Tracy Thelen - Triathlete

Dangling off the back

2012-01-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

When I woke up this morning and saw the balmy temp of 13 degrees on the thermometer, I was not looking forward to the scheduled group road ride. Nick was going mountain biking and I really wanted to join him.
But it was the road ride on my training schedule, so to the road ride I went. It only warmed up to about 23 by the time I left, and the sun was still hiding behind the clouds. I bundled up - wool socks, toe warmers, neoprene booties, winter gloves and my Gore jacket. If I was gonna suffer on the road, I didn't want to be freezing. The group assembled at Starbucks was small, but there were some speedy riders. I knew I was in for another fun time of trying to keep with the group when Kaylan showed up with his fancy new road bike. If I was struggling when he was riding a cross bike - uh oh! Some of the other normal faces weren't there, either taking a break or waiting until the temperature rose a little in the afternoon.

We rolled out at a more reasonable pace then my last group ride, but it wasn't slow at all. I was solidly in the middle of the pack, watching wheels and trying to stay out of the wind. As we rode over Powers, the pace increased a little - prep for the big acceleration on Mark Sheffel, I figured. My hands were getting pretty warm and getting my bottles out with the heavy gloves was tricky, so I took a few seconds to swap out to my lighter weight gloves. Fell off the back while doing that and was really concerned because the right turn was getting close. I was working pretty hard and got onto the back of the train just as they made that right turn. Then... Nothing, the pack closed down. No one wanted to go to the front and fight the wind it seemed. A few of the So-Co Velo riders (Brent especially) got pretty annoyed that there wasn't any action and said something to the group. That did it and off they went. I did a better job of reading wheels and staying out of the wind this time - took a few really short pulls, but did my best to just stay in the middle of the pack. I almost made it to the hill on Link Rd, so I was pretty happy about that. Down the back of the hill and I settled in for another long time trial and trying to limit the losses.

Once again, the pace stayed pretty high even after the turn around at the race track. I almost stayed with the group into Fountain, but someone decided to attack on a small hill. Despite a desperate sprint to try to get on the wheels, I watched the pack ride away. Took a few seconds to recover and catch my breath, then started reeling in the other dropped riders. Luckily, it wasn't too far until the refueling stop at the gas station. Another casual roll out from the gas station, then another noticeable elevation of the pace. Again, I was holding wheels, but starting to loose some ground. I got a couple of pushes from Brent - sprinted for all I was worth, but was in the second group entering Ft Carson. It was a quick pace, but without attacks through Ft Carson, then time for the ride home. I took a short cut through the neighborhood, rejoined the small group heading for Cheyenne Mtn Zoo and did my best to stay with them until the Zoo. All in all, another hard, long day in the saddle - hopefully all the solo time trialing and attempts to stay in the pack will pay off later!

A trip around Lake Minnequa

2012-01-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about working down in Pueblo (besides the easy access to great trails at Lake Pueblo) is the proximity of Lake Minnequa. Half a mile from my building is a nice, mostly flat gravel path around the lake. It's a great place for doing running workouts. I can also take advantage of the normally warmer and drier weather - sunny, no ice and quiet trails. There usually are a few people out and about, walking dogs ect. But mostly quiet so it's good for getting up to speed and working hard.

Well, yesterday was a little different. Instead of the normal assortment of joggers, dog walkers and so, I was confronted with a new partner. Horses. Yes, there is the Norris-Penrose center right near my normal running area, but I rarely see them out on the trails. I see evidence of horses, but rarely the horses. Well, not only did I see the fresh evidence of horses yesterday, I saw four horses on the trail around Lake Minnequa. One rider was out for a cantor - he was the nicest horse rider I've met in a while. Two were out training younger horses - I was happy I wasn't on my bike. They were skittish, skittish. I was a little nervous even running past them. And the last one was just strolling around the lakeshore, enjoying the Pueblo sunset. Seeing that many horses on a fairly "in town" path was kinda odd. There is a stable right next to the lake, but... More adventures from Lake Minnequa coming soon!

Seasons change

2012-01-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

After pondering where my focus would be for the season, I finally made a decision and will be returning to my roots as an endurance athlete. Kinda, sorta. I came to Xterra as a road triathlete and marathon maniac. I thought nothing of racing a half iron one weekend and a marathon the next weekend. There was something attractive about the mental challenge and need for strategy in the longer events. When I met Nick, I fell in love with mountain biking and the fun of getting dirty. But I wanted to stay a triathlete. So I turned my focus towards Xterras, hoping I could overcome my lack of fast twitch and turn the endurance from my many marathons into speed. For three years, I've chased the points in the Xterra Championship series. It's been fun, seeing new trails and meeting new people. But it's also been frustrating. I've seen old faces stay the same distance in front of me and new faces quickly climb the rankings. And starting this season, I found myself not even wanting to travel to the events. And without motivation to get to the race it's hard to want to race.

So it's time for a change. And while I'm not planning on running many more marathons, it's back to the endurance world. Ultra endurance mountain biking. I've done a few longer races and loved them. And the 24 hour races require so much more then just fitness. So that's the plan. I will be racing the Rocky Mountain Endurance Series this year, stepping up to the challenge of my first 100 mile mountain bike ra e. I'm also adding in a few more 24 hour races with Nick - focusing on getting the strategy dialed for our team. Never fear, there are still a few Xterras on the schedule. But more for fun and getting my love of the race back.

Indecision

2012-01-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

I though I knew what I wanted to do and where I was headed. After spending hours pondering, scribbling lists and making plans, evaluating all the choices and events crowding the year, I was pretty sure I'd settled on my goal. Now, not so sure again. I've looked over my notes and budget stuff for the season and find myself questioning again. Right now, the entire year is open - I'm not committed to anything but a few fun events. Emphasis on the word fun. I'm not making my living racing - my day job still pays the bills. So it's a lifestyle, albet at a fairly high level, but still a lifestyle. So what kind of lifestyle am I looking for? Race fun or chase points? Good courses and challenging events or wide open fitness courses? Low stress, but still all out hard or high drama and stressful. Looking at it like that, should be an easy choice. And that's why I'm still questioning.

Solo suffering on skinny tires

2012-01-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

After last Saturday's group ride, I was hoping to be a little smarter and stay with the group a little longer. I was pretty tired from the previous workouts, but felt like the tips I'd gotten from Adam, Renee and Dug would make up for the fatigue. Stay out of the wind and don't burn any matches though taking long, suicidal pulls at the front. Then the group started assembling and my heart sank. There were some fast riders pulling up for the trek down through Fountain for Saturday Morning Worlds. On the rollout through town, there was no easy pace to warm up. The pack was riding over 20mph before we even rode over Powers Blvd. Yikes!!

After the right turn on Mark Sheffel, things got crazy. I was ready for it, in the front and on the right wheels. And that's about as far as it got. The pace was high and attacks fierce. I was on the train and tried to just pull through like Renee told me. The minute I hit the wind I was stumped. There wasn't any way I could get over - I couldn't even maintain the pace. That happened a few times - for which I must apologize to the group. I was riding on my limit and it wasn't enough to stay with the pace. I was also a little squirrely since I was tired. Not a good combo with that pace. When Adam attacked, I was done. I couldn't get on the wheels streaming by. Off the back I went, well before the turn on Link. And this time I didn't have anyone with me. Time for a solo effort until the group turned around. I did my best, chasing hard but I didn't make up any ground at all.

I would be dropped twice more on the ride. After the turnaround I jumped back on wheels. Normally the pace slows down a little on the way back through Fountain. Not this time - they were still pushing and I was unable to keep on my chosen wheel. At the regroup and refuel stop I got a chance to catch my breath. Things eased up a bit up to and mostly through Ft Carson, then someone attacked on a small hill. And that was it. I was done. I watched the group ride away and then made my way home. I did see a few riders as the pack distigrates when people split for home, but that was it. One of the hardest rides I've done yet. I was perfectly happy to hold the floor down and watch the Marathon Trials when I got home!

Back on the train

2012-01-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

Another fun Saturday Acacia park road ride is in the books. Despite some darn chilly temps in the morning, the sunny skies and threat of snow swelled the crowd. It didn't seem like that big of a group when we rolled out of Starbucks, but riders kept appearing out of nowhere. The pace on the rollout along Boulder and Plate was pretty chill today - and I was a little more comfortable in the group. That set me up nicely for the first acceleration. I knew it was coming and was ready this time. With a good position in the group and better awareness of tactics, I was able to mix it up a little on the front. Wasn't easy, but I was taking pulls, watching wheels and closing some gaps. I did get a little push once when I wasn't as quick z I needed to be jumping on wheels. I have to admit, I still have a lot to learn when it comes to road biking and large groups. I was sticking with the group, but had my nose in the wind a lot. More then I should have, given the composition at the front.

A momment of bravado just before the left onto Link Rd spat me out the back pretty easily. I knew it when I took off after Jayson that I was gonna pay, but didn't think it though that much. I rode up and over the hill on my own - got to watch the group splinter kn the hill although at a distance. Then started the business on chasing. No way I was gonna catch them, but I wanted to limit my losses. One of the other women in the group, Coach Renee, waited for me and we rode together till the group came back. It was nice, we caught and passed four guys in the road. One tried to pull with us but did a lot of wheel sucking.

Once the group was together again, it was time for some coaching. Coach Adam was in the group and gave me plenty of advice on pulling, positioning and technique. Renee also had some good advice, and she's a badass on the road. As she put it "If you're the only girl pulling in a group like this, that's not a good think. Pick moments and stay out of the wind. Don't waste energy chasing, let the boys do the work!" Yep. I'll remember that! The manual repositioning on the road also help reinforce the message. Dug J with Bandwagon racing also gave some good pointers. He was really helpful in the last group ride and I've remembered a lot of what he said. Hopefully I'll hang with group longer next well!

Working on the 2012 Schedule

2012-01-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

I've started planning my race schedule for this year and think I have a good start. I was torn between Xterra and some ultra endurance mountain bike races at the end of the season, but decided to stay with my Tri roots for at least another year or two. After the start I had for last year, it seems silly to not keep working on the Xterras. That and it's a fun group and there are some new races that sound really cool. The full Championship schedule has not been released from Xterra yet, so there might be some additions there. But I'm pretty sure that's all I will be able to afford to race! In terms of local Xterra, two new events - Curt Gowdy and Pueblo both sound awesome. And of course, I have always enjoyed Lory, so I'm not gonna miss that one.

In the mountain biking, I am planning on staying close to home. The Rocky Mountain Endurance Series is my goal. I will miss a few of the events, but will race the marathon length races at the ones on my schedule. I have done a few long distance mountain bike races, so I think these will be fun but a food challenge. There is one more 24 hour race then last year - Enchanted Forest. We've heard some really good things about the venue, organization and course. Missed it last year, so making sure to take that trek this June. Then at the end of the year, maybe a few laps around Palmer Park at 24 Hours of COS.

Whew! It a busy looking year! Time to buckle down, drag my butt outta bed and put in the hours. Staying healthy is the key to getting the training for a successful season.

Chocolate (Desert?) Pancakes

2012-01-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

These pancakes are perfect for a chocolate fix in the morning or a simple and fancy desert. All that changes is the size of the pancake!

Mix:
   1 1/4 cup flour (I'm using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour)
   1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
   heaping 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (if making gluten free)
   1/4 cup sugar
Add and stir until combined:
   2 eggs, beaten
   1 1/4 milk (for more chocolate flavor, use chocolate milk for all or part of the milk)
   1/2 tsp vanilla
   2 tbsp melted butter

Possible additions:
   1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
   1/2 cup chocolate chips
   1 cup blueberries

If cooking for breakfast, use 1/2 cup per pancake. If cooking for desert, use 1/4 cup. Cook on hot skillet until bubbles form on top, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes.

For breakfast, serve with vanilla yogurt, fresh fruit, fruit preserves or dust with powdered sugar.
For dessert, serve with whipped cream or ice cream, chocolate sauce or fresh fruit.

I made a batch for breakfast with chocolate chips and strawberries mixed in and ate them with just a dusting of powdered sugar. Really yummy and even healthy thanks to the strawberries. I don't think using maple syrup would be good, given the sweetness of the chocolate chips.

Section House Hut Trip

2011-12-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Our last big adventure for the year was a snowshoe/hike hut trip. Nick's been slowly accumulating gear for trips - hoping to eventually transition to back country skiing. The last big purchase was the Osprey Kode packs so we could carry the snowshoes and all our gear. With that, it was time to actually get out and try a hut trip. At that late date, there weren't many openings in the 10th Mountain or Summit Hut systems. There was plenty of room in Section house - a restored railroad boarding house perched on the top of Boreas Pass. It was also a shorter hike in, so perfect for testing gear out.

On Gold Dust Trail - heading up towards Section House

We approached the hut from the East side - parking at the Gold Dust trailhead. It was already pretty windy out, but the trees down in the valley shielded us from the wind. Hearing the creaking and moaning of the old pines was a little freaky at times - especially with the number of trees down along the trail. To Nick's dismay, there wasn't much snow down low and the trail had been tracked down into a firm path. Our snowshoes stayed on the packs for most of the hike. As we got higher, the snow got deeper and the wind picked up more. I was post holing a little and almost stopped to put on my snowshoes a few times. But it was never bad enough to really make me want to stop. Then as we neared Boreas Pass road and approached the tree line, it was time to bundle up. That wind was cold! And the snow had been blown into drifts feet deep along the trail. As we neared Section house, the reason for the name "Boreas Pass" was perfectly clear. A howling north wind scoured the pass and surrounding mountains. We were lucky - it was a clear day and we could see for miles. A storm would have reduced visibility to nil!

As the first group to reach Section house, we claimed our beds - on the main floor so we were close to the fire and didn't have to deal with stairs all night. Then off into the woods to do some exploring. We snowshoed up the mountain to the west of the house, enjoying the deep deep snow and wishing for some skis on the way down. We didn't reach the top of the mountain, just a ridgeline at about 12,000 feet. But that was enough for me - I'm not that fast on snowshoes, especially in the deep snow. It was also getting later in the day. So back down to our home for the night. Two other people were there at that point - they had gotten the fire started and were busy cooking soup. Nick spent about half an hour chopping wood - it was still really cold in the house and the wind was starting to pick up. With snowmelt water on the stove and fully stocked woodpile, it was time to relax and enjoy the evening.

Exploring the ridge to the west of Section House -
you can see the hut below me to the right

Unfortunately, with communal huts, the experience is only as good as the company. Six late arrivals to the house proved to be rather annoying, with a complete lack of common courtesy and respect. Small things like taking all the pre-boiled water to cook with, making a huge mess in the kitchen and not cleaning it up well at all, spreading all of their stuff out everywhere, and most annoying - not taking their snowy boots off when the got in the house. They spent the whole time tramping around in boots, leaving small piles of snow to melt into freezing puddles. And with four men in the that group, Nick was still the only one to lift a finger and an axe to chop wood.

We woke up to near whiteout conditions. A storm had blown in overnight. Nick and I ate quickly and bolted for our hike back down to the car. This time, we decided to take the road down, just for something different. For the first two miles, the wind was miserable - howling around us, driving the snow. We were lucky it was to our backs! Then as we descended into the trees, the wind abated. We were left with a idyllic winter scene with deep powder, snow covered trees and flakes gently falling. Beautiful and so peaceful. The only sounds were our snowshoes crunching into the snow and our breathing. We didn't see any wild life - just plenty of rabbit tracks darting across the road. As we got lower down the mountain, the snow diminished and it was off with the snowshoes for the rest of the hike. It was a long hike, but easy as the road followed the old railroad grade up the pass. It did start getting tedious as we hiked further and further with feeling like were were getting anywhere. Finally, the trees opened up and we were treated to a snowy view of South Park and the city of Como. Almost done! We reached the car just as another wave of snow rode the wind down from the mountains.

On Boreas Pass Road

For a first time trip, it was fun. A few things to work out, especially with food. But I think the gear Nick's gotten will work really well. We'll do a few more snowshoe style trips, then start looking at skis next year. Something new and different for the off season!

Kittens causing chaos

2011-12-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the joys of kittens. We decided to start leaving them out of the bathroom more at night and during the day. They are almost four months old now and it's time to start giving them a little independence. Too bad Miss Sasha is a little clumsy! Last week she knocked one of my spider plants and my rosemary off the banister. That was a bit of a mess to clean up and the plants did not survive. We had rosemary potatoes for supper that night. Then a few nights ago I was in my office working on Nick's jacket when I heard the distinctive sound of glass shattering on stone. Into the bathroom they went as I cleaned up wine glass shards from the kitchen floor! Sweeping, mopping and vacuuming to make sure all the splinters were picked up. A few hours later, Sasha knocked DumDum's food dish off. At least it was onto the towel on he floor. Made cleaning up easier. And hopefully the last thing she'll knock over - my prickly pear cactus. Amazingly the plant and pot survived the fall. George was with us and Sasha cowering upstairs. Dirt was scattered all up and down the stairs. Into the bathroom they went so the mess didn't get any bigger. And when I dragged the vacuum out, everyone scattered!

Last night was quiet, so hopefully I've managed to fully kitten proof the house. And Sasha decided to curl up with us last night. She's got a loud purr, for sure. And when she wants some snuggles she's not afraid to ask. Meow!

Skinny tire suffering

2011-12-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

As usual, the colder months are providing time to work on my bike. It's still a huge weakness when it comes to my Xterras, so the more work I can put in, the better. With a borrowed power tap on my road bike, it was time to join the group road ride. I'd heard stories about the chaos and carnage, but also that it would a good way to build some speed and punch on the bike. My goal for today was to just stay in the group, follow some wheels and hold on the best I could. The group was really big today, lured by the crisp temperatures, low wind and sunny skies.

As we rolled out from Starbucks, I hung close to the back of the pack. I've never ridden in a group that big and wasn't as comfortable as others in the middle. I also didn't want to cause someone else to crash! I was doing well, keeping up with the pace and following the mild accelerations. Then the group turned right to head south on Mark Sheffele road. There was a slight uphill, followed by a long rolling downhill. And at the top of the hill, the group hit the gas. I quickly drifted all the way to the back, then off the back! I completely missed the acceleration and was off wheels in a hurry. I put my head down and dug deep. But the gap wasn't coming down, no matter how hard I pushed. I was just about to resign myself to a lonely ride by myself when a guy drifted back from the group. He waited for me and we started working together to rejoin the group. Okay - he was doing 95% of the work at that time and I was doing a lot of wheel sucking!

Then bad luck - the pack got a green light and we hit a red light. We were on our own, but still planning on chasing. Just after the light, there were two more riders on the side. One of them had a flat. We stopped to wait with them and now the group was four. Time for a team time trial to try and close that gap! I have never ridden a team time trial and wasn't entire sure how much I would be able to help. On my first pull through, I was able to hold the pace for a while - but much shorter then the guys!. I got the timing for hopping back in line down pretty quickly and didn't miss time it once. It was a good group - I was able to stay on the wheels and never missed a pull. Even though my pulls were shorter then the other three, they let me take everyone I was supposed to.

We didn't catch the main group. We were about a mile and a half behind. So when the pack came by heading north, we turned around and rejoined them. Time trial mode over - but the experience of following some strange wheels made me a little more comfortable in the pack. I was able to stay with the large group, following the accelerations. We rolled through Ft Carson, then split into two groups - one heading towards the Broadmoor and the other continuing towards downtown. I decided to just head home and followed the group heading towards the Broadmoor. A good workout - hard and much faster then I had anticipated. Hopefully next week I won't miss that first acceleration and will be able to stay with the group the whole way!

Rock Canyon Half Marathon

2011-12-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Rock Canyon Half marathon, put on by the Southern Colorado Road Runners is a great local event with a fun and challenging course and a good end of season race. I hadn't done it in a few years so decided to take advantage of my Pueblo connections and test myself at the 13.1 distance. It's been a while since I ran a half so I was hoping for good weather and fast competition. Well, one out of two isn't bad! There were plenty of speedy women on the starting line, so I am really happy with my 1:29:26 and second place. The woman's winner Ellie Keyser turned a 1:23:13 and was out of sight for most of the race. The weather on the other hand was far from good, with sub freezing temps, gusting winds and enough snow to make sections of course a little slick. I can't thank the volunteers who stood out in that weather handing out water enough. Just running was cold and I was fairly warmly dressed!

My morning was pretty easy thanks to Micheal O allowing me to stay at his house. An easy warm up with a few spare clothes in a bag so I had some options and I was at the staging area in Pueblo's City Park. I finished my "warm up" and decided take advantage of the options I had. SInce my toes were already numb, that ,included wool socks and a nice warm vest. It wasn't super windy then, but I was afraid that the wind might pick up. If it didn't, I could aways unzip my vest. I left my hat on and grudgling changed into my lighter weight gloves. My hands always get warm, so I knew it would only be a few miles of cold. But while I was all bundled up by running standards, there were still plenty of people in "race attire" ie shorts and lightweight shirts. One person was even wearing a tank top and arm warmers! Just nuts, in my opinion.

The field was much bigger then the last time I'd raced in Pueblo. I found a good spot near some other women and waited. I wasn't planning on starting super fast and the thin layer of ice under the snow in City Park affirmed my choice of trail shoes. At the fun, the mass of runners surged ahead - two women were quickly out in front, running faster then I wanted. I settled into a steady but still fast pace along side Connilee and Rochelle. The first two miles are two laps around city park, then we dropped down to the Arkansas river. I got a small gap from the other two, but wasn't moving any higher in the field. The two women were already out of sight along the twisting bike trail. The course had a few inches of snow on the bike path and a little more along side. But the footing was okay and I was able to maintain the pace I wanted. Rochelle and Conillee caught back up about mile four and we ran together for several miles. I took both my gloves and hat off, hoping that the wind would stay light.

But it was not to be. Just after the nature center the course got on a dirt road that paralleled the cliff walls. And those walls formed a wind tunnel, sending the artic wind howling into our faces. It was like hitting a barrier across the course. We all slowed drastically as we fought into the wind for the next mile. Then back into the trees alongside the river. This is the fun part of the course - a double track trail meandering among the trees. I took advantage of my trail running experience and my trail shoes to prize open a bit of a gap from the other two women. The leading men were starting to come back on the trail af that point, so I know I was running well. Up to the dam at Lake Pueblo, then across the carnival bridge. I hate running across it when there are other people. The bridge bounces and throws your foot strike and gait pattern all out of wack. But all part of the charm...

Now I was on my way home. I did some math at the nine mile mark and while my original goal time was out of reach, I would still be able to break 1:30. I just needed to keep the pressure on. With just four miles to go, I picked up the pace as best I could. And then we hit the wind agin Back straight into my face. I actually put my hat back on! But I was able to work through it and still keep up a decent pace. But time was ticking away... I found a few more seconds on the flat bike path after the nature center, hoping it would be enough to make up for the hill looming at the end of mile 12. It was. I made the last turn to home and saw the finish clock tick over to 1:29. A little sprint and I crossed in 1:29:30. I was actually second overall - one of the woman in front of me had pulled out. But at that point, I just wanted to get some warm clothes on! It was a good race under some pretty adverse conditions. Everyone who finished should be proud of them selves. And a huge thank you to all the volunteers who stood out in that cold for hours to give use water. Not an easy job in those temperatures...

The Sounds of silence

2011-12-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Or the sounds of bike tires crunching on snow. A string of freezing days after Saturday's snowstorm left a few inches of crisp and dry snow on the shady trails. The trails exposed to the sun were melted but frozen, making last night's ride nearly perfect. The temperature was a little chilly but the trails were quiet and the air still. It was just me and Stacy for the night's adventure so we met at my house, bundled up and headed to Stratton. Once we got on single track the only sounds were of our tires crunching against the dry snow. It was cold enough to freeze my breathe but the steady pace as we meandered thru Stratton and up the Chutes. At the top of the chutes we stopped to admire the view. Colorado Springs sprawled out I front of us, the city lights twinkling in the frigid air.

Then onto Columbine. We took the second drop into Colimbine, opting to enjoy a little more downhill. Normally I would put warmer gloves and another layer on for the downhill but decided not to. I was pretty comfortable and we weren't going that fast on the downhill. I'm still a little cautious around those switchbacks at night! But the trail was in good shape and I was able easily clean them with the light from my Ameobas. We were both having a great time until just before the bridge. Then all of sudden the temperature plummeted. Probably because we were getting close to the creek, but my fingers, toes and nose went numb in a matter of minutes! We reached the bottom of Columbine and Stacy asked what I was thinking. Did it just get really cold? Since we were both freezing and she didn't have another layer, we bolted down the road back to my house. Time to warm up! It took a while but the ride was worth the thawing pain. It's always fun to be able to get out on such a quiet night and ride with friends!

Wild Rice Stuffing

2011-12-01T13:33:00.002-07:00

This a little late for Thanksgiving, but I wasn't gonna post a recipe I hadn't tried. This is a good alternative to the traditional bread based stuffing. It has good flavor and a nice blend of textures. It is also a good complement to the rest of the meal.

Bring to boil
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups of rice. A blend of wild and brown rice works best. Black rice will discolor the broth

Simmer for 35 minutes or until rice is tender

While rice is cooking:
- Grate 1 1/2 cup carrots
- Grate 1 cup parsnips
- Chop 1 cup onion
- Chop 1 cup turnips
- Chop 1 cup yellow peppers

Add to rice and return to boil
- Add 2 tbs parsley and basil
- Add any other spices to taste

Simmer for 10-15 minutes
Remove from heat
Stuff turkey

Meet Sasha and George

2011-11-22T15:46:00.001-07:00

Meet Sasha and George!

We adopted two kittens before we left for Moab - Sasha and George. We had originally planned on waiting until after the trip, but... We were going to Walmart to get some things and there was a lady standing on the corner with a big sign "Kittens." Nick asked me if I wanted to look, knowing that I still really missed Isis, but also wanted to start looking for the new family members. I said yes, so after we finished in Walmart, we walked over. She had four kittens left, a light grey female with faint strips and three longer haired black kittens. I immediately fell for the grey girl and pulled her out of the cage to play with her a little. And right behind her came bouncing out the little runt of the group. And little was right - about half the size of the grey one! We were planning on getting two kittens, so they would have each other to play with and so DumDum wouldn't be as mean. (We didn't know how he would react at all.) Well, Nick was playing with the little runt, and I had the grey girl and we were talking it over. Nick wanted to wait, but they were so cute and I really felt strongly about the grey kitten. He was also really taken by the personality of the little one. She was tiny, but didn't act like it at all! Then another family came over - they wanted a kitten and they wanted a girl. Well, we had the two girls in the group. With them eyeballing both our kittens, the deal was done - we would take them home. I didn't want to think about it and come back to find both kittens gone. It was kinda crazy - we had the camper with us and nothing for kittens at home. So off to Petsmart for kitten food and litter tray! We wanted to keep them seperate from DumDum until after their first vet visit, so we set up the bathroom all nice and cozy for the kittens. The grey one is named Sasha and Nick named the little runt George. Sasha is a little shy, but loves her mice and lap time when she's tired. George is the boisterous, curious one - a little monster at times! At the first vet check up, Sasha was 2.2 pounds, but is up to 2.8. George tipped the scale at a whooping .9 pounds, but now is a big girl at 1.85 pounds. She acts like a big cat - and sounds like a thundering herd when running into the kitchen for dinner! DumDum still hasn't figured out what to do with them - And I think he's scared of George!

Sasha helping me pack for the Moab trip - I think she wanted to come with us!

George helping me pack - Gu packets make great cat toys!

I know there's something cool in those shoes.... Sasha searching for a mouse

George helping Nick study the map of Fruita

Sasha waiting for dinner

The vet said to keep an eye on her weight and make sure she's growing... Up to 1.144 pounds in this photo.

