhausted. I crossed into LT without much effort. I had to convince myself to take it easy today and stick to the game plan. I get so eager that my mind tricks my body into working triple time. Hopefully yoga will help quiet my hunger.

Blistery Sunday

Managed to do 3 hours of solid training today. My legs were fairly tired at first but once they got warm, they performed wonderfully. I had a Ti Cycles girl snarl at me today. It was pretty funny.

I took the Kona into my shop - she's purring like a kitten. Ready for more victories I'm sure.

Check this out

This is my mom's take on today's race....

Winner!

Sweet Success

The best part about today was winning in front of my mom. She is a huge supporter and the reason I am here - mad props.

So it went well today. I was able to position myself for the ultimate attack at the end - eatting up the competition. It was a sweet win because it was so nasty out today. My team mates were near - closer than before. Melanie, Melinda and Rachel all finished between the cars, which is a great success for them. Bottom line - we executed the team strategy. And a win to boot!

My legs are tired. Today they added on an additional loop - and with an attack off the front by my lonesome - I did some pulling today. The achilles is feeling good - I was a little worried about the cold weather, but it managed to do just fine. I felt a little calf cramp coming on and immediately downed water - but I should probably drink more in the ride. I also need to learn how to eat while riding - and remember to do it.

"Eat when it's cold, drink when it's hot."

I'm taking the bike in tomorrow - just to have it looked over and make sure everything is in tip top shape. I would hate to have a mechanical from something that could have been prevented.

I am stoked. That was a challenging rainy race today - I think what prepared me was the ride on Wednesday. I am so thankful I don't ride a trainer indoors all the time.

st paddy's day recap

I'm a little tired from getting the house in tip top shape for last night's festivus.
I am looking forward to getting mentally prepared later tonight about the race tomorrow morning.
Any suggestions about racing in the rain? Also - how about team tactics? I'll call you later...

Juice

Put to the test

I was challenged today. Challenged by the elements - with temps in the lower 40s and 25-35 mph winds, not to mention the rain. I headed down to GG to do some sprints - and despite the downpour, managed 4, plus one extra one to grow on. Then instead of going back the Burke, I continued up the hill and then got chilled on the way back down 32nd. My thighs were icy so I turned toward home and completed the remainder of my workout on a nice indoor, dry trainer.

My ultimate goal of cycling is morphing - I want to race in Europe.

Saweet!

For the first time in - oh about a month - my achilles had no issues today. I am stoked!

Went for a nice ride out to Mercer Island this morning - a tad chilly but got in 38 minutes of tempo work and it felt good. Looking forward to some sprint efforts tomorrow. You game still? How about 3?

(I spoke with a good friend tonight - Nina, who is responsible for getting me into racing. This is what she said: "Well Jen, there's a difference between someone who is athletic and an athlete. I am athletic - I can do things but I don't have that passion and drive for what it takes to be an athlete. You do - you have it." - Nina Binder 3/15/05)

Training

T- 2 Hrs finishing w/ Tempo work 30-40m.
W- 2 Hrs w/ 4x30sec. leadout sprints, start from fast rolling start and attempt a sprint at the end of effort
T- 1-2 Hrs Easy
F- Rest Day, easy spin
S- Race
S- Race

M- 1-2Hrs Easy
T- 1-2Hrs Easy
W- 3Hrs endurance over rolling terrain
T-M Vacation
T- 2Hrs w/ speedwork, same as 1st wed's but include 2 powerstarts as well
W- 1 1/2-2Hrs w/ 3x12min. LT efforts

Remember, keep the bod feeling good during these workouts, you should feel like you are getting solid training from each workout, but you shouldn't feel like you are keeping residual soreness more than a day or so- we want you feeling fresh after your rest days, and ready to rock!

Officially 5' 9 1/4"

Too bad milk makes me sick to my stomach. Oh well. It's all shrinkage from here. At least I'm still taller than the majority of women.

