|
11.23.03
ah yes! winter! i
took advantage of the nasty winter storm to go on an
adventure. of course my ride was cut short by the lingering
possibility of being crushed by a car, but fun was had.
 |
can you say, "no
big ring"? this ice encrutsed large chain ring
was just not usable. |
 |
how about a wheel that
would actually turn?? this sluch turned to ice quickly,
wearing down my precious racing tires (actually
the only pair of tires i currently own!!) |
Not to worry- 2 days of winter riding
will be followed up nicely with a mild Thanksgiving
week- 40s most of the week and clear bue skies. Speaking
of 2 days. Today was another great ride, Mara and i
chose to ride mountain bikes on the dirt road network
of Boulder County, which proves to be one heck of a
great network of roads! Since the dirt roads don't thaw
as quickly as the asphalt, we were greeted with styrofoam
like hardpack which proves to be the best surface for
snow biking. And with the sun shining and the mountain
and plains covered in snow- who could ask for a better
ride, even if the temperature never topped 20 during
our mid morning ride!
11.17.03
the winter riding is going great so
far. cold mornings and cool days- and riding in the
flats looking at the mountains... chatting with friends.
yesterday's ride was with juniors Shaina and Mara. we
set out to discuss and practise some road riding techniques
and to get a few miles in. it was a great ride and i
am always amazed at how well the girls ride. of course-
they kicked my butt yesterday. i was still ultra sore
from my first day of lifting weights. so sore i could
hardly walk, and getting in and out of a chair was near
impossible. so riding on hills was very difficult, and
i struggled to keep my hear rate down in the winter
range- meaning low. despite my soreness- i had a wonderful
ride and very much enjoyed being back on a program after
so many weeks off.
in local news- Longmont just passed
a smoking ban- to catch up with the rest of Boulder
County. This means- no smoking indoors. This is great
news, after having lived in California- where the entire
state is smoke free. And spending time in Boulder- one
gets used to not having to be around smoke indoors.
it is always difficult to go somewhere- like say Oklahoma-
where people can smoke in restaurant bars. It means
i can't go in the bar to wait for a table- as was the
case last weekend when i was visiting Oklahoma. (but
i must give OK some credit as they have given restaurants
the choice to be non-smoking, not that giving the restauranteur
a chance will cause them to make the right decision.)
i flew out to see my parents and my
bro JB and his fam. this was the ultimate football fan's
vacation- Friday and Saturday in Norman, OK for the
OU game- and drive down to Dallas afterwards to watch
the Cowboys play on Sunday. More than being a football
fan, i definitely wanted to see my family. So i went
along for the wild ride. It never hurts to cheer for
the winning team, and by winning i mean crushing. OU
(University of Oklahoma) crushed Texas A&M 77-0.
it was amazing. i could tell right away, from watching
the athletes warm up- they were mentally strong. you
cuold feel their energy. Their mental strength has definitely
carried them to the #1 spot for 2003.
next stop was Dallas. i am not a pro
football fan. beer in the stadium is bad. very bad.
the lady behind me got soaked by a beer- when its holder
jumped up in surprise... she was not happy with her
beer soaked leather jacket, and left the game. anyhow-
Dallas also won.
but i'm back in Colorado and loving
it. Sometimes you need to get away for a while- not
working or racing, which is working- but just relaxing
and enjoyig the family and the culture and scenery.
Then when you come back home- you realize why you chose
this place. it's hard to see the forest for the trees
at times.
have a wonderful day
namaste
tonya
11.3.03
when the weather gets bad- sometimes
you just have to buckle down and just do it. that is
the nature of being a professional cyclist. you have
to ride in the nasty weather. it's part of the process
of becoming a champion.
but there exists what i call "first
cold day syndrome". FCDS is the inability to get
yourself outside and motivated to ride your bike in
nasty weather. you look out the window and all you see
in dreary, dank, damp day. the roads are wet and dirty,
the clouds low and grey, the air chilling. this is winter.
welcome to it. and as a cyclist- you must look outside
and realize that winter has only just begun- 5 more
months of this, mixed of course, with sunny days. FCDS
can only be overcome- not with drugs- but with the sheer
will of making that first step. i am going to ride outside
in the nasty cold, and i am going to like it.
so you layer up- all of the winter clothing
items you can find- bulky gloves, wool socks, shoe covers,
balaclavas, hats, jackets, vests, undershirts, extra
jerseys and you stall. You try on all your clothes.
you adjust your bike. you fill your bottles, you grab
your gels and bars. it takes hours to get motivated.
and then you get out, and once you find
yourself warmed up- you have cured yourself of FCDS.
now you can be a real cyclist, a true cyclist- not just
the cyclist that goes out when it's fair weather, but
when the weather sucks. you are now a champion.
luckily yesterday, on my first cold
day out- i had some company. Mara and i rode a two and
a hlf our loop near Longmont. nice and flat, and mostly
quiet roads. it was a wonderful ride. the autumn air-
cold and damp- with a faint smell of fallen leaves.
mystically cloudy- low clouds that covered the mountains.
we warmed up fairly quickly and meandered
around the local raods, just relishing in the off-season
mellow ride. of course at some point, as always this
time of year, the wind picked up and the air cooled.
yep- we got cold. byt the time we returned to our place-
the fingers were cold, and at least one set of toes
completely immobile due to freezing. but- welcome home
to the gas fireplace and hot chocolate. now this is
life.
we finished up the day with some of
my homemade nachos watching "I Love the 80s Strikes
Back" on VH1 with Troy and Spokes.
can it get any better?
namaste.
tonya
10.27.03
If yesterday's fire here in Boulder
Country wasn't enough to get my fingers typing, this
morning's snow certainly is!
Yestedray we awoke, here in Longmont,
to the Moab-like fragrance of fire. (at the 24 Hours
of Moab, people like to have fires at their campsites,
so the smoke hangs low and chokes and the all-night
support crews- and inevitably, everything you own winds
up smelling of camp smoke). The ash and smoke were conveniently
blown directly to our house here in Longmont. The fire
was in "left Hand Canyon", essentially due
West of us, and with strong winds out of the West yesterday-
well, you get the idea. In short, the whole house still
has that smoky smell. I considered writing about the
fire, since it probably made some National news and
would be of interest, but other obligations got the
best of me.
Now I sit here looking out at the overcast
day (i bet it is sunny in the mountains) and I am looking
at a solid sprinkling of snow. Yep. The white stuff
is here. Not to stay, but this is the first warning.
The next time may be a few feet- you never know here
in the Front Range. It may also be 70 degrees tomorrow.
So now it is time to prepare- winter cycling. Lots of
clothing, and long hours in the saddle. I love the seasons,
or I'd be packing up for Arizona about right now.
---
October, well, actually, October is
almost over. Funny how time flies when you;re having
"fun" (as it were). Interbike, 24 Hours of
Moab, a week-long guest and now my life is back to "normal"
(as it were).
There is not enough space on my web
server to tall all about the last few weeks of my life,
but over this week, I will try to put most of it down,
at least the parts that i, or someone around me found
somewhat entertaining.
My friend, Rhonda Quick, just flew off
to the Pacific Northwest for a couple of weeks- after
spending a solid week with me and Troy here in Longmont.
It was a week of recovery and discovery. We even spent
a day at the Denver VeloSwap. Its not enough to see
all the same people at Interbike and the 24 Hours of
Moab, but the Veloswap AND the Boulder Cyclcocross race
Sunday in Longmont- was definitely more of the same.
(Hi Dave, again, and thanks for all the mentions i owe
you some cookies or something!). (And for the record,
"definitely" has no "a" in it).
I guess I am just trying to say that the Boulder area
definitely has its share of bike people... and we have
all just been on a long trip "together". Not
that we were actually together in the same car and hotel,
but that we all just experienced the exact same things
for the past 3 weeks or so. As you can imagine, much
has happened...
more later on!
namaste.
tonya
9.23.03
Aaaahhhhh autumn! I have always considered
autumn my favorite season. The air just smells different.
