Ah, the PNW winter doldrums...they last from January through May it seems.
CX season ended nearly a month ago. I've been super active, just not on the bike. We've done a lot of hiking, snowshoeing and gym cardio. I'm really determined to lost the "cyclocross 5" that I gained during the season (reduced workout hours and same level of eating...doh).
I have a TON of motivation right now but I don't know what to do with it. My interests are all over the place:
-Road racing- new cycling discipline for me
-Endurance MTB- should I defend my title in Spokane? Or take a shot at Leadville instead?
-Endurace running- I'd love to do a 50K but I might have to delay training b/c of my knee.
Hmmm...lots of decisions to be made in the coming weeks.
1.04.2011
End of season CX recap
USGP in Portland: We spent the first weekend in December down in Portland for the USGP. I only raced on Saturday so I would have fresh legs for Nationals. I raced with the women's B's (last B race ever BTW) and was really disappointed with the small field size- I've heard about the crazy 200-woman fields and we had maybe 20 racers tops.
I started in the 3rd row, quickly moved up to 2nd and stayed there the entire race. The course was SO slow, it was really weird. On the last lap I could feel my collarbone throbbing, most likely from when I crashed back in September, and that really sucked. I just barely fended off 3rd place (the girl I've been trying to beat for a year) with a sprint to the finish.
Nationals: Last year's race, well, sucked. I was really looking forward to this year's event and a chance to redeem myself. Early on I pondered doing the Elite race, but looking at last year's results almost all of the Seattle women were pulled with many laps to go. SO...I stuck with my age group race instead (which still has pros in it). I missed my time trial start so I used Thursday to scout the course and fit in 3 laps. Not as snowy as last year and lots more mud.
Race day was pretty relaxed for most part. We scored a great parking spot, got set up on one of the awesome LeMond trainers and had a nice long warmup. LeMond even provided propane heaters for us!
I was the very LAST person to get called up. It turned out to be OK because 5 seconds after the start a lot of women went down. I still had to dismount but was able to come out unscathed. I think if I had done the TT I would've started right in the middle of that mess. Yea for being a slacker! I settled in quickly, was able to pass some women and a few who crashed eventually passed me. It was great to hear so many people cheering for me! I managed to pass someone right on the final stretch- it was awesome. I ended up 18th, which is a huge improvement over last year!
2011: Cross season is going to be NUTS next year. I have some very exciting plans in the works...more details later!
I started in the 3rd row, quickly moved up to 2nd and stayed there the entire race. The course was SO slow, it was really weird. On the last lap I could feel my collarbone throbbing, most likely from when I crashed back in September, and that really sucked. I just barely fended off 3rd place (the girl I've been trying to beat for a year) with a sprint to the finish.
Nationals: Last year's race, well, sucked. I was really looking forward to this year's event and a chance to redeem myself. Early on I pondered doing the Elite race, but looking at last year's results almost all of the Seattle women were pulled with many laps to go. SO...I stuck with my age group race instead (which still has pros in it). I missed my time trial start so I used Thursday to scout the course and fit in 3 laps. Not as snowy as last year and lots more mud.
Race day was pretty relaxed for most part. We scored a great parking spot, got set up on one of the awesome LeMond trainers and had a nice long warmup. LeMond even provided propane heaters for us!
I was the very LAST person to get called up. It turned out to be OK because 5 seconds after the start a lot of women went down. I still had to dismount but was able to come out unscathed. I think if I had done the TT I would've started right in the middle of that mess. Yea for being a slacker! I settled in quickly, was able to pass some women and a few who crashed eventually passed me. It was great to hear so many people cheering for me! I managed to pass someone right on the final stretch- it was awesome. I ended up 18th, which is a huge improvement over last year!
2011: Cross season is going to be NUTS next year. I have some very exciting plans in the works...more details later!