A cold and windy Hartman Rocks

2011-11-15T15:02:00.002-07:00

Our last adventure of the trip was at Hartman Rocks in Gunnison. It was sunny out, but a stiff wind made it very chilly. There was some snow on the north facing slopes, but the trails were in good shape. We started out easy this time, riding the first half of the 24 Hours in the Sage course. Then time for some differnet trails. The meandering climb up and down Josies, with a few rock gardens thrown in for fun. The steady climbs of Buddy Bear and then meadering Dirty Sock. I could tell I was getting really tired from the weeks adventures - I wasn't even coming close to keeping up with Nick on steady climbs. Despite the fatigue, I was able to ride a few things that the last time we'd been out there for fun I'd tried a few times, then given up on. So that was a little victory. Onto the road for a while, then up Broken Shovel to Skyline. I popped on Skyline, and proceeded to continue along my slow, steady tempo while Nick climbed away. We reached the junction of Broken Shovel and Josh-os and I was ready to be done. Nick wanted a few more miles, so we took Josh-O's down the valley. And there was quite a bit of snow on that trail. Nothing that we couldn't ride through, but more then anywhere else we'd ridden. Rattlesnake was the only trail that was sketcy - wet tires, rocks, snow and mud do not make a fun combo. All in all, a good close out to the trip!

Mary's Loop

2011-11-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

Of course, the day we left Moab was the best day of the entire week! Brilliant blue skies, warm sunshine - perfect weather for riding. But we were finished in Moab and it was time to head home. Not finished riding though - the goal for this ride was to check out the Kokopellie trail area and Mary's loop outside Fruita. I'd ridden there twice - but hadn't gone far, so was looking forward to riding some more new trails. We parked in the middle parking lot and quickly got ready to ride. No heavy coat, no warm gloves, no booties!

I love riding with Nick - I really do. But sometimes, I don't want to do the hardest trail in the entire area right off the bat! A little warm up would be nice... We immediately headed up Moore Fun trail (which was labeled on the map as the most technical and challenging trail). And while it was a really fun trail, I was also walking and pushing my bike quite a bit. There were some things that I just couldn't get or was too much of a wimp to try. Helped when I saw Nick walking on some things... But the sections that we rode were really cool. I'm happy that we did take that trail and also happy that it wasn't the last trail on the ride! I would have been walking a lot more had that been the case. At one point though, we were high above the rest of the trails and Nick pointed out two riders. My response? Yeah, they're riding their bikes!

After Moore Fun, it was time for something easy - Rustler's loop. This was the "beginner trail" designed to give people a small intro into riding in the area. There are also cool little signs that give tips on riding and trail etiquette. It was a nice change of pace from the hard, technical riding we'd started out on. Then off on the Kokopellie trail to find something else cool to ride. Nick wanted to ride Horsethief Bench - a trail he'd ridden years ago. We could have used climbing gear to get down to the trail - the drop in had really seen some wear over the years. Horsethief was really fun - rolling and fast, with some great views of the Colorado River. There was one other spot that we had to carry the bikes, but otherwise a really good ride. I can see why people would just go to ride that loop! But we had more riding to do, so it was back on the Kokopellie.

Flat double track soon gave way to tight single track. And another few thousand feet drop off to the left of the trail... I really don't like riding in places where daydreaming can cause some serious issues. I like to look around, study the views. But on the Kokopellie, it was keep your eyes on the trail at all times. There were some pretty easy things that I missed because I was thinking more about the consequences then riding my bike. I was also starting to get tired. We reached another trail junction - one way the easy way back to the car, the other longer and with more single track. While I wanted to keep riding and see some more of the trails, it was time to head back to the car. Slogging through painfully slow miles isn't the best way to spend a vacation! And besides, that way, there's more for us to ride the next time!

A Rainy Sunday

2011-11-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

The weather front that had been threatening all week moved down Sunday morning. Like every other morning, the clouds were low on the red rock valley walls surrounding Moab. This morning, they kept lowering and finally developed into a moderate but cold rain. Not the weather anyone really wanted to be out riding in! Sow we had a quiet morning of reading and catching up with friends. As Dan and Leslie prepared to head back to CO (they both had to work on Monday) Nick and I decided to try a short hike/run up off Porcupine Rim. I wasn't sure about running since my quad was still really painful walking up and down stairs, but figured a hike would be good.

We drove up Sand Flats rd, passed the empty parking lot for Slick Rock and continued east. There were plenty of campgrounds and the 4x4 trails criss crossed the road several times. Finally, we reached the main Porcupine Rim trail parking lot. The ground was damp, but not muddy. Nick was a little disappointed - if we'd know that it was ridable, we would have bundled up and gone out for another epic day. As it was, we ventured further east and reached one of the drop ins for the Lower Porcupine Single track (LPS). That was where Nick wanted to hike. If we couldn't explore on two wheels, we'd do it on two feet! There was about 3 inches of snow that high up, but it had stopped snowing. Just cloudy with a cold wind blowing. Given that I knew nothing about the trail (and there was a 2000+ foot drop on one side) I didn't get to far from Nick. With wet rocks and unfamiliar trails, sticking together seemed smart. But it was a fun run - with some really gorgeous views and a really cool trail. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable riding it - something about that long drop to the valley floor, but running was fun. Next time, we head to Moab, we'll get Porcupine Rim in.

After lunch, Nick wanted to ride the Pipe Dream trail that we'd tried to take yesterday. And while I'm happy we didn't find the trail head (we would have been riding single track in the dark without question) it was a great trail to ride today. This is a new trail, cut along the side of the valley wall to the west of Moab. It's a well built and well designed trail, with plenty of technical sections. There were some long switchback climbs, some shorter punchy climbs - all with plenty of rocks to keep you honest! And for every climb, there was a fun descent, winding over, under and between rocks and around tight corners. Every place where the trail crossed a drainage area was covered in rocks to prevent trail damage. It was only 5 miles, but took us almost an hour to get to the other end. Next time, we'll ride back on Pipe Dream and not drop down to pipeline - but we were running short on time again.

Slick Rock and Moab Rim

2011-11-12T18:48:00.001-07:00

With the arrival of Dan and Leslie late Friday night, we had some big plans for riding. Slick Rock was primary on the list, so that was the first place we headed Saturday after the clouds started lifting. It still wasn't really warm (about 38-40) and very grey out but we all had the clothes and the motivation to ride. We loaded up the Subi with the big bikes on the roof and my bike in the car and headed up Sand Flats road. The parking lot was quiet when we got there and we were off and riding. And it was truly a different riding - nothing but miles of sandstone with white dashes. The tires stuck like glue to the sandstone and as long as you stayed close to the white dashes, it was a make your own fun affair. I followed Dan's lines for most of the ride - he's been out there a lot and knew what I would feel comfortable riding. Some of the climbs were bloody steep and the only way I was able to get up them was by switch backing up the side of the solid dunes. Coming down the other sides of those hills, I think I warped another disc rotor! I like my brakes... and falling down on solid rock does not sound like fun. We saw a few other riders out, plenty of motorbikes and a few jeeps on the "Hell's Revenge" trail. Some of those jeeps were filled with tourists who were pretty freaked out when one or two wheels weren't on the slick rock. Hard riding - lots of body language required to muscle the bike over and around the rocks. But fun riding - I was having a blast.

And just a note to the other single speeder we saw... Boasting about how great a rider you are is not a good way to make friends. Especially when insuating that everyone else is just a wimp for having gears. I don't think he noticed Nick, he was too busy bragging about how much power he was putting into the pedals and complaining about how hard it was to ride with "newbies" But enough with that...

After lunch, we studied the map a little more. Dan wanted to ride a new trail "Pipe Dream" with Leslie, so Nick and I decided on the Moab Rim loop, coming back either on the road or trying to find the north trailhead for Pipe dream. We knew that the first mile of Hidden Valley would be hike-a-bike, but the rest of the ride would be cool. So we both put on our best cycling shoes for hiking and prepared for the climb. And Dan and all the trail reviews weren't joking - it took us 30 minutes on the money to get to the top. But once on top, we were in the hidden valley, happily riding. We kept a pretty good pace because it was later in the day and we didn't want to be riding home in the dark. I'd looked at the map on the computer before we left, but didn't really know where we were going. I just knew there was a large curve in the trail before we dropped down to the Colorado River. Nick had his map, but again the detail wasn't very good. There were a few jogs and switchbacks on the trail that weren't on the maps we'd looked at. At one point, the white dashes we were following split - one set when up, the other down. Nick took the up path, I stopped and looked and it seemed like the routes joined at the bottom of the slick rock section. And so I took the low path - no sense in climbing a steep hill just to ride down it again! And that's where the confusion started. Nick thought we got on the wrong trail and when he saw another set of white dashes going south we followed those. Turned out that we repeated the loop we'd just done! But this time, when we saw the dashes heading south, we kept going straight and found the trail. A few climbs later and we were on the Moab Rim overlook, with a really cool view. Then the drop almost straight down to the river. And if I hadn't warped a rotor on slick rock, I for sure did it on that descent! It was really cool slick rock with some tricky step ups and ledges, but I wasn't liking the 1000+ foot drop! My hands were hurting so much at the bottom. But that time it was dusk, with the sun dropping behind the cliffs above the Moab valley. We hightailed it back down the road, looking for the trailhead for Pipe Dream. No luck - down the highway we went back to the car. I was suffering, doing my best to stay on Nick's wheel. About three miles from the parking lot, I started to pop. About then, Dan and Leslie passed us in their SUV. He turned around, Nick sprinted ahead and said something. Not sure what Nick had told them, I tried to catch up - without much success. Then Dan offered me a ride back to the condo. I was tempted - very tempted. My legs were tired, I was pedaling squares and it was cold. But I didn't want to wimp out and Nick hadn't indicated that I should take the ride. (Although in hindsight, with him sprinting away and me moving slower and slower, I should have gleefully hopped in the SUV.) But another successful outing and a fun ride on some cool new trails.

Sovereign Trail - Following the Blue dashes!

2011-11-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Our Friday ride plans were for two rides - Sovereign trail in the morning and then Slick Rock in the afternoon. We left Fruita at a decent time - I got some compression pads and ace wrap for my leg so I would be able to ride. We survived the boring drive from Fruita to Moab - Nick drove and I studied the map. Nick was planning on riding a loop on the Sovereign trail he'd ridden a few years ago, so we were planning parking at the north trail head off Dalton Wells Road. We got changed, hoped on the bikes and headed north. I saw a small sign that said "Sovereign Singletrack" Singletrack is aways better the road, so off we went, following the blue dashes on the rocks. The trail dived into a small canyon, then the diverged. One set of blue dashes when up, the other stayed in the canyon. I was having fun in the canyon - so I followed that set of blue dashes.

And that set of blue dashes quickly turned south and headed down. We took a pretty technical descent down into a grey slick rock section. More blue dashes lead down into a sandy wash, which popped out at the base of a steep climb. Nick almost cleaned the entire climb on his single speed, but I had to walk a few chunks. Steep, loose and sandy with a sore quad do not make a solid climb! That and the steep dropoff... At the top of the mesa, we stopped to study the map. The tiny section of trail wasn't easy to make out on the map, but we were heading south. South sounded good! There was also a different trail - the Salt Wash Singletrack. We decided to stay on the Sovereign Trail until the south parking lot at Willow Springs Road. Uber fun, really technical with short punchy climbs, sandy washes, slick rock and just about everything I'd been promised with Moab riding. It didn't take long for my arms to get tired from throwing my bike up ledges and down steep drops. But it was all fun, and there was no one else on the trail. (The temperature might have had something to do with lack of riders...)

We made our way down to the Willow Springs trailhead and took another look at the map. It seemed that there was another section of trail south of Willow Springs. After a few minutes of debating, we continued south. The trail remained fun for a while, then turned into the ATV track. Nothing but sand. Finished the loop, then got on the first section of single track we could find. Salt Wash Singletrack... Just as much fun as Sovereign, but with more consequences... A prime example of "don't think about the consequences...." and keep your eyes on the trail. Once again, there were a few sections that I was off and walking. Nick cleaned most of it - some of the steeper, really sandy trails were a bit too much. But the trail as a whole was really fun - enough entertainment to make Nick want to come back and ride it all again.

The ride was long enough to make us skip the Slick Rock adventure. We got some food and checked into the condo to chill and enjoy (?) some cable TV... And plan the adventures for Saturday!

Fruita explorations

2011-11-10T20:52:00.001-07:00

This was a planned escape from Colorado Springs with no agenda except ride a lot, ride some new trails and run in some different places. Day one of the trip was spent in Fruita, where we got two rides in on two different single track systems. Awesome fun and a good day of riding! And hint of the fun that was awaiting us in Moab.

In the morning, we bundled up and headed north on 18 Road to the North Fruita Desert trail systems. The sun was out, but it was still chilly with the dew frozen on the roads and grasses. We were both pretty warmly dressed, and only a few layers would come off as the sun grew warmer. The trails there were fast and smooth, meandering through wheel high grass. I was waiting for the antelope to come jumping out of the grass! We also found some fun technical trails with steep, challenging climbs and well built switchbacks into and out of the gullies and canyons. The best trail that we rode (and we didn't come close to riding all of them) was Kessler's Run. It had a good flow, both up and down with banked, bermed turns and plenty of rock obstacles. We had to call it a day earlier then we wanted - there were other trails to explore. I also wanted to get in a short run after that first ride. The dirt road leading back south towards Fruita was the perfect stretch of dirt for that run.

We headed back to the hotel, cleaned up and refilled camelbacks and loaded up the Osprey 22s for the trek to Lunch Loops in Grand Junction. Nick and I had both heard really cool things about the trails in the Lunch Loops area and were looking forward to another few hours on the bike. We studied the map, picked some trails to form what looked like a good loop and headed out. And up - right away, we were climbing. And it was a technical, rocky single track climb along a ridge line. Definitely a keep your eyes on the trail and not on the consequences type of trail! I did my fair share of walking, but did my best with following Nick through the really cool single track. Things were going good, but about 90 minutes into the ride, I blew a rocky stepdown section. Nick told me to stay left, I did my best, but there was a big rock on the other side of the trail. I think I was looking at the rock, didn't get my weight back enough and hit the front brakes. Supergirl, I am not! A rather inelegant landing ended with my bike on top of me. No injuries, but I hit my leg on something hard - a deep bruise quickly developed. But the bruise was so deep, I couldn't even see it. We finished the ride and headed back to Fruita. Lunch Loops 1 - Tracy 0! But we will return - I don't think we even hit a third of the park!

More Isis Memories

2011-11-07T20:25:00.001-07:00

Isis was such a character. She had a huge personality and was the boss of the house. Kept DumDum in line and always made sure we didn' forget to feed her. Over ten and a half years of provides plenty of memories and I want to share a few of the best ones.

*The day I brought her home, I had her locked in my bathroom to keep her away from Mom's other cat. And she kept whining and crying till I eventually opened the door to the bathroom. I shut my bed room door first so she couldn't get into the rest of the house. But she didn't want to go far. Just to my bed where she curled up and started purring.

*A march day in Denver coming home from PT class. Isis met me at the door of the apartment with plaintive mew. She kept pacing between the kitchen and the door. I found out why A line of ants was marching from a tiny hole in the floor across the entrance to the kitchen and straight to her food bowl. The entire bowl was writhing like the food had come alive. Not a good thing for a cat with food separation issues!

*After graduation from PT school I moved back in with my mother (time to study from boards and play running bum). I had just come back from a run and was outside stretching when Nick rolled by. We didn't know each other yet. He'd been working on his bike and was test riding it. We talked for a while with Isis meowing through the window. When I told her to be quiet, Nick asked me if she was named after the bb brand. Huh? Nope the Egyptian goddess!

Isis staring at Nick in the wig...

*While getting ready for a Halloween party Nick decided to test his costume on the cats. With a huge scruffy wig and ratty false teeth, he didn't look much like himself. DumDum ran in terror - he wasn't having anything of that. Isis stood her ground. Her tail puffed out about three times normal, but she was tough - she was gonna defend her turf!

*Her favorite place to lay was right on my stomach or on Nick's chest or leg. She would hop up, meow a few times and just plop down sprawling out. Chin down staring at you and legs hanging over the side. Nick would give her a gentle beating and she purr even louder dig in for more and let out a little purr meow combo when you stopped. She must have loved them; she never ran away.

*Any of the parties we had. Isis would be question around, looking for unattended plates. I caught her tasting everything, from yogurt to soup, stealing string cheese and any kind of meat she could find. I'd say her name in a scolding tone. She'd dash off around the corner, wait a few minutes, then come right back.

17 pounds of Isis on the box spring, looking proud.

*When Nick and I got a bed frame, we got rid of the box spring under the mattress. We weren't sure that we'd like the frame, so we put the box spring in the office. One day, I heard a strange noise from the office. Isis was sitting on top of the box spring, looking super proud. This was when she weighed 17 pounds, so I have no clue how she got up there.

*After moving into the new house, we finally had stairs. A new game quickly developed - Nick would bring her downstairs at night. I would fill her food bowl up. The drag race up the stairs was the fastest I've seen her move. We made it part of the weight loss program and it was working really well.

*Isis always knew when I needed some attention. After my eye surgery, when I was home alone and not able to do anything, I got plenty of snuggle time. She was super attentive to what I was doing then and spent most of the day sitting next to me or on my lap. That's when we started our "afternoon naps" where I got to play cat and snooze on my day off with my cat.

Isis on Nick's leg, yelling for more beatings.

*Finally, the 17th of October - I was trying to finish my race report from the 24 Hours of Colorado Springs. Isis tried jumping up onto the couch where I was sitting, but couldn't quite make it. I lifted her up and she settled on my lap - sprawled out on my legs with a soft purr. I put a pillow over her, set my computer on my pillow and kept typing. She kept purring, a happy and comfortable cat.

And as I'm writing this, the two new family members are getting settled. I miss Isis - have called Sasha Isis as few times and George Chubby once or twice (she has a big belly after eating!) But they are two little sweethearts and such goofballs. Still getting to know them, but Sasha is the lively, feisty one and George seems to be a snuggler. Although that might all change when George gets some weight on her little frame!

So Much for Recovery Days!

2011-11-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

This has been a good recovery week - worked a bunch, got some chores done around the house and slept in nearly every day. Also took way to many photos of the new kittens, but I'll talk about them later! After our slightly mucky single speed ride in Palmer Park yesterday, Nick and I when to Ascent Cycling to get some stuff. Clay mentioned that he and a few of the guys were planning on heading to Lake Pueblo today, I was all in. There were some new trails I wanted to take Nick down and having more then an hour to play sounded good. So to heck with another recovery day! The sun was shining, there wasn't much wind and it was a perfect day to ride some rocks.

We met up with the gang at the Arkansas Point parking lot and headed out. Started out with the climb up Rodeo, then dropped Rattlesnake - no wildlife sighting this ride! Up Skull Canyon then along Roller Coaster to one of the new trails - Sidewinder (another snake name - sensing a theme here...) I've only ridden Sidewinder once before - and bailed on two sections because I wasn't sure of the lines. I'm a bit of a chicken - new trails, riding alone, tend to not take chances. Well, this time, I wanted to ride the whole thing. Had to take two shots, botched the entrance into the first rock drop. But the second time, I made the first rock drop cleanly, then picked my way through to the second one. I'd scouted the line the first time I'd ridden Sidewinder, and decided to take the chance. The line I'd chosen was a good one and I made it down neatly.

Need a bike mechanic? Patrick fixing his flat

Then on to the other new trail, which I'm calling "Inner Limits." It parallels the bluff line on the east side of Pedro's point, completing a nice single track loop with Outer Limits. As a new trail, it's a work in progress and still needs some buffing in. A few corners are a little crazy tight, but its a fun ride - longer and much better then the double track of Pedro's Point. Our ride here was delayed a few times as Patrick got a flat. But once that was taken care of, it was time to rail Outer Limits. That section of single track is so much fun to just haul a$$ on - sending shale chattering through the corners and flowing up and down through the sage and scrub oak.

After that, Nick was ready for some rocks. We dropped Waterfall, then climbed up Rock Canyon, with a slight break halfway up for some skills work. I tried a different line - made it, but the guys said it wasn't pretty (something about using all the travel on the fork as my front wheel hit a rock....) A few more fun canyon drops and time to head back to the car! Dusty, tired, but with smiles on our faces. How can you not be happy with a great time riding bikes with fun people on awesome single track?

At the junction of Inner and Outer Limits and Pedro's Point - Smiles all around

A week of wildlife

2011-11-03T21:24:00.000-06:00

This post is a little late - got distracted with other events.
It's not uncommon to see all kinds of critters while out training. Usually it is nothing more interesting then a coyote or fox but this was a busy week. On the 11th I watched a coyote stalking some leashed ankle biters. I am not sure the owner noticed how intently her dogs were being followed. During my morning run on the 13th there was quite the herd of bucks in Bear Creek. I noticed that two of them were fighting - National Geographic style. And they were getting into it - aantlers locked, the whole bit. All for the affection of the does on the other side of the trail... I did not head back that way when I finished the run. Then after work I took the single speed to Lake Pueblo. Near the end of the ride, after cruising Outer Limits, I was finishing my ride by coming down Waterfall. With a loud scream a bundle of feathers exploded from the rocks in front of me. In the fading evening light I had flushed a large golden eagle from its perch in the canyon. Still screaming the eagle flew away into the sunset. A little shaken, I finished the ride, watching the eagle soaring.

And finally - the most interesting critter sighting. On Friday the 14th I went out for an easy run after swimming in the morning. About 2 miles into the run I pass some apartment buildings off Cheyenne Blvd. Happen to notice a lady out back smoking. Not unusual at that complex, I see people out all the time. I return my attention to the road and see the bear crossing the road I was running on. A nice big black bear out looking for breakfast. He meandered thru the bushes and around the garages behind the apartments. I kept running. I knew what was coming. Sure enough the bear ambled past the smoker and I heard the screams. She must have gotten quite the shock. And the bear must have had his breakfast. A little bit later on my run, I saw the tipped over garbage cans and still steaming bear scat!

A good reminder to stay alert on my workouts. For every animal I see who knows how many watch me. That cute deer could really cause some damage if cornered and I don't want to think about a pissed off bear.Its still cool and keeps me on the lookout for other critter encounters.

Time to say good bye

2011-10-19T11:45:00.000-06:00

Isis snuggled in the quilts on the bed

It's amazing how much our pets can touch us and influence our lives. When I got Isis (although I think she picked me) she was a scrawny six pound alley cat who'd been dumped at the vet with her kittens. She was scared of everything and everyone except for me. We were a duo - she aways snuggled, slept with me and kept me company. I played with her, made sure the food bowl was always full (part of the reason she got up to 16 pounds...) I'd come home from PT class with a pile of homework, a lab exam to study for and three projects. She'd meet me at the door with a meow and take my mind off of the stress of the day with her throaty purr and antics like eating my sweet potato off my plate. When I was in Spokane for one of my clinical, Isis stayed with Mom. Mom told me when I go home that she'd never seen a more unhappy cat for those two months.

I'm too comfortable to play - but that looks fun.

Fast forward a year and I moved in with Nick. Isis was not happy about that. She had to share me for attention and there was this strange guy who wanted to torture her. It took a few months, but she finally accepted Nick and tolerated DumDum. The four of us slowly became a family, with Isis begging Nick for her daily beating and being perfectly happy snuggling with either one of us.Sometimes, I think she was starting to love Nick more..He gave her more "junk" food, like chicken and cheese. I just gave her the diet food so we could get her weight down to a healthy range. Her skittishness was fading as well, as she stopped running in terror when we had company. The vacuum cleaner still sent her flying... She went through three moves- once to Golden, back to the condo and finally to the new house. She took everything with the resilience of her alley cat heritage.

This is the life - snoozing in the sun...

Back in July, I posted about the tumor on her shoulder. Well, she'd started developing more and more tumors, ranging from small lumps in her arm pits, neck and chest to another large one on her left hip. I knew time was getting short - she wasn't playing like she used too and wasn't eating much. I started giving her canned food and that helped for a while. But in the last weeks, she started having more trouble. She wasn't moving her tail at all - just letting it hang behind her legs. That was a major change from her normal behavior. Then in the last few days, she was having problems with her rear legs. Stumbling when she was walking at times, loosing her balance. Not sitting as smoothly and having problems getting up at times. She wouldn't come downstairs with us at night and growled at me when I brought her down to bed. Monday when I got home from work, she was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, looking at me like "I need some help here, please?" She tried the first few stairs, but was stumbling and having problems with getting her rear paws on the stairs. For someone who used to drag race up the stairs when we put fresh food in the bowl, I knew. Tuesday, she was meowing for food, but not sitting to eat. She'd go into the litter box, paw around, then walk out and paw the carpet some more. And this morning....

I worked hard to get here! Relaxing on an old box spring

I couldn't stand the look in her eyes. She was pacing around the kitchen, stumbling just a little, going to sit, but not making it down. In her favorite sunbeam, she couldn't move her rear legs well enough to get comfortable and couldn't get up easily to go to a different spot in the sun. And she just kept looking at me, a frustrated, pleading look. She wasn't happy at all. And things were going to get worse as the tumor on her hip and all over her body kept impairing her mobility. The last thing I wanted was for my baby to suffer - and she was suffering. It was time... Saying good bye is aways the hardest, but I didn't want her to be in pain or not be able to get around. Anything else would to not show her the respects she deserved.

The view from the pits - 24 Hours of Colorado Springs

2011-10-17T22:36:00.001-06:00

The 2011 24 Hours of Colorado Springs proved to be quite the adventure before the race even started. After a successful first year on the Falcon Trail at the Air Force Academy, plans were made for the National Championships and another fun time riding up Stanley Canyon. Then things changed and we weren't even sure of a venue for the 24 Hours of COS. So a huge congratulations to the race director and organizing committee for securing a fun and challenging venue in the middle of Colorado Springs. This year it truly was the 24 Hours of Colorado Springs, set at a favorite play ground - Palmer Park. I rode one lap two weeks before the event and while it seemed "easy" for Palmer Park, but after a few laps it would be challenging. A good mix of technical riding, fun single track and fast double track that didn't provide much respite.

On race day however, I wouldn't get much more then a quarter of a mile from the camper. This is a race report about crewing for a solo rider. Nick was racing in the solo single speed, harboring hopes of defending his win from 2010. But it was not to be - with some very fast racers showing up for a shot at the Stars and Stripes combined with some stomach issues that kept him off the bike for over 4 hours. At noon, Evan Plews had completed 18 laps, AJ Liddell turned 17 laps and Andrew Carney rounded out the top three with 15 laps. Nick took fourth with a respectable 12 laps and John Wu placed 5th, also with 12 laps. I think in the end, the true winner of the race was the challenging course as many riders called it day early into the event.

Because of city constraints, we weren't allowed to move into the park until Saturday. Our one complaint about the race - not being able to set up Friday made an already long weekend even longer. But we got a nice spot just outside the transition area. Nick raised the tents and I set up my pit area - I needed space to support him like I wanted! And the goal was to be as efficient as possible - in and out and keep him moving for the entire 24 hours. We both knew that he wasn't feeling good and wasn't at 100%, but were still gonna stick to plan.

Nick starting the first lap of the race.

At noon, the racers exploded from the starting line. A true Le Mans start - I wasn't even able to hold Nick's bike for him. But I was standing over the Stumpjumper with my green flag, so he knew where to go. He was quickly off on the parade lap and into the maze of single track that is Palmer Park. I took some photos and headed back over to the camper to wait. All the bottles for the next lap were mixed, so all I had to do was watch the riders. It didn't take long - Russel F on the Pro Cycling 4-man team handed off to Kalan, followed quickly by Cameron taking Daniel (they were racing 2man). The first solo ride, Josh Tostado, came through in just under an hour, then the first single speed rider shortly after. A herd of single speed riders followed - streaming through in some pretty fast times. But would they be able to hold that pace for the next 23 hours. Nick came in at about 1:10 - ninth place - swapped bottles, drank a coke and headed out again. Part of my job as pit crew was to keep track of the race. So after prepping the bottles and food for the next lap, I settled down in a chair with a drink and watched the riders. Nick was in the middle of the pack of the single speed race - a few minutes down on a large group of riders. It wouldn't take much for that pack to break down and for riders to move up quickly.

