Methow Bound

Things to do before heading out of town:

Grueling Track workout - Check
Ride to North Bend and meet Ryan tonight -
Locate a luggable Loo -
Gather up all the things we thought we'd take to the good will, that are now worthy for the cabin - check.

Should be a nice week of relaxation, biking, hiking and enjoying our new property!

Again - mad props to Donna and Annette who duked it out for the sprint final with Donna prevailing for the national title. It's so cool to see that the two top ladies are from Washington State!

Some hardware

Way to go Annette who has brought home two master national jerseys so far on the first day of competition in both the 500m and 2k pursuit!










And nice job Heather for posting the fastest 500m TT for the day and winning her age bracket. Excellent work.













And to Donna Smith who rocketed her TT and with the 4th fastest time of the day - you go girl! I can just imagine you doing a celebratory dance in circles with Heather.




And of course, I can't forget Christiane and Jane who both placed 6th in their age categories for their 500m TT. Nice work ladies.

Office Drama

The nightly patrol crew found some stuff strewn across the parking lot last week. Items include several Navy papers, diving gear, camping gear and some random Video Isle DVD cases. I called Video Isle to see if we could figure out who's stuff this is - and the strange thing - both videos were returned without the cases and were rented by two different people.

The mystery deepens.

I looked deeper into the garbage bag of belongings and found some naval papers - including Matthew's phone number and gave him a call. Apparently he's out to sea right now. The video people live on Queen Anne - and were at work so I left more messages.

Here's my prediction - the navy guy got totally wasted, broke into the video cases homes, stole their video cases, decided he was leaving on duty at 6 am and dumped all of his belongings in the parking lot a 3:45am. No wonder that guy isn't calling me back. :)

Long weekend recap

I love playing hooky, it's the best. :)

Friday I babysat my nephew Coleman (he's three, and turning four in October). Since we had a good time picking blackberries between our house and grandma's, I decided he needed a big dose of North Bend and I wanted to make some more jam. We headed out to Fall City and picked roughly $18 worth of strawberries. Some how in the process, Coleman managed to lose his sunglasses. But we sure had fun and his mouth was definitely stained red by the time we left. I wasn't satisfied with only strawberries so we headed up to Bybee Farms in North Bend again and picked a lot of delicious blueberries. Coleman went into orbit, and so did his auntie!

He slept during the car ride back down to Magnuson Park, where I did the kid hand off with my brother. He brought his power boat up and Ryan and I were fortunate enough to have a Thursday evening free from volunteering and climbing and got to enjoy the nice weather. It was my first time to swim in Lake Washington this year! I have to make a point of going out in the water more often - we had a blast.

Anyways, I came home, busted out a lot of jam batches, which unfortunately turned into syrup (screwed up the jam equation somehow) and then got ready for Friday Night Track racing. I could tell during warm up my body was feeling good and ready to go. We started off with a 10 lap scratch race - a warm up really. I placed 9th - not bad considering we had 25 starters. The Cat 3 men's field has gotten large. Then we had a Miss N' Out - I played it smart and patient and it paid off! I made it down to 4 guys to go - gave the last effort too much juice and didn't have anything left for the final sprint. Oh well - much better on my behalf. And I forgot to mention - since the Cat 3 men's field is large - it's sketchy. Several guys are freshly upgraded 4's and don't know how to handle their bikes. I almost had two of them collide right in front of me - thankfully they kept the rubber side down and pulled out of that one. No one needs a late season crash.

Our last race was a 5x5 points race. The tempo was fast - and I had a hard time getting into position. I was playing it patient - but didn't have the gumption to contest the sprints, until the final go and was pipped at the line. But my big HUGE accomplishment for the night? I got my first Omnium point of the season! YAHOO!!!! Why did it take me so stinking long? The important thing - I got one and am now put in the Friday Night print out. Sweet!

My bro and family came out to watch and Bilko made a comment about me "being available for autographs after the race as she's one of the top endurance riders in the country." Ha! I just laughed. Thanks Bilko, you're my biggest fan!

Saturday we woke up to a slight drizzle and got to go to Ryan's company picnic. He works for Pacific Ridge homes and they are so generous to their employees - it's great. We walked away with a new blender, which we made fresh blackberry smoothies with this morning. I only had 1.5 hours available to get a ride in with but relished every minute of it.

Then this morning we slept in till 10 am and had Coleman over again for smoothies before heading out for a late afternoon workout. My pursuit efforts went really well - even though some kid almost crashed me out. A little yelling and they were off the track in no time. I ran into Jeff Pyatt and did a warmup/cool down with one another. He's a cheerful soul and has done a lot for the local cycling scene.

All in all - a great weekend. I'm headed upstairs right now to eat our freshly harvested onion soup - should be amazing and watch season three of Deadwood. Hope you had a good weekend too!

sore toosh!

3 + hours of riding in the saddle - I haven't put those kind of long slow, steady miles in for quite some time! The body felt good though and I was able to make the south end and Mercer Island in under 3 hours.

I ran into Liz on my ride - she shouldn't be riding her bike right now because she injured herself again this past weekend. It's hard to call it quits but her body is going to force her if she doesn't back off and let it heal. I know, I know. I'm one to talk - but if I could've done it again I would have stopped sooner to let the healing begin. But I guess she'll have to come to that conclusion on her own.

It's absolutely gorgeous outside right now. Not a single cloud in the sky. Time to go for a spin!

Points race training and geeked out analysis

Hit up the track yesterday afternoon after a dreary moist morning. Luckily the sun poked out from the clouds and dried up the moisture from the track so Kenny and I could do some points race training. I love motor pacing - racing is the only thing funner! We swap driving so we both get a killer workout.

We started off with a 15 minute warm up - ramping up the speed to 33 or so. The legs were feeling good - despite how sore they felt after the TTT. After warm up Kenny had me do two 20 lap efforts with sprints every five. The goal is to sling shot around the motor with 200m to go and stay seated while surging. Top speed is usually around 34/35 mph. I soooo badly want to see 36! Maybe a bigger gear? Maybe more weights at the gym? Maybe no chocolate chip cookies right before workout? Nah. :) If I see 36mph then I will be well on my way...

I have a tendency to point my right foot - which may be to prevent my low back from tweaking. But the real question - does it effect my power? I was feeling a little taxed after the efforts and slightly numb in that area. My upper body form is coming around - during the sprint I definitely utilize my biceps and get the "bulldog" stance, with a slight tilt of the head. Grrr. It seems like it's all about the power game and getting the most out of how your body interacts with the bike - making it efficient and smooth as possible. I love it!

Other than a slight nag by my back I was able to dig deep and get right back on the motor (which was cruising steady at 28 mph) for the next efforts. You can really get into a rhythm with these efforts - and with two laps to go, you start to feel recovered from the last big hit and can relax about a lap before focusing on the next sprint. The overall goal is to go hard enough where they don't break the bank but just hard enough where you feel like racing is getting easier. The sprints are hard as you can go - but the recovery is what you really need to be concerned with. And I must say, other than my tactical idiosyncrasies, racing with the men is getting easier (solely from an engine standpoint).

Kenny did his efforts behind the moto - averaging around 30mph between sprints. The last sprint effort we ramped it up to about 33. He's an animal. Some fan came onto the track and asked if that was Kenny the cash machine? Ha! I laughed. Oh, you mean the cash register? Yes. That's him.

Today is a LSD (long slow day) ride - 3 hours in the saddle and then a baby shower for the evening. Should be fun!

The Family Visit

My bro and his family are in town for a week of playing in the sunshine (hopefully it comes out!) and water play. They brought their stink pot up and we're planning on getting some water time in this week once the weather warms.

Here's a picture of my niece Ellie and bro George. She's adorable, even when she's crying. ;)

TTT

Friday night I raced track, as usual. The chariot race was a joke - I don't know why I couldn't pull it together for a standing start one lap effort. Instead, I pedaled in behind the guys, shaking my head at how silly that was. No final for me - and I was happy to sit that one out.

Next on the agenda - a 10 lap snowball. These races really make your lungs bleed. Especially if you have poor positioning and have to chase chase chase back on to the right wheels. No points for old Juicey but I did get my lungs to feel like they would collapse.

But the beauty of track racing - 15 minutes later you'll have another chance to redeem your self. Our finale was a 5x5 Progressive race. This is similar to a points race, except the points are handed out slower. The first sprint is for one point, second for 2 to the first person, one to the second, third sprint - 3, 2, 1; fourth - 5, 3, 2, 1 and fifth 7, 5, 3, 2, 1. Brian Duvall from Recycled joined us and a few other fast roadies thrown in the mix, along with the usual suspects, meant fast and action packed racing. I was able to hang on no problem, but had lame positioning for any of the sprints, getting pipped each time. Had I had a little more patience and craftiness, then perhaps I would have placed better. Regardless though, it was an awesome workout. Fred from Wines told me he couldn't let me beat him - and I thanked him for that. Next time I will try harder and I appreciate people pushing me to the limit. It's all part of the process. ;)

Saturday morning I woke up and didn't feel too bad. We were scheduled for a track workout in the mid morning and Kenny said to bag it since I raced like garbage the night before. He's the coach - so I listened and didn't touch my bike at all on Saturday. Instead, I went blackberry picking with my neighbor (the same one who helped pick 53 pounds of blueberries a couple weeks ago) and my friend Theresa from Ti. Poor Theresa's legs were torn up from wadding through bushels of prickles - but it was so worth it! We ended up with 3 cases of jam. Yum!

