Cascade Wrap-Up and On

Well, Cascade finished up spectacularly! The Saturday evening criterium was fast and furious, with the expected teams making attacks and attempting breaks. Nothing stuck, though, and KR was active throughout, staying in the mix, and helping to bring back moves. The highlight of the night was Leah's fantastic move, sticking on the TIBCO leadout train through the finishing straight, and coming out the other side with 3rd place. Way to go, Leah and KR! That meant the 2nd podium finish for the team.

Sunday's road race was hot and heavy. With no cloud cover and no shade on the course, temps rose into the high 90's, and the hills took their toll on the field. Partway through the 2nd lap, a small break formed, which contained Tara. As the break began to lose steam, Tara took a gamble, and attacked from it. She managed to stay off solo until the finish, taking 1st place for KR, and moving up into 6th in the GC! Everyone on the team also moved up in GC, and the team finished 5th in Team GC, leaping ahead of Webcor on the final stage.

Three podium finishes, 2 of the top 5 young riders, 5th in Team GC, top 10 in individual GC... It'd say KR had one fantastic race, and boy did I have fun playing my part. I got to hang out with Tina Pic in the feed zone, drive in the caravan, and get to know all the KR composite girls. Plus, I learned that I totally love the job. I love planning logistics, making sure everything is ready, navigating to the race, taking care of the girls... I loved it all so much that I'm going to the Tour of Utah with the HB team to soigneur for them!

Yup, that's right, straight off the visit to my parents' in Massachusetts, I'm headed to Utah for a little under a week. I have never really spent time in Utah, and I'm very much looking forward the whole trip. Can't wait!

But first, one more week of work, then volunteering at the track nationals qualifier at Marymoor.

Cascade Lakes Road Race Surprises Me With Gorgeous Lakeside Views

Just a few things since it's already past midnight.

1. The stage is named "Cascade Lakes Road Race" because there are actually some beautiful, crystal clear, blue lakes along the course. I wanted to get out of the car and go swimming.
2. I am starting to form opinions of the different race teams in the caravan. Good and bad and neutral.
3. All my racers were fantastic again today. It was a true team effort, with KR working together with PB&co to bring back the break that gained time through a crash, and then climbing with the best of them. We held both our top individual GC and team GC positions.

Tomorrow is the criterium - the weather is supposed to be HOT, and the racing is supposed to be FAST. Expect excitement.

Cascade Day 3 - TT and More

Today was the time trial! You might think that a 16-mile race would be simple with regards to logistics. You would be wrong. Let's see some numbers:

• 6 racers
• 8 bikes (6 TT bikes + 2 road bikes for warmup)
• 5 disc wheels
• 3+ mechanical issues
• 1 set of rollers
• 2 trainers
• 2 coolers
• 3 chairs (yes, I know, not enough for everyone at once) thus -
• 1 blanket
• 3 large beach towels
• 6 start times
• 1 follow car
• 1 doping control call-up

And those are only the things I can remember now...at midnight...

Luckily I was still home in time to float the river with the team and some of the HB kiddos. For consistency's sake:

• 7 girls
• 6 boys
• 1 minivan
• 1 HB team van
• 3 air mattresses
• 3 donut floaties
• 2 marshmallow man chairs
• 1 really cold sit-in-the-water floatie
• 1 spillway
• 1 sunburned back

Good times were definitely had by all. Especially when cramming all 13 of us into the HB van.

Finally, we went to dinner at Bend Brewing Co. The food and beer were so-so, but the company was wonderful, temperatures were perfect for patio dining, and we even went for ice cream afterwards.

I'm finally done with my soigneur duties for the evening, and planning on an early morning. We're aiming for a 9am departure for our 74-mile road race with a nice climb up Mt. Bachelor at the end. And I'm looking forward to another day in the caravan!

Cascade, Day 2 - What a Ride!