Nick was steadily gaining on that group with every lap, but as the time ticked by and the laps mounted he was drinking less and less. I'd send him out with two full bottles or a camel back and bottle and he'd only have drunk half of what I'd given him. Not a good sign - especially since it was so hot out. He'd drunk twice that much in the short laps of the 50 mile race, in the same temperatures. He also wasn't eating anything - his stomach was hurting and he felt both constipated and bloated at the same time. A few short breaks to try to eat something. But every time he ate, his stomach hurt worse. So he relied on the coke, ginger ale and tang for the calories. Not nearly enough for a race like this... I have to admit - getting the coke de-fizzed was the hardest part! I got sprayed a few times making sure that his bottles were flat.

As darkness fell, the number of racers quickly diminished. I was watching the brightly lit riders streaming by - trying to keep track of the single speed race. Evan Plews was already at least one lap up on most of the other riders and two on Nick. There is always a drop-off of riders when the sun sets on the 24 hour races, but it seemed pretty steep this time. The number of riders still making the rounds of Palmer Park plummeted when the last rays of the sun vanished behind the mountains. There were some strong riders and teams that were humbled by the challenging nature of the course and turned in for the night early.

The finish line banner

Nick was still moving, but slowing down. He still hadn't eaten anything substantial since breakfast that morning. At midnight, he had finished 8 laps and headed out for number nine. A little behind the planned schedule, but still doing well. But then the wheels came off. He went through transition, finishing lap nine, starting lap ten and headed straight for the bed in the back of the camper. I have never seen him looking so miserable - he wanted to eat but that made his stomach hurt. He was so tired from riding and not eating anything he was falling asleep on the bike. A few more bites of food, some time in the bathroom (which did not sound pretty at all) and then a rest on the couch. He didn't sleep, but just laid there with his eyes closed. I let him rest, then gave him a gentle nudged him out the door - the race wasn't waiting for him to feel better. Lap 10 would be a 4 hour lap by the time he got back on the bike and finished the lap.

Another long break at the start of lap 11 - this time he did manage to eat something, although he fell asleep a few times with the Tupperware of eggs and potatoes in his hand, spoon halfway to his mouth. I went out and checked the results while he was resting. He'd jumped up to 5th place, even with the long breaks because of the high rate of attrition. On the podium - I just needed to keep him riding to keep him there. And this was the hardest part - normally if he wasn't feeling good, I'd go out and ride a few laps while he recovered. But he was on his own - had to keep the wheels turning under his own power. I told him his place and gave him a not so gentle nudge to get back on the bike. He finally took off to finish lap 11 as the sun was rising. And that's when I found out that he had a chance to jump into fourth - the rider currently in 4th had finished 11 laps, but seemed to have called it a day. All Nick had to do was finish 12 laps and he would be in 4th at the end of the race. Andrew was holding 3rd and was well out of reach. The current 6th place rider was slowly gaining on Nick, but was running out of time to catch him. I still needed to keep an eye on him.

Nick had enough energy to head out for that 12th lap without a long break. No arguments as I explained the situation and sent him on his way. My job done, I headed over to the Back of the Pack pit area to watch the race and take advantage of the comfy pink futon. The rider now in 5th, behind Nick finished his 11th lap and headed out onto lap 12. Statistically speaking, he could not catch Nick. There wasn't enough time to finish two laps before noon - not at the pace they were riding at. Nick came through and I sprinted back to the camper. He had time to ride another lap and completely secure 4th place if he wanted. But it wouldn't change anything except add that extra lap to his total. And with his physical condition - riding that other lap didn't make sense. Unless he needed to. So we played the waiting game - me on one side of the transition tent with phone and clock and Nick in the camper. He was ready to ride if he needed to. But he didn't - the rider in 5th finished after 11:10, - after the cutoff and with no way to finish a 13th lap.

The Single Speed Podium - Andrew Carney (3rd) Evan Plews (1st) AJ Linnell (2nd) and Nick (4th) -
Not pictured John Wu (5th)

So it would be a 4th place finish at the 24 Hour National Championships for Nick. Admittedly, he was hoping for much better and was disappointed with the way the race played out. But I'm proud of him for keeping going and riding despite the adverse conditions he faced. And it was great getting the Ascent Cycling jersey on the podium - thanks for all the support over the last year! We'll be back next year - Nick wants redemption, but I might decide that we have to do Duo...

Under the Hunter's Moon

2011-10-13T20:17:00.000-06:00

Autumn - the days get shorter and the riding weather turns crisp. And that means it's time to break out the lights and find some friends to ride with! Tracy, Kristi and I met up for a fun ride up Buckhorn and down Jacks on Wednesday, looking forward to some tight and fun trails - thanks to all the rain and snow from last weekend. Meeting at the main Stratton parking lot, we meandered up the single track to Goldcamp road under the light of the setting sun. There weren't many clouds, but the ones that lingered were tinged with fuchsia and gold. The line of the horizon out east was deepening into a rich purple as the sun vanished behind the mountains. And the the moon peaked up from the edge of the earth - gleaming orange and huge over the city below. A beautiful start to the ride!

We hit Gold Camp and set our sights on Buckhorn. There was hardly any traffic on the road at that hour - meaning we could take up the entire road and ride in the smoothest part. I still had my annoying tail light set to blink - just in case. We turned lights on just after the parking lot, the white beams illuminating the darkness. The full moon was still hidden behind the mountains, so we couldn't take advantage of natural light. As usual, there was the normal adjustment to the narrow focus of the lights and we started up the single track. I love riding Buckhorn at night - the trail seems so narrow and the mountain falls away on the side into emptiness. We had a steady, comfortable pace up the trail, enjoying the solitude but making enough noise to scare away any hunters... A quick stop at the top to get some warmer clothes on, then time for the fun.

Me and Tracy - at the bottom of Jacks. That was fun!!
Photo - Kristi O

And Jacks was in great shape. Combined with the moisture in the air and the rain from the weekend, it was awesome. And by now, we were making so much noise we were probably terrified all the animals around! But it was good noise - hooting, hollering, the sound of tires launching off rocks... Watching Tracy and Kristi's lights bouncing up and down on the whoops was funny - like a disco show behind me! No other riders out on the trail meant we could go as fast as we wanted. Something we all took advantage of coming down Chutes! Then the ride was over and it was time to head for home. All three of us were sporting huge grins and looking forward to next week!

Bear it All Tri er Du -postponed

2011-10-10T18:35:00.000-06:00

Or Winter picked the wrong weekend to make an appearance. I was supposed to race in the Bear it All Triathlon on Sunday. It sounded like a fun race to close out the season with a 1500 swim, a 24m bike and 5.6 mile run. Well, as the forecasted morning low temp started plummeting the race director made the call to change to a run/bike/run duathlon instead. A smart move - I know how hard it was to try and run after swimming in 53 degree water when the air temp was mid 40s. I could not imagine trying to ride in those conditions. I like feeling my fingers and toes while riding! So I was looking forward to a du - since swapping swim for run wouldn't affect my race that much. Then winter moved in with snow and rain all along the front range. Nick and I loaded up the turtle and headed north, hopeful the weather would improve.

Got my packet and a campsite and headed out to preride. It was fun - a little mud and some puddles, but nothing I couldn't handle. Especially since I was on my single speed. For the first 20 minutes of the ride, the trail was fast and smooth, made tight by the rain and snow. Then we hit mud - deep mud, bad clay mud. I was doing good, then I couldn't pedal the bike. I just watched the tires expand - so caked in clay that I couldn't even turn the wheels. The melvin on the rear wheel was was also coated in clay. I tried a few times to clean off the wheels and frame so I could ride, but it was a loosing battle. Besides, I couldn't even get going because my shoes and cleats were covered in gunk. I eventually picked up my bike and carried it until the clay diminished. Cross racer I am not! I like riding - not carrying my bike! There were three more sections of just atrociach clay on the trail. Finally, about halfway through the lap, we threw in the towel and got on the road. Not worth it. When we got back to the camper, it took over an hour to get the bikes clean. Yuck. My only hope was that the temperature got cold enough for the muck to freeze. Then the course might be ridable - at least for the first lap. Then as the sun rose and the air warmed...

So I was not surprised to get the email stating that the race was postponed. I just couldn't imagine trying to race under those conditions. And I knew that the trails would get really damaged if we tried to race. I have to applaud Tom with Bear Events on making a tough call. I'm sure it wasn't easy - he had put a lot of work into making this first year event a success. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and the race will go on as planned (as a duathlon still) on October 30th. I'm still planning on heading up there for a fun, fast race. That course looked like it would be fun!

Xterra USA 2011 Race Report

2011-10-05T10:16:00.001-06:00

The trail from Pineview - a great day for racing
Photo - Nick Thelen

Another perfect Utah day provided the backdrop for the racing action at Xterra USA. The new bike course lent to speedy times despite the climb, while the technical run course kept racers on their toes. Spectators lining the course, hoping for a glimpse of Lance Armstrong, were treated to a battle royal on the men's side and a commanding performance by Melanie on the women's side. She laid it down on the bike and finished in 2:43:00. Lesie Patterson made a last minute charge on the run, but took second in 2:45:59. Danelle Kabush had a strong performance to finish third in 2:47:43, with Kelly Cullen (2:49:20) and Emma G (2:52:01) rounding out the top five. I had strong swim, a decent bike (but well off the pace off the rest of the women) and a really solid run to finish 13th pro and 17th overall. I had hoped for a top ten finish this year, but it was not to be. But I still had a solid race and a good springboard towards the next season.

And this would be another reason to take the bus! Moose
do not make great spectators
Photo - Nick Thelen

As usual, I dropped off my bike in the pre dawn gloom at Pine View Reservoir before heading up to T2. Yes, the day would be easier if I rode my bike down from Snowbasin, but I'm a wimp. It's still a little cold and dark in the morning and I don't feel like dealing with that before racing. Set up T2 - - did my mental inventory to make sure I didn't forget anything and had no unexpected issues this year. Then to the bus to ride down to the swim start. Nick was planning on riding down somewhere on course to get some photos and wished me luck as I got on the bus. By the time I got back down to T1, there was a crowd gathered on the other end of the pro racks. More of a mob really, just standing around, taking pictures and waving photos and pens. Relived that I was not in the middle of the mayhem, I headed out for an short warm up. Coming back from my ride, that was probably the closest I will ever get to Lance Armstrong. And no, no photos or autographs. I was there to race!

Swim - Because of the numbers this year, the pro field had a 30 second head start on the rest of race. My plan was to stay on Mel's feet for at least the first lap. I got a good start, but lost the draft of the group and could not get back on. So much for the plan. Swimming straight into the sun for that first lap was not easy and the little group I was in got off course - we were all sighting off one of the "no wake" buoys, not the large, yellow xterra buoy. Oops. I was still in a good group, with Sara, Kelly, Suzy and Emma. There was an unexpected dynamic this year - because the age group athletes started behind us, there were faster men swimming up along side us. A few of the pros were able to catch the drafts and moved up the field. I tried a few times, but was starting to fall off the pace. It was happening a little earlier and a little faster then I wanted. I didn't feel as settled in my wetsuit as normal either, which was a little disconcerting. Onto the second lap and I slid a little further down the group. I got out of the water with Louisa. My transition was quick - had no issues with the wetsuit and got everything done in an organized manner this time. I headed out on the bike, 8th pro woman and just behind Emma.

Bike - I tried keeping Emma in sight along the highway leading to Wheeler Canyon, know that she would have a really good time. But as usual (and getting frustratingly common) she sped away down the road. Louisa and I passed each other a few times up the double track climb, but she got a gap before East Fork and I wasn't able bring it back. I felt okay on the bike, but just not on fire like I needed for the race. A steady tempo climb was about all I could manage at that point and the bike had just started. As we entered the single track, I was down to 12th pro, with Danelle, Jess, Shonny and Louisa all now in front of me. The trail was buttery smooth and buffed free of rocks so I set my mind to the climb. When Carina W caught me halfway through East Fork, I did my best to stay on her wheel. I was able to hold on until the steepest section of that trail, then fell back. Up to the junction with the Middle Fork and the first fun downhill section. I seemed to be pretty solidly in 13th, and there weren't that many guys around.

Heading for Snowbasin - working hard on the bike
Photo - Nick Thelen

Onto the descent back down into the canyon. Nick was waiting about halfway down to the road crossing, taking photos. I flew down middle creek, riding the berms, using the trail and just enjoying the flow of descent. I actually passed a number of men and made up all the time I'd lost to Carina on the climb. I got back on her wheel, only to have her take off like a scalded cat. So much for trying to stay with here until the final descent! I continued with the rolling climb, crossing the bridges and down the stairs. At this point, some of the age group women were starting to catch me. It seemed like no matter how hard I worked, I just watched them climb away from me. Very frustrating. I felt like Beaver Creek was happening all over again, but without the full molasses feeling on the bike. Just sluggish and slow - not comfortable in any gear or sitting or standing on the climb. Just before the top of Sardine Peak, another pro woman caught me. This time, I managed to keep it close and didn't let her get to far away.

Heading out for the run - six miles left
Photo - Nick Thelen

We hit the last descent and I let go. Dust clouds flying off my wheels (and everyone else's - the trail was loose in the section) and floating around the switchbacks. Awesome fun. I might not have been riding fast compared to some of the other women, but I was able to get a little time on her. It wasn't as much as I would have liked, since she caught be back as we entered the trails of Snowbasin. But it was enough to keep her close as we approacted transition. And that was all I wanted at that point. She was grabbing her number belt as I racked my bike. Amazingly, there was a spot for my bike right over my shoes this year! I had a really good, efficient transition and was out on the run. My last chance to make up some time and get a few places back.

Run - I knew the pro woman who'd passed me on the bike was within range of me catching her. When Nick hollered "run them down" I was kinda surprised. I didn't see anyone else. So I put the thought behind me and started up the service road at a steady tempo. On the steepest slope, I stopped running and power hiked - opting to give a little time back then so I would be able to run faster on the technical single track that awaited. I could see the other pro women in her black and yellow honeystinger kit through the trees. Around the corners, dancing over the rocks, I was quickly eating into the distance between us. On one of the early switch backing down hills, I made the pass. Although I was pulling away slowly, the gap wasn't growing that fast. She was trying to hang onto the pace. I wasn't too worried since the last two miles were a really fun, technical downhill. I was moving smoothly and consistently through the men around me.

On the run - getting close to the finish
Photo - Nick Thelen

Just after mile 3, the trail popped out onto double track for a bit. Then I saw why Nick had hollered at me. Two of the AG women who'd passed me on the bike were just up the road. Time to get moving - embrace the fatigue and ache in my legs. We turned off the road onto single track again - I kept one eye on the trail and one eye on the women in front of me. Pushing the pace, taking some chances on the rocky trail, I was slowly bringing them back. We merged with the sport course and more racers were added to the trail - more people to try to catch. Working my way through the line, I caught the first woman. Then down onto the twisting corkscrew trail the descended across the ski slopes towards the lodge and I passed the second woman. I didn't look back, just kept moving forward, trying to put as many men between them and me as I could. With one mile left, it was time to get a little crazy. Abandoning all caution, I careened around the final few switchback, dancing through the roots and rocks.Two more turns - one onto the road and one leading to the finish. I could see Louisa and two more AG women on that final stretch, but it was over. I ran out of trail, but crossed the finish line satisfied with my run.

The new course is fun - definitely favors the climbers, but still a good ride. I really liked the fact that the run was single track now and not as much service road. It was a lot more fun to finish on trail then on the screaming downhill road. As usual, the people and city of Ogden were supportive and enthusiastic about the event. The Lance factor brought a few more spectators out and brought the press in droves - hopefully the people there to see Armstrong will realize how cool and fun Xterra racing is and want to give it a try! For me, it was good end to a rocky season - and a good starting point for next year.

24 hrs of COS

2011-10-04T12:56:00.012-06:00

Top four Solo Single speed on the podium
Carney, Plews, Liddell, Nick
Photo - Tim Bergsten

The 24 hours of Colorado Springs, the 2011 USAC 24hr MTB National Championships is in the books. Nick raced this year and I handled support crew for him. He took fourth in the Solo Men Single Speed behind Evan Plews (18 laps), AJ Liddell (17 laps) and Andrew Carney (15 laps). Nick had a decent race and persevered though some tough physical issues that had him wanting to quit at 1:00 am. Doing support for him was as hard as racing! I'll have some notes from the race up soon.

Xterra USA intial report

2011-09-24T17:24:00.000-06:00

Ufdah! Fast, lots of climbing and fast descents, and too few rocks on the bike - that's my initial impression from the Xterra USA National Championships in Ogden/Snowbasin today. It was was a perfect day for racing, with clear weather outside of the media storm. Melanie M rode away for the win (and I think the win in the America Tour Series as well). Lesley P placed second, with Danielle Kabush in third. Kelly Cullen finished 4th and won the American Championship ahead of Emma G. I finished 13th pro, 17th overall - there were plenty of speedy women out there today!

The new bike course added plenty of climbing and some great views - but I was suffering too much to enjoy! I had a great run, reeling in three women who had passed me on the bike. It wasn't quite enough though - still need to spend some quality time on my bike over the winter.

Heading for the finish along Snowbasin's fun single track
Photo - Nick Thelen

Palmer Park 50 Race Report

2011-09-19T20:20:00.000-06:00

A race report about not racing? How does that happen? Very easy - I was running support and Nick was racing! This was his last big race before 24 Hours of COS and it was training for both of us. Him for riding his bike for a while and me for support! After the rain on Wednesday and Thursday, the original course was completely trashed - there were wash out ruts nearly two feet deep on sections of Palmer Point trail. Obviously, it wouldn't be safe to run the race right through those ruts. So Saturday am, the course was changed to a five mile lap that Nick would be riding 10 times. Ufdah! That meant my planned "easy" day of sitting around and reading, then handing out a bottle every now and then was gone. I would have to be on my best game to keep Nick with bottles and food. Nick had pre mixed two half gallons of drink, had food in the cooler and I had my game plan set. At first, a bottle every lap - on a short climb just outside the tents. Then when the heat picked up, it went to two bottles per lap. That boy drinks a lot! I only missed one exchange - didn't have the bottles ready when he came through the pit zone. Not bad for my first time pitting in a while. Hopefully, my mind reading skills will be in tune when it comes to 24 Hours of COS, and we did learn some things for that race.

Giving Nick a hand up on one of the early laps
Photo - Rob Bergsten

Nick said the course was lots of fun - a lot more then he was expecting after seeing the course revisions. He also had a great race - finishing in about 4:33. I think he finished 6th individual racer for the 50 mile. He won the single speed class by almost a lap. I don't have full results, but it was fun to watch, fun to crew and good food after the event thanks to Front Range BBQ (even better - they knew what was gluten free what Nick could eat!)

Nick cleaning the climb right out the pit area on his last lap

And the podium for the 50 mile Single Speed Men - I will add names of 2/3 when the results are posted

A day in the Sage - 2011 24 Hours in the Sage

2011-09-11T10:12:00.001-06:00

Coming off the Notch on the last lap
Photo - About the Shot (abouttheshot.com)

Our third year of racing at the 24 Hours in the Sage and it was still a grand time. The KOA has fully embraced the madness of the noon to noon race, making the venue the best of all the 24 hour races we've been to. Add in the fun of Hartman Rocks and it's clear why 24 Hours in the Sage has become an annual pilgrimage. But besides the fun, the racing is also serious. Last year Nick and I won a close race in the Co-Ed Duo class and we came to Gunnison hoping to defend the title. Despite some hiccups and completely scrapping our pre-race plan, we kept it together. As usual in 24 Hour racing, the weather proved as much an opponent as the other teams. It was a close race for most of the first day and into the night. At the end of the day, Nick and I - racing as Happy 2 B Here - turned 20 laps, finishing at 12:08. We even beat the Men's Duo team by a few seconds! The second place Co-Ed team, Keeping it Kalm with Peter and Genevieve Kalmes, finished with 19 laps at 11:30 and the Single Track Siblings of Taf and Ken McMurruy completed 16 laps at 11:02. Congrats to everyone who braved the heat and tackled 24 Hours in the Sage this year.

As everyone gathered for the start, it was already hot. The sun blazed down from a clear blue sky, with a few clouds on the horizon. I held Nick's bike for the short run and they were off. Since I had already gotten everything ready for my first lap, I had some time to chill. I got to the transition tent early enough to watch the first rider come through (Jake Wells with Team KOA in 49:49 - super fast!) There were plenty of other fast riders sprinting for the line. The first Co-Ed duo team came through in 54 minutes, about 10 minutes ahead of when I was expecting Nick. Ouch. But Nick was also fast, turning a 59 minute first lap. Out I went for my first trip around the sage. And I was happy I had put a little extra in my camelbak! It was really hot on the road. Up Jacks hill and I acquired a tail. Some guy decided that my pace was just what he wanted to ride, and proceeded to follow me, about two wheel lengths back, up until the Notch. Why do the four man teams always decide to draft off the girls? Not cool, people. Oh well - getting used to it now. Up on the rocks and the heat radiated from the sand and the rocks. I was happy I was wearing a white kit! The trail was really sandy as well, with deep wheel sucking pits all over. The worst place was the climb up from Sea of Sage to Rocky Ridge. I did really well with my technical skills through Rocky Ridge, down Becks and into the Notch. Had a really good run up to the left hand turn to the Notch and the descent off the Notch. I cruised back to the KOA on the road with a new personal best lap time.

The plan was to switch over to two laps per outing after the initial opening laps. So after the hand off, I headed back to the camper to rest, eat and cool off after baking in the heat. I took care of my bike and fluids for the next two laps first, ate a ZingBar and settled down for a bit. Man, it was hot out! So I decided to head back to the transition tent and make sure Nick would have enough fluids for his second lap. I brought a bottle of water filled ice and waited in the shade. I wasn't dressed for riding by any means - with sports bra and skirt on. But when Nick came in, he didn't want that bottle of ice - he wanted off the bike and into the shade. It was that hot out in the sage. Our first change in plans...

It took a few minutes, but I was soon back out on course. And it was brutally hot on the road leading to the single track. I was still wearing my white SoCo kit and happy about that choice as the temperature climbed like the hill up Jacks. The sandy trails radiated the sun's heat up against the rocks. I had a clean run at Behind the Rocks - Nick had shown me a better line through one of the more challenging sections. Up the steady climb at the start of Alonzo's and through the rock gardens along the ridge line. Onto Luge and wow - was it hot. I actually unzipped my jersey all the way and I rarely unzip my jersey in a ride or race. Having the jersey unzipped and the wind against my chest helped. KOA Dave had even headed up to Cottonwood Grove - about the halfway point in the lap - with a cooler full of water bottles. I was doing fine, handling the heat well, so waved and continued along my way. Clouds were building the south west, but doing nothing but producing a dusty, hot, dry wind that made the road miserable. Back at the KOA and Nick met me with a fresh bottle and some salty potatoes. Then once more out into the heat. I was doing two laps so Nick could try to recover from the heat. He'd gotten some really bad cramps and was concerned about his hamstring since it was still hurting. The wind was picking up and the clouds were getting more ominous, but the temperature hadn't dropped. Brian Smith and some of his friends were at the top of Jacks, handing out ice cold Coke. Awesome! Did my best to slam one - just the kick I needed at that point. As I started up Luge, the clouds started spitting - big, fat drops that sent explosions of sand up from the trail. I was actually hoping for some rain to tighten up the trail and tap down the sand a little. No such luck - just enough rain to cool the air and make the rocks a little slippery and treacherous.

Nick riding on Rocky Ridge
Photo - About the Shot

Nick was ready - just not sure how fast he would be able to ride. His hamstring was tight and he was afraid he might have strained it. Time for our second change in plans - because of the heat and the speeds we needed to maintain to reach our goal - we were going to continue with the single laps at least until dark. I wasn't sure where we stood overall at the time since the print out was a few laps old. But at the time they were printed, we in second place by a few minutes. But as Nick always says, the race doesn't start until midnight. So the results didn't mean much yet. Time to get ready for the sunset lap. I knew that I wouldn't really need a light, but... Things happen. I decided wear my helmet light just in case. If something went wrong, I wanted to have the insurance policy.

A little faster then he'd anticipated and Nick rolled in. I headed out into the sunset. The wind had died down and the threatening rain vanished, leaving the air heavy and warm. The clouds still lingered, promising a pretty sunset. Riders were scattered through the sage, drained by the heat. I found a steady tempo up the hills and across the rocks. It was warmer then I'd anticipated and the arm coolers were too much. Rolled them down and continued along my way. I actually passed a guy on the descent on the backside of Alonzo's! I love it when I can do that! Riding was becoming more comfortable as the heat from the sun was fading, leaving the warmth from sand. I took my glasses off after the drop down Sea of Sage, but there was still plenty of light. The lingering clouds were fiery shades of pink, orange and gold, with mountains behind Gunnison ablaze in the setting sun. Up through the Notch and I made the left hand turn at the start - but then proceeded to bobble the rest of the rocks. Oh well - getting closer! That was the first time I'd even gotten to make the turn. It was almost dark when I returned to KOA and Nick set off, his lights blazing.

Nick had said he was feeling better and would try to turn a quick lap. That meant I only had an hour before I had to be back at the tent, ready to ride. I was starting to get tired. I hadn't eaten enough for the amount of riding I'd done. I was so used to doing two laps and then having plenty of time to rest and eat - doing one lap meant I had to ride faster, but was getting less then half the recovery as with two laps. At that point, having some help in camp would have been nice. But we didn't so I mounted lights, mixed bottles and got ready for my first night lap. Before leaving the camper, I left Nick a note asking for a bit of a break - if he could do two laps on his next outing.

While not cold, it was starting to cool a little down at the KOA. I left transition with knee warmers and a light long sleeved jersey, but soon realized I was way over dressed. After the climb up Jacks, I rolled my the knee warmers down around my ankles and unzipped my jersey part way. There were still plenty of riders on course, the lights sparkling through the sage but I was alone in my little world. Behind the Rocks was a bit of a struggle this time - a little clumsy. Getting the stupid tireds this early wasn't a good sign of things to come. I settled down a little on Alonzo's and suffered a little on Luge and Broken Shovel. Just tired, feeling like I had no energy in my legs and no power to turn the cranks. But everyone else seemed to be feeling the same way - I was still passing people and few riders were passing me. It was a decent run through Rocky Ridge and down Becks. Into the Notch and this time I almost made it - made the left turn, got down the first rock, up the second step, but bobbled on the last obstacle before the descent. So close! Gave me a little more energy for the descent down to the road. Back at the tent, hoping for my break. Nick was geared up for two laps and said not to meet him.

Ahhh - time for some rest! First the bike and light chores - clean the chain, lube the chain, get fresh batteries, charge the batteries I'd used on that lap. Then time for a quick rinse off and get out of cycling clothes. That felt really good - love the warm showers at the KOA! Finally I could sit down, eat some soup and potatoes and sleep for a little while. The soup hit time spot and I curled up in the bed to close my eyes for 90 minutes. Not sleep - at that point in a 24 hour race, with 12 hours still to go - I have never been able to sleep. It's more just laying in bed, nice and warm, listening to the quiet buzz of the racers around the camper. There a muted hum as the four man teams continue to send riders onto course, soloist come in for some food and support or sleep and the race officials monitoring it all. Too soon though, my alarm went off and it was time to head over for my next lap. I was hoping the break and food would provide me a jump and get my laps time back down where I wanted them.

Once again, I managed to overdress for the lap. In the KOA it was cool and slightly damp, with a light wind. I was afraid the wind would be worse on the mesa, so I opted for my wind jacket over a base layer and knee warmers. I quickly unzipped the wind jacket on the road. With a new section of trail added for this year, the lights of other riders meandered up Jacks, more visible then anywhere else on the course. Occasionally, I could see a rider top out on the Notch, then vanish behind the rocks. Then it was my turn up Jacks. I was still tired, but the break had done me good. I was able to get some of the spunk back for the Behind the Rocks. Still a little tired on Luge, but Michael's cheers from Cottonwood Grove gave me some more energy for Broken Shovel. It was still on the trail, with the only noise my tires crunching the sand. The lights gave the sage a pale glow, illuminating the ribbon of trail. One of the best things about night riding is the focus it provides. There is nothing outside that beam of light, just darkness. After one of my worst trips through the Notch - bobbled the entrance rock and decided the tree just below the drop needed a bit of a hug. Or maybe the tree thought I needed a hug! Either way, it was done and I was back on the road, spinning away towards the KOA.

