The first post at any blog is the most challenging. Finally, I got it done. Hopefully the next ones will be short and sweet. Suggestions for future posts to the Bike Hugger blog are really appreciated!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Finally, A Bike Hugger Blog Post
The first post at any blog is the most challenging. Finally, I got it done. Hopefully the next ones will be short and sweet. Suggestions for future posts to the Bike Hugger blog are really appreciated!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Easter Weekend Adventure
There's no other way to describe this past weekend, it was an adventure. Friday morning I would have been astounded had you told me that I'd be in Moab Sunday evening. Friday, over email, Amy and I were commiserating on the super-nasty weather descending upon the Denver/Boulder area that was going to force us to be on our trainers Saturday. She needed to do a very long ride with lots of intensity and I needed a long ride with sprints and intervals mixed in. Riding the trainer this time of year, especially after being on it all winter, is almost impossible. Somehow the trainer feels really different than it did in January. There's a time and place for trainers and this aint it.
The Eta Gamma chapter of Theta Tau celebrated its 10-year anniversary Friday evening. My friend (and former co-worker), Joe, flew in from New York for the weekend so it was fun to catch up with him and see many of the fraternity brothers that I used to hang out with in college.
Amy and I took off for the promised land of Fruitopia (Fruita, Colorado) 6 am on Saturday morning. Getting out of Denver was a bit scary. The rain turned to snow and it had accumulated in Golden. So it was slow going until a little before Frisco. We stopped for bagels at Frisco. There it was snowing happily, the big pretty flakes were lightly falling and there was no accumulation. It was looking better. I think it's here that we saw the sun for the first time.
The sun was shining so brightly in No Name, we had to dig out our well-packed sunglasses before continuing on. I'm only wearing a jacket out of habit.
After getting directions from the Over the Edge bike shop in Fruita, we headed out on this really beautiful road. It was an out-and-back, twisty-turny scenic route. It made it easy for us to get our workouts in, sometimes riding together and sometimes doing our own thing.
Near the end of the road is a very significant climb, nearly 4,000 feet in elevation gain. It was fun going up and the view was worth the effort.
After the ride we hit the local mexican joint and then checked into the motel. At $20/each for lodging, that was the least expensive part of the weekend. The most was fuel...that is, food. It's amazing how many calories were consumed over the two days.
We awoke to rain Sunday morning. Apparently, it rains in paradise. It seemed logical to let the rain go away while eating a massive Easter breakfast buffet/brunch at the local pub. Everyone else eating there were mountain bikers. I was looking forward to riding the Colorado National Monument and having Amy experience it. But it wasn't going to be much fun with all of the rain. The views are breathtaking and it needs to be ridden on a sunny day. We weighed the options and decided it would be worth trying to get out of the weather by going to Moab, a short hour-and-a-half drive away.
The rain subsided significantly. We got all ready to go out at the bike shop and the rain started coming down in buckets. We stood around trying to figure out what to do.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
The answer was to pack up the bikes, drive to Arches National Monument a few miles out of town and ride. It promised to be wet and miserable.
Five minutes out there, the rain stopped completely. The clouds parted not much later. The rain kept most of the tourists away. So we ended up with smooth, dry roads, amazing riding and amazing scenery!!!
My head hit the pillow on my bed at 2 am this morning. I can't believe how much the weekend energized me; as tired as I should be, I'm still on the adrenaline high from the weekend. I'm so happy to have gotten away (thank you, Amy!!!), escaped the awful weather here and spent some quality time in God's country.
Sorry to have missed the Easter festivities at home with everyone. I was thinking about you and will try to see everyone soon!
The Eta Gamma chapter of Theta Tau celebrated its 10-year anniversary Friday evening. My friend (and former co-worker), Joe, flew in from New York for the weekend so it was fun to catch up with him and see many of the fraternity brothers that I used to hang out with in college.