But that also meant I was on my feet and not resting enough for the following day at the State TTT.

We woke up to rain at 5:45am and I headed down to Liz's house in Seward park to carpool. Once we got to Elma, the rain had stopped but the roads were super slick. We were only racing against Wines - they had a team of three with Suz, Trish and Gina. Initially we thought sweet! We have a team of four and should be able to give them a run for the money! About 1/2 way through the course, Liz dropped because she couldn't feel her leg anymore and knew she had injured her hammy more. Annette wasn't feeling well either due to working long weeks at her job without adequate rest. So the remainder of the work fell on Michelle and I. Michele rocked it - she would do monster 2 minute pulls, then Annette would pull through for 5-10 seconds and then I would pull for about a minute. All I remember is counting and setting mini goals to get there. At one point Annette had to tell me to slow down when I pulled through or we would lose her. I have never been so happy to be a mile from the finish - and we drilled it in the rest of the way. As soon as we crossed the line, I felt like I was going to fall off my bike. My inner quads and groin were screaming at me. They're still screaming at me, as a matter of fact.

Wines rolled a 1:15:20 and we rolled a 1:15:55. Not bad considering our four woman team whittled down to two and one hanging on for dear life! I felt super happy about my performance and know my body did as much as it could judging by how sore it is today.

Later that night we headed up to Stanwood for Jimmy and Alynda's wedding. The ceremony was special - and the reception afterwards back down in Burien. It was fun seeing them so happy and all of their families come together to celebrate their love. I even got some dancing in! Congrats to the two newlyweds.

Booked!

Just booked our tickets for Elite track nats in LA. Super cheap deals right now - $89 one way fares and $224 for a mini van for a week!

I'm getting super stoked!

Taught the last ladies track session of the year last night. It was good - a whole new crop of ladies showed up (as they do every week). Yeah! I get my Thursday nights back and don't have to be at Marymoor Tuesday through Friday and again on Sunday. Yippee!

No mouse....

It's been four days now and no sign of the mouse or Jazzmine even coming close to finding it. I wonder if the furry little rodent escaped already. I left Makiah's dog food out to see if it'll take it as bait and will wait and see.

I picked 12 cups of blackberries from my neighbors yard yesterday and didn't even come close to denting their supply. Yeah! That means tons of jam to be had this weekend. :)

I got some more sleep yesterday and think that may have been why I felt run down.

We have a TTT this weekend - should be a blast! Let's just hope it doesn't rain.

Feeling it

The weekend certainly caught up with me last night. Since Kenny couldn't make our motorpace session I decided to try Wednesday night track racing with the master men. With a combination of high speeds and lack of food in my system, I ended up calling it a night early during our final 25 lap scratch race. Some nights you're just not feeling it, you know?

Only a month and a half before track nats. I should be feeling tired right now - and I am. This is the last big build push before a rest and then some fine tuning. I'm getting excited!

On another note - we hired my mom's cat Jazzmine to patrol the house for mice. I saw one scurry underneath our pantry the other day and then saw it again two nights ago book it under our stove. Makiah isn't that interested in rooting around for mice - she just sits by her dog bowl and growls at them. Ryan doesn't think Jazzmine will do it - but I have faith. Every day I come home thinking I might see a mouse hanging between her jowls and everyday I find the cat fast asleep on her back, paws askew on our bed.

Cucumbers

I just harvested my first cucumbers of the season and boy are they tasty!

Things really haven't slowed since the weekend. I woke up Monday morning and dragged myself to the gym. The body felt pretty tired but I was still able to push the weights around. Work as usual followed by a short spin afterward to flush the legs. I ran into Liz and Jeff on the trail and we headed to Zoka's. Then I booked it home to cook a salmon dinner for Gary and Anita (Ryan's dad and step-mom). My mom showed up too and we laughed the night away. It's nice to see Ryan's folks.

In the morning I woke up and took the van in for a standard oil change. Unfortunately they discovered our transmission is leaking fluid all over and will need to be replaced. (Can you say 2-3k? OUCH! That's going to take a while to fix...) I headed out to Kenny's house by 9 am and picked up his bike and while he got ready I watched Makiah chase their kitties. (Don't worry Annette, she didn't get one!) We headed to the track and did some motor pace efforts. The legs were feeling heavy - so we kept the gear light. Oddly, I sprint better seated then when I stand up. Hopefully we'll get that figured out before too long.

Gary and Anita came out to watch and caught the tail end of our session. Afterward I headed to eat lunch at Ray's with them while Ryan slaved away at work. Mmm... smoke salmon salad while watching the eagles dive bomb the Puget Sound for lunch. Rough life I'm telling you! We met up again once Ryan got off work for a canoe and kayak ride around Lake Union. Gary quickly found some low hanging blackberries and we carefully picked them from the boat. The lighting was amazing and the temps were just right - one of the moments that you etch in your brain forever. Luckily Gary had his camera ready to capture it.

We paddled our way between the house boats and under some piers to I Love Sushi and dined on some sashimi. Lake Union was filled with about 200 sail boats for the Tuesday regatta. The multi-colored spinnakers were amazing to watch as the sun danced along the water. Gary enjoyed it a lot - reliving his sailing days via kayak. After dinner we paddled home and caught the tail end of the sunset illuminating the Aurora bridge. It was so relaxing and peaceful. Just one of those days that you know you couldn't have spent any wiser.

Don't blink!

This past weekend flew by - it's hard to believe I'm sitting back at my desk in recovery mode from it all. Here's a quick little recap...

Friday night racing with the Cat 3 men. The pace was high. We have some horsepower that needs to upgrade to the 1/2 field soon so it keeps things interesting. I attacked and won a preme in the scratch race with three laps to go. But couldn't climb back on the fella that made the move with me and ended up getting swallowed by the field in the last lap. Had I looked around a little more, I might have been able to jump back on his wheel and brought in a top placement. Lesson learned - look around more!

The Keirin was interesting. I got a little too aggressive too early and attacked when the motor pulled with 500m to go. The field again swallowed me with 150m to go - and I ended up last. Apparently my super human sprinting and endro power wasn't turned on - and I came back to the infield discouraged, wondering what's wrong with me?! Both Kenny and Woody told me to be more patient and wait it out - let the guys do the work and race smart. At one point Woody told me to approach racing with the attitude of being a racer, not a woman in the men's field. To which I responded, that's how I always think Woody.

Then Matt came up to me and said that my attack was perfectly time and everyone was looking at one another and he said something about not chasing a chick down. Um, excuse me? Maybe you haven't noticed but I always go for the sprint and try my hardest to win time and time again only to get pipped by the guys at the line. I don't think they ever think, I shouldn't chase a chick down. You're full of shit and just got beat by a girl! How you like them apples?

(Sorry - just a little drama... but come on! He asked for it.)

The points race was hard - the majority of the field dropped out by mid way through the race. I managed one point, which placed me in 8th. I was happy with my performance but frustrated by the way the men were unwilling to work together to chase back the lead group. Oh well. Lesson learned - attack them and leave them behind if they're unwilling to work.

We got into Bellingham at 12:30am and had to get up the following morning at 6:30am for the TT at Lake Padden. I felt solid on the bike - made one wrong move by not being in the aero bars for one downhill section, but felt pretty good. I ended up 5th - not bad!



The crit was hard. It was definitely a climbers crit and technical. It had 8 corners and a really fun fast descent. Ryan's entire family showed up to cheer me on - it was fantastic! (We had a Triplett family reunion on Saturday between the races. I'm really really good at burning the candle at both ends!) Wines dominated the race with Trish and Lise off the front from the gun. With about 5 laps to go Suz hit it and secured third place. The rest of us got to race for 4th. Annette gave me a killer lead out and I delivered the goods. It felt great to have teammates working for you and to be able to deliver it back to them.


The following morning was the final day - a 40 mile road race on a hilly course. It was gorgeous out. Unfortunately we were delayed by an hour because some poor soul from Ti broke his collar bone about 300m from the finish line. Ouch. During our race the same Wines ladies took off right away and probably had 5 minutes on the field. They're in a league of their own. Nice work ladies!

The rest of us were fighting for 4th in the GC. Carrie managed 4th and the rest of the team in 10th, 11th, and 13th. It didn't go as we had planned - but oh well. I'm surprised I can walk today to be honest with you! My legs were exhausted from the weekend. Did that stop me from going to the gym this morning? Absolutely not! Nationals are coming....