Jill may try the bike today - to see how it fits. I'm going to lower and level the seat a tad to see if it releaves my pressure points....

The achilles is feeling great - it is thankful for rest days, that's for sure. Want to go on a ride tomorrow?

5'10" Blues

Lame. I am not as tall as I once thought. All my life, I've been living a lie. I am shorter than I thought I once was. That's it, I'm measuring myself in the morning.

Ryan meaured with socks, 5'9". With heals, 5'10". And with porn pumps 5'11 1/2". I am soooo freaking bummed. That's it I'm wearing the porn pumps ALL the time. Ha!

The ride was nice today - a mellow spin with one sling shot. The achilles is about as sore as my legs - a recovery day should do the trick for the next effort.

1st race = Podium

I learned a lot of the race today. What did work was launching some attacks to separate the field and break it up a little. It also helped to be in the first 1/3 to avoid the accordian effect. I brushed tires with one girl due to sudden braking and this girl behind me wigged out. I am not sure if that is what cause the fall or if she was just spooked to drop back in the pack.

The legs felt great - high cadence was key especially on the hills. There weren't many attacks - but those that were launched, we chased down immediately (I like to say that I was a big part of that - anyone trying to gap was caught in less than three strokes). It was funny - if I surged then everyone else did. But in the final sprint, I'm not sure what happened behind me because I dodging people like flies left and right while motoring by. Talk about an adrenaline rush. The woman who placed second won by a mere bike throw - I was maybe six inches from her. I threw too late. I will practice that more. Also, I want to get in a better position for the final sprint. I was maybe 15 women from the front, and passed all but 2.

I'm looking forward to when we have more team strategy going - so we can dominate the field. I'm happy that everyone finished, even if all of them were behind the pace car. It's going to be a fun season.

Ready to Rock

Been feeling antsy all day. I'm looking forward to the morning.

A tad sore

What a busy day. Woke up and went for a hour on the bike, then came home and had a 90 minute massage (the best one to date). Got to work a little late and immediately headed to Northgate to meet with our lenders. One of the properties we were acquirring had mold show up in an inspection report - not good. Time to play hardball. Got home and went for ride number 2 with 2x10min efforts. Felt strong - however, my achilles was a little tired from the past two days. Looking forward to the rest day today. Not even going to think about the bike.

Jill's potential Raleigh is so sexy. Holy cow that bike could win races by just looking at it. It has somewhat of the same geometry as my Kona. Something to consider for a race bike when the Kona is kaput.

Strong tempo

So I'm assuming your 3x8 min meant 8 minutes in tempo. The legs felt strong today - and by the third effort I was happy to only have three! I didn't eat much when I should have - I will plan better for that. Had I had enough calories to burn through, I'm sure I would have recovered sooner. Tonight I scarfed down sushi - our weekly amino acid fix. I can't wait till next week.

Looking forward to tomorrow's morning and afternoon ride. I'm getting a massage in the interim and then going to Modest Mouse tomorrow night. Sweet!

Also - I've been studying some racing tactics. It'll be interesting to discuss them with you and see your take on it.

Record highs

I went for a nice mellow ride today with Lin. We cruised down to Seward park and home. I can't believe this weather! It was soooo warm!

Training - what's next?

Rear derailleur

So my little spill yesterday slightly bent my frame right next to my rear derailleur causing it to slip when going hard and shifting. My boy hooked me up with 19 minutes of shop time left and his mom breathing down his neck about dinner plans. I found the perfect opportunity to let her know how awesome her son is and how of all the mechanics in Seattle, I will only use him. He smiled. And most importantly, he fixed my kink. What a guy.

WE'RE HAVING A PARTY- march 19 - food, keg, band, people.... mark your calendar! Bring some friends... we're going to have a great time!

I need to get you some money - I haven't heard from Molly yet.... do you have anytime mid-week?