It's a happy smell~ maybe it has to do with the changing
leaves and the chemistry of the earth preparing for
winter. But I can smell it. and the smell makes me smile.
And what better weather for mountain
biking? Even as i rode pavement yesterday on my way
to the trails, i could still feel that happy release
of Fall- the joy of having lived through another year
and settling in for the cold months. In the old days
before i was a racer- this would mean putting my bike
away and pulling out the skis. Nowadays it means long
cold rides- but that doesn't bother me yet, because
those days are not here just yet!
so as always- i have to pull out my
fall poem: Ode to Autumn. enjoy!
ode
to autumn
the dawn of winter
as told by orion
when he returns to my sky
the harbinger of winter
now my soul is most alive
i close my eyes
breathe the mold
smell of fallen leaves
yet clean, fresh, awakening
deterioration and death
gives new life when the time comes-spring
but alas-
autumn- smoke from a fire inside
smells like home smells
like winter coming
takes me away to my younger days
cousins jumping in piles of leaves
a child swooshing through leaves on a trail
adolescence stacking firewood
a young woman scraping frost off the windshield
a young professional fleece pullover in the morning
this is me
it all comes rushing
back to me
and i digress allow me
clean air makes me feel alive
clear nights make me
shiver remember hot chocolate
with marshmallows burning
my tongue
low clouds remind me of snow
surfing through powder up to my knees
and in my face
freezing the inside
of my nose
the zip of leaves stuck in my brakes
rubbing my treads (don't try to remove while riding)
annoys
yet makes me laugh
how can one be annoyed by such a
wonderful thing when there is road rage?
if only to stop and think
everyday of such wonderful things as
this but we forget, don't we?
all the little things
make me smile again
orion reminds me the dawn of winter
is here for a brief moment
to make us remember
© 1999 tonya renee laffey
9.18.03
the clouds finally burned off the mountains
and it's just about noon. Now i am looking at snow capped
peaks with a backdrop of a misty blue sky... winter
approaches. that can mean a fw different things for
a cyclist. 1. snow biking, 2. cyclocross and 3. long
winter training rides.
Cross will actually come and go before
the snow biking begins- at least that is how it happened
last winter. The Cross season starts in Boulder on October
5th with the first in the Boulder series happening at
the Boulder Reservoir. Last year, this Res race was
snowy and very cold. I never was able to click into
my pedals the entire race- and it was the juniors' first
race (Mara and Shaina). As always, i am the only elite
woman to show up on a mountain bike- everyone else has
a nice cross bike around here- and i still manage to
do ok. I don't take 'cross very seriously- how can you?
It's a lot like short track cross country- if you do
well great, if not who cares?
(Cyclocross is a winter sport- ridden
on a raod type bike with knobby tires. The course is
usually around 1/2 mile, and there are barriers that
you must run over- jump off your bike and carry it over
the barriers. the race lasts from about 30 minutes to
1 hour.)
Went riding in Nederland last weekend,
and it was snowing! The snow wasn't sticking since it
wasn't that cold- but it was SO beautiful! The aspens
are turning- some gold some a deep orange- and the sound
of the snow falling- just an amazing experience. It
was the season finale ride and party with the Singletrack
Sistahs. The ride was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed
the trails, which i was riding for the first time. And
the party was great too- they served up some chocolate
cake and they gave me a cool award for leading some
of the rides- what a great group! thanks Sistahs!
I have some more news... I now have
a coach. I have been self-coached for the past 2 years,
which is very difficult, ask any athlete. It;s great
to have at the least some insight on your training.
But now i have someone to be on my case, someone to
keep me in line and someone to tell me i am drinking
too much hot chocolate. His name is Daryl and you'll
be learning more about him in the weeks to come.
well i am off to work on 2004 sponsorships!
namaste
tonya
8 sep 03
more disappointment in my life. my friend
says to look at events as opportunities instead of let
downs and disappointments. but this year, my life has
been so full of these events. starting with Cannondale's
temporary bankruptcy, then on to having all of my personal
and team bike gear stolen, on to having a few bad races,
and now my sports doc telling me no Moab. No ultra endurance
races- in fact, right now i need to be riding easy and
more or less taking a break from the bike so my knee
can heal and become strong again. Anyone who knows me
knows well that i don't take well to being told no.
But when it comes to physical health in the face of
professional competition, I cannot toy with no. That
No means No Moab, and that is the final answer and there
is nothing I can do to defy the doctor's orders.
So that is my latest news. a little
melancholy. I need to concentrate on races that matter-
he says. I am a pro- i shouldn't be concerned with racing
solo 24 hours in the desert of Moab.
Fine. i will be support crew and coach
to all my girls racing.
now i am going to go pout for a while.
namaste
tonya
26.aug.03
Vail- more specifically Beaver Creek-
is an amazing resort. it reminds me of Beverly Hills-
enormous mansions on the side of mountains- second,
third, fourth homes to the rich and famous. Homes the
size of my apartment building that are only used a few
times a year. And lots of mountain biking. Not necessarily
the best mountain biking- but lots of it. you can climb
your mountain bike for a couple of hours no problem.
So i went to attempt the Vail Ultra
100- a 100 mile mountain bike race. This kind of thing
sounds fun to me. Especially after sompleting my first
whole season of NORBA NCS races. Something a little
different and a warm up for the 24 Hours of Moab.
Started out with not being able to find
a microwave to make my oatmeal breakfast. Ok- there
are other things to eat. Standing on the start line-
the race is startd by a BMW SUV- we follow it up the
climb- the climb that doesn't seem like it will ever
die. And this is one of the shorter climbs in the race!
But i am riding right up with all the other solo women,
and things look good.
One major problem, though- i have to
stop extensively at the first aid station to go to the
bathroom for female reasons (great- all you need to
have a good race, eh?) and to get my front derailluer
fixed which has decided to make this godawful noise
with every pedal stroke. Troy wrenches away- and then
i'm on the bike again. Now i am way behind all the other
solo women. But after the break i feel really good so
i am hammering hard. if i need to get in my granny gear,
i have to get off my bike and shift it manually. My
front derailleur is acting silly and it looks like it
needs to be replaced. So i decide for the most part
to hang out in my middle ring.
I find a partner to ride with- Jeff-
and we hammer up the climb- this is the 2 hour + climb-
together passing tons of riders. we're just chatting
away having a great time when i realize i can feel my
right knee. If you are a cyclist, you know what i mean.
You shouldn't be able to feel your knees at all when
you ride, and when you do- you know there is a problem.
I decided to start working more in my granny gear, but
with every pedal stroke, i could feel pain inching into
the joint. And at this point, Jeff loses me on the climb
and I never see him again.
Now i have decided i am not going to
be able to ride the 100 miles today. having gone only
about 25 at this point, I realize the gravity of my
situation. I do not want to injure myself to the point
of needing surgery or needing to take weeks off the
bike in order to heal- I am thinking Moab. Now how am
i going to tell troy that my knee is hurting me? I still
have 12 miles to go before the next aid station. This
could prove fatal for the situation in my knee.
After crashing in a giant mud puddle
that I was forewarned about- I finally begin to get
closer to the next aid station. I pull in and Troy informs
me I am 25 minutes behind the leader. I ask him how
that could possibly happen, but i know how. It takes
me a while to finally come clean with troy and let him
know what is really going on and that i cannot continue.
and then i have a class 1 breakdown- that means the
full on losing it, crying hard- sobbing uncontrollably
into my gatorade towel. Not happy. Not winning today,
no $1500 check. No glory- just going home dejected and
injured. troy is upset- i know it. I am very sorry but
at this point I am finished.
get home- try to relax. time to head
to the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. I get an
immediate appointment Monday morning- they hold times
for pro athletes, so i was very fortunate to not have
to wait until the next normal appointment available
Septeber 20th. My knee mechanics as it turns out are
a little off kilter- so the Doc gives me some shims
for my cleats and he will see me in 2 weeks for a bio
mechanic consultation with my bike. No permanent damage
done- in fact everything looks great in my Xrays- the
pain i am feeling should go away quickly. A few days
rest, install the shims, ride easy for a week, and then
i am good to go. the Doc, Dr Andy Pruitt- sports medicine
doctor to many pro cyclists- says i am going to be just
fine and my career as a cyclist is in no jeopardy. (great
news for me!)
