Friday, November 30, 2007
A Saturday AM ride in WB if you're interested
Let's try and get one in before the "winter storm" hits.
When: Saturday, December 1st - AM ride
Where: Meet at the Nigh's house (in West Bend) at 10:00am to ride down, OR meet at the trail parking lot at Glacial Blue around 10:30am (ready to go). We'll swing by there once we've braved the cold winds down the hill.
If you need directions or have any questions, drop me an e-mail. brittany@netwurx.net
We'll split into 2 (or more) groups depending on how many people we have and what pace those people are comfortable with. For me. . . .a SLOW pace is likely about all the body has to offer at this point in the year.
See you on the trails. . . . . .before the snow flies!!
When: Saturday, December 1st - AM ride
Where: Meet at the Nigh's house (in West Bend) at 10:00am to ride down, OR meet at the trail parking lot at Glacial Blue around 10:30am (ready to go). We'll swing by there once we've braved the cold winds down the hill.
If you need directions or have any questions, drop me an e-mail. brittany@netwurx.net
We'll split into 2 (or more) groups depending on how many people we have and what pace those people are comfortable with. For me. . . .a SLOW pace is likely about all the body has to offer at this point in the year.
See you on the trails. . . . . .before the snow flies!!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thought for the day
This was sent to me today. I found it interesting, of course.
As Ben Franklin said: 'In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria'.
In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 litre of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of E-coli bacteria found in feces.
In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.
However, we do NOT run the risk when drinking wine and beer (or tequila, rum whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.
Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health
Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit.
There is no need to thank me for this valuable information...I'm doing it as a public service.
As Ben Franklin said: 'In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria'.
In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 litre of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of E-coli bacteria found in feces.
In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.
However, we do NOT run the risk when drinking wine and beer (or tequila, rum whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.
Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health
Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit.
There is no need to thank me for this valuable information...I'm doing it as a public service.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Update
Yes, I am still alive.
Exterior illumination is complete, however I need to go back and FIX a couple sets of lights that for some reason aren't lighting already (cheap crap). We also need to re-evaluate the blow-up Santa we have (Mountaingoat LOVES those) as he's in a windy spot and appears drunk most of the time.
We survived Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving clean-up, and the West Bend Christmas parade, for which we basically built a float that kicked a$$. I've got pics, but need to download them. The sad thing is I don't have video, and that's the REALLY cool part, cuz it's a light show that's coordinated to music. Otherwise it just looks stupid.
Our AA at work is departing on a 2 week vacation starting Thursday. . . . . .and I seem to be the only one she trusts with all her passwords and "private" information. So I'll be filling the rolls of 2+ people for a couple weeks while I help her and others. . . . .which means these next couple days I need to bust ass getting all my shit done so I'm not COMPLETELY overwhelmed.
With that said. . . . .I'd better get busy. It's a good thing Captain and I decided to take our "off time" NOW. We seem to be extraordinarily busy this past week+. I don't know how we would fit workouts in on top of everything else. Although my body sure misses them. I feel like a piece of shit.
Exterior illumination is complete, however I need to go back and FIX a couple sets of lights that for some reason aren't lighting already (cheap crap). We also need to re-evaluate the blow-up Santa we have (Mountaingoat LOVES those) as he's in a windy spot and appears drunk most of the time.
We survived Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving clean-up, and the West Bend Christmas parade, for which we basically built a float that kicked a$$. I've got pics, but need to download them. The sad thing is I don't have video, and that's the REALLY cool part, cuz it's a light show that's coordinated to music. Otherwise it just looks stupid.
Our AA at work is departing on a 2 week vacation starting Thursday. . . . . .and I seem to be the only one she trusts with all her passwords and "private" information. So I'll be filling the rolls of 2+ people for a couple weeks while I help her and others. . . . .which means these next couple days I need to bust ass getting all my shit done so I'm not COMPLETELY overwhelmed.
With that said. . . . .I'd better get busy. It's a good thing Captain and I decided to take our "off time" NOW. We seem to be extraordinarily busy this past week+. I don't know how we would fit workouts in on top of everything else. Although my body sure misses them. I feel like a piece of shit.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
The Day after Thanksgiving
AKA: Black Friday
Yes, we got up before the Roosters were even THINKING about crowing, when the moon was absolutely HUGE and rather spectacular, and hit the stores. And no, it wasn't even MY idea.
Our home phone rang at 4:55am, minutes before our alarm was set to go off. Captain sat up dreading the call, as he feared it was work chasing him down to work on the ONE day after Thanksgiving that he hasn't had to work. Thankfully, that was not the case. Rather, it was my MOTHER, who usually doesn't even MOVE before 9:00am. She was up and ready to hit the stores and wanted to make sure everyone else was too.