And Nick wasn't there. I looked around, puzzled - Nick was never late! I have been the only one to be late for a transition. Mitch (race director) asked me if he'd ever missed a transition - as I was answering, one of the other riders pointed at Nick's bike - laying very noticeably in the way. "I think he's in the restroom..." Mitch volunteered to go get him. Thanks Mitch - he came back grinning, saying "He's coming, might not be clean, but he's coming..." After the race, Nick told me that Mitch poked his head into the bathroom and hollered "Nick! You in here? She's waiting!" Excitement done, I returned to the camper for new batteries, a clean bike and something to eat. Nothing was sounding good at this time point, so I just nibbled on some smoked salmon, avocado and rice cakes with some miso. Yeah, really strange 24 hour racing food, but it tasted good and settled well on my stomach. I also changed into my knickers, leaving the black base t-shirt on, but opting for light weight arm warmers and a light vest instead of the wind jacket. Then I just put my feet up until my alarm went off and it was time to go ride again.

I did check the results before heading out again - we were in first, with decent lead. But it wasn't so much that it couldn't get wiped out by a mechanical or mental breakdown. At least the 2:00 am demons had been conquered - this would be my last night lap. I wasn't feeling spunky, but the sight of some of the townies and Pugslie gang heading out made me smile. The townies were racing for world championship strips and the racing was hot this year. But this was the "gentleman's lap" - where all the townie racers rode together to a pre-determined point for a party and some adult beverages. (Although I'd already passed one of the townies at the entrance to Sea of Sage on my last lap enjoying some whiskey before the awesomeness of Sea of Sage) And the Pugs - well those guys and gals were a class of their own, with the five inch tires, giant bikes, costumes galore and some of the best etiquette on the trail. All I had to do when I got behind one of the Pugs was say hello and passing was a breeze. They had some mad skills too, some of the only riders I saw to jump the fire ramp at the start of the lap.

The fatigue hadn't completely left - I was slow and wishing for a granny gear on the climb up Jacks. I had debated riding the blue era so I had that granny gear, but didn't. The climb wasn't too long - but then came the road. And that hurt this lap. I passed the townies enjoying their party, then entered Behind the Rocks. Despite my fatigue, I still had a good run. Into the small ring for Alonzo's this time, and a little skittish coming off the ridge. I was starting to get the stupid tireds a little and decided that it was better to be slower and careful then wipe out and break something. Stayed in that little ring for the long climb up Luge and Broken Shovel. Michael was still up, ringing his cowbell out the window of his truck. A very slow slog through the sand at the entrance to Rocky Ridge, passing a few other riders. Although the heat was long gone, the sand was wearing on everyone. There was a little wind on top of the mesa and I got a good boost coming down Becks - always a fun ride, railing the bermed corners, jumping the little whoops. (Now that I feel comfortable jumping them.) Another bobble entering the Notch, then I passed a woman in a Honeystinger kit on the descent. She tried asking me a few questions - but I wasn't slowing down to answer. I wanted off the bike and to take a nap.

Nick was again distracted and came running right as I showed up. He had the final night lap of the race and seemed to be picking up speed. I saw him off, then rode to the camper and collapsed on the floor. I just wanted to put my feet up for a while, so I dozed first, then got ready to ride. It was still dark when I left the camper, so I decided to leave my bar and helmet lights on. But as I waited and the darkness waned, I realized I wasn't going to need the bar light. Dawn was painting the sky a deep purple fading into blue. Off with the bar light. Other riders were also abandoning lights, last minute changes as the waiting time dragged on. I knew I wasn't going to need the helmet light for long, but left it on. Soon enough, Nick emerged from the dwindling darkness and I was riding off into the sunrise. I was hoping for the usual burst on energy I get with the Sunrise lap. The growing light normally warmed the camp, waking up the racers. Not this time. Although the sunrise was pretty, I was still tired - to tired to enjoy it. There wasn't much left in the tank at that point in the day. My fatigue was starting to affect my technical skills as well. Behind the Rocks was a little sloppy and I was really slow through the rock gardens along Alonzo's. But the sun had also brought out riders - there were more racers out on course now, so I had people to ride with. It was a welcome distraction this lap. Another welcome thing was the thin layer of clouds just over the horizon. I was wearing my clear glasses and the road between Broken Shovel and Sea of Sage was just miserable because of the sun blaring into my eyes. I was not looking forward to dealing with Rocky Ridge or the Notch while being blinded. And then the clouds obscured the sun, making it much easier. Almost got one of the obstacles on Rocky Ridge - just dabbed a little. It was close enough to make me happy. Also had fairly good approach in the Notch - almost made the left turn again.

This time, Nick was waiting and ready to go. The sun had revived him and he was off quickly. Because my last two laps had been slow, we were racing the clock now. Our goal was 20 laps - but I needed to leave for the last lap by 10:59 or it wouldn't happen. With Nick feeling better, he was planning on dropping back down to hour laps. Good for us, but bad for me because I was not recovering at all. I was struggling to just hold on to the pace. So when he came in and told me I need to do a 1:15 or fast, I couldn't make promises. I just would do my best. But I had forgotten to clean my bike during the rest break and it would catch up to me. On the road, the chain and bike was creaking really bad in some gears. It got worse up Jacks, as the creaking became louder and louder. By the time I got to Luge, I was feeling the grinding through the crank arms. I wasn't sure what was going on, but didn't want to stop. So I kept the bike in an easier gear and tried to spin my way through the course. Which is hard for me - I am not a good high cadence rider. Combine the feeling like the chain was going to fall apart any second, the noise coming from my bike and the fatigue from the prior 8 laps, I wasn't going anywhere fast at all. It was my slowest ride through the sage and I was cursing that I hadn't taken care of my bike like I should have. I still managed to come in under 1:20, but barely.

And we're done!
Photo - Nick Thelen

We still had a decent cushion for getting 20 laps in. Nick left on lap 19 had about an hour twenty to finish his lap and get me back on course. Baring mechanical or crashes, I didn't see how he wouldn't be able to do that. This time I took care of my bike, thoroughly cleaning the drive train and lubing the chain. Rode around the KOA a little - no creaking, no noise. Smelled something yummy - KOA crew dishing out sausage and pancakes! That hit the spot and I was feeling pretty good as I rolled over to check results. Still has decent lead - with a chance that we would be the only Co-Ed duo to crack 20 laps. Nick was flying on his last lap and cranked out 1:03. I was out on course for the last time. All I needed to do was finish the lap, but I was hoping to make this a strong finish. As soon as I hit Jack's I knew that it wasn't gonna be my fastest lap. I was hoping to just keep it all under 1:20 at that point. It was hot, I was tired and there weren't that many people out on course anymore. A few fast guys passed me, including a rider for the Street Swell Long board team running single speed. I just rode - nice candance, but no power. It was slow up Luge, met someone doing his first 24 hour race from Chicago walking up Luge. Michael was still at Cottonwood grove, still cheering everyone on. I noticed on Broken Shovel that the SS guy who'd passed me wasn't gaining that much ground. I wasn't the only one tired of riding up that long, sustained hill! Up the double track, down Sea of Sage, up Rocky Ridge - seesawing back and forth with a SS woman. She'd pass me on the hill, I'd pass her on the descent, then she passed me back again. At the top of Rocky Ridge, she let me around and off I went. I might have been riding slowly, but I was still launching the little whoops and grinning the whole way down Becks. And I wasn't approaching the Notch with fear like last year. I almost made the left turn again, had a clean, fast run on the drop to the road and finally caught up with the Street Swell SS rider. He latched onto my wheel right away, so I asked what class (he might have been a SSer and the road sucks on a single speed, but I hate it when 4 man teams draft) He said two man, so I gave him the tow into the the KOA. Very polite, did not sprint around to beat me into the finish. Turned out that was the winning Men's Duo team! My last lap was my slowest of the race - but I knew it would be when I started riding. Time for a shower, some food and relaxing before the awards ceremony! We'd met our goal of 20 laps and held it together for the win in Co-Ed Duo.

Gotta love 24 Hours in the Sage. It is a fun weekend and a great course and awesome venue. Next year, the KOA will be taking over the event. Given the amount of effort the entire KOA staff puts in to making the weekend a success, I think next year will be even better! Hope to see everyone back and ready for another day in the sage in August!

single speed stupidty

2011-09-09T22:01:00.000-06:00

So two days after I promised Nick that I wouldn't do any night rides alone, I found myself getting lights and heading out at 7:00pm to hit the trails. And I wasn't planning on meeting anyone - had just gotten home from work late and it was too nice to not ride outside. Given the type of ride I was supposed to do, it seemed like a great night to take the single speed out for a spin. Texted Nick that I was leaving and was planning on riding about an hour - and off I rode into the twilight. I saw a few other groups of riders finishing up as I climbed into Stratton. But I was alone - just me, my light and the cat toy I'd swiped as a bear bell. It was kinda nice at first, the silence and stillness of the trail - isolated in the trees. But as the darkness consumed that trees, it started getting a little freaky. There was literally no one around and I kept seeing eyes staring at me. Although I knew that the eyes were from the deer I'd seen browsing in the fields as the sun was setting, it was a comfortable feeling. I kept the tempo high, never stopping because I wasn't sure what else was watching me.

Then on one of my trips up Chamberlain - I saw something that really un-nerved me. A deer leg, in the middle of the trail. It wasn't fresh and bloody, but the problem was this - it hadn't been there on my first lap up to the Chutes. Oh Oh! That meant there was something out there, something a lot less friendly then a deer. And I still had to get off the Chutes, out of Stratton and home. The dingling of the bell in my jersey pocket also made me think - it attracts the cats at home. Would it do the same for a bigger cat? So I started singing - loudly, off key and completely screwing up the lyrics. I'm sure that anyone else out there would have thought I was nuts - riding a single speed, light on my head, singing as loud as I could while riding. And the choice of songs was utterly random - everything from the Band Perry, Neil Diamond, Madonna, Adele, Jan Arden. None of the songs complete, just repeating what I could remember. Don't know if it worked, but the only other eyes I saw were those of a coyote. And it was running in terror from me!

Nick was not happy when I got home. Can't blame him - I ended up riding for 90 minutes instead of the hour I'd promised. Add in the dark and me being alone and ... I think I will try to behave and listen from now on. Night riding alone is just plain crazy!

Quiet night on the trail

2011-09-06T10:17:00.001-06:00

While I still haven't gotten the race report from 24 hours in the sage written that doesn't mean I've been slacking! It has been a busy few weeks. We just finished painting the bedroom, a really warm brown that looks great. Still waiting on getting blinds and such, but now one step closer. That meant that yesterday's ride turned into a night ride. We headed out about 7:00 with full lights and meandered up thru stratton. The plan was to just ride Buckhorn and Jacks, then meander home. Stratton was quiet on the way up but Gold Camp road was crazy busy. And none of the cars wanted to either slow down or give us an inch of space. Really frustrating. And the road was really dusty which made things even worse. Finally on Buckhorn and full darkness. With no cars and no hikers it was perfectly still. Just the two of us and the beams of our lights. Had a good climb and stopped to adjust lights at the top. Then down we headed. And I was slow this time! Between my normal hesitancy on Jack, the darkness and the really deep loose gravel, I might have been setting a record for the slowest descent off Jacks. It didn't help that Jacks was in really bad shape with lots of deep gravel and eroded ruts. But after I got used to the washed out color of the gravel we were able pick up some speed. The night was perfect for a ride, still a little warm but with s slight chill in the air. And so quiet. We were the only people on the trail. I did hear a few big animals, but Nick assured me just deer. More night rides to come as Autumn and Winter arrive.

Back to basics - playing on the rocks in Palmer Park

2011-09-03T10:28:00.000-06:00

With Nick racing the 24 Hours of Colorado Springs in a few weeks, it's time to head back to Palmer Park and get to know the trails a little better. I'm not racing, but I am supporting, so knowing where he's riding is a good thing. We were supposed to do a course recon on Wednesday, but did not have a map printed out yet. So we just rode around with Kristi, showing off some of the fun trails the park has to offer. We did ride sections of the course, but for the most part, just had a good time on the bikes. The trails were pretty quiet so we were able to keep the tempo high. Up the hill, along the mesa's edge, down one of the rocky trails, then back up and around. Nick took us on one of the social trails on the south east corner of the park that I had had difficulty with the last time. No issues on the this ride, and even better was that I was able to stay on my bike on the next "goat" trail we chose!

We meandered our way to little Moab, where it was time to session the rock drop. I didn't want to do it at first - the erosion crack in the rock scares me. So I walked down at first. Then Kristi decided that she wanted to try it. Nick spotted her and talked her through the line and she cleaned it on her second attempt. That meant I had to bow to peer pressure - time for me to try the rock face again... Nick showed me the line, walked me down the drop. Then I wheeled my bike back a ways to give it a try. And with a rather loud squeak as I approached the rock, I got my weight back and rolled down the rocks. Not as hard as it looked, but scary as anything to look at! It was also the first time I'd even really attempted the rock face so I was pretty stoked about that!

After the adventures at little Moab, it was back to riding around. We swung by the cars, then decided to do another lap of the south mesa and take the fun descent off the mesa. More just fun, fast riding on the rocks. We spent a little time working on one particular rock on the top of the mesa, then started heading for the parking lot. Sunset was coming and none of us had lights. While we didn't achieve the original goal for the ride, we all had a really good time. Kristi hadn't ridden in the park before and was really surprised by the variety of terrain available and the number of trails jammed into such a small spot. We'll make another trip this weekend to scope the course, but I'll be on foot for that adventure!

Return to Lory - 2011 Xterra Lory Race Report

2011-08-30T21:41:00.001-06:00

On August 27th, athletes from all across Colorado and the surrounding states gathered at Lory State Park outside Fort Collins for the second annual Xterra Lory. This was one of the last races before the national championships and it brought out talent throughout the age groups. Tribe members were racing for points and for fun at one of the most beginner friendly events on the circuit. We got to enjoy the crisp, clear waters of Horsetooth Reservoir in one of the most protected swim venues I've been in. The swim was followed by a fast and dusty ride along the single track trails in the valley of Lory State park and the race finished with a hellacious climb towards the sun run up and down the mountains behind the park. The weather and the racing was hot this year. Sara T posted the women's win in 1:45:57, I took second in 1:47:49 and Louisa B finished third in 1:51:19. Xterra Lory lived up to it's reputation as a good event for beginning Xterra athletes and a fun time for seasoned off road racers. The Without Limits team did a fantastic job with organization and making adjustments to the race based on athlete feedback. I had a great time last year, an awesome time this year and look forward to next year.

It was a cool morning, but I knew things would warm up quickly once the sun came up. The forcast was calling for a high about 95 that day. Setting up transition was easy - laid out shoes and such on my towel, then watched everyone else for a while. People watching in the transition area is always a great time! Then i decided it was time for a short warmup - with this being such a short and fast race, I knew I needed to be on from the start. I headed out on the bike, found a bathroom without a line, then returned to the race site and did a final double check to make sure everything was ready. With race time fast approaching, I headed down to the swim start for an in water warm up and the race briefing.

Swim - For the pros, this was a non-wetsuit swim as the water was about 73 degrees, but our wave was filled with age groupers swathed in neoprene - both men and women. This year the waves were set up on both swim time and mountain biking ability. The goal was to reduce the amount of passing required on the bike course. No worries, but I knew the start would be crazy. At the gun and we were off. It was a fairly aggressive and fast start, but I held my own against the men in wetsuits around me. I got on some good feet and settled into a hard tempo. I didn't know where the other women were, but knew it would all shake out on the bike. One group of guys besides me started veering off towards the wrong buoy line - I ended up swimming through them to follow the right buoys! Reach and pull, rotate and breathe - smooth power in the water. Around the turning bouyes and heading back in towards shore. I was still holding that steady tempo and was starting to catch some of the guys ahead of me. I hit the shore and started the run towards T1 - first woman out of the water.

My transition wasn't as smooth as I wanted. Not sure what happened, but I fumbled a few things - my cycling shoes and helmet for sure. It just didn't seem to flow like normally, despite not having to fumble with a wetsuit. But I still had a quick transition and was heading off on the bike as Sara entered. The chase was on...

Bike - A different course then last year - no huge hill and fun, technical descent. Just two laps on the gently rolling, sweeping singletrack through the valley that forms Lory State Park. That meant the bike times would be fast and ability to pass might make the race. There was a long stretch of road prior to entering the singletrack and I used that time to get my gloves on. Then onto the trails. While it wasn't a technical course, the speeds still made it hard. There were plenty of off camber turns and sandy sections, mixed with a few rock gardens, switchbacks and tight bridge crossings. Sara caught me on the first sustained climb, but I was able to hold her wheel. I actually passed her back on the descent - happy that I had pre-ridden, I was able to hold my speed better in the corners. But she re-passed me on the next climb and got a decent gap. I was holding my own among the guys and not getting passed like last year.
Onto the second lap. I was concerned about having to pass some of the slower racers - bad mojo to make bad passes... But the riders on their first lap were pretty spread out and I didn't have too many issues. Most of them were really nice and moved over as soon as I came up on them. It helped that I started calling "rider back" as I approached - gave everyone one a warning that a faster rider was lapping them. I followed each pass with a thank you and continued on my way. Sara was pulling away, but not that quickly. I was doing a decent job of holding the gap. As we entered the last section of single track, I was hopeful that I might be able to run her down and defend my win from last year.

The bike to run transition was much smoother. I didn't get my shoes off on the bike because I knew there was a small rock garden before the dismount and wanted better control. But it was still smooth - camelbak off, running shoes on, grab race number and visor and off I went. Sara was already on the single track when I left T2.

Run - It was already hot when I started the run. With no shade on the run course, I knew it would be extra challenging. It's a deceptively easy start to the run as the single track meanders away from the lake towards the foothills. Passing the first water station and the climb starts for real - about 2 miles of climbing, switch backing up the hill, fully exposed to the sun's fury. I could see Sara a few switchbacks ahead of me. She was moving really well, but it seemed like I was gaining some ground at first. Then the wheels started coming off. Between the heat, the pace on the bike and the prior weekend's adventures, I was really struggling to maintain my pace. I kept my eyes on Sara, but I was starting to lose ground. I kept pushing, kept moving forward as fast as I could. Finally, the top of the steep slopes and the trip across the saddle. I tried picking up the pace as the trail tilted downward, but I was hurting. I wasn't loosing any ground, but I wasn't gaining. I was able to pick up the pace on the traverse back to the finish line. It was too little to late to catch Sara. I cruised across the finish and into the Slip-n-slide in second place.

But happy with my race and my effort. It was kinda redemption from the melt down at Beaver Creek earlier. Xterra Lory is also just a plain fun event - from the relaxed feel at the start to the slip-n-slide at the finish. I don't know many other races that do slip-n-slide races for a free wetsuit! Without Limits did a great job again this year, addressing concrens from the prior years to make the event more enjoyable for everyone. As much as I liked the bike course last year and how concerned I was about passing issues this year, everything went smoothly.

Photos from Monarch Pass

2011-08-28T13:44:00.000-06:00

We took plenty of photos while on Monarch Pass - both of the race and the spectators. Here are some of the best shots

KOM banner on top of Monarch Pass - this was on my second trip to the summit

Nick watching down the road for the riders

Garmin and HTC leading the peloton over Monarch Pass

The peloton approaching en mass

I have the rest of the photos posted on my Picassa Page https://picasaweb.google.com/TracyThelen.triathlete/USAProCyclingChallenge#

USA Pro Cycling Challenge - the view from Monarch Pass

2011-08-28T12:01:00.000-06:00

Our experience watching the USA Pro Cycling Challenge was interesting. The timing was perfect - leave Gunnison after 24 Hours in the Sage, camp overnight on the Pass, then watch the race roll through. We arrived at Monarch about mid afternoon on Monday and found a nice pull out to park the turtle in. There was only one other camper in the lot when we arrived, but we had hopes it would get busier. Soon after we got set up and were enjoying some munchies, Larry G - a fellow 24 HitS racer (4th, solo townie class) showed up. We invited him over for food and stories and to watch other fans trickling in to the lot. Our group became four after Jack with Wedgees.Com (a really simple and oddly smart device to keep glasses from slipping down your nose). It was a great night of making new friends and swapping tales while listening to the rain and watching stars - sometimes at the same time!

Tuesday dawned beautiful and sunny. There were more groups of people and a few more campers in the lot then last night, but still seemed pretty quiet. I ran up to the summit to check things out - really quiet. Not much parking space along the road, but people were just starting stir. They didn't even have a KOM banner up yet! So I ran back down to the camper. As the morning progressed, the balance of traffic shifted - the number of cars started dwindling to a trickle, while the number of cyclist was building. And most of the cars were now race related - staff, management, team cars, VIP cars. I decided to head back up to the summit - and was amazed by how quickly the insanity had developed. There was no more room along the road and the KOM banner now stretched across the road - to the confusion of the poor semi driver who had made it before the road closure. It was also cool - a federal highway that is usually filled with cars and trucks quiet except for pedestrians and cyclists.

Then we all settled in to wait for the race. And wait. And wait some more. We knew the race had started down in Salida, but no one had enough service to watch the race online. So we just waited and continued to watch the recreational cyclists steaming up the hill. Then the team buses started roaring by - pedal to the medal, just hauling ass up the pass. The drivers were all waving and honking and the assembled spectators got to practice our cheers and noise making. People were starting to get bored - every car, from the state patrol to the VIPs got a loud cheer as it went by. We could hear the summit from our perch at the 1km to go sign. Then the Training Peaks lead car drove by, announcing what was happening with the race - and we still had minutes to wait! They were a mile in front of the race! Then cop cars, motor bikes, more race cars and finally....

The first riders - a group of three with a fourth rider dangling off the back. They rode by at a decent clip, obviously suffering from the elevation. We listened to the progressive cheering up the mountain and settled in to wait for the rest of group. It was easy to tell where they were from the noise coming from below us. Then the parade of motor bikes and cars surrounding the riders appears. The peloton was big, with HTC and Garmin on the front. I took some photos and snagged a water bottle tossed from the center of the group. It didn't take that long for the riders to pass, but they didn't seem to be struggling at the steady tempo. It actually took longer for the caravan of cars and support vehicles to pass by! Then another long break as the stragglers made their way up the pass. The end of the caravan was clearly marked by the "broom wagon" and a car labeled "end of caravan." In all, it only took about 10 minutes for the riders we had been waiting for all day to pass by

I think the waiting for the race was the best part of the experience - we got to meet some new people and hear some different stories. There was great people watching to be had as the fans assembled on the mountain. And finally, I understand why the fans in France are usually inebriated by the time the race rolls through. It's hot, at elevation and you need to stay hydrated. Add in being social with the new friends and the results are obvious....

Troubles on the Road

2011-08-19T19:00:00.000-06:00

With all the issues we've been working out in the Turtle, we were hoping that this would be an easy jaunt down to Gunnison for the 24 Hours in the Sage. Nick had spent two days working on the engine - cleaning, tuning and generally doing things I don't understand with the hopes of getting all the fuel issues fixed. Things worked great on our little test drive - we even had decent acceleration up the hills! And of course, Nick has to say "Now that I've got this better, we're gonna have be careful on the hills - could be easy to overwork the poor thing." Little did we know what was coming.

Unlike last year, we decided to go through Canon City and take the "less hilly" route to Gunnison. We were clipping right along, keeping up with traffic, making good time. Stopped to get something to eat in Salida, then started the long slog up Monarch Pass. Nick was watching the temp gauge, but we were cruising - doing about 30 instead of the normal 25 up the hill. And we were both busy scouting out places to watch the USA Pro Cycling Challenge on Tuesday. Got through one of the passing lane sections and were back onto the two lane, curvy section about 2 miles from the summit of the pass. And then...

With much chugging and putting - and plenty of four letter words as he pressed the gas pedal to the floor, the Turtle gave up the ghost. Dead - stopped - not going anywhere. Yep, right in the middle of the road and we were stuck. Nick rolled back as far as he could to get off the road, but... We were "those people" blocking traffic in a really bad spot. But there was nothing we could do but sit and wait - the engine and gas lines completely overheated. About 30 minutes later, after watching lines of cars and trucks streaming past - with a few close calls between up hill and down hill traffic, we tried to get started. Got about 50 feet and it died again - now more in the way! We waited another hour, watching more traffic go by. Nick pulled the engine cover off to help it cool and this time we got going. And kept going - all the way to the top! I was watching the engine smoking as Nick "sweet talked" the turtle the whole time. But success - we rolled down into Gunnison with no more issues - just a very warm interior for the drive.

Thank you to the dude in the white Ford pickup with the dirt bike, mountain bike and case of Corona in the back. He turned around and came down to offer us a tow to the top of the pass. Nick appreciated the offer and was wishing he'd accepted a few times as we were steaming to the top!

Wednesday Night Time Trial Series

2011-08-17T09:53:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Jayson and Colorado Endurance Sports, July 27, August 3 and August 10 have been filled with exiting time trial action here in Colorado Spring. July 27 and August 10th raced up 26th Street and August 3rd took us up Cheyenne Canyon. About 30 racers showed up each day, competing in varying classes and age groups. Some riders even tackled the hills on their mountain bikes! After the last race, the awards were handed out at Bristol Brewery, with athletes enjoying a free pint of the local brew. Congratulations to the winners of all the classes and to all the racers. The series also served as preparation for the big show - the Cheyenne Canyon Time Trial held in conjunction with the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. If you are looking for a hard race on Sunday August 21- check out http://www.coloradoendurancesports.com/ for more info on the Time Trial.

July 27 - I wasn't quite sure we'd be racing since the sky was ominous and the clouds were rumbling. But the storm moved over before race time and we were on. Racers got to pick start times, with riders going off at about 30 second intervals. When I rode my bike over for a warm up, there were already racers on course. Although the road wasn't closed, the volunteers did a great job with traffic control and warning cars about the riders. Thanks to the rain, there were patches of gravel and some running water across the road in places. But it was a fun, hard effort, climbing from the bottom of 26th St to the start of the gravel on Gold Camp Road. A pretty relentless climb as will, with just one place to be able to recover. I handled it well, setting a fairly decent time of 20:33.

Riding up Gold Camp Road in the first 26th St race - Photo Tim Bergsten

August 3 - Once again, the weather wasn't cooperating. It was a light mist when I started the race up Cheyenne Canyon, but the clouds looked ominous. The higher I climbed, the thicker the mist became, finally turning into a strong rain. If you haven't been up Cheyenne Canyon, it's not a fun road to come down when wet! There are plenty of steep corners and blind curves. I put the descent out of my mind and settled into a steady rhythm and smooth cadence. Got passed by a few guys who had started right after me, but was holding my own. There were a few tourist out - all giving us the "are you guys crazy?" looks. As I neared Helen Hunt Falls, the thunder started. It was all too reminiscent of the storm Nick and I had gotten caught in the day before - with a downpour and lightening so close there wasn't a pause between bolt and thunder! I felt sorry for the volunteers at the top, standing out in the weather to record times for everyone. I was a little slower then I wanted for this race, finishing in 22:18. The weather deteriorated as we rode down, leading Jayson to hold a make up race on the following Monday.

On the road for the Cheyenne Canyon TT- Photo Nick Thelen, taken from Columbine Trail

August 10 - Finally, sun and clear blue skies! A perfect day for racing. I made sure to get a good warm up before taking the line on the 26th St. I really wanted to break 20 minutes for the TT and hit the gas from the start. Holding the pace through the S curves and up Lower Gold Camp road and I was making up some time of the guys in front of me. I was working hard, accelerating out of the short downhill into the long straight away on Gold Camp Road. Then the wind picked up - we were riding straight into a nice head wind for that whole stretch. I got into the drops - wishing for some aerobars at that point and kept turning over the pedals. When I finally reached the Chutes parking lot, I was really suffering. Nick was waiting and hollered some words of "encouragement" as I rode past. Finally across the line in 20:16 - faster then last time, but slower then I wanted.

