Monday nights at Gasworks

Michelle Maislen of the NWWC contacted me earlier in the year asking if I would be available for any volunteer work. A ride leader position was available leaving from Gasworks - a mere 2 blocks from my house - so I was more than happy to give back to the community, could it get more convenient? Tonight was the first night and three women showed up. We managed to avoid the thundershowers and only have a little splash from the wet/muddy trail up to Matthews beach. I talked to each one about their interests - why they are on the ride, what they are hoping to get out of it, etc etc. Two out of the three women are completely new to the scene - ready to jump in with both feet. The third- Eden Marie - is in her first year of racing and will be an invaluable resource to help guide these women into the racing scene.

Both had the same questions - how do you train? What do you do? Hopefully I answered in a way to give them some direction - and I really hope they show up next week so I can talk to them more. I told one woman that cycling is a collection of experiences. Each training ride, race, conversation with coaches, fellow cyclists, reading information on the web - all adds to the ever increasing puzzle. Hopefully at the end of it you can make sense out of it all - and teach someone else what you learned.

Thank you for the continuous guidance. It is really refreshing and helpful to hear another perspective on my collection of experiences. I fully agree - racing is something that cannot be rushed. I am eager to learn more - but know that wisdom comes all in good time.

An Invitation....

I just got off the phone with my friend Emily. We had an interesting conversation - that ended up being an invitation. Let me fill you in on some back ground information... there's this local rider named Carrie Eller who is a strong Cat 2. She was on the Tamarack Team - a pro women's elite cycling team based out of Boise, Idaho. Emily is on the squad and some other women who are up and coming riders. From my understanding they are focusing on crits this year - and one of the highlights will be Superweek in WI. Carrie showed up to the first couple of Mason Lakes in Tamarack kits - but then last weekend I noticed she was showing Ti Cycles. Odd. I hadn't talked to Emily about it nor approach Carrie to find out why the sudden change in jersies. Well it turns out that Carrie decided to not ride with Tamarack this year and instead ride on Ti Cycles and be part of Erik Lynch's composite team to go to some larger stage races. What this all boils down to is that Emily was talking to Brooke, the director of the team, and she asked her if there was anyone else she knew who could possibly fill that void Carrie left. She said yes - although I had committed to another local team for the season - she would at least ask me what I thought. Frankly I'm flattered! Although I didn't say yes immediately - I would like to think it through before completely signing on. I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of the situation and make sure it's what I want to do 100% before I say yes. Pretty kick ass though. We'll see what develops - I need to think about it a little bit more. :)

Time for a breather

Yeah - I completely agree. I'm definitely over-training. I better knock that off before my body up and quits and refuses to push any harder. Today was a perfect example. We pre-rode TST (Tahuya-Seabeck-Tahuya) - one of the hillier courses in Washington. It's 65 miles with about 4 siginificant climbs. In between the climbs you battle rolling hills, chip seal and massive head winds. But occassionally you catch a glimpse of the Olympic Mtns and a bald eagle or two. It's one of those races that if you get dropped at (which I did last year) it's just a great ride for its scenic beauty. But that was not the mission today - it was a recon to see how the legs are feeling (tired) and how to attack on the hills (I'm improving!). I rode it with my friend Melinda (who used to be on Starbucks with me) and her burly muscular boyfriend Mike. He's a mountain biker who loves pain - he mentally beats himself up on climbs and kicks some serious booty up the hills. Keeping up with him is impossible - but some day I'll get him. :)

We talked a lot about bikes - I ride a Kona Kona frame with an Ultegra set up on it and clinchers. I love tubulars - but save the spendy tires for my track bike. ;:)

There was talk of racing tomorrow down in Oregon - but considering my training from this week I'm not going to do and opt for a short recovery ride (under 15 mph!) tomorrow. Okay - time for dinner and a movie tonight. More later.

lately

I've had a hard time waking up in the mornings. I've been putting in some extra long miles/hours on the bike this past week - and getting more than 8 hours a night of sleep - but I'm still feeling fatigued. Also it's early spring - which means the trees omit a pollen that make my asthma go crazy. At night I hack away at the gurggle in the back of my throat to try and clear it - I just hope I don't have another attack in the middle of a race like I did last year at Boat street.

Despite the increased miles (I'll have almost 300 for the week) - my body feels good. I've been making an effort to increase fluids and eating during the rides - which has helped my recovery time. I wake up feeling good in the morning - not stiff or sore - but fatigued all over. I think I have a rest week coming up soon - I've been building for about 3 weeks now. I'm getting sleepy just thinking about my bed right now.... maybe I'll take a nap later?

time to get serious

So I've been doing some thinking lately - especially in regard to my recent demeanor at last weekends race - and think it's time I truly committed to what I want to do. Suddenly it's becoming clear that if I really want to go for the gusto in women's elite cycling, then I need to start approaching it with a serious attitude and treat it like a full time job. Up until this point, I've often had conversations with fellow female riders that say they decided they don't want to pursue the next level in cycling because they enjoy it as it is. Am I insane for wanting to take it to the next level? I do enjoy cycling - but I enjoy winning more. And if I want to make it to the next stage then it's time I stop messing around and get serious about it.

This morning I thought to myself how disappointed I was for doing all of the ground work this winter - battling the rain/snow/ice/sleet mix and to only act like a giddy school girl when the nicer weather hits. Where's the intensity? Where's the roaring monster that kept me in the saddle during the dark months? The passion is still there - but I guess I'm just learning how to effectively tap into it and harness it into winning races.

I was surfing the net for some info on Functional Threshold Power for women and came across this blog by a woman who is seriously training for an Ironman. She included her training for the past three weeks - and one thing crossed my mind. Sure she's done far less actual training hours then I have, but her intensity is there. She makes it count each time she swims, bikes, runs.... she treats it like work. Luckily she's able to comingle her passion with work - and no doubt will she be successful at it. She inspired me to change my mental approach toward competitive cyling - because it's just that competitive. Save the shit eating grin for afterward - when you're on the podium. :)

Goomer

Amara just posted pics that her dad took at the race last weekend - and I am an idiot. Every single picture he took - and there's probably 8 or so - I'm smiling a big goomer shit eating grin. The funny part - here's a pic from my before getting dropped....
And here's one from after I got dropped on the second hill, first lap. Don't worry - every picture in between shows the pearly whites. Uh - Jen, are you forgetting that you are competing? It's supposed to be painful and you're not supposed to be having that much fun..... someone forgot to tell me that one. My husband just responded - you're not going to get picked up by a pro team using that tactic. I think I was just stoked to be racing my bike again - who cares what anyone else thinks?

On a side note - my test results came back. They are super low. I did the test indoors - and lacked the motivation to go until you feel like you're going to puke - to get a true feel for my power threshold. We ended up using data from some harder training rides. Regardless though - my power threshold needs to come up. I'm on the scale of a solid Cat 2 rider - but I want to be on a higher level. So we're focusing on increasing that until june/july when speed becomes the focus. This past couple of weeks has been a humbling experience. I just need to keep going and get past this rough patch....

understanding power

Miller had me do a test yesterday to try and figure out my power thresholds. We will look over the data tonight and be able to start focusing on power rather than heart rate or perceived exertion.

Now that I've had a couple of days to chill out and process what happened at the race on Saturday I'm starting to realize just how much I love this sport. I'm constantly learning from it - both physically and mentally - and figuring out how to avoid mistakes from happening again. There's truly nothing like experience. I'm back in research mode trying to find out more about it. One thing's for sure - you can't rush it. You have to let things take their natural course. Prime example - training. Although I feel like I did a lot of training this winter - it's nothing compared to what I will do to it next winter - or the winter after that. Miller refers to it as the Eddie Meryx approach. Thankfully I was blessed with a body that can take more training than the average woman. I can subject myself to more training - and do well. And two things are going for me this season - I'm fast and tough. Now if I can just work on the climbing and tt'ing. :) Crit season is beginning in two weeks - now that gets me amped.

I went for a mellow recovery ride today - the first one I've had in over two weeks. It felt really good to chill out. Miller surprised me this morning with a phone call and that he was willing to go on a ride - so we headed out to do the North end with a short stop in Kirkland. It was a social hour for him - he saw about 10 people he knew. It was funny.

We had a good talk - about training and how we both need to communicate to one another more than what's been going on. I admitted not wanting to call him too much - he has to have a life, right? He said that's not the case - I should call whenever I have a question. And he also said his athletes don't understand just how excited he is about their progress - something I didn't give much thought to before. We are now realigned with goals/coach/athlete relationship and should get things dialed back in. I'm releaved. Now I can just focus on winning some races. :0)

what to do, what to do, what to do

Today's race was - interesting. It's a new course out of Rochester, Wa with some rolling hills and two climbs. The first is about 1 k - 7-9% gradient and not too bad. You can pretty much power up it without feeling too tapped. The second hill is a kicker - 1/2 k at a 10-12% grade. It killed me. It was as though I threw out an anchor and said bombs away! Next thing I know I was kicked out the back gasping for air to catch back and and never quite made it. I ended up hooking up with Taylor and Michelle from Ti Cylces and trying to chase the main group. We were unsuccessful. Taylor ended up pulling off after about 6 miles and threw up on the side of the road. She wasn't feeling good before the race and was sick on Tuesday - and unfortunatley the intensity killed her. Michelle and I ended up finishing the race and getting Wa cup points - both dumbfounded that we were dumped off from the pack so quickly.

I think my training in Honolulu was a little too intense and I didn't recover adequately from it. All of those sprints - the stops and goes then the hill climbing - just took its toll. So when it came time to shove - I had nothing to give. A little frustrating. But I learned my lesson.

But wait! That isn't it at all! Well - it might have something to do with my lack luster performance. But another part - which Miller pointed out to me - is that I was in Zone 6 for about an hour prior to the second hill climb. So when it was time to push up the hill - I had no recovery in the legs and nothing to give. My mind was screaming at my body to go faster but I ignored its warning signs prior to the hill. I pushed too hard and didn't fully utilize the rest positions during the rotating paceline and climbing just a little so I could hang but not push the big wattage up the hill. The surges are what tax the legs - and they were surged out. Lesson learned. :)

Back in the saddle

It feels good to be home. Ryan and I were able to spend just under 24 hours together and we're back into the routine - he goes climbing for the weekend and I go race. Luckily I have an afternoon race - this jet lag is tiring! I'm already looking forward to bed.