Amy and I took off for the promised land of Fruitopia (Fruita, Colorado) 6 am on Saturday morning. Getting out of Denver was a bit scary. The rain turned to snow and it had accumulated in Golden. So it was slow going until a little before Frisco. We stopped for bagels at Frisco. There it was snowing happily, the big pretty flakes were lightly falling and there was no accumulation. It was looking better. I think it's here that we saw the sun for the first time.
The sun was shining so brightly in No Name, we had to dig out our well-packed sunglasses before continuing on. I'm only wearing a jacket out of habit.After getting directions from the Over the Edge bike shop in Fruita, we headed out on this really beautiful road. It was an out-and-back, twisty-turny scenic route. It made it easy for us to get our workouts in, sometimes riding together and sometimes doing our own thing.
Near the end of the road is a very significant climb, nearly 4,000 feet in elevation gain. It was fun going up and the view was worth the effort.
After the ride we hit the local mexican joint and then checked into the motel. At $20/each for lodging, that was the least expensive part of the weekend. The most was fuel...that is, food. It's amazing how many calories were consumed over the two days.We awoke to rain Sunday morning. Apparently, it rains in paradise. It seemed logical to let the rain go away while eating a massive Easter breakfast buffet/brunch at the local pub. Everyone else eating there were mountain bikers. I was looking forward to riding the Colorado National Monument and having Amy experience it. But it wasn't going to be much fun with all of the rain. The views are breathtaking and it needs to be ridden on a sunny day. We weighed the options and decided it would be worth trying to get out of the weather by going to Moab, a short hour-and-a-half drive away.
The rain subsided significantly. We got all ready to go out at the bike shop and the rain started coming down in buckets. We stood around trying to figure out what to do.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
The answer was to pack up the bikes, drive to Arches National Monument a few miles out of town and ride. It promised to be wet and miserable.Five minutes out there, the rain stopped completely. The clouds parted not much later. The rain kept most of the tourists away. So we ended up with smooth, dry roads, amazing riding and amazing scenery!!!
My head hit the pillow on my bed at 2 am this morning. I can't believe how much the weekend energized me; as tired as I should be, I'm still on the adrenaline high from the weekend. I'm so happy to have gotten away (thank you, Amy!!!), escaped the awful weather here and spent some quality time in God's country.Sorry to have missed the Easter festivities at home with everyone. I was thinking about you and will try to see everyone soon!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Are you ready to race your bike?
The Team Bike Hugger blog prompted questions from readers as to what it takes to start road racing. I hope this inspires at least a few of you to get out there and experience the thrill of racing first-hand. Here is my take on the fundamentals of racing:
- Anyone can race. You can be a successful racer.
- Racing isn’t rocket science. The rules are simple, many are common-sense.
- You do not need to train like a pro or be a talented athlete (aka a freak of nature) to begin racing.
- You must be passionate about riding your bike.
- Racing is addictive. After you race once, the habit is usually formed and very difficult to break.
These are true for men and women racers, though there are significant differences in the men’s and women’s fields.
Anyone Can Race
Just a quick word on how I started: Four years ago, I bought my first road bike. Prior to getting the bike, all I did was walk my dog after work. Once I got the bike, I commuted to and from work for 2 months, did a few group rides and, on a whim, signed up for my first race. I dabbled with racing that season in Seattle. The season after that, I had a blast racing cat 4 (beginner) in Colorado. Last year I got serious about racing (I got a coach and read every article and book that I could about racing) so as to continue to enjoy it as a cat 3. The more I race, the more I want to race and the faster I want to go. At this point, my lifestyle is very bike/racing-centric and I can’t imagine going back to the “normal” life I used to lead since this one is so fun and fulfilling. And I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go. The stamp shown here was on the envelope that contained prize money for winning a race two weeks ago. What I’m saying here is anyone can do it, you just need to start.
I saw a quote recently that went something like:
“A year from now you’re going to wish you started today.”
