Beat the Clock #1

I won a pair of knee warmers for registering first...how cool is that?

In any case, Beat the Clock was my first fitness test of the season. I didn't use any aero gear, except for the bike. Left the race wheels, helmet, skinsuit and booties at home. Just wanted to work on pacing and position on the bike.

I have a theory that if this race was run in the opposite direction, I would race at least 2 minutes faster. I need to go out and test my theory some time. It starts on Canada Rd., just a bit north of the Jefferson intersection - pretty much at the high point of the road. You basically head down hill for the first 1.5 miles and bottom out a bit below Edgewood Rd. Then, you roll your way to near the junction of highway 92 and head back. That last 1.5 miles is what kills me every time. I have a hard time pacing over that section of road even when I am in a pack. It pitches up steeply near Edgewood and then levels into a gentle up-grade the rest of the way to the finish. I blow myself up trying to get over the steep section and then slow way down on the last upward stretch. If anyone has any suggestions on how to pace this, I'd love to hear them! I'm typically turning around at 14 minutes, which means I'm 4+ minutes slower on the way back. Aaack!

Anyway, I finished 32:45 for the 10 miles, which was 45 seconds faster than last year in March. So, I am still seeing significant improvement year over year. Unfortunately, I was still last place of the individual women. But, I have to remember I am on my own journey and not compare with others!

Everything in Moderation

It's been some time since I've written on le blog. It's not that I've been uninspired. I've had a lot of stuff bobbing around in my head, but not enough time to sit down and commit it to the written word. And, a lot of stuff I've been thinking about is non-cycling-related.

One thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is moderation and balance. I had a chat with a good friend this weekend, that while leaving me a bit uncomfortable has me thinking as well. I have many good things in my life - many things that bring me joy - many things I'm afraid to let go - many things that I have taken to extremes where they no longer bring joy. I'm in the midst of a re-evaluation, which I'm going to give a good amount of time before making any changes. Last year, I tried to make a significant change in the job life, and found it was not the right thing. So, I am back where I started in that regard with a new-found joy and happiness in my work. So, maybe it wasn't a worthless exercise after all. Anyway, I digress....

One concept we studied in school in economics is the law of diminishing returns. It seems that applies in life as well. The law goes something like this...you take a bite of something delicious, it is so good that you must take another bite. But, each bite is somewhat less satisfying than the one before, and you can never get back to that original feeling. I feel this way about cycling. When I started, it brought me so much joy. I could not get enough of it. Falling in love with cycling was intertwined with falling in love with my husband. I was on a high. Then, somewhere along the line, I decided to apply discipline to cycling - to get "better" or "faster". Always consuming more and more, revolving more and more of life around the cycling. Then, I decided to take on racing. Honestly, I've never known another sport that at the amateur/beginner level requires so much. There is no "dabbling" in racing. There is a certain level of skill that must be attained just to do it safely. And, you have to become a real athlete to keep up with the fitness demands. Pretty soon all of life revolves around this silly sport. Your sleeping, eating, all your free hours. You force yourself to ride in the rain or on the trainer when you'd rather go for a walk in the woods or meet friends for tea. The balance goes, and shortly after, the joy with it. So, you buckle down with ever more trying to recapture the joy. Maybe if I can get to nationals, I will find the joy again. That is what I tell myself. At the same time, I don't want to lose this part of my life completely and fall into a sedentary hedonism. How do I restore the balance and bring back the joy? That's what I'm going to be thinking about over the next months. I'm hoping a bike trip in Europe with my honey will help rekindle the joy of cycling.

There are other parts of life that I'm trying to find the balance in as well. I'll save those ponderings for another time, though, as this blog is mostly about cycling ;)

Thanksgiving Weekend Memories

We spent Thanksgiving weekend as far away from shopping malls and Christmas tree lots as possible this year. Not a single gift has been procured, but that's OK, because how often do you get 4 days to spend undivided time with the one you love?

Thursday started out with one of my famous "exploring" rides. This is when we go a general direction into the Los Altos Hills looking for itty-bitty connector roads. We were trying to find an alternate route between Moody and Page Mill that we saw on Google maps. Unfortunately, first stab dead ended into a dirt road (that was probably it). But, we decided to try to go up the other road, which was one of those gnarly, 20% grade jobs - only to end at a dead end about 1/2 mile up. So, back down to Moody to do the proper Moody climb, which felt pretty easy after the prior climb. We descended to Via Ventana and then made the connector over to Altamont and down Taffe and back home. We'd earned our turkey dinner at that point.

