Rio's Rider's Ramblings

No Time for a Real Blog Entry...

2010-02-22T21:21:00.003-07:00

Sorry, you'll have to click the image to read it...I don't have the time to fix it. Enjoy!

Cold Feet

2010-01-17T11:46:00.003-07:00

I haven't gotten my 2010 race license. I haven't upped my dues to the race club this year. I haven't even gotten a current race kit. I really don't know if I'll be racing this year.

Don't get me wrong... I love racing! But after so many accidents and injuries last year, I don't feel mentally ready or "in the game" yet this year. I haven't written about it on the blog, but I did end up having a fourth accident last year. Just when I thought I was safe, I fell down the stairs at home and cracked ribs. I'm still recovering from that one.

And after my crappy performance on yesterday's group ride, I have to wonder if I'm going to get back ANY mental edge ANY time soon. It was pure riding SUCKAGE. It's like my body has declared "enough is enough" and I can't seem to get it to cooperate any more. One of the guys on the ride yesterday actually told me, "Great! Now you can start riding with my wife." His wife is a total newby who has ridden maybe twice. That's how far backward I have fallen. Relegated to the newbies.

And maybe that's just where I should be...newby status: herky-jerky cornering, full brakes on descents, inability to draft, or have anyone near me while I'm riding for that matter. Starting all over again, it seems.

Anyway, for the annual Polar Pedal ride (last ride of 2009), a group headed down to St. George to ride. My ribs were still freshly cracked at the time, so I rode really easy. But I managed to get a few good miles in, and the weather was a little warmer there, so it was worth the drive.

I couldn't resist pausing the ride to get a photo with a cute statue of a boy on a trike.

With temperatures in the 50s today, I think I'll head out and try again today. Hopefully, if I just keep riding, the fear will leave me.

Dec. 5 Snow 'Cross in Ogden

2009-12-08T11:36:00.004-07:00

Spent last Saturday standing around in the frigid cold watching other people trying to keep their bikes upright in the snow.

I had the displeasure of watching my teammate, Kara slip on the snow while getting off her bike to go over a log. She faceplanted into her stem, cutting her lip wide open. But, she's probably the toughest girl I know. She went on to win the women's B race.

She wiped most of the blood off right before I took the picture.

Anyway, I've enjoyed being at the 'cross races this year. It's a little sad to see the season end. Maybe next year I'll be racing again instead of watching.

Yay, Kelly!!!

2009-11-30T14:04:00.007-07:00

Congratulations to Kelly, who correctly identified last weeks' contest legs. The legs did, in fact, belong to Julie.

Julie had read in the rule book that no acrobatics were required in a 'cross race, so, being the rebel she is, was determined to do some. She managed to accomplish four perfect cartwheels over each of the four barriers on the flat section of the race. I could not convince her to try cartwheels on the steep run-up barriers, however.

You've gotta appreciate someone who knows how to have fun!

I did not make it to last week's 'cross race at Draper. So instead of posting pictures of legs, I'm just going to post some of the pictures I took at the previous race at Heber, on Nov. 21. Keep in mind that all these were taken with my phone, since my regular camera is on the blitz, so quality is not the greatest.

Laura P. at the beginning of the A Women's race. I like the misty mountains and the train in the background.

Shanna M. at the beginning of the B Women's race.

I like this shot because it gives you a good idea as to how steep this run-up really is.

This is Julie on the steep run-up. Too steep for cartwheels, I guess.

Kara, who took second in the Women's Bs, shows how the flat barriers are usually done.

I'll Make This One Easy

2009-11-23T17:02:00.004-07:00

So, last week's leg...no guesses, huh? And I thought I made it easy: DZ.

Anyway, if you were at the Heber Cyclocross race last Saturday, this one should be easy for you.

That's all I've got time for. Have a great Thanksgiving!!!

Stuff

2009-11-17T10:26:00.008-07:00

I know. I slacked. Even after ALL your MANY comments and obvious enthusiasm. Yes, Anonymous Commenter got the answer to the last picture partially right by answering that the person's name started with an "a", but I can't give credit if I don't know who you are (or if you don't answer all the way)!

The marvelous legs from last week's contest belong to Canyon rider, Alex W. Yay, Alex! Way to show off your sexy, shaved legs!

Since there wasn't a race last weekend, I had to dig deep into my photo stores to come up with a photo for this week's contest. This photo comes from the start line of Stage 2 - 2009 Tour of Utah.

Mind you, I had to cut off the other leg to avoid giving you any clues as to what team this leg belongs to. Sorry. But, what a great leg! I guess if I was pro, I would have such great legs too.

Enough about legs. Let's talk about bikes. Sadly, I'm selling my cyclocross bike. I really would rather race the bike, but it's just not going to happen this year. Bummer, I know. But, I'd rather sell it to someone who will use it than watch it gather dust around here. I bought it in April for $925 from Canyon Cycles in Draper, and I have yet to ride it. It has lived a cushy life in my bedroom, so it's in primo shape. It is a 48 cm Redline Conquest. Let me know if you, or someone you know, would be interested in taking it off my hands.

I also have Shimano SPD pedals that I bought to go with the 'cross bike. $50 if you want 'em.

Okay, last item of business before I close this post: I am planning a group ride on Thanksgiving morning. I like to earn my turkey and pumpkin pie with a good, hard ride. The group HAD planned to meet at 11 a.m. to give the day a chance to warm up before riding. However, after I announced this to MANY people, the group decided they wanted to ride earlier in the morning. I'm still planning to ride at 11, because a) I don't like the cold, b) the people I announced the ride time to might show up, and c) I'm stubborn. But, I would also like a decent group to ride with, so if you're up to it, meet me at the flagpole at Macey's in Orem (800 N State) at 11 a.m. next Thursday, Nov. 26th. Thanks!

Hello???

2009-11-10T10:23:00.004-07:00

I can't believe none of you posted a guess from last post! Do you need a clue? Here's a hint: the person the legs belong to races in the Men's B cyclocross races. Here's a picture from the start of that race last Saturday at the Weber County Fairgrounds:

C'mon, don't be shy about posting a comment on my blog. Facebook may have taken over your life, but I know you still read blogs. Besides, I need an excuse to continue taking candid shots of peoples' sexy cycling legs to post. :)

Keeping the Blog Alive and Lively

2009-11-07T22:12:00.005-07:00

I recently told one of my teammates that I came to the races to take pictures of legs, then I realized that I hadn't taken any pictures of legs. So, for my new weekend entertainment, I've come up with a little weekly contest.

This week you get to guess who these marvelous legs belong to:

I'll TRY to post something new every week.

Enjoy!

Something Lost - Something Gained

2009-11-06T13:50:00.005-07:00

I wanted to go for a bike ride yesterday. I promised myself that I was going for a bike ride yesterday no matter what. Then I discovered that someone had stolen my bike pump. My tires were too low to go anywhere. So I didn't make it out on my bike ride after all. I was really grumpy because I was so sure that the weather would be crappy today and that I had lost a prime opportunity to ride.

Aside from my regular work duties, today's schedule was supposed to filled with thumb therapy, allergy doctors, and a hair appointment. But when I walked out of the therapist's office at 9 a.m., and the weather was so pleasant I didn't need so much as a jacket, I knew I had to go for a bike ride. Screw everything else!

I hurried home, changed my clothes, hopped on my bike (the lack of a pump problem had been solved), and rode away. I didn't know where I was going, but I didn't care. I was on my bike. And it felt GOOD!

I had ridden several blocks before the thought came to me: "You're not thinking about your thumb!" It was true! I hadn't thought about my thumb. Amazing! That hasn't happened in nine weeks!
"Wait. Yes you are thinking about it! You're thinking about it by telling yourself you're not thinking about it."
"Maybe. But I'm not complaining about it, and it's not bothering me, so it counts."

When I had left home on my bike, there was no wind. Not even a couple of miles later there was a fierce cross wind blowing, and by the looks of the direction the flags were pointing, it was going to be a headwind on the way home. By mid-ride, the fallen leaves were swirling around me so violently that I thought I might be carried off to the land of OZ. Nnnnn...ok, maybe it wasn't THAT bad. I've ridden in worse. But the effect of the swirling leaves certainly made it seem worse than it was.

Speaking of leaves, I made it a game to try to run over the biggest cottonwood leaves I could find. They made a great "Kapow" popping sound. I also enjoyed listening to the way the layer of thousands of fallen ash leaves sounded like someone had just lit off a bundle of Black Cat firecrackers. This is the sort of stuff I only notice when I ride by myself.

Because I was by myself I was able to do a lot of thinking. I thought about how, even though I feel like lately I've been lazy; in truth, physically I'm doing great. Cardio-wise, I felt better than I can ever remember feeling. The only time I even felt like I was pushing it at all today was during the 14 percent (actual) climb combined with the 30 mph (estimate) headwind. That got me breathing pretty hard.

But much of my thoughts were about how mentally defeated I feel. I was really on top of the mental game by May of last year. Probably to the point of cockiness. At that point, I knew I had finally achieved prime mental and phyical strength. And then I proceeded to destroy it all with accidents and injuries. I couldn't help but notice how tentatively I rode today. I hate feeling like that! It's going to take some time and many confidence building rides for me to feel like I'm mentally back on top of things again.

I really needed today's ride. I'm crossing my fingers for more beautiful 70 degree days for me, and you, to enjoy. I know it won't last too much longer. That doesn't matter: there's always Nordic skiing to look forward to.

Living Vicariously

2009-11-02T15:53:00.003-07:00

So, I spent another weekend WATCHING other people race their bikes. Funny, but I seem to be okay with that.

Honestly, I think I'm ready to come back to the bike riding world. My thumb is almost healed. I've still got a little nerve damage and scar tissue issues to deal with, but it's getting better every day.

But, in taking time to heal, I've gotten lazy. I've found that it's nice not to have to worry about the weather and what to wear in it, or having to religiously follow a training plan.

But, this new, relaxed attitude has me worried. I've lost the lean look I had finally developed, and the old pudge is starting to reappear. Ugh.

So, today, I started building my training plan again. I've left it pretty open, because I know that it's going to take some extra motivation to get me to WANT to follow a plan again. What I found while building my plan is that I really don't have much time to train anymore. Not that I had much time in the first place, but now, I've added in full-time college since I last seriously trained. Plus, I still have two jobs and a house to run. So, for now, I've got myself lifting weights only one day a week. It's not going to be enough, I realize. Every week I'm going to be sore the day after lifting, followed by nearly a week off before starting over again. Lift... whine about sore muscles...recover for too long... repeat. It's better than not lifting weights at all, right?

Plus, I'm having a hard time scheduling in real bike time. It's been too easy to justify missing outdoor time by riding indoors. I just don't know when I can squeeze in a road ride now. It used to be a priority in my life, but now I spend too much time with school and making money. At least this week is nice weather, so I won't have that excuse to keep my indoors. I have tentative plans for a group ride on Thursday. We'll see if I can make it.

Anyway, I've gotten away from the topic I wanted to write about. I went to the 'cross race at Wheeler Farm on Saturday. It was fun to see so many people dressed up. Some of the costumes looked impossible to race in, but everyone was having fun. My teenage son has taken up 'cross racing (better than 'cross dressing, right?), so I don't feel bad about going to the races and not racing. He wears my kit, so I feel like I'm living vicariously through him.

Here are some pictures I took on my phone's camera:

This guy dressed up as a triathlete, complete with aeorbars on his bike. Brrr!

Racer dressed up as Tigger. At least he stayed warm.

I overheard this guy saying that he was going to stick a ANSI sticker in his helmet so it would be considered an approved helmet.

Where can I get a pair of those pink fishnets, Clint?

Sly Fox scaring racers in his gillysuit.

Near the end of the race, I had already determined that Tri Guy was insane. Then he took a dip in the duck pond. BRRRRR!!!!

Yes, I dressed up too. People kept asking me if I had raced in the heels. Um, no.

Productive Day

2009-10-29T13:38:00.004-06:00

Wow! I just about posted this blog entry onto my work group's blog. That could have been bad. I've GOT to pay better attention in the future. The work blog is brand new, and I didn't realize it was on my dashboard when I started writing this.

Anyway, as always on Thursday, I have been up since 4:50 a.m. But today seems more productive.

I taught an early morning Spinning class. It was supposed to have been an endurance class, but since I was playing my Halloween music, I opted (and the class voted and agreed) to turn the class into an interval class instead. We spun, climbed, and sprinted to the likes of Ghostbusters, Thriller, Tarantula, Werewolf in London, Feed My Frankenstein, Witchy Woman, and Boris the Spider.

After class, I hurried to shower, then I was off to a doctor's appointment, where I used the waiting room time to study for a test.

After getting two shots at the doctor (for allergies, in case you're curious), I headed over to the testing center and successfully BSed my way through six pages of essay question answers about the Cheyenne Indian history.

After the test, I hustled to the store and picked up a package of brownies to go take to a friend. Sadly, she hasn't been talking to me for the last month due to false assumptions and rumors, so I needed to go make things right with her again. Hopefully things will be better between us from here on out, but only time will tell.

Then, I had a quick lunch and was to work by noon. I really need to add a visit to the chiropractor in to today's schedule, but I am out of funds. So the pain in the neck will continue for the time being.

In thumb news, I am finding myself using my thumb more and more lately. It is feeling lots better, but is still not perfect. I don't know that it will ever be perfect again. Sigh. Such is life.

That's all I've got for now. Have a Happy Halloween!

My Weekend

2009-10-19T13:33:00.002-06:00

I had a great weekend! And it started early this week.

Road riding on Thursday (see previous post),
Bombay House on Friday,
taught an interval class in the Spinning studio on Saturday morning (I know it's my job - but I love it!),
went to dinner and dancing with friends in Salt Lake on Saturday night,
and rode the mountain bike on Sunday.

I found that it is MUCH easier to brake with my right hand on a mountain bike.

I didn't go too far from home for the mountain bike ride. I live across the street from an awesome place to practice cyclocross. It has got grass, pavement, gravel, and a descent-sized run up. I just need to add some barriers, and I would have it made!

So that's what I did. I practiced 'cross on the mountain bike. It was fun! But I seriously need to figure out how to off my bike without stopping. Getting off while moving is a concept my brain just won't wrap around. Maybe when my thumb is completely healed and I'm not being such a total chicken.

Autumn (NOT FALL!) Ride

2009-10-15T17:14:00.005-06:00

I know I already posted these pictures on Facebook, but since I took the time and effort to load them onto the computer, I might as well put them on the old blog as well, right?

What fabulous riding weather we had today. The rainstorm passed in the early morning hours and the roads were drying out by noon. In the valley, I considered going without a jacket because it felt so nice, but once into the canyon, I was glad I had brought the jacket along.

Pretty much, I met a group at the mouth of the canyon, they rode away, and the pregnant, injured, and otherwise pokey people rode way behind them. That last group would include me. I felt like I could have pushed it harder, but why, when the people you are riding at the back with are some of the best people around. We got laughing so hard climbing South Fork that I thought I better stop or I'd fall off my bike. But, only the leaves were falling today - not me! Yay!

The group reconvened at Bridal Veil Falls for a quick picture:

I was surprised that eleven people could sneak away for a mid-week lunch ride.

After that, it was just the three of us:

I am super jealous of Ragla's skill. She can wave and ride at the same time. I have crashed doing just that. But then, I am accident prone.

This was as far as we rode before Ragla determined that she shouldn't keep pushing her heart rate beyond her doc's suggested zone. I wish I could have come here a couple of weeks ago while the leaves were still brilliant, but it was still gorgeous.

Nothing Much to Report

2009-10-14T15:53:00.005-06:00

I don't really have much to report, but I guess since I've been put on top of the official Turbo blogroll, I should blog something.

Thankfully, I have no new accidents to report.

Last Sunday, I got back on my bike again for the first time in six weeks. Strangely, it was like learning to ride all over again. As I started off down the driveway and into the street I was literally screaming, "I don't think this is a good idea!" and "This is going to hurt." and "I've forgotten how to clip in." But mostly just a lot of "AAAAaaaaa!!! I'm gonna die!" My thumb didn't even fall off like I was expecting it to.

That lasted about all of about two blocks, then I was okay. Except that I couldn't brake with my right hand. I have lost grip strength. I am going to hand therapy every week now, and I have noticed a huge improvement already.

Off topic paragraph: It didn't take me very long to train myself to not use my thumb. It still takes me some serious concentration to do things like hold a comb or a pencil or zip a zipper normally, or use the space bar on the keyboard with my thumb. But, my thumb is beginning to be a part of my body again.

Back to the ride: at one point I decided to see if I could max out one of those speed clocks the police put out to control driver's speed. I ramped it up to 29 mph before it occurred to me that I couldn't easily stop with just my front brake (remember... my previous accident was an endo - I didn't really want a repeat of that one). Panic! But I got it slowed down just fine. I really need to give myself more credit. I'm pretty sure I have better skillz than I dare to admit. I've just been living high anxiety for the last six week - I'm in protective mode from all my accidents.

I'm excited to go out for a lunch ride with a group of friends tomorrow. I hope this rain clears out by then.

In other news, there is NO relation between me and the sandbagger who raced 'cross last week. Okay there is, but (hopefully) I've convinced her not to pull any more of that crap in the future. I'm hoping to make a showing at the later races this weekend after I kick some indoor cycling butt in the morning. I love being at the races, even though it's hard for me to watch and not participate.

That's all for now. Ride hard!

Cyclocross Weber Fairgrounds - Oct. 3, 2009

2009-10-05T15:15:00.004-06:00

I went an cheered at the 'cross race last Saturday. It was a little hard to watch and not participate, but it also confirmed to me that I'm not ready to be back on the bike yet. Just being out in the chilly air made my thumb ache like crazy. At five weeks post-accident, the broken bone should be healed, but the nerves are still regenerating.

Here are some pics I took on my camera phone:

Todd going over the log barrier in the men's C race

One of the UVU Cycling guys, Dan

Teammate Kara jumping a log barrier in the men's C race

Teammate Shanna ripping it up in the Women's B race (sorry my finger's in the pic - I still can't hold my camera right)

Junior racer, Tanner, bunny hopping the log barrier in his first ever 'cross race.