Hot off the presses...

http://lavelodrome.org/Races/TalentPool20070821.htm

Talent pool opportunity in 11 days down in LA. California here I come!

My man is THE man!

This past week Ryan's been the wife of our relationship and I've come home late 3 nights in a row to a hot dinner waiting on the table. It's so nice not having to come home and figure out what to eat. The best part? No grudges or control issues associated - he does it out of pure love. (Did I mention we have a kick ass relationship?) Last night he surprised me with a sausage, onion, mushroom, sweet potato stuffed pepper and caprese salad that was to die for.

So tonight I got to reciprocate the lovin' and went to town with what's in the kitchen. We're on a budget now since our funds are tied up in the property so I made the most of our pantry and odd sauces leftover in the fridge. He told me he'd be home around 9 - so when the hour came, I couldn't help but call him to find out his status.

Low and behold, I asked him how climbing was and he redpointed Extended Illness AND Black Ice - both rated 5.13c! What a freakin' stud! For those not familiar with the climbing grading scale - that's nearly impossible for mere mortals. Not to mention he did not one 5.13c but TWO! Unbelievable! He said he went in with a beginner's mind - and no expectations. Funny how that works.

Way to go Bubba - you are THE man!

Hot Damn in B'Ham

Traveled up north to the land of Bellingham to preride the Omnium race courses. The road course is hilly - and should be interesting to see if a non-climber wins it. There's some serious hills and for someone with track legs, it's not so friendly. The TT course will be hard too - with a gradual uphill start into a head wind and then mainly downhill with a wicked right hander and some more rolling sections. It's in a beautiful part of the country though and I'm really looking forward to.

This weekend is all about an ass kicking - Friday night out at the track and then Sat and Sun up north. Not to mention the family reunion on Sat. Sweetness!

4 hour Cinnamon Rolls

Tried a new recipe this morning, which ended up dipping into the afternoon. Caprials Deserts is the mecca for anything sweet - and I had a hankering to spend a little domestic time in the kitchen today.

So what took so long? First you have to mix up the dough, and don't forget the mad dash to the store to pick up more eggs and flour. Then you let the dough rise for an hour while domestically cleaning up your house. (I was actually able to dust! That only happens like twice a year.) Then you punch the dough down and roll it out into a 10x14" rectangle, dress it with melted butter, sprinkle a sugar/cinnamon mixture on it and then roll it into a big fatty. Cut it into 2" pieces and then let it rise another hour. For that hour of downtime I decided to work on adding some links to my track chain, which took FOREVER. A little bit of swearing, several tools spread across the dining room table, grease on my clothing and hands... but I got it. And before I knew it, it was time to stick the little buns into the oven. 25 minutes later I whipped up the sugar glaze and was popping the tasty morsels in my mouth with a serious sugar high. Yeah, I danced around my kitchen. That happens every time I put something delectable in my mouth. (My mom said I used to dance when I was little, somethings never change.)

Ryan called me later and asked, how were the buns? To which I responded, they took forever! And they're not that good. Ha! They taste like there's crack in them, they're so good. He's doing double time to get home to taste one.

If your in the neighborhood and low on sugar, stop on by and I'll give you a tasty bun.

Ryan's Weekend

Ryan headed out to Index, WA this weekend to complete his new bolt project on Zeek's Wall. He said it's probably a 5.13 or so and one of the most beautiful lines in Washington. Here's a photo of it.



From my understanding, it goes through the roof and then up a lay-back crack. Bolting a line is not easy and requires hours upon hours of manual labor. The first person to successfully climb the route gets the honor of naming it as well as subjectively grading it. And trust me, Ryan's already working all the moves and should have before summer's end.

Blueberries

53 pounds. Yep, I said 53.

24 cans of blueberry jam, 8 freezer bags full of 6 cups of berries each (the perfect amount for either pie or cobbler) and a lot of them already in my belly!

My neighbor and I drove out to North Bend today at the crack of dawn and picked until we both filled two five gallon buckets worth. Crazy, eh? Then we came back and started the canning process. Oh I can't wait for fresh blueberry pie tomorrow night!

Tomorrow's a track morning, followed by a baby shower and then a board meeting. Phew, what a weekend!

Nutsack Omnium

Yay! Nothing says August more than doing my first stage race of the year. Yep, you heard me right. I had to bypass every weekend of down-right torture in the nice soggy months of spring and wait until the summer to do some stage racing. Darn!

Not only am I excited - but the race is being held in Bellingham, the coolest city in Washington. And we're going to our Triplett family reunion that same weekend - meaning I should have a cheering section out there. Yippee!

Seriously though - it's only as good as the people who show up. So dust off your tt bike, pump up those race tires and head up North for some kick ass racing.

http://www.norkarecreation.com/omniumindex.htm

Glue. Ew.

Some how I managed to get glue not only all over my hands, but also on the top of my feet.

I decided to glue my new Vittoria tires myself - which is no small task. Ryan helped me remove my old tires but unfortunately we managed to rip one of the tires into shreds, meaning I had to remove a lot of residue and build up from my rim before re-gluing it. I used my oyster tool to remove most of the build up - and had several near misses in jabbing myself. And then, when I was almost finished, I put a huge gauge in my left hand. Ouch. Talk about a puncture wound. I'm surprised I didn't seriously injury myself.

The tire itself went on fairly easy - but while I was gluing the rim I had to rest the wheel on my feet so it wouldn't stick to the floor. And now I have tons of glue all over me. Oh well.

Other than that - the tires went on fairly easy. Yay! That means I get to try them out on Friday.

My mom's off in Hawaii visiting my grandmother. I need to get over there and see her - she's 91!

Details, details

On Thursday before the FSA GP, a teammate posted his sweet cruiser bike for sale. I've been looking for one for a while - for the right price, and finally here it was! I contacted him and told him to hold it for me - and if I scored enough cash from the weekend, then I'd buy it.

And although I scored some cash this weekend from the race, I unfortunately had to pass the bike up. 1 - I don't really need another bike and 2 - since I did do well, but not well enough, it's time to reinvest in some expensive track gear to make sure I'm getting the most from my equipment.

I've managed to spend about $600 in the past three days on various gear - it certainly adds up quickly. Sure I didn't need top of the line stuff - but I want to know I used the best I could at the time and have absolutely zero doubts in my gear.

So what could possibly be that expensive? Tires - Vittoria Pista CV (made exclusively for track riding with a supple dimpled black surface = low rolling resistance = FAST) $110/tire. Glue for gluing onto the wheels $3.95/tube x 2 tubes. New saddles (remember my 40k incident?) $99/each x 3 (and I need another for my pursuit bike!). Chain - the Wipperman I bought for my new Naked frame sucks balls. Yep, you heard me right. You can hear that thing across the track on a super windy day! So I coughed up the big bucks (thank goodness Ryan has a full time paycheck!) at $60 for the Izumi Model V. It rides like butta. I highly, highly recommend them. Oh, and then there's the new pedals I had to pick up for the new track bike $130. Ouch. Talk about an expensive week.

Oh, and don't forget about the plane tickets for track races and housing costs. I'm tempted to take David up on teaching some motorcycle classes to help pay for my out of control racing habit.

Check it:

Hot from the meeting - informtion about the 2007 USAC National Championships!

USCF Board of Trustees authorized a Women's Team Pursuit event for the 2007 USAC Elite Track Nationals as emergency legislation (7/30/07). The USA Cycling Coaching staff has been informed by the UCI that a Women's Team Pursuit is being added to the 2007 UCI Track World Championship. Our USA Cycling event will be run under the new UCI rules.

Yay!

I woke up Friday thinking fast thoughts and laid in bed rehearsing a smooth start and even tempo for the pursuit.

The night before, Ryan and I were headed out for a short easy spin to Magnolia and as we were going up the first hill toward Discovery Park, my rear wheel blew a spoke. It immediately threw it out of true - luckily Ryan was game to rush back to the house and pick me up in Ballard. So I walked my bike, slung over my shoulder since the rear wheel was out of commission, and walked barefoot through the locks since I had just replaced my cleats an hour earlier. I definitely got quite a few odd looks from all the tourists. I decided right then and there to take that situation and apply it toward the pursuit the following afternoon.

Anne-brit and Conan arrived at the airport just as I got picked up by Ryan so it was a mad dash to Seatac. We immediately started laughing - and didn't stop the entire time they were here! What great company.

Conan helped me with my splits. I'm such a rookie. I had no idea what real time I could do or should aim for - so when he asked me what time I wanted to do - I hesitantly replied, a 4:10. He did the calculations and told me I should do around a 33 second lap. The gun went off, I had a slower than normal start (21 seconds to the 200m) but then was able to hold 32 second laps - and start having negative splits! The bike felt good - the seat a gem - the gear perfect and the cranks were just right. I was able to wind up the last lap and held it at 30 seconds. Total time - 4:08.44. Not bad! And enough to win gold and qualify for nationals!!!!

I was so elated. Still am, actually.

