Moab Madness Day 7 - It's a Classic!

Today we decided to 'take it a bit easy' and did Flat Pass + Steal Bender x 2 .... it's a classic. Full of climbs, rocks, and more rocks ... what a fun course!

Again no photos - today was a good endurance ride with lots of technical bits thrown in. Some steep ups to practice technical climbing ... and some crazy descents to practice getting behind the saddle.

Another great day ... but DUDE, where is the sun? Temps were cool again today and out came the winter leg warmers ... yup, I said winter!, arm warmers, vest, undershit, and little hat once again. We had a few stream-crossings today - wool socks were a must - but thankfully were hidden from the wind for most of the ride - thank goodness for that. The skys only spat at us today - teasing us with a threat of more rain to come. I'm happy to report that we were faster than the rain and made it in before any damage was done.

I also have to report on a gear review:  Today I tried out 'the Ferarri of bike shorts' (Assos FI 13 for ladies) - made affordable by Samammish Valley Cycle (thank you, thank you, thank you!).

General comments:
Wow, These shorts live up to their name. I went into the day with a bit of a sore bottom from yesterday's forray in the sun, rain, wind, and freezing cold temps. I was worried going into the ride today that my bottom would be the first thing to give out ... but to give these shorts a run for their money I didn't use any cream to lesson the pain/friction. And these shorts did not dissappoint. My bottom felt as comfortable as could be - it was like the shorts were a 2nd skin but better.

These shorts have it all:
Shami: 12 out of 10. hands down the best shorts I've ever tried. I am now afraid to go back to my 'regular' shorts.
Compression: nice for people like me who take a while to warm up!
Breathability: outstanding
The bib even has a 'latch' which makes it easier to do your business:)

I can't even say enough good things about these shorts. In one word: WOW!  ...guess I'll be heading badk to SVC to get another pair - ladies and gentlemen: these shorts are well worth the money!!!

Race Report: Soaring Eagle Park

Last Sunday I completed my 2nd race of the 2010 season at Soaring Eagle park. My legs were tired as I was wrapping up 3 intense weeks of traning and getting ready for a recovery week - but the course was phenomenal...

Quick Summary:
# laps: 4
Total distance:  25km
Time: 1:43
Terrain: lots of twists and turns, very flowy
# women in Open/Expert: 15 (awesome!)
Place: 3rd

The Details:
The weather wasn't so co-operative but the trails were fantastic. We lined up for the start in a steady drizzle and quick count down  ' 3 ... 2 ...1 ... go!' My legs were rebelling and not ready for a fast start so I was 7th heading into the woods.  There was only one part of the course that was double track so passing was interesting. The good news is that you could generally find a way around people if you had your eyes open ... and since the Norco descends so well I did all my passing on the downhill sections.  It was super fun.   

After a few downhills where I could pass through the trees and I was sitting in 4th.  I followed 3rd around and passed her on the 2nd lap on the one section of double-track, - this was the woman that beat me last race. I dropped her on the descents and never saw her again. I kept on seeing the 2nd place girl in front of me but she saw me too.    I played cat and mouse with the 2nd place woman for 2 laps but she out-raced me and claimed 2nd place.   A great course, a great effort ... and I didn't get lapped by the pro men this time .... it was a good day :)

Seattle Bike Expo - hanging with the SVC and Norco crew

This past weekend the Seattle Bike Expo came to town ... which meant a weekend of hanging with the SVC and Norco crews, checking out the new bike lineup for 2010, seeing old friends, talking shop, and generally getting physched for the 2010 season!

It was a great weekend - the new Shimano Di2 electronic shifting system was a big hit ... along with the NorcoTeam Carbon and the Ryan Leech show. A few favorites were there and I finally got to meet the other 'endurance' rider sponsored by SVC - Chris Ragsdale.

All in all, it was a great weekend.

Next up: Another BuDu Race!