That being said, bike racing is for people of all ages so don’t despair if you wish you had started years ago. It’s not too late. One of my racing heros, Tina Pic was born in 1966. And don’t forget Ned Overend who is over 50 and still racing, coming second to Scott Moninger (BMC) in the Mt. Evans hill climb by 5 seconds last year.
There are different categories of racers, where the beginners are cat 4 (for women) or cat 4 or 5 depending on state (for men), intermediate racers are cat 3 and the most experienced and faster racers are cat 1/pro or 2. Sometimes there are “open” fields where all categories of racers race together. This means a pro/cat 1 racer could be racing against a brand new cat 4 racer. This often happens with women’s fields in the early season races. I really don’t think it’s a good idea, if you’re just starting, to race against competition that is so much stronger. It won’t be a race, it’ll be a mental beating down. I made that mistake once. It caused me to stop racing for a couple of months. Luckily, the guys on the team I was racing for were really supportive and they helped build my confidence back.
That reminds me to mention—it is far easier to start racing as a woman. Women racers are generally supportive of each other and I’ve found the men to be very enouraging and supportive of the women, too. Usually, though, women are scared to ride with the guys or have some excuse that I can’t understand.
Mike Magnuson, author of “Heft on Wheels” said it well: “Nobody wants to hear you whine.” My experience has shown that guys respect the women who ride hard, even if they are riding slower than the men.
Hopefully, you now see that you can race. It’s all a matter of whether or not you want to.
Racing Isn’t Rocket Science
Check out the rulebook of USA Cycling. Sorry, it’s 138 pages long, but actually doesn’t take too long. Check it out, you’ll learn a lot. There are a few major rules to follow, and usually they’ll be explained to the racers prior to the race start. The biggie is the yellow-line rule. There are so many things to learn about racing, for example, how to corner properly, sprint, work in an eschelon, etc. It certainly helps to talk to people about these things prior to racing so you know the basics, but most of this stuff will be learned while racing. Every race I enter, I learn something new. So don’t worry about not being prepared at first. Experience is the best teacher. A few things, though, that are good to be proficient at going into the first race:
You Don’t Have to Be a Freak of Nature
There will be people out there who are insanely strong, but the majority of cat 4 racers are fairly new to racing, and competing. You will meet others who are similar to you. Bike racing is a unique sport in that there is no stereotypical body type that defines the successful racer.
Love Thy Bike
Many people get into bike racing because they like competing. This is a good reason, but think about it, only a tiny fraction of time will you actually be racing the bike. Many hours a week, even as a recreational racer, will be spent on training and group rides. You gotta love being out there on the road, sometimes doing intervals alone, to have fun and be successful racing…and to guard against burn-out. Years from now, I know that I won’t be racing, but I also know my quality of life won’t be the same if I’m not going on long bike rides. So my top priority is to love every minute on the bike and not do anything to jeopardize that.
Racing is Addictive
Ah, c’mon, try it, you’ll like it. One thing, though, if you really don’t feel like racing, don’t let anyone talk you into it. Get to know your body and your gut instinct. Racing can be dangerous and it’s important to listen to your subconscious. But do try that first race and meet other addicts, you just might be surprised at how difficult it is to stay away from future races.
Obviously, these are just the basics. There’s so, so much more to racing. I think that’s one of the things that really attracts me to the sport. It’s something I was able to do when I was really new to bike riding, but I’m always learning and growing as a racer and as a person.
Good luck!
Anyone Can Race
Just a quick word on how I started: Four years ago, I bought my first road bike. Prior to getting the bike, all I did was walk my dog after work. Once I got the bike, I commuted to and from work for 2 months, did a few group rides and, on a whim, signed up for my first race. I dabbled with racing that season in Seattle. The season after that, I had a blast racing cat 4 (beginner) in Colorado. Last year I got serious about racing (I got a coach and read every article and book that I could about racing) so as to continue to enjoy it as a cat 3. The more I race, the more I want to race and the faster I want to go. At this point, my lifestyle is very bike/racing-centric and I can’t imagine going back to the “normal” life I used to lead since this one is so fun and fulfilling. And I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go. The stamp shown here was on the envelope that contained prize money for winning a race two weeks ago. What I’m saying here is anyone can do it, you just need to start.