Did a hour today with a couple of jumps. The body is feeling strong - and I'm looking forward to getting some intensity under the belt tomorrow. I'm debating the Roubaix race on Sunday - it sounds brutal. But I could use my old training wheels and let the gravel wreck havoc on them rather than my nice wheels.

On a side note - apparently I pissed my brother off while he was in the islands. I don't think he was expecting to have such a mellow time with Gam - his only experiences over there have been for vacation - not to nurse someone. I might have gotten on his case with his over eatting issue - reciprocating the brutal love he instilled on me when I was young and had a weight problem. I remember him putting me down and saying some nasty things. And I hope and pray that I didn't make him hurt in the same way. But I did let him know that eatting 4 manapuas (white dough with salty pork inside - approximately 900 calories each) was not good for him. I told him I was saying something out of love and that I want him around a while and in good health. He didn't want to hear that.

So again, I go into a race without a clear head. Last time I had inner turmoil was when Joyce and I blew up. I have learned though that I am able to block out all those inner and outer demons and just race. Not to say that I strive for drama - because that's the last thing I want. Hopefully George and I will get to talk tonight.

thanks!

Thank you for your comment/compliments. I appreciate them. I will shut up now about seeing if anyone reads my blog anymore. That one should last me for a year or so.

My grandmother is doing much better. I leave today for home and my mom comes back from Australia to figure out some long term care for her. We spent some meaningful time on the beach yesterday - talking about life and how important it is to take care of your body. She's in the recovery phase and working on physical therapy.... and she has a hard time with not seeing overnight results. As a 4 time right knee surgery veteran I was able to pass on my wisdom that the end result takes time and patience, not to mention dedication to get there. I think she understood what I was saying.

As far as training with other people - yes, I know that's one weakness I have. During the winter it was difficult to find someone who had the time to train as well as the will to train in our weather. But I'm sure they're out there. That saying haunts me from boxing ... "Someone is out there training harder than you and when you meet them in competition they will beat you." That's all I have to think about that keeps me going in less than ideal training conditions. I know, it's sick. And believe it or not - I do have a coach who was a junior phenomeneneon (sp?!) and with the little bit of hands on that I get from him I get alot. But it's been a while ----- and he's way past due for a training ride with me. :) Still - I need to find a core group to train with and push me outside of my comfort zone.

So in the meantime - I'm thinking of doing some traveling this summer to some bigger races and get some more experience. I hear Superweek is a great experience - and I will get to some NRC races. And track season is just around the corner - where I'll be taking it up a notch and racing with the men.

It is pouring down rain right now. We're taking full on monsoon style. I can't believe the island hasn't washed away. Amazing. I wish you could hear it.

Readers?

I often wonder if anyone out there reads my random blog anymore. No comments... did I completely unable them? Crazy.

Did some hill repeats on the Pali this afternoon. It felt good to get the heartrate going. It's super muggy today. George left to head home - he was pissed because the manapua store was closed today. He didnt' need 3 dozen anyway. His waist will thank them!

Mental preparation

I talked to my friend Melinda yesterday. She called to say hello and find out what's been going on. She won the Mason Lake series - and is going to upgrade so I'll get to start racing with her again! I'm stoked. In the meantime I've been using this time as preparation for racing. I can't wait to get back to it. But maybe a break in the early season will result in greatness overall. We shall see.

The SUN!

I can't help but feel a little neee neeer neee neeer neee neeeeeeeeer! to all those Washingtonians who are racing in the rain this morning while I pedaled in the warm Hawaiian sun. I'm lounging in a tank top and shorts as we speak - with all of the doors and windows with screens open to let the air pass through the house. It feels great - and other than missing Ryan - I'm getting more used to being over here. My tan is certainly improving!

Red Hot Training

Pedaling in 80 degree with 90 % humidity is different - especially when you're used to freezing rain cold in Washington. But I'm not complaining at all! I get to work on my funny little bikers tan...

It's hard though when there's no real hills to climb on the way - I'm going to try and seek some out today.

Doing some serious hill repeats in the heat of the tropics. Feels good to exercise and is keeping me sane.

Family Emergency

I got a call last night from my mom in Australia saying that my grandmother is in the hospital. Upon calling her back I found out they think she had a mini-stroke although preliminary tests are not revealing what actually happened. I worried through the night as my uncle flew from Kona to Honolulu to see if he could find out what's going on. He and the family are leaving today for the east coast for Kim's father's wake and my mom won't be back through HNL till the end of the month. Since I"m the closest and available relative, I booked a flight this morning for tomorrow and will return in two weeks. They don't know if they will release her yet - but it's best to have someone there with her when they do so she has some assistance at home. She lives by herself in the Pali and is 90 years old. It's truely amazing she's made it this long without assistance in her daily activities - but I think it's time.

I'll be missing some early season races - but should be able to stay fit while over there. The Pali has some excellent climbs and I should be able to wander all over the neighborhoods in search of elevation. The island is in flash flood warning mode - so hopefully the rain will stop eventually. Most important though - I hope my grandmother is ok.

The training must go on!

Despite the blistery winter weather enveloping the PNW. They closed the 520 bridge yesterday due to high winds... it was so stormy that I dared not risk going outside to deminish my love for pedaling. Instead I stayed inside where it was warm and dry, popped in the 2004 Tour and spun away 60 miles with a 30 minute LT effort. Lance, Jan and Ivan never cease to amaze me. Those guys rock.

My fitness is coming along - the longer 60 + mile rides are no longer as taxing and it doesn't take me as long to recover. Part of it is probably due to diet and hydration - something I am a firm believer in. It's Thurday already which means tonight I make sure all of my race clothing is ready for a weekend of wet cold riding.... snow showers are threatening on Saturday at Mason but we should have clear skies on Sunday.

Ryan watched me churn out some wattage last night on the trainer and commented on how even my pedal stroke is. I can't beleive how far it's come in one year! Amazing.

spring showers bring may flowers!

I checked the weather early this morning and according to their guestimate the morning was going to be better than the afternoon. I jumped at the chance to avoid the 40 degree driving rain and hail - but within 20 minutes of hopping on the saddle it started to come down. I figured, I'm headed out anyway so why not go super late to work .... you never know what the afternoon will hold weather wise. Especially considering how freaked out the meterologists are right now about what's in store for the PNW.

I was headed to do 3 hill repeats in the big chainring - grinding on the knees. It started to really rain when I hit Bothel and then continued to come down for the remainder of my hill efforts. I took off my fenders for race season and my ass got soaked. It was okay cruising up hill but the downhill was CHILLY... and then I had to ride home an hour and twenty minutes.

As soon as I got to work the rain stopped - it looked like it was going to be nice. And then this HUGE rain cloud came and dumped off enough rain to flood the streets. Phew - am I glad I went this morning or what?!

Ice Breaker TT

I woke up Sunday to rain and wind gusts that sounded like they were going to knock my wind chimes off the porch. Perfect conditions for the seasons first individual time trial! A true test to see who's fit and mentally strong for 10 miles out and back in flat Black Diamond, WA area. The weather report said 90% chance of rain with 18 mph winds and a high of 46. Ahhhh the great PNW.

Luckily I preregistered and knew my starting time (if you have the option - I HIGHLY recommend it - last year a friend and I showed up without preregistering and waited 4 hours for her start time). I broke out my Zipp 909 disc set - it's only seen action on the track so I was excited to find out what it would feel like on the road. It was risky using the disc on such a windy day because gusts could easily make you waver and lose time. But I only had a few instances of panic.

The start went really well - solid and up to speed within the first 500m. There was an awesome tailwind out to the 5 mile point, where you slow to turn around and fight it on the way back in. My disc sounded great - you can really feel when you are utilizing the full pedal stroke or not. It's nice to have something to audibly focus on. I hauled out to the mid way point and then focused on pushing a little harder on the way back in - a little above my LT heart rate... but not too much so my power would peak and valley. With TT's - it's all about consistency. The finish line was in sight and a guy passed me on the left - I shifted up and hammered it across the line in a sprint like fashion. (Probably not the most efficient but I'm still learning how to harness the power.) It felt good - like puking but then the endorphins kicked in and I was floating on cloud nine. If my calculations were correct - I was in the 26 minute range... knocking over 5 minutes off my time from last season. It wasn't until later on that night I found out my time was 25:55... 5 seconds shy of 6 minutes from last year. Holy cow. Uhhh.. thanks coach! It put me in 5th position - and something to work with. By the end of the season I want to be rocking in the 23-24 minute range. Not bad though for the start of the second season.

Do you ever have the feeling like you're hungry but nothing really sounds good? Pizza - usually.... nah, pasta... nah, burritos.... mmmm maybe..... homemade one though and right now my legs are a wee bit heavy.

The race this morning went well. My fitness is a lot better than before - but I botched the final sprint. Actually I got boxed in and by the time I reved the engine up it was finished. But it's cool - it was a training race regardless. Now I just have to work on moving up in the field during the finish and not getting boxed in. Maybe next time I'll do some bumping. I'm happy with my performance - top 10.... could have been better but it's a training race and only that... no money to be had and its a great chance to scope out the competition. I bet Leif is just dying right now! The 1/2 men field had to do 72 miles - luckily it's absolutely gorgeous out right now.

All in all the race was good. mason is funny - it doesn't seem like the attacks ever go anywhere. There's usually just too big of a head wind. In retrospect - I might have gone a little easier on the risers. I would stand up and grind through them - causing the latic acid to build up in the legs and making recovery a little longer than it needed to be. I felt good though - the base miles are definitely paying dividends. Hopefully there's enough of them built up that recovery will be excellent. Actually - come to think of it... day two of high intensity typically is stronger for me. Tomorrow will tell though.

