What's My Excuse?

So much has happened. Where to begin?

Rainy Hill Repeats:

I'll start with a pic. Right after I got my road bike back from the shop, I did rainy hill repeats along Southshore, which runs almost the length of Lake Lemon. I stopped to get a few pics of this guy. There are always people fishing along the causeway; I wonder if they ever catch anything. After showing this pic to Thurston, he replied with the proper way to cook a carp--which is what he says this looks like. Get a log good and hot; smoke the fish on top of the log; discard the fish; eat the log. I'm guessing carp doesn't taste good.




Fox - Cat Standoff:

Later that week, Mr. Wonderful called me to the window where I snapped a grainy pic through the screen of a cool Fox-Cat standoff. The cat is seated in our compost pile where the fox wants to peruse the goodies. I was surprised to see the cat win when the fox retreated. Who knew?

Ride 2 Recovery:
Engaged with some volunteer duties, I missed some training time. I sometimes stress over missed days, but I understand things will pop up every now and then. One such occassion was the Crane Cyclefest that I helped organize. As part of the national Ride 2 Recovery program, this bike ride raised $$ to help wounded veterans go through bicycle rehab for their injuries.

Our venue raised over $35,000, mostly in corporate sponsorships. I had the opportunity to go to dinner with and ride with a couple of the veterans that travel around. These guys (and girls, I presume) have overcome severe challenges and continue to have fun on 2 wheels. What a tremendous achievement and attitude. From now on, I ask myself, "What's My Excuse?" whenever I'm feeling sore, tired, or defeated. These guys are super cool and it was a pleasure meeting them.

Delvin McMillian:

Juan Carlos Hernandez:

Racing:

Twice yesterday I had to tell myself to keep going and to keep pushing it. The French Lick DRT race was a 27-mile race with over 3,000 feet of climbing. OUCH! I had a goal to try to stay with the fast girls. That lasted about 90 seconds when we started climbing on the single track. We didn't finish climbing until mile 6 of the 9-mile loop. One sweet down hill on the back side then it was all climbing again. I had the EXACT wrong set up for this course. With my stiff seatpost and 1x9, I was begging for a granny gear and suspension. The trails are quite new, so I was bouncing around all over the pace. I'm definitely riding my thudbuster for the US Cup qualifier DINO race. In other news, I'm getting my new bike next week, so I'll have a granny on at least one bike!

Yesterday I rode in a time trial--a fund raiser for HMBA. This event took place on the flat, twisty turns at Town Run Trail Park. It's a terrific place to practice cornering--something I really, really, really need to work on. Perhaps a road trip is in order for me. I was the 3rd of 5 females--respectable in my opinion.

Tractor:

And last, I have to mention the new tractor. I've driven it twice now, and I have to say it is WAY COOL. I'm sure I'm not as excited as Mr. Wonderful is, but it's certainly a workhorse. Coming down to the wire, I was sure he would get a John Deere, but he changed his mind at the last minute and went with the Kubota. It has a bunch of hydrolic hoses & stuff--seems like a lot that could go wrong and be a pain in the butt to fix. I guess that's the trade-off for all the goodies: front end loader, back hoe, mower, & tiller.

Independently Wealthy-1

I think I need to start my "Independently Wealthy" series. This is where I just highlight one of the things I would do or buy if I were Independently Wealthy. Granted, there isn't enough space allocated to me by Blogspot to show everything, so these posts will likely be random.

Today, Mr. Wonderful was talking about an acquaintance who recently went on a motorcycle trip. With his newly purchased Kawasaki KLR, this guy rode his dual-purpose (off road/on road) bike to Story, IN on some backroads. Then, the clan met up and journeyed over some gravel roads, dirt roads, trails and through creeks! Yes, there is a cult of some sort where people as geeky as mountain bike riders jazz up their rides and do crazy things! I LOVE IT! I think I should get in to it. I already have a motorcycle endorsement on my license; that's a start, right????

Imagine all the cool gear and skillz I could pick up if I were to buy one of these. The bikes themselves are around $6,000 MSRP--hell, some bicycles cost more than that. So, it's not a huge cost, but I would need lots of time off to go play, lots of new gear, lots of goodies and adaptations for the bike, and lots of lessons. Therefore, this interest, for now, goes in my Independently Wealthy Wishful Thinking series.

2010 - DINO 1 - Winona Lake

This is how it played out:

Results from DINO website:
Rank Finish Time DINO# First Last Team/Sponsor
1 1:40:08 90 Nicole Borem DRT Racing
2 1:43:02 23 Sara Krause Krause Sports Performance
3 1:43:22 154 Amanda McKay Shamrock Cycles
4 1:45:45 109 Emily Benson DRT Racing
5 1:50:55 22 Jayne Prater DINO Adventure Racing
6 1:51:35 129 Katherine Mowat Kirks
7 1:51:50 102 Angela Breeden Bicycle Station
8 2:08:54 54 Meredith Link Bicycle Station
DNF 24 AnnaJean Dallaire Alderfer Bergen

While AnnaJean is a pro and Meredith is an awesome rider, these ladies had a bad day. So, I'm considering myself last. At the same time, I consider myself quite victorious.

1) Again, I felt strong this entire race. Quite honestly, it was the slick conditions that kept me from totally punching it. My time was actually 8 minutes slower than my personal best at this course. Given the conditions & back-asswards way they ran the course (opposite direction from usual), I'm happy with the time. As Luther P. pointed out to me after the race, "You're just faster than your bike." Awesome. I totally was faster than my bike yesterday. I get it. I had more to give at times. Or perhaps I just need to work on my technical skills. Lol.

2) For the first time ever, I didn't get lapped by the Pro men who started 14 minutes in front of me! I saw Matt B, my sponsor, on a certain part of the trail as it meanders through a grassy field. Snaking our way through the field, I knew I was in front of him, but didn't know by how much. I set a new goal: DO NOT LET HIM CATCH UP. He crossed the finish line about 30 seconds behind me, on his 3rd lap--my 2nd. How neat to find motivation in odd ways!

3) I crashed and didn't hurt anything. My bike was fine; I had a little scratch on my leg; it was fine. The only negative--2 guys saw it happen. I stood up and asked, "So, what's my score?" Thinking a 6.8 or 7.2--something along those lines, one replied, "25!" I hopped back on the bike and contemplated what 25 could possibly mean for the next 30 minutes.

-Was it out of 100? Surely not. The crash was not that lame.

-Was it out of 25? No, my landing was not very graceful, and the audible grunt/low scream was not very ladylike. I would not have received a perfect score for this.

-Was it some other obscure system I wasn't familiar with?

It turns out, Luther P. was one of those guys. As I'm relaying this story to him after the race, he says, "That was me and another guy!" I asked about the significance of 25.

"You were the 25th person to crash at that very spot."

"Oh. I guess I'm not a complete klutz then."

4) I finished only 15 seconds behind a girl that was beating me by 90 seconds last year. I will have to get better!

5) The 3 days leading up to the race, I was in a foul mood due to the forecast of rain, rain, and rain. Knowing the course would be muddy drastically lessened my desire to participate. As I was on the starting line, I told myself to suck it up, get over it, and have fun. I did. I overcame those negative thoughts.

6) And last--who can not feel like a champion at the top of a short, steep hill where strangers were ringing cow bells and cheering me on giving me motivation to dig deep and CLIMB? I thanked them both laps telling them it was just what I needed.

Sure, it would have been MUCH more fun if the course had been less wet and the roots less slickery. But it could have been much worse. I'm excited to keep it up and see what I can do next! Maybe I'll even gain a couple of positions by the end of the year.

I don't have any pics from this year, so I'll put some in from 2 years ago as I crashed out last year; my tire rolled off the rim in that one.

All smiles....

I'm just coming over the logs laughing at Matt.

My New, Favorite Hill

The title of this post changed in my head. Last Thursday I was already thinking of "Anger Management" when my mountain bike ride @ BCSP went all wrong. No, I didn't crash. No, I didn't get hurt. No, I didn't have to walk out of the woods. And that's why I changed the title post.

Going on little sleep and a little cranky already, I decided to try out my new 1 x 9 setup; Heather graciously agreed to go with me. Little did Heather know the foul language she would hear that night every time my chain skipped up and down the gears. I made it around the North Tower & Aynes loops before succumbing to frustration. (Sorry, Heather!) If you're like me, this "annoyance" makes concentrating on technique, form, cadence, and looking ahead nearly impossible as my brain starts focusing on the negative. BAD ANGELA!