Happy Fall...

2009-10-02T18:07:00.002-06:00

Bam! You just got hit by the pumpkin master!

For Your Entertainment

2009-10-02T11:41:00.002-06:00

I've been pretty down lately, and feel like it's showing. This is likely due to the fact that several people have told me to cheer up. So, anyway, here's something lighthearted:

Stuff

2009-09-29T09:35:00.004-06:00

It has been four weeks now since my little chain ring incident. I am feeling much better this week. I've even managed to drop the pain meds. I continue to be amazed at how a thumb wound has devastated my whole life.

I went to an occupational therapist yesterday. He could see how uptight I was about letting him touch my hand, so all he did was give me some new splints, tell me to relax, and told me to start using my thumb to touch things.

How strange it is to touch things with my thumb again! Wow! It only took me a month to totally retrain myself to live without using a thumb. It seriously takes me great amounts of effort and concentration to get myself to pick up a sock or a piece of paper with a pinching action. My assignment for this week is to touch various surfaces and textures. It's bizarre because everything feels exactly the same: like needles stabbing the end of my thumb. Smooth, rough, soft, hard, it's all the same. But I can't feel really gentle action, like blowing on it, at all. This is all very strange to me.

It's amazing what you take for granted and don't even realize. I was so proud of myself yesterday when I used a spoon, wrote with a pencil, grabbed a water bottle, and maneuvered the computer mouse like a regular person. I was laughing like an idiot because I kept saying things like, "Oh, good girl!" to myself over the smallest accomplishments. I've come a long way, but I still have a long way to go.

In other news, I just read on the UVU Cycling blog that they are going to hold a 'cross clinic this Thursday, Oct 1, at 6 p.m. in the J lot on the east side of campus. You can check their blog for yourself at http://uvucyclingteam.blogspot.com.

I really miss riding my bike. September has really flown by with me hiding out indoors because it hurt too much, and took too much effort, to go anywhere. I likely won't be riding again until I have learned to used my hand again. So, even though I'm not ready to ride outside yet, I still like to keep updated on any rides happening in the area. The following ride is for a good cause. If you're not racing 'cross, you may want to check this out:

Hopefully, I will have a ride report of my own to blog about soon.

Blood & Gore

2009-09-08T13:32:00.003-06:00

It's been over a week since it happened. I am now at a point where I can discuss it. I am warning you, however...I am posting pictures & you might find them disturbing. Do NOT scroll down if you have a sensitive stomach.

Here's the story:

I was at the fitness center working on the Spinning bikes. The center where I work does an annual two-week shut down for maintenance. The parking lot gets painted, the wood floors are sanded down and refinished, the pool is drained and refilled, the racquetball courts are painted, and we take apart and deep clean the workout equipment.

As part of the Spinning bike maintenance, I take the chain guard cover off the Spinning bikes and clean and lube the chains. The way I was taught to do this was to use a rag to wipe the old grease off the chain while I pedal the bike. This is what I was doing when the accident happened. (This is not however the way I will be cleaning chains at work in the future - I plan to get a chain cleaning tool like I use on my bike at home.)

As I was turning the pedals, the rag I was using got caught in the chain ring, and before I knew what was happening, it had pulled my right thumb (the one holding the rag) into the chainring. My thumb was pinched in between the chain (which was on the bottom of my thumb) and the chainring (on my thumbnail side). On a normal bike this might not have been a big deal. But a Spinner's chain is weighted with a 45-pound flywheel. The pressure was enough that the chainring pierced through my thumbnail and broke my bone. As soon as I knew what was happening, I struggled to reverse the flywheel. My thumb managed to only go into the chainring a couple of inches before I got it out...which was lucky because had it gone much further, I might have lost the end of my thumb! As soon as it started going in, I started yelling, "Ow! Ow! Ow!" And my good co-worker, Dan came running. At the time I thought how overdramatic I was being...then I looked at my mangled thumb. I begged Dan to take me to the ER, holding my hand above my head with blood running down my arm. My boss's boss ended up taking me.

Anyway, here I was in the ER...again (third time in three months). This little thumb wound took ten stitches to fix. Five stitches under my nail (yes, they had to remove the nail), two stitches outside the nailbed, and three stitches to put the nail back in place. Yes, they put the nail back, not for beauty reasons, but because if they didn't then the skin would grow in where the nail should be and the new nail wouldn't come back in right.

Now, eight days later, I'm finally starting to be able to function again without reeling in terror everytime someone gets too close. I've stopped wearing the splint, because it bugs me and causes more trouble than it's worth. And, I'm back at work. Yes, I missed a whole week of work at two jobs because of a thumb injury. You don't realize how much you use your thumb or how much thumb/finger injuries hurt until you've had one. This hurts way worse than any of the bike wrecks I've had!

Okay, if you're ready for some blurry camera-phone pictures, go ahead and scroll down.

This is it after soaking in some solution at the ER.

I begged my boss to take a picture during stitch-up, but she refused because it was too gory. This is it after being stitched up. That's my nail in the tweezers, ready to go back on.

I thought it looked really good after they put the nail back on. Little did I know that they weren't done creating Frankenthumb yet.

This is what it looked like after I removed the bandages two days later.

And this is it after 6 days.

I have to go get the stitches taken out on Thursday morning. If you hear screaming sometime around 9 a.m., you'll know it's me.

Tour of Utah Stages 3-5

2009-08-24T16:29:00.024-06:00

I probably should have broken this blog post down into different days, but too late. There are a lot of pictures, so bear with me, this is really long...

Stage 3 Time Trial
I didn't have volunteer duty on Friday's TT at the Larry H. Miller Sportspark, but I couldn't resist driving clear out to Tooele to see the race anyway. The racers were averaging about 30 mph at this race, so it was hard to get a good picture, but I got a few.

Chase Pinkham cooling down after the TT

Floyd Landis after his TT race

Dave Zabriskie finishing the TT

Stage 4 Road Race
Saturday's road race started in Park City and ended at Snowbird Ski Resort. Early in the day, I rode the Alpine Loop to chalk some encouragement on the roads. I had forgotten that the amateurs were racing the course in the morning, and I got caught up in it all. For a while I had people cheering for me and some of the guys I passed were telling me that I was the first woman they had seen.

After I stopped to chalk the road the first time, I really got passed by a lot of riders. If I had just kept moving I probably could have beat the rush. Just after passing Sundance, I got caught by the lead Cat 1/2/3 women. I rode with them for a little way before they dropped me.

I stopped to chalk the road and barriers several more times.

Had I not stopped so many times, I think I could have made it past most of the carnage on the way back down. I saw more wrecks, wounded bodies, and blood Saturday then I care to ever see. My hands were cramped and refusing to grip from braking most of the way down. Nearly every corner I came around had a vehicle stopped in the road helping a wounded biker. It was insane! Nearly to the bottom of the canyon I came across a three-mile long back up of stopped vehicles. Little did I know, until I came across the 18-inch wide stream of blood in the road, that someone had just been air ambulanced out of the canyon. Apparently a group of cyclists hit the back of a SUV when it hit its brakes to avoid a car that drifted into its lane. One of the guys went through the back window and cut himself open to his jugular vein. I hope he's healing quickly.

Anyway, on to the race. I course marshaled at the turn to the Alpine Loop. I had been told that no course marshal was needed at that corner, but had insisted that one was needed. I'm glad I got my way. The police did not shut the intersection down the way they had last year...it was all up to me. I felt like I seriously put my life in danger standing in the middle of the road with traffic heading at me at 70 mph while I held up a stop sign hoping they would see me in time. I really wanted to get some pictures here, so I handed my camera over to some spectators and they got some for me.

Lead group of riders coming to the turn to Alpine Loop

Chase group of three riders in the Alpine Loop turn

Peleton coming to the Alpine Loop turn

The OUCH team leading the peleton through the corner to Alpine Loop

The peleton heading up to Sundance Resort on the Alpine Loop

After course marshaling in Provo Canyon, I decided to drive to Draper and watch the race from the other side of Traverse/Suncrest. I had been told that there would be "professional" flaggers on this corner, so I wanted to see how it was done. I had course marshaled this corner last year and it was a nightmare. My suggestion was to have double or more course marshals placed here. When I got there, I learned that there were just two regular, untrained people handling the corner. So, I went and got my course marshal gear and helped out. I also delegated duties (such as helping to shut down the gas station and take pictures for me) to spectators because I knew what craziness we were in for. With the extra help, we had five people helping shut down the intersection, and it still wasn't enough. What a mess this intersection is for a race. I'm glad nobody got killed! One racer still somehow managed to blast through the intersection, missing the turn, even after three of us directed him otherwise.

Some riders coming down Suncrest

More riders coming down Suncrest

Sleevie and some of the other Canyon riders coming off Suncrest into Draper. The course marshal guy was one of the ZTeam riders who hadn't made the time cut on Stage 1.

Some of the Canyon guys

Dave Harward

Stage 5 Criterium

My only duty for Stage 5 was to count spectators, and it only took me about 15 minutes. Then I was free to spectate and take pictures.

Will Dugan of TT1 and John Eisinger of Ciclismo signing in to Stage 5

Here I am playing the part of TT1 groupie

I got my photo with the second place overall winner and Best Utah Rider, Darren Lill of TT1

Dave Zabriskie lead out the first couple of laps

David Veilleux of Kelly Benefit, Brent Bookwalter of BMC, Dave Zabriskie of Garmin, and Justin England of California Giant in the early break

Floyd Landis

Riders in one of the corners. One guy must have thought he was going down with his foot of of his pedal.

Rock Racing riding on the front

Will Dugan of TT1 in the pits after a flat

Will Dugan of TT1 waiting to get back into the race after a stop in the pits

Will Dugan of TT1 getting pushed back into the race after a pit stop

Fancisco Mancebo in the yellow jersey with Floyd Landis a of couple wheels back

Darren Lill getting interviewed for the Deseret News behind the scenes of the podium

Darren Lill chatting with fans

Rock Racing posing for pictures

Me with Jeff Louder, last year's Tour of Utah winner and this year's third place winner

I had a lot of fun this week at the Tour of Utah and I was sad when it was over. Can't wait until next year!

Tour of Utah Stage 2

2009-08-20T19:52:00.008-06:00

Stage two of the 2009 Tour of Utah took the racers from Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, around the west side of Utah Lake and then up the Payson side of Nebo Loop.

I played the part of volunteer van driver today. After much confusion in finding the van this morning, I had to deal with finding someone who was willing to get in the van with me. None of the other volunteers showed up. Dave Zabriskie offered to get in the van, then one of the Garmin team managers, but even though I was serious about letting them in, neither of was serious about actually doing it.

Finally, one guy, who happened to have just wandered over from work and overheard that we needed volunteers, decided to course marshal. After watching the start, he got in the van and we took off. We took the freeway to Santaquin, headed west and ended up in Elberta, where we directed the racers east. After all the riders went through, we headed up the canyon toward the finish line. Silly guy who was with me decided he wasn't really needed at work the rest of the day, and opted to go watch a bike race with me instead.

The riders were so fast through Payson that we ended up not being able to beat them to the canyon, and had to follow them up instead. So I missed seeing the end of the race, but, unfortunately, saw plenty of action (or lack of) from the back of the race. I commend the racers who actually used their legs to pedal up the Nebo Loop climb. Enough said.

Here are some pictures of the day's events.

The Garmin team gets ready to race.

Dave Zabriskie's pre-race interview

Dave Zabriskie in the Best Utah Rider jersey at the start line.

Interesting that as Cindy fires the starting pistol that some of the riders look like they're going to have a nap.

The lead pack coming into Elberta

The peleton coming into Elberta about 3 minutes behind the lead pack

The racers head east out of Elberta toward Payson.

Jeff Louder pulling on the Best Utah Rider jersey at the end of the race.

Francisco Perez Mancebo in the sprinter's jersey.

Happy Birthday, Darren Lill! Congrats on today's win.

Not only did Lill win the stage, he got the climber's jersey.

Francisco Perez Mancebo in the leader's jersey.

Louder climbs out of the podium pit.

Best Young Rider, Overall Leader, and Best Climber

Tour of Utah Prologue

2009-08-18T21:41:00.014-06:00

I had a blast volunteering the Tour of Utah Prologue today! I was supposed to be working the Hospitality tent (which is my favorite job anyway), but I was pulled out to do a different job.

Basically, they put me on the start line to call rider's numbers, over the walkie talkie, to the announcers at the finish line. I'm not quite sure what the purpose of doing this was for, but I wasn't going to complain. It was a lot of fun to be right on the start line among all the racers!

I took some pictures as I had the chance:

I was a little slow on the draw when Floyd Landis went out. He's already a way down the road.

#23 Daniel Holt from Team Type 1 (I get such a kick out of this photo...click on it to make it big and you'll see why)

Yeah! Go Sleevie! (Sorry I missed getting a start photo.)

Team Type 1 is one of my favorite teams. My favorite rider, Jesse Anthony rides for TT1, but he has had mono, so he was unable to be here this year. Get better quick, Jesse! 'Cross season's comin'! I tried to get pictures of all the TT1 riders, but I lost track of which riders were which.

This is another from Team Type 1 (possibly Ian MacGregor).

A couple more TT1 riders.

Local favorite, and my former teammate, Chase Pinkham (Go Chase!) and David Clinger lined up at the start line.

Chase on the start ramp

Clinger on the start ramp

I'm pretty sure this is Oscar Sevilla

Darren Lill from Team Type 1 waiting for his start time.

Lill on the starting ramp.

Dave Zabriskie's turn on the starting ramp.

Last rider out, Jeff Louder

One of the Trek-LIVESTRONG riders.

I believe this is Oscar Sevilla coming into the finish.

Probably Tom Zirbel

Darren Lill coming in for the finish.

Dave Z. coming in for a second place finish, which also earned him the title of Best Utah Rider.

Jeff Louder coming in to finish.

After the race, I went back to the hospitality tent and hung around, cleaning up a little here and there, but mostly playing the part of adoring fan:

Me and Dave Z. in his Best Utah Rider jersey.

Me and Bob Roll, the announcer for the Tour of Utah.

I'm up for more volunteer duty for Thursday's stage. I don't expect it to be as much fun. I'm driving a van full of volunteers. I've never driven a van before...how did I get this job?

There's Something About August

2009-08-10T11:02:00.002-06:00

Could it seriously be August already? Where did the summer go? I was just thinking about putting up Old Glory when I realized that July was over.

My body knows it's August. I've learned over the past few years that my body calls it a season when August starts. I thought this year would be different. Without a coach to push me, I've kinda taken it easy on myself lately. This week, I was going to start bringing the training back up to par, but after a couple of easy to medium-hard workouts, I'm already exhausted. My legs feel like dead weight - I even have a hard time walking without tripping over the carpet.

Maybe the problem this year is all the extra stress I've put myself under. The extra hours of work, job hunting, school classes every night, and mounds of homework have taken their toll. Luckily, this semester is starting to wind down. I have an easier week to look forward to this week: I ONLY have a three hour court-viewing experience, a final exam to study for and take, and three papers to write. Then it's party and rest for the weekend, Tour of Utah's up the following week to take my mind off school, and then back at it all again by the end of the month.

Deer Creek Ride

2009-07-28T08:51:00.004-06:00

Monday's ride almost didn't happen.

I was invited to ride at 6 a.m., and really should have taken the offer. But doctor's orders are to get as much sleep as I can. Since I'm generally up past 11 p.m. with homework and unfinished household chores, sleeping in is my best option. So I passed on the invite and figured I'd ride at 8 or 9 instead.

Then I realized I had a doctor's appointment at 8:30. About that same time, I got another offer to ride at 8, but I had to pass that offer up too.

I pretty much figured that with work, chores, and errands I wouldn't get a ride in at all. But after I got home from the doctor's office (yes, I STILL have the concussion - probably from lack of sleep and too much stress), I decided to kit up and head out. Then I checked my messages. BDE said he could do a lunch ride after 1 p.m. Yay! Just the motivation I needed.

So I spent the next couple of hours at work before actually heading out the door for my ride. By 1 p.m. it was roasting outside. BDE's temperature gauge said it was 104 degrees. We headed up the canyon hoping to escape the heat.

We did threshold intervals all the way up to Deer Creek Reservoir. I'd never ridden that far up Provo Canyon, so we stopped and tried to get a picture to commemorate the event. We didn't have much luck because the only camera I had on me was my phone.

Photo attempt #1: Good scenery, nice shot of BDE, but I kinda cut myself off.

Photo attempt #2: I think this must be BDE's hand

Photo attempt #3: BDE does a pretty good job getting both of us in the pic along with some scenery, but it's kinda dark.

Photo attempt #4: I try again, but manage to cut myself off again and get too much road in the photo.

Then we gave up trying to take pictures because riding a bike is so much more fun. So, we headed down the canyon, into Provo and back up to Orem.

Thanks for the great ride and the motivating push, BDE!

Chalk Creek Race Report

2009-07-26T21:21:00.005-06:00

I love the Chalk Creek race. Every year I do it, I like it a little better.

The masters women field was twice the size of the Cat 4 women's field this year. Unusual, but cool. And not surprising since it was the Master Championship race. I've always wondered why more women didn't race masters for this race. Well, this year they finally did. Anyway, I raced Cat 4, because I wasn't going to make the mistake of racing with the master's again and missing out on potential ranking points. I made that mistake two years ago.

At the start line, three of the women announced that it was their first race ever. It always worries me when I hear that because I remember what a sketchy rider I was for my first few races. I was also a little worried because my experience has been to never underestimate the strength of newbies to the race scene. And these ladies looked young and fit. I figured I was in for a good, hard buttkicking.

After the start, we all rode together until the first big climb.
Then I attacked the climb and dropped almost half the field.

Three of us rode off the front for nearly half the race until another one of the longer climbs where the leader, Kandace, slowly pulled away from from us.

I rode with a girl named Megan for most of the rest of the race. She was pretty strong and I was having a hard time dropping her. Every time I would manage to get around her, she would come back around again. So about 12 miles to the finish I hatched a plan.

Yes, it's a secret plan.

No, I'm not going to tell you what it was.

Anyway, at 1K to go, just as the last climb starts, I implemented my plan, and came across the line in second place.

