Training Camp Take Two

Two base camps in three weeks sound like heaven to a cyclist.  My goal for the weekend was to get about 160 miles in on the bike.   Big fail on that goal!  Instead my mileage totaled about 109 miles due to rain. 

Cindi & I getting ready to ride.  Love Cindi in a Big Shark kit!!!

Friday started out great.  Cindi and I left right on time and headed southeast.  No navigation errors, no issues, just a fun, talkative trip.  We made it to Nashville before noon, enough time to change clothes and get out to the Natchez Trace for an afternoon ride.  I would guess we had about 25 head out in small groups.  We were supposed to practice pacelines but that went south fast.  The groups split apart and we did what we could.  I knew Nashville was hilly, but I don't think I mentally grasped that there was nothing! flat.  I felt like I was either climbing or descending.  It was a lot of fun though.  We rode out for about 65 minutes.  On the ride back I was able to catch up with Richard and go at a conversational pace.  He has a beautiful new bamboo bike that he got because his daughter's nickname is Boo. 



The view from the bridge on the Trace.

Friday night was dinner at Fido's.  Yummy sweet potato gnocchi was dinner before heading over to socialize at Blackstone.  I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard.  Cody's stories had us all in stitches, shaking our heads.  I won't divulge details as to protect the identity of the not-so-innocent, but I will say it was fun and we all made it across to the hotel in one piece.

But my evening did not end there.  We had a bachelor party next door to us.  As I walked to my room, I encountered the bachelor, comatose and unconscious in the hallway, with his soon to be brother-in-law.  I politely stepped over the groom and went in to go to bed.  I fumbled for jammies and finally crawled into bed before hearing a knock at the door.  Good sense would have told me not to open the door at 1:30AM in nothing but my jammies, but I often lose my good sense.  There stands the brother in law who proceeds to explain to me that he couldn't get the bachelor up and his sister was going to so mad and a million other trivial details.  I listened for a few moments before shaking my head and telling him "it's not my problem" and shutting the door.

Saturday morning got there far too quickly and it ushered in the rain.  It did not look good for the planned 80 miles on the Trace.  As the skies continued to open, more and more folks backed out of the ride.  There were about 12 of us who started out towards Percy Warner Park.  Within three blocks, two turned back and my feet were starting to schoosh on the downstroke.  By the end of four miles, I could no longer see through my glasses.  I rode about 35 minutes out before crying uncle and heading back.  The only problem was I didn't quite remember how we had gotten there.  Relatively quickly I found the road to the hotel and decided to take it straight back.  There was heavy traffic, but at least I knew where I was.  I warmed up in a hot shower before we headed out to lunch and a mani/pedi.  My thought was that if I couldn't ride, I might as well do something productive.  Next up was a core/stretching class by Amy that I muddled through with my weakling modifications.

And then came Saturday night.  Dinner at Bosco's was first.  Good food, great company, bad innuendos sums it up pretty well.  And then we went to Cadillac Ranch.  Amy was bound and determined that someone needed to ride the mechanical bull.  While I am happy to say I stayed much longer than eight seconds, I must sadly tell you there is no photographic evidence.  Although the photos below do display the talents of some of my teammates who took the challenge as well.  In hind sight, it probably would have been a good move to go home after that, but when has that ever stopped me.  Coyote Ugly was next . . . and it got ugly.  That's all I can say because what happens at team camp, stays at team camp.  Naw, it wasn't that bad…nothing anyone who knows me wouldn't expect, but again, protecting the innocent.  I will just say that after all the years of warning students about the dangers of horse play, I had to go and prove it myself.  Black eye, bloody (possibly broken) nose, and eight of us piling into the cab rounded it all out.   

Sunday morning came even quicker than Saturday morning and my face hurt more than I can tell you.  It hurt to put my glasses on when we went to ride.  I would guess about 25 of us went to ride.  Most of the group split off and met some guys from Grand Fondo bikes.  Seven of us rode West End/Harding out to the trace and did a few miles out there.  It was chilly, damp, and windy, but it felt good to spin.  It wasn't my best quality ride, but we managed to get 47 done. 

Tom's look regarding Cody's story should tell it all.

Cindi conquering the bull.

Our bull riding cheering section.

Bring it!

After a shower and lunch, Cindi and I headed home.  The ride home was much the same as the ride there . . . non-stop talking and stories.  In spite of the lack of mileage, it was a great weekend. 

144/365: Love The Shadow

After a hard, hard winter I can't help but cherish this view.  I spent so many hours inside on the trainer or outside with a cloud-filled sky, a glimpse of the sun just gets me giddy.  With the time change quickly approaching, I hope to be able to see this more and more on a weeknight ride.  Right now it really doesn't matter how cold or windy it is, if the sun is shining, I'm itching to get on my bike.  I know as the weather gets warmer and clear skies are more prevelant, I will lose some of my appreciation of the sunlight.  I will take for granted the warmth of its rays on my face.  I will long for the cooler days of fall.  I will forget how hard it is to climb wearing layer after layer.  I hope this photo will remind me of my love of the light and help me to not take it for granted.