What a weekend!

In retrospect, I'm sooooooo glad I didn't race this weekend. My achilles feels so fantastic - and I'm ready to race. Two days off - then we're on for Wednesday.

I learned a lot through observation. What to bring, what not to bring to the races. How to mentally prepare - what to listen to, what to eat, what not to eat; what to drink, who to surround yourself with before the race, etc, etc. Invaluable information.

It was great being around all of those gears, spandex and pumping legs. Despite being a spectator - I thoroughly enjoyed it. Being there - and showing the support to my teammates helped so much. I know there will be a time when I rely on them - and can because they know I will be and have been there for them. Right on.

We pre-rode the Snohomish course this afternoon. I will not be riding it - due to a previous LA engagment. But it is sweet. Definitely a climber's course and I'm a little bummed I won't be there for it. We did get attacked by a dog - I almost peeled off into a 15 foot drop into sticker bushes and Jill went down, hard. She conked her head pretty good and had a little blood on her hand, not to mention a strawberry knee. We took a wrong turn for the course and ended up at a mini mart with Snohomish's finest hicks. They were super nice and when Jill mentioned seeing stars and tracers - we immediately turned back and got her a ride back to her car. Roz and I finished the course - and my, oh my, what a fun ride. I figure if I didn't feel the heal, I'm golden. The baby shit is over. When we got back to the elementry school, Jill was on the phone and said, "uh, ladies, look." Low and behold, her hips looked like a big booty hoe's. Oh crap. She called the nurse line, decided it wasn't an emergency - put some ice on it and then we drove the course and headed back to Seattle. Lame!!! I hope she's ok!

Looking forward to beginning the training again - and having learned a lot from the past 4 weeks, I'm ready.

Anxiously waiting

I have mixed feelings about today. I missed the first race. I had an injured achilles. Today it felt better than it has in many, many days and it makes me wonder if I could have gotten away with racing on it today. It was nice being there for the team and in retrospect, I played it smart. The same race will happen next week - but I'm curious if my fitness will be good enough to compete. (And now the self-doubt rolls in...)

I am pretty down that I didn't get to be part of the action. I mean, I did my part. But I really wanted to pump the pistons and grind. Patience is a virtue. Tomorrow is a new day.

I went for a nice ride when I got home. I did almost get hit while on Alki - some guy pulled out right in front of me. I was traveling about 23-4 and slammed on the brakes to avoid collision. Close call.

Issues confirmed

Well the rain bike was off - way off and it is fixed now. Not to mention a release of pressure in my poptolous (sp?) a muscle back behind the knee. With that pressure released, my heel feels normal. I can't wait to see what it feels like in the morning.
We did some pedal analysis and I have an odd stroke. I am basically scrapping the gum off the sole of my right shoe, but the left is opposite. Time to work on some pedaling drills. I am feeling better about the achilles - optomistic in fact! We'll see how the weekend goes....

It's the rain bike

I know it is. I jumped on the trek this morning and was only able to ride 15 minutes before my achilles was screaming at me. The Kona didn't cause me any problems - and I've been putting all my miles on that bike up until today. It hasn't hurt like this - until I got on the Trek. I'm taking it with me for the bike fit and if they are unable to correct it - then I'm selling it. Know anyone looking for a rain bike?

I've learned my lesson. I am going to stay off the bike until I feel better. When I finally do get on the bike, I'm going to turn around as soon as I start to feel it. I am no longer concerned about losing my fitness - I only want to heal. Stupid Trek piece of shit.

day 1

pushed the pedals pretty hard today - mercer and home (32.4 miles) in just over 2 hours. The legs feel good - but the achilles is still there. I am really looking forward to when this issue will be gone. I scheduled a bike fit and analysis with Tim and Wendy Becker for Thursday night - to see if the strain is due to an improper alignment with the bike.

Aero Bars - help! Sooo many choices, so little knowledgable sales people.