Later that night we had a points race - 8x5. With two Aussies in the bunch, and several national caliber racers, the pace was high and the sprints an all out slug fest. Miraculously I managed two 1st place sprints, and one second. If only I had contested each sprint - I would have placed higher on the podium. But 3rd? I'll take that no problem! Liz, Annette and Karen all had great races too.

The next day my legs felt like garbage. We didn't get home and in bed until 2am Friday night and luckily I decided not to do the sprints. But instead of being able to sleep in, I was completely amped up. I was able to repay Rick for his incredible host housing duties in San Jose and showed him Pikes market and the Olympic Sculpture park. If you're ever in town - I'm more than happy to be a tour guide! We walked around quite a bit - and then I came home and crashed for two hours.

I rode the moto out to the track since Ab and C took all the gear earlier. The ladies had a miss n' out and scratch race to complete. Ab did awesome - bronze medalist. My legs felt trashed in the miss n' out and to save them, I just motored at the front of the group and held it steady. The surges can kill the legs sometimes! I nearly made the final - but was too tired to give it any more effort and dropped out in 4th place.

The scratch race was fast and fun - a great way to conclude the weekend. I got boxed in at the final lap - and was able to come out enough for a 5th place finish. Annette rocked it into 3rd - not a bad showing for Avanti this weekend!

Now I'm pooped and taking a serious rest week. It feels amazing to relax.

Hope you had a good weekend too!

Time to go Fast

I sat awake in bed this morning thinking about the pursuit and feeling the pain and pushing through it. It's time to go fast today - and no holding back.

More on that later....

Getting Ready

What a whirl wind the past couple days have been. My bro and family are in town to complete a painting project - and brought Coleman and Laurel with them. Coleman is difficult if he's not 100% occupied and has a lot of energy to burn. My mom claims he's worse than my brother was - although I don't know if I believe that. George was a holy terror and cut off my hair when we were kids.

This weekend is the FSA GP - hopefully the weather holds out. We've had the wettest July on record so far - thankfully we missed last weekend's drizzle while down in San Jose.

What's up with the Tour this year? Crazy, yo.

The sun's back

I think I watched that shoe video 5 times yesterday and every time I laughed harder and harder. Ryan and I were talking about it and we both think women understand the humor a little bit more then men, unless you're talking about a metro sexual.

So the 40k TT did some permanent damage to my soft tissue. I won't go into detail but let's just say I can barely ride right now.

We went to another awesome restaurant last night in celebration of my mom's birthday. I'd tell you which one it is but then I'd have to kill you. :) The resturant is small - but they recently expanded. We tried to go there for Ryan's birthday but they were remodeling. The meal started off with some market fresh beets, goat cheese and candied walnut salad drizzled in olive oil over a bed of mixed bitter greens. They accompanied the salad with slices of walnut bread and olive oil with infused carrots, onions and fennel. Each of us ordered a different main course - Mom had ribeye, Ryan had Duck Confit and I had scallops and shrimp. The ribeye was super tasty - with a wine reduction sauce cooked into the steak over a bed of fingerling potatoes and a side of green beans. Ryan's duck came with a cherry reduction on the side and the duck was moist and lip smacking good. My "surf and surf" came with perfectly cooked scallops (cooked on the outside but tender goodness on the inside) with a tomatilla avocado dip and fresh red salsa with huge golf prawns and a side of green beans. Yum. For desert we had a light creme delight - I forget the name. It was marshmallow in texture but light and sweet like creme brulee. They served it with a raspberry, black berry and a raspberry/orange sauce. The perfect way to finish off the meal and stuff us to the gills.

Anyone have a birthday coming up and want to go out to dinner somewhere new and exciting? I'm always game to try new food....

Shoes

http://www.spymac.com/details/?1807065

Good times.

Weekend Warrior

Another kick ass summer weekend in the bag.

It started Thursday - when my flight was delayed by 1/2 hour down to San Jose. Luckily Alaska Airlines only charges $50 for the bike box, and is by far the cheapest way to travel. Rick Adams, the treasurer for the Hellyer track hosted Kenny, Annette, Christie and I in their amazing Palo Alto home. Upon arrival at their house, Rick whipped up a gluten free pasta dish that was super tasty! He's the man of the household - and stayed home with their two teenage girls while his wife worked. He was definitely the host with the most. Thanks Rick and Anne!

Friday morning we woke up and assembled our bikes. We didn't have to be at the track until the later that evening so we relaxed, took naps, did the lazy biker thing in preparation.

Have I mentioned how kick ass it is to have a teammate out on the track? Especially one so experienced and competitive as Annette? She rocked the Keirin. We had some awesome national competition out there - Jennie Reed, Becky Quinn, Cari Higgins, Shelley Olds, etc.



So I worked on being aggressive all weekend - and not thinking about making a move but just doing it. It really didn't come into play until the last race - but we'll get to that.

The points race was good - 15 women signed up. I went for a point in the first sprint and then Annette, Becky and Jennie countered. They were off the front and running from the gun. Unfortunately our race was only 24 laps, with 4 sprints every 6 laps. Shelley Olds bridged the gap immediately to the lead group and contested every sprint, and winning the overall title. She's dynamite! Meanwhile, 4 of us chased and chased to try and bridge together but due to lacking horse power, they stayed away till the very end. In retrospect, I should've attempted a bridge and exerted a lot more energy quickly, versus long term effort. Oh well. Becky was 2nd, Jennie 3rd, Annette 4th, Anna Lang 5th, Mary Maroon 6th, and moi in 7th. We dropped the rest of the field after the first sprint, which made it difficult to navigate around them. Talk about a shattered field.

The following afternoon was the Miss N' Out - and I stupidly boxed myself in. I knew better too - but had bad luck. Oh well. Annette managed 5th or 6th - she was on the podium all weekend with the exception of the scratch race. Which brings me to my break through. I followed the right wheels - Jennie is always a good bet. So is Becky, but Quinny is crafty so you have to watch it and make sure you don't get your wheel taken out by inattention. Jennie on the other hand is sure and steady - and won't waver at all. Proman was drilling the pace at the beginning - shelling some of the field and setting Shelley up for a solo attack. She hammered it off the front to stay away for the win. The field really didn't chase much - and we were somewhat hovering around 3 to 2 laps to go - and which point I put in a solid attack. The timing was good - I put 5 bike lengths on the group quickly. And then I just had to hold it, but my high end got the best of me and I was nipped at the line by jennie, Anna Lang and Becky. I almost had it though! It was a huge breakthrough for me - not thinking about going - just going. I'm grinning from ear to ear.

Somebody, uh hum, Kenny, thought it would be a good idea to take the 6:30am flight the following morning in order to make our 40k state individual TT. We barely made it in time - but with 15 minutes to go, we rolled in and I was off. Not my best effort - especially considering how tracked out I've been lately - but still not bad. I managed 6th - but Michele ROCKED it with a gold medal ride of 1:01:31. What a studette! I'm so proud of her!!!

Ok- time for work.

Muffin Top

I woke up dreaming of muffins.


Then I thought second of it.

Rain Rain go away

It's back - and my plants are surely thankful. No worries though - it's been a while since I did an indoor roller workout and instead of having to watch the Tour on DVD I can now watch it live. Perfect!

Had an awesome track workout last night. Tamara, Christie and I worked on 2x100, 2x200 and 2x400. The last effort, the one that really counts, I poured my heart and soul into and as I approached the finish line, I could barely see straight. I had to chill out afterward and recover - nausea and thin saliva filling my mouth, heading pounding, body ready to pass out in protest. I remember just leaning over my bike and taking a few moments to recollect and convince myself I was going to live. Oh it hurts so good! I am stoked to finally workout hard again without thinking twice about my hamstring. Now it's time to get down to business in prep for nationals. Yay!

I got my new bike yesterday - STOKED!!! It's super simple and classy - one that you could hang on your wall and never lose it's charm. A few tweaks though - like getting rid of the Hairybone Fizik saddle (not so friendly on the lady parts) and some ergo roadie bars and I should be golden. I love the longer crank arms - I feel like I can get some serious leverage out of them. A few minor tweaks at the track with thanks to Woody and John and Kenny and I was up and running. Thanks guys.

I'd be curious to compare the power and speed outputs from a 165 to a 170 crank arm. Too bad my ibike crapped out on me. I didn't even use it more than a month. Apparently Alpenrose is just too bumpy for something that finicky. Actually, come to think of it, it died in Colorado Springs. Altitude? Who knows. I'm selling it. Anyone want to buy a slightly used iBike that works really really well? Ha!

Tomorrow we're off to San Jose for some more bike racing. Gotta love it! On Sunday we fly back at the butt crack of dawn for a state TT - 40k. Ouch. Should be wicked.

The Colemantor

My nephew Coleman is turning 4 in October. That's my bro, George.

sprinter vs. enduro

for some reason I just can't let this one go yet.


would you rather have this?



OR....

This



(I wouldn't mess with a vinyl clad chicken either.)