This post will be short because it is already late and I have plenty to do in the morning before the girls start their TT's. Today can be summed up in one word: EXCITING. Let me give you a few highlights:

• Tara's bike getting run over by another team's car backing up into it 7 minutes prior to rollout, her saddle being the only damaged part, the Metromint director lending us a saddle, and the Colavita mechanic and neutral support making every effort to get her bike back in working order in less than 5 minutes. Talk about an adrenaline rush! (*If anyone knows where to find Fizik saddles in Bend, please let me know.)
• Realizing, while driving in the caravan, that I now have 3 (read it: THREE) riders in the breakaway, and that I have to pass the field to feed them, and decide when to come back to the field afterwards. How do I make these decisions?!
• Zooming through narrow, well-paved roads in national forest terrain, chasing Comm 1, honking as I pass dropped riders, listening to Radio Tour for updates, and trying to write down all the garbled numbers that I hear before the next ones are relayed to me, before he gives the time gaps, before I --AAA! hit the brakes! don't crash into the Vera Bradley team car!
• Giving Amy a successful first car feed.
• Realizing that Keller Rohrback is 5th in Team GC (out of 14 teams), only 7 seconds out of 3rd, and knowing that we've got some stellar time trialists on our team, with the TT stage tomorrow.

More to come...

Cascade Cycling Classic Begins!

I'm here in Bend for the Cascade Cycling Classic, acting as super-soigneur (as I like to call it). Really that means I get to handle lots of logistics for the racers so that they don't have to. Things like driving in the caravan, providing (minimal) mechanical support, feeding them bottles from the car, and making sure we get where we need to be when we need to be there. The planner in me LOVES this kind of stuff. The part of me that wants everyone to be happy, and everything to go right, gets pretty dang stressed out. But it's good practice for...life.

The team is racing under Keller Rohrback, but the only true KR girls are the terrific Tricia and the amazing Amy. The remaining 4 racers making up this composite team are Jasmin Glaesser (Canadian/German junior extraordinaire), Jess Hannah (a true climber, and strong all around), Leah Kirchmann (current Canadian criterium national champion) and Tara Whitten (current world champion on the track in both the Omnium and the Points race). Can you say AWESOME??

Today was the first day, and it brought us a 2-mile prologue. The girls did great, with Leah taking 2nd in the Best Young Rider competition, and Tara taking 2nd in the overall. I think everyone is excited for what tomorrow will bring, and we have a fantastic team to defend our positions. The 74-mile hilly road race is sure to sort things out a bit. Bring it on!

Altitude is Not Friendly

On the 4th of July I raced a crit in Hailey, Idaho, about 15 miles from the beautiful resort town of Sun Valley. The fields were small, and they raced the W1/2/3 field with the Masters men. Two of us gals hung with the pack the whole time - with the other girl even outsprinting the men for a prime. At about 6,000 ft altitude, my lungs were wondering where all the air was for most of the race, but I managed to hold position pretty well throughout. I went in with a training mindset, and that's definitely what I got! The course was friendly - flat, four corners - but with a stiff headwind on the finishing straight. It was a fantastic feeling, being able to take the corners hard, follow the right wheels and be assertive in the pack when I had to. I'm relatively certain I earned the guys' respect. It felt good.

This photo is taken coming out of turn 4.

(Photo credit: Bob Law)

Oh, and I got $100 for 2nd place. Twice as much as the cost to check my bike on the plane home. Rock on!

I'm headed back to Boise next Thursday for some Twilight Crit action. It's gonna be a doozy.

nightraining

the sharp lunar crescent

cradles my bike

in this crisp, clear night.

the cool air silently surrounds me

until my shoes meet their pedals

with a reassuring click,

the gears barely making a sound

as the wheels swiftly spin me homeward.

Update #2 From Canada

Yesterday we drove from Penticton to Lake Louise. It was beautiful, but somewhat cloudy and rainy, and I'm betting there was a lot more beauty behind those rainclouds. We made camp at the "terrain de camping" in Lake Louise, had dinner in the shelter in the company of 2 Swiss tourists, and then made our way to both Lake Louise and Lake Moraine for some stunning views at dusk.