Doubley Sure

I just laid out all of my race clothing for tomorrows test. Okay - so I may have gotten a little out of control. I mean, how many hats will I need? I packed my rain hat, my cold hat and my not so cold hat. Then I packed my leg warmers, knee warmers, two shorts ... one might be too cold. I went out the other day in just one pair and nearly froze my toosh off! But realistically... I'll be warmer than usual with the intensity increased - but who knows... maybe my fitness is so much greater that the field will freeze me to death. We'll see. I'm curious to see how my teammates are doing... I know Amara raced last weekend but I haven't really heard the details of that. And Taylor - not sure what she's been up to at all. But we shall see! Hopefully we will all work together during the races and make some amazing impact. We'll be the local hit squad. Fabulous.

In preparation for the racing I detailed my bike and dusted off my sweet sounding DT Swiss Rims. They actually feel quite a bit faster than my other wheels - or maybe it's because I reserve them for special race times. Whatever it is - may they bring me through the finish line safe and rubber side down. (And of course FIRST!) :)

Starting to show signs

I saw my massage thearpist this morning. I swear - she's the best dang rubber in the whole world! Ha ha. She commented though on how much stronger my body feels compared to three weeks ago. She really noticed it in my hammies, calves and back as well. I haven't gained any muscle mass - meaning, I'm not tipping the scales any heavier - but my muscles have gotten leaner and meaner in the process of hill repeats and skiing. She commented - your coach must be amazing. Great compliments all around - she rules.

two days and counting - tweaking the bike tonight for any last minute adjustments and preparing to rock the house shortly.

stomach pains

just got home from a south end juant and downed a glass of endorox. But for some reason my belly is bloated out like I'm 6 months pregnant and I'm having a hard time standing up. Something was seriously wrong with my recovery drink.

Got to hang with a couple guys today on a late morning ride. Leif has been on his bike but once a week - and he was hurtin' half way through the ride. I'm feeling good - looking forward to detailing the bike later tonight and getting it race ready. I'm looking into getting a Zipp 404 w/ a powertap hub for a set of serious race wheels. Should be phatty.

Two days and counting till race time. Saweet.

Raindrops

Rain, rain - GO AWAY! Come again next winter! Actually the good news - spring is definitely almost here because our weeping willow just outside my kitchen window is starting to show bright green buds. I'm looking forward to the warmer weather and trying to tan this ghostly white freckle face of mine.

Later today I get to battle the dew and do Juanita hill repeats. Fun times! The catch is timing it right so you don't get run off the road by the crazy commuters. I'm hoping for mid-afternoon summits - a total of 4. The other trick is good music ...

It's hard to believe it's been only a year since I started racing. This Saturday is the first Mason Lake in the series and it's funny looking back on how much I've experienced since then. I was rereading some of my emails during the season -especially when it got hot and heavy with the Starbucks leadership and am so thankful I don't have that stress anymore. What an emotional drain!

Cyclng is a very social sport. But for right now it seems as though going solo is the way to be. It'd be great to race with some teammates who have a similar drive and goals as I do - and I hope I meet them within the next year. Am I alienating myself too much by not joining an all womens local team? Okay enough pondering - time to study.

ride - like ANIMAL

So Zana and I headed out this morning and avoided the rain. My legs felt the previous days efforts and it took a while for the Vitamin I to take effect. But once it did we were good to go and climbed Norway Hill and then dipped into Juanita. We stopped for a quick wrap on the eastside before embarking on the remainder of our ride - which included Mercer Island instead of the south end. Suddenly, half way around the island, the legs felt like a million bucks and I started sprinting like a mad woman. I miss sprinting - but in a few short days I will be right back at it again in a race simulation. FUN!!!

Exhausted....

I knew the reprecussions of doing night skiing last night would take a toll on today's ride - but I had no IDEA just how exhausted I would be after doing 66 miles with two shallow Cougar Mtn repeats. I'm ripped up. Time for couch.

Ready, set, ride - especially before the rain comes down!

I'm looking at very high clouds at the moment and off the coast lumes a huge rain front working its way inland. Time to hit the bike up and try to avoid any precipitation in the form of snow on good old Cougar Mtn. Flying solo this morning - but it should be a good workout.

in the middle of the night

I awoke, listening to my dog whimper along side the bed. Knowing it's better not to ignore her, I got up and let her outside to watch her scamper back and forth doing the shit dance at 4:30am. After letting her back in, I crawled back in bed only to toss and turn for an hour and a half before finally realizing sleep was not going to come unless I silenced the tum tum. I was more than happy to shovel down another piece of pizza from dinner. The morning's weigh in showed just how smart that was though. Ahhh the scale. It's a love/hate relationship. Depending on which way it tips - it can either make or break the day. I try not to dwell on it but having a weight problem in the past does wonders for my paranoia. And I recently read a quote that if you want to become a better climber than lose weight.

I read through some of my blogs from last year - wow. I can't believe how much you learn in the first year of racing. It's been a trip and the journey has just begun!

a wee heavy

I woke up this morning - day two of rest week - to extremely heavy legs. They feel like they've gaining 10 pounds a piece.... thank goodness today is an easy hour or so. You know it's funny - I felt guilty for not putting in the serious miles the past week or so and now I'm more fatigued than I would have imagined from those hard efforts.

The days are just ticking away - one by one down to the start of the racing. I've been following the National coverage on both Valley of the Sun and Tour of California. Two things struck me - first the Sun tour is highly supported by Trek/VW racing team .... banners and signs posted all over the finish line. Interesting. And second the Cali tour has some excellent coverage. It's definitely motivating on both aspects for the upcoming season.

Sunday ride

Sunday rides rule. Today especially - although I must admit I like to do morning rides to get them done and out of the way. But to avoid any mishaps with the impending ice I went out at 1pm. It was a cloudless day - a common thing for the past several days. We had a high pressure northeasterly move into the area bringing colder air (into the teens at night).... and to be honest I did some riding inside rather than risk injuring a cold achilles or hammy. They say the rain should be back tomorrow - my nose and buggs will be thankful!

Zana and I headed out the North end from mi casa and did Hollywood Hill x 3. I'm getting more confident with climbing the hills and have developed a rythm and concentrate on the hip flexer sensation while billy goating up the hill. It seems to be working so far! I think the reality is the VO2 efforts starting to show their importance on the longer rides. I look forward to expressing that in a race.

I must admit I think the training gets me more hyped up then the actual races. All of the anticipation and training - it's finally coming to a head in a few short weeks. Thank goodness. I'm anxious to see if the time I put in with Miller and training will pay off. How can it not though?

The last push...

So today marked the last VO2 max interval - and I won't have to do those again until next year. I'm sad because I only just recently figured out how to adequately train that way. Had I known what I knew before then I could have gone harder. But now I know what wattage output I want to achieve and how the burn should feel in the legs. I'm interested to see what kind of an improvement I will have in the upcoming time trial. And to think - it'll be here in about one month!

Over the past couple of days I've felt a little down on how little of mileage I've been putting in - but it's funny how quickly that's forgotten right after a hard effort. I'm looking forward to seeing if all of this hardwork will pay off.

catch 22: the numbers don't lie

I guess I didn't mentally prepare myself for the up and down side of being able to collect power data and see how the workouts are going. Up until this point everything I've trained with has been based on percieved exertion - which is a poor indicator when it comes to hard VO2 efforts and time trialing. Luckily TT is something very trainable and that's one of the reasons I invested in a powertap but damn those numbers hit me a little harder than I thought they would yesterday.

For example - I've been doing hard efforts for the past two weeks. But last week during the second day of training, I severly slacked off from the previous effort. Maybe it was because I was tired... maybe listening to some downer music... having a bad training day.... whatever it was - now that I can look at the numbers I found out that I should have just quit that session. On the flip side though - without a poor performance I would have nothing to tell me when to pour on the gas or to ease up. So now I know an actually wattage output to benchmark the remainder of my VO2 sessions with. (And I have to remind myself that I am still wet behind the ears.)

Tomorrow I have one more VO2 workout and then my hard work will show in the season... which is less then 3 weeks away. Ryan helped ground me later that night - for which I am so thankful for. Even though I had several great workouts with high wattage output I dwelled on the one that wasn't. Out came the perfectionist. But the reality of the situation - now I have something I can easily work toward and improve. A very good and important lesson to learn.

My mom had this chest freezer stored out in our garage for the past 4 years. I remember looking inside of it about 4 years ago to see frozen fish and chicken. It quickly became a spot to store other garage items on top of - and as our garage filled up with more and more junk, I forgot about the freezer. That is until my mom offered it to my brother who would actually use it. He came over on a cold day in January and we went out to the garage - opened up the lid only to discover the most rancid and stinky freezer ever. Somewhere in the midst of moving things in the garage, grabbing garden tools, mowing the lawn, etc etc, the freeze was unplugged. For all we know it's been unplugged for the past 4 years. My brother related the smell to that of a dead corpse that he occassionally has to deal with at his job as a deputy. YUCK.

Three weeks went by and apparently my mom felt aweful about the whole situation. She kept telling me that I needed to deal with it - but how? Should I wheel it down the street and put a free sign on it? Along comes a poor bystander who opens it and discovers dead carcasses in it? Or do I dump it down the street in the middle of the night and then call the city to say someone abandoned a freezer in our yard and someone needs to dispose of it?

Well the answer came in an unexpected way - a newspaper article about a couple who cleans up life's little nasty messes for a living. Apparently there's a strong demand for people who will clean up suicides, murders, etc etc - and this was certainly the perfect job for them. Honestly - it probably smelled worse than a dead body. Still I waited in calling them - mainly because the smell was still burnt in my nostriles. Then the mail came and in it was the number for Urget Care - another couple who was more than willing to deal with our smelly mess. $500 seemed cheap to deal with our little problem.

They even came over later that afternoon and adorned white suites with full resporators - they looked like martians. They dragged the dead solider out of the garage, opened the lid and started cleaning the fish and chicken out. Then they wheeled the freezer down the driveway and dumped the liquid into the closest drain. I took some photos for documentation - they looked hilarious! But gone is the smelly freezer. Now where am I going to stash a dead body? Just kidding.