Thursday afternoon was spent welcoming Claire Elizabeth, born to friends Ann and Stephen. Hooray! Then, we were off to dine with Stephen and friends while Ann enjoyed turkey loaf at the hospital. They have much to be thankful for this weekend.

Friday, we set out early for our Wine Country adventure. Unfortunately, it was raining, so we opted for the non-cycling activity. We stopped just outside Santa Rosa to explore Annadel state park on foot. What a great spot! We hiked for 2.5 hours, exploring the oak/madrone forest, fir forest, and open meadows. There were some great bits of single track there that make me want to go back with knobby tires some day.

After the hike, it was on to Healdsburg - our home for the weekend. We had a nice rest before our 8:15 dinner reservation at Scopa. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend it. We discovered it last winter during the Tour of California. It's run by a young couple and is just a really nice, seasonal, rustic menu in the Mediterranean style.

Saturday, we started off with a lovely ride around the Dry Creek and Alexander valleys. We were hoping to squeak back before the wine tasting got going - especially as there was a passport in Alexander Valley this weekend. We mostly accomplished our goal. The only rough patch was being passed by buses headed up to the casino. Dang casinos!

We headed back and cleaned up and then had lunch at the Dry Creek General Store - another nice spot. We had staked out Peterson Winery on our ride. I had a bottle of their wine (zin) in Burlingame about 4 years ago that knocked my socks off. But, you cannot find it ANYWHERE. Turns out that they do 90% direct sales and about 10% to restaurants. Anyway, with the long weekend, the vintner himself was there and poured about a gazillion tastes for us and talked all about his wine. He seemed pretty stoked that we had sought out the winery specifically. He opened a bottle of what I'd had in Burlingame, even though they weren't pouring it this weekend. And, we walked out with half a case of stuff. Highly recommended if you are in the area. No charge tastings, a very knowledgeable vintner, and wines that taste great to my palette. They even had a $12 bottle, which I know is an endangered species in Sonoma Valley these days.

We checked out a few other family vineyards who were sharing the complex along with an olive oil maker. We bought two more bottles and then sobered up on the Adirondack chairs on the porch before heading back to town. We dined Saturday evening at the Bear Republic Brewing company - great beer and decent pub food. I had the Racer 5 IPA and Rick had some sort of lager - both excellent.

This morning, we got up early and headed out for the "Eastside/Westside" ride, as we wanted to get back and shower before checking out. It was a gorgeous, clear morning. The cold sinks around the Russian River were pretty cold, but we were plenty bundled. We hardly saw a car all morning. We pulled off on Sweetwater Springs Road so I could do some hill repeats that were in the plan. Man, that is one gnarly climb - reminds me of the climb at Kern - too steep to spin and lots of cattle guards. And, it apparently goes on for 10 miles. We only made it about 3 miles in because of the repeats. However, the views are absolutely fantastic -  soft green hills up close and sweeping views of the valley. Once done climbing, I was pushing to get back so I could eat. I was HUNGRY. And, we'd made the strategic error of forgetting our pocket snacks for the weekend. So, both rides were done on the fat and glycogen stores.

We had a quick lunch at the deli across from our hotel, gassed up the car and headed south. We were absolutely thrilled to make it home in 2.5 hours. What luck! What a weekend! I am so thankful for the time spent with my hubby and all the wonderful memories we share.

An Itty Bitty Trip Report - Adventure Cycling's "Washington Parks" Section 1 route (more or less)

I don't really have time to do a real trip report right now. At some point this will become a full-fledged article. But, for now, a brief synopsis with a few photos.


