I know, it seems backwards ... but it's true. My quest for the perfect ice cream is helping make me faster! How you ask? How is it possible?
Well it's easy. You ride your bike to your ice cream destinations :) So far i've had two such weekend rides ... the other weekend I headed over to Leavenworth in search of Ice Cream. The ride was amazing ... I love my new Norco CCR ... it is so LIGHT and FAST :) Beautiful sceanery ... a crazy 15 mile climb on the way there and 25 mile climb on the way back ...
All told it was about 90 miles of riding for ice cream that wasn't so stellar. Too late i saw the Stone Cold Creamery as I was sittng on the grass enjoying the cone i'd purchased! Now that is some good ice cream! I'll have to do the ride again and get the good stuff :)
The other adventure was to Alki Beach ... the long way. This was only a 70 mile ride and the ice cream was pretty darned good :)
Ah, the live of an ice cream addict. Or is it bike riding i'm addicted to? I'm not sure :)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Well, that was fun!!
I did the high cascade 100 yesterday .... what a blast!
By the numbers:
Miles riden: 110
Vertical feet climbed: 14,000
Crashes: 1
Lost banannas: 2
Now for the fun stuff! The race started at an early 5:30am and a frigid 28F (yes, that is below 0C!!!) I had winter leg warmers, arm warmers, a under layer, jersey, vest, hat, and jacket on to start. Yikes, it was cold. I knew it would warm up fast. At the start line before the sun ride we could see the man on the mood. The race was at Mt bachelor- away from the city ... and ite stars were amazing!
Up came the sun and off we went .... 5:45 was the official start time by my watch :) The first section was 35 miles - the longest without aide, so i started with a bottle and a camelback. I'm pretty sure my bottle froze because i noticed a crack in it about about mile 15 ... had to drink out of it a certain way to avoid concentrated heed going everywhere!
We started with a road climb and jeep track descent. Everyone went out pretty hot and i would guess I was in the end of the middle of the pack ... usual spot :) The jeep descent and singletrack was dusty so i wore my trusty bandana (thanks Frank!) to protect my lungs. This part of the course was a big singletrack descent followed by a climb. About 22 miles in they had a spot to drop gear. I dropped my warm leg warmers and jacket there :) Yup, it was warming up. After the clothes drop it was a long slog uphill thru the singletrack and back to the first aide/drop and start/finish!
The rest of the race I did bottles and dumped the camelback. The course was full of singletrack, both up and down ... twisty, turny, up and down. SO MUCH FUN!! The course was hard but fun. Things that stood out:
- passing the girl that passed me at mile 25 around mile 100
- starting to feel good around mile 75
- the view of bachelor on the worst climb on the course
- the fun fun fun technical descent
A great race! I'll be back again for sure
By the numbers:
Miles riden: 110
Vertical feet climbed: 14,000
Crashes: 1
Lost banannas: 2
Now for the fun stuff! The race started at an early 5:30am and a frigid 28F (yes, that is below 0C!!!) I had winter leg warmers, arm warmers, a under layer, jersey, vest, hat, and jacket on to start. Yikes, it was cold. I knew it would warm up fast. At the start line before the sun ride we could see the man on the mood. The race was at Mt bachelor- away from the city ... and ite stars were amazing!
Up came the sun and off we went .... 5:45 was the official start time by my watch :) The first section was 35 miles - the longest without aide, so i started with a bottle and a camelback. I'm pretty sure my bottle froze because i noticed a crack in it about about mile 15 ... had to drink out of it a certain way to avoid concentrated heed going everywhere!
We started with a road climb and jeep track descent. Everyone went out pretty hot and i would guess I was in the end of the middle of the pack ... usual spot :) The jeep descent and singletrack was dusty so i wore my trusty bandana (thanks Frank!) to protect my lungs. This part of the course was a big singletrack descent followed by a climb. About 22 miles in they had a spot to drop gear. I dropped my warm leg warmers and jacket there :) Yup, it was warming up. After the clothes drop it was a long slog uphill thru the singletrack and back to the first aide/drop and start/finish!
The rest of the race I did bottles and dumped the camelback. The course was full of singletrack, both up and down ... twisty, turny, up and down. SO MUCH FUN!! The course was hard but fun. Things that stood out:
- passing the girl that passed me at mile 25 around mile 100
- starting to feel good around mile 75
- the view of bachelor on the worst climb on the course
- the fun fun fun technical descent
A great race! I'll be back again for sure
Thursday, July 14, 2011
What happened to summer?
I'm not sure what happened to summer ... we had 5 beautiful days around the 4th of July and now we are back into rain season :(
Oh well, here is hopeing we have good weather for the 100 miler in Bend, OR next weekend! All ready to go, just need to decide which bike to race and ensure i taper!
Oh well, here is hopeing we have good weather for the 100 miler in Bend, OR next weekend! All ready to go, just need to decide which bike to race and ensure i taper!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Thwarted by a tooth (ache)
Yeah, it's true! I went to the dentist a few weeks back ... they are replacing all my old fillings with the new stuff .... and the bite was not adjusted correctly when we were done. What this meant is that every time i closed my jaw, a huge amount of pressure was being put on two specific teeth. The pain was insane .... and of course my denstist went on holiday the week of july 4th so i had to wait to get it fixed.
I am not a fan of taking pain meds but i was full on in pain med mode ... ouch! I cannot tell you how much it hurt!
So ... yes, a toothache kept me from CCP100 ... but have no fear, i got it fixed yesterday and am gunning for HC100 !!!
I am not a fan of taking pain meds but i was full on in pain med mode ... ouch! I cannot tell you how much it hurt!
So ... yes, a toothache kept me from CCP100 ... but have no fear, i got it fixed yesterday and am gunning for HC100 !!!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Using Cascade Cream Puff as a 'training race'?
I think i might be crazy. I know, I know ... most of you reached that conclusion ages ago! But yes, i've decided that i am going to use CCP as a training race. Hah. I am so going to get killed ....here are the details:
100 miles
18,000 feet of climbing
85% single track
Full on epicness - reports of hail, snow, sun, and wind ....
yeah, i'm crazy. It's July 10th .... a mere 1.5 weeks away!
So what am i training for? I want to do the 100 miler in Bend in Sept - its the National Marathon Championships and I figure i should practice a bit :) So in July i'll do 2 100 milers - CCP and High Cascades 100. Then in August i'll do one more - Capital Forest ... and top it off in Sept!! If the 100 mile thing doesn't work out i'll do another 24hr race in Bend in Sept instead.
100 miles
18,000 feet of climbing
85% single track
Full on epicness - reports of hail, snow, sun, and wind ....
yeah, i'm crazy. It's July 10th .... a mere 1.5 weeks away!
So what am i training for? I want to do the 100 miler in Bend in Sept - its the National Marathon Championships and I figure i should practice a bit :) So in July i'll do 2 100 milers - CCP and High Cascades 100. Then in August i'll do one more - Capital Forest ... and top it off in Sept!! If the 100 mile thing doesn't work out i'll do another 24hr race in Bend in Sept instead.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Catching up
Yeah, it's been a while... i know, i know! Slacker :) I really don't have an excuse ... unless you count spending all the time i can on the trails (running or riding), geting some sweet hiking in, working too much, working with the awesome crew here in Seattle on Cycle the Wave, and leading some Women's rides.
hmmmm, maybe i do have an excuse! But i've been motived by none other than mother and triathlete extrodinaire Danelle. She's re-commited to bloging and this post talks about spending a little bit of time each day doing the things you love. So here i am :)
I have a lot of catching up to do but for now i'm just lettting you all know i'm still alive and kicking ... and that i am still enjoying the adventures in life - big and small.
Tonight, for example, I went for a run to do hill repeats (my least favorite and weakest running workout) ... turned out mother nature decided to give me an extra reason to sprint the hills. The skys were promising rain but i figured it would hold. As i got to the bottom of the .5 mile hill i break into 3 parts with recovery, I heard a HUGE crack! Thunder!!! and off I went, that was all the motivation i needed to get my butt into gear! I had to outrun the rain - this meant doing my intervals and then finishing off with a 2 mile run home. And yes, I won! i made it :) But i will tell you, i have never ran the hills that hard!!!
hmmmm, maybe i do have an excuse! But i've been motived by none other than mother and triathlete extrodinaire Danelle. She's re-commited to bloging and this post talks about spending a little bit of time each day doing the things you love. So here i am :)
I have a lot of catching up to do but for now i'm just lettting you all know i'm still alive and kicking ... and that i am still enjoying the adventures in life - big and small.
Tonight, for example, I went for a run to do hill repeats (my least favorite and weakest running workout) ... turned out mother nature decided to give me an extra reason to sprint the hills. The skys were promising rain but i figured it would hold. As i got to the bottom of the .5 mile hill i break into 3 parts with recovery, I heard a HUGE crack! Thunder!!! and off I went, that was all the motivation i needed to get my butt into gear! I had to outrun the rain - this meant doing my intervals and then finishing off with a 2 mile run home. And yes, I won! i made it :) But i will tell you, i have never ran the hills that hard!!!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Race Report - StottleMeyer 60 Miler
Man, I cannot tell you how much I LOVE having endurance races ‘in my back yard’!!!! It’s awesome – thanks to Kevin and the NW Epic Series crew for a well run race – the course was awesome, the volunteers amazing, and it was simply a great event!
So … the numbers :) It was a day of threes. I crashed into three trees (yes, three different ones, on three different parts of my body) … I stopped for animals on the trails three times (horses and dogs), I saw three people crash right in front of me, and I came in third!
The course was great … mass starts are always fun and this was no exception. I’ve gotten quite good at positioning myself at the front of the start so I can draft off the fast people J It’s a strategy that serves me well – means all the other girls have to catch me. Well, it was less than a mile in when the first one passed me, charging up the hill like her hair was on fire. She was killing it … I watched her go and thought “wow, either she’s that good or she’s gonna blow”. Yeah, she was that good! She set a new course record and beat most of the men with a 5:15 finish. Amazing!
My strategy for the race was to push the pace as a sort of test for my fitness. My goal was to beat my time from last year (just over 6 hours). The first lap is all about placement and patience. You want to go out fast enough to get ahead of slower people in the singletrack but not so fast that you blow up. For me this is always a struggle as I am pretty good in the singletrack and a slow starter. So there were log-jams and waiting on the first lap but I was mentally ready and took the opportunity to recover, breath, and relax. Then once the fire road came I’d try to pass as many ppl as possible … rinse and repeat and you get lap 1 J Into lap 2 I was mostly on my own and setting my own pace. This is good and bad b/c I can often settle but I was pretty happy with my ability to push. The 2nd girl passed me on lap 2 and I tried to keep her in sight but was having a terrible ride in the technical section (this often happens when I stress about how fast I am going) … and was just all over the place. I pulled it together after a while but she was gone. All I could do at that point was push my pace and focus on myself and my time goal. I finished the race strong, at 5:58, 5 min behind girl #2 and 45 behind girl #1. I felt like I could do another few laps at that pace, which is always promising … and definitely felt like I was in my groove by the end of the race.
About the course … the course was a good mixture of fireroads, technical climbs, flowy fast single-track sections, and tough technical singletrack. Just when you got bored of one, you’d move onto the next … never a dull moment!
I rode my new Phaser for this race and it was awesome – climbs like a goat and descents like a Faze. I love it! It’s a bit more aggressive than the Faze so my upper body takes a bit more of a beating … the different between ‘race bike’ and ‘endurance bike’ J
So all in all, I’m happy with my first real test of the season – my mental energy/sharpness is currently compensating for my lack in fitness. I’ll take it J Lets see if that holds true for 24 hours!
So … the numbers :) It was a day of threes. I crashed into three trees (yes, three different ones, on three different parts of my body) … I stopped for animals on the trails three times (horses and dogs), I saw three people crash right in front of me, and I came in third!
The course was great … mass starts are always fun and this was no exception. I’ve gotten quite good at positioning myself at the front of the start so I can draft off the fast people J It’s a strategy that serves me well – means all the other girls have to catch me. Well, it was less than a mile in when the first one passed me, charging up the hill like her hair was on fire. She was killing it … I watched her go and thought “wow, either she’s that good or she’s gonna blow”. Yeah, she was that good! She set a new course record and beat most of the men with a 5:15 finish. Amazing!
My strategy for the race was to push the pace as a sort of test for my fitness. My goal was to beat my time from last year (just over 6 hours). The first lap is all about placement and patience. You want to go out fast enough to get ahead of slower people in the singletrack but not so fast that you blow up. For me this is always a struggle as I am pretty good in the singletrack and a slow starter. So there were log-jams and waiting on the first lap but I was mentally ready and took the opportunity to recover, breath, and relax. Then once the fire road came I’d try to pass as many ppl as possible … rinse and repeat and you get lap 1 J Into lap 2 I was mostly on my own and setting my own pace. This is good and bad b/c I can often settle but I was pretty happy with my ability to push. The 2nd girl passed me on lap 2 and I tried to keep her in sight but was having a terrible ride in the technical section (this often happens when I stress about how fast I am going) … and was just all over the place. I pulled it together after a while but she was gone. All I could do at that point was push my pace and focus on myself and my time goal. I finished the race strong, at 5:58, 5 min behind girl #2 and 45 behind girl #1. I felt like I could do another few laps at that pace, which is always promising … and definitely felt like I was in my groove by the end of the race.
About the course … the course was a good mixture of fireroads, technical climbs, flowy fast single-track sections, and tough technical singletrack. Just when you got bored of one, you’d move onto the next … never a dull moment!
I rode my new Phaser for this race and it was awesome – climbs like a goat and descents like a Faze. I love it! It’s a bit more aggressive than the Faze so my upper body takes a bit more of a beating … the different between ‘race bike’ and ‘endurance bike’ J
So all in all, I’m happy with my first real test of the season – my mental energy/sharpness is currently compensating for my lack in fitness. I’ll take it J Lets see if that holds true for 24 hours!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Chasing Rainbows and Gearing up for a 60 miler
Oh, didn't you hear? Chasing rainbows is the new thing in training these days. You see, you go further and faster than planned and you don't even notice it ;)
Anyway, with all the rain here in Seattle we do get some rainbows ... I found one the other night and decided to give chase. The Rainbow won. :)
This weekend is the first race of the NW Epic Series - StottleMeyer 60 miler. I'm nervous and excited all in one ... i feel woefully unprepared with no real idea of where my fitness is ... but i guess i'll find out soon! I know my top end is seriously lacking ... but hopeing that my bottom end is still good to go!
With my Norco Phaser I can't really go wrong ... and I have a trusty new car to get me there ... so it appears i'm all out of excuses!
Well, all I can do at this point is get ready and let 'er rip!
Anyway, with all the rain here in Seattle we do get some rainbows ... I found one the other night and decided to give chase. The Rainbow won. :)
This weekend is the first race of the NW Epic Series - StottleMeyer 60 miler. I'm nervous and excited all in one ... i feel woefully unprepared with no real idea of where my fitness is ... but i guess i'll find out soon! I know my top end is seriously lacking ... but hopeing that my bottom end is still good to go!
With my Norco Phaser I can't really go wrong ... and I have a trusty new car to get me there ... so it appears i'm all out of excuses!
Well, all I can do at this point is get ready and let 'er rip!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
New Car!
Finally!!! Bought a new car.
About 1.5 months ago I was told i had a spun rod in my engine ... basically it means i had to replace my engine. For $5K I decided to ask how much my car was worth. $4500 at the high end. Well, that was depressing ... with 7 years and 170K kms on my car I decided it was time to bite the bullet and buy a new one.
I went back and forth on SUVs and small wagons for a while ... and finally this last weekend went to test drive a Subaru Impreza and a Forrester. I didn't like the changes in the Impreza that they made over the years but fell in love with the Forrester. It offered more space, but not too much, had great visibilty (yes, i like being able to see!!!!). So I drove away with a Forrester!
Yes, I will admit it: in true Monilee style it was, in the end, a race that drove me to purchase something sooner rather than later. You see, i have a 60 mile race this weekend. And it's on Whitby Island, which is a bit of a drive. So i didn't feel good driving a car with an engine that could 'stop at any moment, never to start again' .... the result? A new car!
Here it is ... a bit naked without bike racks ... more pictures to come once it gets 'fully dressed' :)
About 1.5 months ago I was told i had a spun rod in my engine ... basically it means i had to replace my engine. For $5K I decided to ask how much my car was worth. $4500 at the high end. Well, that was depressing ... with 7 years and 170K kms on my car I decided it was time to bite the bullet and buy a new one.
I went back and forth on SUVs and small wagons for a while ... and finally this last weekend went to test drive a Subaru Impreza and a Forrester. I didn't like the changes in the Impreza that they made over the years but fell in love with the Forrester. It offered more space, but not too much, had great visibilty (yes, i like being able to see!!!!). So I drove away with a Forrester!
Yes, I will admit it: in true Monilee style it was, in the end, a race that drove me to purchase something sooner rather than later. You see, i have a 60 mile race this weekend. And it's on Whitby Island, which is a bit of a drive. So i didn't feel good driving a car with an engine that could 'stop at any moment, never to start again' .... the result? A new car!
Here it is ... a bit naked without bike racks ... more pictures to come once it gets 'fully dressed' :)
Friday, May 6, 2011
The countdown begins ... or is it over already?
Um yeah. What happened to Father Time? Why is he speeding things up? It seems like i should have another 8 weeks before the 24hr Solo NW Champs ... but it's only 3. What happened?? Oh and i definately should have another few weeks before my first long race (StottleMeyer 60 miler) ... but no, it's next weekend!!!!
Crap, i should be training, right? :)
Well, we will see ... i've been a bit of a slacker but i'm thinking maybe that will pay off.
So what have i been doing? A little of everything ... I've been running anywhere between 10 to 18 miles a week, i've been swimming once a week (uh yeah, i know i should swim more ...), I've been working too much, I've been playing in the dirt (IE having SO much fun on my new Phaser!!!), I've been playing on my new road bike ...... the Norco CCR1 - so hot!, and i've been being social.
Not sure if that adds up to a fast Monilee ... but it does add up to a happy Monilee ... so we'll have to go with that and see where I land. This next weekend will be the first 'real' test! All that running should help right? and swimming? Not sure that working helps ... wrist strength from typing? And being social ... mental health! Hmmmmm, we'll see :)
But in the end ... I'm stoked! Can't wait to 'get back in the saddle' and give it a whirl. Here's to the real kick off of 2011! Bring it!
Crap, i should be training, right? :)
Well, we will see ... i've been a bit of a slacker but i'm thinking maybe that will pay off.
So what have i been doing? A little of everything ... I've been running anywhere between 10 to 18 miles a week, i've been swimming once a week (uh yeah, i know i should swim more ...), I've been working too much, I've been playing in the dirt (IE having SO much fun on my new Phaser!!!), I've been playing on my new road bike ...... the Norco CCR1 - so hot!, and i've been being social.
Not sure if that adds up to a fast Monilee ... but it does add up to a happy Monilee ... so we'll have to go with that and see where I land. This next weekend will be the first 'real' test! All that running should help right? and swimming? Not sure that working helps ... wrist strength from typing? And being social ... mental health! Hmmmmm, we'll see :)
But in the end ... I'm stoked! Can't wait to 'get back in the saddle' and give it a whirl. Here's to the real kick off of 2011! Bring it!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
To ride or to run ....
Yes, I was in this exact delema the weekend of March 20th (yes, i am behind on my blogging ;)) ... i had to choose between the Mercer Island half marathon and a local Budu race. And I was actually torn ... i really want to beat my 1:42 time from last fall when i was getting back into running.
But then fate had her way ... Mountain Side Cycles called ... my Norco Phaser 1 was ready to go ... well, obviously, i have to bike! there is no better way to test out a new ride than to take it out on the trails and go as fast as you can go!! And that is exactly what I did ... and here is what I found out:
The Phaser lives up to all expectations ...
- it climbs like a goat
- it descends like a Faze
- and it handles ... well, like a Norco ;) It handles really really well ... I LOVE IT!
Yup, i've fallen in love yet again! So fickle, i know ... but I will say that the Faze still holds a dear place in my heart and will be used for longer events like 24 solo for sure. The Phaser is more agressive and i'm sure after about 12 hours in the saddle i'll be eager to sit on a more relaxed geometry :)
The other thing I learned is that I am overtrained :) So ... my training plan this winter has been 'do what you want, when you want'. Yes ... i know ... silly. For those of you who know me well, you know what this means .... yup, biking, swimming and running pretty much every day. So yeah, i am now going to take one day a week off each week ... and i have recovery weeks built in now too :)
But then fate had her way ... Mountain Side Cycles called ... my Norco Phaser 1 was ready to go ... well, obviously, i have to bike! there is no better way to test out a new ride than to take it out on the trails and go as fast as you can go!! And that is exactly what I did ... and here is what I found out:
The Phaser lives up to all expectations ...
- it climbs like a goat
- it descends like a Faze
- and it handles ... well, like a Norco ;) It handles really really well ... I LOVE IT!
Yup, i've fallen in love yet again! So fickle, i know ... but I will say that the Faze still holds a dear place in my heart and will be used for longer events like 24 solo for sure. The Phaser is more agressive and i'm sure after about 12 hours in the saddle i'll be eager to sit on a more relaxed geometry :)
The other thing I learned is that I am overtrained :) So ... my training plan this winter has been 'do what you want, when you want'. Yes ... i know ... silly. For those of you who know me well, you know what this means .... yup, biking, swimming and running pretty much every day. So yeah, i am now going to take one day a week off each week ... and i have recovery weeks built in now too :)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Seattle Bike Expo
This past weekend we had the Seattle Bike Expo ... always a great way to get motivated, see friends, and get some riding gear!
I got some sweet goodies from the Norco crew - a new kit sized Monilee style! I love it!!! The colors are different this year so look out for the new kit!
Best of all I got to see Jon from Veloce Velo, Steve, and the rest of the Norco crew ... and was reminded again how lucky i am to have such great sponsors - and ones who really love the sport!
Pedal on ...
I got some sweet goodies from the Norco crew - a new kit sized Monilee style! I love it!!! The colors are different this year so look out for the new kit!
Best of all I got to see Jon from Veloce Velo, Steve, and the rest of the Norco crew ... and was reminded again how lucky i am to have such great sponsors - and ones who really love the sport!
Pedal on ...
Monday, March 14, 2011
Budu Racing ... the season openers!
So race season has started already!!! And no, i wasn't ready :) Last weekend was my first race of the season ... and yes, it was good to be on the trails ... and trying to go fast! I've missed the racing, the trails, the girls, and the effort - and am very excited about the 2011 season!!! So now for the story ...
i got to the race venue with about 30 minutes to spare so my warm up was a little light (10 minutes) ... but i was stoked to be there, even if it was cold outside (7 celcious! ouch). I met Yvonne before the start as she was using my 2008 Norco Faze 1 for the race - i love that bike - so we got her all set and ready to go! I was on my 2010 Norco Faze SL ... a sweet ride for the technical course we had!
At the start line we were all chating - so much to catch up on and so little time :) everyone was sizing eachother up to see who looked like they might have trained all winter and who slacked off ...but you can never really tell until the rubber hits the trail. And then we were off!!!
Out of the gate i was hammering. I wanted to get a good position in the single-track. I'd never riden in this particular part of that trail network but knew that other parts were tight single track with minimal passing opertunities ... so i wanted to get in ahead of the pack. I had a great 30 seconds and then the effort started to hit me (I generally get 30 seconds for free ... where my body doesn't know what the heck is going on) and i slowed down a few notches. I was in 3rd going into the singletrack and then passed Yvonne on a downhill and moved to 2nd.
10 minutes in I realized my lungs were still not fully recovered from Bronchitus and that it had been a bad decision not to take my puffer before the race. My lungs were burning!!! But you do what you gotta do ... so i kept on peddaling, as fast as i could. This is a race, afterall :)
The race course was tight ... very narrow, tight corners, and lots of wet roots. It was slow going ... a fairly technical course!
Yvonne was on my tail the 1st and 2nd laps but into the 3rd we both wiped out, one of my pedals fell off, and she dropped me! I put my pedal back on (the hardest part was getting it off my shoe!) and tried to chase her down for the rest of the lap ... but didn't quite make it, finishing 3rd - nice work Yvonne!
It was great to get out there ... and dust the legs off! What a great way to start the season - good friends, good trails, and a good effort!
i got to the race venue with about 30 minutes to spare so my warm up was a little light (10 minutes) ... but i was stoked to be there, even if it was cold outside (7 celcious! ouch). I met Yvonne before the start as she was using my 2008 Norco Faze 1 for the race - i love that bike - so we got her all set and ready to go! I was on my 2010 Norco Faze SL ... a sweet ride for the technical course we had!
At the start line we were all chating - so much to catch up on and so little time :) everyone was sizing eachother up to see who looked like they might have trained all winter and who slacked off ...but you can never really tell until the rubber hits the trail. And then we were off!!!
Out of the gate i was hammering. I wanted to get a good position in the single-track. I'd never riden in this particular part of that trail network but knew that other parts were tight single track with minimal passing opertunities ... so i wanted to get in ahead of the pack. I had a great 30 seconds and then the effort started to hit me (I generally get 30 seconds for free ... where my body doesn't know what the heck is going on) and i slowed down a few notches. I was in 3rd going into the singletrack and then passed Yvonne on a downhill and moved to 2nd.
10 minutes in I realized my lungs were still not fully recovered from Bronchitus and that it had been a bad decision not to take my puffer before the race. My lungs were burning!!! But you do what you gotta do ... so i kept on peddaling, as fast as i could. This is a race, afterall :)
The race course was tight ... very narrow, tight corners, and lots of wet roots. It was slow going ... a fairly technical course!
Yvonne was on my tail the 1st and 2nd laps but into the 3rd we both wiped out, one of my pedals fell off, and she dropped me! I put my pedal back on (the hardest part was getting it off my shoe!) and tried to chase her down for the rest of the lap ... but didn't quite make it, finishing 3rd - nice work Yvonne!
It was great to get out there ... and dust the legs off! What a great way to start the season - good friends, good trails, and a good effort!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Phew! 2011 started with a bang :)
I don't mean it literally, but man, i can't beleive it's March already!!! What the heck happened to January and February??? Well, I'll tell you!
I started the year by returning from a fantastic visit home to visit the family. Christmas was amazing ... the kids were all there and the house was full. It was great to be home! I returned to Seattle to start a new role at Microsoft. I've joined the Azure Storage team and I have to say - it's pretty cool stuff :) I have so much to learn ... but am loving it!!
On the fitness front I've been running a lot (even ran Tiger!), hiking a bit, snowboarding a bit, swimming a bit (I can swim for 2km straight - freestyle), and not riding enough ... Um, does crosstraining carry over for fitness? Not quite ... but more on that later!
On the health front I got Bronchitus followed by the Flu which took me out of all training for about 3 weeks. Upon recovery I promptly went up to Big White in Canada for some good fun in the snow. Snowboarding ... snow shoeing, snow angels, etc. You know, the important stuff ;)
On the bike front ... I am getting two sweet new rides soon, thanks to Norco Bikes :) The Phaser 1 for mountain biking - supposed to be great at climbing and should be good for the shorter 50 mile races. And a road bike!!! A Norco CCR 1 (how hot is that?)!!! Sweet rides all around. Spoiled? Yup!!!!
So yeah, that is my year so far ...
I started the year by returning from a fantastic visit home to visit the family. Christmas was amazing ... the kids were all there and the house was full. It was great to be home! I returned to Seattle to start a new role at Microsoft. I've joined the Azure Storage team and I have to say - it's pretty cool stuff :) I have so much to learn ... but am loving it!!
On the fitness front I've been running a lot (even ran Tiger!), hiking a bit, snowboarding a bit, swimming a bit (I can swim for 2km straight - freestyle), and not riding enough ... Um, does crosstraining carry over for fitness? Not quite ... but more on that later!
On the health front I got Bronchitus followed by the Flu which took me out of all training for about 3 weeks. Upon recovery I promptly went up to Big White in Canada for some good fun in the snow. Snowboarding ... snow shoeing, snow angels, etc. You know, the important stuff ;)
On the bike front ... I am getting two sweet new rides soon, thanks to Norco Bikes :) The Phaser 1 for mountain biking - supposed to be great at climbing and should be good for the shorter 50 mile races. And a road bike!!! A Norco CCR 1 (how hot is that?)!!! Sweet rides all around. Spoiled? Yup!!!!
So yeah, that is my year so far ...
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