So I got a call this morning from a friend of mine who is having some trouble understanding what's expected of her from her team. Actually she's not having trouble understanding what's expected because that has been made perfectly clear to her - but she's having trouble understanding the logic behind the concept and the reality of the situation. Let me give you an example.

This past weekend they went on a team ride. This is a Cat 4 team - with only 5 experienced (a year or more as a Cat 4) riders on the team - the remaining 10 new to the scene. They went to preride a race course to know what to expect and work on break aways. Enter in hill - the stronger riders reach the summit, the middle riders follow shortly behind and the less than fit riders get dropped. The less then fit riders proceed to get mad at the strong riders for being strong and the leaders start bitching to the strong riders that they are too strong. And because this team talks about everything they have a team meeting about it to bash the people who are stronger riders, forcing them to apologize for being stronger. Mind you this is a team ride - so everyone understands the team concept. However, how will this translate into a race? Do the strong riders have to forgoe their opportunity to stay with the pack and learn to stick with the lowest denominator? Ohhh man, I am so glad I'm not facing that anymore.

I think the issue lies in the lack of experience of management in regard to racing. Not saying that they can't learn - however, they are not being open to other discussion or ideas about how to run a competitive racing team and as a result are going to drive the strongest riders away. I'd be very surprized if everyone stayed with the team next year.

Anyways - I told my friend that there are other options available to her. But from my experience they should be approached with caution. She asked me if there was availability on Gregg's team - and it popped an idea into my head... but no, no - I have to focus on my long term goal.

Happy Valentine's Day!

inspiration

Last night we watched the Olympics on both the Canadian station and US version. It's funny how different the coverage and approach to the Olympics differs between the two and one more reason to thank that wonderful inventor of the remote control. But one thing I noticed on the Canadian station was the human element and appeal of each of the athlete. They didn't just cover the more well known and already hyped athletes - they highlighted all of the superstars out there and giving it their best. It triggered a memory and my first recollection of wanting to be an Olympian. Back in '84 the Olympic torch made its way through Eugene - right on west 7th and my dad was honored in carrying the torch as it made its way down to LA. I watched, mezmorized as a little 6 year old. Then later I recall watching the events on TV and always thought I could do that. Not one single sport appealed to me - but all of them. Seeing athletes in their peak form and giving it everything they have.

It's funny how looking back over time at my athletic choices how sure I tried every sport under the sun - but honestly, I can remember judging a sport as to whether or not it was an Olympic one. Boxing shortly went out the window once I realized how much opposition there was against female fighting. But what an amazing feeling to be part of the first women's world championship.

And now with cycling - I've told myself if I really want to get there I have to dedicate myself completely to this sport. I can't waver - I can only keep my eye on the big target... because only hard work and dedication will get me there. It's going to be a difficult road but my support network is huge and I can't wait to celebrate with all of them at each success.

the rub down

I finally got back into the massage kick - it's been a long time since I've been. And oh how I missed them! But I am happy to say I am back to it once every three weeks with Genieve at her new practice in Fremont. She is seriously the best MP I have ever had and if you are in the Seattle area and need someone damn good to see - let me know and I'll give you her contact info.

Even though it's been several months since I last saw her - she said my body feels great and is responding well to the increased stress I'm putting on the body. I was a little worried with VO2 work that my body would start breaking down - but it is responding and doing well.

She commented that Russell Stevenson comes in for massages and his calves are always tight and won't budge at all. Whereas mine are supple to the touch and I'm not wound up like a gasget ready to blow. Thanks Gen - that just gives me more confidence that what I'm doing is right and good things will happen.

I picked up a fortune cookie today - "You will be presented with several good opportunities."

VO2 Block

Yesterday was the first real day of VO2 max riding. After work I headed down to Seward to do my 6 intervals on the Boulevard - and it was gorgeous out. Perfect conditions for some hard riding. The first interval went by pretty fast and I felt good. The second went by fairly fast as well and I was putting out a decent amount of power for the entire 4 minute session. And then every interval after that fatigue started settling into the legs - the last two were a struggle. And when the going went tough - I started visualizing the last few kilometers of a race and driving the pace. I heard this great quote last night "pain is just a sign of weakness leaving your body." Well said. I'm still trying to figure out how to disect a powertap file so I can compare intervals to one another.

Actually I enjoy working hard - it makes me feel like I accomplished something. And then there's the endorphine rush that comes gushing in... I haven't felt that since last race season. Come to think of it - that's the addiction with road racing vs. track. You are more likely to have the endorphine-I-just-worked-my-ass-off-for-over-an-hour high road racing then track racing. Except when you have a 100 lap points race with lots of sprinting and little to no recovery. Either way - as an adreniline junky I'm getting my fix. :)

So today at work I had waaaaay too much free time on my hands and did a bunch of cycling research. I also went back and reviewed emails from Joyce at the start of last season - and they were helpful but I think I tapped her resources and experiences withing two months of racing and she grew frustrated with me. There were some useful pieces of information that she shared - and today I went back through and picked out some of the best info... here's a snip it.

Climbing is a developed skill, so in the meantime, this weekend try two
things. When you hit a hill pick a wheel and determine to stay on it
for dear life. I just stare at the wheel in front of me and follow
every twitch. If I recover, I try to pass them, which bolsters my
confidence. If that doesn't work, if I can't hold the wheel, I just get
into my own rhythm and forget about everyone else around me. Just think
about getting to the top and once your there, gear up and try to power
back up to whomever is left. Don't wait for anyone behind you, as you
now know ;) Think about floating to the top. Pretend you have a
tailwind. Think about Lance climbing the Alp D'Huez. Put a song in
your head. Think about how bad it hurts, then play games w/ your mind
to ignore the pain. I'm not the best of climbers either - when I
started, people always said - you have the body of a climber and then lo
and behold, I'm a sprinter. Those two things are generally mutually
exclusive, so don't sweat it. Look at Robbie McEwen - that guy is
barely making the cut offs in the mountain stages in the tour, but
winning every sprinters stage. Now you know what you are and you can
play to your strengths, like in the crit.

Okay, okay. So my blogging has been a little more scarce and boring. I blam it on Ryan's and my new found addiction to the Soprano's. We watch 2-3 episodes a night and can't turn them off. It's great down time from the bike but we've already watched damn near 20+ shows and at 50 minutes a piece - well that's a ridiculous amount of time to spend in front of the tube. I think we wouldn't be watching as much if Ry's neck wasn't screwed up. He tweaked it about a month ago and still has a hard time with full mobility. And when Ryan can't exercise - he drives me crazy. :)

This past weekend lent to some interesting riding. On Saturday we had "the worst wind storm in 6 years" pass through the Seattle area. My backyard looked like a branch sprawl and filled our yard waste container after clean up. I don't know what to do about our yard - we don't have any grass anymore and it looks like a huge mud pit. Thanks to all the rain we have mass moss growing. I'm almost ready to hire a landscaper to come out and give their professional opinion. Anyway - back to riding. I was invited by Tim to do a CT workout for an hour or so. I jumped on that and managed to get in a total of 2.5 hours.

Sunday was fun - I hooked up with Kele at 9:30 at the UW bridge and we headed to the south end on our way to Cougar. We were almost to Seward when she said her front wheel felt funny and had to stop. Good thing - her rim from years of breaking and grinding in dirt into it splintered apart. "Mike usually takes care of things - that's why that wheel was sitting alone in the corner!" Thank goodness my neck gimped husband was on call and after a trip to Ballard to refill our Biodiesel while he waited for a guy with a 40 gallon pick up truck to fill up - headed to Seward with a spare front wheel and on we went. It was only an hour later when we got moving again - and the hungry bell started screaming at me. Then as we were at the base of cougar putting excess clothing away in our fanny pack like jersery's - Kele discovered she had busted off a rear spoke. But rather than take it off and add it to the plethora of goodies in her pockets - she wrapped it around another spoke and said - "I'm not letting a broken spoke keep me from doing this climb - twice." Freaking' hardcore! So I told her basically the route (minus a few important details) on how to get up the mountain and said I'd meet her at the top. Already I was defeated in my climb mentally (something I am seriously working on!.... I think I can, I think I can I think I can Etc, etc.) and off we went. So the section I forgot about leant Kele into taking a wrong turn and next thing I know I'm rounding the last corner and her she comes like a climbing banchee behind me and whirls by. It was as if I was standing still. Well - if she can do it I can do it. And I'm going to die trying to climb from now on. I talked to Miller about it and he said it just comes with practice and getting in the rythm. And I'm going to throw myself at it just like I do with any other physical challenge and I'm bound to see improvement from where I'm at. :)

But back to the ride - so we're on our way back down the hill and we pass these three guys and he yells at Kele something to the effect of "IMPRESSIVE." Nice work kele - if he only knew about your front rim and then rear spoke - or maybe you told him about it on your way up the hill as you screamed by....

Ready, Set RACE!

The season is almost upon us. Today is my first hard effort of VO2 max and if all goes well I'll start going really really fast. The base miles are accounted for - I did some nice hard work throughout the months of December and January - now it's time to test the legs and see what kind of umph they have in them.

I can't believe it's only bene a year since I started racing. Time has flown by and suddenly I'm finding myself back in the anticipation stage. Racing starts in a month and now I have to pick and choose which events I want to do. We have so many stage races to chose from locally - and it's a great way to find out your strengths as an all around racer. I look forward to the challenges that entails.

dang! I missed it!

I meant to post on Groundhog's Day. I'm bummed I missed the chance! Oh well - the little critter saw his shadow - whatever that means. All I know is that Seattle was hit with one hellofa storm yesterday and they closed the 520 bridge. I got to ride inside - but made the most of it.