Here I am getting my award:
Thank you, thank you very much! I look like I think I've won the van or something!
Here I am with Kandace, the winner of the race. She's tough! She really should be racing with the 1/2/3s, but doesn't race enough to upgrade.
In case you're wondering... the paper bag is part of my prize. It contained some snacks and a gift certificate to Jason's Deli. Yum!

Sundance Hillclimb

2009-07-20T22:06:00.004-06:00

I wasn't planning to do the Sundance Hillclimb. I was planning to do a three hour ride going up the American Fork side of the Alpine Loop. But, Friday night I realized that the hillclimb was in the morning, so I decided to include it as part of my ride.

I drove up to Sundance early the next morning to register. I got my number, verified my start time, went back home, kitted up, and hoped on my bike. I figured riding to the start line from my house would make for a good warm up.

The headwind going up the canyon was brutal. I really pushed hard because I didn't want to be late to the start. I arrived just as the official, Gary, was getting ready to send off a small group of men. I asked what time it was. Whew! I had made it there ten minutes before my start time. Or so I thought. I asked Gary which groups were up next. His answer was that "all the women's groups had already started." Then he told me to start with the group of men and said, "Go!" Without having time to take off my armwarmers or even take a recovery breath, I was off. I hung with the guys for maybe a whole half a mile before they dropped me.

I rode angry. Angry that I had chosen not to go to Capitol Reef because they pulled this same stunt of starting my group earlier than they were supposed to last year. I missed that start too and ended up coming in dead last in the GC because of it.

I also rode with the slight hope that maybe Gary was wrong and the rest of the Cat 4 women were still behind me somewhere.

I ended up beating my time (from two years ago - the last time I did this race) by 10 minutes!

Coming to the finish line.

After talking to the officials.

I also ended up coming in second place. I was happy with second...even if it was by default that nobody else showed up to race. I didn't want to have to protest too loudly that I wasn't warned of the earlier start time. They wouldn't even let me adjust my time according to when I actually started.

USAC rule 1O1: "Starting Time. No heat or race may be started before the time stated in the official race announcement except with the consent of all registered riders in the heat or race."

Picking up my award.

After the race, BDE, Slingshot and I continued riding. We ended up in southwest Provo down by Utah Lake before heading back toward the mouth of the canyon. By the time I got back into Orem, it was mid-afternoon and it was hot! I was out of water and hadn't eaten much all day, so I headed back home while the boys continued up the canyon for more climbing action. Not bad for it being less than two months since my crash.

I've got a rest week this week. And then I race Chalk Creek this Saturday...one of my favorite races!

Another Terrifying Adventure in Mountain Biking

2009-07-10T22:55:00.004-06:00

Last time I went mountain biking I swore I would either never do it again, or I would go somewhere easy and pleasant. After all, isn't mountain biking supposed to be a relaxing sport where you can enjoy beautiful scenery?

Here's the way I think I should be eased into the mountain biking scene if I'm ever going to actually ENJOY it:

Ride 1: Big, wide dirt road with mild climbing and descents.
Ride 2: Wide gravel road with a little more descent.
Ride 3: Singletrack with some gravel, but mostly just dirt and grass.
Ride 4: Gravel singletrack with the occasional rock and root.
Ride 5: Same as ride 4, only with some descending.
Ride 6: Add in some cliffs and technical descents.

But no. For some reason, probably because I'm clueless, I allow myself to be taken to be taken to a ride level 6. And I hate it.

Today's ride could have been a beautiful ride. We went to Sundance and did the trail where they do the weekly race series. I wish I could have enjoyed the scenery. And I seriously need to get some clipless pedals when I ride. That was the biggest frustration: feet flying off the pedals if I was geared too easy and feet flying off every time I'd hit a bump. Then I would put my foot down and stop, and it would take me something like 16 tries to get going again because I wasn't clipped in. Plus, those pedals really dig into the back of a person's legs! I'm all cut up now.

There were a few times when I allowed myself to relax enough to enjoy it, but for the most part I just wanted to chuck the bike off the cliff. The climbing wasn't so bad (if there wasn't a cliff nearby), but the descending was terrifying! It doesn't help that my body is still in protect-yourself-from-more-harm mode. I'm still riding like a chicken on the road, so I don't know why I thought riding on the dirt would be any better.

Anyway, it's late and I'm rambling again, so here are some pictures of the ride:

Tax Day Grind

2009-07-02T11:13:00.005-06:00

I can tell that some of you are anxious for a new post here. So I'll leave you with this:

I had no idea how much time school was going to take! I don't have a lot of time, so I'll make this quick.

I helped officiate the Tax Day Grind race in Idaho. I had lots of fun! I got to be the official who drove the course and kept an eye on the riders' conduct. The fields were pretty small, and I only witnessed a couple of centerline infractions and one case of a rider riding with a group he shouldn't have been riding with. No accidents or incidents, and the results process went as smoothly and quickly as we could have hoped.

I've gotta be honest: driving the course was sooooo much more pleasant and enjoyable than racing it! Inkom is beautiful in June! I'm glad I had the chance to look around and admire it. Here are some shots I got on my camera phone as I was watching the race:

School and Stuff

2009-06-26T12:59:00.002-06:00

School started for me yesterday. Sort of.

My first back-to-college class was to start at 6 p.m. I left my house early in order to leave plenty of time for me to find parking and the classroom. I decided to drive past the UVU crit course on my way to class - just to see if anything looked different. Sure enough, the course looked really different, and since I was running early, I HAD to stop and check it out. I only stayed long enough to say "Hi" to a couple of people and map out the course in my head. Then it was off to class.

I found my classroom all dark and closed, so I decided to wander around and locate such essentials as the drinking fountain and the restrooms. Then I sat on a couch and played with my phone. At my second check of the classroom I found a guy there asking if he was in the right room. We decided we both were in the right place, so we went inside and found our seats. Then about five girls came in and another guy. The girls all seemed to know one another and proceeded to chit-chat about what classes they had taken, who were the best/worst teachers, how hard the quizzes were in certain classes, presentations, assignments, homework, library, research, and enormous amounts of time spent on school...I started wondering what I was doing there. How am I going to pull school off? What was I thinking when I signed up for this?!?
This went on for 20 minutes before one of the guys declared he was tired of waiting for the teacher and was leaving. Yep, the teacher was a no-show. I shoved all my stuff back in my bag and was the second one out the door. I had the evening free, and there was a race going on right on campus!

I hurried over to the race and watched Sleevie win again. I never get tired of that.

My evening's education was not all lost. Holly gave me some good officiating pointers for this weekend's race. Not the education I had gone for, but it works for me.

Today, I walked out of the house at 7:30 a.m., and it was hot out already. I peeled off my jacket and arm warmers and decided that as soon as I got to Lehi (I was driving there to meet a friend for some hill work in Alpine) I would get rid of the base layer I was wearing too. By the time I got to Lehi it was starting to rain, and when I got out of the car I discovered that the temperature had dropped by about 15-20 degrees! What the CRAP!?! Why does the weather always have to go junk every time I go outside? I proceeded to put back on all my cold weather clothes.

We started riding and it started pouring. Luckily I had been wise enough to pull my rain coat out of the trunk and put in on too before we started. Sure, I looked like a dork, but at least my upper body stayed nice and dry. I got some good intervals on the hills done and it felt good. Too bad the work has left me with another dumb headache.

One last item: Please remember to be extra nice to the race officials this weekend - especially any who may be suffering from a recent concussion. Thank you.

Yay! Summer's Here!

2009-06-24T12:48:00.002-06:00

It was a beautiful day for riding. Too bad I bailed on my ride early.

It was like narcolepsy on the bike this morning. Sure I was tired when I woke up. But that used to go away when I got on my bike. Today, I was fighting like crazy just to not close my eyes. Something is obviously still not right with my head.

I had ridden up Provo Canyon with a couple of guys. We had planned on riding up to Sundance, but by the time we got to Vivian Park, I knew I should turn back. They continued up the canyon without me, and I headed back to the valley. Fabulous tailwind coming down, by the way.

One other disappointment on my ride: whatever cornering skills I possessed before my wreck are now sadly gone. I am riding super cautiously...and it bothers me. I want the brave and fearless me back!

Well, I'm off to pay tuition and pick up my books. School starts back up for me tomorrow.

It's Hard to Blog When Your Head is a Jumbled Mess

2009-06-22T10:34:00.003-06:00

WARNING: THIS IS NOT A HAPPY POST. I'M NOT IN A GOOD MOOD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

So much on my mind lately. Training, or lack of. Scars, particularly the one on my face. Disappointments. Job. Money. Pain. Family. School. Motivation. Interviews. Meetings. Friends. The list goes on and on...

All this keeps me awake at night, and then wakes me up entirely too early in the morning. I haven't been sleeping more than two to four hours a night lately. Not good for someone trying to recover from a concussion.

I rode a few times last week. I think I may have pushed myself too hard. I did it against doctor's orders, but I'm tired of riding easy. I've decided I'd better back off again because, while riding hard felt great to my body, it did little for my head but cause dizziness and headaches.

I found it interesting last week because on at least two of my rides people recognized me from my accident. Too bad my 15 minutes of fame had to come because of a face disfiguring wreck.

Yea, I'm pretty bitter about my scar. I was actually kind of proud of my battle wound for the first couple of weeks. But it has continued to get uglier instead of less noticeable. It's not looking good lately. If the swelling in my chin would ever go down, it might not look so bad. Either way, it's all I can see when I look in the mirror.

Thought I'd ride today, but nobody can ride when I can, so I guess I'll call it a rest and recovery day. Maybe I can get some stuff done around the house instead.

I guess I'll end this post with a little story: I was at the mall the other day. The store I was in had an ear piercing booth and a little girl was getting ready to have her ears pierced. I wasn't paying any attention to what was going on until I heard her dad say, "Yeah, she wrecked on her bike." I turned around to see that the little girl's chin was covered with road rash. "Did you say she wrecked on her bike?" "Yeah, she was showing off for the boys and went over her handlebars. She had to have stitches." "Really? I guess we are one in the same," I said pointing to my chin.

Today's Ride

2009-06-13T18:46:00.002-06:00

Had a pleasant ride out to Saratoga Springs today. And by pleasant, I mean ridiculously slow and easy.

There were four of us on the ride; one of which was a brand new, nervous rider on a borrowed bike. Much of the ride was spent coasting along, waiting for her to catch up. I didn't realize until after I got home that she probably could have kept up just fine if we had picked up the pace a little. She just wasn't comfortable anywhere near the rest of us, so she hung way back. This caused us to go really slow.

Don't think I regret going on this ride. I had a great time. I actually had a chance to look around a bit and enjoy the scenery. I've been on this route dozens of times, and today I noticed so many new things. Besides, the company was great. I'm excited to go with this group again.

Oh, and we made it back home just before the nasty storm hit. So glad not to have been out in gale-force winds and driving rain!

The doc says that my concussion is improving. Now that my ribs are feeling better I can breathe easier, and I think that is helping. Next week I'm hoping to ramp up the training again so that I can be ready for Chalk Creek. I love that race.

Following Doctor's Orders

2009-06-10T11:33:00.002-06:00

I went back to the doctor yesterday to check on the progress of my concussion. Guess what? No progress! My right eye will dilate/contract a couple of times before it gets tired and stops responding, and my left eye still has no response whatsoever. At least I still have a good excuse as to why I'm such a dingbat!

And when I say dingbat, I mean DINGBAT! I have noticed the following disturbing attributes in myself in the last week:

I can't remember things for very long. Sometimes not even for a minute. I have managed to put water on to boil and then totally forget about it until I've wondered what the weird burning smell is, only to discover a blackened pan sitting on the stove. I have promised to call people and have totally forgotten. I have gone into websites to research something and forgotten all about it until later when I go to do the research again, wondering what happened the first time I tried. The list could go on, but I can't remember anything else right now...

I can't spell. I have always thought of myself as pretty capable in the English language. Thank heaven for spell check or you would think you had found a foreign language site instead of my blog today.

I am extra easily distracted. Work is seriously suffering because sometimes I wander off and do something else before remembering that I'm at work.

I slur when I speak. It's embarrassing. My mouth wants to move faster than my brain is able to keep up with. Plus, I have made up some pretty interesting new words lately...only I have no idea what they mean.

There was something else, but I can't remember...

Anyway, it's getting really frustrating! My doctor told me that I need to keep my training really easy right now. I've gotten clearance to get back on my bike, but I have to ride with someone, I have to ride recovery only, and if I get dizzy I have to stop (obviously). This means riding really slow, which is hard for me. Basically, the doctor told me that if I get my heart rate up too high while I have a concussion, I could cause bleeding on the brain. Sooooo don't want that! So I'll behave myself and keep my rides easy for now.

I did get out for another recovery ride with Lifesgreat this morning. Another rainy ride. We made it further this time: all the way to Vivian Park up Provo Canyon. It only took us an hour and 45 minutes (including stops) to go 14.5 miles. We picked Philpot up along the way. He had already climbed South Fork and was headed home as we were heading up the canyon. He turned around and rode back up and back with us. He and Lifegreat had plenty to talk about, and I was happy just to cruise along and listen to the conversation.

On Thursday, it will be two weeks since I crashed. It will also be two weeks until I start school. I hope I am semi-functional again by then, so no one has to wonder how the heck someone so dingy could get into college!

Back in the Saddle - Kind Of

2009-06-08T09:57:00.002-06:00

I know. My blog has gotten really boring with all the recovery posts...or lack of posts at all, for that matter. So I thought I'd fix it and get back on my bike...you know, for your entertainment. It has been a week and a half since I crashed, so I guessed it was time.

I invited only a few select friends on this recovery ride...friends I knew would be patient with me in the event that I couldn't ride well or maybe even not at all. I even warned them that if the weather was questionable, I was sleeping in instead of riding.

Well, I didn't realize it was raining until after I had gotten dressed and walked out the door. By then I figured that I would just ride down to the meeting spot, wait a minute to make sure no one showed up, and go back home to bed. So I rode in the cold and the rain to the mouth of Provo Canyon and waited.

Surprise! Lifesgreat (aka Hilslug, but she doesn't live up to this self-proclaimed name) showed up for the ride! Here I was dressed in my tights, baselayer, armwarmers, jersey, two jackets, ear covers, and long-fingered gloves and still FREEZING, and Lifesgreat shows up wearing shorts and a light jacket.

I could not have asked for a better riding partner than Lifesgreat! She kept me riding at a reasonable recovery pace and was so patient with me. She quietly listened to me grumble about all my aches and pains. She didn't even complain when I decided to cut the ride short because my ribs were so sore in riding position that I couldn't breathe very easily. The good news is that my knee only fussed a little going up a small climb early in the ride, but once it was warmed up, it felt pretty good.

While I was thrilled with the company, I was disappointed with my performance. I was hoping that I could get out for a ride and feel great. I wanted to be ready to go on a longer, more challenging ride on Wednesday, but now I'm thinking I need to repeat today's ride and see if I can go a little further (and maybe just a little faster). As you can see, I'm freaking out a little bit that I'm rapidly losing fitness. Not a happy feeling since I had been feeling so great prior to my wreck.

And hopefully, soon, I'll have some more interesting stories to write about.

I'm Having Such a Great Day - NOT!

2009-06-04T16:46:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning feeling worse than I have all week. But I had a Spinning class to teach, a vet appointment to get the dog to, and an appointment with my school adviser, so I got up and moving regardless.

I barely made it 30 minutes in Spinning before my bruised and swollen knee said, "No more!" I had to teach the rest of class from off the bike.

My dog shed all over my car on the way to and from the vet.

But the worst part of my day came when I went to see my advisor down at UVU. I was already running a little late when I pulled into the parking lot to find that it had been blocked off due to re-painting. I hurried and turned around to go find another lot I could park in. The only lot was on the opposite end of campus, and it was a pay lot. Not happy that I had to pay to be there, I rushed to the building where my meeting was, only to find the doors locked. I knew I was there during lunch, but it seemed a little weird that they would lock things up. I went to another door. It was locked too. Third time was a charm and I found an open door. I went inside and hurried to the advisor's office only to find that it was locked too. By now, I was livid. I had wasted time getting there, had to pay to park, and now it looked like the advisor had forgotten our appointment. I sat in a chair and wondered how long I would have to wait for someone to come let me in. The next thing I knew a policeman was yelling at me to get out of the building. He was angry and mean! As I got up and headed for the door, I asked him why I needed to leave. I never did get an answer from him because he just wanted to play power games, telling me that I shouldn't have come in when there were "all those police and firemen out front". I had come in the back door, and hadn't seen any emergency personel.

Later, my advisor called to reschedule the appointment and told me that the police had evacuated the building because of either an anthrax or ricin scare. She thought it was probably ricin. Great. Somehow I really don't think I need to be worried, but knowing my luck lately, I was probably exposed.

I'm really hoping this concussion goes away soon so I can get back to being my normal, happy, positive self!

The Last Few Days - UPDATE

2009-06-02T12:01:00.003-06:00

Saturday, I took a trip down to the UVU parking lot where I wrecked during the crit. My blood was still on the asphalt, all dried and black. I walked around the lot trying to figure out the course and what went wrong. I couldn't remember...

Monday, I went to my doctor. I was joking around with him that I couldn't fill out his paperwork because I thought I had a concussion. Nobody had bothered to check me for that, so I assumed I didn't have one. I was wrong. He tells me I have no response in the eye dilation department. No wonder I've been so danged dingy lately! He also told me that I won't be racing on the 13th unless I want to cause further damage my knee. The knee has been the least of my concerns since it didn't look too bad, but it's turned out to be one of the most swollen and bruised parts.

I also finalized my class schedule at UVU. Yes, I really am going back to school. Probably not the best day to talk to people...I had a hard time following along. How long do concussions last anyway?

Today, I went back to teach a Spinning class. It was a strength day, but I pretty much just rode easy. The rumors had spread far and wide at the fitness center. Everyone had heard that I had practically died and that I had broken every bone in my body. I was glad to go set them straight. My knee has gotten really stiff, so it took a while to loosen it up. By the end of class I could even stand up a little to ride.