2011 Blast the Mass

2011-08-16T21:47:00.000-06:00

Over the first weekend in August, Nick and I made the trip over Independence Pass for another fun weekend of racing on the steep slopes of Snowmass. With the cross country on Saturday and the short track on Sunday, it was a full weekend of racing. The women's pro field had some fast riders show up for both days, with Judy Freeman winning the XC and Erin Huck and Kelli Emmitt rounding out the podium. I held on for a solid 6th place in the cross country. In the short track, Kelli held off Sage W and Teal for the win. I again took 6th, with Kelli lapping me on final climb on her final lap. For Nick, he was the only rider to challenge the unrelenting grind up Snowmass Mountain in the Single Speed division and held his own among the Cat 1 Men. I will get some photos from the short track up soon.

The cross country course at Snowmass is one of brutal fun. The climb is steep and unrelenting from the start and the descent is along the Government Trail is classic Colorado fun. With the larger field then at Keystone, my goal was to try keep the time gaps to a minimum and hopefully get into the top five. At the sound of the whistle, we were off, pedalling up the steep dirt road. The lead group of Kelli, Judy, Sage and Erin formed right from the start. I settled into my own tempo - making a gradually move through back of the pack. I hit the single track in 7th and continued up the winding trail in my own little world of suffering. The climb is mostly single track, meandering up the ski slopes, through aspen groves and lush underbrush. It's a constant grind with few chances to recover. I was feeling much better then at Keystone and was keeping up with some of the Cat 1 men.

At the top of the climb with some hard riding, I was still in 7th place. Now for the fun part. I was surprised that I remembered most of the trail, but still wasn't clean on the traverse across the mountain. Thru the rock garden after the initial descent, across a few streams, and up and down the sweet single track. I was having so much fun and almost forgot I was racing! We merged with the Super D course for a while for some tight, rooty switchbacks, then another fast descent into a steep climb. At that point, I got my head on and started riding hard. Made the turn onto Government trail, then screaming down Anaerobic Nightmare. I caught a few guys on Tom Blake and came through the first lap in 1:18. A little slower then I wanted, but still a decent time. Time to face the climb again!

I was seeing a red, white and black jersey ahead and was hoping it was one of the girls in front of me. So I went into chase mode for the climb. It was my last time up the hill and knew I could afford to take some chances. I was making up ground, getting closer with every switchback. Then finally I was close enough to see the rider - and it was Nick. He'd gone all in on the first lap, hitting the single track in top five of the Cat 1 men. And now the piper was calling. I asked two questions - "Are you okay?" and "what's my time gap?" Yeah, priorities! And kept going, keeping the same hard chase tempo up the climb. Still no sight of the next woman at the top of the hill. I pushed as hard as I could on the descent - still not clean through the rock garden, but a smoother run. The short lap was a little different, with a new section of flowing bermed single track dropping into the village. I finished in 2:20 - about 20 minutes behind the winner, Judy Freeman. A much better race - technically cleaner and harder effort then at Keystone. I was definitely happy with my performance and my ability to get my head back in the game.

Sunday was time for the short track - my least favorite kind of racing. I was racing after Nick, so took off to get in a good warm up while the Pro men were racing. At the start, and I was in the back - there was a tricky section right after the start and I didn't want to get into trouble. I made a good move to get out of last on the second lap, then started closing the gap on the next woman. I got close, then lost contact. At that point, my goal switched to just not get lapped by the leader! Kellie was charging hard and I was hoping to hold her off. And as the time ticked down, I knew that it was going to be close. With three laps to go, I was still clear. With two laps to go, I could hear them ringing the bell for Kellie. And then, at the top of the last climb on her last lap, Kellie made the catch. I thought about fighting to get my third lap in, but decided against it. She was racing, and Sage was reeling her in. So I sat up and crossed the line with a mile and a shrug. Can't complain - I'm not that great at short track to start with. And it was a fun course, although not super technical - just a long steady climb pitching up steeply near the end and two sketchy corners into the village.

Overall, it was a good, fun weekend. Outside of racing, I got an nice run in on some new trails outside of the village. We got to play a few rounds of pool at the Mountain Dragon - lots of fun, but I really am bad at it. I had a few lucky shots, but in the end, Nick still beat me soundly. I was even taking two shots to his one and still got roundly thumped. But we had a good time. That's one reason we came back to Snowmass - its a great course, a friendly town and very convient for everything. Looking forward to next year!

Summer in the Rockies

2011-08-04T16:13:00.001-06:00

I love the afternoon thunderstorms we get in Colorado. The clouds cool everything down and the rain is relaxing to listen to. At least when I'm inside! But trying to work and getting in my training has meant that the relaxing rain has been soaking me rather frequently. On every after work ride this week I've gotten drenched. Tuesday, I even watched the news before Nick and I headed out, just to make sure we'd be safe. Nothing on the rader, so off we went! As we rode up Cheyenne Blvd toward the canyon, there were just a few clouds hanging over the mountains. Those clouds gradually dropped lower and lower as we rode up Columbine (I needed a punchy ride and Columbine on the SS fit the bill.) It started raining about halfway up, getting darker and threatening as we made our way through the switchbacks. Then, at the drop in from Gold Camp Road it really started coming down. Accompanying the heavy rain was lightening - lots of lightening and very, very close. And it kept getting closer as we dropped down Columbine! Scary close at times - so close that I wasn't very happy that we were even on Columbine. Add in the fact that I couldn't see anything between the rain and mud - without my glasses on, and I was really slow on the descent. Then things got even worse when we got on the roads to get home. Not just standing water, but rivers running right down the middle of the road and then flooding on the edges. And the darn cars didn't even seem to care as they drove by at full speed, splashing through the puddles and soaking us more then we were already soaked. But we got home without getting struck by lightening or washed away. I love the rain - I just wish it would wait until after my ride!

Noodle people vs swimmers...

2011-08-03T13:01:00.001-06:00

Or adventures in the water at the local pool! I usually try to get up and go my swim workouts with the CSST Maters group. It's a fun group and the workouts are good. But this week I have to yet make it down to CC. Monday I was doing a specific workout and Wednesday I needed the sleep due to unforeseen guests in the yard. So I went to 24 Hour fitness both days to swim, hoping the noodle people would not be too bad. We all know who they are and curse the days we have to deal with them. But that got me thinking. Maybe we serious swimmers, just trying to get the yards - do our intervals and swim as fast as we can, in are really the ones who are in the way of the Noodle People! After all I don't swim at 24 Hour Fitness all the time and when I take half a lane it is a big dent in the amount of space available for the other pool users. But since I flit in and out of the pool - coming in when I want, a different time every day, it makes it hard for the normal pool users to anticipate when they might lose a lane. The noodle people need their own lane for their calisthenics, or things get crazy. And I don't like being interrupted while swimming, so I tend to completely ignore the rest of the pool. Put me in a lane with a pace clock and I'll play ping pong ball for a while - which doesn't go over well with the noodle people. So dodging the noodle people will become accepted practice at 24 Hour Fitness. As long as they stay out of my way, I will stay out of their way! It's good open water swim practice!

Keystone Classic

2011-07-27T10:01:00.000-06:00

Pro Women XC Podium - Rebecca, Sarah and Me

Another fun weekend of mountain bike racing is in the books. Nick and I headed up to Keystone for the MSC Keystone Classic last weekend. I raced both the XC on Saturday and the STXC on Sunday and had a really good time. For whatever reason, there weren't that many pro women toeing the line for either race. Rebeca G from Velo Bella took the win in the XC, with Sarah R of Yeti Beti in second and me rounding out the podium. For the STXC, Rebecca again claimed the win, with Sarah and I swapping spots. Nick also had a good weekend, taking 2nd in the XC and and 1st in the STXC. It was a great weekend with some fun trails, an awesome XC course and fun times all around.

Men's Single Speed XC podium - Mark, Nick and Doug

I was hoping to shake off some of the mental cobwebs from the Beaver Creek Xterra with Saturday's cross country race. My goal was to ride hard and still have fun on my bike. Nick and I eschewed a pre ride Friday in favor of watching the Tour and taking the very senic route to Keystone (Guanella and Loveland Passes). So all I knew when we started was that it was two 10 mile laps with plenty of climbing. We started with the pro men, ahead of all the Cat 1 Men. Rebecca and Sarah pulled away as the climb started and I settled in to a steady tempo and watched the Cat 1 Men pass me on the initial road climb. After about 10 minutes on the road, the course turned onto singletrack that switch backed through the trees and traversed the ski slopes. It was a fun, steady climb with smoothly bermed corners from the DH traffic and a few little technical sections in the pines. Nothing terrible, just a long sustained climb. I didn't push too hard because I didn't know where we were going to top out! Finally, we popped out of the woods for a last steep road climb before the start of the descent. I could still see Sarah, so I knew I wasn't riding too slowly.

Then time for the downhill. Again, because we hadn't pre ridden, I was being careful on the descent. I was seeing everything for the first time and didn't want to blow a corner or run into a tree. I started my personal dialog pretty early - "head up, weight back, relax arms, spot the trail, float and have fun!" And having fun I was, sweeping through the bermed corners, dodging rocks and roots, and flying along. I'll admit, I was having too much fun just riding my bike and focusing on a smooth descent to worry about time, position and the fact that I was really racing. A well timed dirt road climb broke up the fun, giving my hands and back a chance to recover from the long down hill. Sarah was a switchback ahead, but I wasn't worried at all. One of the Cat 1 women had already passed me, so I knew my time wasn't going to be stellar. But that wasn't the point of the day.

I was a little faster on my second lap - knowing how long the climb was and the descent helped with that. I pushed the pace a little more on the climb, and was comfortable enough with the descent to take a few more chances. Instead of slowly taking each jump and berm, I let the bike run to float down the trail. I even managed a few jumps on Logger's way. Not much air, but a little - and some were much neater then others! There were a few more of the Cat 1 women close by and another had passed me on the midway climb. But I was having way to much fun to worry about that. I wanted to take the lift up and ride it again, I was having so much fun! I finished with a huge grin. The point had been to refresh my skills and my enjoyment of racing, and to get some confidence after Beaver Creek. And while my time was pretty slow, it worked. Even last year, I would have had a lot more difficulty riding that course blind.

Nick just before the concrete curb

Sunday - time for the STXC, my "favorite" type of racing. This was a different course then most STXC courses, without a long climb to break up the field at all. There were a few tricky sections, with some fast gravel filled sweeping curves, two 90 degree black top corners, a long section of rocky double track that paralleled the creek and a high curb sandwiched between wooden barricades to bring the trail from dirt to blacktop. There were some good sections to pass, and some areas that I was pretty concerned about. After watching a few more of the races, I got even more concerned. There was some carnage for sure at the concrete curb, with all of the riders missing it at least once, and most missing it about half the time. It didn't help that tires were wet from crossing a small creek just before! I watched Nick's race - he was the only SS rider in the group, but did a great job holding his own against the 29 and under Cat 1 guys. Then time for a warm up and my own turn at 20 minutes of pain.

And they are off! Start of the Pro Women STXC

The three of us lined up with the pro men. I got the whole shot for the women with a good start and hard acceleration into the first gravel corner. Right away, I knew that corner would be hard as my rear tire slide a little. I held the lead for a few laps, then Sarah and Rebecca got around on the black top. I tucked in behind Sarah and took a lap to recover from the start. Then I started making up some time, finally re-passing her just after the concrete curb. Then I set my sights on Rebecca. I was bringing the gap down from 10s to about 5 seconds. My goal was to get on her wheel, tuck in and recover again, then try to make a move. Well, it might have worked, but I really screwed up the curb and somehow ended up in the bushes! Not sure how that happened. Got back on my bike pretty quickly, and hammered to get the gap back on Sarah. I knew catching first would be hard at this point, but wanted to make a go at it. I was slowly bringing her back, a few seconds every lap. Trying to coax as much speed from the course as I could, I got a little sloppy. Again, not sure how it happened, but on the sweeping left turn in the gravel just after the steep descent, I went down hard. Slide a few feet, managed not to hit my head on the ground - going down in a cloud of dust. Shaking it off, I checked my bike, then got on and kept riding. My whole left side was covered in dust and I could feel the gravel rash on my shoulder blade and back. My elbow and knee were already bleeding. There was about 5 minutes left in the race and I wasn't going to give up. I nearly got passed fiddling with my helmet, then pulled it together and started racing hard again. But with more focus on the trail and less on the other racers! Finally the bell lap and I was finished. The medic who'd been watching the race insisted that they clean me up there. And there was plenty to clean up! I also landed a lot harder then I thought. My neck was stiff for three days after the race. My mistake - focus on the trail and the course - not the other racers!

My turn at the STXC - facing the curb

Going down in a cloud of dust!

A reason for distraction

2011-07-22T11:31:00.000-06:00

Getting bad news is never fun, even when it's expected. I brought my cat, Isis to the vet on the 13th because there was a strange lump on her right flank. It didn't feel right - hard and mixed in with the muscles and ribs and right next to the spine. The vet agreed and did an aspiration sample and took some blood work. He looked at the sample, but didn't like what he was seeing. So he set the samples off to a pathologist to get a better diagnosis. That alone didn't make me happy - I've had Isis for nearly 11 years and she is really part of the family. The vet said that he would hopefully have the results of the blood work and the pathology report on Friday. So that was on my mind throughout the weekend of the Xterra Mountain Championships. Not a good way to prep for a big race.

Luckily, I didn't get the results until Monday. The news wasn't good. Her white blood cell count was three times normal, indicating a severe immune response to something; her platelet count was about half of normal, possibly related to something in the bones; her liver enzymes and function were also significantly elevated, another really bad sign. The lump itself was a plasma cell tumor, apparently a nasty kind of cancer that is very hard to treat. The vet wanted to get some more information for me, so he was getting a consult with an animal oncologist. That way I would have all the options - surgery, chemo, ect.

Well, the bottom line is that we would have to get a series of X-rays and ultrasounds first to determine the location, size of the tumor. Then, if it hadn't spread to other areas (unlikely, given the results of the lab work) it would still be unlikely that he could surgically remove it. Based on the location, there is a high likelihood that there was more then just muscle involvement. If ribs and spine and nerves were involved in the tumor, there was no way he could remove it. And if he could, it wold be a long, painful recover - made harder by her age. The other option was chemo, which would only add about 6 months based on the lab values. And again, impact her quality of life, making her just miserable. Not something I could imagine putting my sweet Isis through - I wouldn't be able to explain what was going on, why she was so miserable.

So after discussing it with the vet and with Nick, we are not going to do anything at this point. We are going to keep her fat(ish) and happy. We don't know really what the prognosis is - it could be days, weeks or months, or even a year or two. I want her happy, not suffering. It's not the easiest of choices, but the one that is best for all of us.And since she's still underfoot, questing for crumbs, I'll take it.

Xterra Beaver Creek

2011-07-17T09:20:00.001-06:00

This was not the race I had hoped for. I had a good swim, but things went south on the bike and I plummeted from T1 all the way to 10th pro at the finish. The racing up the trail was intense. Shonny V won for the 3rd year with Mel finishing second. Kelly C took third in front of Sara T and Emma G rounded out the podium. With cooler temps and overcast sky on the run it was a perfect day for the race. A well deserved congrats to all the speedy age group racers - some of who put me to shame yesterday. Back to the drawing board before Xterra USA at Ogden!

Wacky Weather Week

2011-07-13T10:56:00.000-06:00

Well then. The first week of July has been quite amusing with trying to get training done and avoiding the weather. Welcome to summer in the Rockies! On the 4th, I went up to the Chatfield gravel pond for a good open water swim, and some practice with my wetsuit before Beaver Creek. I was a little worried about getting caught in a thunder storm since the Monday swim time is in the afternoon. The afternoon thunder storms hadn't been too bad yet, so I was hoping to be able to sneak in my swim. When we got to the pond, the air temperature was in the mid 90s, with the water temp in the mid-low 70s. So much for practicing in my wetsuit! I might have considered wearing my wetsuit if either the air or the water temp hadn't been so hot. Into the skin suit I went. And the water was perfect - it was a great day for a swim. I did two laps of the pond, got out and was planning on running. But after bumping into another Xterra athlete, it was more fun to just talk and get the latest gossip on the Xterra races I'd missed.

Come Wednesday and I was happy to not be swimming that day! Had intervals on the MTB planned - with a specific loop and the whole workout set. Then lightening and thunder, with a classic Colorado thunderstorm unleashing hail and buckets of rain. The interval workout turned into a SS workout - I wasn't gonna take my geared bike out into that kind of mud and slop. And we got covered in mud. A few flashes of lightening right overhead as we made our way through Stratton, but the rain soon stopped. The intervals went well, but wrestling with the single speed is pretty different the spinning hard up the hills on my geared bike. I was toast when we finally cruised down Columbine and headed for home.

With all the rain, when I got up for the track workout on Thursday, the air was sticky. We normally don't get that much humidity in Colorado, so it was a bit of a shock. I felt like I was back in Waco or Alabama! Made it through the track workout, but I was feeling like could have used some fins or something to make it easier. I should have known that the monsoon moisture would be moving in - after all the US Women's Open golf championship was in town. And we can run and ride in the rain, but they can't play golf... I would get caught in one of the play stopping thunderstorms while out on my road bike on Friday. Nothing like a ride in the sunshine, pouring rain, with a rainbow over your shoulder! Even if I was on skinny tires, it was one of those classic afternoons in Colorado that make you smile.

Kenosha Adventures - Ride 3

2011-07-07T20:50:00.001-06:00

For our last ride in our weekend of adventures, we had a choice. The fun and consistent riding at Buffalo Creek or a new trail that might be fun or might not be fun... Buffalo Creek we knew would be lots of fun, but all really crowded with the holiday traffic. Since this was the weekend was for exploring, we decided on the unknown trail. So it was down to Tarryall Reservoir and a tiny county road to find the trail head. The plan was to ride this trail across to Lost Park Road, then connect with isolated non-wilderness section of the Colorado Trail. On the map, it looked like a few solid hours of riding, with some good climbs and some dirt road sections. That was on the map - and the plan looked good on the map. However, reality and maps tend to be very different in the Colorado back country.

Adventure started a little early as we decided not to take the Turtle up the road leading to the trail head. The sign about no passenger cars seemed to indicate that we might be safer riding from that point. And that road was a lovely, steep climb - one that Nick had to do twice because he left his helmet in the camper! The only indication that there was a trail there was a truck parked on the side of the road. There wasn't much of a trail head and not even a really noticeable sign marking the trail - just a post with TR 655 written on it. Well, that was the trail we wanted, so off we went. It looked like the trail had not seen much use in the last few years from even the hikers. But hey, it was an exploring and adventure day!

The trail meandered for a little, crossing a stream on a tiny wooden bridge. Then we tilted upward. Very upward. Really steeply upward with plenty of rocks and logs and other obstacles in the trail. To say it would have been a fun trail for hiking is being nice. I'm not sure that I would have wanted to trudge up that hill, even in comfortable shoes. We were half riding, half pushing and very slowly making progress towards the summit. And the only thing I was thinking about was "We are gonna have to ride down this and it's gonna really suck!" I was not looking forward to coming back down and every switchback uphill meant more we were going to have to descend. Just when I was thinking about asking Nick to turn around, the trees opened up and we had reached the high point - a saddle between two peaks. There was even a nice Forest Service sign to tell us about the big horn sheep and the controlled burn in the area.

According to the map, we would cross a stream, then intersect a 4x4 road which would take us down to Lost Park Road. Yeah, we never found the road - but we did cross the stream. After riding around, seeing no less the five cow skeletons (not joking!) and with me getting really nervous about the wind and the snags from the controlled burn, we decided it was time to turn around. And that meant time to start that fun down hill. Nick said to just take it easy and that going slower would be faster then trying to go fast. Surprisingly, the descent was actually pretty easy and a lot more fun then I thought it would be. I even cleaned more of the downhill then Nick did! It helped that he was leading and I was able to see where he'd picked the wrong line and then correct....

After getting back to the Turtle, it was pretty evident that in order to ride that section of the CT between the Lost Creek Wilderness boundaries, we would have to actually drive there. It was way to far to do in one day and try to make a loop of it. But the good news is that we now have a new place to go explore some day!

Kenosha Adventures - Day 2

2011-07-04T14:12:00.002-06:00

Okay, so this was technically day three, but... Nick went exploring and I did a long run on Thursday, so it really didn't count.

Friday was long ride day. The plan was to head north on the CT and top out at Georgia Pass. Again, this was a new trail for me and Nick warned me it would be a long day with lots of climbing. Because we were riding long and heading up into the higher altitudes, we were both wearing our back packs. I had rain coat, arm warmers, knee warmers, spare shirt and wind vest, as well as hat and warmer gloves. Nick had the same, but also some first aid stuff, spare parts and more water. We were hoping not to need any of it, so we left early under a cloudless azure sky. (Nick had left late for his ride on Thursday and was rained, hailed and sleeted on most of the day.)

Right out of camp, the climbing began. The trail was wide and filled with roots and Nick told me about the mini waterfalls he'd seen on that section of trail during his CT trip last year. It had been a while since I'd used the 70 oz bladder in my backpack and I was feeling pretty sluggish when we started out. That and it was steady, non stop climbing for the first 30 minutes. But it was a fun trail - ranging from narrow single track amid aspens and columbines to wide stretches littered with rocks and roots from the pine trees. We saw a few hikers on that initial climb, then the trail turned downhill for a while. It was a fun downhill, tempered by the fact we would have to climb back up it at the end of the day!

Then it was time for the real climb to start. I settled in behind Nick's wheel, watching the lines he took between the roots and rocks. The pace was steady and we climbed through the trees, catching glimpses of the snow covered mountains to our west. The trees around us started thinning, then snow banks began appearing all around and even in the trail. Run-off from the melting snow turned the trail into a small river in a few places. Despite the growing size of the drifts, we kept going. And then, with Georgia Pass in view the trail vanished beneath the snow. We tried detouring around the giant drift to no avail. The road was blocked unless we wanted to get snowy. So much for reaching Georgia Pass! Time for a snack and some photos.

The snow back that halted further up hill progress!

Georgia Pass in the distance - with more snow!

Starting the descent from Georgia, surrounded by mountains and snow

The climb that had taken over an hour only lasted 30 minutes on the descent. Still, a long time to be going down and my hands and wrists were sore from all the braking. It was a fun but bumpy ride down to Jefferson Creek. From there, Nick decided it was time to explore a little more. So we rode up to Jefferson Lake, a beast of a climb on both black top and dirt roads. It was a great view at the lake and there were plenty of people out enjoying Colorado - fishing and boating. Then back down to the CT we went. There was a little more rolling trail before the climb back up to Kenosha. Nick warned me that the climb was longer then it looked and he was right. What had been a welcome break before was now an unending slog uphill. I did get to show off for one hiker - he saw us coming (slowly) and stepped off the trail. As we passed, he exhorted "Wheelie - Wheelie!" Nick was up the trail, so I did my best to oblige. It was small but passable as a wheelie - I was starting to get tired- but the hiker was happy.

Jefferson Lake, north of 285 - only an hour of riding left!

Looking down on the Colorado Trail as we neared the top of the last climb

Finally at the top of the last climb of the day, with one last fun down hill between us and the Turtle. All the roots I'd dealt with on the climb up became launch pads for some fun on the way down. I was actually keeping up with Nick on the descents! We rolled into camp about five hours after we'd left, a little muddy and rather tired. One of these days, I will make it to the top of Georgia - just not though the eight foot snow banks!

Kenosha Adventures - day 1

2011-07-01T13:03:00.006-06:00

Finally, a weekend with no races and nothing else going on. It might have been a holiday weekend, but Nick and I made our plans to avoid most of the holiday traffic. We loaded up the Turtle and hit the road with one agenda - find a cool place to camp and some trails to ride. Well, we made good on one half (the trails were really fun, but the camping was so-so.) We decided to camp at the Kenosha campground since there was good trail access and some new trails. Nick really wanted to ride the chunk of CT that headed south towards the Lost Creek Wilderness. It was also a good place to set up a base camp for a few days of fun.

Nick likes to explore new ways to get from point a to point b. This time, we decided on a little used dirt road - County 15 - as the cut between 24 and 285. It was not the nicest road we've driven on - really rough and washboarded and hard. Imagine our surprise when we see a cyclist on a mountain bike all loaded down. And by loaded down, I mean bar bag, seat bag, frame bag and huge backpack. Okay, odd. Not something you normally see. But then we saw two more riders. And then another two - same thing. Finally two more riders. Then it clicked - the Tour Divide started on June 10th and there was a pretty good chance that we were driving on the route for the race. No other explanation for the number of loaded down cyclists on some back road in the middle of Colorado!

View from the CT - heading south from Kenosha Pass

Then it was our turn to ride. After setting up camp in one of the few remaining spaces at Kenosha Pass Campground, we headed south. There were 7 miles of single track between us and the wilderness boundary and we wanted to ride it all. It might have only been a short chunk of the CT, but it made for some fun riding. We were treated to expansive vistas overlooking the Continental Divide, fields full of blue columbines, lupine, wild irises and indian paint brush (and a few that I didn't know) and great single track. The trail was loose and a little dusty from the lack of rain, but quiet. We meandered along ridge lines, through aspen groves and up and down gulches filled with cows. And some of them weren't happy cows - as we were a little close for comfort (but they were right on the trail.) It was mostly down hill as we rode out to the wilderness, so we knew we were in for a good climb to get home. We met a few hikers - most of them thru hikers loaded down. Then at the wilderness boundary we turned around to start the climb up for Kenosha pass. And that meant it was interval time! Nothing like longer intervals on the bike at high altitude to get the heart rate going!

Colorado Blue Columbine

Ascent Cycling Series

2011-06-25T21:27:00.000-06:00

The 2011 Ascent Cycling Series finished up on June 19th with a fun day at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. There were four races in the series this year, starting with a long, wet day in the saddle at Palmer Park on May 15th, then two short and speedy circuit races at Bear Creek Terrance, and the finale at CMSP. In the Women’s Pro/Cat 1 field, Stephanie W from WMBA of COS took the win, proving the most consistent over the four races. Despite missing the first race, I finished second in the series. Tracy H, also of WMBA of COS finished third, with Collen C in fourth.

Rounding the loose switchback during the first
Bear Creek Race

June 1 – Bear Creek Race 1. It was a smaller woman’s field, with only four starting in the 6:00 group. Hillary and Jessica were both on SS, and Stephanie and I racing gears. Andy started us in our own group so we had a few minutes to get settled before the guys started passing us. I pushed the pace on the first lap hard, with Hillary right on my heels. The course was well suited to the single speed and I was using all my gears to stay ahead of her! There were nearly 50 racers in the 6:00 start group alone, but the field moved smoothly around the track. Passing and being passed was much better this year – everyone was polite. I had gone into the race with the hopes of not getting lapped by the Pro Men. But alas, the three leaders caught me on my last lap – finishing 7 laps in the 60 minutes we were racing. I was happy with my six laps and dead tired – an hour of racing all out is still harder for me then the longer events.

Powering the flat on the top of the course during
the second Bear Creek race

June 8 – Bear Creek Race 2. Five women toed the line for the 6:00 start time this week. With a new course and more climbing, the game was a little different this time. We also were started at the tail of the men’s group, with another large group just behind. From the gun, the trail turned straight up hill, climbing to the top of Bear Creek. Like last week, I took the lead from the start, but had a close pack on my heels on steep climb. The switch back from the regional trail to the single track proved the real winner as I only made it two of five laps. I was still lapped on my last lap and it turned into a sprint for the line between me and Cameron C. He was riding a single speed and still managed to out sprint me!