And..... it stopped raining! Yahoooooo!!!!

inspiration

I was reading one of the sites I visit frequently and came across the 2006 world cup team announcement for track. For the first time in a while, the US has a full roster for female endurance track riders. The max is 10 - and a couple of the women on the team were brand new to track this past year and have tons of road experience. It gave me a lot of hope and inspiration considering I was competing with them in August even though it was my first year in the sport. If they can do it - I can do it. I'm looking forward to showing the world I've got something special and what it takes to be a world class athlete.

no bike :(

I just received word that the bike I might have been able to ride for the season was veto'd and put back into the travel fund. The only reason I'm a little bummed abou the situation is that I got my hopes up, like I knew I shouldn't have, and then when it didn't work out I got a little upset. It' s not like I was promised anything for being on the team - I'm not even sure if I have to pay for the entire cost of the jersey's yet. I guess you just have to roll with the punches.

I'd like to take back my bashing I posted earlier. I wrote it out of anger and don't think it expressed how I truly felt about the situation. Gregg's is a great team - I just got my hopes up a little too high when I shouldn't have.

Enough said.

Whistler Weekend

Had a blast this weekend. Leif invited Ryan and I up to his parents condo in Whistler for a weekend of skiing and fun. We jumped at the chance to hit up Blackcomb mountain and skied our brains out. It was a much welcomed break from the 20+ hours a week of riding that has consumed my every thought over the past couple of weeks. Saturday was filled with exploration - we managed to do Spanky's Ladder which was an awesome experience. Basically you take 3 lifts up into the Alpine and then hike up a ridgeline that dumps you over onto the back side with chutes and scarey decents. The snow was soooo good and deep and the visibility wasn't that good so I have no idea what we really skied. All I know is that it was deep and steep - perfect conditions for a true double black diamond. We finished the day off with Outer Limits - which stretched my upper limits of skiing ability. I try to ski the trees - but unless I'm super aggressive and on it then it becomes a side slip fest and I didn't enjoy that part as much.

Day two - Whistler mountain. Leif and Kelly decided to take it easy so we met up with Jonah at 9 and headed into the alpine bowls. Despite only having a trace of snow the night before, the upper bowls were amazing. We had lots of face shots and even fresh tracks! The icy entrance to the back bowls deters a lot of intermediate skiers so the crowds were kept at a minimum. I have never been so exhausted from skiing before - where one turn after another results in a face plant. Midway through the day Ryan and I ended up colliding and eatting shit on hard packed groomer run - I'm not sure what happened. All I know is that my hip flexer is inflamed and pissed at me. Miller's going to kill me. Good thing he doesn't read my blog anymore!!!

All in all it was a great weekend and a good way to complete my base training miles. Now I just have to spend some time learning my new Powertap gadget. Cheers!

Typical Tuesday

Except - the sun came out and stayed out all day today! I had a warm ride! And apparently it was warm enough to break out the weekend warriors on their road bikes and spandex - and I saw.... dunt dunt DUNNNNNNNT - naked knees! There were these two buddies cruising along near the U and I was slowly gaining on them. You know the STP type with aero bars and feeling emancipated from their wives for a jaunt on the trail. I finally got close enough to pass them where the trail splits near Metropolitan market and Ronald McDonald housing. The one in the back said, "this dude wants to pass" - I didn't say anything until I passed the guy in front and said in the most feminine voice I could muster "nice day to be out on a ride." I think they were flabbergasted. Funny - I didn't see them after that.

hahaha - but who's the joke really on? I don't know whether to be offended or proud that I was mistaken for a man! Hahahaha - I think it's funny. :) Maybe I should work on my passing voice (husky and testostorone filled...) ON YOUR LEFT. I am starting to grow chest hairs you know. hahahaa

The sun came out today. It was marvelous! That along with riding with kele lifted my spirits emensly. I think the SAD was starting to take its toll - at least that's what I'm blaming it on. :) But I'm feeling much better now about riding my bike and think that I just had a bad day yesterday. So sorry if I sounded too sappy.

Last night I woke up at 2am hungry. I didn't realize it until two hours had passed by and I finally got up and grabbed some pizza from the kitchen. I slept like a baby after that and then went on a nice long ride today. My weight is a little lighter than usual - and I think my body is trying to tell me that it needs more calories. Mmmmm ice cream.

benchmark

so I'm going to list the positives first -

1. Learned a new route
2. Got to use my power tap for the first time.
3. Set a easy time to beat in the future (I hope!)
4. Got to experience Ian kicking ass up the mountain
5. Had a nice long ride home solo

Today was the notorious Cougar Mtn hill climb test. Miller decided to take a bunch of people up to time them and see how our fitness and climbing is coming along. I did it in 19.18.... and I want to widdle it down to right about 16 minutes flat. That's a lot of time to make up - but considering that's the first time I experienced the steep side of Cougar - I can only improve. The weather was also a challenge - 39 degrees and pouring. Made for a chilly ride home - that's for sure!

You know, as much as I love riding with the guys - I just wish there was another woman along to compare my progression with. That's a huge downfall of not being part of a women's team this year and I'm definitely going to take it into consideration for next year. I expect the men to beat me - especially in the hills but just having some estrogen there will definitely help.

Reality of what I'm trying to do is starting to really sink in - this work is really hard. I feel discouraged a lot and am starting to lose focus. I finally broke down today and cried - sometimes you need to do that to get better. I remember back when I was boxing and I had this 14 year old popped me in the nose really good. I went into the women's locker room later that night and bauled my eyes out. But I picked myself up, dusted myself off and didn't let that little shit head get the best of me again. So I'm thinking cycling is really starting to challenge me - mentally and physically and maybe I need a good pop in the nose to move forward from here.

training with purpose

It's funny how life will through you a life line when you least expect it. I thought I was going to have to do some soul searching for the answer to my lackluster training mentality - and bam! USA cycling sends out a newsletter this morning with a beaming Sarah Hammer on the front page and an article on the second page about training with purpose. The article talked about making each training ride count - and not let it roll into just a ride. Some where in the midst of training all these hours - I was focusing on the hours going by - and not the importance of the serious training I am putting in. Ryan had another good point too - what I'm doing is not going to be easy. I have big goals and aspirations - and to get there I'm going to have to put in some serious time and mental capacity to achieve them. Not to be cliche - but champions are made a day at a time. Just when the going gets tough - I have to remember to keep at it.

Plus only 10 more days of this long endurance work and then I'll be onto lighter hours - but harder intensity. I'm looking forward to a change.

On a side note - we went out to dinner last night at the Met with George and Jaimie in celebration of G's birfday. It was a lot of fun and I ate some really really rich food. I wonder how many calories I consumed!

you know it's bad when...

you see the sunrise and sunset on your bike - the same day! I have been putting in some serious mileage and time spent on the bike lately and it's starting to wear on me. Not necessarily physically - although I am tuckered out - but mentally this is really getting challenging. I'm finding it hard to keep my focus on the bike. Maybe it's my lack of experience on the bike and suddenly I'm putting in 20 hours a week in the saddle? I just hope I stay motivated for the racing season. But if this is what it takes to become a national champion and then world cup rider - then I'm paying my dues I suppose. But man - this is starting to get old.

2008....

Surrounding yourself with positive energy is so important when striving for your dreams. I went on two different rides this weekend and both times I encountered people who said that going for more than local races is not their bag and self -defeating. "I want to be a big fish in a small pond instead of getting my butt kicked in a big pond." Well - that's not what I really wanted to hear. Although I suppose I was over due for someone telling me what I'm attempting is nuts and beyond all reason. But then again - those are the moments when what I'm doing becomes really clear and important and reminds me why I'm doing what I'm doing..... it's a dream. And I'm a firm believer in doing what makes you happy - so why not? A champion is made a day at a time. I'm willing to do the work and get defeated - learn my lessons and continue on.

Most importantly - it just goes to show what an amazing network of friends and family I have that are truely supportive of my dreams/hopes and aspirations. Thank you to all of you who believe in me.

Sunday night crab feed

Yesterday after a morning ride, Ryan, Makiah and I headed down to Tacoma to visit our friend Chris. He lives in this little fishing hippy community on the tip of Point Defience and bought a "shack" which his is building up. His first major project - tear down and rebuild the garage. He's also put in a new deck around his kingdom and is working on completing his boat house so he can live there while he tears up the main house. We drove up to find Chris and our other buddy Brian working on putting up some siding in the garage - so we lent a hand. Payment for our labor came in the way of all you can eat crab at Anthony's in Gig Harbor. It was soooo good. I think I ate about 4 gigantic dungeness crabs - they were excellent. Ryan and I came home and crashed at 10 - sleeping until 8:15 this morning. 10 hours of sleep - that's what I'm talking about!

Since this is supposed to be a training blog - I suppose I better fill you in. The previous ride I talked about kicked my butt pretty hard. Keeping up with the 1/2's when they are trying to make kick off can really deplete the resources. I should have eatten more - drank more water, replenished the vitals so I could maintain that strenuous pace. Maybe next weekend! So today's mellow aerobic ride was a welcomed break - not only to the legs but mentally. I rode with randy - another one of Miller's athletes and we talked the entire time. It was a good match - he's recovering from a serious cold and I was a little pooped from a long ride week. And guess what?!! It didn't rain!!!

All in all it's been an excellent training week. Skiing put me over the edge - and I'm leary of injury. Luckily I got some serious zzzz's in last night - and I'm going to start going back to massage. My muscles just need a little more help and rub down. Especially with race season rapidly approaching. Later, J

As I sit here devouring left over angel food cake, garlic bread, OJ and just general calorie consumption - I'm trying to think of way to best described today's ride. I woke up at 7:30 (much earlier then during the week!) and rode down to U Village Zoka to ride with the BRI guys. My buddy Leif invited me to go with and said they cruise at a mellow pace. We headed down the Burke by 9 am and were just Zone 1 down the trail - hit up some Hollywood Hill action. Then it all became a mystery to me where we were and what we were doing. We got to the top of the hill and then zoomed down a really steep section - passed a sign that said road closed - high water..... and watched as one guy gained some speed, unclipped himself from his pedals and soared through the lake covering the road. Next thing I know, we're all doing it and giggling like little kids. I flatted just then - but was quickly saved by Leif and someother guy. They fixed it in two shakes flat. This is the point I should have pulled out the powerbar and munched down - but instead I rode on and on without intaking any calories. I'd pay for it big time later. Luckily there was another woman on the ride - Martha from Byrne. She placed second in TST last year - strong climber! We chatted for the next couple hours as the pace got quicker and quicker so the guys could make the Hawks game at 1:30. She and I ended up getting dropped from the group once Russell decided to start time trialing it back to Sea-Town. Along the way though some Neon throw a bottle out there window and hit Martha! We were shocked. We were way out in some hickville area - no way to catch the bastard. The wierd thing was I noticed him earlier on the ride when he passed us so it certainly was deliberate. How lame is that?