My injuries are looking much better. Some of the scabs have started to peel off and most of the swelling has gone down. I have to get the stitches taken out of my chin today. I'm terrified! Now that the swelling has gone down, I have so much more feeling. I'm sure getting them out is going to be so much worse than having them put in.

For the record - total list of injuries:

concussion
chin laceration with four stitches
bruised collarbone
sore ribs
bruised/swollen/road rashed right shoulder
bruised/swollen/road rashed right elbow
several cuts on my right hand knuckles
bruised/swollen left thumb
bruised/swollen left palm
bruised/swollen right knee

A Little Friendly Competition Won't Hurt Anyone, Will It?

2009-05-29T12:46:00.004-06:00

Ragla and I are always trying to outdo one another: whose house is messier, whose kids are naughter, whose bike is dirtier. Unfortunatly, we've taken the competition to a new level: whose bike wreck is more spectacular.

Only last month did the both of us go down doing goofball moves.

Ragla went down again yesterday morning on a group bike ride. She hit her aerobars so hard with her chest that it bent the bars. She now has a bruised sternum and some road rash.

Not to be outdone, I decided to race the UVU Crit last night. No better place to wreck spectacularly than at a tight-cornered race with dozens of spectators watching, right?

I was doing pretty well racing, if I do say so myself. I had gotten to the start line just as Holly was giving the pre-race instructions. There were already about 30 guys lined up, so I took my place at the back, not up front where I wanted to be. At least when I'm up front they all have to pass me before I get dropped.

I was dropped in no time. My plan had been to recover once I was dropped and wait for the pack to come around so I could try to get back in with the group. But, as we came around for the second and third laps, I was still ahead of a few guys, so I kept up the effort. I was feeling really good, so I worked at catching and passing a couple more guys ahead of me.

Then it happened. As I was coming into the tightest turn, one of the faster groups of guys was coming up behind me. I didn't want to go through the turn with them, so I picked up my speed a bit. I'm guessing I must have been going over 25 mph. Speed + hairpin turn = not a very good combination.

The red curb was coming at me a little too fast. I feathered the brakes. "Don't hit the curb! Don't HIT THE CURB!" Then I did what I know better than to do: I locked up the brakes. Endo.

The first thing to hit the pavement was my helmet. Then my face.

I was going to pass out. I laid my head down on the ground in preparation for all to go black. But it didn't.

I couldn't breathe. I didn't think I could. But I was. Really fast.

I looked at the ground. A puddle of blood had formed. Where was that coming from? Everything hurt, so it could have been coming from anywhere.

The EMT rushed over and started asking me the have-you-been-knocked-silly questions: do your know you name? What day is it? Where are you?

A nice-sized group of spectators formed. A lot of kids staring at me. I was feeling pretty jovial and tried my best to keep things lighthearted as I told them not to look at my blood and guts. But I could see the concern on all their faces. Either I wasn't as funny as I was trying to be, or I was looking worse than I felt.

The EMTs were having a hard time getting the bleeding to stop on my chin. I finally asked if I could hold the compression gauze on because the lady doing it was getting a little too wiggly for my chin to handle. They told me that I was going to need stitches. Cool. I've never had stitches. They finished wrapping me up, loaded me into a truck, and sent me on my way to the ER.

The ER doctors quickly unwrapped everything, checked me out, gave me drugs, and sent me to get CAT scanned and x-rayed. They were worried that I had broken bones in my face, and they wouldn't stitch me up until they determined that I wouldn't need surgery. The CAT scan machine was a trip. I'm not sure it's a good idea to drug people before sending them into the giant donut machine. I had a really hard time not giggling the whole time I was getting scanned. But by the time I was moved to the x-ray lab, I was about to drop dead asleep. Then it was time to wait for results. An hour later they told me that everything looked good, and they proceeded to stitch up my chin. Four stitches, in case you're wondering.

Hoping to heal fast so I can get back on my bike! Remember to ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HELMET!

PS - There was a professional photographer there taking pictures. He promised me he'd send me some photos, but I haven't seen them yet. Plus, I hear that the wreck was caught on video from a distance. I havent' seen it yet, but will try to post it when I get a copy.

The Perils of Provo

2009-05-28T13:28:00.003-06:00

Well, at least I made the hottie list. Obviously, I need to start looking less grumpy on the start line.

Did a recovery ride to Provo yesterday. I choose that route because it's a nice and flat and perfect for recovery. I hate riding in Provo. I don't think I've ever had a good experience riding there. After getting pushed off the road by a car turning right, getting honked and glared at for riding on the road, having a semi full of pigs ride over the white line toward me just to be funny, and having several people turn left in front of me, I decided to stop in at Racer's Cycle for a break. Had a nice little visit with Racer and Kyle before heading on my way home. Wouldn't you know it, but the very first car that passed me after my stop turned right just after it passed me, forcing me to slam on the brakes yet again. What is the problem with Provo drivers?

UVU crit tonight.

Lesson Learned

2009-05-27T08:58:00.002-06:00

I thought I loved SugarHouse. But it's kinda hard to love it after what I've been through the last couple of days.

After my race on Saturday, I hung out for the rest of the day officiating the afternoon races. At some point between racing and eating lunch I hit the park's restroom. I had to touch a huge bolt in order to close the stall door. I never like touching things in public restrooms, so I was already a little grossed out. After leaving the stall, I went to wash my hands. Guess what? No soap. No paper towels. Hands dripping wet, I considered grabbing some toilet paper to pull open the door handle to get out of the restroom. But I reconsidered since my hands were so wet, and the paper would have just stuck to my hands like a bad kindergarten art project. So I proceeded to touch the gross door handle as well.

Back at the race, I checked my bag for some Purel. None. I made a mental note to get more and include it in my official's bag as I grabbed the food I had brought for lunch. I tried to brush Tyson's icky blog out of my mind as I proceeded to eat my lunch. I consoled myself that I was just being silly because what were the chances that I would get sick...I rarely get sick. It couldn't happen to ME. At least I rinsed off my hands, right?

48 hours later, in the middle of lunch at Jason's Deli, it hit me. At first I thought it must just be one of my food allergies. But it lasted too long and was too severe for that. Two days later, I'm still suffering from it a little bit.

Luckily the sickness waited until I was done with my fabulous Memorial Day ride. But I spent the rest of the holiday and the next day in serious pain.

The lesson to be learned here: always keep some hand sanitizer handy.

Memorial Day Group Ride

2009-05-25T11:26:00.004-06:00

You know you've had a fun ride when you're two and half hours into it and it only feels like you've been riding for a half an hour. That's how today's ride was for me.

Six people started the group ride in Orem at 6 a.m. It was a bit chilly and the roads were still just a little wet from the downpouring of rain we had last night.

We rode out to the base of the Traverse Ridge climb where the group split up. Two of the riders had to get back for another ride at 9 a.m., so they went up the climb on the south side.

The rest of us continued around the Point of the Mountain past Cabella's and into Draper. We stayed on Highland Road until turning up to ride past the Draper Temple. That is quite a climb! BDE told me it was it was going to hurt, and if he thinks it hurts, I knew it was going to be steep. Little did I know (glad I had BDE along to show me), the road past the temple takes you back to Traverse Ridge Road. I would have taken the group back down Highland and started at the base of the climb to Traverse. But taking the temple road put us nearly halfway up the Traverse climb. Cool.

Here is the group at the top of Traverse:

The descent off the south side of Traverse was the most fun I've had in a long time. It was also the first time I've not been the last one to the bottom. Yay! Alicia (a girl I met at the UVU crit last week, and who I had raced with at Bear Lake) told me that I was a fast descender. Nobody's ever told me that before. I've definitely lost my fear of descending! It felt really fast, so I was surprised to find that it was only two-tenths of a mile per hour faster than my top speed at the crit race on Saturday. We were flying at that crit.

Once we got back to Lindon we decided to do one more climb. We came up 2000 North in Orem. I told one of the guys (the one on the thirty-pound bike) that it was all downhill from the top. He retorted, "That's what you told me an hour ago!" Heehee! He really did do a great job keeping up with us the whole ride on his heavy bike. He's going to be a threat once he gets a lightweight bike.

I rode back to the starting point with the last couple of riders and felt like I could keep on riding. Three and a half hours was not enough for me. But I had a lunch date to get to, so I had to go home and get ready.

It has been a great Memorial Day!

55 miles in 3:28 with 2850 feet of climbing.

Sugar House Crit

2009-05-23T21:55:00.003-06:00

The Sugar House Crit is by far my favorite race. I was super excited for this race today.

Twenty-one Cat 4 and masters women lined up for a 30 minute race.

I led out the start of the race.

Sugar House Park is so beautiful.

Our group stayed together for most of the race. I felt really, really good. Better than I've ever felt at this race. The hills didn't feel like hills and at some points I wondered why we were taking it so easy.

With three laps to go I noticed that we had dropped about half the field, and it finally felt like we had started racing. I later found out that our group had been doing lap times faster or comparable to some of the men's fields. And I thought we were riding nice. I'm still wondering what I did to feel so great today.

With two laps to go two ladies went off the front and nobody bothered to chase. I was sitting too far in the back to do it, and I didn't want to burn myself out trying. I was still sitting near the back, maybe even on the back of the lead group when we came around to the finish. I should have moved up sooner. We sprinted for the finish and I managed to pass a couple of girls. My teammate Shanna and I came across the line together, with me just an inch behind her. Good job outsprinting me, Shanna!

I had a lot of fun! My only regret is that I didn't hear the man in the brown plaid shirt yelling at me to move up. If he ever comes out to watch me race again I will listen. Oh, and a big thanks to the UVU guys for coming out and cheering me on!

Baptism by Fire

2009-05-22T11:25:00.005-06:00

Last night was the third weekly UVU crit series race. I was the official. The only official. For a brand new official, it was a bit nerve wracking.

Especially as the evening progressed.

The kids race was first. Biggest group of kids to show up yet: six of them. This race was cake to score since the field got strung out from the start line. Plus, the kids were just there to have fun with little worries about winning or losing. They were all really cute with their enthusiasm.

I stole the following picture of me officiating the kid's race from one of the kids' dad's blog.

Next up were the A/B flite racers. This field was smaller than usual this week. Only 11 racers. One dropped out early, deciding to race with the later C/D flite instead. Scoring ten, much faster, racers was a little more challenging, but not bad. They raced for 50 minutes. I heard several of the guys commenting on how different the race was this week without Sleevie there putting on the hurt. Only one guy came and asked me if I got him finishing where he thought he finished. My results were right on.

After the A/B racers were finished, the organizer came over and told me that the field size for the C/D flite was around 30 racers. What?!? I tried to keep myself calm as I imagined how I was going to pull off scoring that many racers all by myself. I considered splitting the field into two groups: a C flite and a separate D flite, but decided it would be better to keep them all together.

As the C/D flite lined up, I jokingly told them that it would be great if they could all organize themselves early on and stay in the same order for the whole race without any lapping going on. They didn't take me seriously. I also told them that on a race course this short they really didn't need their saddle bags, so about six or eight guys tossed their bags off to the side. I later found two forgotton saddle bags left on the grass. (So if you're reading this and you're missing your bag and need it before next week, contact Mason at 801-891-5275.) I counted 27 riders at the start line.

I was really hoping that the field would get strung out, but they managed to stay pretty bunched up for the most part with a lead group, some chasers, the main pack and a few who were dropped off the back. There was no way I could get every number written down every lap as they flew past me. These guys were holding the same lap times (around 1:15) as the guys in the A/B flite! Lucky for me, they were all good boys on the last lap, and they lined up nicely so I could write every number down. I only had a couple of results issues to deal with after this race: one rider disappeared so I only had 26 finishing (it would help a lot if riders would tell the officials they are leaving), and I had scored a couple of guys higher than they actually finished because I didn't see them get lapped. Luckily, this group hung around waiting for their results and were able to help me straighten it out, and I feel pretty good about the way the race was scored.

After the races were over I had a hard time calming down. It was pretty exciting to have the weight of keeping track of so many racers all by myself. I wish there was a way I could practice scoring without it being an actual race. I guess the best thing is just to keep showing up at the races to scorekeep when even when the job is not all on my head. My next officiating job is tomorrow after I race the Sugar House Crit. I'll stick around and officiate the afternoon races. Luckily, I'll have lots of other officials around at Sugar House. I'm determined to be one of the best officials, but it's going to take a lot of practice.

Officiating bike races is a lot of fun! Maybe not as fun as racing them, but still a thrill. I think I'll jump back into racer mode for next week's UVU crit.

This Kinda Made My Day

2009-05-21T15:54:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was walking past the local junior high when I heard a group of kids having the following conversation:

"Hey that's (so & so's) girlfriend."

"No, it isn't. She's, like, 30." I glaced over. Could they possibly be talking about me?

"That's (mumble, mumble's) mom."

"There is NO WAY that is someone's mom!"

And they continued to argue, loudly, about whether I was old (30) or young (someone's junior high girlfriend) as I walked out of hearing range.

Either way, if 30 is "old" I'll still take it!

Alpine Loop

2009-05-20T16:53:00.005-06:00

I have missed riding the Alpine Loop! I don't think I even did it at all last year. Bummer. It's a good ride.

I was feeling surprisingly good on this ride. I had just gone to the chiropractor, and was expecting to feel like crap while I rode. But I did great! I was riding with three guys and beat them all to Sundance. I was so far ahead that I was able to stop, get out my camera, turn it on and take some pictures of them coming up the climb.

After Sundance, I played a little game with one of the guys: he would pull way out ahead of me, I would chase and catch him, pass him and wait. Pretty soon he would pass me back up and pull way ahead again. We played this game several times before my lower back started to cramp and I backed off.

The gate above Aspen Grove was closed to vehicle traffic. It was great to be able to ride through all the switchbacks without having to worry about a car coming around on the other side. Too bad they're planning on opening the road to traffic this weekend.

(I threw the above picture in to remind me that I need to work on my tan.)

At the summit we decided that we were short on time, so we turned around and rode back down the Sundance side of the loop. I rode the brakes a little bit coming down since there were some trees in the road which had fallen during the last windstorm. Otherwise, the descent was fast and fabulous!

It was an awesome ride. Who can beat perfect weather, beautiful scenery, and feeling great? I even saw Sleevie climbing to the summit when I was on my way back down.

Tomorrows plans: teach a Spinning class, get a massage, and officiate the UVU crit.

Where, Oh Where, Have My Strong Legs Gone

2009-05-18T13:32:00.002-06:00

I realize that some of you are looking for a Bear Lake race report. Here it is in a nutshell: I didn't have the legs. It doesn't surprise me. I am still bruised from my wreck last month, and my legs have been incredibly tight ever since. Tight to the point of pain in the knees. I guess I'm in worse shape than I thought, and it was proved to me on Saturday. I felt great cardio-wise, but the legs just wouldn't work.

Now, I waffle between thinking that I should take it easy and let my body recover better, and thinking that I really need to get serious, get on my bike more, and train harder. What to do, what to do?

Hey, I think I know what I'll do! I think I'll go back to school and get my bachelor's degree. Yeah, that should fix everything. I just need to keep adding more stuff to my plate if I'm going to be truly happy....

Heads Up

2009-05-13T09:36:00.002-06:00

FYI:
Online registration for the Bear Lake Classic road race closes TODAY!!! (Not on Thursday, like most races.) Don't wait - unless you like paying the extra $10 and standing in line for day-of registration.
That's all for now....

A Comedy of Errors

2009-05-10T10:29:00.003-06:00

Instead of racing the State Champion Crit race yesterday, Dawn and I decided to go for a bike ride.

Pretty much everything went wrong.

When I got my bike off the rack, it had a rear flat tire. Too much glass on the crit course on Thursday evening I guess. I opted to change the wheel instead of using my last tube. This meant I had to change my brake pads too. No big deal. It was quicker than changing the tube anyway.
When I went to put the new wheel on, it got lodged in the chain somehow. I had to beat on it to get it to come loose, only to discover that I had knocked the chain off too. The chain hadn't come off in a nice way, and it took a lot of effort and frustration to get the stupid thing back on again. I was beginning to think maybe I should call the ride off.
Since the ride was starting 20 miles from my house, I loaded Rio into the trunk of my car and drove to the freeway. I was 10 minutes from my house when I realized I had forgotten to bring my bike shoes. Since I was already running late I didn't go back for them.
As I was unloading my bike from the trunk I dropped my Garmin on the pavement. It still works, but I can no longer see the screen.
Even though I had written out a ride route cue sheet, we still got lost. At some point we found the Jordon River Parkway trail, so we decided to follow it...right to a major construction project. We navigated around, and managed to find our way to our destination of Saratoga Springs.

After the ride I managed to curb my car's wheels. I hate that.
I also redamaged my right shoulder. It's never really had a chance to heal from my wreck and now it's angry again.
To make matters worse, I cracked a newly decorated birthday cake right down the middle of the cake.

I guess things could have been worse, but it sure seemed like everything was conspiring against me yesterday.

UVU Crit Racing

2009-05-08T11:55:00.005-06:00

Nobody's ever said I'm not a total goofball when it comes to racing...especially crits. But when a crit series is brought to my end of the valley, darn right, I'm going to go support it!

I showed up to the race early so that I could watch the kids race. So cute! One especially cute little guy was out there on his tiny BMX bike giving it his all with his little legs a-flying. He had just learned to ride his bike a week earlier and had been excited to race it.

After the kids race, I had planned on warming up while the A/B flite raced. But as I was standing there a couple of things changed my mind. First, it was unclear whether there would be a C/D flite race later because it looked like there wasn't very many people there to race. Second, the only other girl who showed up, Christy from Intermountain Financial, encouraged me to come race the A/B flite with her. So I lined up with everyone else, not thinking about how long this race was going to last, or how fast it was going to get going.

The first lap was neutral, and it was fun to hang with the big boys, but as soon as we came to the start/finish line for the second lap I could hear them ramping up, WHOOSH, and they all took off. I was dropped in no time.