Entering Blackmere, setting up for the next rocks
- photo Ralph Clark, About the Shot

June 19 - Cheyenne Mountain State Park - Series Finale. Nick was planning on racing this day so we pre rode the course earlier. And I knew that it would be a long day on the bike - the start lap and one course lap took us over an hour! There was a good field for the women's race, with six women lining up for three laps of fun. I took the start lap pretty chill, knowing that it would be almost a three hour day. Then onto the technical climb up Boulder Run, across BlackMere and down to Medicine Wheel. I would like to say that I had smooth and clean runs across Blackmere and Med wheel, but not so much. Did some soil sampling each lap and was off the bike in the same spot on Med Wheel each lap. Jinxed by Nick (who had to say something about my earrings before the race) I even managed to break the chain on my necklace! Should have just left it and come back, but nope, I decided to that I needed to find it during the race! Oh well. Got a little thrown off with that one - but got back into the rhythm pretty easily. Compared to the first two races, the pace was slower but the length was so much longer - just as hard. And I couldn't ever take a break and relax. After going back and forth for first and second for most of the race, it came down to a pass with a mile in the race to go. Wasn't the best pass - called the side I wanted to pass on, but didn't pick the best location on the trail. Got around, and held on to for win. It was a long day but a fun day on the bike.

It's great to see the growth of the local mountain biking series. There were 100 people at the finale of the series spread between all the age groups and classes. Looking forward to next year - hopefully I will be able to race at the entire series!

And the rocks still win...

2011-06-23T13:59:00.000-06:00

It's always fun to get together with friends and ride, no agenda - just ride some fun single track and play on the rocks.Wednesday night proved no exception to that as Tracy H and Kristi O and I met up at Cheyenne Mountain State Park for some quality single track time. Kristi was riding her new bike for the first time and I don't think the grin ever left her face! Our original plan had been to ride the race course from Sunday, sans Sundance and work on some of the technical sections we'd had issues with during the race. Well, Tracy beat us there and had been treated (?) to tales of the big black bear that was at the junction of Medicine Wheel and Blackmere. Two riders individually warned us about the bear, so we changed things up a little - instead of hitting the race course right away, we meandered up the north side of the park, through the campgrounds, then back down to the main parking lot. The goal was to give the bear plenty of time to vanish into the woods before we got to Medicine wheel. Since we didn't see it, I think the plan worked. It also helped that we were being pretty loud...

Then it was time to work on some skills. I've spent plenty of time at CMSP working on various sections of trail and different skills. Even so, I still had some issues during the race on Blackmere and Medicine Wheel. So whenever we got to a rock that proved challenging, it was time to practice. There were a few things that we got easily, but other rocks were a little more stubborn. I still didn't make it through the rock garden on Blackmere - Nick told me what the line was, but I need to see him ride it. And then there was Medicine Wheel. There was one section in the race that I missed every time - and this ride was no exception! I walked the line a few times, but still didn't make it any further. We all tried everything at least three times - figuring three was enough to get a sense for the line, but not enough to start getting frustrated and sloppy. Definitely need to head back for another session of rock fun - watching other riders working through problems helps with learning the lines. It was a great evening of no stress, no agenda riding, even though there was a little carnage and I've added to my bruise collection!

Photos from the Beti Bike Bash

2011-06-15T10:54:00.000-06:00

Nick was busy playing support all weekend. He took the camera out on course and got some cool shots and videos from the Beti Bike Bash. He also had a great time cheering and heckling the women racing in the Pro, Cat 1 and Cat 2 races. (He told me he behaved for the Cat 3 race - didn't want to distract anyone)

Ready to ride - my first Pro Number Plate

Racing in her first mountain bike race -
working the steep road climb

Lisa Hudson from Feedback Sports getting the hole shot at the start of the Pro Women Race

Not even two minutes in and already at the far back of the pack

Riding through the tall grass of Bear Creek Lake

Crossing the bridge on my third lap

Lona T - riding to the win in the Cat 2 race

2011 Beti Bike Bash

2011-06-15T10:11:00.000-06:00

For my first big mountain bike race as a Pro, I headed up north to Bear Creek Lake Park for the 2011 Beti Bike Bash, presented Stan's NoTubes and hosted by the Yeti Beti Cycling Team. There were over 200 women competing in event across all classes - Cat 3, Cat 2, Cat 1, Pro and Juniors. By far, the Cat 3 race had the largest numbers and there were plenty of smiles as the racers completed their two laps. A large and very talented Pro field assembled for the four lap, 16 mile race, drawn both by the prize purse provided by Stan's NoTubes and the opportunity to compete in a Women's only event. The smooth single track course lead to some fierce competition among the top pros. Georgia Gould held off Katie Compton 52:32 to 53:02, with Erin Huck taking third in 55:25, Kelly Boniface fourth in 57:54 and Krista Park rounding out the podium in 58:14. I finished in 11th, one place out of the money in 1:02:44. It was quite the introduction to pro mountain bike racing, but a fun event. The Yeti Beti team did a great job with the race and there were plenty of women being introduced to how much fun mountain biking can be with a race number on.

I watched the start of the Cat 3 women's race and the first few women coming through on their lap. Then time to warm up. I knew this would be a fast and furious race with the nature of the course and the racers showing up. Getting in a good warm up so I was ready to ride would be important. I did an easy spin, some sprints and accelerations, then headed for the starting line. The Pro race was scheduled to start at 10:15 and we all started gathering around 10:00. Then unfortunate news - one of the beginner women had crashed and our start time would be delayed. But we couldn't leave the starting area because it wasn't clear how long the delay would be. So we all stood around under the cloudless sky, talking. Thankfully, the woman who'd crashed wasn't badly hurt and they got her loaded into the ambulance pretty quickly. Then it was go time.

And I was redlined from the gun. I was hoping to get into the top third at the start, but found myself second to last when we hit the single track. And it was all I could do to hold onto the wheels of the women in front of me! While the course was not really technical - it was 90% single track, with about a third of that as two trails running side by side. There were two longer single track climbs and one really steep road climb right at the end. The trail was smooth, hard packed in most places, with some tight corners, fast down hills and sweeping turns. There really wasn't anywhere to recover as all the descents were followed by steady false flats. I'd pre-riden the course and had an idea as to how fast I would be riding. That estimate was blown out the window pretty quick! At the first u-turn, I was still in second to last. I could see the line of women in front and they just seemed to be riding away from me. Up and down the first hill, through the tight turns near Morrison road, up the second hill. I was climbing a little faster then the two in front of me, but they were pulling away on the flats. Finishing my first lap and I was deep in the pain cave - aware of people around me but focused on the thin ribbon of single track underneath my tires. The first hill seemed twice as long on that second lap, and I was really suffering. Halfway through that second lap, Sarka caught and passed me. Down to dead last. Not where I wanted to be. I got right on her wheel on the second climb, held on through the rough descent on the back side, then made the pass back to second to last just before the second u-turn on the course. I pressed the advantage on the road climb and managed to pull away from Sarka. I had a good gap by the time I started the long climb and continued to push. I was starting to bring back the two women right in front of me.

On that third lap, I managed to close the gap down, working the climbs and using the whole trail on the descents. I kept a steady cadence and hard tempo - riding my own race, but riding as hard as I could. Just after the start of the final lap, I passed one woman. A smooth pass and hard acceleration so she didn't get back on my wheel. Keeping up the effort and I bridged up to the other woman. My first attempt to pass wasn't smart and she was right on my wheel. Just after the u-turn, she passed me back. This time, I tucked in behind, recovering a little. I would make my move on the first climb of the lap. And that's exactly what I did. When we hit the climb, I accelerated and passed her as fast as I could. I wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be able to follow me up the hill. I kept the hammer down till the top of the hill. My strategy worked - I pulled away and got a sustainable gap. Up the last single track hill, down the back side and up the steep road climb. The race was only an hour, but I was beyond toasted when I rolled through the finish line. I'd worked hard for my final place and was satisfied with my race. It's that kind of short, fast and bloody hard racing that will make me stronger on the mountain bike.

Nick met me at the finish with some water - I'd drained my camelbak during the race. Then time for an easy spin to cool down. One of our friends was racing in the Cat 2 event, so Nick was heading back to his corner to continue heckling the racers. I met him over there after my cool down, but wasn't much help with the heckling!

2011 Xterra South Central Championships

2011-05-25T11:49:00.000-06:00

For the 4th race in the US Championship series, the Xterra tribe traveled to Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, AL. With a great lake swim, an awesome bike course and a new run this year, this is one of the best stops on the Championship tour. Add in the good old Southern hospitality all the athletes enjoyed and that makes the South East Championship a do not miss race. Melanie took the win in 2:39:58, followed closely by Shonny and Renata. Christine and Emma rounded out the top five. I finished 8th for the second year in a row, but felt like I had a solid race. My swim is back to where it should be, my bike was strong and I mostly stayed upright and the run was better then expected given the calf injury. I'm starting to feel like my fitness and race-readiness is coming back. Now to start looking ahead towards my next Xterra at Beaver Creek!

After "weeks" of unseasonably cool weather according to my homestay, the summer temperatures moved in just in time for the race. Hello heat and humidity! And with nary a cloud in the sky, there would be no chance for a respite. I had learned from last year and made sure that all my water for the transition area was frozen and that my camelbak had frozen GU brew for when the temperatures heated up. This time, I also went out for an easy spin before getting in the water to warm up. Then, with my gear neatly set out, it was time to head down to the start. I got in the water, staying out the way of the sport racers and did an easy warm in the comfortable water. Finally, with all the sport racers out of the water, it was time to race. I had decided to go old school and not wear my watch - one less thing to worry about!

Swim - I had a plan for this swim - stay on Mel and Suzy's feet for as long as I could, then try to hold the pace. Unlike the first two races, this was a mass start with all the pros and AG athletes. I was ready for the melee, ready to hold my own against the other swimmers. As Dave's cannon echoed across the lake, I surged onto Mel's feet. I found a good rhythm to my stroke and was holding my position well. I felt comfortable and was confident with closeness of the other swimmers. The first buoy came quickly and I was still right with Mel and Suzy. Around the next buoy and I started loosing contact with the other women. I was holding position among the pro and AG men, but Mel and Suzy were pulling away. I was a few seconds behind them during the beach run between laps, but completely lost contact upon re-entering the water. Time to start phase two - maintain position and pace! I was still swimming strong and felt really good in the water. Around the first buoy again and there were no other green caps around. I got out of the water ahead of Renata and Emma in 4th place - a much better position then prior races this year! Renata out transition me - she was gone on her bike in seconds. I had a really smooth transition and hit the pavement for start of the bike course in 5th place.

Bike - Emma passed me just before the start of the single track. To my surprise, I was able to stay on her wheel for that first ten minutes of single track. I felt steady and smooth on the bike, railing corners and hopping the multiple roots. It was awesome. Then we hit the first small section of double track and Emma was gone. I couldn't hang on her wheel and she was gone by the time we reached the next section of single track. Oh well, fun while it lasted. Now just to see how long it would take for Shonny to catch me. It was just before the bridge I rode off on my pre-ride. A smooth pass and she was around. Once again, I tried to stay with her for as long as I could - and while it wasn't long, it was further then I expected. I was now down to 7th. I was hoping to hold Jessica until Blood Rock. But she caught me just after the start of the double track climb. And I've discovered a major weakness here - once again I could not hold her wheel up the climb. I tried but just did not have the power. Up and up the double track, counting down the red trail markers to the top of the ridge. Then the traverse across the ridge line until finally, the right hand turn onto the single track. The entrance to Blood Rock.

Suzy was on the side of the trail just after the first rock drop into the single track and before the switchbacks. It looked like a simple flat and she seemed to have things under control. I would later learn that she had crashed really hard. Around the first left switchback, then the sharper and rocky right hand switchback. Then time for the rocks. Two easier rock steps, then one maneuvering around a tree into rocks and roots. Finally, the entrance into Blood Rock. I knew the line, set up my entrance neatly, got my weight back, sighted through the rocks to the exit and rode. A huge cheer erupted as I cleared the rocks. Honestly, I didn't remember seeing anyone around the rocks, but Jeff said there were between 15-20 people there, hanging out and hoping for carnage. I stayed relaxed through the loose rocky and fast descent. I was riding right with the age group men around me, still holding my own on the rooty and twisty trails. Suzy hadn't caught me yet and I was starting to entertain the thought of holding onto 7th. But I had to keep my focus on the trail and riding - not crashing was the fastest way down the mountain and back to T2! Last year, I'd struggled on the last loop of the course. This year I was able to hold the pace through the twisting trail. Finally, out of the woods and onto the black top. I used the time to get my gloves and shoes off to prepare for a fast transition. And I made it quick - I needed every second I could find.

Run - I was not looking forward to the run at all. My calf was slowly healing from the injury sustained before the South Central Championships. I'd had a few runs without pain, but it seemed every time I tried running fast, it started hurting. So I had not had any quality runs in over two months. I knew it was only a matter of time for Suzy to catch me - she had been running really well this year. But I would run as hard as I could, trying to hold her off as long as I could. I hit the pavement and started picking off the AG men who'd passed me near the end of the bike. The sun was out and the humidity was high. Great conditions! Entering the single track and I was still moving well with little pain. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed Suzy entering the single track. She was steadily gaining ground. I didn't look behind me again. About two miles into run, Suzy made the pass. My calf was tight, but not unbearable so I tried to stay with her. It worked until the first hill - then the pain kicked in and forced a slow down. I didn't see Suzy again. I maintained a steady pace, hoping to pick up some speed once we got across the road. The pain in my calf had died down after I slowed, but still a constant reminder. Across the road and the trail leveled out a little. I was able to pass two of the men who'd caught me on the hills. That helped with the mental low after Suzy passed me and I was able to get back on track. I held onto 8th pro woman and was able to finish with a smile.

As always, a huge thanks to my homestay Jeff and Dee (and Annie and Rozie). It was a great time again and I appreciated the hospitality. Also a huge thanks to my sponsors - GU Energy Labs, Carmichael Training Systems and Ascent Cycling. I've slipped to 8th in the series now. It's likely I will drop to 9th after East Championships since I will be skipping that one. I'm okay with that - it's been a crazy year and the start of the season was more then a little stressful. But things have settled down. I've got a few things to work on before the last race of the Championship series - Xterra Mountain Championships in Beaver Creek. But after reflecting on this last race, there are some positives as well. I've got a good outlook for the rest of the Xterra season. Now just to spend some time to get healthy and stay healthy.

Pre-riding in Oak Mountain

2011-05-21T10:02:00.000-06:00

And staying on the trail this time! I picked up Honey Stinger athlete Pat V from the airport on Friday and we headed down to the park to pre-ride the course and maybe check out the new run course. This was Pat's first time in Alabama and he was looking forward to riding. I just wanted to put in a clean ride and stay upright! After picking up packets and saying hello to the Xterra gang, it was time to hit the trails. I really love the trails here at Oak Mountain - not quite as twisty as the Waco course, but plenty of sweeping corners and challenging rock gardens. And exposed bridges as I found out on Thursday! The course is easily divided into a few sections - the first one a rolling section filled with roots and rocks, then second offering more gradual climbing with bridges and rock gardens, then the long double track climb up to Blood Rock. After the climb, it's the descent over Blood Rock and back down to lake level, and finally another rolling and twisty segment leading back to the transition area.

Patrick was soon lost in the woods, a few corners ahead of me on the trail. And judging from the photos, he was having fun. I felt a lot more comfortable on the bike and the trail. One of the harder things for me about the Alabama course is all the roots, especially coming out of the corners. I want to ride the berm out of the corner to maintain my speed, but there's a pile of roots right on the fastest line! So a little adjustment is needed. And the rock gardens, while the rocks are smaller compared to some of the ones at home, are filled with sharp rocks and don't have an easy line. And they are long, so there is a plenty of body english required to get through and maintain speed. It's also easy in those first few sections to push hard. But then comes the double track climb - and if you've pushed too hard early, that climb is draining and mental taxing. It's also long, a steady grind up to Blood Rock. This where things get interesting as the "easy" double track is abandoned and we take a turn for the downhill. Patrick missed the entry into Blood Rock on his first attempt and decided to scout it out. I took a few rides down, trying to memorize my line so come Sunday I didn't have to think about it. Then the screaming down hill back to the lake level. I actually think this part is harder then Blood Rock! It's loose, fast and there are a few rock ramp kickers. There's also no really good line through the maelstrom of rocks. But it's over pretty quickly and the trail returns to the normal rooty and twisty hard packed single track. There are a few climbs, but the trail is mostly rolling and really fun from that point on. Last year, they had just finished this section of trail and it was still bumpy and hard. This year, with another year of people riding, it was cut in and smooth. And lots of fun. Looking forward to the race - it's always a good time here in Alabama!

Oak Mountain Recon

2011-05-19T18:32:00.000-06:00

Finally in Alabama and it's time to start thinking about the race on Sunday. I headed over to Oak Mountain State Park to review the bike course today, then get a swim in. All I have to say was that today was not my day. I was scattered loading everything into my car, distracted when getting ready to ride and my bike sounded like one of the many I'd seen strapped to the roofs of cars and RVs during the drive. I should have lubed the chain at least before heading off. I started out, already cranky because of the noise. Then I hit the single track and most of my crankiness went away. I was having a good time, riding comfortably through the trees. Didn't quite feel like I had the best flow on the course, but still felt okay. Then I saw a guy in the middle of the trail, waving at me to slow down or stop. A huge rat snake was snoozing on the trail and didn't really want to move out of the way. I took a few pictures, then the guy moved the snake off the trail. I think it was taller then me! Back to riding. I was surprised at how well I remembered the trail and allowed myself to get distracted by something. With my mind wandering, I set up the entry into the bridge after the Rock Garden all wrong. About halfway over the bridge, I realized I was in trouble. Tried correcting and keeping the bike on the bridge, but it was a no go. Off I went, right onto my head, in the middle of a pile of rocks. And it was one of those slow motion endos where you can see everything happening and know that it's gonna be bad. Once I got myself untangled from my bike, I had to sit on the rocks for a few minutes. My neck was stiff, but that seemed to be all. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Finally I got back on the bike and continued along the course. My already out of wack flow was even more out of wack. I wasn't riding slow, but I wasn't riding smart either. And I wasn't really looking forward to Blood Rock now. I also had forgotten how long that double track climb was - I kept getting myself physched up, then realizing I had another short climb to go. Then finally, I was able to drop into single track again. And right away, things went squirrelly as I almost hooked my bars on a tree. I was hoping that I would be able to ride Blood Rock on the first try this year, but got caught no looking where I wanted to go. Narrowly avoided another endo as I bailed off my bike. Time to get settled and start riding smart. I hiked back up the hill, gave myself a little talking to and headed back down. Made it through, so it was time for another run at it. All the way up to the top of the hill and then back down and through the rocks. Talking myself through the line, I again made it down and then continued. Already hesitant after the bridge episode, the screw up on the rocks made my reactions even sketchier. I made it cleanly down the rest of the descent, but it wasn't pretty at times. Onto the new section of trail and I managed to disturb a group of ROTC students out on a mission. They were in full cameo, with trees and shrubs tied to their heads. Some of them were so intent on what they were doing, I'm not sure they even saw me. I'm really not sure how they could have not heard me coming... Shortly after I passed the ROTC students, a tree leaped out and grabbed my bars. Once again, I was on the ground. I just wasn't having a good day at all. Luckily, no injuries except to my pride. And hopefully I really got all my stupid riding done today.

But the swim more then made up for the stupid day on the bike. Renata was also getting into the water, so we decided to swim together. And the water was so nice, a perfect temperature for swimming. There were lots of little fishes swimming around at the dock and they started nibbling at our toes. We did a long, easy stretch to a small buoy and the beach where the race will start. Then time for some sprints. It's hard to do "50" yard sprits with no markers! So i just counted strokes - 40 strokes and time to slow down. After the sprints, we swam back to the dock. I was happy to have the company for the swim and it was good way to end a stressful ride. Hopefully my neck will not be as stiff tomorrow...

Early season open water

2011-05-17T07:13:00.000-06:00

Or freezing my tail off at the Chatfield gravel pond! Despite some gloomy clouds and cold temps, Megan and I braved the 53 degree water at the pond to get a good open water swim in last Saturday. The air was colder then the water, so there were not that many other swimmers. I decided that the quick immersion was the way to go. Megan said there was a bit of a squeak when I came up for air. She had a few choice words upon getting in the water herself. But once we got in and everything went numb it was fun swim. We worked on some basics like sighting and some race stuff like starts, surging and drafting. Everything was good. The water was the cleanest and clearest I have seen. Then it came time to get out. Torture! Since the air was so much colder then the water there was no warming up at all. Trying to get a wetsuit off with numb hands and no body glide was quite the challenge. And changing for our run was even harder. I had to tie Megan's shoes for her and I am not sure my fingers were working much better. I just had the elastic laces in my shoes. Even so, retreating to the car with the heat cranked and seats nice and toasty seemed like a good idea. The motivation to get for the run was lacking. I even had to break out the spare warm clothes from my car. Finally we hit the road. I kept seeing single track trails darting into the woods. So after a few miles I took the lead and off we went for some exploring. Ahh, the things that happen when an Xterra and a roadie train together! Hopefully the next swim will be a little warmer.

12 Hours of Mesa Verde 2011 Race Report

2011-05-14T14:03:00.002-06:00

In our first venture down to Cortez for the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde, Nick and I come into the race with no major expectation for place, number of laps or even our lap times. We finished the day with a new respect for the speeds required for the "shorter" endurance relay races, a total of 8 laps and a 4th place finish against some really fast teams. The winning team - now three year defending champions - Team Holley of Kara and Chris Holley put down 9 laps, followed by Tokoy Joes/Cycles of Life with Gretchen Reeves and Cannon Shockley and U and I with Jenelle Kremer and Ryan Ashbridge - both doing 8 laps. Nick and I finished shortly after 7:00pm with 8 laps, with the Dunton Hot Springs/Team Red Dress of Bojo Post and Gusieppie Prinzivalli closly behind, also with 8 laps. The Ascent Cycling crew was also well represented with Lane, Tom and Jeremy racing solo, Amber and Scott also racin in Co-Ed Duo, David and John in Duo Men and Patrick, Isaac and Austin racing 3/4 Men. There was a little carnage, plenty of sunburns, a little heat exhaustion and good times in camp between laps.

The day started cool and clear – and early with a 5:00 wake up call. I got up, made coffee and a small breakfast, then headed to the racer’s meeting while Nick got ready to ride. After reviewing exchange procedures and the first lap, the race director sent us on our way. I relayed the info to Nick, then he headed for the starting line as I took his bike to the staging area. It was already utter chaos at bike staging, with bikes scattered everywhere. I could picture carnage – and I’m not talking riders here! A broken wheel seemed likely with the number of bikes just laying on the ground and the herd of runners waiting on the other side of the fair grounds. Then the gun and the insanity of the start. Nick was pretty high up in the crowd and was off into the dust for a lap around the car race track before heading for the single track on the other side of the tunnel. My plan was to get a few pictures at the tunnel under HW 160, then get ready for my first lap. I barely made it. The dust cloud of riders was moving faster then I had anticipated. I stayed to watch the rest of the Ascent riders – they were lucky and were high enough up in the field to avoid the back up at the tunnel.

I went to the barn (literally – the beef barn for the Montezuma County Fair Grounds) a little early to watch the first riders rolling through. The fastest lap was about a 1:08 – just smoking quick given that the first lap was a little longer then the standard lap. Then the first Co-ed Duo came in about 1:12 – dang, that was fast! The second Co-Ed Duo was just a few minutes later – holy smokes! I stopped really paying attention after the third team. I wasn’t expecting Nick until about 1:30, but wasn’t too worried. The race usually isn’t won or lost in the first lap. Nick came through right on schedule and I was off.

First thing I noticed was the heat. It was only 8:30 and it was already getting really warm. I’d chosen to wear the darker blue CTS kit for the first lap because the sun wouldn’t be as intense. I would switch to the lighter Ascent kit as the day progressed. The trail was already dusty after only one lap. I settled into a steady cadence up the first climb, avoiding the temptation to really hammer. The hardest part of the lap was between miles 10 and 13 – pushing too hard too soon would have consequences. I kept seeing riders all around me, but never catching half of them. It would take me a few laps to figure out the convolutions of the twisty course. I felt smooth and relaxed, spotting the sweeping corners through the pinons and the sage. Passing and being passed was pretty easy – everyone was cool. The trail alternated between meandering along the mesa’s edge, plunging descents and climbs, false flats and steady climbs and roller coaster whoops. The hardest part in the first half was the “The Elbow” a short, gradual climb in a rock garden followed by a quick drop and a tight, rocky “s” curve climb. I had run thru the Elbow a few times on the pre-ride and felt pretty confident. Apparently, the guy behind me was a little surprised I rode it – and then I had a tail for the rest of the lap. Into the rolling, false flat middle of the lap, finishing with the roller coaster of Vertebra. My strategy of conserving a little paid off as I was easily able to power through Tuffy Rim – two miles of rocky, technical trail right along the mesa. Then down another roller coaster of fun named Rib Cage, into the last long climb and short descent and I was under the tunnel and back at the barn.

Our plan had Nick riding about 1:20ish for the next three laps, so I didn’t have much time to get ready to ride again. I pedaled back to the camper, said hi to the gang and got busy. First up, cleaning my bike – the drive train was covered in dust. Then to refill my camelbak – I was using a 50oz bladder and had nearly drained it in the last lap. With the temperature climbing and nary a cloud in sight, electrolytes were really important. Very happy to have my Gu Brew Tabs in addition to my GU and Gu Brew! Then it was time to relax for a little. Shade was already a precious commodity. At an hour into Nick’s lap, I headed for the barn. The woman on one of the leading Co-Ed teams was heading out as I arrived, so the gap was growing. I shrugged, found a chair in the cool shade and waited. And waited. The estimated time came and went. Still no Nick. I was starting to get a little worried! Finally, in he came – he looked toasted, but waved me out without a word.

Once again, the first thing that struck me as I pedaled away from the barn was the heat and the sun baking the dusty trail. It was beyond any heat we’d faced in Colorado Springs this year. I had hoped to pick up the pace since things had spread out a little and the passing was easier. But as the sun seared the sky and I started up the first climb, I knew that wasn’t happening. Given a choice between a slower but steady and survivable pace to be as strong on the last lap as the first or cooking myself to try a get a few minutes on this one lap, well it wasn’t really a choice. A steady cadence took me to the top of Lemon Head, where a fun descent awaited. I kept my eyes on the trail, keeping to my resolve to ride hard, ride smart and have fun. Up and down, around the pinions, along the mesa edge, and thru the sage. There was an ebb and flow to passing, being passed and riding all alone. Past the Cortez Lookout, through the Maze, and up into the Elbow. Then I saw a familiar jersey ahead – the green and black with the MR on the back. I’d passed her on my first lap; our teams seemed to be yo-yoing. A quick hello and pass and I was on my way down and up Nozhoni and Vertebra. We were only 6 hours into the race and Tuffy Rim was starting to take it’s toll on the riders – people were getting sloppy tired in some of the harder sections. The drop on Stone Axe Hill was getting pretty sandy, so I switched to the easier right line for the rest of the race. Amazingly, there was one of the Townie riders, waiting at the top of the hill – they always seem to find the best places to watch for carnage! I found a faster line down Rib Cage, then through Osprey Alley and back to the barn. Nick was waiting for me – he still looked pretty tired and told me that he was going to slow down a little.