We got ready, grabbed a to-go cup of Java (for myself) and a steamy cup of Chai (for Bill). And we were out the door at 5:30, in line at 5:43 at Cabelas (of course).
They opened the doors and everyone swarmed. We didn't even KNOW what the sales were, nor did we actually NEED anything, we just got caught up in the moment and followed the crowds to find the "deals". At one point I battled a swarm of people over a bin of long underwear. Pieces were flying, people were digging, I think one person even fell in and almost didn't get back out in one piece. The sick thing is after fighting for several appropriately sized pieces and walking around the store with them for an hour, I ended up putting them back as we decided we didn't need them. But the fight was fun anyway.
From there we hit Menards, and cruised the store looking for the "balloons", which symbolized "big savings". Scored another DVD player for $15, another Christmas tree (I think that makes like 7 or 8 artificial trees for us?) and a few other misc items.
From there, I decided I was DONE. It was nearly 10am, I was STARVING and I simply couldn't handle any more shopping. So we headed home and started phase ONE of the exterior illumination.
Today we should be able to wrap up phase 2 and finish a few other odds & ends. Then maybe we'll make a chart of how many Christmas trees we have, where they're going, and what their "themes" will be this year. I think we'll need to get a few more ornaments. . . . . .
Should be a good time. :-)
Yes, we got up before the Roosters were even THINKING about crowing, when the moon was absolutely HUGE and rather spectacular, and hit the stores. And no, it wasn't even MY idea.
Our home phone rang at 4:55am, minutes before our alarm was set to go off. Captain sat up dreading the call, as he feared it was work chasing him down to work on the ONE day after Thanksgiving that he hasn't had to work. Thankfully, that was not the case. Rather, it was my MOTHER, who usually doesn't even MOVE before 9:00am. She was up and ready to hit the stores and wanted to make sure everyone else was too.
We got ready, grabbed a to-go cup of Java (for myself) and a steamy cup of Chai (for Bill). And we were out the door at 5:30, in line at 5:43 at Cabelas (of course).
They opened the doors and everyone swarmed. We didn't even KNOW what the sales were, nor did we actually NEED anything, we just got caught up in the moment and followed the crowds to find the "deals". At one point I battled a swarm of people over a bin of long underwear. Pieces were flying, people were digging, I think one person even fell in and almost didn't get back out in one piece. The sick thing is after fighting for several appropriately sized pieces and walking around the store with them for an hour, I ended up putting them back as we decided we didn't need them. But the fight was fun anyway.
From there we hit Menards, and cruised the store looking for the "balloons", which symbolized "big savings". Scored another DVD player for $15, another Christmas tree (I think that makes like 7 or 8 artificial trees for us?) and a few other misc items.
From there, I decided I was DONE. It was nearly 10am, I was STARVING and I simply couldn't handle any more shopping. So we headed home and started phase ONE of the exterior illumination.
Today we should be able to wrap up phase 2 and finish a few other odds & ends. Then maybe we'll make a chart of how many Christmas trees we have, where they're going, and what their "themes" will be this year. I think we'll need to get a few more ornaments. . . . . .
Should be a good time. :-)
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving
The day started off rather uneventful. Bill went out hunting for a bit while I cooked a few of the dishes for the evening's celebration and put the finishing touches on the cleaning around the house.
Bill got home, made his famous "sweet potatoes", we hit the showers, got ready and off we went to his sister's house (in Merton) for round one of the Thanksgiving celebration.
On our way we stopped to get gas, which was probably a very good thing. As we continued on with our journey chatting a bit, we heard a rather loud smash and turned our attention to the road ahead of us to see that we had just avoided being a part of an accident. We saw the car 2 cars in front of us, a Geo Metro, finish it's spin and come to a stop in the middle of the road, while the Ford Explorer ahead of it slowed and pulled to the side of the road.
Being the type of person I am, I yelled for Bill to call 911 as I jumped out to rush to the car, of which there was about HALF of left. I of course was the first to arrive, and I opened the driver's door to see the smoke from the airbags pour from the car. I wondered what kind of condition the driver would be in, there was SOOO much damage to the car. Surprisingly enough, he was somewhat coherent, with a cut on his head and what appeared to be minor injuries. Two additional people came running to the car, a couple, one a nurse, the other a med student. Between the 3 of us we tried to keep the driver in the car. He wanted to get out and had no idea what had happened. In the back of his car I saw a number of beer cans (however they looked full and I didn't smell any alcohol).