I rode around and around the course, alternating trying to find someone to catch and waiting to get lapped so I could TRY to catch back on with a group. But they were way too fast for me and I couldn't ever grab a wheel. Best Draft Ever (BDE) had come out and raced too, and his wheel was the wheel I tried to catch the hardest. After about 20 minutes of frustration (and getting lapped by BDE TWICE already), I was done. I pulled off the course and watched Holly, the ref, scorekeep. I figured that scorekeeping practice was a way better use of my time since I will be the ref at this race in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure where BDE ended up finishing, but when I first pulled out of the race, he was sitting in 4th place. Pretty impressive for a Cat 4. Christy was awe-inspiring to watch too. She looked strong and was able to catch and hold the wheels of the fast guys.

By the time the A/B flite was done, more people had showed up to race. So I lined up again and raced with the C/D flite. I fared much better in this group. I didn't even lose, even though I was the only female racer! The best part was that I was able to work with the group this time, and I even put in some good efforts to pass some of the guys. I'm not too sure some of them were thrilled with it.

I've found that one of my favorite pastimes is to walk up to someone I recognize from the blogging world and say "Hi, (insert name here)!" Then I like to stand back and watch the look on his or her face while they try to figure out where they know me from. It's quite entertaining. Such is the case with this guy last night:

I asked for a picture so that I could remember the night I got my butt kicked by Sleevie.

Lest You Forget...

2009-05-07T11:31:00.002-06:00

The UVU Crit series starts TONIGHT!!! Come support racing in the UC. After all, Survivor is hardly worth watching anymore....

Roadie Goes Off Road

2009-05-06T18:55:00.004-06:00

I got today all backwards. I went for a massage in the morning and then went mountain biking in the afternoon. If I had only known how hard mountain biking was! What a workout!

Yep. It was my first ever mountain bike ride today. A group of nine met for a lunchtime ride, and I was the only one who had never done this before. So, of course we went on the most terrifying, technical trail we could find: The Race Course.

Actually, the gravel road up to the trail was fine. Nice wide road with some slippy slidey gravel to make things more entertaining. I was laughing and having a great time.

Then we got to the singletrack. At first I was okay with it because it reminded me of 'cross racing.

Maybe my head was just getting rattled from so much bumping around, but things were getting scarier. There were some steep downhill sections were I got off and walked. There were some uphill sections that I was sure I could have ridden had I had clipless pedals on my bike. I got off and walked. And there were steep sections where I wasn't the only one who got off and walked. It got to the point where the group would clap and cheer for me if I was riding the bike. Quite frankly, I was ready to chuck the stupid heavy bike and just jog along the trail. It probably would have been faster.

The scariest part for me came after we stopped climbing and turned around to come back. We had reached a dirt road that was way up high on the mountain overlooking the valley below. It was confirmed to me that if we kept following the road it would take me to the water tanks, and I would be just about home. Plus, following the road would have been the easy way down. But no matter how much I tried, nobody would go down the road with me. So I followed them back onto the singletrack.

It was then that I realized that they had taken me to the part of the trail that only ten minutes earlier I had pointed to and said, "Boy, I'm glad were not riding THAT trail!" THAT trail was on the edge of a cliff. If you fell off THAT trail, you would fall 200 feet straight down and then roll another 500 feet to the bottom. After my left pedal kept clipping the rocks and throwing me toward the cliff, I got off and walked. I wasn't laughing nor having such a good time anymore. The rest of the way down wasn't too bad, but I was sure relieved when we got back to the gravel road at the bottom.

I dunno...I still think I'd take the threat of cars to cliffs any day, but I have found a new respect for mountain bikers.

I need another massage.

Grrr!!!

2009-05-04T13:23:00.002-06:00

So the UCA has put up the "results" from last weekend's race. Soooo not the same results that I looked at when I checked them at the race.

Not only did I get bumped down, but they have eliminated people from my field that I beat.

I was feeling really good about the way I performed in that race. Why should the way the results were uploaded make me feel any worse about the way I raced? I dunno. But it does. I've got to keep telling myself that points don't matter...points don't matter...points don't matter...

Deep breath...okay...feeling better again.

Antelope Island Road Race

2009-05-03T14:45:00.006-06:00

When I started racing back in 2006, the race on Antelope Island was my very first road race. Back then, it was called the Buffalo Stampede. Being my first race, it automatically became my favorite. And, it is still my favorite race, even after yesterday's race. This year the name was different (now the Antelope Island Classic), the course was different, and the weather...well, every time I've raced this event the weather has been different.

In 2006 it was sunny and pleasant. I sucked and I lost. But I was hooked.

In 2007 it was gale force winds, blowing sand around like a sandblaster. It caused my asthma to kick in, and it was the only race I've ever DNF'd (did not finish).

In 2008 the race was canceled due to permitting problems.

So I was super stoked to see the Antelope Island race return to the calendar for 2009.

Course Description
The island consists of only a few roads that I am aware of: the 4-mile loop that goes around the visitor's center on the north end of the island, a road heading south to a restaurant that serves buffalo burgers, and the road to the ranch.

In the past the race has been held solely on the loop around the visitor's center. You did how ever many loops it took to get your specified race mileage. The Cat 4 women would do 8 loops to get 32 miles of racing.

This year the course started at the entrance to the causeway and crossed the causeway. At the end of the causeway, it turned right to loop counterclockwise around the island. The number of loops determined the total miles. Our group was told to do one lap. After the lap around the loop, we turned right onto Ranch Road and continued to the end where there was a u-turn. Then we came back on Ranch Road to the top of the final hill where the race finished.

Pre-Race
My teammate, Dawn, and I had left our houses before sunrise in order to get to the race on time. We carpooled to the race in the driving rain. Our race started at 8 am. We got to the entrance of the causeway just after 7 am and were surprise to see that the parking lot was full and we had to park quite a way down the road. We got out of the warm, dry car, put on our raincoats and ducked under an umbrella to go pick up our race numbers. Once we had our numbers, we headed back to the car to unrack the bikes and go get warmed up for the race.

By the time we had our bikes ready, we were already quite soaked. We hopped on our bikes and took off down the causeway for a warm up. Most people spent their warm up time in their cars with the heater going. We didn't ride too far for fear of missing our start time. It wasn't long before we were swimming in our clothes. Dawn told me that it felt just like SCUBA diving: you have all your gear on, but you still get sopping wet. I had worn my "waterproof" shoe covers, but even before we were done warming up I could feel the water sloshing around in my shoes. The faster I spun, the more I could feel it in there whirring around. It was kinda a cool feeling...not something you get to experience every day.

The race
We got back and realized that everyone was lined up. To save time (and because it wasn't a very big group anyway), the organizers had put the juniors and the masters women in our group. We pulled up to the start line and heard the instructions from the official. Then she blew the whistle and said something like, "Stay neutral until the..." That's all I heard. I think that's all anyone heard because the race stayed at super slow speed for at least a half a mile down the road. It was like nobody was in the mood to race. Then one of the little junior boys pulled to the front, and I decided I had had enough. I went around and drove the pace up to a reasonable race speed. I liked it better up front anyway...not so much road water flying off the wheel in front of me and into my face. I had my sunglasses on and, while they helped keep water out of my eyes, they were pretty useless for me to see anything. They were off by the time we started up the first climb going into the 4-mile loop.

The pace of the race stayed pretty mild until we got halfway around the loop to a mild climb before the descent to the turn to Ranch Road. Then one of the girls attacked and two of us chased. I couldn't stay with the two race leaders and was sitting in third place for a while before three other ladies caught me. I tried to get them to work with me to form a chase group, but each of them wanted to solo to close the gap, and no one would work together. Two of them finally managed to bridge the gap and the other one slowly pulled away from me. We stayed this way for most of the rest of the race: four leaders up front with one (or was it two? My memory is about as foggy as my sunglasses were) chasing them, then me and whoever was behind me.

After turning onto Ranch Road, I was pleasantly surprised to see the finish line. I knew that all I had left was to make it to the turn around spot and come back. Little did I realize how far out the turn around was. (Note to promoter: a map of the course with mile marker cues would have been mighty helpful for us to know what to expect.) It seemed like forever before I finally made it to the turnaround. I wasn't racing with a bike computer, but I've been told it was 10-12 miles out to the turnaround. The winds had really picked up and were driving the pouring rain hard into my right side. Up the road I could see the wheel car following the race leaders, and I kept thinking that at any time I would see them turn around and head back. At least I knew what to expect - a long road back - on the return to the finish.

I slowed way too much on the turn around (I need to work on U-turns), and started my way back. I could see Melanie coming up the climb to the turnaround like a beast. She was out of saddle and working it. I knew if I didn't keep my pace up, I would get caught by her. I've raced enough with her to know that she is strong enough to catch the pack if she gets dropped. So far, I was impressed with myself that I was still ahead of her. But I couldn't let myself think for a minute that I had her beat. I needed to keep focusing on what I needed to do to stay ahead.

Focus. Once I turned around, I kinda forgot that I was racing. It was taking a lot of self talk to get myself to focus on racing. I thought about how cold I was getting. After I turned around and started heading north again the winds were hitting me on my left side. I felt even colder because my left side had been protected from the wind up to this point. I thought about what I would write in my blog: "Stop blogging and race!". I thought about how well nourished the dark brown worms I kept running over looked. I started trying to dodge the worms. "Stop looking at the worms and race!" Then I noticed that one of the race leaders was on the side of the road with a flat. Where had the wheel car gone? Why hadn't it stopped for her? "Stop worrying about HER and race!" Soon, I was caught by Melanie and another girl in a light turquoise jacket. The girl who flatted pulled up along side of us and asked if anyone had a hand pump. Then she dropped us all. She continued to pull over, use her CO2 cartridge, and drop us. (I think she ended up taking 2nd place regardless of the flat...wow!) I focused on holding a wheel and grumbled about having to have road water sprayed in my face again. The three of us worked together for a while before the turquoise girl attacked. I tried to stay with her, but she had lit the afterburners, and I couldn't keep up. She slowed on the last big climb to the finish, and I was motivated to try to catch her. I managed to pick up the pace and I was gaining on her. If the race had been just a little longer, I think I could have beat her. Melanie came in right behind me.

After I crossed the finish line, I kept riding. It was 9-10 miles back to my car. As I headed back, I was surprised to see Dawn just coming onto Ranch Road. She smiled and waved. In my mind I was thinking about how far she still had to go. Little did I know at the time, but she had "decided" that 32 miles wasn't studly enough for a race, and did three extra laps on the 4-mile loop. She ended up with 54 miles of racing.

With the race over, I backed off on my effort, and on the way back to my car I started shivering and my muscles were tensed up from the cold. I wasn't putting in enough effort anymore to keep myself warm. The winds were even worse by then, adding to the misery. I didn't think I would ever make it to my car. I could see the end of the causeway, but it seemed like I was on a treadmill, and I wasn't going anywhere. By the time I got to my car I was so shaky that I could hardly get my key in the lock. I got in the car and looked in the mirror to see an unfamiliar face with blue lips. I hurried as fast as I could to change into dry clothes and warm up with the car heater blasting. My legs were still cold three hours later as I was driving home.

The Results
My race had been over for an hour and a half before the results were finally posted. Melanie had gotten tired of waiting and had left. She had asked me to make sure that her results looked good. So when I saw that they had given her a DNS (did not start) I questioned it. Dirk from SBO had posted the results, so I asked about the DNS. He got right in my face, told me to shut up and said that if I can't register my chip properly it was my own fault. I told him that I was asking for someone else, and told him that I had witnessed her racing and finishing. Once again right in my face, he told me that I wasn't allowed to protest for someone else, and that if I wanted to know more about the rules I should talk to an official. I reminded him that I was an official. Then he skulked off. I wish I would have added that: 1) I wasn't protesting, I was asking a question. 2) People are allowed to ask questions, and as humans deserve to be treated with respect. 3) As an official I was giving him information about what I had seen happen during the race. 4) If he can't get chip registration right, that's his problem, not mine. Apparently he's too busy and important to spend time making corrections for any of us "insignificant" racers who pay his living.

Conclusion
I got home and hauled in all my wet clothes. I'm guessing that the bag weighed 30 to 40 pounds! That doesn't include my shoes. Yep, I hauled around at least 30 extra pounds of weight during the race.

Another interesting fact I noted was that I didn't take one drink from my water bottle the entire race. I didn't need it. I was breathing water and licking it off my lips as it constantly ran into my mouth.

I'm happy with the way the race turned out for me. I'm still trying to figure out what made this race a "good" race. It certainly wasn't the weather. It may be that I felt strong and capable and was able to hold onto the lead pack longer and finish shortly behind them. I still finished mid-pack, but I feel good about it this time.

More to Come...

2009-05-02T21:01:00.002-06:00

I got on the computer with the intention of blogging about the Antelope Island race today, but my eyes hurt from all the rain and my body wants to go get in bed.

Short story...I'm happy & I didn't die of hypothermia.

I'll write more about it tomorrow...

Nighty-night.

Seeing The Good

2009-04-29T14:04:00.008-06:00

So I was wrong about the lunchtime group. Only four people were able to sneak away from their jobs for a little mid-day play today.

I was hoping to be able to climb Provo Canyon in my endurance zone again, like I did last week. But the rest of the group that showed up are all top-placing tri-geeks. I told them, early on in the ride, to go ahead without me - I had already left my endurance zone. But they just slowed down and let me catch my breath a bit.

I suffered the mild climb up the canyon to Vivian Park in my small chain ring. I felt maxed out, and my legs were tired, sore, and heavy. Why? I slept in this morning and have been taking it pretty easy lately. Maybe that's the reason...or maybe it was from not enough food...or not enough warm up...or maybe my body is still trying to recover from last week's wreck. Whatever the cause, I did not like it.

Then an interesting thing happened. Something in me switched, and I climbed the steeper grades up South Fork-IN MY BIG CHAIN RING. Not cross-chained either. I did drop into my small chain ring a couple of times when the road grade kicked up to 11-12 percent, but for the most part I mashed the climb. The best part is that I felt much better doing this - my heart rate stayed low and my legs quit whimpering. I've gotta figure out how to switch my brain into strength mode more often. Not because mashing is the best thing, just to feel and believe I'm strong.

This is why South Fork is a favorite ride.

The descent out of South Fork is always fun. It is the only time on the ride today that I was able to catch and pass the ultra-skinny tri girl.

Oh, and my shoulder didn't bother me a bit on the ride. I've dodged the chiropractor again.

Now for some deep thinking: it occurred to me today that I really have no interest in upgrading. I have been a Cat 4 for three years now, and I've come to the conclusion that I'm fine with that. I have toyed around with the idea of upgrading for the last couple of years, but now realize that my heart isn't into it. I have wanted to upgrade for reasons beyond myself. In other words, if I upgraded it wouldn't be doing it for me. I would be doing it to impress others, and quite frankly I don't care what others think of me anymore. I'm going to stop focusing on points. At least for this week. Who knows, maybe I'll start enjoying myself again and things will change. But this is how I feel today. I'm going to stop taking racing so seriously that I suck the life out of it, and I'm just going to ride and have fun and focus on improving.

And believe me, I have improved. I only started riding a bike in early 2006. At that time I was a terrified biker. I was afraid of corners, nervous about clipping into my pedals, and would panic if there was a pebble in the road. And forget about descending...I would give myself hand cramps from braking so hard on mild descents. I stayed awake at night imagining the carnage I was sure to cause myself if I were to ever wreck my bike. Yet, I wanted to race so badly! So, without more than a couple of months of riding I signed up for my first race - Buffalo Stampede on Antelope Island. I lost. I lost big. But I didn't give up.

And here I am today. I still don't win races but I no longer lose. For the most part I've had a lot of fun participating. I've done plenty of terrifying things to get to where I am today: I've learned to push into descents without braking. I've climbed and come down roads I never thought I possibly could. I hardly notice rocks in the road, let alone pebbles. I enjoy cornering. I have wrecked - and it wasn't the horrible carnage I had always imagined. And I have found that I won't die if I push myself harder than I thought was possible.

I'm done being stressed about having to do every race for fear of losing points. So, when you see me at the races, know that I'm there because I am ready for a good time.

Make Up Your Minds Already!

2009-04-29T09:02:00.003-06:00

Everytime I check the weather forecast for this weekend, it has changed.

First, it looked cold and rainy. Crap.

Then, sunny and warm. Nice.

Crap.

Nice.

Crap.

Nice...

I wish the weather people would just make up their minds!

In recovery news, I am feeling much better. Scabs are coming off, and I can sleep on my bruised right side now without too much pain. Every day is a little better than the one before. The only issue I'm currently having is that my right shoulder muscles have shut down on me. It's difficult to lift my arm up higher than shoulder height, hold anything with weight, zip zippers or tie shoes. Even just keeping my arm in one position for too long fatigues the shoulder muscles. I keep thinking I'll go to the chiropractor, but can't talk myself into spending the money. If it is still bothering me after today's ride, I'll break down and go. Hopefully, he won't mess anything else up while he's fixing me.

Speaking of today's ride, I'll be riding up Provo Canyon to the top of South Fork again with the lunchtime group. It always amazes me how many people can get away for a bike ride on their lunch "hour." Last week there were eight of us and I expect at least that many again today.

Antelope Island race for me this weekend - regardless of the weather forecast. I'm excited to see the return of this race. It's been one of my favorites. I hope the change in course doesn't affect my feel-good attitude about it. It seems to me that starting the race at the end of the causeway and finishing it miles away on the island makes for a very spectator-unfriendly race.

Let's Not Make This an Annual Event

2009-04-23T15:13:00.003-06:00

Today was the second annual Rio's Rider Wrecks event. I am such a dork.

Ragla and I were heading to the mouth of Provo Canyon to meet a group for a lunch ride. We came up to the busy intersection at 1200 N and 800 E in Orem (when ARE they going to put a traffic light there, anyway?). Traffic was bad so we had to wait a couple of minutes to cross. Finally, traffic cleared and we went to go across.

So did the van turning left on the other side of the intersection.

No, I didn't get hit by the van. This accident is all mine - I totally own it.

The van stopped for us to cross, and I stood up and cranked hard to get across fast. At the same time, I lifted my left hand up to wave a courtesy "thanks" to the van. I'm not exactly sure what took me down, but I theorize that I must have had all my weight down hard on the right while lifting my left hand. I went down really hard on my right side. So hard that I knocked off my glasses and stuff came flying out of my pockets. I still can't figure out how I managed to knock the cap off my LEFT shifter. The shifter cap didn't just fly off, it for sure hit the ground. It's cracked and scratched up bad.

