sometimes you just need a little push

Getting back to build after a week of regen was something I was looking forward to, in a weird sort of way. I mean, the rest/regen is necessary, but sometimes, when you want to go fast on your bike, it can be tough.

Not sure if I've mentioned it, but my goal for the near future is to successfully race the 12 Hrs of SoCal in the solo division. Yes, that's right....just me and my bike, together, for 12 hours. It will be the longest single continuous sporting event that I have taken part in. Granted, I have done two 24 hr races (most laps I completed was 5 or about 55 miles), a 12 hr group race, and even VQ (just shy of 9 hours), so I know what long days can be like. I even ran a marathon in 2007 (5 hours). But this time, the tables are turning. The only person that can hold me back and keep me from performing at my best level is myself.

Luckily, I've had the support of many people thus far and plenty of advice and guidance have already helped me to improve my riding. I have more endurance, I'm climbing stronger, and able to put in some solid efforts.

This weekend, the plan was to focus on steady state riding at SART on Saturday. I decided to stop less and focus on my nutrition. Intervals while riding Cuyamaca rounded out the weekend today.

Dan & I headed up to Allison & Justin's on Friday evening for our pre-SART rendevous. After watching some Giro and getting things ready, we all tried to get some rest. Last time we did SART together, I felt like absolute hell. We rode it in late June, a couple months after VQ. Admittedly, I was not in great shape at that point, having lapsed in my riding. I bonked less than halfway through the ride and barely finished the 50 miles. This year, I knew things would be different.

We arrived at Loch Leven, and I had some business to take care of. I said goodbye to a good friend...my DH bike. Yes, I sold it. I'm sad in a way, but also excited for what the future has to offer...my long-term goal (next year) is a mtb stage race (BC Bike Race? BreckEpic? who knows!)

Allison & I took off up the trail from Loch Leven, and it was already getting warm. We kept a good pace going up the hill...my focus was to keep my cadence high. I used to mash on my pedals. Not very efficient. I've been breaking the habit, slowly but surely. Not too long after, the boys caught us...they were motoring.

Allison & I start up from Loch Leven

I really focused on drinking water and HEED on a regular basis. I had switched away from HEED a while ago in favor of Hammer Gel...I guess I liked the gel better. But, it's easier for me to drink from the bottle than to rip open and fuss with a gel packet. I might try the flask again on the next long ride, so we'll see...jury's out on that one.

The trusty Yeti

We rode right past the store and up to SART. Weather was pretty clear and warm. Down, down, down we went...what a tease! The trail was in good shape. It was apparent that folks have been out there clearing the trail...thank you! I was descending terribly...my tires (over a year old) were pretty worn down and made the normally loose descent even sketchier in some spots.

Allison making the switchback


Justin (complete with bug net)

Over to Glass Road we went. At this point, I was still feeling good. No sign of the headache that plagued me last year. I was struggling, though, between locking out my rear suspension and keeping it full-on. The minute the trail got chunky, I was struggling to keep my wheels straight. I wasted a lot of energy but tried to rally. Sometimes, it ain't easy training on a 30 lb bike.

At Glass Road, I stopped, pulled a fruit leather out, hopped back on the bike, and kept riding. Luke was up ahead, Dan, A & J behind. I thought for sure they'd be on me in no time. 6 miles later, I was still alone. The pull from Glass to South Fork is climb-y...I mentally came undone here last year. This year, I felt strong and focused on a consistent pace.

Still snow up on the ridge, ~10,000 feet

Regroup at South Fork, refill the bottles and packs, and I was off again...trying to keep stopping to a minimum. It didn't take very long for everyone to catch up, though :) The section of trail from Glass to South Fork has several downed trees and lots of overgrowth. Most of us got pretty scratched up. By the time we hit Glass again on the way back, the group was leaning toward by-passing lower SART. It was in rough shape in the middle of the season last year. Did we risk getting chewed up and swallowed by the overgrowth? Not this time.

Dan-o

Up Middle Control...my other mental undoing from last year. L, A & J were already far up ahead. Dan stuck with me, and I put my head down and tried to keep a steady pace up the 5% grade. I felt pretty strong at the top (even took a picture of the waterfall) and was so surprised when we already reached the top.

Tired bodies

[Aside: Dan has been so selfless this year in helping me train. He seems to instinctively know when I start to struggle, and will stay back with me. Though I am getting better, I used to fall apart when the group would pull away, leaving me to try to bridge the gap. He has pushed me, gently but with sway, in more ways than one.]