Going slower to get faster

In November I had some performance tests done and (no big surprise) my endurance zone is basically all that I have. I don't have much 'room' (in terms of watts or HR) above it before my legs scream for mercy and I have to stop. What this means is that I am a wimp :) No seriously, it means that I need to re-train my body to clear lactic acid, and that ultmately, I need to either be doing super high intensity, short intervals ... or I need to be taking it easy (bottom of endurance zone).

Although I say it wasn't surprising, I had been doing most of my rides at the top of my endurance zone, hopeing to grow it. As my focus is on the longer races, I want to go as fast as possible for as long as possible - so this seemed to make sense. Well, it did - up to a point. I grew my endurance zone to the max possible!!!

So now I am going slower, to get faster! My intervals are super short - max length is 1 min - and they are are really high watts. Watts i haven't seen .... ever ... even when I was doing the OCup races. I've been doing this for a month now and I have to say that it's pretty fun. I love seeing the super high numbers and pushing my legs that hard. I do workouts both on the trainer (in the AMs) and on my roadbike (I have a powertap and lots of steep hills in the neighbourhood) and am making progress.

The hardest part? going slower. I have a hard time riding at lower watts/HR than I know I can for my 'endurance' rides. I feel like I want to GO and it's a mental challenge to take it easy. I have some follow up testing in January so I have another month to see the impact of this training .... it'll be very interesting to see how this shifts things around!

It's all about the tire!!!

I've been experimenting with tires lately. I was looking for something that would corner well, performed on rocks and roots, and would hold up in wet weather. In a nut shell- a good tire for West Coast riding.

Well, ladies and gentleman, I found what I beleive to be the perfect combination. On the front tire (where you want the most grip and cornering traction) I now use a Kenda Nevegal on the front. This tire is AMAZING. It has awesome cornering traction, is great for technical riding (wet or dry) and the extra width (it's a 2.1) makes you super fast on double track descents. I love this tire. My descending, single-track riding, technical riding, and cornering has improved with this tire. And the extra width doesn't seem to slow me down on the uphills either - I've picked up speed there too!

On the back I use the tried and trusted Michelin XTR AT. My friend Kate got me onto the Michelin band-wagon and i have to admit that they make a good tire. They aren't as good in the corners as the Nevegal but they perform well in any weather and for any terrain. They are perfect on the back.

So this is the set up I'll plan to use for Nationals. Depending on how much steep slick rock climbing we have in the race i may opt to use Nevegals on front and back ... we will see!

Where is Waldo?

Yes, it's been quiet ... and we all know what that means: Busy training weekends, long work days, and everything else jammed in there somewhere ...

It's been a busy month - can't beleive it's almost over! I'll catch you up really quick on what i've been up to:

1. Doing 1,000,000 laps at Tiger. OK, not really, but I've done my share. I've gotten faster which is always good. I've taken 1 minute off the climb, 2 off the descent (woot!) and 1 off of the flat. This is off my best time and i posted 3 laps in a row at this new 'Monilee record'. Not too bad. Another interesting note - I've recently had several people asking me if I am the 'Norco Tiger Girl'? Um yes? Apparently I have a name for myself. I am guessing it is because I often spend 8 hours riding at Tiger and lap many people in my rides.

2. Hiking Mt Si (see photo) - a quick 2.5 hour hike up and back (8 miles, 3500 feet of climbing).

3. Visiting family in Victoria - had a fun weekend with Marilee and kids! Love Victoria - very cool town.

4. Work, work, and more work - I've taken on another project and have been pretty busy - but still loving it!!! We had the Microsoft company meeting on Sept 10th which is always very cool.

5. Shopping for new fun bike toys for nationals - mostly light batteries but it's still fun. i love buying new bike stuff. Retail therapy.

6. Prepping for Nationals - woot!!! 3 weeks and counting

7. Fixing my car - Got hit by a student driver on the way home from work - passenger door is busted up and I am having fun with insurance and estimates now.