I'm soooo tired now I feel like I'm babbling. I just feel like crawling back into bed and taking a nap. Ryan's up at Latona Pub drinking a beer and watching the Hawks. I'm a little too tired to move. 15 hours on the bike this week so far - I'm friggin' pooped.

25 days and counting

We are quickly approaching the record for most consecutive measureable days of rain in a row - which was last made in 1953 with a total of 33 days. It is dreary outside - and this weather is getting old - let me tell you! I am so thankful for the inventor of boot dryers - thank you who ever you are. You have made my life that much better!

Yesterday was a triple day workout - starting off with an hour on the rollers first thing in the morning. Then followed by 2 hours with a 30 minute high spin and last but certainly not least - night skiing up at Alpental. Honestly the skiing is what is keeping me sane day after day. It's just nice to be in a different climate for a change. I had a couple of moments of sheer joy while ripping it up down the mountain. How fun.

Miller and Mol-lay are coming over for dinner tonight. They canceled and then rescheduled... I'm just stoked to hang with some friends!

OH Canada!!!

Someone mentioned yesterday it's been raining 22 consecutive days in the PNW. I wonder what our record is? But that didn't matter this weekend because my friend Kele and I ventured up to B.C. to race the track. Yes - Canada's only indoor velodrome. We got up early Friday evening so she could put some time in with her pursuit bars - she leaves today for LA for a World Cup qualifier. Good luck Kele! It took us a while to sort out gears though and she has an old custom bike of Jennie Reed's that has oddly shaped drop outs - some gears fit, some don't. Needless to say after a warm up, several flying efforts and then timing Kele's flying 2K - we finally left the drome at 9:30pm. We were hooked up with great host housing - two of the nicest people ever! The next morning we woke up and the day started out with sprints. This time I qualified for the 1/4 finals - and I am getting a little faster. But I was quickly ousted in the match sprints and rep. Oh well - sprinting is not my specialty. The endurance events were in the afternoon - a 40 lap scratch race and 80 lap points race. The scratch race went really well - a true test to see how the legs and engine are running at this time of year. I remember being on the back stretch, thinking to myself that my legs didn't feel attached to my body and were floating below. When the final move came - I was able to respond and blow by a guy who obviously had an issue with racing women. Those are great moments. The points race - well, let's just say it didn't go well because I wasn't aggressive. It was as though I told myself my goal was just to finish with the pack instead of going for each sprint and seeing what would happen. Nothing ventured - nothing gained. Sunday started with Kierin heats - I gave them my all. But to no avail. Kierin's are super fun - it'd be cool to hone the skillz. It's a throw down race - and reminds me most of boxing (my previous competitive sport). The snowball race went similar to the points race - I rode at the back. But my husband was there to pick me up - tell me what I needed to do and I got right back in. The next feature scratch race I rode with much more aggression - bridging gaps, pulling hard, splintering the pack - making the field respond to my moves instead of being the responder. And you know what? It was WAY more fun to do that. Suddenly I was in contention for a podium spot - and broke through a mental block that plagued my previous efforts. That type of riding style will catapult my fitness and tactics - everything ventured - everything gained.

heading north

Kele and I head up to Burnaby again for another weekend extravaganza at their superdome. She's going to be doing some pursuit work in preparation for a world cup talent pool qualifier next weekend. Good for her! Then I talked to Miller and he said well Jen, you should be doing those efforts too. Ie crumba! What I thought was going to be a fun weekend of casual racing has turned into a slug fest of split times and hammering down the boards. I'm actually really looking forward to it because it's indoors and doing something I absolutely love!

More to come...

the last couple days....

So on New Year's Eve I ended up coming home and getting ready for my brother's 80's party down at my mom's house. I wore my standby blue wig and 80's clothes.... Ryan wore some old school ski outfit with size 13 red ski boots. It was hilarious. Everyone dressed up and played the part. I drank one beer and then my body told me no more - while everyone else, including Ryan, started to consume vodka and fru fru drinks. The cast of characters showed up - Punky Brewster, Mr. Mullet man, Magnum PI, Cindy Lauper, Richard Simmons etc etc. It was great.

New Years day was pretty uneventful. I was the only one not hung over - but the legs were pretty tired from the previous day's effort. We finally got motivated about 5 or so and went to IMAX to watch "Wired to Win" a film about the Tour with Jill. It was sweet. Super motivating.

Yesterday I went for a 3 hour ride and my freakin' HRM started acting up. I need to replace the batteries in the speed sensor. It just decided to stop working all together. So I only know approximately how far and long I went. Time to change that up!

Today is another long day in the saddle but it's my rest week meaning not as many hard efforts.

4.5 hours, three flats, two hill repeats - a good way to say goodbye to 2005!

Need I say more? Started the morning with 10:30 ride meeting at Leschi. We headed out to Cougar Mtn. to do some hill repeats in the big chainring. Legs are feeling the weeks efforts but surprizingly they aren't that bad. Ryan and I are headed down to my mom's for an 80's party - pics to come.

HARD CORE

Think of the worse possible conditions you could ride in besides freezing weather - and that's what poured out of the skies today with a vengence. I may retract my statement of not riding the indoor trainer and rollers if I can't help it... because today really tested me. I thought maybe the rain might let up a little in the afternoon so I waited till 1 to take off. I headed north on the burke determined to do my hill intervals. I contemplated doing Hollywood hill and then Novelty, followed last by Juanita. I was pleasantly surprized by how long Hollywood was - you can almost fit in 20 minutes straight of climbing. The decent was wicked and cold - chilling my body temp off for the rest of the ride. Half way down Juanita hill I discovered my light was out of juice and so I headed for home. I have not bailed on a ride like this before - I seriously contemplated riding home in the dark and pouring rain with shitty visibility - but since I had a cell phone and was already over my 3 hour ride.... why not? I know, i was at mathews beach - only 30 minutes from home. But it was getting dark - FAST and I was so cold and wet. Ryan wasn't home but luckily I had a back up - my brother! He and Jaimie and Coleman are in town for New years and rescued me. What an awesome big bro.

Lessons learned: CHARGE YOUR LIGHTS!!! Wear warmer, more water proof clothing?

Positive things - I rocked up the tempo work out - and am getting stronger! Also - found a new route that has light traffic and a steady grade. Did a tough girl workout - putting in 3 hours and should hit 250 miles for the week. Saweet! Oh - and I ran into Katy. :)

that's not fair - you have gears!

I heard a guy yell after me when I hauled past him on the Burke. Apparently the male gender doesn't take kindly to being passed by a woman - especially on a pink bike. But I had tempo work to fit in and was on my last effort and not too up for chatting while I was trying to keep my heartrate at a decent pace. With only 8 minutes left of my effort, Mr. Fixy was spinning uncontrollably in a 42x17 while I was cruising in a 53x14. Poor guy. When I finally let up a little and returned to my normal spin we chatted from Lake Forest Park to the U District. I chuckled to myself when he said he was about to say something about my slow cadence and pounding on the gears - "that's bad for your knees...." tempo riding is supposed to hurt and look akward. It's all about building the muscles. I think I gained some muscle mass while in Colorado - I'm tipping the scales a little heavier.... which only matters when I start climbing hills. And oh man, the hills are coming soon!

christmas crisis

Ryan and I had a great time in Co with one little hickup... Christmas. We decided to take the day off from skiing so we would have fresh legs for the remainder of the trip. We ended up lounging around for the first part of the day and then took a walk up to the village for a cocktail. One turned into another, into another and next thing we knew we were walking home on our lips and started talking about religion. Bad idea. We ended up arguing really loudly... I took off to get some fresh air and when I came back he ended up calling my dad and asking him why he didn't call his daughter. He tried to make things right or at least initiate a conversation with him which ended up in a screaming match between him and Martha. Martha was in her cups as well, which didn't add to the situation - and she and Ryan started slinging mud back and forth. Well now I stood up for Ryan and told dad that I don't want to come down to Eugene to have a husband bashing session. Ugh. I am so sick of this. Basically at this point my dad refuses to accept Ryan and if I choose to stand by my man then that's all I can do. So really - my dad just excused himself, once again, from being a dad.

two flats, pouring rain and late for dinner!

Ah - riding the lake in the middle of winter. Of course that means one is guarenteed a flat or two and having a woman in a Mercedes in Bellevue tell you that you don't have a tail light. Thanks for that- I was actually headed to the bike shop when she tried to acost me. I am so thankful Alynda was there at Gregg's - she bailed me out. Big time. The mechanic took one look at my bike and asked if I ever washed it - to which I responded yeah. Do you ever ride in the rain? I just did the south end man! He still looked at poor pinky in disgust. I know, I know, I've been really bad about maintaining her lately - but I swear I'm taking her in tomorrow and will have her doctored up for some more hard winter training. These base miles wreck havic on my poor rear derailluer and chain. But spring and summer are coming - so please, please, please just hang in there for the winter and I promise easier days will come. Ok - does anyone else find it strange that I'm writing a blog to my bike?