Ever now and then you come across a gem of a blog. http://wynterparks.blogspot.com/

She blogged about this You Tube with Mario Cipollini - hopefully you speak Italian. If not, here's wynterparks synopsis:

"check out this video of Mario Cipollini being punked (the Italian version)
His mechanic is the show's accomplice and basically tells him as he is out on a training ride that his house had been broken into and his bikes stolen...including his World Champ ride. As he and his training partner continue to ride a camper van (the show's actors posing as the thieving gypsies) casually drives by and he spots his bikes.....a chase ensues and the showdown begins as Mario tries to beat down the garagey-type building they eventually escape and lock themselves and his bikes into. The show comes out and lets him know he is being punked before he kills the gypsies."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHUpmWPCMes

Good Morning!

It rained this morning at 4 am - and the whole city seems to be stoked about it. John in the Morning at KEXP was going on and on about how good it smelled. It cracks me up how people can't take the heat. One day of a little warmer temps and people start doing the rain dance. I can't blame them though - my plants are definitely happier. And my poor little mini aussie is much happier with the cooler temps. We had her belly shaved for some relief.



Anyways - completely different topic - lately I've been craving protein. This past weekend put my body into over drive and suddenly I found myself wanting rib eyes. Then I went to the gym on Monday and felt incredible - tempted to up my weights. The morning weigh ins fluctuate but lately they've been showing a few pounds heavier. Maybe my butt's getting bigger and my chicken leg status will disolve. Sweet. No climbing for me!

Tired today

Maybe it was the 100 degree heat from yesterday and then the late night down in Tacoma celebrating Andrew's 30th - but I am pooped today! Nap time for sure.

Rode the moto in today - I forgot for a split second how fun it is.

I'm so tired I can't think of anything good to blog about. :)

Focus

I ran into Jill on the trail today and she said she was looking through Amara's photos and saw this one I posted above. She thought it was cool to see how intense it was before the race. To which I responded, the only thing going through my head "Get behind the motor. Get behind the motor. Get behind the motor."

Then once I did, I thought, now what???

Can you say, Lead out?

Reflection...

Since the weekend seemed to pass by in a blur - I am just now remembering bits and pieces of experience that I will improve me as a rider.

For instance, in the sprints, you should be checking your left shoulder more often and if you do look right, look underneath your armpit. The attacks are always going to come from someone diving down left, to utilize the banking and gain momentum. If you are caught looking right, and that person dives, then you could be wondering how you missed the move and the race. I bet there are some mind tricks you could play to keep your brain sharp - anyone have any suggestions?

Also - if you are in front, make sure you keep the follow person's front wheel pinned, especially if they are close to you, preventing them from diving down track and getting a jump on you. Sprints are interesting - I enjoy the cat and mouse game. Having the ability to make your body instantly react is a gift - and the power that comes behind it to push through the pain and pedal stroke is completely different than endurance races. I like them, I like them a lot.

I have to say I conquered a MAJOR hurdle this past week too - the Keirin. Granted I didn't win a Keirin, but I did figure out positioning much better and my confidence is improving. Miller had a great suggestion for being in the first position - by faking an attack and getting everyone excited, and then really turning on the sprint with a few hundred meters to go. I like that one - sounds like a good bluff to me. :)

I think I hear the neglected dishes calling my name.... and the mounds of laundry pilled up to the ceiling.

Oh - one more thing. I just want to say how inspirational Jimmy was this weekend. His racing is amazing - and you can tell he's digging deep and in the hurt locker, yet amazingly can recover from it and get back in the game and score points. He lapped the field, with a couple other guys, and then continued to get points for 3rd place in the points race. What a stud. And he and Super Steve-o placed 3rd in the Madison. Way to go guys!

What did you call me?

Had a fan-tabulous weekend hanging with Jimmy and Alynda and crew down in Portland. Collected some dough and definitely paid for the trip. But now it's back to the grind stone.

Check out this sweet picture Amara took in Colorado Springs:


Then I had a random compliment today that made me laugh. This guy came into the office to check out the cable in a new tenants space and needed me to let him in. I unlocked the door and he said, "I love your hair by the way. You've got this Meg Ryan look. And Meg Ryan in my standards is a super hottie. I can't believe I just said that. I hope I didn't offend you."

Nope buddy, but you did make me blush. :)

AVC - Day one

Day one, in the bag. Jimmy and Alynda are hosting me at their awesome house in the JOhn's landing area and it's really nice and quiet here. I got in around 8 last night and they had dinner ready to go when I touched down, which was awesome. Then this morning I woke up early and had a pursuit. I went out really hot - and ended up dying in the end. Now I just need to get a better feel for what I'm doing - but my fitness is starting to come back. Yay!

I ended up third in the pursuit - not bad. But that means only $10. Oh well - we still have a nice long weekend of racing ahead of us. Tomorrow brings the Keirin, Miss n Out and Points race. Fun fun and fun!

The 500m went well - 40.86 - which put me in 7th. Good points toward the omnium. :)

It's early -

But I can't sleep anymore. My tummy and burning inferno is working double time - and come to think of it, I didn't eat enough yesterday. Luckily the resort has a kick ass buffet that we're taking full advantage of later this morning.

But right now, it's 6 am and I can't sleep another wink. My head wouldn't stop whirling with thoughts of my racing last night and I thought I'd be productive and jot some of them down.

Position is everything. I keep imagining myself finding the right spot going into a sprint, fighting for it if need be, or coming the long hard way around over the top. But I'd prefer the right position off the bat. I'm working on it -but still need to fine tune and become consistent. Good thing I have another chance this weekend at Alpenrose.

I'm starving! Time to rummage something to eat...

Between thundershowers, hail storms, Tornado warnings...

Somewhere in between all of the mayhem, I actually got to do some racing today! Yesterday we were completely rained out and told to evacuate the track for fear of a severe thunderstorm ripping through the Springs. In a way I was thankful - but that meant putting all of the racing stacked into today.

The keirin went much better for me today - I didn't get DQ'd. Yay! And I pulled the number one position, again, of course, and managed to get on the motor in the first 1/4 lap! Success! I was so concentrated on that I kind of paniced - now what? I lead the entire race out - and Carrie Higgins made a sweet move over the top and advanced to the final. Monique Sullivan, a bad ass Canadian young girl, placed second with the rest of us falling in behind. I like to say I gave the sweetest leadout ever! Thank you very much.:)

We then had a rep round - and I pulled lucky number 2 this time. Kele Murdin was obligated to take the motor but Sarah Uhl jumped on instead. As soon as the motor pulled, Sarah went to the back and then came over the top. Her speed was impressive. She easily won our round. AnaBrit lead it out - and we had some serious wind going. I remember thinking I should have jumped but didn't went I thought it - resulting in lame placement. I should never think about it - I should just do it. Otherwise, I have found out, it happens too fast and your left analyzing what went wrong.

Last we had a 60 lap points race. I got 4 points total - in the beginning. Then I had a couple of grasshopper position placements, which nearly cost me the race. But thankfully the entire group was content with just hanging out and not racing between sprints. So I climbed back on and got nipped at the line a couple times. Oh well. It was incredible to get some amazing competition and have a coach there to help me out. Thanks Kenny.


Time for bed....

Check it out - nice pics from Marcy!

http://www.marcysutton.com/gallery/albums/cycling-062307/062307_0554.jpg

Indy GP, State Crit and Beaver Creek

Finally! Internet connection. We would have connected yesterday but the airport card got ejected from Coleman. I'm now relaxing back in our room at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. We woke up early this morning to make registration at the CVA from 8 to 9 and then roamed around to find a Mac store. The past few days have been filled with lots of travel and now it's nice to have some down time.

Friday night racing was cancelled due to some crazy thunderheads filing the sky. I was actually thankful because it gave me an extra day of down time before this week's traveling and racing. Saturday was the State Crit down in Olympia on this kick ass course that you didn't have to touch your brakes once to corner. Unfortunately my high end fitness still has a little ways to go and I got lapped. :( Out of 30+ ladies that started though I ended up 15. Not my best performance - but considering track is my focus as of now - that's quite alright. It's been one full month of training and racing - and I'm no where near my peak.

I managed to hit the hay early Saturday night - before 10 - because our flight out to Denver left at 6am. That means I woke up at the ungodly hour of 3:30. Ouch. Our cabby was playing some techno middle eastern music - blarring it actually, right into our ears. We laughed.

The bonus part about getting up that early was we avoided the crazy airport TSA insane long lines and were headed up I-70 to Beaver Creek by 11. The lines for security in the Denver Airport were wrapped all the way down into baggage claim - with over an hour wait. Ouch.

It was nice visiting the Creek - although our stay was super short. When we checked in at the gate the gatekeeper mentioned the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies were playing at the bottom of the main chair lift at 6. We took a quick nap (we, btw is referring to my mom and I) and headed up to catch some awesome swing music. A great way to end the day.