I found out why his second lap had been so slow. Nick had opted for a bottle on the first lap since he didn’t like riding with a camelbak. Even after the pre-ride, he felt comfortable that he would be able to drink enough. But he hadn’t counted on the chaos of that first lap and the sheer number of people on the course. As a result, he hadn’t been able to drink more then a few sips in that 1.5 hours. For the second lap, he’d gone with the camelbak, but had only filled the bladder half full. It was gone in less then 45 minutes. With the temperatures sky rocketing, there was no recovering from that hole and he was already fighting off cramps. And with the speeds of this race, there was no way I could back off to be able to do two laps and give him a chance to recover. And I was also starting to really feel the heat. This time, I dunked my F3 Designs bamboo hat into the ice water from the cooler. With water dripping down my neck and soaking into my hair, it was time to head back to the barn. There were several other co-ed teams waiting, including the lady I’d passed last lap. She had changed from the black and green to a white and green kit. Then riders started coming in – another co-ed team we’d been yo-yoing with and the now white and green team. I kept an eye on the time. When Nick came in, we’d actually closed the gap between us and the other teams.

It was time to ride and try to catch the other women again. But entering single track with a mind to chase can be dangerous so I made sure I kept my focus on the trail. I was on the climb to the first section along the cliff when I saw the green and white jersey come into view. I made the pass on the cliff trail and this time she remembered the white, red and black Ascent Cycling kit. A little slower through the Maze and I didn’t have a clean run at the Elbow. I got a chance to check out some riders starting Rib Cage at the SAR tent – they looked toasted. I found out why on the false flats and long gradual climbs leading to Vertebra. The wind had picked up and was sucking the moisture out of the already parched air. My speed down Moki enhanced the Plinko Chip effect as I bounced off rocks. I was getting tired and was not looking forward to muscling my way through Tuffy Rim again. I wasn’t the only one – I watched a single speeder miss a rock step on the Rim and slam his front tire into a rock. A “phist” and spray of stans emanated from the tire. But after the Rim, I was able to look forward to floating down Rib Cage. The last climb on the lap seemed endless – I didn’t feel like I was going anywhere and the wind wasn’t helping. Finally, back to the barn and handing off to Nick for his last lap.

I wasn’t the only one feeling toasted by the sun and wind, but I actually was toasted. A pink crescent had developed where the jersey didn’t quite meet the shorts. I hate bibs for obvious reasons, but think those might have been the better option this time around! Most of the Ascent crew was back on a short break, and after they got Jeremy cooled down a little, they were heading out for a last lap. The heat was the topic on everyone’s mind – the heat and the dust. I needed to start thinking about cooling off and getting ready for the last lap. Once again, I had the privilege of riding the last lap. I made sure to drink plenty and my hat was chilling in the ice chest. With a full camelbak and a clean bike, I chose to wait in the barn. There were lots of riders waiting to get out for that last lap. I got there early enough to watch a few teams exchange and see the soloists agonize about facing the course again. First Co-Ed was a lap up, and the race was really between 2-3-4. Nick and I were in 5th and it seemed pretty likely that we would stay there, barring a mechanical. 3rd place had the opposite rotation of the rest of the teams, with the guy riding the even laps. Only a few minutes back, the 4th place team’s woman was ready to head out. But in a last second change, the guy on the 4th place team ride again – he wanted to try and catch the 3rd team. There were other teams that were swapping riders at this point as well, so I didn’t pay much attention.

This time, Nick beat the green and white team in. It was now my turn to ride hard, ride smart and try not to get caught. Having had someone chasing me down before, it’s not something I like – that running scared feeling. But at the same time, I couldn’t just bolt from the barn. I knew how tired I was and how much energy that last half of the course required. So I paced myself on the first climbs, trying to get as much free speed as possible on the descents. I had a good clean run through the Elbow and made it easily. After the Elbow, I caught up with the Ascent riders out for their last laps, Lane, Tom, Jeremy and Patrick. Said hi, but didn’t hang out – had to keep moving. The middle section with the long climbs and false flats was hard. All I wanted to do was slow down and spin up the hills, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know what was behind me. Down and up Moki and I could tell that it was my turn to start getting sloppy tired. I just had to survive Tuffy Rim intact. It was a bit of a struggle – I bobbled one section and was off and running. Then back on the bike and bouncing off rocks and dodging trees. Just past the SAR station, there was a chain lying the middle of the trail. Two thoughts – “man, bad day, breaking chain here,” then “Why wouldn’t you just stop and fix it?” Then back to riding and focusing on the trail. By now, the right line on Stone Ax was even getting sketchy dusty! The final time on the climb up to Rib Cage, then time for some fun on the roller coaster type trail. UP and down, using the berms, catching a (little, tiny) bit of air. Then, at the start of the last climb, I saw a guy walking his bike. It was the 4th placed co-ed rider. As I passed him, I realized why he was walking – there was no chain on his bike. As the realization clicked, I mentally thanked Nick for making sure I could do basic mechanical work on my bike. But there was not time to dwell, I had to keep riding as there was still the chance of being caught. I heard wheels behind me on that last drop and through the tunnel. On the road, I snuck a look – not someone I knew, but I wasn’t going to let him pass me now!

So after a hot, fun and technical 12 hours of riding, Nick and I had finished fourth. We waited for the rest of the Ascent crew to finish, swapped some war stories, and headed for the results. There were some big names racing this year, and they managed to put up pretty impressive lap counts. After the awards, it was back to camp and an early night! We are already looking forward t next year. The 12 hour format is quite a bit harder then I had anticipated, but the course was just a blast to ride. We made a few mistakes, things that can be easily corrected, but had a lot of fun riding and hanging out with the gang. The race organization the a great job with the event and the staging area was so nice. Having a cool, shady place to wait made the day much easier!

Some health notes

2011-05-10T11:44:00.002-06:00

Two good things happened before Nick and I left for Cortez. First, I had my two month follow up from my eye surgery. And after he dilated my eye and looked around, I received the good news. "It looks great, no evidence that I was ever in there." So my eye has completely healed and my vision is fine. My behaving and sitting on the couch for two weeks was more then worth it to hear that. He did not sound worried about a recurrence either. And with that, and a comment about seeing me in the papers one day. And with that I was discharged from his care. Yea!!

And the second was my calf. I had been dealing with a strain in my left soleus since before Waco and nothing seemed to help. I had even managed to give myself a small case of frost nip after a track workout! So imagine my surprise when I go for my massage and instead of working on my calf she spends most of the time on my hip flexors and hamstrings. I walked out of there feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I was also told to focus my stretching on my hip flexors and hamstrings and not worry so much about my calf. So Thursday when I woke up I spent a few extra minutes stretching as ordered. I was really sore, but my calf did not hurt. I was even able to run a little without pain that evening. It is a kinetic chain thing that makes perfect sense to me. I just needed someone else to point it out.

Phil's World Fun

2011-05-05T19:01:00.001-06:00

Wow. Nick and I got into Cortez this afternoon and headed to Phil's World to check out the course for the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde. And I am now looking forwad to getting out and racing. A little worried about some of the more technical sections since I haven't really been riding super techy stuff. But it will still be so much fun. The course is a mix of fast sweeping turns, punchy climbs, rocky descents and sections of single track parralleling jagged cliff sides. In a word loads of fun but a good challenge. It was a little longer then we had anticipataed. But worth every minute of pedalin. That was a true riders course with something for everyone.

Wacky Waco - Xterra South Central Race Report 2011

2011-05-04T17:11:00.001-06:00

Thanks to a murky river swim, twisty, tight single track trails on the bike and a slightly long run through the woods, the Xterra South Central Championships in Waco is one of the most challenging races in the series. It's also one of the most fun races. I haven't had the best luck in Waco during the race, but the riding and running in Cameron Park is just awesome. The local community also takes great pride in the event, from the care taken in marking the course, to the hospitality provided to all athletes. It's well worth the trek and I hope will remain a fixture on the Xterra Championship series for many years. Without the defending champion in the field, it was a wide open race. A few unexpected challenges popped up, but nothing that this year's winner couldn't handle. In the end, Melanie came through first, followed closely by Shonny and Christine. Suzie had a great race to finish fourth and Emma rounded out the top five. Despite strained calf, I was able to hold onto my seventh place and finish in the money this year. Still quite a ways off the back at this point, but working my way into shape.

The race staging area and transition was just a few minutes pedal from my homestay (Thanks again, Cat and Ian.) Cat was also competing in the race, so we rode down the hill together. My backpack was nice and light - I'd left my wetsuit at the house since the water had been so warm the day before. A few of the pro men were riding back up the hill, but I didn't pay much attention to that. Then Christine rode by, saying "wetsuit legal!" Huh!?! How did that happen? How did the water temperature manage to rise 4 degrees in less then 24 hours? The pro racks were in a mild state of chaos from the unexpected announcement. I was lucky - my wetsuit was less then five minutes away. Some of the other pros weren't so calm - Melanie ended up borrowing a wetsuit from an age group athlete and Suzie almost didn't get hers in time. After setting my transition, I squirmed into the my wetsuit and jumped into the murky water. Ummm, yeah right! General consensus was that the wetsuit call was a little off the mark - I was pretty toasty...

Then it was time to race. I had a sluggish start and just never got into a smooth rhythm in the water. I quickly lost the feet of my usual group and could not recover. So off I swam into the darkness, hoping no river monsters were lurking in the silty water. I could not even see my elbows! It was a calm morning, so there were no waves on the river. The first section was pretty easy, swimming downstream. The trees slipped past quickly. Then the turn around the buoys and the swim went from easy to a little challenging. Up current and those trees weren't moving by that quickly anymore. And that last buoy was quite a ways in the distance. I had a group of athletes on my feet, at least one with a pink cap and they didn't seem interested in sharing the work at all. There was another woman just ahead of us, but I could not close the gap down at all. The lack of swimming over the last two months was starting to show! That distant buoy was not getting closer and I was getting hot in the wetsuit. I was also starting to get tired as it felt like we weren't going anywhere against the current. Finally, we rounded that last buoy and headed for home. At that point, I realized how slow my swim was for me. I stayed with Shonny and Jessica until the exit, got pulled out of the mud by the volunteers and ran to transition. My left calf was already tight and painful from that short run - not a good sign. I had a decent transition and started the bike in 7th place. I was hoping to make up some ground, but was more worried about dropping lower.

Bike - I love the bike course at Cameron Park. The local race organizers and sponsor bike shop Bicycles Outback, have always done a fantastic job with the course. It might be twisty, confusing and just plain crazy at times, but it's a blast to ride. It's a challenging course that requires some heads up riding, with steep downhills leading into near vertical climbs, fast and flowing single track. It is also course that demands quick accelerations, top-end speed and confidence on the bike - all things I was lacking! So my plan was to not worry about anyone, ride as hard as I could and have fun on the bike. Thanks to the person who spray painted "Yee Haw" at the start to the single track! Helped keep the stress down.

There was a four minute gap in the swim between us and the age group men this year, and it took a while for the first few guys to start passing me. I was able to use that time to establish a smooth and relaxed flow on the bike. Did have a few silly mistakes on one of the early switchbacks, but regrouped quickly and got settled. Smart shifting, spotting the corners best I could, and feeling smooth on the single track. I knew I wasn't riding that fast comparatively, but I was having a good time and enjoying the ride. I could hear other riders all around, the distincive sound of tires on gravel echoing around the trees. The course passed very close, twisting back on itself many time, but you couldn't see anything. To try and spot the other riders was just inviting a crash. So I kept my eyes on the trail and looking up around the next bend. Up and down, dodging trees, hoping small roots. I was noticing my lack of speed and acceleration, but was still having a good time and holding onto my position. Confirmation that I wasn't riding any faster then last year came at the start to the Highlander Loop. I was riding in and Shonny was riding out. I was about 15 minutes behind her, and I didn't know what position she was in the race. Oh well. Can't chase - just ride smart. I made the switchbacks on Highlander - something that had eluded me during the pre-ride. Another fast and fun descent, swooping through the trees, onto the long climb and it was my turn to exit Highlander - only a few miles left! I was still holding seventh and just having a blast riding my bike. A crowd had gathered at several spots on course this year, thanks to a shuttle for spectators. I know a few people who used the shuttle and really liked it. Cameron Park is kinda confusing for someone from out of town and the shuttle dropped people off where there was plenty of action. The course touched that area three times and the spectators got to see a few wipe outs, I'm sure, since they were at the places where the course came screaming down hill, then did a 180 and climbed straight up the hill we'd just ridden down. I was sorry to leave the single track - I had enjoyed my ride this year. But once we dropped onto the river trail, I had to start thinking about the run - something I wasn't looking forward to... My transition was quick, and I was back out in the woods.

Run - My calf tighten up with in the first few steps from transition. We were faced with Jacob's Ladder, a steep stone stair case right off the bike. I was scrambling up the stairs on hands and knees because of the steepness and size of the stairs. At the top, and the tension in my calf was quite evident. A slight modification of my gait and I was able to hobble along at a decent pace. Not fast, but making forward progress. Running on level ground and trails was fine, the down hills really hurt and I couldn't even run uphill. That made the first few miles really challenging as we meandered through the disc golf course, on some new trails, up and down some more stairs and back in to the woods. Onto the smoother single track and I wasn't making up any ground - I was bearly even holding on to the age group men around me. Shortly after starting Cali 56, as I was hobbling up a hill, Kim passed me. she'd made up the 7 minute gap with a great swim and strong bike. I tried to keep up with her, but the tearing pain was too much at that pace. I had to slow down to my steady limp. Despite the slow pace, I was still 7th pro. I had to maintain that position. I settled into a reasonable pace with a tolerable amount of pain. The run course was just as much fun as the bike course, I just wasn't able to enjoy it as much.

I realized on one of the longer, smoother straight aways that I could pick the pace up a little and not hurt any worse if the ground was level. So until the next section of rolling single track, I was able to make up some ground on the guys in front of me. I continued that roller coaster - catching on the flats, loosing time on the technical running. After a while, we turned right onto a flat double track section. Then the moment I had been dreading came - a woman with a yellow bib number pulled along side of me. With just about 20 minutes left to run, I had been caught.

Caught but not passed. She made the catch but did not pass. I noticed that right away and the feeling turned from dread and dismay to hope. Did she have the speed to get a gap since she hadn't passed right away? I decided that I wasn't going to wait to find out. We were on a level section and there was only more chunk of single track before the River Trail. I picked up the pace the best I could, blocking the tension from my calf. And the gap grew - she wasn't coming with me! Hope blossomed, overcoming the pain. If she couldn't stay with me, I had a chance to hold her off. I just needed to hit the River Trail ahead of her. One the next section of single track - a rolling, new trail the descended and climbed up several ravines, she brought the gap down a little more. But again, she never made the pass. Until she actually passed me and got some time, I was going to hold on. Hitting the blacktop road and I was able to pick up the pace a little more. I didn't look back, didn't turn around. I focused on the men in front of me - trying to bring them back a little. She was breathing down my neck as we descended to the river trail. Finally, the moment I'd been waiting for - 10 minutes of flat, easy running. It was my only chance - I was going to run as hard as I could until the finish line or my calf prevented me from running. Which ever came first... The increase in speed was evident as I quickly started passing the age group men around me. Again, never a look behind - just looking down the trail, looking for the finish line.

Some how, I was able to maintain that pace. I crossed the finish line as the 7th pro, a small victory for me, but a hard won one. I ended up as the 9th woman, as Kim and another age group woman did have faster times. Compared to Melanie, my time was pretty slow. But I was satisfied. Came through some tough times, some poor training and medical issues, compounded by the calf issues. I had stayed tough mentally and was able to use the training I had when I needed it. Now it's time to start looking towards the next races, towards getting my speed and fitness back. And getting this darn calf healed up!

In the shadow of Pikes Peak

2011-05-01T10:16:00.000-06:00

Starting out in the morning - kinda chilly at 9000 feet!

Waking up to freezing temperatures but sunny skies, Nick and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and do some exploring on the bike yesterday.Time to load up the backpacks with cold weather gear and some food and just see where the trails would take us! He'd just gotten his GPS working as well, so we were able to experiment with that. On the game plan - Pikes Peak and the Ring the Peak Trail. We drove a few miles up the tool road, parked the car and hit the trails. With in a few minutes, we were on the Ring the Peak trail. There were some sweet sections of single track before Catamount, with a nice downhill winding through the aspens. The views of the Rampart Range were great, but looking over to US 24 on the op of Mount Ester was a little crazy. That was a long drop - it had to be quite the climb up on the Ring the Peak trail. Nick told me he and Dan had just hiked it last year, pushing the bikes. I had total sympathy, since there were a few hills I was pushing my bike up on this ride!

View from South Catamount Dam

Nick verifying our location on the map

The goal was to reach Catamount Reservoir, then just ride around for a while. Since Catamount wasn't open yet, we had the trails and roads to ourselves. Nick was taking waypoints on the GPS and comparing to the map, so we knew where we were on the mountain's slopes. Finally, we hooked back into the Ring the Peak trail and decided it was time to turn around. Nick wanted to go a little farther, but I was starting to get tired. It would be mostly downhill back to the car, but there were some long, sustained climbs to conquer first. We'd had a good ride and learned some new double and single track trails. It was such a great day - a little nippy, but just wonderful riding weather. In the end, we timed things perfectly. After we got off the mountain, the clouds started descending and snowflakes started flying!

Riding among the Aspens on the Ring the Peak Trail

Travel Tales - Vegas to Waco

2011-04-24T18:27:00.005-06:00

And once again, I did the trip a little differently then the rest of the tribe. There were a few driving across from Vegas to Waco and most of them went I-40 thru AZ and NM. Well, my sister lives in Phoenix and I figured that would be a good time to swing by and say hello. So I got to experience a completely different drive then my first leg of the trip, which lead to some different observations.

*A bill board advertising the "best health care for 100 miles" might be good copy in COS or Las Vegas. Not so much in Kingman, AZ...

*Yes, I have three trays for bikes on my car. Yes, I have two bikes in my car. Um, have you seen the wind recently? Amazing the looks you get from snowbirds with cheap bikes...

*US 93 in AZ, the connector between I-40 and Phoenix, is a test of chicken... Two lane road, lots of cars, lots of RVs and trucks and just a few passing zones...

*A scenic forest in AZ is very different then a scenic forest in any other state. I'm not sure I'd want to have a picnic under a Joshua tree!

*Why would there be a monster blimp floating over the mountains south of Wilcox, AZ? Searching for aliens?

*The continental divide is more impressive in Colorado - but more hyped in New Mexico - huge billboard and tourist traps!

*After driving for hours in the quiet of the interstate thru Arizona and New Mexico, hitting El Paso was quite the shock. All of a sudden, there was traffic - and lots of it!

*I guess gas prices are really bad when the Prius has to draft behind the trucks to improve gas efficiency!

*Seeing that speed limit sign, knowing that I still had 500 miles to drive was a pleasant surprise. Too bad the wind was so strong that my gas mileage was really bad.

*A sign advertising "Imported textiles" at a tourist trap off of I-10... Um, it's not that hard to import textiles from Mexico when the border is less then 50 miles away.

*It's not a good sign when all the traffic takes the other interstate - I was a little concerned when the trucks all took I-20. Then I drove through some of the fires and I understood why. Intermittent closures of I-10 due to the wild fires.

Xterra West Championships 2011 Race Report

2011-04-23T11:51:00.001-06:00

Usually the first race of the season is the benchmark of progress and how well training went over the winter. For me, it was a measure of how much I had lost over the last month. Xterra West Championships, at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, was 30 days after my eye surgery and I was just happy to be there and be racing. I was under doctor's orders to "not race all out" - (like we ever listen to our doctors!) - so the goals I had set at the start of the year were thrown out the window, to be replaced by one simple goal - top ten. Up ahead of me, the new courses lent themselves to fast times and fierce competition. Melaine M came out on top with a time of 2:32:29, followed by Shonny V (2:35:50) and Christine J (2:37:02), Kelley C was fourth in 2:38:56 and Danelle K took fifth in 2:39:06.

Race morning was busy in the Mitchell house. Between me and Patrick racing the championship event and Rex doing his first Xterra in the sport, there was plenty of energy. It was also the first calm and sunny morning I'd seen since arriving in Vegas and was promising to be a perfect day for racing. We headed down to Lake Las Vegas with plenty of time to set up transition and watch the start of the sport race. Transitson was quite at first, but quickly became busy and crowded as the rest of the athletes started arriving. I laid claim to a small section of dirt and neatly organized my gear. Then it was time to watch the sport athletes and struggle into the wetsuit for the first time this season. I knew the water was going to be cold, so put two caps on and headed to the shore. And cold was an understatement! Couldn't feel my face for a while as I paddled over to the starting line and my toes were more then a little numb.

Swim - The swim was the part I was the most concerned about, for a few reasons. Swimming tends to be the easiest to lose when you haven't gotten in the water for a while. I knew my swim time would be slower then usual because of that. I was also very apprehensive about the start - the look on my eye doctor's face was one of sheer horror when I said "and try not to get kicked in the face during the start?" So I knew I had to be careful - I was also super excited to see the start and transition area get moved. Not having to swim out of the tiny Loews cove was a huge relief.

Even so, when Kahuna Dave's tiny cannon released the pro field, I held back from the maelstrom. A little breaststroke to get to open water and I was off. I was behind my usual group of Emma G and Suzie S, but there were still several pink caps around me. Time to get settled in the water and try to maintain the position I was in. As we got into the sun, the water gradually warmed, but my toes were still numb. I holding strong in the group of guys, but swimming off to the side a little to avoid getting kicked. I was actually a little surprised as how easy the swim in the wetsuit felt. Around the first buoy and across the narrow lake. Then it was time for the long slog back under the bridge. And that seemed to take forever! Every time I looked up, it felt like the bridge hadn't moved at all. I was starting to get tired, feeling the lack of long, steady state swims. Two of the women around me started pulling away just a little. I managed to stay on their feet, just hoping to hold it until the finish. Finally, we made it to the bridge and the next buoy. Turning around the final buoy was a relief. None of the AG men had caught me yet, so I was pretty happy with the swim as the volunteers helped pull me from the water. I was a little disoriented as I ran to my bike, but it didn't last. No issues with getting the wetsuit off, but a little slow with the rest of the transition.

Bike - Out of transition and I was right behind Danelle and Kelly. My initial goal was to just try to keep them in sight for as long as I could. Kelly was gone in a hurry, but I was maintaing the gap with Danelle. Off the blacktop and onto the dirt and I closed the gap just a little. That didn't last too long and soon she was climbing away on the second long climb. I figured I was in 8th place, maybe even 7th, but there were still some fast riders behind me. As expected, Shonny soon passed me - we were on the longest climb of the course and she built a gap really quickly. Over the top and down the backside, through a small but deep sandpit and onto the next climb. I could already tell that I had no top end speed to accelerate at the top of the climbs. I was feeling strong on the bike, but still trying not to push the pace too hard (Dr's orders..) Down the fast, open descent that traversed the valley floor and more AG men started catching me. I still have not figured out why they insist on passing just before the start of a climb, then not riding all the way up the hill! On both laps, in the same spot - where the bike and run courses diverged, I had had a guy pass me in the flat, spin out on the climb, then topple over right in front of me! And both times, they were still clipped in when they hit the dirt! Made it through the wash - no issues, but sketchy loose. Jessica caught me at the base of that next climb. I held onto her through the narrow canyon descent and climb. Into the dam washout and Jessica dismounted just at the entrance. I rode about half way through, then lost the line and started running. Shortly after the dam washout, we caught one of the speedy swimmers. I was not able to stay with Jessica, but was trying to limit the deficit. She left me in the desert dust on the long hill and i was bearly able to see her red kit at the top. Then on the U-turn, I saw another yellow number plate behind me, closing hard. I was feeling the lack of training now, and just didn't have another gear. There was no sprint out of the corners or punch off the hills. Technically, I was riding strong, as I rode around another guy who toppled over in front of me. I just wasn't riding fast. I did manage to hold her off until just before the canyon descent. She passed me on the climb, I brought the gap down on the descent, but lost it again on the next climb. Into the dam washout and she was off and running as I approached. This time my entrance and the line into the concrete like ditches and loose rocks was good. I had the right gear and good speed and saw the line around the cones. And I rode all the way through, maneuvering through the rocks and up the dirt kicker at end. Cleaned the hardest part and made up all the time I'd lost so far in the process! My goal for the final section of the bike was to just keep her in sight and limit the deficit to something I might be able to make up on the run. I took advantage of the long blacktop section to get my gloves and shoes off. Down the switchback into transition and made the switch from cyclist to runner.

Run - I was still hoping I would be able to catch the next woman when I started the run. But it was quickly apparent that that was just wishful thinking. I felt like I was moving through cement! Something about not running in the last month might have had something to do with that. It was more of a sedate trot then a run and I was moving backwards in the field. There were people in the distance, but I wasn't doing much catching at all. The big hills were still to come and I was struggling on the lower, easier slopes. As I made the traverse on the long hill, I was able to look out into valley. And I saw the next woman flying easily down the far slopes. So much for running anyone down. The realization that I was that far behind and wouldn't be gaining any ground was discouraging. I tried to banish the black thoughts as I power hiked up the hills, but a few crept in, especially as I was struggling on the final hills and unable to find the flow on the down hills. I knew my run time was going to be slow, but I had not expected to fall apart that badly in the end. But I still figured I was holding onto 10th place.

Overall, I can't complain anymore about where my fitness was. I knew I was lacking the top end speed and that I hadn't been running at all. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to better contend with the other women. But the dusting off the cobwebs and shocking my system back into high level training and racing was good. I'm still hopeful about the rest of the season. And Rex had a great time racing in his first Xterra! Welcome to the tribe...

Travel Tales - COS to Vegas

2011-04-23T10:44:00.001-06:00

Yes, I am still working on my race reports from the last two weeks. But until I get them finished, my traditional observations from the driver's seat. There's a few - this was a long trip and I put over 3500 miles on my car with the triangle between home, Vegas and Waco! The trip started in Colorado Springs, and unlike most of the COS racers, I headed south through New Mexico instead of dealing with the snow in the mountains.

*US 160 has some issues while going east - that road is first part of I-25 S, then part of CO 239 N! Are we going south or north?

*Snowbirds have migratory patterns like their feathered counterparts. There were more fancy RVs heading north then cars at times.

*Raton Pass - the wildlife crossing sign on the north side of the pass is "Bear Crossing." On the south side, it's "Elk Crossing." I guess the bears don't cross the NM state line like the elk do.

*Kodak Film? Just how old is that bill board along I-40 anyway?

*Wal Mart - the place to camp in Gallup, and everywhere else along the road...

* If I stopped at all the places that advertised themselves as "worth stopping at!" I really wouldn't get very far.

*The Route 66 souvenirs are all the same, no matter what town! And there were plenty of tourists snapping up the "priceless memories of American History."

Next installment - Vegas to Waco!

Xterra South Central Prelim Report

2011-04-19T20:06:00.001-06:00

Sunny skies, low humidity and light winds greeted the field for the Xterra South Central Championships in Waco. There was fun and fast riding through the twisty trails of Cameron Park and plenty of close finishes on the run. In the end, Melanie came through first, followed closely by Shonny and Christine. Suzie had a great race to finish fourth and Emma rounded out the top five. I worked through some issues that had developed between Vegas and Waco and held on to a 7th place finish. Happy with my mental attitude during the race, even if the times were a little sub-par.

As with last year, the people of Waco impressed with the awesome course and hospitality. I had a great time both before and during the race. Cameron Park is a fantastic place to ride and run. I hope the Xterra tribe makes Waco and Cameron park a long fixture on the circuit.

Cameron Park on foot

2011-04-15T13:29:00.000-06:00

This time, I actually was able to follow the run course. All the turns were marked and the arrows hadn't yet been shredded. It's a pretty fun run course, starting out with the climb up Jacob's ladder. A great way to wake up the legs after the challenging bike course! Then we meander around the disc golf course, through Proctor Springs and Miss Nellies Pretty Place to join the bike course on the single track. It's a short and sweet descent on Root Canal, then onto the pavement for a short stretch before re-entering the woods. At that point, the run is classic twisting single track where keeping eyes on the trail is key. After a road crossing, there is more of the fun and flowing single track before popping out onto the power line trail. From there, it's a double track trail that merges into the bike course again for a little bike. There's some fresh cut single track with some pretty steep and tricky descents. Another long section of road leads to the final drop to the river trail. And that last little chunk of trail is gonna need some attention on race day! It's pretty tough. Finally, onto the river trail for the dash to the finish line, through boulders and trees. There are a few places where the trail looks like it's had a rock slide or two. I liked the run course this year a lot, good flow and plenty of trail. I would have liked it a lot more if my left Achilles and calf hadn't gone into spasm about halfway through! That wasn't pleasant and I'm still trying to work the spasm and pain out.