Seriously though - I got two flats today on my lake navigation. It actually turned out ok - just a little glass and both in spots that were well lit so I could change it easily. I came home soaked to the bone and tubeless - one more flat and that should take care of it for quite some time. I'm making cookies to console myself.

enjoying the sunshine

Yesterday went on a nice long ride with Miller's group. Unfortunately Grant struck a poor walking woman from behind going about 12 mph and she had to go to the hospital in a stretcher. Grant's front wheel was tacoed - which was worse for wear compared to him. He said he had sharp pain in his shin where he struck his top tub. Apparently he was just spacing out and then BAM! He and this poor woman went down. When the fiasco was settled down Tim, Chris and I continued on our SE intervals - one down the Burke and the other up Juanita hill. My legs are tired today - but in an hour I'm hoping back on the bike and headed out for only a three hour ride. Yippy!

crying wolf - again

So every couple of months I get this frantic email (email - not a phone call - I'm not sure if he even has my phone number any more) from my dad saying how I should call my grandparents routinely because they are dying. I don't mean to sound harsh - I love my grandparents a lot - but my dad makes these alarms and hairs raise off my neck that drive me insane. He's not on the same wave length as some - our only communication has been via email because he's either too chicken shit to pick up the phone and risk talking to Ryan (like Ryan would pick up the phone, we have caller id) or call my cell phone because that would take too much time and energy. Instead he writes me scathing emails that can easily become misconstrued and misunderstood and expects me to do exactly what he asks when he asks them. We have such a strained relationship as is because of a run in Ryan and he had a little over a year ago. I honestly don't know what to do because he has made no attempt to move on from the run in - just ignore it and thinks it went away. Too bad this whole thing put me directly in the middle - where I refuse to be so what do I do? Ignore it as well. That's terrible. And I'm the one calling the kettle black.

It is such a mess that I would rather ignore it then deal with it - because if I try it will just blow up in my face. I feel like emailing him back and saying - thanks for the phone call. I appreciate hearing this in your own voice. UGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So this is totally a rant - I'm warning you now.....
What do you do if your husband and father hate each other's guts? My dad and hubbie got into a political tiff last November and have since refused to talk to one another. I won't go into the details - but the jist is they don't see eye to eye and now think of each other as dog meat.
As the years have passed - I have grown ultra distant from my dad. He wasn't there much when I was growing up ... my mom did the majority of the parenting. When they divorced he was even more removed and became the "every-other-weekend" dad who had no rules and let us do what ever we wanted so long as we put on a happy face in front of family. Flash forward 10 years to college - where I met the love of my life. We connected and decided to get married after 5 years of dating. Other than the occasional family gathering I didn't see or hear much from my dad. On my wedding day he told me that he had wished his father had asked him what he was about to ask me - are you sure he's the one? That tore at me for a couple years - shouldn't a father be supportive of their child's decision? Then he and Ryan have this big huge rift and I get stuck in the middle. Added to an already strained relationship and now the only communication I receive from my father is via email. He doesn't even have the courage to pick up the phone. And now my grandparents health is failing and he's suddenly back in my life emailing me telling me what to do. This is really upsetting me.

How about being there when it's a non-emergency? Instead of only showing up when it's absolutely necessary? And you wonder why I don't come running when something like this happens? Why not pick up the phone yourself??????????????

strength endurance

my mom rulz. she let me cut out of work a little early today so I could take advantage of the last couple hours of daylight. I hopped on the bike and headed down to Seward to do some strength endurance riding. Translation - two by 15 minute hard grinding gears (53 x 14) at 65 cadence so you feel the entire pedal stroke and "scrape mud" off the bottom of your shoes. Why do it you might ask? It builds not only incredible strength but also helps to even out the pedal stroke. Often the quad is the most dominant muscle - but with grinding the gears like this you have to have as much pressure on the entire stroke - the upswing included so your concentration centers on every movement. The end result - tired legs and I found it difficult to keep a higher cadence on the way home. You also want to try and keep the upper body as relaxed as possible.

I didn't think I would be this tired tonight -but after twenty minutes off my feat - my legs feel like lead weights. Nice.

Day One of the Preseason

Already tested with the dismal rain, today began the next phase of preseason training. 30 miles of zone 2-3 with 4x 20 second high cadence sprints. I'm not going to lie to you - my legs felt tired from last weeks marathon riding and I was less than motivated to get out there today. But I ended up dialing it in and taking advantage of the last few minutes of day light before it completely disappeared. And once my legs started spinning - the miles flew by. Ryan changed my ipod music so that helped the time travel even faster. And I'd much rather be outside in the pouring rain than another minute on the indoor trainer. I'm feeling good - damn good. Watch out ladies - there's a new kid on the block. ;)

day after day, mile upon mile

managed to log 16.1 hours on the bike this week for a total of 247 miles. Not bad - not bad at all. Especially considering that it was supposed to be my rest week. Today begins the serious training - 30 miles with high cadence sprints at the end - 4 by 20 second intervals. I misread it wrong originally and thought I only had 30 minutes... nope. I'll have a rest day on Wednesday. Pain and suffering has to take a back seat to hard work and motivation.

The weather has been nice. It's chilly out but not raining - which I prefer. Chris mentioned yesterday that we've had terrible weather the past couple weeks - well if he considers this bad - I would much rather take this then the rain. I hope I didn't just jinx myself. :)

I did the lake yesterday with Tim - it was so nice to ride it with someone else. We talked the entire 3 1/2 hours. Next midweek I have to ride the lake again and add a couple of miles - I'm dying to learn some of the east side routes to add on the extra mileage. Maybe I'll email Adrian and see if he has some suggestions.

mile monger

last night we partied like rock stars. It was pretty fun - we amused ourselves with shuffle board as well. Moller came too - and proceeded to order Christmas Dark Ass Ale and we all got shitfaced. Thanks coach!

So as punishment I got to pedal a total of 4 hours today... just shy of 60 miles. I have put in 15 hours in the saddle already this week - with more in store for tomorrow. Oh the joys of base miles ... they really help in the long run and it requires a lot of big picture thinking to enjoy yourself. I'm looking forward to relaxing at Kele's house tonight and knitting!

Caio,
Jen

hump of the week

It's Wednesday already. I can't believe how quickly time has been passing lately. Christmas will be here and gone before we know it! I've been upping the time spent on the bike and it feels good. I bought some Windtex pants, booties and gloves yesterday and had to buy a new pump because my Joe Blow finally blew.
I also went to the doctor yesterday for a swollen eye lid. I woke up two days ago and my upper lid was almost swelled shut. He couldn't diagnois it - and just said to apply a hot compress. He also got on me for not calling him back about a potentially low thyroid issue. I've been having irregular periods for a long time now and he thinks it might be from that. They drew more blood yesterday and I'm waiting to hear the results.
Meanwhile I look like an ogre. Scary.

pooped!

My nephew was in town this weekend "denny, denny denny" he calls me. He's only 2 and has a hard time ennuciating certain words. When he tries some things it just sounds hilarious. And then he flips out when he hears a vaccum. He runs up to it and insists on using it. He got ahold of mom's bissell at one point, took the nozzle off and started sucking his face with it. We were laughing pretty hard. We were having a lot of fun playing horsie until I laid on my back and he jumped on my head. I think I may have a concusion.

It has been snowing hard up in the mountains. Ryan convinced me to skip a 3+ hour ride in the rain and go hit the slopes at Alpental on Sat. Believe or not it was actually hard to get me to commit - but boy am I glad I did! 18" of powder! It was sick. First full day of the season and my legs still remember how to turn. We had a blast.

Then today I had to put in 3+ hours of ride time. I managed to do almost 4 hours. It was hard to stay warm. I'm pretty exhausted right now. Good training this weekend though - speaking of the weekend - where did it go?

family visit

My brother, sister in law and nephew came up for an extended weekend visit. It sure is great having them around - yesterday I got to cuddle with Coleman for 2 hours straight. Apparently he has a hard time sitting still and his parents were both amazed and bewildered that he was chilling out for so long. I love that little guy so much!

Jaimie mentioned that Geo has been working a lot lately - and Coleman has been making comments like, 'daddy sleeping. daddy working,' etc etc. She thought it was time for him to take some time off from work and come and visit us Northerners - and my mom needs some extra loving due to Marcy leaving. It made me realize that sometimes we get so caught up in the routine that we often forget to do the little things that make us happy. And those little things that make us happy give you balance in what can easily become a lop-sided lifestyle.

logging the miles

So last night the weather man predicted snow for the SEattle metro area. Apparently the city's heat deflected most of the snowflakes - this morning I woke up to a damp road with no ice or snow. Those poor grade school students who were excited to have a snow day - the winter is young yet! It will probably come sooner or later.

Training wise - things are going well. Ryan and I went skiing on Sunday - although only a short jaunt. We did some skinning up the mountain and then skied the phat pow pow down the hill. Makiah went and had a blast. She is too cute.

Later today I head out for a 2 hour chilly ride. I'm supposed to put in 40 minutes of tempo riding - long and hard. I think I'll go down the south end - I'm not too excited about doing the bridge when it's this cold out. Come to think of it - maybe I'll just stick to the trail. We'll see.

I had a racing dream last night. I dreamt I was at the track riding my rollers in front of a large crowd. I was getting excited and ampted to do some Madison slings. Fun.

It's a poor student that doesn't surpass the teacher

I think I'm partly exhausted from the phsyical effort itself this weekend and the other part is from mental exhaustion from learning so much. It's a good feeling to be this wrecked. My legs are hammered and so is my core. In the morning we practiced the Madison - a new skill for me on the track bike. It was scary at first but once we Ryan taught me how - it is super fun. And the faster the better. Great - another adrenaline addict move for this junky.

It was cold out today. The snow level is supposed to drop to 1000'. Brrrrrrrrr. That could have been another part to the exhaustion - burning that many more calories to stay warm. After we worked on the track for 1.5 hours we headed out for a road ride. I ended up doing an additional 2.5 hours. Wow - four hours on the bike today. I'm beat.

Last night we went out to the Hi-life in Ballard and then Madame K's for drinks with Josh, Stacy and Brent. Stacey and Brent bagged out early and the rest of us headed to Kells to meet up with Miller/Killer and some of his friends. We stayed until about midnight - it was a lot of fun. Tomorrow we're contemplating skiing.

turkey stuffin'

So I deprived myself of sweets with one exception - Thanksgiving pie. Last night after the gluttoness feast of turkey, stuffing and trimings I had a small piece of pecan and pumpkin pie, ice cream and pumpkin spice cake. MMMMmmmmm yummy. A sweet temptation that put me over the edge and thankfully back on the straight and narrow no sweets kick. It was a good break but I'm convinced life without the constant sweets feels better.