So here i sit- waiting for my short
ride for the day. and it has to be easy. I am excited
to ride my bike- but i do wish i could just get on and
ride that 100 miles- but that is going to have to wait
until Moab. I am due to have a good race soon...
"Success is the ability to go from
failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm"
Winston Churchill
namaste.
19 Aug 03
Back in Longmont. i really miss Durango.
It has to be the most beautiful place in Colorado! Maybe
i miss Durango even more because i am dealing with the
nightmare of virus-spam email. Not only do i have over
700 emails in my Inbox right now- i am receiving about
1 virus-spam per minute. My filters are not working
too well. Maybe i should just be happy that my computer
does not have the virus- but what gets me the most is
email addresses that to do not exist at mtbchick.com
are broadcasting the virus. So how does that happen?
because i really have no idea! Truly enough to drive
one crazy.
Anyhow- went riding again with the SingleTrack
Sistahs at Betasso Preserve last night (after taking
the wrong road off of Foothills and driving through
the CU campus- i still arrived just in time). What a
great group. Have I said that before? Probably. Ususally
around 30 women show up for these weekly group rides-
we put around the trails- it's mostly social. And as
someone who rides as a job- these rides are sometimes
the most fun of all. Being around beginners and recreational
riders helps keep the pro in check. It's fun to get
back to the real roots of mountain biking once in a
while! I really enjoy the rides- thanks girls!
not much elase going on here- just recovering
from the long weekend in Durango!
namaste.
13.aug.03
Joe L if you're reading this- here is
a newsworthy story from a Boulder point of view- just
for you (haha):
sometimes i feel like i'm blessed, at
others it is more of a curse. 99% of the time, i don't
need an alarm clock to wake. I usually get the prescribed
9 hours of sleep, therefore when 6 am rolls around i
am ready to wake up. but last night, midnight was about
the time i was able to lay down, and i set the alarm
clock for 6. I slept hard until about 5:45 (enough said).
today we are leaving for Durango. when
we leave my apts- we go pick Troy from work in 1 hour-
6:45- and then head over to Mara's before hitting Evergreen
to pick up our second Cannondale ez-up for our tech
space. We being our team mate Jessica Nelson from Ohio
and me.
I've had quite a few short nights in
the past few weeks- late business dinners, family in
town, and friends in town- a lot of Colorado Show and
Tell.
Last night i was going to take Jess
to Pearl St so she could she the freak show. The idea
was to pack during the day, ride with our great friends
the Singletrack
Sistahs and then hit Pearl St for a little dinner
before heading home to pack. It was anticipated to be
a late night- but you have no idea!
I was not an official ride leader for
the SS ride last night at the Boulder Foothills ride-
so i was just cruising and watching the girls and helping
them ride down a steep rocky descent. The end of the
group came through and I followed the girls down the
rocks and stairs and we ran into 2 of the Sistahs on
the side of the trail. One of the unfortunate women
had a double flat. Wonderful! Having been in bike shops
schlepping useless tubes around for a good portion of
my 20s- i took control of the situation. With my experience,
we could be done rather quickly. yadda.
yadda.
yadda..
it took 3 tubes to fix the front flat.
and a blown co2 cartridge. and a lot of pumping small
pumps with the right arm. (broken presta valve stem-
the old mystery missing screw- and a tube with a hole
in it.) we continued on our ride and wound up arriving
at the Boulder Res (not the Rez- but the Res. For us
natives- the Rez means our people live there, in Boulder
it means your water supply) right about the time the
sun ducked behind the mountains. One of the ever-happy
and absolutely stunning Singletrack Sistahs leaders-
Pito- went to ride a sweep on the south side of the
Res while the rest of our group including the "Almighty
Jess" and Peggy rode back to the trailhead. Our
poor unfortunate rider who alredy had a double flat
for the day crashed and landed in a cactus pear in the
dark- not too far form the trailhead.
At the end of the ride- Heather- the
other fab Sistah/yogini- jumped in the Subaru to go
find Pito and the end of the ride. I waited around to
make sure everyone was going to be ok- so Jess and I
left the trailhead around 9:15 or so, leaving us little
time for sleep tontite.
at tany rate- i gotta go now we're hitttin
the road to Durango.
have a great weekend
namaste.
8.4.03
from time to time, my junk mail filter
on our email systems breaks down and needs to be upgraded.
The junk email people aren't too stoopid- since they
always tend to figure out how to get into my mail box
despite high tech junk mail blockers. I received my
favorite junk mail of all time today. As i was reading
through some of the 50 or so new emails of the day-
i came across an email from a place called hidden beach.
It is, obviously, a nudist beach resort. I just had
to laugh- the pictures were so funny- these nude people
sitting at tables eating fine dinners being served by
fully clothed- polo shorts and kahki shorts- and all.
Why wouldn't the servers be nude as well? Do you not
have to be a nudist to work at a nudist resort? There
must be quite a few nudists in the world. Not that there's
anything wrong with that. But there is a pretty big
difference between walking around your own house naked
and eating at a fine dining establishment nude!
Anyhow- The final race of the NORBA
NCS approaches rapidly (if you need to get the 411 on
those terms, please visit our
racing page). Durango! Yes! The Durango Finals!
Durango is a woderful place. Not only
is its beauty unsurpassed- surrounded by the San Juans-
so green and lush, but it also has a mountain town personality
that can't be beat! Not as pretentious as most Colorado
mountain towns. And it's a great place to go with your
fam- because there is something for everyone- including
the narrow gauge steam train. Which, i learned, is narrow
so it can get around the sharp mountain curves in the
rails. For the serious cyclist, Durango has a great
natural foods store called Nature's Oasis. SO- if you
have the weekend of 15-17 August open- get yourself
to Durango to see all the world class mountain biking
you can handle! And if you don't like to watch, then
enter the Durango 100 mile mtb race as a solo or on
a 3-person team! It's sure to be epic! And of course,
mtbchick.com will have a set up in the tech expo- so
don't forget to stop by and say howdy to all the chicks!
So what's happening in Boulder these
days? Heat. More heat. We've been under 100, only getting
in the upper 90s this week. So it's cooled down some.
yesterday Jessica, one of the mtbchick.com Experts who
is in town for the Durango race, came over and we did
an easy ride around the Boulder reservoir. Hot is about
all i can think of to describe the ride! It's around
an 1.5 ride with a mountain bike to ride from my house
to the res around Haystack mountain- and here in the
high plains, you get very few trees to speak of- so
needless to say, we roasted.
At any rate- not much going on around
here except getting ready for Durango. hope to see you
there if not sooner!namaste
tonya
7.30.03
hectic is a good word, but an understatement
of my current life situation. i'm not plagued with things
like a boss behind a desk and changing diapers, but
more like driving around the country trying to spread
the love of mtbchick.com. hecitc yes, even more than
hectic, but fun, yes as well.
i have been absolutely depressed about
having my laptop stolen in May. it is nearly impossible
to keep the web site updated in a timely manner whithout
it. i miss my laptop very much. if you're out there,
my lovely green iBook, please come home, i miss you!
anyhow- back in Colorado, and more specifically,
and finally, Longmont. Left last Monday for Idaho and
arrived yesterday morning back in Longmont after 36+
straight hours in the car- you see Troy and i drove
Mara to Durango for the National Junior Mountain Bike
camp there. We left Sandpoint, Idaho at 5pm Sunday and
arrived in Longmont around 7 am Tuesday. Needless to
say, i am done riding in the car for a few days. But
more about the trip later.