After lunch, time for a dip in the river. I'd been putting off getting in for a day since the river looked really appealing and such. But not today - time to get muddy, literally. The worst part about getting into the river is the foot of mud right at the shore line. Now, I know mud is supposed to be good for the skin, but it's still slimy and a weird sensation as you step down and sink. Then there is the water. It's clean, safe for swimming, but that's not what it looks like. Start swimming and there is no visibility beyond your shoulders. Seeing your fingers? Forget it. The feet of the person in front of you? Not until it's too late! Add in the river current and the waves from the wind and it's quite the adventure. Today, the wind was downstream, blowing in the same direction as the current. That made the return leg, up stream into the wind, a bit challenging to find a good rhythm. But the winds might change on race day. The water was also rather warm - quite the change from last weekend!

Wild in Waco

2011-04-13T18:12:00.000-06:00

After a long drive from Las Vegas, (no snow going south through Tucson and El Paso, but I did get to drive right through the wildfires burning in West Texas) I got into Waco late Tuesday night. Losing those two hours really cut into my drive time! But that made today much easier - unpacked my car and settled in for the next few days. I took advantage of the free time to go for a relaxed run and pre-ride of the course.

I remembered that the run course was a little crazy in the beginning, so didn't even try. I just hopped on the single track near the house and started trying to follow the red arrows. It was easy in places, but in other areas all the red arrows had been torn down. So it's not like the course hasn't been marked, just the markings have all been moved or shredded. Finally, I hit a junction in the trail and couldn't figure out where to go next. So I just started running back on the bike course. I love running on the trails in Cameron Park - it's fun kinda technical running and the trails have good flow. After I got back, I looked at the map - I know what to do now and will be able to run the course later.

I was hoping that Will and Suzie would be able ride with me, but things didn't work out. So later in the afternoon, I headed back over to the park to try and follow the blue arrows. Luckily, I remembered most of the course and the blue arrows hadn't been as trashed as the red ones. And wow. Even though I remembered that the course was twisty, tight and filled with sharp turns into steep climbs and abrupt corners, I didn't quite recall the exact technical demands of Cameron Park riding. From the first drop onto single track, the fun never stopped. I can't even put the course into words - its just crazy. Either climbing, descending, twisting around trees - they don't move, by the way - chattering over rocks or roots and constantly looking ahead for the next corner. Fun! But by the end of the ride, I was feeling good on the bike - like I was getting some of the flow back from my month off. And flow is gonna be key on this course! Its also gonna be a challenging course on tired legs from Xterra West last week.

Xterra West Championships prelim report

2011-04-10T15:02:00.001-06:00

After three days of wind and cloudy skies, the temperature and the racing action heated up this morning at Lake Las Vegas. Melanie M turned in a commanding performance to take the win, followe by Shonny V, Chris J, Kathy C, and Danille K. I met my only goal for the race and held on to 10th place. It was far from pretty with a tentative swim, okay bike and pathetic run. But I will not complain any more about it - I could still be sitting on the couch or worse.. The season has started and can only get better. Next up, Waco!

Changes in the Wind - Pre Riding Xterra West

2011-04-08T15:55:00.000-06:00

Well, after both my husband and my coach texted me to get off the couch and get on the course, I headed down to Lake Las Vegas to get my pre-ride in. It was cool, cloudy and still windy, but an otherwise great day. The strong winds over the night had blown all the dust and such out of the air and the view of the strip from Lake Las Vegas was impressive. Add the clouds gathering around Mount Charleston, with the dusting of snow on the mountain and it was a good morning for a ride. The wind never died down, but the sun did come out.

I parked at the transition area and headed up the road to the dirt. The added length of blacktop wasn't too bad. I got on course and started following the blue arrows, riding a nice steady pace. Right away, I noticed one of the first changes to the course. Not really paying attention, I was surprised by the arrows pointing straight instead of the right turn I was anticipating. The biggest change of the bike course is the elimination of the steep ugly hill that everyone walked up and the sketchy descent on the back side. The worst descent - steep, loose with no good lines - has also been taken out. So the course is overall easier and friendlier. So now, we cross over where the run course went last, climb up what we ran down, including that slender ridge halfway down the hill. Then a steep descent, over some washout areas, through a sand pit and a hard right turn to climb up again. The trail crosses where we used to ride and rejoins the old course at the base of the ugly hill. The drop into the wash is a little sketchy and has a few deep ruts. I tried a few different lines - one works well, the other is okay. The wash is rather loose this year and the pipe of disaster is still there. Out of the wash, into the two way traffic area. The left turn off the road is really washed out this year, with only one strong line. After a steady climb with a good view of the lake and the lunar landscape, it's down into another rocky wash. Biggest thing to look out for there are the big, loose rocks - no good lines, it's kinda point and shoot for that down hill. A sharp left and steep climb, then a fast descent to the dam washout.

I haven't cleaned the dam washout yet, but came pretty close this time. I watched another athlete clean in both ways and tried the line he showed me. Almost made it - tried a few more times, getting a little further each time. I also made it across the wash going the opposite direction! That made me happy. There is another really badly washed out section after the dam washout, then back to the dirt road and to the lake shore. That's a fun section - twisting through the cattails and rushes along the lake. It looks like the water level was high this winter - the trail is almost washed out in a few places. I was satisfied with my lap time, but hope I got all the goofy slip ups out of my system today!

Happy in Henderson

2011-04-08T09:52:00.000-06:00

That was a long drive this year! But I made pretty good time and rolled into Henderson about 2:00 on Thursday. Picked up my packet and decided to run instead of riding because of the wind. I did not want to deal with the 30mph sustained winds on the open trails out at Lake Las Vegas. Even the run course was pretty challenging with the winds.I didn't get to do the whole course as it wasn't completely marked yet and some of the makings had blown over. But getting out of the car and doing something was good. I liked the start of the new run course - instead of going straight up into the lunar landscape behind the resort area, it meanders in some of the washes to the west of the Lake.

The new transition area is good - same transition that we used in Silverman last year. Nice and open, with plenty of room for everyone. And we get to ride our bikes up the "fourth" sister to get out of transition this time! The swim will be a deep water start - with an open line. I was very relieved to see the change - I was not looking forward to the narrow channel at the prior start. I'll still have to be careful with the start - I can't risk getting kicked in the face right now. There will be more blacktop to get to the bike course, but everything has tradeoffs. An open swim start and cool new run course in exchange for a little more blacktop? I'll take it.

I am a little nervous about the race. I know I haven't really lost anything from my time on the couch, but the thought is still there. I've done a few harder rides, and was pretty close to my fastest time up Buckhorn last weekend while still trying to keep the effort level moderate. I just don't feel like I have any spunk right now. But I am here, and I'm able to race. Regardless of what happens, I will be thankful that I'm able to get out, get dirty and have fun.

Gluten Free Pancakes

2011-04-03T20:00:00.000-06:00

After talking to a few other people with gluten intolerance issues, breakfast seems to be one of the harder meals deal with. Many of the meals we eat for breakfast are high in wheat and gluten content. Nick used to love eating pancakes and such, but always felt sluggish and slow after eating that kind of food. He loves eggs and potatoes, but I am not a huge fan of eggs and potatoes get boring day after day. So I started playing around with my pancake recipes and the gluten free flours. Here is one of Nick's favorite pancake recipes - it's quick and easy. There are two ways of cooking these - one will yield light, fluffy and airy pancakes but will take a little more time, the other is more traditional and very quick.

Fluffy Pancakes
Separate three eggs.
Beat the whites until stiff and peaks form. Set aside
Beat until pale
*egg yolks
*1/4 cup sugar

Add to egg yolk mixture and beat until smooth
*1 cup gluten free flour
*1/4 tsp Xanthan gum (omit if you use wheat flour)
*1 tsp baking powder
*4 tbsp melted butter or canola oil
*3/4 cup milk
*1/2 tsp Cinnamon
*1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Gently fold in egg whites.

Cook on griddle, using low heat. Flip when pancakes are bubbling on top.
Serve with syrup or sliced fruit

Quick and Easy Pancakes
Mix all dry ingredients together
*1 cup gluten free flour
*1/4 tsp xanthan gum (omit if using wheat flour)
*1/4 cup sugar
*1 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp cinnamon

Make a well in the middle of the dry mix and slowly add in wet ingredients
*3 eggs
*4 tbsp melted butter or canola oil
*3/4 cup milk
*1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix until batter is smooth and there are no lumps. The batter will be thin.

Cook on griddle, using low heat. Flip when pancakes are bubbling on top.
Serve with syrup or sliced fruit

An easy (late) present

2011-04-02T20:34:00.000-06:00

I like it when presents are easy! My mother has been slowly getting into mountain biking and is doing a few Xterras this year. Her skills are very rudimentary and she wanted to work on them. So for a late birthday present, Nick and I took her to CMSP to ride a few of the northern trails. She originally wanted to head down to Pueblo since the easy trails are much easier but with the wind we have been having lately - Pueblo did not sound like fun. So to CMSP we went. She's ridden Sundance and Talon, so we figured that Soaring Kestrel and such would be a good challenge. The trails were pretty busy with riders from all over, pre-riding for the MSC race next weekend. Can't understand why, it was a perfect day for riding. Sunny, warm and no wind up in the trees. Hope everyone else out riding had as much as fun as we did. Mom did really well, even rode over a few rocks!

Mom making her way around the rocks on Coyote Run - Nick waiting to spot her if needed

Third attempt through the rocks in Acorn Alley - and she's still looking at the rock, not the trail!

Nick waiting on Coyote Run - notice the line for her to follow on the trail

Three weeks and playing in the dirt!

2011-04-02T19:56:00.000-06:00

Crazy busy already! And to think I was complaining about being bored and searching for usefull things to do for the last two weeks, to the point of making Nick empty out his office do I could paint! This week, I was cleared to go back to work, start working out with a little more intensity and time now seems to be a fleeting commodity. I really do need to work on my time management skills again so I can get everything done. It was a little stressful the first few days, but I was happy to get out of the house and start acting normal again.

Swim - Finally got back in the water on Wednesday, three weeks after my last swim. It was a good thing that I had no intention to finish the workout - just getting in the water was good enough. The warm up and drills were enough. I did get a little further then I thought I would - it was pretty slow though. The vasa did help with my strength and maintain my endurance, but did nothing to help with the feel of the water. Today was much better then the first swim - made a least part of the workout on the normal interval, with room to spare. I have a week to get my stroke and feel back!

Bike - Tuesday was my first mountain bike ride. Nick and I stayed on the easy trails - meandered through Stratton, then dropped Columbine. Didn't feel that great down Columbine - it was a little looser then I like, but I still made all the switchbacks. Followed that up with a good ride on Thursday with a few harder efforts and a lot smoother on the technical stuff. Today was longer and easy at CMSP - we took my mother there for some practice. But I still got some work on the technical sections and felt really good. A little tentative in the rock gardens - was afraid of wiping out. I don't think that I've lost that much on the bike.

Run - Started running and again it felt really good. I'm lucky that I've got a pretty smooth stride. It wasn't really a run, but it was a start. Walked and jogged, a nice steady shuffle. Thursday another run, this time ran the whole thing. Felt slow, but my time was not shabby. Not great either, but as good as I could expect for sitting on the couch for a few weeks. I don't think the run will be too bad, I've got plenty of endurance and speed from the years of marathoning. It will be interesting to see what happens in a week. I still need to behave and monitor exertion levels - now is not the time to go crazy.

Gluten Free Biscuits

2011-03-28T16:42:00.000-06:00

I've been doing plenty of baking with the gluten free flours since we figured out Nick's issues. I still working on going through the cookbook and trying all the recipes I have, but I figured I'd share this one. It's a really simple recipe, doesn't take that long to make and the biscuits are versatile. Nick likes them with eggs; I like slicing some berries and having them with berries and yogurt. I think you could even use them for dinner if you wanted!

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine:
*2 cup gluten free flour
*1/2 tsp xanthan gum
*2 tsp baking powder
*1/4 tsp baking soda
*1/4 cup sugar
*1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Cut in:
*3 tbsp butter or shortening
if you don't have the tool to cut in the butter, you can use two forks

Add:
*1 egg
*3/4 cup milk
mix until blended, batter will be slightly lumpy

Drop onto greased baking sheet - makes six biscuits.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from baking sheet. For best taste, serve warm.

I'll be posting more recipes through out the year. Give them a try, let me know what you think!

Getting back at it

2011-03-27T18:19:00.000-06:00

Just over two weeks post op now and I'm able to start doing some intervals, introduce easy running and get back in the water. As noted before, the air bubble is completely gone - although I have left my stylish medical alert bracelet on. I am also not seeing my heart beat as much in my eye - just after workouts. The "hole" in my vision that started this whole ordeal is also gone. Good news - that means that the surgery was successful and I didn't permanently loose any vision between when the tear developed and when I had the surgery to fix it.

Swim - I've gotten up to 2x10 minutes on the vasa trainer at CTS. It's quite the workout - almost a really swim simulation, but not. Harder to get the body rotation and there is no kicking on the vasa. But it's better then doing nothing and not getting any swimming in at all. I will be back in the water on Wednesday, taking it easy and just paddling around. The bad part is I had just gotten my feel for the water back after the trip to Tucson - and that was only two weeks out of the water! This will be three weeks...

Bike - I was able to start riding inside at one week post op, but had to work really hard to keep it easy for the first few rides. If I got my heart rate up too high, there was a lot of fuzziness afterwards and I could really see my heart beat in my eye. It's the weirdest sensation! But that has really gone away and I have been able to gradually up the intensity of the rides. Today I actually did a little interval workout - felt great and had no issues at all. I was hoping to get outside and ride some of the really easy trails at CMSP today, but woke up to snow. So inside it was, and the mental boost I got from the ride was worth staring at the walls for another two hours. This week, I will start getting back on the mountain bike, starting with non-technical trails.

Run - So this will be the last area I get to re-introduce. Running just has more jarring then any of the other disciplines (except for maybe crashing on the mountain bike) and that's what the doc wants me to avoid for a few more days. I will slowly introduce the running into my walks. Yep, me who hates walking has been channeling my inner race walker and putting out some fast times for my strolls. I actually did 18 miles walking last week! Got on the trails for my long walk yesterday - and I think the trails will be the place to start running. Softer and less pounding on the body (eye)

I've said it before, but Nick has been just awesome for the last two weeks. A bored athlete who can't do much is a hard person to deal with and that's just what I've been. At least I got two rooms of the house painted...

Moving forward

2011-03-23T15:01:00.000-06:00

One more milestone in recovery - the gas bubble that was used to help keep the repaired tear in place has completely dissipated from my eye. It's a welcome relief - trying to see around the air bubble was giving me a headache at best and some vertigo issues at worse. It was kinda fun, watching the size of the bubble diminish throughout the day, from a line across my vision to a small round dot that bounced around when ever I moved my head. I can still see my heart beat in my eye and get some passing fuzziness in my vision, especially after riding. But with the visual reminder gone, it will be even more important to stay focused on recovery. Now is not the time to start getting rambunctious. Xterra West Championships will be fine - I'm not going to lose anything at this point since I'm "swimming" on the vasa, riding and powerwalking. Maybe sometime next week will be the time to get back in the water and running.

It's actually been a pretty useful down week. I can't go back to work until next week, so I've been getting some of the painting done in the basement. It's almost taking longer to tape the rooms in preparation to paint then it has been to paint! But it's keeping me busy and making sure I behave.

Taking it easy

2011-03-21T09:07:00.000-06:00

Or at least I have been trying to take it easy. It's been hard - physically I want to get out and ride or run. But I can't - not yet. There is still a gas bubble in my eye and the my vision starts getting a little fuzzy when I've been doing too much. The sun light and bright lights at some stores are really hard on my eyes right now and I've been wearing my sunglasses inside a lot. Although I've been cleared to drive and such, it's more stressful then I would like - driving to CTS has been about the limit of my driving! I know things will get better, but right now I'm wondering how I am going to survive at Xterra West Championships. After doing much of anything, all I want to do is lay down and take a nap.

Swim - I started using the Vasa Trainer at CTS on Friday and have done two short sessions. It's harder then it looks and a lot harder then getting in the water. But it's a good swim simulator and better then doing nothing to prepare for the swim.

Bike - I've done two rides since cleared by the doctor. One really easy ride and one harder - a little too hard. It felt really good to just ride, even though it was inside. But after the ride, my eye wasn't happy - vision just foggy and with a bad headache. A little scary at times, given everything I've gone through. I really need to keep an eye on things while riding and make sure easy = easy.

Run - Well, I'm not allowed to run yet. So I've been walking. Two walks, one super easy, one brisker. Walking feels good, getting out and getting some fresh air. I'll be honest - it's tempting to run, but I know I can't yet. A few more weeks...

But that's the update for now - things are getting better slowly. I need to behave, take it easy for a few more weeks and then see how I feel on April 10.

View from the couch

2011-03-18T08:53:00.004-06:00

Since I normally do a "notes from the road" about my travels, I figured I would do something similar for my involuntary couch time. Because of the movement, activity and posture restrictions from the retina re-attachment surgery, I had plenty of time getting just sitting and thinking. Some of those thoughts...

I'm not that happy - my face is still numb

*With an eye patch, getting ready to take a shower is a process. Saran wrap, tape, more tape...

*There are only so many ways to sit on the couch with your head in an upright position. I was getting sore from sitting...

*The news in the morning is the news in the afternoon and the news from prior day. Same reporters, same pictures.

*There are lots of commercials, and little news, especially as the day wears on. (Four hours of the Today Show? Really)

*What do athletes use for get-well flowers? An old water bottle.

Flowers from work, waterbottle from CTS!

*Cats do exactly what you think they do all day - sleep. Somedays, I don't think they even moved all day!

*For all the day time court shows, someone needs to teach the women how to dress. Guys can look good with a tie and a cheap shirt. The girls always look like tramps when they try to dress nice.

*There are lots of injury law firm commercials during day time television - I guess they think that all people sitting at home have been in car accidents, workers comp, ect.

*There are also a lot of the for-profit college commercials - Do they think everyone sitting at home is there because they don't have the "right" degree?

*And the final commercials are for the kids dentists - didn't know there was such a market for kids dentists.

*The text to speech feature on my Kindle is awesome. I could listen to my paper, my books, anything. And since I still have the air bubble in my eye, I'll still be using it for a while.

My new fashion statement for a few more days

But my couch time is over - I can start doing things again. Looking forward to being able to move around again!

Eyes on recovery!

2011-03-17T09:37:00.000-06:00

My one week post-op appointment was today and everything looks really good. The doctor said my eye was healing beautifully and the retinal tear was completely sealed and re-attached. So after a week of sitting on the couch, or the floor, or the leather chair and either listening to my kindle or watching TV, I am cleared to read, use the computer and drive as long as I ease into it. I can also start doing some light exercise - spin bike, computrainer, vasa trainer, and walking. I should still be able to compete in Vegas - but that will be my first time back on the mountain bike and back in the water!

The eyeball - this is what happened to me

So what exactly happened? Who knows, but some how I got a small tear in my retina. The fluid from inside my eye started seeping between the retina and the rest of the eye, forcing the retina to tear away. That was why I had a small "hole" in my vision. If left alone, the entire retina could tear away, causing blindness. So it wasn't an elective surgery - it was have surgery and behave or possibly loose my sight in that eye.

The surgery was weird. After getting completely knocked out for long enough to numb my eye and face on the left, I was woken up. I was completely covered in draping, with my left eye exposed. Fully alert and able to talk and hear. Could kinda see, but not. One of the nurses even asked where the music was! So the anaesthesiologist got to choose the music. The doc drained all the fluid from my eye, which was why I couldn't see anything. Then he used a laser to tack the retina down. I could see the flashes from the laser, but nothing else. The laser couldn't quite get to the tear well enough, so he also used a cryowand to freeze the flap so it would fully seal. Once everything looked good, he filled my eye with a gas bubble to hold everything in place. I was wheeled to recovery while he went out to talk to Nick.

And he must have given Nick quite the lecture about the restrictions I had, because Nick was just awesome. I couldn't read, couldn't lift anything. I had to keep my head upright during the day and only lay on my right side at night. Nick had to do everything for me for the first few days. My first day alone was bad - sitting on the couch, not really being able to see out of one eye is pretty scary.

When life gives you lemons

2011-03-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone one always says "Make lemonade." Well, the advice is good, but it's really hard to do. I will be taking a few weeks unscheduled down time, with no swimming, no running, indoor cycling only and not even working for at least a week. The hope is that I will be cleared to swim and mountain bike before the Xterra West Championships, but the doctors are not used to dealing with someone of my age. It was very hard to nail him down to a specific return to activity schedule at my appointment yesterday - probably because he was more concerned about saving my vision.

I will be having surgery on my left eye to repair a small retinal detachment and tear later today. It's all related to the cataract surgery I had back in 2005 - retinal tearing is one of the risks. The issue is, without immediate intervention (the doc was concerned that he could not do the surgery yesterday after the appointment) the tear and detachment can get larger and will eventually lead to blindness in that eye. Given the choice... And because it is such a big deal, the restrictions for the first week are huge - no extensive reading, no computer, nothing that would cause jarring, no driving. Nothing that would cause rapid eye movements that could potential re-tear the retina. Only really mild, easy indoor riding, walking and elliptical trainer. I can't even change elevations for the first week, at least! After the first week, I will know more about when I can get back in the water and on the mountain bike. It will all depend on how well things heal in the that first week. So I need to behave and not rush - that's the only option.

The only consolation from having to take this down time now, is the training I was doing prior was really strong. I was hitting both the cycling and the running workouts much better then last year, with increased power and speed. I've worked very hard getting to this point and was feeling good about my chances at the first two Xterras. As long as I keep active, I won't lose too much of that. The other good news is that it happened here - not somewhere between Las Vegas and Waco!

Stash Your Trash!!!

2011-03-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

I noticed a disturbing trend this year at the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. The entire course was littered with gel and bar wrappers, casually tossed aside. While some of it might be attributed to the increase in teams and racers, that is no excuse for laziness and littering. Put bluntly, I was disgusted by the amount of wrappers I rode past during the race. There is no reason why if an athlete can carry an unopened gel packet, that same packet can’t be carried out in a jersey pocket when empty. I can’t even count the number of top riders I saw leaving the transition tent with one or two gels, then cruising back into camp with no trash at all. A rider skilled enough to open and eat a gel on that course is skilled enough to stuff that packet into a jersey pocket. And the riders who look up to the faster teams are given the idea that it’s okay to just discard trash along the course – not a message we should be sending.

Every empty wrapper, every piece of trash reflects on all athletes participating, as well as race organizers and volunteers. And it is not a reflection I want to look at. It says that we care more about speed then the surroundings that we race in; that we are more focused on the race then taking care of the venues. Is that the message we want to be sending to other user groups? We as mountain bikers are lucky to be able to train and race in such beautiful and unspoiled single track venues like at 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. We should care enough about our ability to access these trails to take the few seconds to properly dispose of our trash, both while training and racing. It’s already hard to get access to trails and to promote mountain biking as an environmentally friendly sport. When we leave a race venue trashed, with gel wrappers strewn across the desert, that makes the battle even harder. Our numbers are growing, but that makes being respectful to the environment that we have to train and race in even more important. Leaving behind the amount of litter I saw at 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo is not a good way to gain additional access for riding and racing.

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo covers a 16.1/16.3 mile course. After the race, someone has to go out and examine every foot of every mile to ensure that there is no evidence of the race left behind. Every tear tag, every bar wrapper, every gel packet has to be picked up and carried off that course. And that is in addition to ensuring that 24 Hour Town is left cleaner then when we moved in for the weekend. In 2010, Nick and I spent 6 hours Monday morning cleaning up micro trash in 24 Hour Town. In six hours, we had barely covered a fourth of the area, walked away with 60 gallons of trash, and it was not easy work. I would not want to have to peruse the entire course, searching in the cacti for garbage left behind by careless racers. And judging by how quickly people abandon town, neither does anyone else. I don’t see many racers helping clean up more then their little section of town, if even that much. But it has to be done. If not, we all jeopardize the ability to hold the race at that venue. And that is true for all mountain bike races.

So pack it in and pack it out - stash your trash! Find out if your favored nutrition company has a loyalty program for returning empty wrappers or if there is some type of recycling available. But don’t ruin it for the rest of us by discarding them along the trail. I don’t want to see it and neither does anyone else.

Getting Dirty - or tuck and roll

2011-03-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

Literally!

Yesterday's ride was really blah - I made a bad choice with ride location. Instead of taking the invitation to ride a Falcon with one of the CTS coaches, or listening to Nick and riding in Red Rocks, I decided that we'd go to CMSP. Well, it was soft in some places, snowy in others and just plain muddy. We rode up Talon in soft trails, did North and South in lots of snow and mud, then came down Sundance in super deep mud. At that point, the bikes were a disaster and we were both grumpy with the ride. So we didn't try any of the other trails in the park. Headed home and sulked for a little, then went to the climbing gym for some bouldering.

Today was a much better ride - we had just a little mud and a fun ride. We rode through Bear Creek, meandered around in Red Rocks for a little, then met the gang at ProCycling. Time for more fun and rocks in Red Rocks! Made it most of the way on the Hog's Back trail, tried one rock a few times, finally cleaning it on the third try. Then down to Intamen trail and back into Red Rocks. That's were I got the dirtiest! First, sliding out in the mud on one of the steepest hills. Then, following Dave down, I got to demonstrate my tuck and roll skills. I made it though the rock obstacle and was feeling pretty good as we met up with two hikers and their dog. After saying thanks, Dave maneuvered around an off camber waterbar in the middle of a switchback. His rear tire slid off the waterbar, but he was able to hold it. I decided to try riding around the waterbar. Yeah, that wasn't such a smart idea. Lost my balance, almost corrected, then my left foot popped out. That was the final straw - a few more attempts to correct, then I bailed. Went flying from the bike and tucked into a nice roll. Rolled twice and was back on my feet. I must say, an Osprey Pack with a few clothes makes a great crash pad! And of course, I had quite the audience for my crash - but Dave only gave me a 6/10!

No harm done, just a little dusty. We finished the ride, laughing about my landing skills. If only my mountain biking skills were as good as my crashing skills! Back home and out for my run. All in all a good day!

New rules in the house

2011-03-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

And that new rule is "No more muddy bikes!" We have a water hose, time to put it use and keep the bikes clean. The rule was put in place following my first ride on the Era since the race. I knew I'd put the bike through the ringer at Old Pueblo. Between the layers of mud and having to ride single speed for most of one lap, the bike was in bad shape. We'd cleaned it up and done some maintenance to make sure the bike was ridable. I took that bike out for a ride after we got home. Well, it's a good thing that I decided to just switch bikes in the middle of the race. Not five minutes from home, at the stop light on 8th street, I shifted into a harder gear and stood up to sprint for the light. And clunk - snap! The chain broke - the first time I have ever broken a chain! (Knock on wood - the last time, too.)

Nick had me fix the chain (and it was really grimy) and off we went to enjoy our ride. I can do a good job of fixing a chain - but it's not something I would want to do at 2:30am in the cold, wet darkness. I do need to practice some of the maintenance skills a little more. Proficient is good, but not idea under a stressful situation where every minute matters. So into the garage when we got back for a thorough cleaning and minor overhaul for the Era. We cleaned everything, inspected tires, wheels, cassette, chain rings and chain. And everything is ready to go now, the Era is a happy, clean and fast bike. As long as I keep it clean!

Photos from 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo

2011-03-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

It took a while to get these up - picking the perfect sunset shots when I have so many good ones is tough! I have photos from before the race, a few during the race and plenty from our travels after the race. Visit the picasa photo album to see them all!

Race photos from the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo