DT Tues

Today was too nice to pass up the local Tuesday night ride Southeast of downtown. So, I skipped class and joined in the fun/pain. There was a large group at the blue star and we had a nice easy ~10ish mile spin to the start. The course is a pretty flat 7 mile triangle. The group does 4 laps. Today I made it with them for 2 full laps and on the third I dropped off. My heart rate was averaged out at 188 for those two laps. After cooling down I saw Ken Ciolli in the Subaru. YES!!! Motorpacing... ;) Ken was even nice enough to give us a draft back to the blue star.

No casualties this Tuesday, only a couple close calls with the local dogs! Better watch out for that Rottie, Jeff! Oh, and John Myre laying down on the RR tracks...

Conflicts

More and more often lately I have been in a love-hate relationship with the wind. After Sunday's ride I have decided that it is strictly a HATE relationship. After a 4.5 hour ride, much of it spent in the head wind I have decided that even the tail wind isn't always fun. I think this only applies when you are on a "training ride" with the double pistons of JT. I can honestly say that I have now motor-paced behind a cyclist (instead of the commonly used car/scooter). A 15-mile stretch of 32-36MPH, mouth open, drool/spit flying, leg aching pain was not how I envisioned the tail wind stretch to go. I hindsight I am glad for that effort I was forced to put out because now I am that much stronger - ladies beware!!!

Turning back into the wind was better because we were going slower, I just had to focus on finding the sweet spot with the most draft. Then I had to focus on conserving enough energy to make it home (still head wind). As soon as JT turned off I tanked. The remainder of my ride would be a miserable crawl. Thanks Jeff for putting up with that!

What I learned this weekend:
My front plant area needs 20 bags of mulch, not the 2 I thought was needed
Hills and wind both have horrible attributes, neither is better or worse
Check the dogs paws before they come back inside from a walk
NEVER go to Brackenridge park on a nice Sunday around 3pm

Update

Since I have not posted much this year, I have some pictures from January. Most are from the Colavita Training Camp in Austin and on from a TT in Casterville.

Fayetteville

Fayetteville (FSR) has plagued me as long as I can remember. I didn't race it last year because I was killing myself at San Dimas SR. In 2007 I DNF'd on Sunday's race. This year started out really good. Stage one we rode off into an abyss of fog; the kind that forces you to take your glasses off. About half way into the first lap the fog cleared. There were a few attacks and I chased down Tracey but other than that it was a lot of slow to fast, jumpy riding. I really suffer on those types of races, my quick-twitch muscles are pretty lame. I was happy to finally make it with the group to the sprint (I have been sick almost all season so far) and finished around 13 out of a starting field close to 30 peeps. After a nap I got ready for Stage 2: ~7 mile time trial at 5:15pm. It was great being able to warm up with my teamies. :) The TT went average, I got to remember what suffering felt like but my time was 6th fasted and I wanted top 3. I have some work to do.

Stage 3 was on Sunday and my group had a late start (11:20 am) which displeased me because I hate waiting around! So me and the teamies decided to mix the race up today and attack with counter attacks. I should have realized that I am still not near as fit as I need to be and just sat in. All I needed to do was sit in and I would finish in the $$. I was sitting 6th in GC and Catie was 5th. Anyways, I didn't anticipate attacking until the last lap (3 laps) but Kim was off with a pseudo attack around mile 5. Once the pack caught her I did the counter. I spent too much on the counter that when I got caught at the bottom of the hot spot hill that I couldn't grab the back of the group and was dropped. Mile 5. Soooo I tried to TT the rest of the lap and then decided to just call it quits for the day. Fayetteville is not my race. Who knows, maybe next year.

We did get to stay at Las Brisas Ranch and it was THE BEST!

Blaire's Baby Shower

Friends come first, so instead of racing Pace Bend (one of my favs), I helped out with my best buds baby shower.

BBRC Crew

So today, my fellow work mates and I took a "group picture"! HAHA, it made me feel like I was back in elementary school....too bad individual shots were not taken. And get this: Saturday is out "End of Year / Christmas Party". Umm, last time I checked, January is already almost over.

LEAKEY

Solare Eclipse had the LEAKEY training camp this weekend. Both days the weather was great and the climbing was abundant. Saturday we did the "Doctor Dolittle's Death Loop", or a portion of it anyways. Kim, Ken, Robert, and I stopped at mile 60 where a convieniently parked car waited. We sagged the remaining group for the remaining 40 miles. The beginning of the ride was great, Kim and I got a head start and worked together, pushing pretty hard. We wanted to see how long it would take the boys to catch us. Well, around mile 25 they showed up and were suprised it took that long. I was proud! Unfortunatly, I wasted all my energy in those 25 miles, so the rest of the ride I was pretty cooked.