I am still kind of reeling after my
cross country race last Saturday in Idaho. I was in
the top 10 for the first few minutes of the race before
i popped. I am not sure what happened, but i lost all
of my energy a few minutes into the race, and the entire
field of pro women passed me. I was about second to
last at the top of the initial climb. After making it
to the top of the climb and passing a few women on the
long and wonderfull downhill, i felt much better and
passed wuite a few more women. There was an over 10
minute difference in my lap times. Something went wrong,
i don't know what, but i will also talk more about the
actual race later. The deal is, i finished 35th. not
a good finish for me- but i was still happy with my
performance once i got ovet the first climb.
photo (c) USA Cycling
So you can see me right in the thick
of the action with an incredible position! So what happened?
Who knows... time to move on for now. The National Finals
are coming up in Durango, and this will be yet another
chance for me to see if i can hold onto my awesome starting
position.
Meanwhile it's back to life in Colorado-
and thankfully the temperature has dipped below 100F
for the high and we're seeing a good amount of rain.
Time to go walk the dog. have a great day!
namaste.
7.12.03
tomorrow is the first real day in the
Alps in the Tour de France. tyler is still in (for those
of you who do not know, Tyler Hamilton is another great
American cyclist who broke his collarbone in 2 places
on the second day of the Tour and is still riding, 6
days later). And OLN (Outdoor Life Network) chooses
to show fishing shows in the morning instead of the
usual "live" Tour de France. Why is this?
I am not sure, as the marketing geniuses at OLN must
be mad. You cannot have the most exciting stage, if
not most important stage of the 20 stage race (+prologue)
left for reruns! What an uproar this is causing among
me and my fellow cyclists! Welcome to Cycling in the
US. Maybe we can watch ol' Billy Bob catch some trout
and that will make us happy until 6 at night???
Ah well.
If you haven't been watching the Tour,
and you have OLN- tomorrow's stage (Sunday) will be
the best in the entire race, i am sure. So watch it
as a rerun at night, OR get the live stream of Phil
and Paul (the best cycling commentators of all time)
on OLN.com
enjoy and namaste.
7.5.03
Back from Breck. I really miss the mountains.
The weather yesterday was phenomenal out in the mountains.
Clear blue skies, a nice breeze, wildflowers, meadows
and beautiful mountain peaks.
The 50 miler didn't go so well for me.
Some days you just don't have it and yesterday was one
of those days for me. However, it was a super fun race.
The race started with the July 4th parade, so we got
to ride down main street with all of the parade fans
cheering us on, it was so cool! After all the excitement
of the parade wore off- we began the climb that would
tell me today is not my day. My heart rate never ended
up where it should have been, and i was having trouble
keeping my legs moving. After one 25 mile lap of suffering,
i called it a day, hoping to save my self for the remaining
NORBA NCS races. I was so sad to have a bad day. It
just was such a wonderfully beautiful course and there
were about 500 people racing. it was just wonderful
and i was feeling horrible. What kept me from having
a worse day was the support of Troy who understood this
time around why I was dropping out. And to see my teammates
having a great race. Team mates are great- if you have
a bad day, one of them is sure to have a great day,
and both Shaina and Mara had great days on their bikes,
and that made the trip to Breck especially inspiring-
even if it was a rotten race for me. I wish you could
meet these girls (if you haven't already) and be inspired
by their respective good attitudes, smiles and hard
work. It certainly is a breath of fresh air for someone
who has been doing this for years...
7.10.03
Some days i wish i could be one of those
pros who just has to ride and nothing else. They show
up to races with their managers and their trucks and
if they don't feel like racing they can drop out for
no real reason. Everything is paid for and you have
no worries in the world.
But then i remember why i exist, and
i realize i don't exist for myself- i exist for all
the other people who need courage, inspiration and a
push in the right direction. I created mtbchick in order
to help me live my life as it was intended. And many
times that means sacrificing things important to me-
such as training.
But on the whole- I just want to thank
everyone who reads my journal, visits this web site,
sponsors the team, friends and family, because you are
the people who make it happen. As mtbchick grows, we
can do more for the community around us, and with all
of your support it will happen, and i just want to say
"thank you" for being a part of the movement
that is changing the world one bike ride at a time...
namaste.
7.3.03
Tomorrow is the big day. The Firecracker
50- a 50 mile mountain bike race, a qualifier for the
World Marathon Mountain Bike Championships. 11,000 feet
of climbing. We leave for Breck tonite. Today is a solid
day off for me. Resting inside where the temps are below
90 degrees- and hydrating. mentally preparing for what
is goig to be one of the hardest races of my life.
Yes, I've race a 24 hour solo race-
but that was hard for different reasons. this 50 mile
race, that begins at 11 am is being held at high altitude.
So dry, hot, and altitude, add to that the climbing,
and you've got a hard race! It's going ot be a bit faster
than the 24 hour races with many top pros showing up
to get hammered before the next week's World Cup race
in Vancouver.
So preparation time- rest hydrate pack
plan...eat, oh yeah- eat.
wish us all luck!
namaste.
26.jun.03
Finally! Back in Colorado. The trip
East was great fun, but for some reason, sitting in
a small minivan for over 2 weeks takes its toll on the
sanity. It takes a special person to be able to do such
a road trip... Upon my return, i was greeted by a happy
husband and happy dog. My hubby- who happens to be the
greatest, by the way- asked if i wanted to go to Tim's
Thai for a celebration dinner. Oh yeah!!! good thai
and great ice cream! What a dream!
Anyhow. Things are going pretty well
these days. I was lucky enough to win the Boulder Short
track race last night. It's a local race, otherwise
known as "Wednesday Night Worlds" type of
race. From the gun, it's a hard, fast race. Boulder
has a little place called the Research Park- and at
the research park is a small bike park, with berms,
jumps and short steep climbs. Each week the course is
different- but you can guarantee your 25 minutes of
pain.
I was in the lead from the gun. And
i had 2 girls in my draft for the entire race. Onthe
final lap, I decided i needed to see if i could give
myself a little space, and as i stood up to sprint on
the first straightaway of the lap, i put enough space
to win the race comfortably. Much to my surprise, as
i had just returned the evening before from Vermont,
(having put in 2 12-18 hour days) and i asn't sure how
my body would hold up back in altitude. Besides, you
never know what the person sitting on your wheel is
up to. And i was expecting that the girls behind me
were just sitting in waiting for a good opportunity.
So i got lucky this time around. It's been since my
24 hour race win last February since i have won a race-
so it felt good to finally do so after over a year.
So bye for now, and my racing journals
will be posted ont he respective race pages when they
come available!
namaste.
7.jun.03
Troy says i am creating a monster. I
say, not creating, but nurturing. Some people are born
with a certain spirit for life and the extraordinary.
One of those people is a young lady by the name of Anna.
This 10 year old world traveler decided she wants to
be a pro mountain biker. Luckily, i get to teach her
and ride with her on a near weekly basis.
Troy met Anna Banana, or Aggro Anna,
for the first time this Thursday. Troy already said
that Mara is a 17 year-old version of me. So when he
met a 10 year old version of me, as he puts it, he was
ready to run for cover. It's a kind of determined decisiveness
about life: i want to be A, so now i am going to pursue
A to it's fullest. The "whatever, i am on my own
program" way of life. It's a life philosophy that
follows the whole "Carpe Diem" line of thinking.
The thought that someday you won't be around anymore,
so take advantage of the opportunity to live.
Anna has earned, from me, the Aggro
addition to her name for 2 reasons: 1. She is taking
the shin bashing from her metal pedals with a certain
disdain yet toughness, and 2. Her aggressive competitiveness
that all pro mountain bike hopefuls need to have. The
girl has definitely got it, and she is my little hero
for that.