That about sums up the last month ...

As nationals nears i'll be sure to keep the blog up to date!

Gear review - Terry Saddles

Time for another gear review ... this time I'll talk about something that can make or break your ride - saddles! Before I go any further I want to say that 'no saddle fits all' so if you are looking at getting a new saddle, see if you can 'try before you buy' (maybe a friend has one you can try?). It has to be right for your body geometry and your riding style.

I love Terry Saddles - they seem to make a fit for every type of riding and rider. I am going to start with what I'll call the 'comfort' performance saddle - the Terry Butterfly. This was my first Terry saddle and what made me fall in love with Terry saddles. I purchased my first mountain bike in 2001 so the memory is still pretty clear. The bike came with some stiff men's saddle and I just couldn't understand how people could love to ride their bikes for more than 1 hour at a time - my bum hated it! It hurt, I had to stand a lot, and worst of all - i developed sores in short rides. Not good. I talked to some girls about the issue at hand and found out that it wasn't me - it wasn't that I needed time to 'adjust', it was my saddle. Aha! I did a lot of research and landed on the Terry butterfly. It had great reviews. Here is my take:
Comfort: 10 - this saddle supports you where you need it and does not put undue pressure on the sitting bones
Power Transfer: 8 - I found that this saddle was lacking in power transfer - i wanted something a little harder to push against for those power bursts
When used: La Ruta 2003 (3 day race across Costa Rica), Adventure racing, and several 8 hour races
Recommendation: Good for people who like a plush saddle or those that are just starting out (as I was).


Terry Damselfly
After a year of racing I got hooked and wanted to try the shorter stuff. As mentioned in the earlier paragraph, I wanted something a little harder for power transfer. So on a friend's recommendation I tried the Terry Damselfly.
Comfort: 8 - not as comfy as the terry butterfly but was fine for up to 8 hours in the saddle
Power Transfer: 10 - this saddle is perfect for racing - especially the shorter races where you are using your upper zones
When used: TransRockies, Shorter Canada Cup/ Norba style races
Recommendation: Perfect saddle for shorter (2-6) hour races; both road and mountain

Terry Firefly
In 2006 I decided to try 24hr solo racing. It had always appealed to me and with our move to the US it seemed like a good time to make the change. I knew I didn't want to ride the damselfy for 24hrs straight, especially on a rough mountain bike course. So I did some research and decided to give the Firefly a try. I wasn't disappointed! This saddle is firm but forgiving, and a little wider than the damselfly.
Comfort: 10 - I could ride forever with this saddle
Power Transfer: 9 - I can't honestly give it a 10 because I just don't push the high power zones any more. I have no complaints about power transfer though!
When used: I've completed seven 24hr Solos and countless hours of training with this saddle and haven't walked away with a saddle sore yet!
Recommendation: This is a great saddle for anyone who loves to ride or race long distances.

And where can you get one of these handy saddles? If you are in the Seattle area you can go to Sammamish Valley Cycle and pick one up - otherwise you can find one online. Happy riding!

By popular request - the tale of 3 crashes

OK OK, I know it wasn't fair to say I crashed 3 times at worlds but omit the gory details. It isn't as exciting as you may think but here we go.

All three crashes happened after 6am on Sunday (read: i'd been riding 18 hours already). You'll have to excuse me if I was feeling a little stunned and like I'd been hit by a truck. I usually love the first morning lap - the sun rise energizes me and gets the legs turning again. At Canmore I was bonked though so the morning lap was a little rough.

I mentioned that there was a lot of technical singletrack so it should come as no surprise that all 3 of my crashes were in the singletrack....