I hurried and jumped up and got off the road. As Ragla and I stood there assessing the damages and putting my chain back on, a car pulled up. Surprise! It was Hilslug! At the time I figured she had been on her way to meet us for the ride and had stopped to help out. She came prepared, too. She cleaned up my wounds with some antibacterial wipes and offered a glove to keep grease off our hands while we put the chain back on.

My next surprise was that the Orem City Police showed up, lights flashing and all. I looked at the officer utter amazement and asked if someone had called him. Nope, he just happened to be in the area and thought it looked like I had been hit by a car. He pulled out his first-aid kit and helped bandage up my road rash.

Once I was all fixed up, we continued on the ride. 24 miles up to the top of South Fork and back home. The group teased me the whole ride with comments about not wanting to ride too close to me and reminding me not to wave at anyone.

When I got home I realized that I could hardly walk. Funny how riding my bike didn't hurt, but walking does???? Anyway, my elbow had gotten so stiff that I couldn't even get my clothes changed. So I decided to make a trip to the Instacare. They x-rayed my wrist and elbow, deemed me unbroken, re-bandaged me up and sent me on my way with instructions to rest and ice.

So I called a sub in to teach Spinning for me in the morning. Doctor's orders to rest, so I'm taking it for all it's worth.

***THANKS to Hilslug for documenting the event with her camera!

Other things to note:

I managed to not rip any of my clothes.
The van didn't even bother stopping or asking if I was okay.

Here Comes the Sun and I Say, "It's Alright"

2009-04-21T16:54:00.005-06:00

Philpot invited me to go riding after Spinning class this morning. I really didn't feel like going, but couldn't turn down the invitation, so I went.

The weather was so nice with temperatures around 70-75 degrees (F) and not a cloud in the sky. I was able to ride in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey for the first time this year.

We took the neighborhood roads through Orem, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, American Fork and Alpine before turning around to head back home. My rear derailleur had started phantom shifting, and on a descent back into American Fork I realized that I could no longer get into my smallest rear gear. So we headed to my favorite bike shop where they dropped what they were doing and fixed my problem. They're great! Thanks, guys!

Once back home, I realized that I had gotten some sun. My fabulous biker tan lines have returned! Only later did I realize that I had not only gotten a tan, but I was SUNBURNED!!! Ouch! Yes, I will continue to refuse to wear sunblock. It'll be a tan by tomorrow anyway.

2 hours in the sun
More climbing than I wanted to do
Slowmo pace
I had fun and am glad that I went
Plans to ride with Ragla on Thursday after class
I have great friends who are not going to let me give up

Couldn't Resist

2009-04-20T18:54:00.003-06:00

Tried to take Rodney (my new 'cross bike) out for a spin today.

Didn't make it past the driveway.

I'd forgotten that I'd stolen the cassette off the 'cross wheel to use on my training wheels for backup wheels at Hell of the North. Bikes don't go so good without gears.

All was not lost. I came back in and switched bikes, and Rio and I had a fabulous time riding around the park with the kids.

Farewell Brandi

2009-04-18T18:43:00.003-06:00

I made a good choice with what to do with my time today. I drove an hour up to Salt Lake and rode with my teammate who's moving away.

It was a great ride - just what I needed. The weather was great - much better than the last couple of weeks. It was good to feel the sun again.

I was glad to get away and ride on roads that I hadn't ridden before.

It was gratifying to just go ride. No training, just riding for the pleasure of riding.

It was good to visit with Brandi one more time. I will miss her.

Indecisive

2009-04-16T12:13:00.003-06:00

I can't make up my mind what to do this weekend.

Here are my choices:

Lead a group ride from Orem to Draper and back over Traverse Ridge. This was my original plan, and I still feel a little obligated to do this ride.

Help out with the Timp TELOS tri. Once I found out they were looking for help, I changed my plan from the group ride so I could volunteer at the tri. The TELOS boys ride in some of my Spinning classes, so I wanted to be a support to them.

Ride with a teammate. She's moving out of state, and this will be her last ride with the team. This is probably my top choice. I would feel really bad if she left without my being able to ride with her for (possibly) the last time. The only problem is that this ride involves a one hour drive to the meeting point.

Do another group training ride I've been invited to. This one is tempting since I can always use some coaching/training tips.

Do nothing. Not that this is really a choice, but with the mood I've been in lately, it may turn into what really happens. Being in a lonely house, I could easily slip into sit-around-and-feel-sorry-for-myself mode. It especially didn't help my mood to wake up to this this morning:

At least the sun is shining now, lifting my mood.

Depot

2009-04-13T12:29:00.002-06:00

Jeremy and Ski Utah put on an awesome race in Tooele this weekend!

I raced the Tour of the Depot on Saturday.

I beat my goal time in the morning time trial.

I didn't do as well as I'd hoped in the circuit race later in the afternoon.

I missed the third stage road race on Sunday to spend Easter with my family.

I'm going to take a couple of weeks off and see if I can find my motivation again.

Experiment - Warm FX

2009-04-08T13:31:00.005-06:00

After calling and checking into several stores looking for the muscle-warming embrocation I wanted, I finally settled for Warm FX by Bodyglide.

Since I was a little sore from yesterday's ride and from this morning's interval Spinning class (5x5s - ouch, those hurt!), I decided to try some on.

I rubbed some on all my stiff or sore spots: my quads, my lower back, my neck and my shoulders.

At first I didn't notice anything, other than the smell. Then I got really cold. I was starting to take chills so I wrapped myself in a blanket. That helped. I stayed cold for about a half an hour and then everything got nice and warm. My neck was no longer stiff, but my legs are still sore.

The warm effect wore off my legs first, then the shoulders. But now, after and hour and 15 minutes, I can still feel the warmth on my neck and lower back.

I like the final warming effect of this product. But, I didn't so much enjoy the chills that came with getting there (or the menthol smell). If I'm going to use this before a race I will need to remember to apply it before I leave the house to give it plenty of time to soak in and give me that warm feeling.

I give the product a B+. I think I could get the same effect using Icy Hot.

Does anyone know where I can get my hands on some Qoleum products?

Lunch Ride

2009-04-07T17:07:00.004-06:00

Rode with BDE (Best Draft Ever) to Saratoga Springs today. He was the only one who showed for the ride.

He and I have very different ideas of what an "endurance" ride should be. Actually, I think he was going easy, but I was pretty much zone 4 the whole ride trying to focus on holding his wheel. I need to learn to focus. No more, "Hey look, a bird!" only to find myself dropped.

We did throw in a sprint once, just for fun. Who can resist when one of those "your speed is ____" trailers is parked on the side of the road. We managed to get going fast enough to make the lights blink at us, warning us to slow down.

Temperatures were mid-60s when we started and mid-70s when we got back. It was nice! Starting to see the tan lines on my wrists again. Yay, sun!

36.26 miles in 2 hours.

Hell of the North - A Lesson in Distraction

2009-04-04T18:34:00.014-06:00

I woke bright and early this morning and was pleased to see that the weather didn't look too bad after all. Even though I have been stoked for this race the last few days (and hoping that it would be nasty weather so it would really live up to it's name), this morning I wasn't too sure.

I started driving toward Salt Lake, and by the time I got to American Fork it was snowing. Hard. But I was okay about it. Calm actually. I knew what I had signed up for, and I was going to do it no matter what. I guess I've raced enough now that my days of hyperventilating and freaking out before a race are over. Too bad. I think freaking out actually helps me race better. I've found that it's the races that I'm the most calm about that I do the worst at.

As I pulled into the race parking lot, I found a huge muddy mess. There was a little bit a snow covering everything too.

(A quick course description for those readers who may not know: Hell of the North is a flat 5-mile circuit north of the Salt Lake International Airport with the inclusion of a 1.75 mile stretch of Dirt/Gravel road.)

I hoped I would be able to talk myself into getting out of the car and onto my bike. I got into Slingshot's truck, and he drove me over to the gravel/mud section of the course where I got on my bike to test it out. I rode from one end of the dirt to the other and back. I found only one small section where it was really muddy. The rest was just wet packed dirt. I rode back to the parking area, got registered, and geared up for the race. But after walking around in the muddy parking area my Speedplay cleats were packed with mud. I rode over to the start line and found someone with a pocket knife so I could dig the mud out. But I still couldn't get my left cleat clipped into my pedal.

Lap 1

As we started off, everything was going great and I felt really good. We had ridden half the course and were heading west into the cross/headwind when a girl in a red jacket suddenly moved laterally into me. My bike skipped sideways on the wet concrete, and I braced myself for a wreck. Surprisingly, I didn't go down. Then she did it again. I backed off. What the??? I tried to get up next to her again for wind protection, but couldn't make myself get there because I had figured out what a sketchy rider she was, and I didn't want to be anywhere near her. By the time we got to the gravel, I had lost focus and was dropped from the lead pack. Almost five miles into the race I was finally able to get clipped into my left pedal.

Lap 2
I rode lap two solo, trying to catch the girl just ahead of me. The winds had picked up and it was now raining ice. I wished I had my glasses on, but had left them in the car thinking they would be of little use if they got all muddied. The mud section had been fine with just one 15-or-so foot section where it was a bog. This section felt just like I was riding through peanut butter. By the end of the race much of the dirt course had this sloppy peanut butter from all the rain and so many riders stirring it all together.

Lap 3
I continued to gain on the girl ahead of me. I had almost caught her as we headed back into the mud. Slingshot had been driving the wheel vehicle for our group and as he came around to pass me he decided to try to chat with me. Once again, I let myself lose focus on the race as I tried to understand what he was saying to me and tried to figure out how to answer him.

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

I looked up to see that the girl I had been catching had a good gap on me again. The next thing I knew I was caught by a couple of teammates. I jumped on a wheel and tasted mud for the first time - crunch, crunch. I started crying. Not from the pain and suffering, but from all the mud in my eye.

All three of us stuck together as we came back around past the finish line and turned to head south again. One of my teammates cranked up the pace, and soon we were passing one of the Cat 5 men. My teammate went around him first, and as I went to go around him, he jumped on my teammate's wheel. Fine. I decided to tuck in behind him instead. Shortly after this, I felt my bike jar a bit and then heard a sound. At first I thought I had flatted. Then I heard more noises - like metal grinding on pavement. I glanced back to see my teammate rolling down the road. Crap! What I had felt was her tapping my back wheel. For the last half of the third lap all I could think about was my teammate hitting the ground. Had I caused the accident? I couldn't think of anything I would have done to have caused it. Would she get help? Was she okay? Should I have stopped to help her? It was all I could focus on, and I was dropped again.

Lap 4
By the time I got to lap four I knew I was no longer racing. I decided to just finish the race and went into riding-my-bike-for-enjoyment mode.

As I came around to start the fourth lap I was surprised that the last-lap bell was being rung. Funny, I was sure I had two more laps to go (finishing this lap then the next lap). I was enjoying spending time on my bike and felt like I could ride around several more times after the race was over, so I was going to do two more laps regardless.

Lap 5
As I was crossing the start finish line going into my last lap I was caught by the two lead riders. They came flying past me like I was standing still. I pretty much was. I congratulated them on their wins and continued on my merry way. I noticed the girl in red was standing by the side of the road as I passed, so I knew that she hadn't finished the race. Little did I know at the time that the entire rest of the field had been pulled after lap four. The only ones who did the entire race were the two race leaders and myself. Yea, lap five was just for the pleasure of doing it again. As I turned out of the mud for the last time and tried to shift into a harder gear, I found that my derailleur was so muddied that it would no longer shift.

Post Race
I rode back over to the parking lot and was surprised to find that my teammates had already changed their clothes. Was I really that slow? Probably. I had just done five more miles than they did and I did it at la-la pace.

They had been waiting around for results and were losing patience. After they left, the officials were still trying to figure out what was up with our results. The results were showing me in third place since I came across the finish line with the leaders. But they were confused because we were the only ones who had done all five laps. Once we figured out that the rest of the field had been pulled pre-maturely, they could post results. I came in 6th out of 9. Not too bad for my lollygagging for two and a half laps, I guess.

I also learned that the teammate who went down got help right after the accident, she knew that the accident was caused because she tapped my wheel and I didn't cause it, and she was going to be fine. Just some road rash and a torn jersey.

I couldn't believe how wet and muddy I was after the race! I changed into some clean, dry clothes, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed over the the start/finish line again. My day was not over yet.

Officiating
I spent the rest of the race day scoring the remaining races. As the Cat 1/2 men lined up the sun was shining and the wind had stopped. No fair! But it didn't last long before the clouds moved back in and the winds picked back up. And now that I was just standing around, I got cold! I had on a base layer, my official's shirt, a hoodie, and two jackets, and I was still shivering.

Scoring a race is kinda exciting. It's fun to watch for the racers and try your best to write their race numbers down as fast as you can as they go flying by. I especially liked playing detective a little as we used our notes to figure out which riders had been lapped.

I was super glad to get home. After eight hours in the cold, snow, rain, and mud, a shower has never felt so good.

Guess I Should Put My Bike Back Together

2009-04-03T17:52:00.002-06:00

As part of my relaxing recovery day today, I made a trip to my awesome massage therapist. He's a bike guy who works part-time at my favorite bike shop. So he really knows his cycling-specific body work.

We were talking about my bike race tomorrow, and as I was leaving he says, "It'd be a good idea if you would go home and ride your trainer to re-fire all the muscles that we just relaxed. I didn't realize you were racing tomorrow when you scheduled."

I'm good with that. I was actually thinking of riding my trainer anyway since I wasn't able to ride much in this morning's class.

I do feel really good after the rub down, but I guess from now on I'll have to be a little more careful about when I schedule my massages.

Recovery Day

2009-04-03T10:07:00.002-06:00

Taking a fabulous rest and recovery day today. More so than I expected.

Last week I promised my Spinning class a really hard ride for today. Then I looked at my schedule: recovery day. Usually I can fake it in Spinning, but I wasn't so sure with today's planned profile: multiple sprints, power jumps, climbing with high cadence and finishing off with a time-trial simulation.

Lucky for me the class was packed. So when this guy came in looking for a bike, I was happy to give up mine.

I think I might push people too hard in class when I'm off the bike. It's hard for me to gauge the intensity when I'm not riding along. I heard lots of "griping" after class. But everyone finished still upright, so I guess they can't be too mad at me, right?

I am amped for the Hell of the North race tomorrow. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Public Service Announcement #5

2009-04-01T12:43:00.003-06:00

Race season starts this Saturday with the Hell of the North race. I couldn't be more stoked! Bring on the snow and mud and gravel! Yeah!!!

The following message is for all of you who are planning to road race this year:

"Saturday is our first UCA points race for 2009. Things will be different than years past. Because we are using timing chips, the registration process is a little more involved. We now have to list each rider’s information with the timing chip ID. We all can mitigate much if this by making sure that everyone’s chip has been properly registered at www.sportsbaseonline.com. If you have yet to register you chip, please go to the website, open your profile and enter your chip ID. The instructions should have been mailed with your chip. Believe it or not, of the hundreds of chips sold so far more than 25% of them have not been properly registered with SBO.

I would ask everyone to open the attachment and look it over. It explains how the registration will be handled on Saturday and for most all of the races this year.

If you do not have a Winning Time chip, you will be able to rent one onsite for $10. It must be done with a credit card. If you want to purchase one, you can do so at www.sportsbaseonline.com. Just look for the “Winning Time” link. However, there is a good chance that you will not receive it by Saturday. But, you will be able to use
it for almost all of our future races and for RMR.

On Saturday and for most all races, REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE THIRTY MINUTES PRIOR TO THE START OF YOUR RACE! Please be there in plenty of time to register. Please don’t wait until the last minute.

The new process will ensure accurate and quick results. The extra work that we need to do prior to the races will pay huge dividends after the race.

I hope that all of you are as excited for the start of the season as I am.

Ferg
Executive Director
UCA"

Because I Can't Follow Instructions

2009-03-31T20:51:00.005-06:00

Yep. I went skiing today. Nordic. I figured that the skiing would be good after yesterday's snow storm. Guess what? The Sundance Nordic center had gotten LESS snow than we got here in the valley! The trails were thin and even bare in some spots. It will be my last time cross country skiing until next year.

I was going to say that I should have ridden my bike - like I was supposed to - but if I had I wouldn't have been able to see the Great Horned Owl that I startled out of a tree. I watched it cross the trail ten feet ahead of me and disappear into the forest. It was awesome - worth skipping a riding day for.

Message from UDOT

2009-03-30T12:10:00.002-06:00

Click here for the Bicycle Priority Routes Project

Snow Day

2009-03-30T09:39:00.004-06:00

Woke up this morning to find five or six inches of snow on the ground. I went out and started shoveling, but then figured what the heck, it'll be melted by noon. And sure enough, the sun is out now melting the snow away again.

Sundance is sure to have gotten lots of fresh powder out of this snow storm. Since I'm "special" I think I'll take a ski day tomorrow. It beats riding the trainer.

(The following pictures were taken last week of the same flowers shown above.)

Rio Wanted More

2009-03-28T20:36:00.005-06:00

Went for a quickie ride up Provo Canyon this afternoon. Pushed hard up the trail to Nunn's Park then jumped the gate and took the old road up as far as it would go. Turned around hoping for a fast descent, but ran into my old friend, the headwind, instead. About this time my stomach started to really bother me and my cough kicked back in. I thought I was done with the cough, but have had it the rest of the day since. Found Turbo and his cute family on the way back down the canyon.

About the time I got to the mouth of the canyon I discovered that my front tire was mostly flat. So I stopped and hit it with a shot of CO2. I considered riding further into Provo, but my stomach and lungs were really mad at me. So I went home.

No RMR today since I went to a baby shower for a good friend instead. I'll post a way cute picture I took at the shower when I'm on my computer.

EDIT: As promised here is the cute baby picture:

Tiniest baby foot I've ever seen!

And speaking of cute baby pictures, I found this one online and couldn't resist sharing it. This is how twins are made:

Could You Step it Up?