I saw a quote recently that went something like:
“A year from now you’re going to wish you started today.”
That being said, bike racing is for people of all ages so don’t despair if you wish you had started years ago. It’s not too late. One of my racing heros, Tina Pic was born in 1966. And don’t forget Ned Overend who is over 50 and still racing, coming second to Scott Moninger (BMC) in the Mt. Evans hill climb by 5 seconds last year.
There are different categories of racers, where the beginners are cat 4 (for women) or cat 4 or 5 depending on state (for men), intermediate racers are cat 3 and the most experienced and faster racers are cat 1/pro or 2. Sometimes there are “open” fields where all categories of racers race together. This means a pro/cat 1 racer could be racing against a brand new cat 4 racer. This often happens with women’s fields in the early season races. I really don’t think it’s a good idea, if you’re just starting, to race against competition that is so much stronger. It won’t be a race, it’ll be a mental beating down. I made that mistake once. It caused me to stop racing for a couple of months. Luckily, the guys on the team I was racing for were really supportive and they helped build my confidence back.
That reminds me to mention—it is far easier to start racing as a woman. Women racers are generally supportive of each other and I’ve found the men to be very enouraging and supportive of the women, too. Usually, though, women are scared to ride with the guys or have some excuse that I can’t understand.
Mike Magnuson, author of “Heft on Wheels” said it well: “Nobody wants to hear you whine.” My experience has shown that guys respect the women who ride hard, even if they are riding slower than the men.
Hopefully, you now see that you can race. It’s all a matter of whether or not you want to.
Racing Isn’t Rocket Science
Check out the rulebook of USA Cycling. Sorry, it’s 138 pages long, but actually doesn’t take too long. Check it out, you’ll learn a lot. There are a few major rules to follow, and usually they’ll be explained to the racers prior to the race start. The biggie is the yellow-line rule. There are so many things to learn about racing, for example, how to corner properly, sprint, work in an eschelon, etc. It certainly helps to talk to people about these things prior to racing so you know the basics, but most of this stuff will be learned while racing. Every race I enter, I learn something new. So don’t worry about not being prepared at first. Experience is the best teacher. A few things, though, that are good to be proficient at going into the first race:
Know how to “hold your line” Be able to drink and ride with one hand Be comfortable riding in the drops through corners and while descending Be comfortable getting out of the saddle on climbs Know how to draft and be comfortable riding close with people on all sides of you Stay relaxed, elbows bent at all times.It’s helpful to pre-ride the course just for peace of mind. The less nervous you are, the safer you will be and you’re more likely to enjoy the ride.
You Don’t Have to Be a Freak of Nature
There will be people out there who are insanely strong, but the majority of cat 4 racers are fairly new to racing, and competing. You will meet others who are similar to you. Bike racing is a unique sport in that there is no stereotypical body type that defines the successful racer.
Love Thy Bike
Many people get into bike racing because they like competing. This is a good reason, but think about it, only a tiny fraction of time will you actually be racing the bike. Many hours a week, even as a recreational racer, will be spent on training and group rides. You gotta love being out there on the road, sometimes doing intervals alone, to have fun and be successful racing…and to guard against burn-out. Years from now, I know that I won’t be racing, but I also know my quality of life won’t be the same if I’m not going on long bike rides. So my top priority is to love every minute on the bike and not do anything to jeopardize that.
Racing is Addictive
Ah, c’mon, try it, you’ll like it. One thing, though, if you really don’t feel like racing, don’t let anyone talk you into it. Get to know your body and your gut instinct. Racing can be dangerous and it’s important to listen to your subconscious. But do try that first race and meet other addicts, you just might be surprised at how difficult it is to stay away from future races.