Crash #1: there were a lot of little (8-10 feet) steep dips down with a steep up immediately afterwards. Several of these dips had roots, rocks, and fun stuff in the middle, on both sides, or all three. This was one with all three - and root on the 'up' side. Momentum is my friend so I usually sail through these with no issue. Not so on this lap. I went down the rocky side nice and smooth (and fast)and somehow aimed for the biggest part of the root which was a 1 foot up and over and yup, you guessed it, landed flat on my back. I did a backwards endo if you will. for some reason it took about 30 seconds for me to get my feet unclipped and during this time my bike was upside down on top of me. I am sure if anyone had seen this they'd be laughing their butts off.

Crash #2: the course was dusty and some sections were really loose. There was this one spot with a 1.5 foot drop where you had to do a 90 degree turn right after. Normally, not an issue. I was behind someone who decided to pull off the trail and decided that the right thing to do was to look at them instead of the trail infront of me. Wham, over the drop and over my handle-bars and into the woods i went. Another classic moment.

Crash #3: this crash was on my last lap when i was 'riding scared'. I was pushing the pace through the tight singletrack, took a wrong line (i honestly don't know what happened here) and ended up hugging a tree. This was the only crash that produced a nice bruise and some good bleeding - i think i was going pretty fast!

Race report: World 24hr Solo Championships

I'll add to this as I get time - for now you get the quick update :)

By the numbers:
Placement: 5th place
KM ridden: ~ 235
Feet climbed: ~22,500
Hours ridden: ~23
Mechanicals: 0
Crashes: 3

The lead up:
We drove up to BC the week prior to the race and set up camp (our RV) at my brother's place in Invamere. My mom, dad, and niece were there as well so it was great to hang with the family. We headed up to Canmore and scoped out the course the Monday and Tuesday. You can read about our 'scouting' trip in my previous blog post here.

We spend the remainder of the week hanging with the family, napping, eating, and riding my brother's favorite trails in K-Country. Not a bad way to spend the week :) On Friday we headed back up to Canmore, set up our pit, and then hung out at the hotel - napping, eating food, and watching the Tour. Saturday I had a great sleep-in and we had to rush to get to the race in time. The solos were starting early but we weren't aware so it was a last minute rush getting my plates on and getting up to the line.

The Race
As they called the solos up one by one, I felt good - energy was high and I felt well rested. I was excited! The gun went off and we were running. As usual, i dropped a few positions in the run. To my surprise I was feeling good by the end of the run and actually passed a few people back. My legs were ready!

The first lap was fast and slow. The course was well-laid out but with all of the single-track (even though they separated the Solos and Teams for most of the course) passing was tough. There were bottle-necks but by the end of the lap the field was well spread out. I was feeling good and came through the feed zone (Fraser, my amazing husband and pit crew was giving me double feeds during the race) too early so Fraser missed me. No worries, I had grabbed an extra bottle of water due to the heat and had a gel in my pocket. I was good to go.

It was a hot day but we had a good 'keeping it cool strategy'. Fraser made me some 'ice scarfs' - socks filled with ice, tied together, and worn around the neck. It was amazing. I also carried a little thing of water to dump on my head - and with the double-feeds I didn't need to wear a camel back so life was bliss. I was definitely keeping it cool - even if I was soaked.

The first laps were taking me around 1:18 per lap on average. They were a good length and I was enjoying the course. I was feeling strong - my legs felt good and my energy was high until around lap 4. My stomach was feeling queasy. Uh oh. I came in and sat down. I ate salts, water, and gel. I sat some more. After 30 min i was feeling ready to ride and headed back out to the course. I felt a little 'on the edge' so i backed of the pace and focused on breathing and riding - my first and primary goal was to ride all 24 hours and not to have to stop for stomach issues.

Around 7pm we had a brief rain storm which helped to settle some of the dust. I was wishing for a bit more rain as the course was super dry and dusty - i had to use my inhaler several times. Of course, that may have had someting to do with the fact that I was racing at 5000 feet above my normal altitude :) The air was a bit thin for this Ocean dweller.