Anyhow- On Friday, Anna got to go on
a team training ride. Mara, Shaina and I took Anna,
or rather Anna took us, on a ride around the Boulder
Reservoir. We rode the same course as the Singletrack
Sistahs ride on Tuesday- and Anna was on race pace for
the day! The course mainly consists of dirt roads and
wide paths, with a few singletrack sections that follow
the paths. The path winds around the entire Boulder
Reservoir, and has views of the mountains from every
direction- whether Haystack mountain or the Flatirons.
An added bonus are the cranes and herons and ducks that
fly around. And of course you get the Boulder feel,
with people running, walking and others on bikes. It
is an overall great experience.
There are some random tehcnical singletrack
sections on the trail. We rode up a small steep hill,
that pretty much had to be walked at this point, and
then rode down the other side, a very steep downhill-
short, but scary for most- (some of the Singletrack
Sistahs had to walk it). After i rode down, Anna was
next with the rest of the team following. Amazing, that
girl. She took one look at it and rode it just beautifully.
For the rest of the ride, Anna and i jumped the speed
bumps along the road that goes by the park area and
Anna paced the rest of the ride back on the singletrack-
and a pretty good clip for a 10 year old!
Anna got to show off her skills, and
her brand new bike to the mtbchick juniors. Her new
bike is an Ibex
Alpine kids bike- with real components, Deore and
the like- no Tourney, no toy-bike components. A real
bike that weighs in at 24 pounds. About 1/2 the weight
of the Trek kids bike she was previously riding! Anna's
dad happened upon this bike in a mad search for a kids
bike with rapid fire shifters- instead of the grip shifters
that are so hard for the kids to use. If you are looking
for a kids bike, check this one out as the price for
the bike +shipping is less than what you wold pay for
a lesser bike at a shop. Anyhow- Anna loves her new
bike- like any good mountain biker- and has totally
earned it.
So that would be the highlight of my
week. Getting to ride with Anna and the juniors. What
a joy for life. What a way to live.
4.jun.03
Every week i get tons of email asking
me to help women find other women to mountain bike with.
My token response SHOULD be: "move to Boulder".
Not only is Boulder an active town in general, but Boulder
has the absolute best women's mountain bike group in
the country. With 250+ members, the Single
Track Sistahs attract women who just want to have
fun on a mountian bike- no competition, no pressure.
Last night I was the "guest rider"
for the group ride at the Boulder Reservoir. I really
did not know what to expect- I arrived early so i could
clean my bike and lube my chain and make any last minute
adjustments. When I pulled into the parking lot- 30
minutes early, there were already several women there,
waiting for the ride to begin. By the time everyone
was set to go- front wheels on the right way, replacement
skewer found in a nook in the Xterra, helmets on the
correct way- 40 women were on their way around
the reservoir on mountain bikes. What an incredibly
amazing sight!
We casually rode the dirt roads, talking
and watching Blue Herons fly overhead. It was the coolest
thing- seeing all these women on bikes. Some were out
there for the first time, others were long time members
of the group. I can now say that I am a member of the
group- a card carrying member of the Single Track Sistahs!
Anyhow, I had a wonderful time, and Mara and Shaina
showed up for the ride as well, and we all just thoroughly
enjoyed ourselves!
After the ride- the group leaders took
me out to dinner at Illegal Pete's. It's just like Chipotle
with a slightly different menu. So we ate burritos and
talked about life. Pito the ice skater told a story
that when she finished her first triathlon and called
her mom to tell her, her mom said, "oh you poor
thing!". At one point the conversation deteriorated
to Brazilian and beyond waxes- stuff you don't want
to hear about... And we talked about the group and their
mission and how they got started- what an amazing story!
So if you're looking for women to ride
with- move to Boulder. Seriously, though. It takes an
enormous amount of hard work to put a group like Sistahs
together and i admire the girls for all they have done
for the mountian bike community. Heather and Pito- the
founders- thanks!
28.may.03
Here I am again. Back in Longmont for
a few days it seems. This has been a hectic tow weeks-
and i cannot tell you how much i miss my laptop! I am
just not able to sit down and work on the web site or
write when i feel like it. My sense of stability is
gone. So here i write- days after the fact.
The Iron Horse was a break through race
for me. I have been feeling quite lackluster when it
comes to racing this year. Just not having the same
spark i used to have. It used to be when the gun went
off i went off 110% and never stopped. but as of late-
i start off at 110% then kind of slow to about 85%.
It's not a concsious choice- just something that was
happening to me. But Iron Horse brought me back. I charged
off at the gun. Fast and hard... only to kind of lose
my momentum shortly thereafter. It rained before our
start- and during the start of the pro and expert men's
races- who had started before us. We stood on the line
in the rain- the girls around me shivering and complaining
of being cold. I stood without movement- explaining
to a spectator my front Lefty lockout and the rear shock
lockouts. The gun went off and boom- i had a great position.
I think the rain stopped, but i don't
remember. no, maybe it was still raining. As we rode
up Horse thief gulch, i fell behind. Once again I wasn't
feeling it. But then, as the riding became more difficult,
and the girls around me were struggling, i began to
pass them back and gain on them. I was able to hold
pretty good lines on the short downhills and managed
to not fall. I ran when i had to get off my bike- keeping
the others behind me. I managed to ride the slickrock
climb fairly well, and pass yet another racer- but the
mud soon became sticky- caking onto the tires and causing
the wheels to stop turning. Time to walk. Push the bike,
pick it up and carry it, push it again. Ride for a few
feet. Once i got to the top of the hill, i rode the
last bit and never saw any of the girls behind me again.
I passed my friend- she had given up
and was dropping out. I continued on flying down the
hills on my lovely Scalpel. On Powerline, there were
3 more women ahead of me. They were all walking. this
was my turn. I rode as much as i could and ran the rest,
passing the last 3 girls in my sights- i hit the next
downhill untouched- headed up the final climb and hammered
out the flats past the feed zone and onto the final
downhill.
The final downhill was a joyride for
sure. I hadn't ridden that part of the course- and there
are quite a few blind turns that could send you flying
over the edge. I put caution aside- i knew i was doing
well in the race and wanted to hang onto it. I made
it down navigated my way through the start/finish area,
and as i hit the line to head out for my second lap,
the officials yelled "you're done!". "What????!!!!",
i screamed? They cut our race down. This was a huge
bummer for me because i was in the Zone and i was ready
to take on a nother lap. I had my spark back.
Nonetheless- i finished 3rd, which is
by far one of my best Pro finishes ever. I had a great
race, and i really raced hard. I loved it. This is my
element.
namaste.
22.may.03
Life is like a cross country mountain bike race...
You start off the line fast- you're
in a hurry to get to the hard part of it all- the big
climb, then you coast dangerously fast at times, down
the mountain, in a hurry to get to the end. It's all
over before you know it even started. The pain you siffered
during the race becomes irrelevant after it is over.
It is all but a memory in your mind, and perhpaps if
you're lucky, in someone else's mind as well.
It is the natural flow of life... the
Yin and the Yang... the balance of life. Good things
happen to all people, nad things happen to all people.
All people suffer and feel joy at some time. And what
we say in mountain biking- what goes up must come down.
You work hard in life, and sometimes you are rewarded
with the figurative downhill. (Although some of us would
rather climb!)
Sometimes we have really great races,
other times our races are mediocre. I was fairly disappointed
with my racing at Big Bear NORBA Nationals last weekend:
my right foot is on the ground
grounded
leg shakes violently
heart pounding through my chest
in my neck
out of my ears
i watch the clock
as the racers in front of me begin to
move forward
i go with them
we are in this together
the rush pushes me on
fame and glory, too
just like everyone else.
voices in my head
question reality
question motives
as the voices outside of my head
urge faster pedaling
"10 seconds ahead"
"you're crazy!"
the choice is mine:
which voice do i listen to?
extrinsic forces push me faster
intrinsic forces slow me down
must... listen... to other voices
not in my head
follow the truth
life is short
and then the curtain falls
never stop believing
12.may.03
Yes. it's been a long time. Basically
i lost about 35 hours of work on the web site over the
last week when my laptop was stolen- so web updates
have been slow coming. I am finally set up on the desktop
at home. It's good- but it's not the iBook. And maybe
someday the iBook will find it's way back to me. This
is my hope, anyhow.