11.01.2010
SCX #4- Steilacoom park
Here's how Sunday's race went down:
1. Not prepared as I was in Boise for half the week.
2. Riding on a new set of wheels with a lot less stopping power (although very light!)
3. Heard through the grapevine that it was going to be a non-technical roadie course. Sucky for me.
I started in the 2nd row and quickly moved my way up to 2nd place. Once we hit the big climb the leader stood up and I knew she would totally blow up (I only stand as a last resort since it fries your quads). Sure enough she did and I led for a lap or two, then traded 1st-3rd place with a couple girls. They both killed me on the last climb and I rolled across the line in 3rd out of 21. I'm pretty happy with 3rd since this was definitely not my kind of course!
1. Not prepared as I was in Boise for half the week.
2. Riding on a new set of wheels with a lot less stopping power (although very light!)
3. Heard through the grapevine that it was going to be a non-technical roadie course. Sucky for me.
I started in the 2nd row and quickly moved my way up to 2nd place. Once we hit the big climb the leader stood up and I knew she would totally blow up (I only stand as a last resort since it fries your quads). Sure enough she did and I led for a lap or two, then traded 1st-3rd place with a couple girls. They both killed me on the last climb and I rolled across the line in 3rd out of 21. I'm pretty happy with 3rd since this was definitely not my kind of course!
Season's Eatings!
It's that time of year again- Season's Eatings, which extends from Halloween to New Year's Day. Time to fill up on candy and fattening foods!
10.25.2010
MFG #4
Well, the weathermen were right (for once)!Rain and heavy winds. I overheated during my warmup and decided to skip the long-sleeved skinsuit...bad move. Right before our 11:20 start the temperature dropped, downpour began and the winds kicked up. All of us girls were huddled under a canopy and didn't leave until the absolute last minute. As soon as the race started I didn't even think about the temperature! The course was great- didn't require too much power and had just enough technical elements to keep it fun. I led the entire race with a decent gap but had to work at the end to keep one of the HB girls behind me. I will moving up to the 1-2 group for the next race- should be interesting!
10.12.2010
MFG #3 Federal Way
This course was not at all what I thought it would be. All roadie and not much technical stuff for us mountain bikers. I got the hole shot and led the entire race- 2nd place came in 41 seconds behind me! I think I'm 1st in the series now. Here are a couple pictures- click to see a larger version:
Charleston Photos...
Can be found here!
We had a great time at David and Courtney's wedding and can't wait to go back to Charleston.
We had a great time at David and Courtney's wedding and can't wait to go back to Charleston.
6.03.2010
6.01.2010
Spokane v.2.0
Time for my one MTB race of the year- 24 Hours Round the Clock in Spokane!
I actually trained for this race. Right after CX season & holidays I hopped back on the trainer and just started logging miles. I also spent a lot of time cross training- hiking, snowshoeing and even XC skiing. Toss in a few InCycle classes, gym sessions and a badass new bike...and the rest is history! My goal was 14 laps- 3 more than last year. Could I actually pull it off?
Boy, there were are a lot of racers this year! The first lap is always a total cluster, and for whatever reason I joined in the ruckus and rode super fast. In fact, my first 3 laps were pretty darn fast and my transitions even faster thanks to my husband Eric. By lap 6 I started to deteriorate though- I was actually getting bored (!) and was tired of riding by myself. I rolled into camp, plopped in a chair and lost it. After declaring my intent to DNF several times Eric somehow talked me into one more lap. Fine. So after a few miles I stumbled upon "Ear Guy" (solo guy who had an ear infection and rode my pace) and a few miles later we picked up "Thigh Guy" (slowed by severe leg cramps). It was SO nice to have riding buddies. At that point I was in 2nd place.
Sometime in the early morning I was informed that the #1 gal dropped out. That was all the motivation I needed. Thanks to Eric and Molly Martin I knew exactly what my competition was doing and definitely used that to my advantage. Around 2am Eric said "Right now everyone is sleeping or taking a break- you have to get out there and put a lap on them!". So I did!