2009-03-27T09:29:00.003-06:00

I'm starting to feel better. Good thing. My life is starting to ramp up again, and I'm going to need to feel good. Hmmm...maybe I got sick because my life has ramped up...

One of the other Spinning instructors at my gym is on maternity leave. I've taken over her classes. They are the early morning classes. You know, the classes that they hold when you are in bed sleeping...or should be. It's dark when I LEAVE the gym after class. That's how early these classes are.

I've never claimed to be an early morning person. To add insult to injury, I started taking these early classes the day after setting the clock forward an hour. Nothing quite like getting up three hours earlier than you're used to getting up - day after day. Somedays I wonder what day it even is...

But, strangely, I like it. I get so much more done during the day when I get up so early. I'm going to ask to keep these classes once maternity leave is done.

Last week, I started working extra hours for my desk job. Then yesterday I get this email from my boss, "your good work is desperately needed...we invite you to step it up." Oooookaaay... I thought I just did just "step it up!" So, now - because I have to be the best at everything I do - I am again adding more hours to my work schedule. Gotta keep the boss happy...

Yes, you read right: I said I have to be the best at everything I do. Having said that, you may wonder why I suck at bike racing. Well, I'm still out there trying because it drives me crazy that I can't be the best at that too. Let's just say that for now I'm doing the best I can at it for what I am capable of doing. I may just have to accept the fact that I can't be the best at EVERYTHING. It doesn't mean I won't keep trying.

I'm Not Afraid of this Weather

2009-03-24T10:16:00.002-06:00

But, I am afraid that I'll get out riding in the cold and my cough will kick in and I'll be far away from home with only pedal power to get me back. I'm still feeling a little weak and run down from this darn cold. It's going on two weeks now...go away dumb sickness, go away!

I'll have to give in and ride the trainer for two hours today. I hope I don't die of boredom.

To Ride or Not to Ride...

2009-03-20T15:40:00.003-06:00

I'm supposed to be leading a group ride tomorrow. With temperatures supposed to be in the 70s, it's sure to be a fantastic day for riding.

So why the conflict?

Simply put, it hurts to breathe. I'm fairly sure breathing is an important element of riding a bike. I've felt this cold coming on for nearly a week now. Up until this morning it has been so mild I could deal with it. Then I rode really hard in Spinning class this morning. Before I could even lock the Spinning studio door the coughing fits had started. Now my chest just hurts and my breathing is shallow.

Yet, I feel like I should ride tomorrow. The group needs me there, because how will they possibly know how to ride without me? :)
And I don't want to give up an important training day. How will I make up for lost time?

What to do, what to do...

Lots of Stuff

2009-03-17T14:01:00.006-06:00

I've gotten pretty backed up with stuff I've wanted to write about lately. Sorry.

I'm going back in time a bit to last Saturday to start things off.

After spending the whole week telling myself that I was going to go to the RMR crit, it actually wasn't too hard to get myself to go. But I hadn't only come to race. I was there to see how the new timing chip system worked.

I got to the race early, signed in, and spent some time watching the crew set up the timing device. It's funny how nice everyone is to me now that I'm an official and not just another racer. One of the guys was like, "What do you want?" (typical leave-us-alone-we're-important attitude) then looked over and saw who I was. Then it was, "Oh, come on in and look at this with us!" I think it's gonna be fun to mess around with these guys (and gals) and their attitudes for a while. If any of you ever notice that I've developed the holier-then-thou attitude, please smack some sense into me.

Because of some issues with the gate being locked, the race had been set back a half and hour. So I went and got a good warm up.

Then I came back and watched DH take the win again. He's awesome - especially to be able to come back so strong after having broken his collar bone only about four months ago.

Not too many of my teammate had made it out to this race. I did see Margret, who seemed happy to see me and gave me a big good luck hug. That was nice. Then it was my turn to race. I really wanted to line up at the back (because I really didn't want to be there), but Brandi made me come forward so I was mid-pack. We took off and I was feeling really good. And then I got passed and dropped. No surprise here. I just can't compete with a bunch of Cat 3 men. I time-trialed most the rest of the crit until the fast guys came around me with three laps to go. I sped up to catch on to the back of them, but lost them again as we made the hairpin turn back onto the drag strip. But, I didn't lose all of them. I was able to work with Tim E. (aka TJs dad) and another girl for the remainder of the race. As we came around to the start/finish line again Gary (the ref) called out to everyone that there was two laps to go. And then he included, "Except you two, (meaning me and Tim) you have 12." Haha. We made another lap, and as we came back onto the drag strip I decided that I was going beat the other two across the line. So I did. I don't think they gave it too much fight.

After the race I went to see how my timing chip had done. Surprise! They hadn't even bothered keeping the box plugged in for my race. I was disappointed. It would have helped me to be able to see how the timing system worked if I could have compared it to my own information.

Anyhow, after the race I went over to the Hell of the North course and did a few laps. I was supposed to be doing another hour and a half of race pace training, but I didn't have much umph left in me, nor much motivation. I got the time in, but not the effort. At least I was content to see that the gravel section of the course looks decent. Hopefully whoever maintains that road won't see any reason to lay down six-inches of fresh gravel in the coming three weeks.

Sometime during the day on Saturday I found my new max heart rate: 227 bpm! Something is definitely wrong with my Garmin.

Sunday I went and spent some time hanging out with my teammates over dinner.

Monday I taught an early morning Spinning class, then came home and showered before I remembered that I was supposed to lift weights. Oh, well. I didn't feel up to lifting weights anyway. I think I'm getting sick. So I calmed my guilt down by doing some push ups and crunches. The OCD side of me is doing this push up program: http://www.hundredpushups.com/ I will make it to 100 push ups!

And that brings us to today.

I had to go into the office at 9 for a quick meeting, and I was planning to ride at 10. I got home shortly before 10 and started getting ready to ride. Everything was going according to plan until I went to pump up my tires. At some point, I had bought those Specialized tubes that have the slick (not threaded) stems. My pump cannot handle those stems without it being a two-person job. One person to hold the pump in place and the other person to pump. I didn't have another person. So I proceeded to let all the air out of my rear tire. Then I tried to tape the pump into place and pump. But that wasn't working either. If I hadn't been kitted up and determined I might have just called it a day at that point. Instead, I decided my only other (and quicker) option was to change out the tire. Since I was running my carbon wheels, that meant I had to change out the brake pads as well.

That done, I grabbed my Garmin and turned it on. It turned off. I turned it on again. It turned itself back off. Grrr!!! Now I was getting mad. I ripped my strap off and grabbed my regular heart-rate monitor. Plus, I turned on my new GPS distance tracker application I added to my phone. Cool. Now I could have distance, speed, and heart rate info when my Garmin was on the fritz.

Now an hour late for my ride, I went outside, locked the door and straddled my bike. Then I noticed that I wasn't wearing my gloves. Screw the gloves! I left, imagining what carnage might happen just because my hands were naked.

I rode down the block and came to the first stop sign. Rear brake not working. Darn! My Eastons are thinner than my Reynolds. I stopped and tried to adjust the brake. Stupid gripper thing had come loose and I couldn't turn the adjuster without a wrench. Fine. I would just ride to the bike shop.

About two blocks before the bike shop I was approaching a corner to make a left-hand turn. I had the right of way and there was a van stopped on my left. As I pulled in front of the van, he started pulling out. I tried to make eye contact, but he was looking the other way. And he kept coming for me. I started yelling. "DON'T HIT THE BIKER, DON'T HIT THE BIKER!" Luckily, he had his window cracked and heard me. He stopped about a foot before hitting me. I heard him say, "Sorry." as I came around him. Scared me to death! And I was wearing my brightest red and green Amici Veloci jersey. How he didn't see me, I don't know.

I got to bike shop and they fixed my brakes, and also my bad attitude. After that all was well. Well, except for when I got home and stopped the timer on my GPS distance tracker. Apparently hitting the stop button clears all the information from the ride. I have no idea how far or how fast I went. I'm a numbers person, so it bothers me not to know.

Later this afternoon, I went up to a meeting with an official and a promoter. I had asked to sit in on the meeting so I could see the whole process of putting on a race. It was an interesting and informative meeting. I have a lot to learn.

After the meeting, I went next door to the bike shop, just to look around and smell the bikes. I was surprised to see Alisha and her hubby sitting out front. Strange that I run into more people I know when I'm out of town (and in the big city) than I do in my own town.

Driving home, I realized that I really am getting sick. I came home and crashed pretty hard.

Well, it's late and I still have to put together a kick-butt ride for my class tomorrow, so I guess I'll stop writing. Why is it that I always write the most when I don't feel good?

Open Letter to Creepy Gym Guys

2009-03-11T16:03:00.003-06:00

Dear Creepy Old Men in the weight room,

I realize that you go to the gym to watch the ladies workout. But let me lay down some ground rules for you:

I AM NOT YOUR girl. Please do not tell everyone that I am, especially when you don't think I can hear you.

I do not need help with the weights. I know my limits, please know yours.

As much as you'd like to see me in the pool, I'm not going there, so don't ask.

When I have my headphones on, it means that I don't want to talk. Try not to interrupt my workout. I'm not at the gym to socialize.

I do not want to see your crack. Please pull the pants up!

I really don't like your sweat on my shirt. Please don't use me as your towel.

As a matter of fact, don't touch me. It makes me uncomfortable, and I could get fired if my boss sees it happening.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Rio's Rider

So Nordical

2009-03-10T18:07:00.007-06:00

It turned out to be a pretty darned nice day.

It didn't look that way this morning.

After getting a mere three hours of sleep last night, and only a couple more the night before, I was starting to get pretty glum. Plus, the cloudy skies weren't helping my outlook.

But, I was pleased that we had gotten some more snow yesterday because I have been missing being able to cross country ski. So I headed up to Sundance again this morning for a little Nordic action.

It was cold when I arrived. As I started off up the trail I worried that I hadn't dressed warm enough. But really only my face and lips were cold. I thought they might freeze, crack, and fall off. It was snowing and the wind was blowing.

But that was only for the first five minutes. I had made a wise decision as I left the Nordic Center's yurt: I choose to head straight up Connor's Climb. That sure warmed me up quickly. After that, life was beautiful.

After I got over feeling cold, I noticed that I wasn't gliding as nicely as I felt I should be, and I was feeling tippy. Was it the fact that I hadn't been skiing in three weeks and had lost my form, or was it that my body just wanted to fall over and take a nap?

After getting to the top of Connor's Climb I found that one of my favorite trails was un-groomed. Yay! I love skiing in the powder! But I didn't realize what a hip flexor workout I was getting myself into. I climbed Felonious Colonious in at least six inches of powder. It was more like I was snowshoeing with really long snowshoes. I reached the summit and came down one of the steeper climbs: Ten Lashes. With so much powder, I was able to descend it without snowplowing at all and really didn't go too fast. After that, I was feeling so brave, I went out seeking other steep parts to come down. Which meant I came down Jerry's Lunch. I actually found that part to be less steep than Ten Lashes.

By the time I had gotten to Jerry's Lunch, my left heel was beginning to sting. I tightened up the boot, hoping that would fix the problem. No luck. I tugged at my sock and tights. That didn't fix it either. So I headed back around Lena's Loop and returned to base.

I walked into the yurt and told the guys that I had a blister. One of the guys sat me down, took off my sock and bandaged me up. This is the same guy who had insisted on waxing my skis when I had walked in that morning. Great service! Anyway, he did a super skilled, albeit interesting, bandaging:

So much tape for just for a quarter-sized blister on my heel! But it felt better, so I hit the trail again. By now the sun was shining, and I could really enjoy myself...until the other heel started stinging. What the...? I still haven't figured out what caused the blisters today. I've never gotten a blister in these boots before. Anyway, that pretty much cut my time in the snow short. I was done.

I was shocked to come home and check my GPS stats. Apparently, I hit a new world's record for cross-country ski speed: 65.3 MPH! Wow! Something is definitely wrong with my Garmin.

MIA at the First RMR Crit Race of the Year

2009-03-08T20:53:00.003-06:00

So, I managed to talk myself out of going to the RMR crit yesterday. It wasn't too hard after looking out the window at the snow and thinking the race would be cancelled. I don't know if I appreciate the RMR crits the way they are meant to be appreciated. Besides, for me, RMR is a dragstrip where dragsters and hopped up muscle cars are raced at speeds over 100 mph. Those were the days.

I think I'm going to need someone to come drag me to the race next weekend. I can't miss next week too. I've been too down on myself the whole weekend for missing yesterday's race. I don't like it when I'm down. Plus, the weather is supposed to be nicer next weekend. So I will have no excuses.

So, see you at RMR in 6 days.

Oh, before I go, I have a question for all you mountain bikers: One of my St. George friends has invited me down to ride the JEM trail. Is it very technical? Would it be worth the drive to St. George?

Solo to Saratoga

2009-03-03T17:59:00.003-07:00

One of the first things I do when I get up in the morning is check facebook. I'm convinced that so much has gone on in the world of my online friends while I've been sleeping. One of the first things I saw on facebook this morning was Jared's status: "Jared thinks this wind looks brutal for a bike ride." I pondered on this as I walked over to the window to take a peek. Hmmm...not a twig twittering or a weed wiggling. Just a cloud covered sky. Must be a Salt Lake specific wind. I was good to go.

I kitted up. By the time I was out the door, the clouds were gone and the sun was shining. I peeled off my jacket and threw it back into the house. I wouldn't need it today.

Today's ride was an endurance ride. So I choose one of the flattest routes I could. I headed to Saratoga Springs west of Lehi. It's a nice ride with little traffic and lots of scenery. I had to stop and get a picture of this big ol' Texas Longhorn.

I just wish he would have looked over at me so you could see the huge span of those horns.

Plus, the birds were out this morning. I saw four Canadian Geese, an American Kestrel, and I had a near head-on collision with what I think must have been a Golden Eagle. I don't know why he was flying so low - maybe he was injured. But it was cool to see such a huge bird so up close.

It was a peaceful ride. Even after the winds started kicking up. I had ridden west to Lehi before I noticed the winds. I had a good headwind all the way home. I think Jared sent the wind.

31 miles in 2 hours.

Riding with the Boys

2009-02-28T14:58:00.005-07:00

So, Ragla was a no-show this morning. After making us plan to go so early, she couldn't come.

Anyway, it was 25 degrees out when we started off. Brrr!!! Even with two sets of long-fingered gloves on my hands were painfully numb by the time we got to Provo. Luckily, we met up with BDE not too far from his house, so he went and got a decent pair of gloves for me to wear. Relief! Once I put them on I was able to ride without wanting to cry anymore.

We rode out through Mapleton to the mouth of Spamdish Fork canyon. By the time we got there, the temperatures had come up to a balmy 40 degrees, and I was feeling pretty good.

The only problem I had on today's ride was that I feel like I don't have any power for climbing. And really, the only climbing we did was some overpasses. But, everytime the road would turn up, I would fall way back. Maybe it was just that I was riding with a couple of guys and they are simply more awesome than I am. Whatever it was, I just wasn't feeling the climbing love today.

45.1 miles in 2:40

Hope the Day Warms up Quickly

2009-02-27T21:44:00.002-07:00

Last minute decision on riding tomorrow.

Best Draft Ever (BDE) invited me to ride again tomorrow. Looks like it should shape up to be a good day for riding. The problem is that I invited Ragla to come along, and she has other stuff to do come noon. So she wants to ride at 9:30 a.m. It's gonna be cold! I don't like cold. I much prefer HOT!

In other news: I got word today that there is going to be a Utah County crit series this summer. Here are the details:

"The location is at Utah Valley University (1062 W 800 S, Orem) in Parking Lot V.

The cost to participate is $1.00 for kids (includes award) and $8.00 for all others. The event name is: The Powerhouse UVU Crit series, presented by UVU Cycling. There will be more info on The Fan website coming soon: www.thefancycling.com

This is the schedule for the weekly Thursday night crit at UVU:

May: 7,14,21,28

June: 4,11,18,25

July: 2,9,16,23,30

August 6,13

Time:

5:30: kids 5-7 / 8-9 / 10-12yrs

6:00-6:55 A Flight (cat 1,2,3)

6:00-6:40 B Flight (cat 3,4)

7:00-7:30 C Flight (cat 4-5)

7:00 -7:35 Women (women may ride in any group)

7:40-8:00 D Flight (beginners)"

Now, I just need to free up my Thursday evenings...

What a Difference Ten Degrees Makes

2009-02-24T17:54:00.004-07:00

Another beautiful day for riding.

I subbed the early morning class this morning, and as we were cooling down, I asked the class what the weather was going to be today. "Nice. 55-60 degrees," they told me. "I'm riding!" came my answer.

Phil was up for going with me. So we met at noon and rode out to Saratoga Springs. It was fabulous! I didn't even need a jacket today. Bonus: we made it out and back before it started raining.

On the way out, we had a fabulous tailwind. Of course this meant that it was all headwind on the way back home. I wasn't feeling the power to push hard into the wind. Phil would leave me every time we'd turn into the wind. I think it was because I had no back-end strength. I woke up this morning with my lower back severely out of alignment. It pretty much hurts to do anything except ride. So that's what I attribute the lack-of-power feeling to. Besides, Phil is an animal now that he has a road bike.

On the way home I saw something wonderful! The farmers had planted the fields and little green sprouts were starting to emerge. Spring is coming! As much as I love playing in the snow, I am ready for some warm weather.

I had to keep my Garmin in my jersey pocket since my handlebar mount broke, so I couldn't see my numbers as we rode. I thought we had been going slow and keeping things conversational, but was amazed to see that we had made some decent time. It may be a good thing for me not to stare at my numbers while I ride.

31.5 miles in 1:55

Saturday's Group Ride

2009-02-23T14:41:00.003-07:00

Saturday was a beautiful day for riding!

Temperatures were around 48 degrees F when we started off in Springville. Just a jacket and a long sleeve jersey kept me warm - surprisingly, since I really hate being cold. Sixteen people showed up for the ride, including three sets of tandems.

The group took off, and I was a little unsure of all the rider's abilities. I had advertised the ride as a moderate-paced, no-drop ride. That lasted all of 30-seconds.