Sunday was a nicer ride, everyone stayed together and Kim and I pushed each other going up the hills. It was a great weekend~!

Training Week (Day)

So Jim Slauson does an annual "training camp" the first week of January where he rides ~100 miles each day. I was fortunate enough to get off work on Thursday and attend. The weather could not have been more perfect: little wind and the sun was out, no armwarmers needed. After the ride I got to join Jim, Teri, and Lara at Bin555 in Artisan Alley. It was great food!

SAN ANTONIO ~ State Cyclocross Championships

This season the San Antonio weekend was my favorite. Saturday was sunny and hot, I was sad that I had taken my water bottle cages off. I mean, really, cyclocross is supposed to be crappy weather where you don't have to worry about dehydration. Jeff was there to give me hand ups though, thank God for that! The course was great fun, including the never ending sandpit and the landfill hole of dispair. I unfortunatly crashed on a loose off camber turn but was able to not lose any positions. I won the age group and got 2nd overall.

The weather on Sunday, however, was completely different than Saturday's "summer weather", as the sun was no where to be found. As I got out of my car at Padre Park I immediately regreted not packing my knee warmers and other cold weather gear but was confident that it would get warmer as the day progressed. Not such the case this time, it got colder. Stef Childs and I warmed up along the mission trail bike path, next to the San Antonio River and then I hid in the Solar Eclipse tent next to the space heater and waited for my race.

The Open Women raced 30 seconds behind the ample Men's 3/4 pack. The start was on the street and was a fast, straight shot, into the trees. This section was more technical; we wound our way through the trees on little banking rollers. Then we hit the pavement and I noticed Christina had already created a gap for herself. Lisa, another girl and I were still together as we came to a 180 turn down hill to another 180 where I got off my bike and ran back up the hill. I pulled away from the other two when we hit the cement climb and caught up to a few men at the barrier. At this point I just had to keep (and increase) my gap on the girls behind me. After a the 2nd lap I caught a Peak Fitness guy and was able to ride with him for a few laps. He was finally able to get rid of me on the straight to the finish line in the horrible head wind!

Stef stayed at my house this weekend and we had a blast, even when we had to get in our cars and hunt down her boyfriend who was lost 281N on his bike...haha

Jersey!

Lisa, me, Stef, Christina, Janice (with Bailey)
Wearing our championship jerseys from the TX age based cyclocross race

Houston CX

Another round of CX races under the belt and I am feeling good. I met Steph in Houston Saturday for a much welcomed late start time of 2:45! YAY! So I drove the speed limit and it felt excrutiatingly slow but, alas, 3 hours after I pulled out of my driveway I was searching for a parking spot at Tinsley Park. I remembered this course from last year...not too technical. Lisa Ferris showed up, I was glad for another girl to line up with. Saturday the open women raced a full hour at the same time as the open men. It was not bad at all, despite the fact that I had taken off my water bottle cage and was use to the 45 minute races. So at about 45 minutes I had sweater teeth and my lips felt like they had a glue-like substance on them. ugh! After the race I joined David Kay's daughter on the swings.

Steph had fanangled us a really nice hotel and I was stoked to see the living room and 42 inch panel TV. They even shuttled us to dinner and back! I am so use to staying in Hotel 6 and other similar places that this was a real treat!

Sunday's race was at a new venue and looked fun! It was more tireing than Saturday's race because there was more climbing and more twisty turns that I slowed down for then had to speed back up.

all to nothing

Wednesday - 2.5 hour round trip commute
Turkey day - 3 hour ride in the mist
Friday - 3.5 hour ride in the rain
Saturday - 3.5 hour group ride
Sunday - 6 hour death ride with horrible wind

Monday-Friday - 0

Hmmm, I guess I jumped back into a training regimen full on, and it caught up to me. I have done nothing but work and sleep all week. I guess I will be well rested for the cross races this weekend. Yeah buddy!

Fort Worth

4:30am on Saturday; I should be asleep but I am in my car headed to Round Rock to pick up Stephanie and continue to Fort Worth for the Cyclocross races. Making good time, my cruise control is set to 75mph, just 5 miles over the speed limit. I did not see the speed limit drop to 60 in Hillsboro, nor did I see the construction zone with the worker present. But the cop DID see me. And so I got, yet again, another ticket. This one will not be dismissible since there was a stupid construction worker out there at 8am on a Saturday. UGH! The cop was not letting me off either.