In the morning we beat feet and drove back down to the airport, picked up Kenny and then headed straight to the Springs to get some track time. Luckily the juniors were between sessions so we had ample opportunity to do some rounds. It was hot out though - 90 - and doing efforts in the heat and altitude definitely take their toll. I did a couple jumps - glancing down to catch 37 on my iBike - not too shabby. Let's just hope the legs have some speed later tonight! My favorite - the Keirin - is in store. Remember last year? Let's not go there. :)

Any hoot - back to relaxing.

Elemental

My head hurts.

As it should after pairing about 20 different foods with wines.

Last night we went to Elemental in Wallingford to celebrate Dave's birthday. Dave and Kristin are foodies and love wines as well - perfect company for a night of eating and drinking.

Let's see - highlights I remember.... we started with a scallop/watermelon appy coupled with some white wine. (All I can tell you is the color of wine - not only because I'm a moron when it comes to wine, but also because the owner, Fred, refuses to let you in on any of his secrets.) Down the hatch it went - yum. But let me back up a little, when you first arrive you're served a shot glass of sherry and some cucumber water. Then after you've warmed up your palate Fred will mix up a little cocktail surprise that'll knock your socks off. Since I'm a light weight I was seriously buzzed before they even gave us some food. They also give you a little helping of popcorn sprinkled with black pepper and truffle oil. A teaser, if you ask me.

Since we all enjoy food so much we decided to try everything. "Bring on the food," Fred said.

At one point we had five spice duck and a five star red wine - that was a show stopper. We also enjoyed pigeon, but I'm sure there's a more sophisticated name and things started to get really fuzzy from that point on.

Dave and Kris kept referring to "French Laundry" down in San Fran - a place I had never heard of. A meal for two will cost around $750 or so. Elemental is not nearly as pricey or stuffy for that matter. We walked out of there (thankfully we live 4 blocks away - driving was not an option) in under $280.

But you do pay for it the next day - especially if you drink all of the wine that he serves with dinner. Often we would have two wines with every dish - to compare and contrast the different tastes. I personally preferred the whites - but learned that I only needed a sip to wash it down. Dave and Ryan on the other hand were drinking the rest of what I left in my cup and were wasted! I bet both of them are hurtin' units this morning. :)

If you are ever in Seattle, or live here and are looking for a special treat, I highly highly recommend Elemental. The place is super small - and if you're not there by 5 pm to claim a table then you might as well find somewhere else to eat. They only have 5 tables, can accommodate two parties of 4, the rest two tops. But it is so worth every anxious minute you have when approaching, will we get a table tonight? Then you are wined and dined until 10pm or so - so make sure to bring good dinner conversation. And make sure you don't have to make any important decisions the next day. ;)

Unexpected Bliss

Yesterday I had one of those amazing summer days that make you feel awesome to be alive - and have no regrets on how you spent the day.

Ryan climbs at Lil' Si and has been working on numerous hard routes. He headed out to North Bend after work and I decided to ride out there and meet him. I've done this ride before - but decided to do some exploration this time and try to avoid any congested roads at the height of traffic. Boy was I in for a treat.

Usually I head out and follow I-90 till Issaquah and then follow Lake Samamish till the Home Depot and head up this 11% grade monster hill to intersect Issaquah/Fall City Road. Then I meander on some back country roads and eventually end up in Fall City, then follow 203 into Snoqualmie. But I wanted to avoid the 11% grade because there's no shoulder and often cars zoom next to you, nearly bumping the handle bars on their daily commute home. They're usually not too happy that a cyclist is sharing the road - and they let you know.

I stopped in downtown Issaquah at the Fire Station and asked the fellas for the safest way up to the plateau and it turns out all I had to do was follow Sunset. They did mention the road was super narrow in the this one section and slightly dangerous - but that's nothing new. Luckily when I approached the area they were talking about there was a nice barricaded shoulder and trial system. I was stoked. Then it turns out I found the Cedar River Trail - a nice railroad grade packed gravel road that parallels 90 through a thickly forested area. It was beautiful and totally unexpected. Had I not been worried about getting a pinch flat with my skinny little road tires, I would have stopped longer and smelled the roses.

Once you exit the trail it kicks you onto this amazing meandering country road into Preston. From Preston I followed the Preston/Fall City Road and it had a nice shoulder. Cars were traveling a little fast but I wasn't buzzed - as it seems most of the people on this road aren't uptight Seattlites. :)

203 from Fall City into Snoqualmie was a little sketchy - only because they just paved the area and have yet to mark the lanes. There's a great climb from the valley floor to Snoqualmie Falls and then it's pancake flat from there into North Bend. The weather rocked yesterday - 72 degrees and not too hot.

Once I got to the trail head I popped my bike on the racks and then made the 25 minute trek up to the climbing area. What an incredible day of hanging out in the forest - away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We stopped in North Bend for some food and beer around 10pm - a nice way to wrap up an unexpected kick ass day.

On a side note - the other night I was doing my core exercises and got stung by a bee! In my own house! Son of a biscuit!

Pushing Limits

Today I got close to my limit and tried pushing it higher. Budog brought his moto out to the track and we did a nice steady warm up in a 50x16. Then I upped my gear to 51x15 and did some points race simulation. I'm getting better at the sling shot and coming around the motor but still have a ways to go. We also did a burnout and averaged 31 for the final few laps. I was pretty cooked for our final effort - and managed only half of what we could do. I'm working on relaxing my upper body completely and letting all of the energy flow down into my legs. Somedays it's easy, some days it isn't. Today was border line between the two. Like I said, I got to my limit and tried pushing it higher. Maybe next time my limit will be even higher.

I am a position master.

KW also noticed my tiny crank arms. Funny, I run a 165 on my track bike. It's what came with the bike and no one told me I should bother with changing it. Maybe that's why when I hit a high RPM my heart feels like it's going to explode. With 5mm on each side of the crank, I might be able to really lever myself a little better. We'll see how that goes.

I'm on the hunt for a single speed for the road. If you have an old frame in a 54-56 let me know.

Peace.

Spain here we come!

Ryan and I have been toying with taking a big trip over Christmas for months now. First it was Thailand - but with the coup and expensive plane tickets, we decided to start looking elsewhere. Then it was Greece - on an island called Kos. But tickets there were around $2,000 each so we opted out. And then yesterday Ryan called me to tell me he just bought us round trip tickets into Barcelona. Yes! 17 days of foreign travel - I love it!

Position Master

I will become a position master.

I look forward to each opportunity I get to show my skill and ability to position myself in each and every race I do - from road to track.

So here's the thing. This past weekend I raced like butt because I wasn't in proper position. Both Friday night with the fellas and today's road race in Olympia. Sure my legs felt like bricks but had I positioned myself smarter in both races I would have been in the finish. Instead I shot out the back like a rocket, and discouraged as can be. But whenever I'm faced with a challenge and something screams at me that I can't do - I respond well and face those fears.

Maybe my ability to overcome needles took it's toll on me mentally. Ha!

Seriously though - I owe it to myself to be in better position and stay in the top half. No more in the back bull shit. I end up wasting more energy physically and mentally after the race wondering what went wrong.

So, as I said before, and I'll keep repeating to myself and posting it on my fridge - I am a position master.

I am a position master. I am a position master. I am a position master. I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.I am a position master.

I think you see what I mean.

Resting

Last night I went the hardest I have gone in a really long time. I actually felt like puking and even laying down didn't appeal to me. My saliva was super thin and I tasted blood in the back of my mouth from my bleeding lungs. We're starting to get somewhere. :)

I forgot my track sack at home on accident and was unable to gear up for the races. I couldn't tell why I wasn't able to hang on but in retrospect it's because my gear was too small. Time to up it.

Grant man is doing awesome. He's a week shy of heading out to Colorado Springs for junior nats, held the weekend before the Independence GP. He's often giving Kenny a run for the money. It's really fun to watch and I look forward to seeing how far he can push himself in cycling. Mark, Grant's dad said that upgrading him to a 1/2 on the road made a huge difference because he's still in junior gearing and able to keep up with the big guns. The future is certainly looking bright for that young man. Go Grant go!

Helped Bilko teach a track class today, which was fun. I woke up with sore legs so it was nice to be able to spin them out in warm up. My replacement powertap showed up today too... I'm off to install it. Later.

“When I get on the track, especially pursuiting,” Hammer says, “I want people to look at each other when I get off the track like, ‘Damn, wow!’ Not, ‘Okay, she won.’ When I was the only girl racing junior boys, I wanted all the young boys’ father to be like, ‘Wow.’ I’ve always been like that.’”

Funny - that's what always made my fire burn brighter too. Especially when I was in elementry grade school playing dodge ball. I loved hitting those boys and being the last person standing. :) It was only after competition that I realized I was the only girl still playing with the boys.

Thanks Sarah for giving me something to think about when I'm on the verge of puking. I know I can dig that much deeper.

(Read the entire article about Sarah at http://www.competitor.com/article/?Guid=5785fe51-e55b-4b31-b0c8-6daac4ff5a33 )

GRD

Git R' Done.