But let's talk less about being robbed,
and more about riding!
Well- if you didn't know- Boulder got
about 5 inches of heavy snow this Saturday morning.
Broken trees, power outages- the works! They even postponed
the Denver race of the Mountain States Cup for a week,
due to the snow and flooding on the course. This was
disastrous to my weekend plans of racing to get ready
for the first NORBA National in Big Bear, CA. I haven't
raced since March- the NOVA race- so i cannot say that
i am in racing shape at all at the moment. I have trained
well- but racing always tops it off and makes it good.
better.
So instead of racing in Denver, i drove
down to Golden to meet a friend, and we drove to Colorado
Springs to ride for the day- there was no snow in Colorado
Springs! It was my friend Lisa, and her teammate Jody.
We rode for a couple of hours. In the warm sumshine
of the Rocky mountains- something i cherish very much!
It was such a beautiful day... everyone was out riding
their bike and enjoying life in Colorado.
We rode a few different trails, but
for me the most memorable was called "Captain Jack's".
It was a very long downhill- mostly used by mountain
bikers and motos. The motos create nice berms and those
whoopie bumps that you can catch some serious air on
if you go fast enough!
there is nothing quite like flying down
a narrow trail on your mountain bike hitting the berms
and jumping the bumps...
We've just crested the top of the final
"climb" - this was a very short, dry and loose
one. Not too easy of a gear, and a lot of power. I stop
and wait for everyone - who was standing there talking
- to get to the top of the climb. Lisa goes, Jody goes,
and then I go, followed by Shari and Racheal. it is
big ring time as i push on and start to catch the bumps
and berms. It's fast. I am taking some chances just
to get a little adrenaline rush- it feels like a race.
I can now see Jody in front of me. She is rolling some
of the bumps- i am way off the back of my saddle as
i clear my first ever double jump- my speed is such
that i fly off one bump and land on the back side of
the next one... a slight uphill as i pass Jody- her
front brake does not work at all, so she is having a
little trouble with the downhills today). Shortly after
that i can see Lisa- there is another slight uphill,
but i am in my big ring and i am on it- i pass lisa
on the uphill- i think i caught her off guard, she was
probably trying to wait for me since she left the top
of the hill before me. After that the trail is virtually
clear (save on ehiker and her dog, who escaped from
her collar and i had to stop to let the girl catch her
dog). If only i knew the trail- i could really rip it
up- but i keep going, flying and swerving onto the berms
and letting them spit me out on to the next berm...
some more bumps and the next thing i know i am in the
parking lot- legs shaking and ready for more. I guess
i got a little excited.
But this is just what i needed. We have
some more downhill riding to do, but as the lower trails
are more populated with climbers, i decide to take it
a little easy (ok- after i nearly take a guy out- but
hey- they did it to me on my way up! i almost crashed!).
We head back to the car on a nice rolling ride with
some tight singletrack and a nce dirt bike path that
apparently goes all over the city or something.
We ate downtown Colorado Springs, hit
the coffee shop, and busted out- back to Golden, and
for me back to Longmont, back to the snow!
Just think- almost four hours of total
driving for a 2.5 mountain bike ride. Was it worth it?
heck yea!
And now i am packing up for Big Bear-
the first NORBA National of the year. A small part of
me misses California. I guess i get to go back and hang
out for a week. Enjoy the attitude and the warmth of
SoCal- and hopefully escape the misery of snow and cold
of this long Colorado spring.
have a great ride today
namaste.
28.apr.03
This is what it's all about. The stairs
are hard to walk up today. I'm tired. I can't even fathom
what my legs will feel like on my morning ride today.
On my way home from Walker ranch yesterday,
i was feeling good. Tired, pumped and elated. I had
the windows down, the radio cranking, while drinking
a bottle of warm Endurox. Life couldn't get any better
than this! And don't you know you worked hard when you
have trouble walking up the stairs to your home? And
doesn't it feel good? but i kept thinking, man- i have
to come back down these stairs- to put my bike away-
to walk the dog- ugh!!!
I live about 20 miles from my favorite
local trail, Walker Ranch in Boulder County. It is by
far the hardest trail in the area due to the brutality
of the climbing. Just imagine, if you will, the steepest
incline you could ride a mountain bike on for the duration
of somewhere around a mile. And that's the second climb.
Of course you could ride it the other way.
The previous day, i rode to Estes Park.
It's all climbing for about 30 minutes to Lyons, then
the last 20 miles to Estes Park are all climbing. Climb
climb climb. Love it or get out. This is Colorado, and
i don't think you could find a better place in the world
to climb. So I was already tired when i pulled up to
the trailhead at Walker ranch. Not to mention- the parking
lot was full so i had to park down below.
Anyhow- my technical skills are still
pretty rusty at this point in the year. Here it is nearly
May and i haven't had much dirt time. So i got to re
ride a few sections at Walker. No biggie! Just need
to get smoothed out a little!
the weather is supposed to get a little
more violent here during the first part of this week.
That's ok- i had two beautiful days outside, so it's
all good. My biker tan is getting burned in, and my
racoon eyes are looking pretty good.
well gotta go ride now before the rains
start up again.
oh yeah- the new bikes should be ready
in a week or so- we'll post pics once they are finished
up! yahoo!
namaste!
28.apr.03
Life in Colorado has been alright lately.
Last weekend I went to see junior team member Shaina's
high school play. Shaina goes to Boulder High, and they
were putting on "Pippin". It was a great play/musical,
and the kids there are very high quality actors. I was
sitting 5 rows back, and couldn't help but notice one
of the trumpet players using a VeloNews bottle. Must
be cyclist. Anyhow- if you're in Boulder and you need
something to do tonite- try Boulder High's Pippin. It's
just a few bucks to get in and it's some great entertainment!
I've just returned from a few days in
Golden, staying with my friends and painting a ceiling
mural of blue sky and clouds. I spent several hours
for 3 days looking up and painting over my head- and
half of that time standing on a high scaffolding. Wow.
talk about hard work! My friend, Lisa is also a mtber,
so we tried to get some training rides in while i was
there...
We were highly unsuccessful as it was
raining, snowing and cold all week. Did i mention we
began a ride- outside-, and i had made it up to the
top of this long climb doing an interval, and as i began
to ride down it started hailing. There is a first time
for everything, so this was the first time i was ever
caught in hail on my bike- and road bike at that. I
began the ride down from the top of the hill. I was
riding pretty slow, and decided to speed up a bit maybe
to 20 mph. Uhhh.. that wasn't working as i wasn't into
the feeling of hail pelting and stinging my cheeks.
I placed myself under a large pine tree off the side
of the road looking for a little protection from the
seemingly never ending hail storm. I thought i's just
wait it out under the tree. What hail storm would last
more than a couple of minutes? Apparently this one,
as i waited and waited and waited. So- i jumped back
onto my bike and tried descending in the thick hail.
Once again my impatience was getting the best of me,
and i let go of the brakes. The cars were getting a
little too close to me for my liking, as they sprayed
slush behind them in giant rooster tails. The stinging
on my face once again led me to find yet another tree
and pull off the road. As i waited and waited and waited
for what seemed like 5 more minutes, a red t5ruck drove
by and i noticed Lisa was inside and her bike in the
back. the truck u-turned and they picked me up too-
as the hail just continued to pound us. I'm usually
not oo big of a wuss in these kinds of cicumstances,
but the hail was non-stop and the cars on Golden Gate
road were just soaking me. So i welcomed the ride. It
was a husband and wife who had picked up their girl
from school and were obviously going to be late for
an appointment, but they insisted on taking us all the
way back. (they were driving up the pass, and picked
Lisa up near the bottom as she was beginning her 2nd
interval).
So we get in the house and are forced
back on the trianers. yuck. we watched a Margaret Cho
dvd. interesting to say the least!
anyhow- supposed to be nice the next
few days here in CO looking forward to some good rides
in the hot sunshine!
namaste.
14.apr.03
There's nothing like a good ride to
get you out of a funk. I was in a huge funk yesterday
due to the fact that i was missing out on not only the
Sea Otter, but also the local "Boulder-Roubaix"
road race. This was going to be my year to get to go
to Sea Otter, but i spent yet another week as an armchair
racer, checking results online and wishing i were there.
(The race is really just to expensive for me- it costs
twice as much as a NORBA National- and the pockets are
pretty shallow right now!) This was a frustrating experience-
results are never posted in a timely manner- unlike
with the World Cup races. With today's technology why
can't race organisers make it a priority to get results
up directly after the protest period? Ah but that is
a whole 10 page rant so we'll pass on that question
for now.
Secondly, i miss out racing the Boulder-Roubaix.
The BR is a half dirt half pavement road race. On roads
i ride all the time, at that. So missing this race was
also a very frustrating experience. Why did i miss this
one? Yes, it comes down to money. There is an organisation
here called ACA- American Cycling Association. They
are a rogue organisation that broke away from USA Cycling
a few years ago. Honestly i don't know why. They don't
offer a better product- it only forces riders to purchase
2 licenses. Anyhow, the ACA sanctions all the local
races. After buying the USAC license, i really don't
feel like forking out money to join an organisation
that offers me nothing. You don't get UCI points, and
you can't race Internationally on an ACA license, or
Nationally at that. For the local people, ACA is fine,
but for others- it makes no sense. Besides, their web
site is even worse than USAC's, if that is possible.
So i missed out on racing this weekend.
What to do? go find the dry singeltrack and rip it up.
I headed out to my favorite place, Walker Ranch- but
enormous piles of snow kept me from even getting out
of my car at the trailhead. Well, that was a 25 mile
drive. So i headed up north to Lyons to the famed Hall
Ranch. As i pulled up i could see all the cars and horse
trailers. I usually reserve my mountain biking for during
the week when the trails are not so busy. But what the
hey- I had to ride, and i was not at all interested
in riding on the road.
The guy parked next to me was there
to break in his brand new Yeti. Yetis look so different
than they used to- not the old recognizable paint jobs.
And the logo is so small you have to squint to be sure
you're looking at a Yeti. Anyhow- we were gearing up
cranking some tunes, and it was hot. Like 80 degrees.
Awesome! I was sweating before i even left the parking
lot! So the guy next to me wanted to break his new Yeti
in on the rock garden at Hall Ranch. (the rock garden
is a long stretch of climbing that requires a lot of
technical skill and strength, and on the way down it
is a fast and furious downhill with lots of jumping
and dropping- lots of guys come out on their Bullits
and nearly run over the rest of us out there in their
full body armor)
This time around I was able to ride
the entire rock garden with only one dab. I had to stop
twice to let people ride down- on this trail it is so
technical, that if you stop while going down, you could
get hurt, and of course if you stop on the way up- pick
a good place to stop so you can get started again! Anyhow-
only one dab- some guy was riding down towards me as
i was trying to ride up some rocks, and i was focused
on him, so i had to take a foot out. Oh well.
then i passed a couple of guys who spin
with me... they were heading back as i was heading out
to the loop. They are fairly new to the area and are
just getting out to check out the local trails, but
they were finished and weren't in the mood to go back
to the loop and ride it again.
So i did 3 laps on the loop, climbing
up the switchbacks, then i called it a day and rode
back down the mountain. What a beautiful day. So all
my frustrations about not racing were cured. Especially
when i rode by a group taking a rest, and one of the
guys yelled out "didn't i see you at Heil Ranch
yesterday?" and i said "no", and he said
he saw someone wearing the same jersey. "It must
have been Shaina, one of my juniors". "She
was rockin out there!" he said. (Isn't that always
good to hear!!) Go girl!!!
Alas- time to go home. Coevered from
head to toe in sweat caked with dust. Salt dried all
over my face. And my bike tan sufficiently burned in.
It's going to be a good summer!
namaste.
12.apr.03
finally something good has happened
for me to write about. i would like to whine about not
being at Sea Otter, and being an armchair racer- checking
for results and looking at pictures. but i'm not going
to!
Today i had the oppoprtunity to teach
a 2 hour private lesson to a 10 year old girl who wants
to be a professional mountain biker! Wow! Is this amazing
or what? How lucky am I to get a chance to work with
this young lady? this aspiring mountain bike chick rocked!
Perspective in life is so important.
When we get old, we tend to have our paradigms set,
our ways ingrained and our minds made up. The glasses
through which we view our world offer us at best a myopic
view of life and of the things we like to do, or have
to do. And as with every job- mountain biking can seem
- not mundane, not boring- but nearly predictable. Especially
if you have a limited number of miles of trails to ride
on a regular basis, as is the case with this time of
year in beautiful Boulder.
So it is with great ambition that i
take on teaching. I love to teach. I love to pass on
what I know inorder to help others. And I get the biggest
kick out of seeing the light bulb flash on and the euphoria
of getting it on the bike. And when you have a 10 year
old girl to teach- you have to give up the analytical
view of mountain biking and simplify. You have to look
at your own world through a new pair of glasses that
allow you to look out the sides as well. Your view of
riding a descent is going to have no impression on a
10 year old. They look at things so differently than
us old people. But when you change your view for a moment
in order to share with another- your day gets a little
brighter. To see a young person fall over go back and
ride it perfect the second time. All i can say is Amazing!
Life is perfect. I am happy.
"yipee aye kai yay", bombing
down the hill.
you go girl!
and on a bike that weighs more than
herself... with no shock and platform pedals. dang!
So here i sit, glancing out at the snow
capped mountains, mentally preparing my self for tomorrow.
I may ride off road, i may do the Boulder Roubaix. it
is yet to be seen. No matter what, i am going to have
a great ride!
Have a wonderful weekend.
namaste.
4.7.03
well, between myself and troy, my stitches
are finally out! i was planning on visiting the doc
today to get them removed, but yesterday i noticed the
skin had grown over all the stitches, so i thought i
had better just get them out as soon as possible. i
managed to get two out on my own. Absolutely zero pain,and
they slid right out. Piece of cake- i can do this! But
the rest were buried. There is a point- i have learned-
when your healing speeds up and suddenly your skin is
growing like mad to cover any thought of past mistakes.
And that time had come for my elbow... the arm has healed
itself and the stitches are no longer necessary. So
here I was, 2 stitches out and quite a few more to go!
Troy brought in his big scary knife-
a Spyderco Civilian to be exact- a knife illegal in
some states. the knife wouldn't cut the string without
too much pulling- so that didn't last very long as a
solution. We were forced to go to the store and buy
some cuticle scissors.we spent about 15 minutes looking
at all the different brands trying to find the pair
with the thinnest blades. Something that would fit under
the knot without having to dig out the string that was
holding my skin together. Troy had to do a little digging,
but it was very minimal pain. Only one stitch had some
trouble coming out... it was about twice as long as
all the others. it did hurt a little.
now i'm all healed up and ready to
go! nomore whining!
4.2.03
This is my brother David, a member of
the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army. He is currently
somewhere in Kuwait or Iraq fighting in Bush's war.
Most of you do not know anyone who is overseas fighting
in the war right now. You are lucky. You cannot even
comprehend the amount of stress that is involved in
dealing with having someone important to you in the
line of fire. It's not the same as saying good bye -
something you do on a daily basis. When you send someone
off to war- there's a really good possibility they will
be killed, captured or missing. This is a scary feeling
that induces some crazy emotions. I sent David a letter
about my last race, with all the pitcures of my wounds
and all. As i wrote, and printed and mailed the letter,
i found myself at the mercy of a severe emotional breakdown.