While reading Three Cups of Tea that night thinking about the children in Korphe, Pakistan, I came to the conclusion - again - how much of a spoiled brat I am. Wah--my shifting isn't perfect. The kids in this region fortunate enough to attend school once a week literally do math problems in the dirt with sticks! Having not finished the book, I'm anticipating the fate of a new school that Greg Mortenson promises to deliver.

I also calmed down on the way home when I realized that's one of the reasons I went to BCSP that night--to get the kinks worked out. Yes, there will be kinks; identify them, fix them, and move on! Granted, once every couple of years, the red-headed temper flares up.

Many who know me have heard me say, "There's only 1 hill worth going up--Bear Wallow Hill--because the downhill is SO SWEET!" Most descents in this region have a 90-degree curve or a stop sign at the bottom mandating caution while slowing momentum. Bear Wallow lets you ride out that momentum with some nice, sweeping curves.

Anyway, I have a new, favorite hill now. I never thought I would say those words. I set out yesterday with one goal--to do that hill. Riding past Gatesville, the road takes a 90-degree left turn. After a mile or so, the road just starts creeping up--very gently, in fact. A creek filled with flowing water and cool rocks accompany the rider through dense leaves. There is no steep grade; I can accelerate on this hill! While there's no downhill on the other side--well, not immediately, it is truly a pleasant climb. OMG--another phrase I never thought I would say.

Without clearly checking maps, I ended up missing a turn and found myself staring at a Dairy Queen in the distance. Huh? Where was I? The signs indicated Trafalgar. Not knowing my way home through Morgantown backroads, I doubled back in search of the missed turn. I missed it again. My map showed a named road while road signs displayed county road numbers.

Knowing storms were looming, I turned back the way I came and descended the awesome hill on Sweetwater Trail (N. Peoga) Road. It was worth it! Boring, I know, but I returned the way I came making for a 60+ mile out-and-back. I had some options, but the skies were getting darker and shorter/faster won over exploration this time.

I walked in the door 3 seconds before it started pouring. I helped myself to a bowl of chocolate ice cream (who am I kidding? I didn't use a bowl.) and watched the delayed Little 500 race on HDNet. Some days are bad, some days are good.

Knobscorcher - North Carolina

Another mini-vacation! I just want to say how extremely fortunate I am to get to do such exciting things. Last Thursday, Mr. Wonderful and I packed up our van and headed to Bryson City, NC to the Tsali Recreation Area to embark on some trail riding. In addition to our goal to get in some trail time, I wanted to test out the new bike (frame) build on a race course.

It's awesome when the bikes ride inside the vehicle.

Getting a late start on Thursday, we came upon 2 traffic snags that delayed our travels. Historically, I've been like George Costanza in the Seinfeld episode (I think Bubble Boy) when George loses Jerry because he wants to make good time. Perhaps my nonchalant attitude about traffic jams came about because of technology's distractions, specifically my iPhone.

I hate Pigeon Forge. Yet, there I was stuck--for 45 minutes--looking at all of the offerings this tourist trap has to offer. Hubby and I started discussing the origins of the name of this city. With my Wiki app, I learned the population of this town with the lone stretch of road is 5,083.

SERIOUSLY?!?!? Seeing more cars than that at 2 stoplights, I wondered if the unemployment rate was near 0%. Apparently other people DO like Pigeon Forge and want to see everything it as to offer.

Anyway, tourist town behind us, we continued through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's beauty stuns me every time I drive along that path. I could live here. Eastern KY, TN or Western N.C. It's breathtaking.

So, we arrived at the campsite a little late after stopping by the grocery; quickly set up the tent and made some dinner.

Now I want to share with you how much I love car camping and why. Above was our abode for the next 4 nights--The North Face Trailhead 8 (an REI dividend reward for dutifully using our credit card.) Yes, it's supposed to sleep 8 people, and we enjoyed it all to ourselves. I can fully stand up in this tent!!! We took an air mattress and slept on it! It sure beats carrying your tent in your backpack--along with the thermarest to sleep on.