Day 1 - Saturday September 12, 2009 - Shelton, WA to Brinnon, WA - 41-ish Miles

Highlights:
-Sparkling waters of the Hood Canal
-Sliced/blew out my rear tire at mile 20 and had to switch to spare resulting in dirty state champion kit
-No major climbs
-The Bayshore Inn (aka "Motel 1.5") with mottled shag carpet, Naugahyde chairs and stale tobacco scent
-The Halfway House Restaurant with giant Hood Canal Oysters and Marionberry "Crumble" pie
-Very sore back, which led me to "nose up" the Brooks saddle a bit more

Day 2 - Sunday September 13, 2009 - Brinnon, WA to Port Townsend/Diamond Point, WA - 38-ish miles

Highlights:
-Breakfast with the locals at the Halfway House Restaurant
-First "climb" up Walker Grade - about 3 miles of 5% average
-First espresso stop in the middle of nowhere in Quinlene
-Blackberry eatin' on the side of the road
-Dinner with Cousin Cathy, husband Kent and daughter Holly at the casino in Sequim
-Lodging at the Diamond Point B&B

Day 3 - Monday September 14, 2009 - Port Townsend/Diamond Point, WA to Port Angeles, WA - 33-ish miles

Highlights:
-Breakfast at the Diamond Point B&B
-Riding the Discovery Trail most of the day
-Bike shop stop for new tire in Sequim
-Meeting Astrid, a mid-40s Brittish woman who was almost done riding around the world longitudinally
-Mom's 60h birthday!

Day 4 - Tuesday September 15, 2009 - Rest day in Port Angeles, WA

Highlights:
-Internet access
-Laundry (but in the bathtub, since the fancy hotel did not have facilities)
-Getting an ad-hoc "Twilight" tour of Port Angeles from the local bus driver lady

Day 5 - Wednesday September 16, 2009 - Port Angeles, WA to Lake Crescent, WA - 28-ish miles

Highlights:
-Downpour of Biblical proportions around 11 am
-Diving into Granny's Cafe during the downpour for some of the best food of the trip
-Pushing the button as we headed into Lake Crescent to alert motorists to our presence
-Having one way traffic controls to give us a peaceful ride around the lake
-Hiking to Marymere Falls
-Dinner at one of the prettiest lodges I've stayed at


Day 6 - Thursday September 17, 2009 - Lake Crescent, WA to Forks, WA - 38-ish miles

Highlights:
-Biggest climb of the trip from the end of Lake Crescent through Fairholm
-More one-way traffic controls giving us breaks all day
-The slowest short-order lunch ever at the Hungry Bear Cafe
-Real laundry at the Pacific Inn in Forks
-Dinner at the Chicago-style pizza place in Forks

Day 7 - Friday September 18, 2009 - Forks, WA to Kalaloch, WA - 42-ish miles

Highlights:
-Cheapest breakfast of the trip in Forks
-Narrowest road of the trip, but quietest traffic, which helped
-First view of the ocean
-Kalaloch Lodge, which must be the best-kept secret of the area
-The beach at Kalaloch, strewn with driftwood and very scenic

Day 8 - Saturday September 19, 2009 - Kalaloch, WA to Amanda Park/Lake Quinault, WA - 37-ish miles

Highlights:
-The storm that came through overnight cleared for us to make it out for an early start
-Quiet roads with no logging trucks (good because the shoulder was still small)
-Changing my parents crappy/bumped tires for the 5th time
-The worst hotel/eating arrangements of the trip at the Quinault Rainforest Resort

Day 9 - Sunday September 20, 2009 - Amanda Park/Lake Quinault, WA to Montesano, WA - 51-ish miles

Highlights:
-A very scenic and memorable ride on the backroads through Wiskah and Winochee Valleys
-Lunch stop where we saw a cougar in the road
-A very gravely, dirt descent near mile 45
-The cute town of Montesano
-A satisfying dinner at the Bee Hive cafe


Day 10 - Monday September 21, 2009 - Montesano, WA - Shelton, WA - 42-ish miles

Highlights:
-The quiet Cloquallam back road we were on most of the day
-Seeing a clear cut in action :(
-Bumping into Astrid again during our lunch stop
-A hairy last few miles crossing the town of Shelton
-Arriving safely back at the start

Growing Up and Reversing Roles

I sit here on the eve of the long-awaited 60th birthday bike tour that we planned for my mom. We are also celebrating my dad's 65th this year. Originally, the plan was for Rick, me and my mom to ride and my dad to drive SAG. That was about 4 years ago when we first cooked up this whole thing. Then, my mom got a recumbent trike, and my dad followed a few months later. Pretty soon, we were thinking of a bike tour where we all would ride.