So, I collect myself and continue on the way, and we end up at the location early. I was in a good mood by now though because I remembered the course from last year, it was one of my favorites! The race was pretty tough though, Christina off the front and I had Tammy not so far behind me. I faired with 2nd place. Steph and I then went on the search for a hotel and I turned hostel since I was hungry and the GPS didn't seem be on our side. After shutting it off and just looking along I30, we found one and unloaded. Then to Jason's Deli...mmmmmmmm.

Sunday's race wasn't as cold so I was happy but I was a bit nervous since Tammy was out there again and I know she was aiming to beat me. I started out ahead of her and then she passed me in one of the corners. Fortunately for me she was behind a guy that crashed and she had to break. I took advantage of that and opened a gap. I spent the rest of the race trying to build on that gap but was never satisfied. I was getting tired. 45 minutes passed and I new it was over, until the ref said "One to go". I hated that person. I made one final lap then thought I would die. But I was satisfied with my race, and took another 2nd to Christina.

The drive home was slow, as I stayed UNDER the speed limit. Okay---I stayed at the speed limit to the dot. We almost got into an accident in Waco...Some one's cheap, aftermarket fiberglass hood flew off their car and just before it smashed into my windshield it hit the ground and I straddled it best I could. No major damage happened so I was able to drive home (with the smell of exhaust filling my car, not a good sign).

Cross Pix

Madison HS

Lonely and heartbroken today. I went to a craft fair with my mom and then TV shopping for my uncle. Good quality mother-daughter time.

Then I went to Blaire's house to watch a movie. NEVER EVER watch Two Days in the Valley. What a waste of time! It took forever to get the story set up, then it didn't even have a closing on some of the situations. LAME! I was so mad that I accidentally knocked over my glass of lemonade. It shattered on the tile floor, leaving glass shards and stickyness all over the place. Sorry Blaire! It was good lemonade too...

Weekend Warrior

Everyone at work had to come in on Saturday for 4 hours to get caught back up. This meant that I would have only enough time to do the medium ride from Bicycle Heaven. I was upset at first, but soon realized that I would be good to just be able to make it home from the medium ride.

I woke up and headed to the shop (~10 miles from my house) on my bike. Kim met me at the shop with some Solar Eclipse kits to wear until we get the 2009 uniforms in. I was happy to see her there, I haven't gotten to ride with her in a while. Of course Brandon Z took off with a faster pace than the group and I was on h is wheel. Well, once we got to the first hill in a neighborhood of Spechts Rd, I was dropped. I kept looking behind me for the rest of the group so I can get some rest while hiding in someone's draft. It wasn't until the right turn off 46 when I saw them. They caught me and I hung on for a efw miles. Then I got the joy of riding Bulverde from Smithson VAlley all the way to 1604 all by myself, in an unfriendly headwind.

So I made it to work on time with my legs feeling full of fluid. I won't be riding tomorrow!

Cyclocross TX Cup Series (weekend 1)

The opening races were in Austin! Yay, not far to travel. It was fun, even though there was next to no girls to race against. I will have to get strong enough to hang with the masters or 4s. I hope to be getting back into shape soon... Saturday's race was tough, even though it didn't appear that way. I crashed on the last lap right before the barriers but was okay.

Still sick

It has been 2 weeks since I took amoxicillin for my sinus infection and it seems to still be here. I cannot breathe through my right nose hole...ugh! This sucks big time!

Still loving my ScootScoot

After a bike ride I couldn't resist the urge to jump on my Buddy. Obe wanted to join too!

Sister Bike Ride

Becky doesn't ride bikes. I have been riding since 2002 and have always wanted my sister, Becky, to ride with me. Today I got her to go! She didn't agree to wear the shorts, jersey or even my shoes, but she was going so that is all that mattered to me. I changed out the pedals on my KHS soft tail and was ready for some fun and laughs! She hasn't been on a bike in 10+ years.


We decided McAllister Park would be a great place for a short beginner ride. At first Becky was a little shakey and had some doubts about the seat height (her feet wouldn't touch the ground flat when she was in the saddle - haha), but after a short warm up she was ready to go! Riding with my sister reminded me of my first mountain bike ride, she was "whoa"ing every time she hit a rock or a root but she didn't go down. After about half an hour she was making some serious progress but because she didn't wear the shorts, her but was getting sore... It was a great time and I am glad she finally joined me in a ride!