And can I mentioned the food now? We ate real food since we had a cooler and a gas stove. By real food I mean, bacon (not just on the first day), pancakes, fajitas, pasta, etc. No freeze dried crap. (As if I eat that stuff anyway when backpacking.)

That night, as the temperatures dropped into the high 20s or low 30s, I went through my usualy ritual of getting up in the middle of the night to pee. Brrrr! The covers weren't quite keeping me warm. At O'dark-thirty, I broke out the sleeping back and snuggled in. Ahhhhh--warmth!

We spent the next two days riding, riding, and riding. The trails are phenomenal. Early Friday, I learned I had worn out some of my bike parts when I got chain suck 3 times. YES! I am riding enough (or not changing the chain often enough) to have worn out the front chain rings. I really, really, really, wanted my granny gear for this course and was lucky that some Columbus folks could bring me some new rings before Sunday's race. THANKS to Jacob, Amanda (riding for Shamrock Cycles), & Emily for bringing these to me.

The boys changed these out for me, and I was good to go.

Sunday's race was HARD. I knew it would be. In 2008 I did the Knobscorcher and cried at the finish. No kidding. I hurt so bad and was so thankful that it had ended, I cried. There has been only 1 other time this happened; it was last year's 6-hour race in Kentucky when I had to pee so bad.

The 30.5 mile race had over 2500 feet of climbing, which also means it had some phenomenal downhills. I felt good about my descents and cornering. I was loose and focused--a difficult feat for 3-hours. But best of all, this was probably the first race where I didn't have the demon voice in my head saying, "Gosh it hurts so bad I should just quit." I stayed racing the entire time; and did so happily. My reward was catching 2 girls at the end. Sadly, I had enough gas to pass only one while the second finished ahead of me. Still, I had to give it my all in the last mile to ensure I wouldn't get passed back. EXCITING stuff!

I know I lost much time stopping to let the Sport men go by and, um, walking up the really steep, rocky hills by the Overlook. But I was having fun. The weather was perfect and despite already sore legs, I felt good. Race day was the final day of a hard, 3-week training block; I didn't have grand expectations with or without being sore. But I did want to feel good. Despite placing 18th out of 23, I was happy with my effort. In looking back, I shaved off 15 minutes from my 2008 time. This made me ecstatic! While the course and conditions were a little different, I'm going to credit some of that gain by consistent training.

Other lessons learned. DRINK, DAMMIT! For the two days prior I didn't consume much water and ran out on the course with about 45 minutes left to race. 70 oz in my camelback and 25 oz of Heed in the bottle. Gone. My upcoming XC races won't be as long as this one, so I shouldn't have that problem again. But I can help prevent dehydration by drinking a lot prior to the race.

Some people are just total buttholes. A couple of Sport guys impolitely asked (told) to get around me on a flying descent. I wasn't about to stop (as there was no place to pass) to let them go by at that particular moment. They would have to wait for a better place. So, I was heckled, again, impolitely for a few more seemingly long seconds. So much for being good sports. I'm glad I didn't let it bother me too much; it was much too beautiful where I was to let words get to me.

Still need to work on muddy sections. I hesitated too much in puddles and creeks. Plow through it! There weren't many muddy sections, but I did slow down too much losing precious seconds (or minutes?), especially when I needed more juice to get back up to speed. What happened to all my skills drills from earlier in the year? My reality check tells me I need to start incorporating them again--frequently!

In a nutshell, that was my North Carolina trip. There's so much more to say; you'll have to trust me that it's a beautiful place. It's certainly worth another road trip. Any takers?

More pics.....

The Thomson trail littered with Rhododendrons.

The happy couple...

The overlook...


Group shot

Lake Fontana

Bike shot on the Thomson trail

Leftover fajita that went into the omelet the next morning.

3 Bicycle Station team members for the Knobscorcher

Noah & Sierra

Never too old to learn

After having a warranty frame sitting in my house for a few months, I finally got the urge to build it up. With a superb day for trail riding, Saturday offered me an awesome ride followed by 2 days of guidance in tearing down my old GF Paragon and building up the new frame. Deciding to race Big Wheel again this year, I'm stoked about all the new stuff! More explanations later on my recent expenditures. But for the interim, pics are below.