We started planning over the Christmas holiday last year and eventually ended up with a route around the Olympic peninsula in Washington that met all our criteria - ability to drive to the start, not too hilly, hotels/restaurants every 40ish miles, and around 300 miles in distance for a loop. As we got down to it, job situations changed. Now, it's a tour for me, my mom and my dad. Rick is staying home. He took a wonderfully exciting new job during the summer - the only drawback being that a fall vacation would be impossible for him.

Now I find myself in a new position. I, the child, am now the one responsible for the safe delivery of this motley crew around the loop. I am the one who will mentor, navigate, and do roadside repairs, if necessary. Normally, I have my handsome prince to escort me on these little adventures. He is the one who does all the navigating and mentoring and protecting. I feel suddenly inadequate, vulnerable. I guess this is all part of the growing up process. And, yet, I feel totally out of sorts in this new role.

Maybe it's because I realize that I am not ultimately able to deliver that protection that I crave - that we are all at the whim of fate and must rely on the great Protector, but I cannot rely on myself. Maybe it's because I realize that the time of life is bounding quickly toward us where I will find myself more and more in this role as my parents age. I find myself screaming inside "I don't want to grow up! Who put me in charge? I have no idea what I am doing!" Maybe that's a part of growing up, too. The more you learn and the more capable you become, the more you realize how truly inadequate you are.

But, I'm sure all this discomfort is part of my process of becoming who I am meant to be. It's like fitness for the character. If you do not overreach beyond your comfort zone, you never grow and improve. So, I am stepping out of my comfort zone. I'm going to face my fears. We're going to have a wonderful adventure and all grow together in the process. Here's to a joyous, safe, and wonderful Birthday Tour 2009!

Transitioning

Well, I've been just chilling since the end of the season. I've been running and swimming and hiking and generally having a break from the bike. Last week I got back on the bike and started doing some weight training. I have only a short time to get my sit bones adjusted to sitting on the seat again, since I'll soon be escorting my parents soon on their grand tour of the Olympic peninsula in Washington state.

I'm looking forward to the trip and just doing some fun riding - no goals, no technique drills, no speed drills, no intervals - just get from one point to the next each day (and encourage the parents along in the process). It should be a grand 60th birthday celebration for my mom. I'll also be the official photographer for the trip, since cyclistrick will be home working on a product launch at his new job. I'll be doing my best to capture the trip in photos and writing to submit a follow-up article to "Adventure Cyclist".

My first story idea was accepted, now I'm just waiting to see if they take my manuscript (keep your fingers crossed). That is the first part of our adventure - the mini-tour we did in December as preparation for this upcoming tour.

Other than cycling, I've been up to my eyeballs in work. I decided over the summer that the librarian thing just didn't suit me as well as I'd hoped. So, I'm now back to being a software engineer - on the same team I left in December. I've been busily working on a big software release. I've also had a fair bit of freelance and volunteer work going lately. So, all of my bike hours have transitioned to desk hours. But, it's all good. It's a season of work. Now, a season of rest is coming soon. And, then a return to the bike will be soon to follow - with technique drills and speed drills and intervals. But, for now, I'm just along for the ride - following life where it takes me.

Capping off the season in style

I had two pursuit races at the track to end the season. The first one was a "Beat the Clock for Cancer" event, in which I was trying out the various distances and perfecting my starts. They ran the events over several hours. I did the 500m, 1km, 2km and 3km. Again, my 1km was the best of the 4, comparatively speaking. I think I was 2nd in that event. I was 5th in the 500 and last in the 2km. But, I was totally burned up by the time I got to 2km, as I'd been spinning for several hours on my trainer between events to keep warm. I still finished in 3:32, which was 15 seconds faster than last year, which was 3:48.

The next race was the state/district championship. I was guaranteed a win as I was the only entry in my age group. However, I was determined to do significantly better on the 2km distance, as it was the only race I was entering. I pretty much blew it out in 3:21, which is 27 seconds faster than last year and 11 seconds faster than the previous week. I seem to be in the massive improvement state right now, which is cool. I think as I work on starts and pacing, this event will become strong for me. And, I need about 30 seconds more of super-high-end endurance, which I'm sure will come over the next couple of seasons. Soon, I will be ordering my super-euro-trashy white and blue state champion kit!

This was a really positive way to end the season. I am satisfied. Now, it's time to chillax and have some fun before prepping for next year.