This man, who is my oldest of two older brothers, helped
raise me-mind you by beating me up and tickling me-
but we have so many memories behind us. David and I
are very different people in political ideology, but
we both have similar intense personalities. We are family,
and we are blood, and i love him very much. And so do
his 2 daughters Nikki and Abby and his wife Sarah.
29.mar.03
i have emerged from the fog I was mired
in for the past week.
Painkillers have a way more of making
you foggy and sleepy than actually working to remove
pain. The throbbing, the stabbing pains in my arm forced
me to hold it above my heart for the first few days
of my injury. Even this morning I still feel sensations
of pain ricocheting through my tender elbow. But through
it all, i am still alive. I have to admit my weakness
is my own pain and my own blood. Yes, this coming from
a mountain biker. I have crashed plenty of times, but
this was the first crash that i actually had a serious
injury besides a concussion- of which i have had plenty.
I am going to attempt to recap my race.
Giving you some insight into my world and what i feel
and think when i am racing.
Time Trial: The phrase sends chills
up my spine. I amno good at pacing myself. I need people
around me to show me how fast or slow i am going. I
rode the course twice and i felt pretty good about it.
Rolling in and out of small ravines and through seep
sand washes. One long rocky section that would probably
cause some kind of internal damage to precious organs.
At least for those of us riding around on hard tails
still (as my Cannondale Scalpel is still not ready).
I love the start of time trials. You
get up on the ramp, and then you race down the lane
with all the spectators yelling and cheering. This is
what gets me going. As i hit the singletrack, i am flying.
Yes this is bike racing... pushing the limits of speed.
I hit a small bump and go flying (literally this time)
through the air and my rear wheel kicks out unintentionally,
but it must have looked cool since all the people were
cheering me. I land no problem, but a little scared
at having caught enough air for a small child to be
standing under me!
I continue along and the spectators
quickly thin out. Now I am alone. There are times when
alone is good. This is not one of them. I continually
check my heart rate to make sure i am as close to my
max as possible. Every time i look down, however, my
heart rate has dropped to where it might be when i am
drafting on an easy road ride. Ugh! I am racing! I have
to continually tell myself. At one point I see the rider
behind me. She is definitely closing in. It is Lanie
Mason, who ends up 3rd in the time trial. Now i have
something to go for. Then I come up one by far one of
the nicest girls in the peloton, Shonny Vanlandingham.
Shonny is off the trail fixing a flat. "I am so
sorry!!!" i yell as i go by. If there is any one
person you want to see do well besides yourself, it's
Shonny. Now I hit the rocks. Bumpy- it's slowing me
down. But now I catch sight of the rider in front of
me, who had to be in front of Shonny, so I know i am
doing ok. This girl started 2 minutes before me. I pick
it up as much as i can. I ride strong into the finish
just about 10 seconds maybe less behind Shari, and 10
or 15 seconds in front of Lanie. The time trial is over,
thank god. I wind up 21st- a horrible time, and i see
my time and i realize immediately where i made mistakes
in shifting and in slowing when i shouldn't have. a
learning experience.
Criterium. Also known as short track.
Now this is a race i can get excited about! Short, fast
and furious, usually entailing some strategy and tactical
racing. I haven't preridden the course because typically
the pros are allowed to warm up on the short track courses
at nationals. I ride up to find out if we get that chance
here. We do, so i am off. When i get back i am a little
disappointed. This is not short track in the sense that
we are used to, but basically just a very short cross
country race with lots of descending and only one road
section.
We take off. I am behind Shonny and
passing everyone after she does. A good wheel to follow.
She gets around Tiffany Kenny, and i get stuck. As we
emerge from the singletrack on the first lap, i am positioning
myself to pass Tiffany. I get too close, we hit the
turn, i have to hit my brakes, and my shock compresses-
BAM! i am on the ground. I get up, once i hit the singletrack
again, i notice blood dripping on my leg. Ouch. my thumb
hurts. i take my right hand off the bar to inspect my
right thumb. It feels as if there is a piece of gravel
stuck under my nail. Egads. I feel faint, about 3 girls
pass me and i remember i am racing. I have to finish
this race, even though thoughts creep around in the
shadows of my mind saying, "drop out! drop out!
you're hurt!" i stomp them with the shoes of endurance
in my head and i continue. Every lap, i fade in and
out of consciousness- and girls pass me as if i am standing
still. I feel faint and then i snap back. I am in pain.
My blood is everywhere. I continue to race, trying to
race, rather. I pass a couple of people towards the
end of the race, miraculously. Because i fear the blood
my muscles needed was draining out of my arm. Upon finish,
Hector is treating this as the photo op of a lifetime
(typical i swear!!!) and i say "I need First Aid".
i know i am hurt. Troy wheels my bike an i hear something
wrong, like a trashing of gears. After getting my wound
cleaned and using any energy i had left to shake and
shiver uncontrollably, the truck is packed and we are
off to the ER. I am 20th in the crit. not as bad as
i thought, but still no good.
Cross Country. I am never sure this
morning if i am going to race. I come out to watch the
juniors go off at 7:15. Mara crashes during her race
and i can't even begin to talk to her. Her face tells
it all- confusion and sad disappointment. She was in
line to take second. She wound up 4th. I feared what
her mom was going to think now. This was no good, but
Mara had had the experience of a lifetime. Shaina was
3rd in her race, and did very well and was very happy
and rightly so. She had reached some good goals for
herself, and this was a good morning!
I sleep in a tent for about 2 hours
and awake nauseous. I need to nibble on some food, and
drink. I can't drink. I am still not sure why. I manage
to get some food. it is about 2 hours or so before my
race and i am still as of yet undecided. I get suited
up-which was the challenge of the morning trying to
not hurt my arm in the process. The girls are gone.
I am bummed they can't be there. It depresses me. I
get on my bike and i ride on the road some. My warm
up is half hearted. I spin easily, and i do two short
hard efforts. I am still unsure. I ride with my friend
Lisa Matlock down the hill and into the start area.
Now it's time for cross country, they
call us into the staging area. I am beside my self.
I am scared- not nervous because i am racing, but i
have this huge fear that when i hit a bump, the pain
will cause my left hand to let go of the handlebar.
We pull up to the line and i look behind me. I am in
the last row. I have not even tried to get up front.
the gun goes off and as everyone tried to get out front,
i just simply sit in and wait. I quickly see this was
a mistake. And i am soon beginning to pass. it is too
late as the field quickly spreads out. I realize that
even with the pain, i will be ok. i screech at every
downhill and wince and squeal. it hurts, but they all
said i would feel numb after a while. That numbness
never came, and i had to suck it up. I am only passed
by about one girl, the rest i have passed. The drop
off was the most fun part of the course... i drop in
and everyone cheers... what a great feeling! I hit the
hill in my big ring and i hear the spectators say "wow!
big ring!" woohoo! this is life! I am strongest
on the climb, i catch the girls in front of me here
and pass them before the rocky downhill where i have
to slow down since my arm is killing me. I am racing
now, except everyone still catches me on the downhills
and i see one girl closing in on me. No way am i going
to let her catch me. I suck it up and ride fast and
hard. I am able to stave her off and finish a good 16th
despite my issues. My GC overall is 16th not bad. I
am pretty happy, although i wanted to be top 10 this
weekend.
i hope to get outside to ride today.
it is sunny and supposed to be warmer and less winter-like
today here in boulder county. have a nice ride today
namaste
24.mar.03
As the euphoria of mountain bike racing
subsides, the pain presides.
I love mountain bike racing. It is something
that brings me happiness.
But sometimes, despite targeted training,
unforseen circumstances get in the way of our plans!
On Saturday, i crashed hard on a gravelly
turn- gravel over asphalt, basically. It was very hard
hit, but i got up and continued my race. I was sitting
at about top 15, so i was charged and feeling great.But
as i rode away from the crash- where i rode right into
a giant pylon- i was feeling kind of nauseus. The nausea
intensified and i looked at my thumb and saw that the
nail was black. The blod dripping from my arm onto my
bike, l | 