Suddenly we noticed the second party, the one that was in the Ford Explorer, had tried to come see what happened, and had nearly collapsed in the process. The couple rushed to his attention, soon to find out the guy was not only injured, but had prostate cancer and was undergoing Chemo, complete with a port in his chest. He was doubled over in rough shape.
Luckily within minutes a first responder was on the scene, and a number of spectators were helping direct traffic. A few minutes later there were 2 ambulances, 2 or 3 firetrucks and about 5 police vehicles. There had to be at LEAST 10 firefighters/EMT people swarming around.
As it went down, it appears the second vehicle (the Geo Metro) actually REAR ENDED the Ford Explorer. How that happened, none of us had any idea. The Ford Explorer didn't appear to have been turning, nor did they tap their brakes. . . . .the Geo Metro appeared to have just plain ran into him.
As we sat pinned within the police cars, ambulances and firetrucks, we reflected on how it only takes a moment for a person's life to change. Just a moment of inattentive driving can change everything. Luckily in this case it appears the people will live to tell the story. Now that's something to be thankful for. 
Bill got home, made his famous "sweet potatoes", we hit the showers, got ready and off we went to his sister's house (in Merton) for round one of the Thanksgiving celebration.
On our way we stopped to get gas, which was probably a very good thing. As we continued on with our journey chatting a bit, we heard a rather loud smash and turned our attention to the road ahead of us to see that we had just avoided being a part of an accident. We saw the car 2 cars in front of us, a Geo Metro, finish it's spin and come to a stop in the middle of the road, while the Ford Explorer ahead of it slowed and pulled to the side of the road.
Being the type of person I am, I yelled for Bill to call 911 as I jumped out to rush to the car, of which there was about HALF of left. I of course was the first to arrive, and I opened the driver's door to see the smoke from the airbags pour from the car. I wondered what kind of condition the driver would be in, there was SOOO much damage to the car. Surprisingly enough, he was somewhat coherent, with a cut on his head and what appeared to be minor injuries. Two additional people came running to the car, a couple, one a nurse, the other a med student. Between the 3 of us we tried to keep the driver in the car. He wanted to get out and had no idea what had happened. In the back of his car I saw a number of beer cans (however they looked full and I didn't smell any alcohol).
Suddenly we noticed the second party, the one that was in the Ford Explorer, had tried to come see what happened, and had nearly collapsed in the process. The couple rushed to his attention, soon to find out the guy was not only injured, but had prostate cancer and was undergoing Chemo, complete with a port in his chest. He was doubled over in rough shape.
Luckily within minutes a first responder was on the scene, and a number of spectators were helping direct traffic. A few minutes later there were 2 ambulances, 2 or 3 firetrucks and about 5 police vehicles. There had to be at LEAST 10 firefighters/EMT people swarming around.
As it went down, it appears the second vehicle (the Geo Metro) actually REAR ENDED the Ford Explorer. How that happened, none of us had any idea. The Ford Explorer didn't appear to have been turning, nor did they tap their brakes. . . . .the Geo Metro appeared to have just plain ran into him.
As we sat pinned within the police cars, ambulances and firetrucks, we reflected on how it only takes a moment for a person's life to change. Just a moment of inattentive driving can change everything. Luckily in this case it appears the people will live to tell the story. Now that's something to be thankful for.Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
A Quote for the day
"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation."
-- Brian Tracy, Author
Advice that's hard to follow most of the time. . . . . .at least for me. I think I spend a little too much time dwelling on the negative, even when I don't WANT to. . . .even when I don't know I'm even doing it.
Sometimes it's hard to see the silver lining in every cloud. To understand why things happen to you, why people do the things that they do, why the people around you treat you the way they do sometimes. I guess it isn't a matter of understanding. . . . .perhaps it's more a matter of knowing that some things just ARE. Perhaps trying to find the "positive" within the "negative" will propel us to the next level.
After all. . . . .it's all a matter of how WE react to things that happen in our worlds, right? So if we decide to react with positive energy and focus on ourselves, maybe the world will be a better place? Perhaps at least our OWN little worlds will be a better place.
Have a peaceful Monday.
-- Brian Tracy, Author
Advice that's hard to follow most of the time. . . . . .at least for me. I think I spend a little too much time dwelling on the negative, even when I don't WANT to. . . .even when I don't know I'm even doing it.
Sometimes it's hard to see the silver lining in every cloud. To understand why things happen to you, why people do the things that they do, why the people around you treat you the way they do sometimes. I guess it isn't a matter of understanding. . . . .perhaps it's more a matter of knowing that some things just ARE. Perhaps trying to find the "positive" within the "negative" will propel us to the next level.
After all. . . . .it's all a matter of how WE react to things that happen in our worlds, right? So if we decide to react with positive energy and focus on ourselves, maybe the world will be a better place? Perhaps at least our OWN little worlds will be a better place.