Base Camp 2011

To help boost my early season fitness, I decided to participate in a cycling base camp. The triathlon team that my coach runs, Fit2Train, organizes the camp Presidents' Day weekend annually in Fredericksburg, Texas. The camp leaves out of "the Ranch" and features three days of riding through beautiful, challenging Texas Hill Country.

131/265:  Jimmy's "art".  There's a small crack near the chainstay.  Still beautiful.

I arrived in Dallas on Friday morning. After lunch and a few errands, Michelle and I headed south. Our five hour drive was uneventful, save for some traffic and a detour. We stayed at The CycleHaus which is only a five minute bike ride from the ranch. The place is a small house on Jimmy's ranch. In addition to ranching, Jimmy is also half owner of a bike shop in Austin and is retired from the rodeo. We got settled and headed over to the Ranch. Supper that evening was at Hondo's in town.

Saturday we started with a pre-ride meeting at 8:30. The weather was overcast, 60, with mist. We rode out a few minutes after nine for an 84 mile route. The terrain reminded me a lot of St. Clair County in that the climbs were quick and steep, many of them stair steps. It was very much like riding up Triple Lakes Road from Stolle Quarry. We had great sag support, and only made one wrong turn! I also learned about cattle guards. These are sets of metal rods in the road that keep livestock from crossing. And boy did we see the livestock: cattle, steers, goats, sheep, alpacas, and llamas. By the end of the day I was tired but my legs felt pretty good. My lower back was tight, and my lady business hurt though. After a quick shower we went back to the ranch for Coach to talk on nutrition. As a group we headed back to Hondo's for a protein heavy supper. Knowing Sunday brought another long day, I opted for an early evening.

132/365:  Our first stop on Saturday.  Beautiful riding if not for the mist.

Sunday was a tough day for me mentally and physically. I didn't sleep well due to my icky cough, and the wind made the biking conditions less than stellar. To add to it, Chuck ended up with the short route group, so our long group lacked focus. Moreover, Rocky joined our band of cyclists. (think Bollwinkle and you'll figure out why I named him that). On the way to the tunnel, we faced a longish climb. Midway one of our girls faced a mechanical. A few of the group waited, but most pressed on. That's where I began to get crabby and fatigued. The wind was brutal on a smaller group, and Rocky just sucked wheel, doing no work, until he leap frogged to the next few riders. We finally all made it to the top and my legs and attitude were toast. I wanted to quit but knew we had some downhill on right ahead so I stayed on the bike. Finally at mile 36, I saw Michelle stopped and pulled the plug. My chest hurt, my legs were like pulled pork and my lady biz felt the red butt baboons' hineys look. We put the bike in the car and moved down the course. Luckily Michelle knows me well enough to know that I shouldn't quit so easily. She let me rest for a few miles, take some meds, and asked me if I was ready to go again. I hopped back on the bike and started pedaling. I should have been caught by the group within two minutes but wasn't. I kept going and looking back, no pack. I climbed a hill that reminded me of the ones on the Branson TT, still no group. Finally Michelle pulled back up and said there had been a crash. Jaime and two of the more novice riders were sent on and should reach me soon. When they got there I helped Jaime work with the girls. We rode as a foursome for about 15 minutes until the group caught on. The rest of the ride was good, and I even took a pull or two. I ended up with 68 miles for the day. My legs were tired. My back was great. My sugar cookie....it still hurts to even type about her. The hills for day two were more like the Monroe County Hills, D Road to be specific. They were longer, but more sweeping, with a few good pitches.

Sunday afternoon brought a quick 20 minute massage, a trip to town, and another nutrition talk. Supper was at Alamo Grill. The fried food proved a bit too much for me as I revisited it around midnight.

133/365:  One of the shops we visited in town had license plates all over the floor.  Never fournd a MO or IL.

Monday all groups rolled out at eight. The weather was perfect. It was overcast and 60 to start with the sun coming out by nine. Our first segment was an 11 miles stretch with a good hill and a fun descent. The route choice was to turn around at the end of the road for a 22 mile out and back, or to head on for a 42 mile ride. In spite of the fire down below, I pushed on. The route had some challenging climbs and some great descents. I learned that I am not as confident of a descenders when I don't know what lies ahead. I spent a lot of the ride solo, or with Katie and Marianna. They're both strong cyclists with steady wheels. I pushed for a while to catch the group of six in front of us, but could never quite make it on.

Within 30 minutes of getting off the bike, I was showered and we were headed back to the Metroplex to see if I could catch on earlier flight home. While we made it to DFW with time to spare, AA had overbooked the early flight as well as my flight, so we had some time to kill. A little sushi, wine, coffee and conversation made the time pass quickly. Unfortunately bad weather in Chicago and Minneapolis caused my flight to leave 45 minutes late. Wheels touched down at 9:406 St. Louis time.

