Corporate Challenge

The bike racing season is over, but there was one last chance to race my bike yesterday. My company is involved in a competition with other companies in a variety of activities. Whoever gets the most points for all of the activities wins the whole competion. Since my company is so competitive, we're bound and determined to win. We've been sitting 2nd place to another company and if we did well yesterday, it would put us back at first. The events were a 5k run and 10k bike race. I didn't want to do the 5k initially because that would tire my legs out for the time trial (what I really wanted to do well in). Since we get participation points, it seemed to make logical sense to do the 5k but jog it.

Everything changed, though, when they said "go." I raced it and won my age group, came in 3rd overall. My time wasn't great (24:10), but for the 4th time running this year, it felt so good. Thank goodness for fitness from riding.

But it was all about the bike...I got the 2nd to last spot in the TT so I'd have rabbits to chase down. My goal was to pass everyone. With over 5 minutes between me and the first racer, that wasn't to be, but I caught all but 3. There were a few people out there on mountain bikes and old road bikes they didn't know how to ride, but there were enough there racing it to make it a competition. My aero helmet came out just to be intimidating. Left the super-dooper aero wheels at home, that would have taken too much effort for a 6 mile TT. Won the TT by a few minutes over all of the women, lost to the 1st place guy by 8 seconds, so took 3rd overall.

Sure, that wasn't an ACA race and if some 1/2 women or 1/2/3 men had come out, the results would have been different. But, I think the race today might be what it feels like to race in other states (say Nebraska or Kansas or something). In any race there is (be it a little home-town TT or NRC stage race) it's only between you and the others who show up. So it's fun to enjoy being on top for a little while and not worry that the competition wasn't where it usually is in Colorado.

Later, Justin and I did a Boulder bike path ride from his home up 4 Mile Canyon. It wasn't a ride for slackers, Justin's in shape...it makes me happy to see someone with the same genes as I with strength and rapidly growing fitness. (He's running now, too!) Maybe I have a new workout partner.

At Wild Oats in Boulder chomping on the junkiest baked goods that I could find there (not terribly junky) but sugary enough to keep me from going into the bonk that I was seriously close to. In fact, on the turn into the Wild Oats parking lot, I panicked braked (for no good reason other than I was bonking) and endo'd. I found it funny and was happy to be so near solid food so all was well. Justin and Arrick made us the best dinner that night. That's as much as is possible to fit into a single day.

I *heart* eBay

It's been a long time since eBay started but I only recently made my first purchase: some very cool jeans that I can only buy in Montreal (they're sold all over Canada). That was a successful purchase: $14 for jeans that would cost close to $100 in the US (and that's if they were sold here...since they're not, that makes them priceless).

My second purchase: an Ergomo power meter! I can't wait to get it on my bike and start training to it. That will free me somewhat from worrying about heart rate which is so variable and doesn't necessarily indicate how the pedaling is going.

Seems to make sense that this is the next step in training and trying to get stronger, faster and more competitive. And, while on the subject of training, it seems so faux paus amongst women to like training or to take it seriously. Some of the most fun I've had on a bike has been on training rides and my best experiences racing have been at the NRC races...it just makes sense to me to take the off-season seriously and stay focused because it equates to more fun!

Not meant to cross-train

Ouch. It's cross training time of the year again. This year, like all previous years, I am attempting to get good at something besides riding a bike to keep the off-season a bit more interesting.

Saturday I tried to mountain bike. One of my friends emailed (after I mentioned that I intended to mtn bike last weekend)...he questioned my ability to shift a mountain bike. Right, that took some practice. At first, every little itty bitty pebble was freaking me out. By the end, I was so exhausted from breaking, my hands hurt. However, it was a blast. Now I see why there are so many pro mtn bikers in the Durango area. I'm happy to report no endo's on my first mtn ride in a year (and probably the 5th one in my life).

Monday it was running. A little, slow, 1 hour run. I'm *still* sore. Luckily, the blisters have healed. How anyone runs a marathon is beyond me. An IronMan is inconceivable. I'm in total awe of runners. And I know I'll never be one.

Then last night was yoga. Power yoga. My neck muscles were sore today...along with every muscle that wasn't sore previously from the run. I've never felt so uncoordinated or unathletic as I did last night. Half of the class was doing head-stands. Right. I'd attempt it, but then I'd kill the person next to me. No way. My abs were burning today. I hope to have the motivation to go back.