Pals :)

We wrapped up with a fun descent to Loch Leven. 45 miles today...longest non-road ride in probably a year. Dinner at Cuca's and some Giro love rounded out the evening, along with a visit from Ann and Andy :)

Today, Sunday, was our Tour de Cuyamaca. After a couple pit stops, we made it up to the park headquarters, greeted by sunshine and more warm temps. I burned my shoulders yesterday (the pack straps rubbed my sunscreen off) and my legs were definitely feeling it from SART. I did a couple intervals up Green Valley and was hitting LTHR pretty easily. I got another little push from Justin. He & Allison have taken me under their training wing...today, Justin rode an interval with me, yelling lots of encouragement. It helped tremendously, though at one point, I think I told him he was evil.

New rubber...Fastrack LK's...woot!

We did go up the fireroad to Middle Peak...another good climb. My nutrition was not as good today, and I felt dehydrated and 'off'. At one point, we hit 16%+ grade on the climb. I despearately wanted to drop a gear and make up some time trying to catch up with Dan, but I didn't have the push within myself. Consistent cadence was my fallback.

Super-fun turns

Dan-o rails it

The scenery was gorgeous, though. After the 2003 Cedar Fire, the land has begun to bounce back. I'm sure it is nothing compared to its former beauty, but I enjoyed the backdrop today. Lunch at Manana's ended our weekend with our good friends.

I ended the weekend with almost exactly 8 hrs of ride time. 12 hrs of SoCal is going to be the toughest race I have ever done, but I've never felt more ready to tackle a goal than I do now. Can't wait! 4 weeks to go...

Noble/Palomar Double Double Weekend

I have now erased the opening line of this blog post 3 times, so I'll just be plain...last weekend was so much fun!

We started out with a full Tour de Noble ride. Dan and I drove up to the Noble trailhead early on Saturday morning (leaving enough time to get a new Adventure Pass and a brownie at the market), and ran into Jefe in the store. Good times were already upon us. Over to the trailhead...it was already warming up and the temps, forecast to be 73 in Pine Valley, were already climbing steadily. The parking lot was full of riders going out to test their mettle on Noble. We even ran into Tom (mousejockey).

Allison & Justin arrived soon after and we all got ready for the long day ahead. Seems like whenever we do this ride, it takes forever, even though it's only 35 miles of riding. Lots of rest and food breaks, usually and a fairly casual pace.

I was at the end of 2 big weeks of training, including Idyllwild and the tail end of some build. Would the legs hold up? Last time we did this ride, I pretty much sucked. Slow on the climbs and tired after every effort.

Allison climbing up Extra Credit

Started up Extra Credit and I was already sweating. Out to Alp de Wheez...the Garmin is a blessing and sometimes a curse: it brutally reminded me that, at times, the road reaches a 19% grade. Damn. I felt like I was climbing pretty well, keeping my cadence higher (though I watched A, J, and D pull away from me pretty quickly). Jefe was nursing a bum knee, so he wasn't pushing it.

Dan & Allison crossing the creek

Off to Indian Creek...usually I nail this climb and can settle into a good rhythm. Not today...my tires were slipping on what seemed to be every rock (hmmm...I'm sure my bald rear tire isn't helping). Had a hard time but before I knew it, I was flying down Pinball...so fun!

Allison & I tested out the Simbree at Champagne Pass

I'd recently gotten a jar of Hammer Perpetuem in the new Caffe Latte flavor. Mixed some up for the ride. It tasted good, even when warm, but upon much advice from the crew, I probably need a more carb-dominated drink, too. I wanted to see how well I could tolerate the Perp in the heat and for a longer ride. Turns out that I think it's okay, but that I wasn't drinking enough of it to be a proper food replacement.

Dan's shot of the meadow...fantastic day

I tried to pace with Allison up to Penny Pines and managed to hold onto her wheel for a good while (though I know she was cruising). We chatted about girl stuff...you know, heart rates, racing, etc (lol). She pulled away from me on one descent...girl is getting fast on the downhills on the Epic...can't wait to see her results at Downieville this summer.

Rested and re-fueled at Penny Pines, through BLT, up Middle Earth and back down to the meadow. By this time, I was not fueling properly and by the time we reached the top of the Noble trailhead, I felt like utter crap. Thankfully Allison had some Tylenol, because I was rocking a major headache. I didn't even feel hungry...another warning sign. A rest and a half of a PB&J later and I rolled out ahead of the group to cruise down the hill. They caught me quickly and we all rallied down Noble.

Top of Middle Earth

I was not at all loving the poison oak everywhere (some slight itchy spots on my arms today). BUT...the trail was in dialed condition. I made the rock ledge before Organ Donor and finally (finally) made Stairway on the Yeti. I was stoked! The big test was Whore. I put it in a decent gear and made good time up the hill. I remember doing that last year and absolutely bonking. I guess the big test is that, while some things (like Alp de Wheeze and Hate Climb) aren't getting any "easier", I feel stronger and less tired after I ride them. Woot!