134/365:  The beginning of a biker's tan.  I have a feeling it will fade before it's truly set in for the season.

I truly enjoyed the entire experience. I've never had the opportunity to devote so much time to my training in one chunk like this. It taught me a lot about my abilities, mentally and physically. It also gave me a chance to ride with other people and quickly learn their strengths and areas for growth.

105/365: Snow Ride, Take It Easy

There are some rides that are more epic than others. And then there is just plain craziness. This one falls somewhere on that spectrum. Lo & Alice planned our little adventure this morning--the City on cx bikes. Kate and Cindi were on board, and I invited Ryan to our little adventure.




Ryan had time constraints, so he and I met a little early. We headed down West Pine to Forest Park. I didn't know if I'd make it upright through those two blocks. It was thick and slow going. I kept telling myself to pedal through softly. We hit cleared pavement and the rest wasn't so bad. We did a lap through the park and headed back to meet the rest of the group. Somehow West Pine didn't seem as treacherous on the way back.



The group headed east from Ventana. Just as we were heading out, the snow began to fall. Couple that with an east wind, and Lindell was a bear to ride. Cindy turned around near downtown because she was riding slick cx tires and the roads were getting sketchy. From Lindell we took Broadway to Choteau. We stopped at the Taco Bell parking lot because I swore I had another flat. (I did have a tire kit with me though!) It was solid, but I think the snow and ice on my rim caused it to feel bumpy. Ryan needed to head back from there, and considering I had lost feeling in my fingers, I decided I would too. The ladies kept going for a bit longer. Our ride down Choteau was excellent. We had a tail wind the whole way. We cut back over to Ventana via Vandevener, and enjoyed a latte before heading home.

Kate had the right idea with the ski goggles.

74/365: Self-Portrait

Today's outside ride wasn't nearly as pleasant as my other two this week.  The weather today was about 26, windy and cloudy at ride time.  It took a little more gear for me to stay warm.  This is me pre-ride, wool buff, Santa hat and all.  Post ride I don't think my fingers would work enough to even snap a photo.  The forecast is still calling for snow for tomorrow.  While that will mean a white Christmas, it will also mean no outdoor road bike.  I am thinking, instead of suffering the trainer, I'll spend the next few days running as long as we don't get ice.

I pulled up my data from so far this year versus 2009.  With eight days left in 2010, I've ridden upwards of 1,100 miles more than I did in 2009.  That's pretty amazing.  What makes it even more significant is that my running numbers aren't all that low.  I'll end the year about 10-15 miles short of my 2009 running totals when I was training for a half.  I didn't run any races this year.

72/365: Weekday Ride Outside

I'm doing my best to take advantage of my time off work as it pertains to my workouts.  Today was not a beautiful day, at ride time it was around 40 degrees, overcast and windy, but it's still better than the trainer in the basement.  Coach Chuck gave me three weeks to work out as much or as little as I like, so while I have so structure in my head, I'm also making up my schedule as I go along.  If the weather permits at all, and my legs have anything in them, I plan on riding. 

I started with rolling hills today.  It felt good to have that burn as I climbed.  It's been a while since I've done hills, so I really had to remind myself of proper form.  I stopped on Hanover Road to take this shot.  It's right before the huge descent on to the bottoms.  I have ridden up the hill twice, but this way is much more fun.  Even with the barren trees, I think it's beautiful up here, the evergreen gives enough color to make the landscape interesting. 

The bottoms aren't as pretty this time of year.  With the crops cut and the cloudy sky, it almost feels desolate to me.  I don't like riding down there this time of year because of the view and the wind.  It eats at your soul and wears you down quickly, especially if you're alone.

Snow is due later this week, so my weekend riding will be probably be minimal.  I'm enjoying it while I can.

10/365: A Great Way to End the Day

I chose two photos for today . . . and that's amazing because I only took four total.

This was my original choice of photos. It's my most common view when I ride with the soon-to-be Ironpeeps. Tom is an incredibly strong athlete, both physically and mentally. When he has a workout to complete, he does it. There are no knitting circles when Tom's around. He's a let's get it done person. He usually sets a pretty strong pace for the group. If my workout allows it, I jump on his wheel and go. I occasionally offer to pull, but he's never taken me up on it. Better than that, Tom has a steady wheel as well. I'm comfortable in following him because there is no squirreliness involved.

On our way tonight, we met up with Tommy & Jenny. I remembered I had my camera in my jersey pocket and snapped this quickly. I decided to put it up because as I think back over the course of the last several years, Jenny has a lot to do with me getting back on the bike. (and I don't think she knows it.) I had started running after I had Bella and was dealing with a lot of pain and tightness in my glutes and hamstrings. I decided to give yoga a try and Jenny was the teacher. She was also a triathlete and was beginning her training for a half Ironman. She invited me along on a ride with the group and thus my love affair with my bike was rekindled. I may have eventually made my way back there, but she certainly was a catalyst for getting it started sooner and getting me to ride with a group.