On lap 12 I was climbing up "5 minute hill"...and lapped the #2 girl. Aw yeah. Lap 13 was OK and 14 was painful- my IT band lit up on every downstroke. By then I was 99.9% sure I had won the race so I kept it to a light spin and walked all the hills. I waited on pins and needles for an hour to see if anyone was heading out for a 14th lap, because that would mean 15 for me (ugh). But at noon the gun fired and that was it- I won the women's solo division!
Overall I had a great race. Food/water intake was really low but I never bonked or even came close to it. No sleep but I never felt the need to stop and rest. My support crew was top notch.
14 laps, 203 miles and $800 in prize money. Sweet.
Stay tuned for more photos!
I actually trained for this race. Right after CX season & holidays I hopped back on the trainer and just started logging miles. I also spent a lot of time cross training- hiking, snowshoeing and even XC skiing. Toss in a few InCycle classes, gym sessions and a badass new bike...and the rest is history! My goal was 14 laps- 3 more than last year. Could I actually pull it off?
Boy, there were are a lot of racers this year! The first lap is always a total cluster, and for whatever reason I joined in the ruckus and rode super fast. In fact, my first 3 laps were pretty darn fast and my transitions even faster thanks to my husband Eric. By lap 6 I started to deteriorate though- I was actually getting bored (!) and was tired of riding by myself. I rolled into camp, plopped in a chair and lost it. After declaring my intent to DNF several times Eric somehow talked me into one more lap. Fine. So after a few miles I stumbled upon "Ear Guy" (solo guy who had an ear infection and rode my pace) and a few miles later we picked up "Thigh Guy" (slowed by severe leg cramps). It was SO nice to have riding buddies. At that point I was in 2nd place.
Sometime in the early morning I was informed that the #1 gal dropped out. That was all the motivation I needed. Thanks to Eric and Molly Martin I knew exactly what my competition was doing and definitely used that to my advantage. Around 2am Eric said "Right now everyone is sleeping or taking a break- you have to get out there and put a lap on them!". So I did!
On lap 12 I was climbing up "5 minute hill"...and lapped the #2 girl. Aw yeah. Lap 13 was OK and 14 was painful- my IT band lit up on every downstroke. By then I was 99.9% sure I had won the race so I kept it to a light spin and walked all the hills. I waited on pins and needles for an hour to see if anyone was heading out for a 14th lap, because that would mean 15 for me (ugh). But at noon the gun fired and that was it- I won the women's solo division!
Overall I had a great race. Food/water intake was really low but I never bonked or even came close to it. No sleep but I never felt the need to stop and rest. My support crew was top notch.
14 laps, 203 miles and $800 in prize money. Sweet.
Stay tuned for more photos!
5.09.2010
4.10.2010
April already!
Here in Seattle April showers bring May showers. And June showers. We've had a few really nice days though and Eric and I have been taking advantage of them. Today we took a ferry out to Port Gamble to hit the trails. We had a great time despite getting lost a few times!
3.07.2010
Time flies...
...whether you're having fun or not! Wow, it's already March. We have been enjoying the early arrival of spring and doing a lot of biking and hiking.
2.06.2010
Spring has sprung...well, kinda....
We have had unseasonably warm weather lately. OK, so "warm" only means 55 degrees but hey, I'll take it. It's better than 40 and rain! Our plants have been having a field day- everything has mini-leaves on it and my tulips are about 3" tall right now. Here's a shot of the flower pots on my front porch.
1.31.2010
1.29.2010
No news is good news
No news to report, mostly because we don't have a camera anymore (which means no photos to post). We're both busy with work, busy at home, busy with Daisy and Little B. We are tenatively planning a trip to Hawaii...we could use some sun and warm weather!
1.02.2010
In the year 2010...
Shouldn't we be wearing silver space suits and riding in flying cars? 2010 sounds so futuristic. The minute someone invents a food-a-rac-a-cycle I'm gonna buy one.