What I learned in a nutshell:

1) No matter how careful, when doing any kind of mechanical task, you will bang your knuckles/fingers on something.

2) 5 mm is the most popular allen wrench size for the bolts on my bike.

3) Don't take too many parts out of the shifter when installing new cables. Oops.

4) Being told while building a bike for the first time, "Use some common sense" should, apparently, not spark any frustration. Granted, for the most part, Mr. Wonderful was super patient with me.

5) Some bolts get greased; some bolts get loc-tite (sp?). I still don't know which bolts should get which goop. When I asked, the answer was along the lines of, "Loc-tite the ones you don't want to fall out."

6) Last year's green ergo grips don't necessarily go with the new color scheme.

7) It's best to have your own tools and know how to use them. (This is my second endorsement of expenditures on tools!)

8) 3M tape is quite handy to prevent cable rub on the frame.

9) Having a husband that rides bikes makes for good component options from all the spare parts. (Note Bontrager xXx Lite seatpost. It wasn't mine originally.)

10) The shop is totally worth it.

Exploring new roads

Many times I like to have a destination when cycling versus doing a loop. Knowing I'm going somewhere instead of in a circle gives me more of a sense of purpose. I know, I know--It doesn't serve a greater purpose unless I'm commuting and using my bicycle for transportation instead of my car. Nevertheless, I set out to ride to Columbus on Saturday since hubby would already be over there for his own exciting adventures. And since he was taking the, um, mini-van, I could easily fit my bike in the back and get a ride home.

After getting lost last year on a quest to go to the bike shop, I knew which turned I had missed and vowed to get it right this time. Just after Gatesville, I was looking for Hoover Road. Yep--it was right where the map said it would be with the street sign turned so drivers and cyclists couldn't read it from the approaching angle. Classic.

And then I was on new roads. Well, the roads themselves weren't new; rather, I had never been on them before. I was honestly smiling from the singing frogs in the morning. It was supposed to rain, and I hadn't felt one drop. (Forgetting to throw a bag of clothes in the van before Jason left, I had a camelback on with spare clothes in zip lock bags--just in case I was poured on!) I saw some geese flying North and gobbled at some turkeys in an empty field.

The next turn was Grandview road. Matt B explained that it's gravel for only a mile or so, and I would have no trouble on my road bike on this section. What he failed to explain that this was a long, steep hill! OUCH! I was a little worried about getting a flat, but my only other option at this point was to ride the highway; and I didn't really want to do that. The steepest part seemed like my own Brummetts Creek Rd hill, but it leveled out some mid-way up and kept reaching towards the sky. Was it ever going to end? Geesh.

As I was nearing the top, I saw a sight that I thought I would NEVER see. Two road cyclists were making their way DOWN the hill. WHY???????? Why would anyone want to descend this beast? As I got closer, I heard my name. I could now see it was Jacob & Amanda. We stopped to chat. It turns out the road did turn to pavement just a few feet ahead. Jacob was showing Amanda some new routes; their plan was to go down the hill, check out the intersection, then ride back up the hill. I was invited to join them. AS IF! I think I've explained that I'm the one that always wants to take a shortcut or NOT tack on extra mileage--let alone another steep, gravel hill while on my road bike. They must be smoking crack.

Before I knew it, I was following them down the hill. My forearms hurt from braking. With the previous night's rain and some of the gravel washed away, our tires were sinking into the mud.

I brought the wrong bike, I thought.

And as promised, we turned around at the bottom and climbed up it again. My guides showed me the way to Columbus via the bike path and escorted me to the Bicycle Station. It was fun talking to them and hearing the excitement in their voices as they talked about their upcoming wedding. They are certainly a cute couple! And, I got to hear all about their new team for local (Indy) bike builder, Shamrock Cycles. I have been admiring Tim's frames for a long time--they are truly artwork with excellent craftsmanship. If you get a chance, click on the link and view his creations.

To top off my good fortune, as I was pedaling through Columbus, I saw Hubby at a stoplight on his way to the Bicycle Station to pick me up. Awesome timing.

Unfortunately, Sunday's weather didn't cooperate and I opted for an indoor ride. Boo. Hiss. But I'm patting myself on the back for doing extra work twice this week! Looking forward to Summer and dry trails. Have I mentioned that yet?

Life is good.