And now, for another small update by the numbers:

# bike rides completed: 3

# deer sighted: 10

# elk sighted: 3

# chipmunks avoided: 4

# groundhog/squirrels sighted: too many to count

I'm hoping for some additions tomorrow.

And for your viewing pleasure, here's a taste of what we've been up to...

First Night of Camping

Sunset from our campsite

Riding by the sweet Radio Observatory!

Recovery Food

Driving through the Canadian Houseboat Capital

There is an electric fence to keep bears out of the tent campground at Lake Louise.

Lake Louise Lodge

Yes, it really is that turquoise, and yes, we really were as cold as Tricia looks.

Clouds enshrouding the glorious mountains.

Blue sky peeking over the peaks.

An Update From Just Across the Canadian Border

Here we are in Penticton, British Columbia, eating breakfast at a cute little cafe ("Aloha Charley's") with wifi. We left home Sunday morning, and made our way to Winthrop in the Methow Valley of eastern Washington. Yesterday we made the short drive across the border and up to Penticton, where they host Ironman Canada. I don't have much time, because we've got 8 hours of driving ahead of us before we make it to Banff, but I'd like to do a little update by the numbers.

# bike rides completed: 2

# bike rides that went ~70% farther than planned: 1

# deer sighted: ~8

# dead snakes sighted: 2

# chipmunks avoided: 1

# times loaner camp stove used: 2 (Thanks, TBJ!)

# borders crossed: 1

Can't wait for more wildlife sightings. Hope to update again once we make it to our condo in Canmore!

Putting It Behind Me

The Mt. Hood Cycling Classic came and went. There were many notable parts, like my fantastic home stay and host family, the weather gods that mostly smiled on us for the hard stages and my fabulously horrible results. But now I'm working on putting that behind me, and looking ahead at the next two months or so. Here's what's on tap:

Banff Bike Fest - 4 stages over 3 days in Canada's gorgeous Banff National Park. Need I say more?

Hailey Criterium - Since I'll be in Boise to help Sammy celebrate his birthday over Independence Day weekend, we figured we'd get in some local bike racing, too.

Boise Twilight Criterium - This race is known for its searing temperatures and big crowds in Kristin Armstrong's hometown.

Cascade Cycling Classic - The name says it all - lots of climbing in and around Bend, Oregon, in this epic National Racing Calendar stage race.

After that, I'm going to try something I've been thinking about doing for a long time: triathlon.

Beaver Lake Triathlon - A short, sprint-distance tri with an "easy" swim, a climb-y bike, and a little bit longer run will test my abilities to make the most of transitions - and see how I measure up against my coworker, Ben!

Lake Stevens Triathlon - An Olympic distance triathlon that is going to be quite the challenge, but I'm excited to see how it goes.

Stay tuned!

Challenges

Cycling (and any endurance sport, I would expect), is the kind of sport that allows for a fair amount of introspection, requiring the athlete to look inside herself for the next stride, the next stroke, the next finish line, the next race, the next goal. What's more, I am constantly asking myself if this is all I have to give, and whether I can - or WANT to - give more. And when I don't want to? Then what comes next?

Then I start looking at my options.

I just finished the book Born to Run. I don't want to go into it too much right now because I'm gearing up to read it a second time, after which I plan on having LOTS to say. But I'm beginning to realize what I really want out of cycling, sport, my life and myself. (Yes, those last two in particular are BIG, and certainly not prompted solely by the book - I've been stewing on all this for awhile now.) I want the challenge of the race, I want the relationships that racing brings. Equally important, though, is my desire for something new. Perhaps that is part of the challenge, but as I race the same races over again with the same competitors and the same courses, I can't help but think it's time to move on.

And perhaps this time the challenge will be just that - letting myself try something else, stray outside the lines I've drawn for myself, find my own new path. The saying goes something like, "You'll have more regret for the things you never tried than the things you did." But how do you pick what to try? They don't teach you that in kindergarten.