Obviously, these are just the basics. There’s so, so much more to racing. I think that’s one of the things that really attracts me to the sport. It’s something I was able to do when I was really new to bike riding, but I’m always learning and growing as a racer and as a person.
Good luck!
Monday, April 02, 2007
April Fools
Can't believe I let another April 1 come and go without any fanfare. Does this mean I'm getting old and boring? The officials at the race today tried to make the race an hour versus 45 minutes. I was hoping they were serious.
It has taken awhile, but finally the full-blown allergy attack hit at the moment yesterday's race was over (expected it to hit in Redlands, or at least after the TT Saturday). Now it's like I have a cold...but I've resisted all of these horrible sicknesses going around all winter and this spring.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. And the allergies should be gone tomorrow if this year is like the past two.
It has taken awhile, but finally the full-blown allergy attack hit at the moment yesterday's race was over (expected it to hit in Redlands, or at least after the TT Saturday). Now it's like I have a cold...but I've resisted all of these horrible sicknesses going around all winter and this spring.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. And the allergies should be gone tomorrow if this year is like the past two.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Happy Belated Birthday!
Mom and I enjoyed the day together. We had some super yummy food at Mona's (great service, everyone should go there). They delivered a piece of french toast to her with a candle on top. We bummed around the boutiques in LoDo and finished the day by watching Cars (another super cool Pixar flick, highly recommended for all ages). A lovely day (though a bit windy). It was nice doing some "normal" stuff. I almost never spend a day kicking around like this because races are usually later in the day.This morning was a time trial up Lookout Mountain. Windy, cold, what a morning! Since I hadn't pre-registered, it was tempting to go home and go back to bed. The race is hard, as a climbing TT should be. This is the first time I've ever gotten sick after crossing the finish line of a race (due to a long, hard sprint at the end). According to the results, Partna Lan Frandhi won the race. The race was a cold, less fanfare-filled version of the Redlands TT. I really missed not doing the Wenzel warm-up with Melissa and Jeanie, not having everyone around, it was kind of lonely. But, the Redlands experience with the team did get me into better habits. For the first time ever, I got to the race early enough to have a full warm-up, visit the porta-potties and arrive to the start line completely cool and collected.
Now it's time to figure out which race to do tomorrow...there are 2 to choose from, one with dirt, the other without...decisions, decisions...
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Food and the Lack Thereof
It's so much easier to drink calories. Fruit shakes are the best. One for breakfast, one for dinner or at least an after-work snack. We're getting a blender at work. Pretty exciting news, let me tell you. So, maybe now I won't ever have to chew again! If only we'd get a hot-plate, then I could cook eggs here, too. It's much easier and less expensive to eat the same stuff over and over and over...
I'm happy to report that I didn't eat a single Clif Bar while at Redlands (it's a habit I've been trying to break, so this is progress). However, without a blender at the host house, I often found myself confused when it came to grazing time.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Oops
Silly me, I just discovered that I was riding a 12-25 not 12-27 (as I had intended) at Redlands. Those extra two teeth would have been nice on the climbs. One more thing to fix, my labeling system.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Back from Cali
Just a quick one to say I'm back from Redlands and, amazingly, was able to get out of bed this morning (without the alarm). Most likely, it's because of hunger. I've been eating constantly since getting on the plane yesterday, that was the first that my hunger returned. (Usually after a road race, I get ravenous 4-5 hours after it's over, even though I'm pretty good about eating a lot after races). I wasn't too stressed during any portion of the race, but there was probably some subconscious stuff that was making my appetite different (besides the intensity of the race, of course).
Lots more posts here and at team.bikehugger.com later (at least by tomorrow).
Lots more posts here and at team.bikehugger.com later (at least by tomorrow).
Sunday, March 25, 2007
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