Ride wise - the training is going well. We had dry weather the past 10 days with fog. Today the rain is back - so I'm even more thankful for those non-plastic boot wearing training miles. But I'm pretty sure it's going to be a while before the dry is back.

and the miles go up....

last night was the biweekly "check in call" with Rycoach. We talked about the hours I've spent on the bike for the past couple of weeks and found out that by the end of December I should be putting in close to 15. I've been averaging about 6-7 hours the past month - which has been nice, but I knew in the back of my head that longer harder hours were lurking.

When I told Ryan about it he got really excited and was completely supportive. Then he made a statement that he was going to up his training time also. It's so awesome having such a supportive, loving, caring hot husband. I can't imagine trying to do what I'm doing without that kind of love. Well - I'm off to put some time in the saddle. Later.

Time in the saddle

This past week I put in close to 200 miles in the last 5 days. My toosh was a little sore - but I survived without extensive injury. :)
A recap of the week - Wednesday. Did a long night ride around the north end of the lake. Felt solid on the hills and it felt really good to be out. The moon was out - making it easy to see and be seen.
Thursday - Computrainer night. I also did some lifting in the morning. My body was tired when I went to pedal indoors and I ended up doing a light exercise. The legs felt heavy due to the previous night and not drinking enough water, coupled with lifting heavy weights.
Friday - skipped work. :) Went on almost a three hour ride to Mercer Island and home. We practiced hamstring sprints - which will essentially make my pedal stroke more fluid. Felt solid on the bike - although still a little tired from earlier in the week.
Saturday - did a mellow ride with Leif. We rode a flat ride out to West Seattle - mainly just spinning the legs out. It felt good to be outside and I ended up severely overdressing. Got home later that night and didn't feel like doing much else. ; 0 Except going out for sushi.
Sunday - late start. Headed out to North Bend to meet Ryan. My legs felt fantastic. Apparently I got enough sleep, hydration - not to mention sushi from the night before. It only took me 2:45 to get out there - not bad considering I did about 2500 feet of climbing over 42 miles. I got there at about 3 and hiked up the mountain to meet them at the crag. A nice way to loosen up the legs and round out the weekend.

Overall the legs are feeling stronger and stronger. The weight training has definitely helped my overall fitness and cutting out the sugar has made a huge difference. I've been sleeping quite a bit more than usual though - which I think is a result from the lack of sun and might be mild depression.... not sure what the dealio is on that one yo.

Riding by moonlite

Kele totally inspired me to brave the dark hours of the night and ride. She mentioned that she would get off work at 6 and then ride for 4 hours till 10 a couple nights of week. Apparently that was all the motivation I needed to finally get to Gregg's and buy a light for some riding. Last night I braved the darkness and headed out to do a 3 hour ride around the north end of the lake. It was a great ride - and the moon was out giving some extra light along the way. I managed to avoid really busy streets and stuck mainly to back roads and trails. It was excellent. By the time I got home, I put in 45 miles of riding. Nice!! I look forward to more riding in the dark.

persistent cough

I'm finally coming to the realization that the wheeze I got from Burnaby has developed into a chest cold. It's starting to come out of the lungs though - and my coughs are getting a little more productive. Hopefully this illness will be gone soon. It doesn't help that I'm headed on a 40 miler after work today in the cold. But it seems like the past couple days when I don't have enough energy to exercise, as soon as I do I'm feeling even better.

On a side note - last night I went climbing with Ryan as a cross training exercise. The bouldering area is closed as they set new routes for this weekends bouldering competition so we climbed with ropes. I felt pretty strong but had no idea that later in the night I would be able to flash a 11a climb. That's some of the best climbing I've done indoors to date. It felt great.

My little sister leaves Sunday for Australia for a year. She met this guy over there last year about this time and fell in love. They've only been together in the flesh a little over a month. She's determined to get over there and see if it will work and spend some time with him. Good for her - but scary at the same time. I mean, she barely knows him. They've been developing a long distance relationship for a year via the Internet and phone calls. I'm curious what it will be like once they are around each other in the flesh for an extended period of time. I can't imagine being separated from Ryan like that. I wish her the best of luck.

Kaipo (my second cousin who lives on Oahu) ran away from home about 2 weeks ago. He's 14 years old and doesn't get along with Channing, his step dad. Kuulei is apparently a nervous wreck about the whole thing - and I hope that Kaipo gets things figured out quickly and back to school before too long. If there was something I could do I would do it in a heart beat.

Bope (my grandfather, dad's side) had difficulty breathing last week and decided to go get checked out at the hospital. Apparently the doctor discovered that he has congested heart failure and was put on medication. His feet are swollen and he's not feeling his normal self. I called him this morning and he said in all of his years of riding his bicycle he has not once felt this way. His doctor said he needs to decrease his salt intake - to which Mummer said she never cooks with salt and never has had to. However, once they took inventory of what they were eatting they discovered the Campbells soup and Ramen were really high in salt content. No more of that! Bope said how important it is to be active all your life and really do as many things outdoors as possible. He was proud of Ryan and I for being super active and said to keep it up. It's so important for a long healthy life. I just hope others in our family will realize this before their health starts failing.

Wow - I didn't realize how much family stuff is going on right now. I just hope everything works out - and it will. What will be will be.

whirlwind

Wow - what a weekend. Highlights include - Scratch race - I finished it. Out of 18 people that started, only 8 finished. I was one of the eight. Points race - stuck with it for all but the last 8 laps .... I just couldn't muster any more surges. I'm still working on the skill and endurance for those races. Then on Sunday my highlight was the Keirin - placed second in my heat. And although only the winner advanced, I was extremely happy with my performance. Then I had a really terrible elimination race - actually two of them. I'm still struggling with the miss n' out crash I had down at Alpenrose. In between the eliminations they held a chariot race - which I had a really good start and came close to catching one of the fastest guys in our group. It was great.
Due to my lame ass performance in the eliminations I almost didn't do the Win N out - mainly because I was tired and somewhat defeated mentally from being pulled right away in the other races. But I got fired up once on the track and pulled 3rd place out of 19 competitors!!! Not bad - I'll take that one to the bank for sure. Racing with the guys is definitely making me stronger. :)

up to burnaby we go!

waking up early tomorrow morning to head up north to do some track racing for the weekend. I'm super pumped - it's been over 2 months since I last raced and I'm excited to get the heart rate up there again!

Who knows how it will pan out with my fitness level though - I'm suspecting that it will have dropped off a lot compared to my peak fitness but I should still be able to hang because I have been keeping active and doing lots of cross training. I'll blog once I get back.
Peas

on the water

This morning Marcy and I volunteered to be in a double boat. She was in the stern and I was in the bow. Since she missed a week of classes she feels slightly uncomfortable on the water. She gets nervous and panics at the slightest tip of the boat. We rowed out to Portage Bay, followed by Tom and his megaphone ... and we listened as he told us one slap stick joke after another. Marcy had a hard time listening and rowing at the same time - often losing focus as he told us silly pirate jokes. RRRrrrrrrrrr.

I convinced her to have us paddle at the same time early in the practice - and she wasn't quite ready for it. Actually it freaked her out. I think her fear of being dumped into the water consumes her to a point where she stiffens up in the boat and doesn't want to get wet. I figure, what the hell - it's part of rowing... so if you go in, you go in. Her normal tendancy is to row stronger on her Starbird side - so we had a meandering boat through the cut. Then she started wigging out - letting that frustration leak out and consume her physical action. Then she started saying I was going too fast on the stroke - to which I responded - I'm just matching her. All she needs to worry about is doing a nice slow stroke - steady and timed with dipping the handles square into the water. I also suggested we start with 1/2 paddle, then 3/4 then a full stroke and that seemed to ease her nerves. We then had some of the best rowing we've done together yet. It was great! I got a kick out of it because although she's 21 - you still can't take the whine out of her when she's frustrated. He he hee.

living proof!

It's been 30 days since I last tasted a refined sugar morsel. I did it! All in the name of will power and determination. So what's next you say? Beer. Yep - the yeast and hops have got to be eliminated... or at least brought down in moderation. It's not that I've become a serious lush or anything - but I'm having one a night and those are empty calories and sugars that should be savored rather than consumed daily.

So coach - what's next? You said there's this excellerated plan for some of your athletes - but for some reason we have an impossible time connecting on the phone..... I'm getting a little eager to find out what that entails.

Turns out our planned trip to Beaver Creek over Presidents weekend has been foiled. We even bought the plan tickets! Come to find out the condo is booked the entire week and that time is even more popular than Christmas. So we're trying to find either another condo or somewhere else to go. Lame.

Yesterday was legs day - I put more pounds on than before. It felt good but I'm a little sore today.

Computrainer Thursday

Had an excellent workout tonight. Was able to maintain a decent wattage and high cadence without losing my breath on a hill interval workout. My legs felt fantastic - a testament to the gym work and taking time off ... not to mention the time spent away from sweets. It's making me feel fantastic!! I'm averaging about 152 during my morning weigh in - which is right where I want to be for the beginning of the off season. I'm feeling so jazzed and pumped for the upcoming season.

i'll be gone till november, i'll be gone till november. Januray, febuary march april may....

November was brought in with typical Northwest fashion - blistery, rainy and 48 degrees. Ah - winter is well on its way. There's talk of Crystal Mountain opening for the season this upcoming weekend. And mt. baker already has a 40" base with 3-4 feet of snow expected by next Tuesday. Time to break out the winter clothes and find out if my body remembers how to move on a pair of sleds.

It's been a mellow end to October - just shy of 250 miles for the month. A relatively slow month in terms of workout - but according to the rest of the racing community - an early start to the season. Most people took the month off - completely. But if you want to become a national champion - then you have to nurture that inner athlete and be willing to put the time and energy into the off season. So far so good - I feel like my motivation is solid - got on the track bike last night for the first time since early September and spun around on my rollers for an hour. It felt good - damn good. I'm looking forward to the race season. And considering New Years is just around the corner - racing will be here before we know it.