Allison gets down to business on Barney Rubble

Dan earns his Extra Credit (he's the teacher's pet)

We had an awesome dinner here at the casa and rolled into bed to get rested up for the Palomar double. Dan, Jill and I had done the Palomar south grade a few weeks prior but decided not to descend and re-climb east grade. I'll spare the details and just say this: hot temps and lots of climbing. 50 miles and 7K+. Awesome scenery and good company. Steady state climbing...we made it. Damn, my ass hurt (but oddly, only on the left side).

Shadows tell the tale...leaving Harrah's for a long day in the saddle

Down the East Grade we go

Re-group at the bottom of East Grade (under what seemed like the only shade around for miles)


Pretty flowers


Longest ride to date on the Roubaix

Most importantly, we got to spend the weekend with some great friends who have been integral in our training and help us keep the fun-meter pegged. Thanks to A & J for the food on the trail (I swear, I'll be prepared this weekend), to Jefe for introducing us all to Pistachio Crisps, and to Dan, who always lets me talk him into these crazy weekends and for taking stellar photos.

The Outer Links

I wore my spoke/chain link bracelet during the Idyllwild race this past weekend...no real reason, I just felt like it. After the race, I was chatting with Brendan from Siren bikes. He noticed the bracelet and then gave me a card for a gal in Arizona who also makes jewelry out of recycled bike stuff. The company is called The Outer Links.

I just ordered an Outer Link bracelet...it looks so awesome!

Kim from The Outer Links was really cool and got back to me right away. In any case, I thought I'd let you know so you can show her some support.

Idyllwild Spring Challenge

6 long months of training was put to the test last weekend at the Idyllwild Spring Challenge, and the time to beat was 2:15.17. My last race was the Turkey Trot cyclocross in November and since then I've logged lots of hours on the trainer (and wore through a tire), run many miles (which I'm not doing anymore) and re-newed my training focus after buying, moving into, and working on our house. I was pretty nervous that after all the hard work, I might not be able to improve my time from last year. You see, by this point in last season, I had already done 5 XC races and one endurance race (VQ), so I was fully expecting that I was in 'better shape' back then.

With the 12 Hr solo race fast approaching (June 20), I decided it was high time to test myself. We did the ISC last year, and I really enjoyed the course...a good mix of climbing, traversing, and descending; fireroads and singletrack; technical and rip-roaring fast. As far as races go, it is one of the BEST in SoCal.

Dan and I drove up to Allison & Justin's on Friday evening, so that we'd have a shorter drive in the morning and get to hang with our friends for one extra night. The Mann's were our VQ training partners from last season, and with everyone's race/training schedules this year, we hadn't seen each other much. But as one might expect, with good friends, it was like old times. Allison is now a pro XC racer for Sho-Air and is burning up the podium. Justin's now Cat1 and taking his share of great finishes, too.

Dan & Justin wasted no time pimping out the hardtail I borrowed from Steve...Justin kindly lent me his Cobalt wheels, Allison let me try her Ergon grips, and I even got a new seatpost/saddle. All in all, the bike probably lightened up by a couple pounds and felt fast in the parking lot.

Saturday found us up early and on the road for the winding drive to Idyllwild/Hurkey. The parking lot seemed a little more empty than last year, but I was still anticipating my competition. Dan & Justin finalized their plan for feeding bottles to Allison & I during the race while I sat around and Allison started to warm up. We chatted with Luke & James for a bit, and before I knew it, those guys were all off to the start. Our friend Amy arrived...it was her first race ever (and she finished the 19 mile course), so we chatted a bit before I got warmed up.

I've never really warmed up long enough before a race...maybe spun around in the parking lot for 5 min. Justin had me out for about 30 min with 5 short intervals to get my body producing lactic acid. One of my 'downfalls' is that I always feel like the first 5 miles of a race is utter torture....it's because I had never warmed up properly. After my intervals, I stripped off my arm warmers and headed to the start.

So, I'm still a Cat2 racer. I did the '04 season and '08 season (yes, there was 4 years in between where I only raced gravity) as a sport rider but never was serious about training. The Cat1 40-49 and Cat2 women all went off together. Out of the start, I was behind Barbara, but by the top of the first short climb, I was glued to her wheel and feeling good. Justin reminded me not to let myself blow up on the Keen Camp Climb, so I tried to keep my heart rate from going too high. I did peak out at 188, which is the highest I've ever gotten it to on the Garmin. :/ Keep in mind that by the top of Keen Camp, we're at about 5400'. Compared to last year, though, I was uncomfortable but starting to settle into the effort instead of feeling like utter hell.