The darkness set in and I was feeling good. I'd recovered from my nausea and had upped my salt intake so things were going well. The night riding was tough because of the dust. It was like riding in the snow - the dust was sooo thick. Whenever I was behind a rider I wouldn't be able to see a thing. But I just kept on riding and hoped for the best.

Now is a good time to talk about my bikes - Jon at SVC dialed in my Fazes the week before we left so they were in tip-top shape. I would swap bikes every 3rd lap or so and Fraser would check the tire pressure and lube the chain. Loads of people were getting flats and breaking their chains this race ... i got through without one mechanical incident.

Around 6am I knew I'd made it. It was time to turn it up as best I could and see what I could do. I asked Fraser where I was -- turns out I was 6th and making time on 5th, 4th, and 3rd. Sweet! I ate some bananas and headed out for a lap. I caught Rebecca Rusch on a climb (yes, caught!) She'd done 3 more laps than me and it was a tough course - she was suffering. After I caught her I figured i'd see if I could keep with her. She led me right to the 5th place girl who I passed in the single-track. Rebecca dropped me in one of the rough sections of single-track and I continued at a good pace, hoping to put some time on #5 (#5 was the plate number of the girl who I passed in 5th place).

The next lap I caught Rebecca again - she must have had a longer pit. We chatted for a bit and then she dropped me in the same section of single-track. At that point I was worried about #5 chasing me down and was riding with 'one ear open', listening for her behind me. At one point I saw a girl in a yellow kit (same color as #5) and couldn't believe it. I dug deep and climbed like heck trying to put time on her. i kept on hearing her behind me and kept on digging deeper. I was toast but I wasn't about to get caught. i wanted my 5th place finish.

I came through the pit exhausted, ate some more bananas, ate part of a hammer bar, and headed back out again. I had to keep on going - it was 9:30 and my laps were taking just under an hour and a half at this point. I could do 2 more if I needed to. i didn't want to need to ... but I would if I had to.... I wasn't going to give up 5th place.

At this point everything hurt. The course was demanding - it was technical, 75% single-track, and unforgiving. Thank goodness for the Norco Faze! I hammered to the 'feed zone' where Fraser informed me that I had put 40 min on #5. Phew!! Apparently the girl in the yellow kit was a team rider. I could dial it back, take my sweet time, and finish my last lap. 4th was totally out of reach and i had 5th place locked up. I'd like to say i enjoyed the last part of my lap but I was in pain. My upper body hurt. My core hurt. My legs hurt. It was the toughest course I'd ever ridden for a 24hr race....

My parents were there to cheer me to the finish and I had a huge smile on my face as i crossed the line. I had overcome my stomach, dug deep, and pushed myself hard. It was a good race.

Thanks for reading and thanks again to Norco and SVC for helping me make this possible. Your support goes a loooong way!

Missing out on Cascade Cream Puff

So I have been super keen to race Cascade Cream Puff since we moved out west. It's a 100mile mountain bike race with 18,000ft of climbing and loads of singletrack. Sounds like heaven, right? Yeah, I thought so too ...

This year both Frase and I registered. Unfortunately with the demands of work I had to bail. I made the call on the way home from the 8 hour race. With work being so busy and us leaving for Worlds this coming Friday ... I needed the weekend to catch up and get organized and packed for Worlds.

So today I did 3 laps at Tiger ... to keep myself on my toes I did my fastest laps yet, taking 2 min out of my last best effort. Not bad! It was smokin' hot today at around 90F with ~90% humidity. I was pretty happy to post such fast times in conditions that don't generally agree with me. I will admit that I had my handy ice water in my jersey again it it was my saving grace!

After Tiger i spent about an hour cleaning my bike and going over it ... if i need to buy new parts, I need to do it tomorrow. Thankfully Jon at SVC is all set to give my bikes the SVC 'once over' which will ensure they are in tip top form before I leave for Worlds.

The countdown is on and I am starting to get excited. I have a big deliverable at work this week and then we are off!!