12.14.2009
CX nationals- Bend, Oregon
Some thoughts about last weekend's CX national championship race...
The good:
1. I had a nice start in the top 1/3rd of the pack. Didn't last very long though!
2. I met my main goal (not to get lapped by the leaders).
3. I didn't break anything.
4. Had a fun (yet humbling) experience. The top women are SO fast.
5. I will be better prepared for next year!
The bad:
1. Forgot my inhaler (not good in cold weather).
2. Icy course. 'Nuff said.
3. Crashed hard twice on my right side. Thought something was broken (see # 3 above).
4. Overall had a bad race. Felt slow and my tech skills were poor.
5. Must buy a lighter bike for next season.
I ended up 31st out of 45 starters. Kinda what I expected though. Now I can kick back, enjoy the holidays and then start training for...road racing! Should be interesting!
Here are a few photos/videos from the race.
11.29.2009
Scc #8- Monroe
Today was the last race of the SCC series. I had bad tire karma at last year's Monroe race and I wanted to redeem myself this time around. My legs felt pretty heavy during the warmup and that got me a little worried. Plus, I left my inhaler at home...ack!
The course was chock full 'o variety- pavement, barns, mud, cruddy downhills, you name it. Lucky me- I had the perfect holeshot and lead the entire first lap...then fell back a few spots over the next 6 laps. I should mention that I was absolutely sick to my stomach and actually stopped for a minute (wasn't sure if I should stop or keep riding...barfing is not fun!). I ended up in 4th out of 16 and earned another upgrade point. I am really happy with my race- I have not ridden that hard all year! Click here for photos.
The course was chock full 'o variety- pavement, barns, mud, cruddy downhills, you name it. Lucky me- I had the perfect holeshot and lead the entire first lap...then fell back a few spots over the next 6 laps. I should mention that I was absolutely sick to my stomach and actually stopped for a minute (wasn't sure if I should stop or keep riding...barfing is not fun!). I ended up in 4th out of 16 and earned another upgrade point. I am really happy with my race- I have not ridden that hard all year! Click here for photos.
11.06.2009
Halloween weekend
Autumn is quickly coming to a close...I can't believe it's already November!! We've been really lucky weather-wise, with a fair amount of sun and not a whole lot of rain.
A few of us ventured out to Fremont last night for Halloween. Eric and I dressed up at Ben and Juliet from LOST (complete with Dharma Iniative lab coats). We had fun but turned in early so we could race the next morning.
Today's race at Maris Farms was awesome!! We got to ride through a pumpkin patch and a corn maze!! My first lap sucked- I lined up on the ride side and was shut out of the first right-hand turn. I was probably close to last place at that point. Then we hit the corn maze and I hooked my bar on a cornstalk, and I ended up tipping over. Once I got back up I hooked my bars again! ACK! After that I picked off quite a few girls and ended up 5th out of 14. I really loved this venue and hope the cyclocross community is welcome back next year.
Here are a few photos from the weekend.
A few of us ventured out to Fremont last night for Halloween. Eric and I dressed up at Ben and Juliet from LOST (complete with Dharma Iniative lab coats). We had fun but turned in early so we could race the next morning.
Today's race at Maris Farms was awesome!! We got to ride through a pumpkin patch and a corn maze!! My first lap sucked- I lined up on the ride side and was shut out of the first right-hand turn. I was probably close to last place at that point. Then we hit the corn maze and I hooked my bar on a cornstalk, and I ended up tipping over. Once I got back up I hooked my bars again! ACK! After that I picked off quite a few girls and ended up 5th out of 14. I really loved this venue and hope the cyclocross community is welcome back next year.
Here are a few photos from the weekend.
10.03.2009
Salmon Days 2009
This weekend is the annual Salmon Days festival here in Issaquah. It was especially fun this year because it was dry! Issaquah has it's own fish hatchery and ladder, which is the final destination for spawning salmon. Here's a short video:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)