Stages

Stage racing lots these days. And it seems like I'm going through the stages of being a new Category 2 racer, as well.

Climbing, sprinting, cornering - at all these things I keep improving, gaining confidence. Now I just need to perform to my abilities, and beyond.

It's coming. Soon, I hope. (I guess that part is up to me.)

June's got some good stuff on tap: Mt. Hood Cycling Classic and Banff Bike Fest. Both of these races I'm doing more for the beautiful scenery than for anything else. It's going to be a great month.

Michelob Ultra Circuit Race

After spending an early, stressful morning volunteering at our team race, frantically registering Cat 4/5's and Master C/D's and Cat 3's, we got our turn.

Two-lap solo breakaway. See me there in green? Too bad it was a few laps too early.

Photo credit: My fantastic boyfriend Sam who spent a lap waiting with his camera ready for me to come by.

It was fun. Can you tell?

Photo credit: Amara Boursaw, Wheels in Focus

Rhae Shaw took the win, in her own solo break, minutes ahead of the field.

Also check out some other great photos over at Wheels in Focus.

P.S. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

Is Altered Reality Still Reality?

Yesterday, with some of my distribution of the team winnings from the Tour of Walla Walla, I treated myself to an almost 2-hour long massage under the magical hands of Angela. She had me start face down, and as we progressed, with my deep breaths in and out through my mouth, my nose became more and more plugged up. Allergies? Perhaps. Turn over, face up. Continue. Breathe. In, out. Through the mouth. Deep sighing breaths. Feeling amazing. Almost falling asleep. So relaxed and rejuvenated.

After we finish, I sit up, stand, reach for my clothes - and realize my ears are plugged. But not really plugged. More...altered. It's not the plugged ears you experience when you're flying or climbing up a mountain, where everything is just muffled until they "pop". This altered my hearing in the strangest way, making it sound like Angela was speaking to me from inside a deep cavern. And I could hear my clothes make sounds against their own wrinkles and against my skin as I put them back on. Sounds I've never heard before - hardly even realized they were there.

After being upright for another few minutes, my hearing returned to normal. But as I drove away in my car, taking big swigs from my water bottle, I pondered what had happened. Because I knew that what I had heard with my altered hearing, I was actually hearing. I wasn't making it up, and it wasn't me going crazy (or at least I'm pretty sure of that). I was actually hearing my clothes. And I was actually hearing Angela's voice echo in my ear canal. And I was actually hearing my own breath from inside my body.

This event makes me question reality even more than I have been lately. Are there really many versions of reality? What I see and hear and smell and touch and taste every day must truly be just one of many possible ways to interpret my experiences.

This afternoon I'm planning on attending an art exhibit of a friend's sister, Margot Quan Knight, at the James Harris Gallery in Seattle. The title of the exhibition is "Mirror, Mirror," and I expect there to be some pondering of reality while I'm there, too.

Enjoy your weekends, everyone - whichever forms of reality they decide to take.

Intermezzo

For a wrap-up of last weekend's race, hop on over to my team's blog. It's a pretty good summary of how everything went down, and panned out.

As we drove into Walla Walla on the first day of the race, I found myself thinking, Man, wouldn't it be nice to hang out here for a while after the race is over and just ride, drink wine and chill? Then I realized - I was already planning on doing that! Perfect. So on Sunday, instead of heading back to Seattle, my job and real life, I spent 3 extra days in beautiful Walla Walla with my teammate Cheryl, a Walla Walla native, before heading down to the next weekend's stage race, the Cherry Blossom Cycling Classic. I kicked off the week by partying Sunday night with the Whitman cycling team, then proceeded to ride every day, enjoy the perfect weather and even watch a sweet documentary about human towers, with live Q & A hosted by an actual participant.

But my favorite memory from the week?