Hmmm...other city cross-training activities? I'll skip the pool...tried that last year and it lasted 20 minutes. Gotta get creative fast...the winter is fast approaching...

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

I took the last two weeks off from riding my bike, for the most part, to recouperate from the road racing season and the break fell nicely into my personal schedule. I started running again so as to be ready for the company 5k coming up next weekend...and I can't sit still for 2 whole weeks. Impossible.

Activities such as WaterWorld (super fun, so much better than the last time I was there...9 years ago) were able to happen since I wasn't freaking out about training (like I'm notorious for the rest of the year). And that was a day after the company picnic at the Boulder res and ... (Carol, this is for you) I finally got my hair cut. There are certain things that I simply cannot find the time for when I'm racing and that's something that kept slipping...for a year. Fortunately, my beautician is awesome and an athelete and engaged to a road racer. You can imagine our conversations versus standard salon chit-chat.

Eric and I road tripped to Durango this weekend. We stayed with his friends, road bikes, ran, ate well and relaxed...it was an awesome way to say "bu-bye" to the summer.

Finally, I don't have to apologize for not taking pics or downloading them. Here is a whole lotta pics to make up for the past month of not blogging:

When I'm not training, I have time to cook. Here's a red snapper from Whole Foods that was scrumptious. I've never cooked a whole fish before. Okay, I've hardly ever cooked fish before.














And, after doing a bazillion hours of reading on nutrition and cycing, etc, etc...it finally dawned on me that I haven't been eating enough protein. So I'm scrapping the vegetarian diet and eating meat. But, only happy, free-range, organic meat and I have found that fish is so, so much tastier and easier to prepare than red meat. I've made other changes, too, though...I'm harder to feed than ever so don't get all excited about my meat-consumption.















A few weeks ago, in lieu of racing a crit in Copper Mountain, Eric and I pedaled from Copper Mountain up Vail Pass, to another town, then to Leadville and back to Copper. The "destination" of the ride ended up being the Molybdenum Company at 11,500ish feet...after this mine, it was a screaming (but still hard, after 5 1/2 hrs) descent back to Copper.


Will you look at this? This is the bike rack at work. They were looking pretty sweet there, practically next to my desk, last week. So they got their picture taken. Lots of people riding these days. Not bad for a company owned and run by a bunch of really competitive runners.
















Ahh, finally to the Durango pictures. I would have loved to have stopped and taken more pictures on Saturday's ride after we pulled into town, but it was waaaaay too intense to slow down to take pictures. Yeah, it's time for base miles, but after 2 weeks off, I was feeling good and kept pushing it. (Didn't expect that...thought all my fitness would be gone and my legs wouldn't have a clue as to what to do).

Sunday's ride was a repeat of Iron Horse...from Durango to Silverton...but the lightning stopped us from reaching Silverton. We hung out in this nice little ditch until our friends arrived. Then we went out to eat at a pizza joint while Durango was dumped on...we were kind of bummed to not be prepared to go tubing down the streets.
































The riders: Rob, Me, Eric & Pete. Rob raced for Eric's team back in NY as a junior (now in school in Durango) and Pete and Eric have been friends since they were 4 or 5. How many people are still friends with anyone they knew at that age and aren't somehow related?


















Sag wagon piloted by: Rebecca (Pete's wife), right, and her friend, Alyssa. They were really good sports to be seen in public with those of us who were getting way too much chamois time.

That's all folks. It seemed to make more sense to come home, check the results from all of the weekend's exciting racing (Green Mountain Stage Race, St. Louis), read email and blogs than unpack...I have no idea where my phone might be and it can just stay there for a little while longer.

It's so nice to get out of touch for a long weekend, to refresh, get some perspective and away from traffic...and then come back to everything with renewed energy. Training is in full swing for '08, I'm ready for another off-season and, unbelievably, the trainer time that is, sadly, inevitable.

Oh yeah, one more thing:



















We could see the exact spot where this rainbow was touching the ground. No pot of gold anywhere to be found! But I'm not going to let that little setback keep me from chasing rainbows.

Tour 2

Read this article, le Tour makes le Onion!