The tandems and Best-Draft-Ever (BDE) took off as fast as they could go. I was pretty determined to stay behind BDE, but then I remembered the other eight people I had behind me. I couldn't drop them. So, I let the other seven go and lead out my little group of nine. We decided that we would all stick together, and we pretty much did for the rest of the ride. But, I felt obligated to ride at the back with the slower people.

Let me take you back a few years to my first ride around West Mountain. I had owned my bike for less than three months, and had only ridden it a handful of times when I heard about a group ride around West Mountain. I showed up. So did the hammerheads. I was dropped really, really early. I felt stupid for coming and totally embarrassed by my lack of ability. BDE was on this ride, and he had mercy on me. He slowed the group up and told them that no one was going to be left behind. Well, one hothead would have nothing to do with that, and he took off again. He missed a turn. We yelled and yelled, but he couldn't hear us. We sent BDE to catch him and bring him back. Then, we never saw either of them for the rest of the ride. The rest of us piddled around, waiting for them to come back, and when they didn't, we opted to go back the way we came. The ride was never complete, and it was my fault for being so slow. I've never forgiven myself for feeling like I ruined the group ride.

So, back to Saturday...I wasn't about ready to make anyone feel like they weren't keeping up. So I rode back. Which was totally fine with me. I just wanted to get out on my bike and test the legs out and enjoy the day. Goals met. After the ride I had some people tell me that they felt bad that I couldn't ride harder, but I was okay with it.

At some point, our group re-grouped with the tandem group. From Benjamin back to Springville we killed time by practicing a rotating echelon. It was fun to do with such a big group. Plus, we all got a chance to tease each other as we rotated past each other over and over again. Good times.

After we got back to the meeting place, BDE asked me if I would pace him back to Provo. I told him I just needed to get something to eat and I'd be ready to go. Well, I could see that he was antsy to be on his way, so I made a dumb mistake: I didn't get anything to eat. Here's what I had eaten up to that point: yogurt and some prunes for breakfast, peanut butter and raisins for lunch, and a handful of banana chips mid-ride. Plus, I was only drinking water. Definitely not enough fuel!

By the time BDE and I hit south Provo, I was starting to feel like someone was stabbing my quads with needles or really small, sharp knives. It was all I could think about. I told BDE that I needed some food, but every stop light was green, so we kept riding. Normally, I would just eat while I rode, but I had hidden my food in a place that made it hard to access. Finally, we made it to BDE's house in north Provo. I said goodbye to BDE and stopped and got some food into me. Now that I was alone, I could ride easy again. It wasn't even two miles later that I noticed that my legs no longer hurt. Food was the answer! I'm going to need to spend some time figuring out how to fuel my body now that I'm off all grains and sugar. I can't let Saturday's experience happen again.

59.5 miles in 3:30

I'm Getting Jittery

2009-02-19T15:25:00.003-07:00

Now that the weather is starting to look like Spring might actually arrive, I'm starting to feel that anxious twitter. It's the feeling of "Oh, crap! Race season is upon me!" It's not a bad feeling...just an uneasiness or disquietude. Am I ready? Have I spent too much time enjoying the snow instead of "training?" Should I have tested out my legs at Valley of the Sun? All questions that will have to be answered on the road.

I went to the bike shop this morning to have my new, better fitting handlebars installed. I think that's where the nervousness is coming from. Suddenly, I know that time is up and I need to get serious.

So on Saturday, I ride. It's a group ride starting at the Cracker Barrel off the Springville exit. The group is meeting at 1:20 - ready to ride at 1:30. We'll be riding the West Mountain loop. If I'm feeling good, I'll ride home as well. I've got to get some bike time (plus make up some time from Tuesday, since I still feel guilty from missing a workout on that day)!

Maybe next weekend I'll go out of town...somewhere sunny and warm...I never know where each day is going to take me.

Bummer Day

2009-02-18T15:07:00.002-07:00

Here was the plan for Monday and Tuesday:
Monday - Spinning class and weight lifting
Tuesday - Cross country ski

Here's what I should have done:
Monday was President's Day and I was called to sub the Tuesday Spinning class, so I SHOULD have switched the workouts and skied on Monday. Duh! I seems so obvious now.

Here's what actually happened:
Monday, a friend invited me to go cross-country skiing. But I was pretty dead-set in following the "plan" of the day, so I didn't go with her. Since it was a holiday, I didn't have Spinning class after all, so I rode my trainer. I also went to the gym and lifted weights. But the whole day I felt bad that I had not gone skiing.
Tuesday is my normal day off, but this Tuesday I got to sub the early morning Spinning class. After class, I was planning on heading up to Sundance's Nordic center. But, I found myself without a ride (you have to have 4-wheel drive or chains to get there - neither of which I have) until about 1 pm. Once I had a vehicle, I headed up the canyon - only to find that the road going to Sundance was closed for avalanche control. So I moved to plan B and went back down the canyon to Bridal Veil Falls. I figured I could ski on the old road since it's gated and closed to traffic. Nope. I pulled into the parking lot and found a big, bright orange sign announcing that the area was also closed for avalanche control. Defeated, I went home.

A day later, I still feel guilty for missing my workout.

Recovery Day Rethought

2009-02-06T20:35:00.003-07:00

So much for having a recovery day today. I kicked my own butt in Spinning class this morning. Lots of high resistance and out of saddle time. Then down to the gym for some weight lifting. Golden Boy returned to the gym and we got to chatting, and I think I might have put in some extra reps. I'm shot.

But I put off recovery with good reason.

Last night I was staring at one of my many calendars when it suddenly occurred to me that I couldn't go cross-country skiing tomorrow like I had planned. The calendar tells me that tomorrow is the day I go get trained to be a cycling race official. I knew it was coming, but it kind of sneaked up on me. I am pretty excited about becoming an official. I'm still trying to figure out which races I'll race and which ones I'll officiate.

So tomorrow will be the "official" recovery day for the week.

Ladies Night Report

2009-02-05T14:34:00.003-07:00

I had a great time at ladies night at the bike shop last night. I was there representing our fitness center. My job duties were to hand out information, talk to people about our Spinning program, and answer questions.

The program included several presentations by different groups promoting this and that. Then a lady spent a couple of hours showing us some handy tips on bike fit, what to wear, and some basic bike maintenance. Next, they gave out prizes. I think everyone there went away with something. I won some Yoga passes (anyone want to go with me?) and this cute shirt:

Plus, the bike shop had "girl" food set up on a beautifully decorated table (complete with pink roses). Tortilla rolls, vegetable tray, and strawberries to dip in a flowing fountain of chocolate were up for grabs. I ate more than my fair share of strawberries. Yum! You really missed out if you didn't go.

Tomorrow is a recovery day for me. I need it. We've moved on to doing all strength rides in the Spinning studio. Add xc ski gliding and added weight on the weight lifting to the mix, and I'm beat.

I'm Gonna Be Sad When the Snow is Gone

2009-02-04T14:12:00.005-07:00

Tuesday I returned to Sundance for more cross-country ski action. I had the best time! 2.5 hours all to myself. My favorite part of the Nordic area is a corridor going over to Little Sahara (a.k.a. Aspen Grove). After working up a good sweat, the shady, pine tree lined trail is a good cool off. I've never skied down into Aspen Grove because it is steep, Steep, STEEP! But I've always wanted to. One of these days...

It seriously doesn't get any better than this (in the winter, anyway)!
I got a new max speed: 15.1 mph! I did it with the biggest smile on my face. It was fabulous just to let go and enjoy.

After skiing, I came home and did the hardest thing I've had to do in a long time: I baked a cake. Now, it wasn't the actual cake making/baking that was hard. It was resisting licking my fingers, the bowl and the beaters. It seemed like a true sin to put unlicked beaters in the dishwasher...what a waste! But I knew that a little pleasure in tasting would have me seriously sick and mad at myself later. The cake could feel my pain. It didn't want to bake and came out of the oven looking truly angry. It knew it wasn't baked with love.

Tell me that's not an angry cake! And to watch everyone enjoying that cake later was sheer torture.

Tonight: Ladies Night at Mad Dog in Orem. Hope to see all of my favorite ladies there!

Cross Country Skiing

2009-01-27T19:59:00.006-07:00

Cross-country skiing was pretty awesome this morning. Despite the ultra frigid temperatures (10-16 degrees F) while I was there, I really enjoyed myself.

Today I skied with Me, Myself, and I. I had kinda forgotten that I was going until I woke up this morning, so I didn't invite anybody along with me this time. It was lonely.

I put in a full two and a half hours today. I covered all the trails except two of the big climbs/descents. I had fun exploring every part of the Sundance Nordic area. It was beautiful!

Sundance got a lot of new snow since I was up there on Saturday. Actually, on Saturday it was raining, threatening to wash away all the snow, so the Nordic center was closed, and I didn't get to ski. So the new snow is a good thing. I was able to break new trail on much of the ground I covered today.

The trees were thickly covered in snow, and it would fall off in glittery mist every so often. I was lucky to avoid getting dumped on by any of it, except once when I stopped for a minute to take pictures.

As far as stats go, my heart rate monitor/GPS decided to play dead today, so I don't know how fast or far I went. The snow felt grippier than usual today, so I don't think I broke any speed records.

Ladies Night Out at the Bike Shop

2009-01-24T00:34:00.002-07:00

On Wednesday, February 4th, Mad Dog Cycles in Orem will be hosting a ladies night for all ladies who ride bikes or want to learn.
You can find out more information by clicking here. Remember, you must RSVP if you want to attend.
I didn't go last year, but I heard from a lot of ladies that it was a super fun time, and almost everyone who went left with some sort of prize. Plus, there will be food. So go, ladies, go!

Team Training

2009-01-20T20:46:00.003-07:00

Sure, we look good in our Ski Utah gear, but boy, we can't ski!

Lucky for me, no one had their camera out when I took my turn at falling over. First time this season, I swear!

Max speed = 12.5 mph. I'm getting better at this!

What a Busy, Tiring Day

2009-01-19T16:54:00.004-07:00

I'm exhausted. And it's only Monday. Do I get a rest week sometime soon? Maybe I've been taking it too easy on myself and I need to work harder?

I started out the day teaching a Spinning class. Apparently my iPod is tired too because it decided to die just three songs into class. Luckily, one of the other instructors happened to be in the room at the time and let me borrow her iPod. She had some pretty good music. Maybe too good. My heart rate was way higher than it should have been for an endurance workout. Oh well, I guess.

After class, I hurried down to the weight room and changed things up with my usual weight session. Um...ow. I did all the important stuff, skipped one set of other stuff, and hurried out of there.

Ran home and changed clothes then drove to SLC to help a teammate move. I wish I had worn my heart rate monitor because this was another hard workout. I probably climbed her full set of stairs 60 times, usually carrying some heavy box. I spent a couple of hours doing this before I had to leave. But, even though the work was hard, I was glad to be able to go help my teammate. I was worried that she was going to move away and I wouldn't ever see her again. Lucky for me, she's not moving far away just yet.

On the way home, I couldn't resist stopping by my second-most favorite bike shop. I'm still looking for those 38 cm handlebars. They didn't have them either. But they did have a flirty bike shop guy. I almost let him talk me into ordering some $460 bars! Egads! Luckily, I happen to know the guy pretty well, so instead, I told him to find me some more reasonably priced bars and give me a call.

Once home I was finally able to take some time to eat - important to remember to eat. Then it was off to get some internet work hours in. How else can I pay for all my bike stuff if I don't work?

Oh, one more thing. This isn't from today, but while I've been bike shop hopping I happened upon a really cool jersey. It would have been perfect for the 'cross party's NASCAR theme.

Notice how the logos are changed (click image for a bigger view)to reflect a bike theme.
And the back:

I like it! Too bad it costs $83! I've got too much other bike stuff I've gotta spend my money on.

Sigh...

2009-01-16T18:46:00.005-07:00

My facebook days are over. At least for a while. I don't know how long I can stand to not have a facebook account. So we'll see...

Anyway, tonight I discovered that some of my high school buddies are adding a name I was hoping not to see again. I don't want this person to find me, so disabled my account. I've only been off for 10 minutes, but I miss facebook already.

So, to all my facebook friends: I still love you! You know where to find me if you need me.

EDIT - Okay, so that was short-lived. I did a little research and remembered that I could block certain people. So, it should be all taken care of now. I'm back!!!

The Elusive 38s

2009-01-13T19:54:00.004-07:00

I've been looking for some new handlebars. Mine are too wide. Now is a good time to get some new ones - there's still plenty of time for me to get used to new, narrower bars before race season starts back up. I've checked with several bike shops only to discover that 38 cm handlebars are a rare commodity. I thought I had found a shop that had them, but alas, they were the wrong diameter. So, the search continues.

Anyhoo, it was a beautiful day for cross-country skiing. I climbed Jerry's Lunch today. I know, it sounds funny. I have no idea why they named it that, but it is a monster climb. I was sure I was going to fall backward down the mountain at any moment. But I made it to the top. Here is a picture that I was hoping would show how steep it was. Turns out the picture looks totally flat. But trust me, it's steep.

After the Jerry's Lunch climb I crossed Middle Earth which really seems like you're at the top of the world. Sundance is such a pretty place!

My goal of the day, beside getting great workout, was to go faster then 7.5 mph. I managed to let myself relax enough to pick my max speed up to 8.5 mph. Yay! I love it when I make my goals!

Observation

2009-01-11T19:58:00.002-07:00

On my bike I can climb fairly steep grade roads at about 7.5 mph and it feels really, really slow.

On skis, if I can convince myself to relax and let go a bit, I can get going about 7.5 mph and it feels screaming (because that's what I'm doing) fast!

Weird.

Racing Thoughts

2009-01-10T14:50:00.008-07:00

I'm feeling better. I've heard from a couple of people now that a detox can make you feel sore. So I guess I'll chalk up how I felt to the diet. Today is my last day on it, and I can hardly wait until tomorrow to have a piece of chocolate!

I was looking at the flyer for the Southern Nevada Stage Race yesterday (click here for to see the flyer), and I was impressed with what I saw. I really would like to see more races here in Utah ran the way they are running theirs. For one thing, they give the Cat 3 women the option of racing with the Cat 4s or with the Cat 1s and 2s. Nothing scares me (or most others from what I hear) away from upgrading to Cat 3 more than the prospect of having to race against women who are much stronger and faster than you are. If I had the option to race either way, I would be way more motivated and excited to upgrade.

The other thing I noticed about this race was that they are paying out to the women's Cat 3-4 group. $400. Unheard of here in Utah.

Can you tell that I'm thinking of doing this race? The only issues for me are 1) travel - I would have to drive to Las Vegas, 2) the expense of gas and motel, and 3) the race is at the end of FEBRUARY. Can I be ready in six weeks?

Why Do I Feel Like This?

2009-01-08T10:47:00.003-07:00

I feel like I've been run over by a truck. I'm not sick. But my whole body is sore. Sore like I've worked really, really hard. But, I haven't.

Aside from some snowshoeing and snowshoveling, I haven't done anything out of the ordinary. So I can't understand why my shoulders, triceps, back, quads, hamstrings, and adductors are so stiff and sore. Easy stuff that doesn't usually bother me in Spinning class felt extra hard this morning. Not good to wuss out on the easy stuff when you're the instructor.

Could it be this new detox diet that I've been doing the last couple of days? Or a new prescription? Or is it just from all the extra stress of trying to navigate through all this snow? Who knows. I just hope it goes away soon.

Life is a Party

2009-01-06T22:44:00.010-07:00

The last few days have been quite a party! Well, except the parts (yes, plural) where I got stuck in the snow because my car is a gutless piece of poo. But that would be an angry post, so I'll move on.

Saturday I hurried home from my sunny trip to Yuma, Arizona. I was really excited to go to the 'cross party. It was pretty fun. Especially seeing everybody dressed up in their redneck/trailer-trash/NASCAR garb. I really liked seeing some of the guys in their mullet wigs. It was a hoot!
Here I am in my huge Jeff Gordon shirt:

I'm not sure I could have gotten more makeup on my eyes:

Shanna and I living it up:

Nancy and Shanna:

Nancy ended up winning the drawing for the 'cross bike. Even though I was jealous, I don't think it could have gone to a nicer person. Yay, Nancy! Maybe I can talk her into selling it to me. If I'm going to upgrade next season, I'll need to have a bike of my own to race. I've been borrowing Shanna's bike. But if we're racing the same race, one bike's not going to work anymore. Although, we did joke around about trading off the bike every lap during the race.

And here I am with my award: a cowbell and purple shoes.

Sunday was a pretty calm rest day.

Monday I got stuck in the snow and didn't get much of anything done.

This morning I went snowshoeing up Provo Canyon with my friend, Lifesgreat (aka Hilslug).

It was so pretty up the canyon! Can you see the duck in the river?

Then tonight (after I got stuck in the snow some more), I got to go eat fabulous food at the Sundance party. My favorite dish was halibut with a corn tortilla crust and mandarin oranges. The Sundance chefs always put an interesting spin on the food, and it is a good thing. Yum!

There was a dance contest, and some of the people were a little crazy. I couldn't help but snap a photo of the guy who did a strip tease dance.

Good times, good times!

I wonder where I'll get stuck in the snow tomorrow...

Not in the Mood

2009-01-05T14:06:00.003-07:00

I just don't have it in me to blog. Sorry if you were waiting on a trip report. Maybe I'm just down because my body believed it was spring for a whole week - and then I returned to Frigidland. Believe me, I felt a lot better in the warm weather.

Maybe you could help inspire a new, real blog entry by actually leaving a comment. I haven't had any comments in several posts, and I'm beginning to wonder if anybody reads this blog anymore.

I'm Coming Home!

2009-01-02T21:06:00.005-07:00

It's been a great week of riding! I'll do a full trip report when I get home and have access to my own computer and camera pictures.

For those of you who don't have access to my facebook profile, here are some pictures I took with my camera phone.

On the trip down I stopped at the Grand Canyon:

Riding in Yuma. So sunny!

Did a little bit of sightseeing:

On the way home I stopped in Lake Havasu and stretched my legs walking across the London Bridge.

I made it to St. George after a full day of driving, stayed the night at my brother's house, and met up with some friends to ride in St. George. Here I am at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre.

Hope to see all of you at the 'cross party tomorrow night!