Tasting some local wine with Sam & Cheryl, then meeting up with Timbah for the best sauna experience I've ever had, grabbing Walla Walla sweet onion burritos at La Monarca, and polishing them off sitting on the edge of the quad on Whitman campus, watching intramural ultimate frisbee. I'm not kidding about the sauna, either - there was something almost transcendent about it - is that possible?

The next morning, we headed down to The Dalles, Oregon, after stopping at Andy's for some local, inexpensive asparagus and sweet onions. The amazing drive is mostly spent right along the Columbia River, and we were treated to fantastic views of the valley, green hills, rock formations, Mt. Hood, incredibly long and colorful trains and of course the river itself. We also passed one of those tree farms - the ones that are almost hypnotizing with their rows and rows of trees that if you look down the rows to the end, appear like stop-motion photos that barely seem real. There's also something satisfying about the fact that these farms help alleviate clear-cutting of forests.

Once we made it into town, we joined Lang, Phil and Kennet for a quick recon ride of the Stage 2 circuit race course - a great way to shake off the 3-hour drive and stresses of traveling, and enjoy the beautiful weather.

This is the life. Now to figure out how to live like this all the time...suggestions?

Clean and Ready

I've washed away
the pain of today;
it's flowed down the drain,
and out with the rain.

I know that I'm strong,
that tomorrow is long.
We'll do what we can,
we have a good plan.

And in the end,
with positions to defend,
we will finish the race
at the fastest of pace.

KR in WW

So here we are, the Keller Rohrback team, in the grand old city of Walla Walla, Washington. The 3-day, 4-stage race began yesterday with a late afternoon/early evening, 37-mile road race out of Waitsburg. This race is notorious for severe winds that explode the pack to pieces. Well, yesterday was certainly windy, but no one really seemed up for anything big, so the few attacks that went off (from our team, and maybe 1 or 2 others) didn't last, and the pace was relatively calm. Things split up over the QOM climb, and I ended up having to chase back on (as did quite a few other people), but there were 37 pack finishers out of a field of 49 starters. I was pleased to finish with the peloton, but even MORE pleased that Cheryl pulled off the sprint and took FIRST! Go, Cheryl! TB and Kele lined it up for her, but it started to get pretty crowded at the front, and Cheryl knew just how to maneuver to cross the line ahead. Fantastic!

This morning we raced the 9.3-mile time trial. Slight winds, a climb in the middle, and a lot of descending afterwards keep this an interesting course, with a fast finish. I worked as hard as I felt I could, and bettered my time from last year. My teammates managed to all nab spots within the top 10 (TB 2nd, Cheryl 4th, and Kele 10th?) to potentially take the lead for Team GC. We'll find out for sure when we head downtown for the crit in a few short hours.

In the meantime, our amazing hosts Shannon and Doug (Cheryl's sister and brother-in-law) have cooked up some amazing barbecue fare - grilled chicken, homemade rolls with homemade raspberry and strawberry jam, caesar salad, pasta salad, potato salad, strawberry lemonade and of course dessert. Can you say YUM?

Poem-A-Day, April 12th

Black Rock City

a place made of dreams,
of fire and flood - and of art
to be created.

almost mythical,
but a known, real oasis
(temporarily).

so much there to learn,
so much to be discovered,
so anxious to go.

Poem-A-Day, April 11th

The Last Pedal Stroke

sometimes it's thrown down
with such force
with such brutality
as the bike
and rider
charge across the line

sometimes it's taken
with ease and confidence
simple sureness of victory
no fear
no contest

sometimes it's given up
with feelings of defeat
like today
today was just
not
my
day

Poem-A-Day, April 7th

Yes, I skipped April 6th. My excuse is that I should write about art that moves me to write about it, not some piece that was thrown in front of me blindly. Is that fair? Maybe not, but I'll write what I want.

Today's prompt: Take the phrase "Until (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and write the poem.

----------

Until August

like clockwork
it has become
a time for change,
for new beginnings.

i've never been
a patient one.
always wanted
immediacy.

so this time
i'm starting fresh,
with a new me,
self-discovery.

time to plan
or not to plan?
to see where life
is taking me next.