I kept glancing back because at this point, I was leading the Cat2 ladies out. My competition was behind me by about maybe 8-10 seconds. At some points, she seemed to be gaining on me and closing the gap. At other points, I thought I was pulling away. By the time I got to the top of Keen Camp, I didn't see her and never looked back again.

I rolled through the meadow and tried to remember to take in a gel. It didn't go down well, and I was awkward while trying to recover a bit but keep the wheels moving. Once on May Valley, I tried to keep it in a good gear and spin enough so that I didn't burn out my quads. Soon, I noticed I was passing people (mostly guys), as I kept the effort consistent.

The Buena Vista and Mirkwood trails were a blast...then over to Southridge. Hike-a-bike hell...I got up some of the steep parts I had trouble on last year, but the rock sections seemed to have multiplied. Every 30 seconds I felt like I was off the bike. I passed some more guys and knew that Dan would be waiting for me at the top with a fresh bottle. I saw him and Justin, they cheered me on and I kept on going.

Snakeskin was awful...I didn't remember all the little climbs but I tried to hold Carolyn Popovic's wheel for a while (haha...it worked as long as there was a slower rider in front of her). Finally...Exfoliator! Awesome trail. I was descending so well that I surprised myself. I felt totally 'on'...contrast that to my climbing on Snakeskin where my mantra became "think smart, pedal hard".

By this point, I was excited because I knew it was almost over. The Demoralizer was the only thing that stood in my way, but I had already decided that I was NOT going to walk up it this year. So, I dumped all my gears and grannied up the damn thing. I probably could have walked it faster, but pride was at stake!

You know, despite the effort, I still felt like I had a little bit left in my legs. I couldn't tell exactly, but with the Garmin I knew I had beat my time from last year. Turns out, I finished in 2:06.04, beating my time from last year by almost 1o minutes!!

My stomach hurt for the next 3 hours, and I was not feeling well...I didn't even really enjoy the post-race M&M's, though the $50 I won was pretty sweet (pun intended). I had a great time hanging with everyone and getting back to the race scene. We ended the evening with a great dinner and great camaraderie. Special thanks to Justin for being great race support, to Allison for her encouragement and the sweet grips, and to Dan for believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself.

Can't wait until June 20th!

New-ness

Lots of new things to ponder this week.

New racing season (yeah, I showed up a little late to the party). My first race of 2009 will be this coming weeked...Idyllwild Spring Challenge. (gulp)

(photo from last year)

A new set of wheels. Specialized Roubaix Pro. Carbon. Full DuraAce. I am not yet worthy of this bike.

New Podium bottle (I got a free one at Interbike and really wanted another).

New recipe for whole wheat bread.

New growth. Plants are blooming and sprouting. Looking forward to the rest of spring.

Tom-ah-toes

Orange blossoms (my favorite)

Cactus about to bloom


Cactus #2

when moths attack

Mothra vs. Godzilla. Lol. Not quite what happened in our backyard yesterday, but it was a little unnerving. Dan and I were eating dinner around dusk at the end of a hot, hot (102 degree) day, watching the hummingbirds at our bottlebrush tree. Suddenly, the birds were joined by what looked like baby hummingbirds. Awwww, how cute.

Until we start to see a few, then a dozen, and then a few dozen! Upon closer inspection with binoculars and then up close, we decided they were really hummingbird-like moths! And Google, in all its wondorousness, led me to the species: the White-Lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata).

Photo credit to Dr. Bill May (http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/moths.shtml

house = home

Here are some interesting before and after shots of the house. We are in month 2, officially, of home-ownership. We've been living here now for just over a month and spent 4 weeks doing work/minor renovations. It's a work in progress, and no...it will never really end, but we've made a damn good start!

Kitchen before...old appliances, no paint, awful linoleum floor


Kitchen after...stainless steel appliances, new paint, tile floor (done by us)


And, the best part, our chalkboard wall


Living room/fireplace before...yellow/orange paint and 4" tile in entry


Living room/fireplace after...rich, dark accent wall, new tile in entry, ceiling fan


Dining room before...hideous, unfinished green and orange paint. They painted around some furniture


Dining room after...new paint and light fixture (only wires before), artwork ready to hang

It's Been a Long Time (Since I've Rock & Rolled...)

I think I'm ready to do this again...devote some time each week to blogging. The last several months have seen new beginnings and new endings. New stage in my relationship. New house. New level of commitment to training. Lots of good things and fun times have been had.

In an attempt to keep our loved ones and friends more in-the-loop, I'll be posting up bike-related and non-bike related musings and photos. You want a little insight? Check back frequently. I can't promise that there will be something new everyday, but hopefully it'll be something to entertain, inform, or enlighten.