Watch TV

Nature Valley Grand Prix Highlights Program Airs (Press release)
(St. Paul, MN, August 15, 2007) - TV coverage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix is set to air. This stage race, ranked at the top of the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, is part of Minnesota's GreatRiver Energy Bicycle Festival. The 2007 Nature Valley GP included a unique mix of criteriums, road races and a time trial, and featured Stillwater's 20 percent Chilkoot Hill, part of the "Hardest Criterium in North America."

In the men's race, the battle for the yellow jersey turned into a shootout between two teams. Toyota United held the Nature Valley Grand Prix lead, but HealthNet presented by Maxxis won five straight stages to try to take it away. Minnesota's pro bike race came down to the hilly last day to decide who would win the title and the jersey.

On the women's side, World Champion Kristin Armstrong (TEAm Lipton) wasn't content to sit in and wait for the win. Armstrong attacked every single day to dominate her race for the women's title.

The Nature Valley GP attracted a "Who's Who" of U.S. racing. In addition to Toyota-United and HealthNet, the men's field included Jelly Belly, BMC Racing, Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast, Jittery Joe's, Priority Health, Colavita-Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light and Navigators Insurance. The Nature Valley GP was also the second stop of the Women's Prestige Cycling Series, which saw racers from TEAm Lipton, Webcor Builders, Aaron's, Cheerwine, ValueAct Capital and Team TIBCO. These fields were complemented with international riders from the Colombian and New Zealand National Teams.

Versus (formerly known as OLN) will air the full program of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. The action is called and analyzed by legendary announcers Bob Roll and Dave Towle.

Versus

Sunday, August 19 at 3:00 PM
Tuesday August 21 at 5:00 PM
Times are Eastern Daylight Time. Check local listings.

Crazy Kids

Friday night was a cheap night ($7.50 total) of laughs and a different kind of adrenaline rush at Lakeside amusement park with girls who race road and the track. Funny that some of the track racers were worried about going on spinny rides. Here, though, is Kate and Renee, unafraid of the Tilt-A-Whirl. I was just worried I would squish someone. There were 5 of us who fit in this car. I was so happy to not have to stand in line.

...and watch some people plunge to what, luckily, wasn't their death. It was hard to watch them!

Click on the picture to see the Amy, Renee & Kate relieved to have lived.

Not bad for a run-down ol' amusement park that I used to love as a little kid. Already looking forward to next year's trip!


And there was some awesome, epic riding this past weekend. A little over 13 hours in the saddle, 17,000 feet of climbing...super fun riding in absolutely gorgeous parts of the mountains. I didn't take my camera, very, very sad!

Why it's good to be over-the-hill

It came as a total shock that 30 means being over-the-hill. Certainly, I feel too young to have that designator. However, after thinking about it, isn't that the best? The first 30 years are more of an uphill battle. Leaning to walk and talk are pretty challenging. And then there's middle school. College, finals...working the first job...(what? this is what I got my degree to do?) Figuring out where to live and what kind of lifestyle to have. Not easy, especially when looking back on it.

30 is a way of designating that the really hard life-learning stuff is in the past. Now, it's all downhill from here, for the next 70 or so years. Cruisin' with some awesome friends at 30 mph with the wind at my back.

Pic above: A group of us got together last night for happy hour at Dazzle (a jazz club).

Bannock

Wow, all sorts of cool stuff happening these days that I'm not blogging, because too much is going on! Bannock is traditionally one of my favorite races and this year it didn't disappoint due to family and friends coming to watch. A highlight to me was my Grandmother coming and enjoying the race. It was special to have her there considering bike racing is a whole other world she has never experienced prior to today. This was the first race Mom and Dad saw this year, too, and I was very happy to see my legs showed up today (they decided not to come to Salida with me so I was a bit skeptical as to what to expect from them). The race was fast, agressive and very fun.

The race organizers really didn't do a great job, though. There were four fields racing at the same time (ie different speeds made for near-crashes when girls from different fields met in the corners) and no primes for the women. Funny, since all of the other men's races that I watched had plenty of primes offered.

Time for sleep. That 45 minutes of riding today has me tired... and there was a b-day celebration with family, I'm going to be 30 in 3 hours.

On Sale Now!

The Astana team jersey is on sale. Wonder how many they'll sell.