Poem-A-Day, April 5th

TMI

Woke up this morning:
Explosive diarrhea.
No team ride for me.

Poem-A-Day, April 4th

Write a history poem.

---------

Heastery

i still remember
five-four-five
shallow cove road,
the house of my early
childhood.
easter morning
bright and sunny
dress in fresh clothes
from grandma W.
come down the stairs
to find the baskets
already overflowing
with chocolate
(which i loved)
and jelly beans
(which i gave
to my brother).
then hunt for eggs,
candy-filled
and hard-boiled,
and eat to our hearts'
content.
i try to recreate
this memory
but nothing,
even family,
can make me
a 6-year-old
again.

Poem-A-Day, April 3rd

Today's prompt: "...take the phrase 'Partly (blank),' replace the blank with a word or phrase, make that the title of your poem, and then write the poem."

----------

Partly Toast

Man, my legs are
toast today
after a week's worth
of hard training.
Although,
we sure got
toasted last night -
maybe that
has something to do
with it.
But at least
my feet
are pretty toasty
in these booties.
And I sure do like
that multi-grain toast
I had for breakfast.

Poem-A-Day, April 2nd

At the suggestion of my poet friend Joannie, I've decided to attempt to participate in Robert Lee Brewer's Poem-A-Day challenge. Of course, I'm starting a day late (April is National Poetry Month), and I have no expectations whatsoever, but I think it will be a fun exercise nonetheless. Maybe I'll attempt to keep all the poems related to cycling, in addition to adhering to the daily prompt. Maybe not. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes...

Today's prompt: Write a water poem.

----------

The rain cascades down rooftops,
And pounds the sides of cars;
The gusts predicted heavy,
By our forecaster Lars.

"I won't be riding bikes today,
Nor swimming in the Sound.
The weather's just too nasty out,"
She muttered as she frowned.

So hopefully tomorrow
The sun will dry the streets.
This lion is not welcome here,
The lamb brings better treats.

I Can't Sleep

I can't sleep because I keep playing this weekend's mistakes over and over in my head. I can't sleep because I keep thinking about what I have to do to get stronger. To get smarter. To podium. To win. To do my teammates proud.

I can't sleep because my boyfriend gets home from Redlands in 24 hours or less. I can't sleep because my room is a mess but I don't have the energy to clean it. I can't sleep because I keep getting hungry again every hour. I can't sleep because I'm constantly thirsty.

I can't sleep because I keep thinking about life. About change. About living life to its fullest. About setting new goals. About setting real goals. About setting scary goals.

I can't sleep. But I have to try. Eventually, I'll get there. And then morning will come, too soon.

Ravenous

Each race so far this season has taught me a valuable lesson, whether it be about pack positioning, endurance, hesitation or technical skills. But most of all, each race I become more ravenous for a better performance. A higher finish in the standings. A better podium spot for the team.

I can feel my strength. But more than that, I can feel my hunger.

Mixed Bag

This weekend was quite the mixed bag.

Yesterday: Mixed team feelings about race performance, but pulled off 2 payout spots in the end, including a place in the break and first in the pack sprint.

Today: Mixed it up with the Cat 3 Men. Mix of rain and sun all day long. Mixed feelings going into the race (should we even DO this? why don't we just go ride instead?).

But I can feel my legs getting back under me, and my engine regaining its strength, and more. Promises of good things to come.

Early Season Ready

Finally feeling recovered from the lingering cold virus.

Finally really itching to get some more good training in.

Finally ready to find out where I stand among my peers.

Finally ready to stop the traveling for a while.

Let's DO this, 2010!

Sickness and Schedule

Two things that have thrown me off my training lately.

I've been traveling a ton for the last month or so, and as anyone knows, that really throws a wrench in training plans. Some of the travel was actually for training, but some of it has been pure vacation - and thus not as productive for the legs or lungs.