Or at least trying to. You know how sometimes you have all those little lose ends you've been meaning to wrap up for days/weeks/months now? Well I finally ticked some of those off my list. Yippee.

I'm trying to get the MVA website updated with some new content and it's slowly coming together. I'm also trying to get my talented photographic sister involved to take some new photos for the website. It would be awesome to get her involved. She has a great eye for design and taking photos.

Ryan's been working on the back end of the site and frantically trying to get the results page up and running. Hopefully we'll post something today.

I'm nailing down a delinquent tenant who owes some back rent. The sneaky little bugger. He's going to have quite a little wake up call when he sees his new lease.

Oh - and I almost forgot! There's this guy who walks his Jack Russell in front of our buildings every day. He's missing a few bolts in the old tool box, if you know what I'm saying. The dog is always super hyped up and the owner always yells loudly, "LEO! LEO!" Yip yip yip! And Leo does a back flip or two. Well yesterday Leo and his owner were out walking along the trail and this poor female roller bladder was just riding down the trail, minding her own business, when suddenly you hear LEO LEO LEO! Bad dog! The little monster attacked the woman biting at her ankles, sending her down hard on the concrete. Apparently Leo was off leash and the owner was on his cell phone. My mom and I both caught the action - and were glad to see the woman roll away. I saw Leo again this morning on my way into work - thankfully strapped to his owner. Bad Leo, bad.

Whoa

If my calculations are correct and I set my iBike up correctly, then I hit a 1317 watt max today during our points practice. Not bad - my form is starting to come around. What I really want to do is be part of the 1500 watt club. :)

Sigh

It's only 4pm and I feel like it's midnight. The past two days have been action packed in comparison to the weekend and I'm feeling the effect.

First and foremost - Ryan redpointed a 5.13a this weekend in 4 goes! What a stud. He said his body is sore in ways that he hasn't felt since he first started climbing. Which I think means he crossed a serious hurdle and is now ready to attack his ultimate goal - 5.14. I'm so happy we both have our individual sports and have passion for them in common - it is such a valuable and important support network to have.

Monday morning I headed to the gym for my first weight lifting session. I went through the moves but didn't add any weight or rep to it because I was curious how my body would react. So far so good. Later in the day I headed to Ballard for another acupuncture session and Ed hit my sore hammy on the head. He stuck a needle right into the tender area - where I've been trying to rub out for four months and with one needle movement released the junk built up in there. I'm headed back for one more session and should be good after that.

We also went over to Dave and Kristin's for dinner last night and had a great time. Kristin is seriously the world's best cook and loves to experiment with different foods. Dave is a lucky lucky man. :) Two bottles of wine later, we headed home from the plateau to jump in bed a little before midnight. That made for an early morning - Ryan left the house via moto at 6 am this morning so he could get off early for another good climbing session at Lil' Si. I woke up at 6:45am (super duper early for me!) and headed to Kenmore to meet up with Kenny and head to the track for some motorpacing. It took us an hour to get from his house to the track. Ridiculous!

The moto session went good though - although we had to cut it short because I was headed to a 11am PT appointment. We did a nice warm up and then some points race simulations. Ideally I want to be able to come around going 35-37mph and hold it to the line from 200m. Today I was able to hit 32.7 in my final effort - but without really taking a run at the motor and sling shot in front of it. Now I know for next time. I made my appointment just in time and then headed back to Kenmore to drop of Kenny's track bike. Talk about spending the morning in the car! Makiah came along for the ride though and I think it made her day.

Now I'm relaxing, listening to some dub music and the constant spin of the washing machine as I down another tall glass of water and rest my tired legs. Oh yeah - I also picked up some new tires from 2nd bounce for my sorry ass track bike during my afternoon ride. I got a rear flat this morning just as we were about to start and think it's time I updated those wheels. They served me well - it's been 3 track seasons and I'm just now replacing them. Blah blah blah. Thanks for listening.

Restin' up

The drive over to the Methow Valley took us 7 hours on Friday. For some reason traffic was insane - and even the usually deserted back roads were flooded with weekenders all trying to escape the city at the same time. Makiah and Yatzee were nestled together in the back seat - and even they started getting testy with one another at the fifth hour. Luckily the cabin we were staying at allowed dogs and there was as many dogs as people hanging out this weekend. We're all pretty funny with our pets. And every single one of our friends are dog lovers. Even Pee Pee made it (sorry PePe but you peed in my house one too many times to have that nickname wear off).

Thankfully the drive was awash in lush early spring greens - making for striking and jaw dropping contrasts between the mountain peaks and meadows along highway 20. I recommend driving highway 20 to anyone that ever visits this planet - it is seriously one of the most beautiful roads in the world, if not the prettiest. Even better if you can bike it.

We rolled into the Mazama Country Store around 10 pm and immediately inhaled the clean pine fresh air. I wish I could bottle it. It smells so amazing. That in itself is worth the long ass drive. (It normally should take 3.5 hours.) My only regret - our weekend was too short.

We spent the weekend in a nice cabin with 15 friends and one incredible baby who never cries, Sophie. They're mostly Ryan's climbing buddies who were a little disappointed to hear I wasn't racing so they couldn't get drunk and heckle me in the crit. :) Instead, Melinda, Josh and I hiked to the Goat Mountain Overlook on Saturday and had an amazing panorama view from 7,000 feet. The view was breath taking - literally. Having this short break from the bike made me super antsy to get back to it. We got home early because Melinda's dog, Yatzee is 12 and her health and agility is starting to fail her. She wouldn't have made it the 30 minutes up to the crag without an airlift so Melinda and I headed back early.

I spent quite a bit of time tonight booking flights and getting my logistics down for the busy track month of July. I'm packing in more traveling in that one month than the entire season so far. I'm super excited and really stoked about resting and healing up this past weekend in anticipation of hitting things hard and steady from here on out.

4 different velodromes in July, with only one being a new track to me. That makes me grin from ear to ear.

I'm really looking forward to what's in store for the next few months race wise. It seems all of my patience and waiting out this hamstring issue is going to pay off. It makes me want it that much more and I can't wait to express my eagerness.

The Rain's back....

Woke up this morning to a constant drizzle. Ryan said it was pouring earlier this morning. The forecast is for it to let up - but so far there's no end in site. No worries though - we're headed East of the mountains to the fantastic Methow Valley. I love it there. We looked into buying property there last fall - and then had our emergency flooding in the basement that made us lose all momentum of finding anything in the valley.

Should be fun - do a little climbing and hiking and of course hanging out with friends. There's 12 of us going. Yahoo!

This is my last weekend of relaxation before I start hitting it hard back in the gym and putting some serious quality time in on the saddle. Hope your weekend is nice!

Wednesday Night

Day 2 of 3 out at the track in a row. I secretly hope it rains tonight so I don't have to venture East. But at least I get a break this Friday as we're headed to Mazama for a rock climbing trip. Should be fun. There's a lot of moderate climbing in the area and some amazing hikes. It sure would be fun to mountain bike over there - but as directed, I'm not taking anything to do with bikes. :)

Rode with the ladies last night. It was fun hanging with Rachel and working with her within the group. I was in a 50x16 (84") gear - which felt good to get some leg speed. I love going fast and feeling the G forces in the turns. It's a lot of fun. Now if we could just get more Ti ladies out at the track...

Rolling on the track

Did my first Tuesday night Fast Track session last night and felt great. It's really awesome to have a teammate and workout buddy there to help you through some difficult training sessions. Annette and I both started warming up in a 81-82" gear with Woody's group. They start the session with a paceline - 10 at 20, 10 at 23, 5 at 25 and 5 at 28. The follow that paceline with a quicker one - 10 at 23, 10 at 25, 5 at 28 and lastly 5 at 30. I opted out of the second one to do another slower warmup with ladies - especially since I joined the second one late.

My hammy is feeling better - and I was able to do the entire workout without flinching or thinking about it. We started with 3 6 lap full out efforts. Annette was the rabbit for the first one, which was easier because you saw how to pace yourself. We switched positions for the second - it's such a mental challenge being in front and maintaining 26mph solo. Then the last effort we switched off lead positions - and increased our speed to 27. The last couple laps were leg breaking - I'm stoked with both finished them.

Next on the agenda - 3x 1 lap rolling all out efforts. We started them at 14mph and then stood up to sprint and get on top of the gear. Those kind of efforts make you realize just how long Marymoor is. I toped out around 31mph. Annette was the rabbit again for the first and last effort - I was her rabbit for the second one. I put so much effort into the last one I swear I felt fuzzy - a little lightheaded and talk about an endorphine high (apparently the dictionary doesn't like my version of that word - and I swear it's a word. You know, the runner high you get?)!

Now I'm slowly waking up and sipping my green tea. It's been 10 days since I gave up coffee and my body is starting to feel better.