Then, the day I left to go catch some Olympics in Vancouver, I came down with a nasty cold. And now it's just lingering, with this annoying cough that won't give up, which likes to emerge most when I'm trying to sleep or exercise. And intervals? Don't even think about it.

So I'm feeling like a fat, lazy blob, and have no idea what this is doing to the great training I thought I was getting earlier in the winter. At least I've got over a month before the bigger races get started.

Training Camp

Our First Steps in Santa Barbara

First Ride, Amazing Views in Every Direction

UCSB Campus Parking

Second Ride, View of Lake Casitas

Largest Ficus Macrophylla in the Country

From Underneath

Santa Barbara Mission

Last Ride, View from Mountain Drive

Rad Hippie Bus

Goodbye, Santa Barbara

Seattle Forecast, for Comparison

And it's pea soup outside my window in Tukwila right now. 30 hours and counting...

Santa Barbara Forecast

I think I can handle that.

Wanted: Recovery

Phew! My legs are TIRED. Hard training has left my quads feeling like bricks - both in weight and touch.




Santa Barbara Training Camp in 4 days! I think it's time for some rest and active recovery, how about you?

NEW KITS!

Maybe More Days Are Like Saturday Than I Thought

Last weekend, we took a short trip to Walla Walla, home of Whitman College, Clarette's and magnificent riding. Unfortunately I didn't take any fantastic photographs, but I did go on two fantastic bike rides.

It was foggy. It was damp. It was chilly. It was hilly.

But the company, lack of automobiles and smooth pavement more than made up for all that. And even made the fog and hills kind of fun.

Friday: 3.5 hours, out to Waitsburg, then to Dayton, then back up the "Elevator Shaft" and into Walla Walla along Rte 12 to make it back before dark.

Saturday: 4.5 hours, out to Waitsburg again, then onto the loop for the Tour of Walla Walla Friday road race course, and back to Walla Walla along Middle Waitsburg Rd., also the final climb for the final road race course in the Tour of WW.

Good. Hard. FUN.

THIS is what riding a bike is all about.

Can every day be like Saturday?

No, I don't mean, "Can every day BE Saturday?" I mean, "Can every day be like LAST Saturday?"

It was such a great day on the bike. Rode with the team. Felt strong the whole way. Even on the hills, pushing till the top. Even at the end, when I knew my body was tired, strong till the top of the last little climb to my house.

I can smell the finish lines of the coming season. I can see the competition. I can feel my fitness coming. I just need race days to be like Saturday.

But better.

What do the voices say?

It is SO easy to tell other people to do the right things. Especially in training.

Listen to your coach.
Do your intervals.
Record your workouts.
Eat the right macronutrients.
Get plenty of rest.

That last one is a doozy. Probably the easiest one to ignore.

With so much to do - a full-time job, a full training schedule and a social life - it's difficult to get enough sleep, slow down or admit that it's time for an off day. The voices in my head go back and forth, arguing these points nonstop. Just like I keep having to tell them, "No excuses," I also have to ask them, "What are your true priorities?"

Just this morning I found myself reassuring my teammate that a few days off the bike are better for getting over being sick than getting back into training too soon, while at the same time convincing myself that I should get on the trainer tonight even though I feel a cold coming on.

Luckily, I have a coach. I like to think that, for the most part, I do what my coach tells me to do. And today he told me to rest.

Ok, Coach. You win over the voices today.

Trapped by the SLUT

Yes, that's what I said.

Those of us who live in Seattle lovingly call the South Lake Union Streetcar by its original, inconvenient acronym, the SLUT (South Lake Union Trolley).

This "trolley," or "streetcar," has rail tracks that run along a few of the major routes to and through downtown. Most of the roads that house the tracks have two lanes of auto traffic running in each direction, with the tracks running through the middle(ish) of the right lane (each way).


So the cyclist riding on these roads is faced with the decision of exactly where to ride. The way I see it, there are three choices:

1) Ride to the right of the tracks. This seems like the default place to ride, but it's really a horrible little surprise, because as you approach a SLUT pickup location, the sidewalk juts out to meet the tracks, as well as gains approximately 8" in height (for ease and safety of SLUT passenger loading). So now, not only are you riding gingerly alongside the tracks of death, but you are also centimeters from clipping your right pedal on the bus stop. Not really a good option at all.

2) Ride between the tracks. This option appears to be the best - at first. You can ride along, happily contained within the confines of the two rails, avoiding most car traffic, and riding fast enough to outrun the SLUT itself. But then - the tracks turn a corner! What? You didn't want to turn the corner? Too bad! If you decide you want to go straight instead, you risk having your wheels eaten alive by the tracks as you try to cross them at an angle restricted by the distance of the two rails from each other. Not a good choice.

3) Ride to the left of the tracks. This option can actually be broken down into two sub-options.

3(a) Ride to the left of the tracks, but in the right lane. This causes you to hold up traffic in the right lane, while forcing the cars in the left lane to (if they make any attempt at considering your safety) slow down, and sometimes move slightly into the lane of oncoming traffic. Not so great.

3(b) Ride in the left hand lane. This causes you to hold up traffic on the right lane, and forces cars to pass you on the right if they feel they must. It also creates uncertainty among all drivers, because, well, why would there be a cyclist in the left lane if they weren't turning left at the next intersection?? Are they going to return to the right lane without notice??

I've decided that option 3(b) really is the best choice. Sometimes I get faked out, because the tracks make like they're going to create a nice big opening in the right lane, making 3(a) the best choice, but then they come right back out again, and confusion ensues. So now you can take my evaluation into consideration the next time you're commuting through South Lake Union. Or, if you don't live in Seattle, you can mock those of us who have to deal with the SLUT.

No Excuses

This is my mantra for at least the next few months.

No excuses.

It's been getting me through a lot lately. It got me to indoor class on Tuesday, when what I really wanted to do was lie in bed. It got me through all three of my 12-minute intervals last night, when I kept asking myself, "Is 10 minutes really that much shorter?" and thinking, "I should really get off the trainer and get ready for my dinner arrangements."

So I think it's working. No excuses.

Fake It Till You Make It

Right? I think I've been doing that my whole life, so why stop now?

Thus, on Saturday I rode with a certified pro - well, I don't really know if they get certificates, but he certainly gets paid to ride his bike. I didn't crash him out, which I count as a success.

And in a few weeks I'm going to start leading an indoor cycling class, just like another pro I know, and a few other aspiring ones as well. Luckily it's really hard to crash someone out on a trainer.

So I think this counts as fakin' it. No real plans to "make it," but like I said, it's going to be a breakout season. I can smell it.

Or maybe that's just my grimey jersey. Uff.

Knee-High

I did not know that you could ride through mud puddles that were up to your knees, and still come out upright on the other side! But there are quite a lot of things about mountain biking that I still need to learn, and riding in the mud and rain today was another whirlwind lesson. We were out for almost two-and-a-half hours, and it flew by. Now THIS must be what training in January is supposed to be like. All the forest greenery practically got me high on oxygen. I could get addicted to this.

Commute

I recently started biking to work. It's amazing how much more there is to sense when you're on a bicycle. Today I was particularly cognizant of the smells. There was the appropriate smell of freshly brewed coffee emanating from a Starbucks. There were the sharp fumes coming from the transit bus. The two men who got off the bus left a trail of cologne in their wake. Much more pleasant was the woman's perfume as she crossed the street in front of me downtown, while I waited for the light to change. Then the sweet smell of baked bread, and hot cookies. The scent of garbage. And chemicals - paint?

I think about my ability to identify all of these smells, and can't help but feel it is a wonderful brain exercise, just riding my bike to work.

2010

This year begins a new journey. A recollection of the enjoyment of cycling and racing. A true understanding of the dedication of an athlete.

Stay tuned.