Getting closer to Zen

I walked into Ed's practice today and immediately felt a sense of calmness wash over my body. He was very mellow and easy going and after filing out a little bit of paperwork we went over my medical history. I told him about my 3 ACL knee surgeries and 1 Meniscus - and he asked what they used for the tendon. Suddenly a light went off - back when I was 18 I tore my ACL and had Joesph Engman from Ballard Sports Med preform my surgery. He used a portion of my right hamstring to do the ACL repair. It's been over 10 years - and now I'm having issues with the very area where they tore a chunk of meat out of. Interesting.

Let me be clear - I made the appointment this morning despite my years of needle paranoia. Ever since I was an infant, I've had a severe phobia to needles. I suppose it was rooted in being poked a million times to help me breathe. I had serious asthma as a child - and still do - and when I started to turn blue in the face at 2 years old, my panicked mother would rush me into the doctors office to get shots of adrenaline. To this day I have a hard time with needles - and have bolted out of many doctor offices before. But not today - I was a brave little girl. :)

Ed started with me laying on my tummy and did some core rubs. He noticed my liver was feeling a little interesting - but didn't put me in any discomfort. He worked down to my legs - cracking each toe just like my dad did when I was a kid - and to his delight he heard me giggle. Then he worked my arms - cracking each finger and triple cracking my thumbs. "That was a good one!" He giggled.

Flipped over on my stomach he felt an immediate difference between my two legs. My left glute was super tight - and my right flexible and supple. Then he started sticking the needles in. The first set addressed the general pressure points. The first one he inserted gave me a zing down the leg and then a constant dull ache in the knee. He then continued to insert them - on both legs, with varying degrees of zings and aches. Then he focused on my hamstring. When he inserted it into the muscle it felt like it was severely cramping and then released. An odd sensation I've never ever felt before. I almost bolted, but told myself to relax and enjoy the ride. Then he moved to my butt and zowie! That felt strange. After the initial tinge my muscle relaxed and he was done. Next he put some Masa (sp?) on it and lit it on fire causing a warming and then hot feeling. It stunk pretty bad - Ryan asked me if I was smoking when I came home.
Ed suggested I come back in a week and do another session to fully release the hambone. And much to my surprise, I signed up again. At least the next time I'll be prepared for the zingers.

Time to watch some Fletch. Gotta love that Chevy Chase. It's out of print now and the video store keeps it behind the counter. Sweet.

Hambony

I'm exhausted.

Let me work backward from today. Woke up, slightly hung over from our kegger last night, to join the ladies on a 10am ride. We left from the shop and headed north - 70 miles round trip. Just got back 2 hours ago and have been laying low ever since - and just finished the last little cleaning from our party last night.

Last night we had a keg. Lots of yummy food - beef and chicken skewers, salmon and tons of finger foods and salsas. It was awesome. Didn't get to bed until about 1 am though.

Before the party I did the Ballard crit. Well, more like 15 minutes of the crit before my hambone started sending messages to my brain and letting me know it was on the edge. So I happily pulled off, got warm and called it a night. There was a constant mist and the roads were super wet yesterday. Not to mention it was about 55 degrees. Karen Clayes did amazing with a 2nd place finish. She was part of a three lady breakaway. Jadine from TGH won, with Leah from Byrne in third. Nice work ladies! And Annette won the bunch sprint. Well done!

Friday night we had some track racing. It was awesome. I'm starting to get my game face back on and it feels good. Rocked a bigger gear than usual - 51x15 and it felt good. Although it did me in for the following race. It's really fun racing with Annette - she's amazing tactically and very encouraging.

Friday morning I spent in prep for the BBQ and did a bunch of errands and gathering for the party. Not as many teammates showed up as they said they would - but the rest of us made the most of it! It was a lot of fun.

Now I'm tired and looking forward to sushi. Mmmmmm sushi.

In tune

Yesterday I saw Betsy, Izette's stand in while she's gone to Europe. She gave me a lot of new strengthening exercises that will not only increase my hammy strength, but also increase my inner core strength. It felt good to do the moves - and now my glutes are sore. Apparently I need to build up my booty strength.

I also had to go to Sound Mind and Body and beg for my membership back. I had just canceled it when I realized I'm going to actually be doing weights this summer (on Kenny's new training program) and need access to an Olympic platform. SM&B is a really nice gym - I only canceled it because I was using it only in the winter. And as it turns out I'm going to be using it all summer as well in preparation for Nationals.

We had a great ladies track session last night. There were about 9 of us in total - but we were really able to work on pacelining and then ran a simulated 4x4 points race. It went really well - and our discussion was one of the best ones I've had out there. One woman is hesitant in taking the right wheel when she knows there's an opening. I could see her thinking she needed to get on that wheel but delayed herself. Afterward she commented that she knew she should've gone but didn't have the guts to do it. Practice grasshopper, practice.

I think the best part about teaching the ladies classes is watching them all grow into better track racers. It's really exciting watching someone grasp a concept and overcome a hurdle as they progress. I love working with people who are working to improve their game and enjoy what they're doing. That makes all the difference in the world.

I read it may rain tomorrow- bummer! Let's just hope if it's raining we start in the rain. Otherwise those Ballard Cobbles get mighty slick!

Cornering

Last night 11 Ti Ladies and Kenny headed out to Woodinville to an empty parking lot Annette scouted out earlier in the week for some cornering practice. It was a on a slight hill, requiring you to get some speed to stimulate cornering quickly. Around and around we went - and continued to go when the rain started. It's safe to say we are completely prepared for a wet and wild crit on Saturday. Hopefully the weather forecast is wrong. :)

So the doctor told me I'm fine - and show no signs of nerve damage. Basically my muscles over -reacted to try and protect my spin when we were impacted. That's a relief.

I'm super excited for the upcoming track season and road racing. Should be amazing.

This HUGE barge just rolled by my office window pushed by Lake Union's largest tug. And it was dangerously close to the side of the canal....

Kidney pain?

It's been a week since my mom and I were in a car accident. My back still hurts from it - this time on the left side, and has a constant dull ache. It seems to have gotten better over the past few days, but still flares up whenever I stand up from sitting for a period of time. Strange. I'm getting it checked out later today.

I've never been more in tune with my body the I have been since my hamstring injury. I frequent the PT and doctor's office so much that they definitely recognize me.

The tingling that I was experience on the other hand on my right side has completely gone away.

Hmmm... I hope it's nothing serious from the accident. Scary.

Ravensdale

I had serious doubts on Saturday if I should race Sunday. My legs felt like lead bricks, as they usually do after racing at the track. And mentally, I've been hesitant on racing on my leg in fear of re-injuring it.

On Sunday, Ti had 5 ladies show - Vicki, Annette, Michelle, Heidi and myself. Our field wasn't big - only 14 showed. But it was big enough to have our own field, for which I am very thankful. The course is a big loop with rolling hills and one short steep climb called the wall. It's 21% grade for about 300m. Talk about a grinder. You have to have strong core strength or else you might fall over.

The first lap started off pretty mellow - with Beth throwing the lone attack on the later part of the loop and gaining some time on us. Fortunately it was windy and our group was willing to work and catch her. In retrospect we should've attacked her as soon as we were close to catching her. It probably would've tired out the field even more.

Everytime I saw red on the front, I moved up. Unless she was near another red jersey. There's strength in numbers. We communicated throughout the race and it paid off.

I remember thinking at one point, after the second time up the hill that I could win this race. Holy shit - I survived 50 some odd miles and was actually going to be there in the end. Saweet!

Our plan was to have a lead out train with either Vicki or I in contention for the sprint. Unfortunately we didn't have it together to perfectly execute it - but we still managed to nearly fill up the podium. The finishing section is pancake flat with a left hand turn before you see the 200m to go sign. For some reason everyone in front stayed left, opening a huge hole on the right. I powered down the pedals and found myself pulling away. Next thing I know, I'm raising my hands and then catch Amy on my left about to pip me at the line. Hands back on the bars, a few more strokes and we were done. I had no idea where the finish line was nor who won. I was just stoked that my hammy survived! And that was my first race that I've been able to stick with the pack. And we worked well together as a team! Bonus!

My back is a little funky due to the car accident - it was sore today. I went and saw a PT that is filing in for Izette and she gave me some new inner core exercises to work on. Apparently I've been flexing my obliques too much. Ha! I'm such a dork.

Friday Night Action

I almost called off racing last night - but with a little peer pressure and determination, I made my first track appearance of the season and it felt really really good. No hammy issues. No back issues - just pure track bliss. Yay!

There's a new crop of Cat 3 men - so it was interesting to see who's going strong so far. That plays a huge part on where to hang during moves. Pick the wrong wheel, as I did on several occasions and get your ass dropped from the fast guys. I learned though - next week will be a whole new scene. Bring it fellas. :)

Spent some time in the yard - as usual. I discovered a hummingbird nest in our curly willow. I thought it was a bees nest at first until I shook it and a bird flew out.

The weather was amazing today. It makes dealing with the rain a small consulation compared to the beauty of the PNW. Time to hit the BBQ up...