Have a peaceful Monday.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
An ok weekend
Overall it was a good weekend. Spent some time with some girlfriends Friday night, tipped back a few beverages, had some delicious Mexican food, made a pyramid, went to bed with Shooter (aka SS Amy) at 10:00pm. Fun times.
Saturday morning brought us crappy weather but we packed up the bikes none-the-less and headed off to the River Trails to meet up with the girls. A few face plants were taken, a couple biffs, one Alterra boy we met up with (Ty) took a splooch in the river, but all-in-all a good time was had by all. Afterwards we headed out to the Twisted Fork for some post ride calories. We talked of our riding experiences, our future trips we want to take with our bikes, and who's on our "lists". Meg laughed at us "old" women. . . . .and found it humorous that I had to take 2 Advil that morning, on top of the Aleve I take every day, because I was stiff. Just wait I told her, some day that's going to be HER, maybe not for another 20+ years, but SOMEDAY. Again. . . .a good time.
Sunday I woke up stiff and a bit fatigued from Friday & Saturday's riding, so I decided to spectate at the Sun Prairie cross race. Cross is SO much more fun when you spectate. One day I'll have to try spectating with a buzz. I bet it's even MORE fun then.
One more night in the big house alone before Captain comes home. I miss him a little bit. Don't tell him tho'. It will go to his head.
Saturday morning brought us crappy weather but we packed up the bikes none-the-less and headed off to the River Trails to meet up with the girls. A few face plants were taken, a couple biffs, one Alterra boy we met up with (Ty) took a splooch in the river, but all-in-all a good time was had by all. Afterwards we headed out to the Twisted Fork for some post ride calories. We talked of our riding experiences, our future trips we want to take with our bikes, and who's on our "lists". Meg laughed at us "old" women. . . . .and found it humorous that I had to take 2 Advil that morning, on top of the Aleve I take every day, because I was stiff. Just wait I told her, some day that's going to be HER, maybe not for another 20+ years, but SOMEDAY. Again. . . .a good time.
Sunday I woke up stiff and a bit fatigued from Friday & Saturday's riding, so I decided to spectate at the Sun Prairie cross race. Cross is SO much more fun when you spectate. One day I'll have to try spectating with a buzz. I bet it's even MORE fun then.
One more night in the big house alone before Captain comes home. I miss him a little bit. Don't tell him tho'. It will go to his head.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
DON'T
Don't let a friend talk you into watching a scary movie after which they dart out the door to head home while you're left alone in a big house analyzing every creaking noise.
Yeah, scary movies are good. . . . . . sometimes. Tonight is not one of those times.
At least I'll have house guests tomorrow night. Thank goodness.
Yeah, scary movies are good. . . . . . sometimes. Tonight is not one of those times.
At least I'll have house guests tomorrow night. Thank goodness.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Update
I guess I should have researched this prior to updating my blog. Sorry. There were 36 women in my age group. The winner beat me by 10 minutes.
Iceman 2007 WOMEN results
Iceman 2007 MEN results
Still a little disappointed tho'.
Iceman 2007 WOMEN results
Iceman 2007 MEN results
Still a little disappointed tho'.
Iceman 2007
Yeah. . . . .it wasn't quite what I hoped for.
Overall the weekend was a good one. . . . .nice drive up (LONG, but nice), decent hotel, nice pre-ride, fun time hanging out with peeps, blah, blah, blah. BUT, race results weren't what I was hoping for.
The temperature was about 25 degrees when we started (I checked the thermometer on the truck) and it was in the low 50's when we finished. Tough to dress for. SO, first off, I over dressed. That was ok though, I just unzipped the wind vest and let the air hit my sweat soaked jersey and I cooled quickly.
The Iceman is one of those races that attract a variety of skill levels. Starting behind the sport boys meant I was destined to pass a LOT of people. Boys who's skills were sub par, boys who braked for every downhill, every bump that "looked" intimidating, who wobbled from side to side of the trail, who pedaled so slowly uphill I wasn't sure I'd stay upright. . . . .so I got to practice my passing skills a LOT. But that was ok. Sure, it took a lot more effort to ride OFF the trail in the grass/leaves/crappy line than it did to ride the nice trail. . . .but such is life.
My race time was about 2:24. That's approximately 4 minutes better than last year, but the course was in much better condition than last year so I believe every one's times were better.
We started out relatively hard, and I managed to hang with a small pack of girls who were doing a pretty good pace. My heart rate was a little high, but I was fine with that as it wasn't over the top. We picked off boys right and left and suddenly I came across Clair who looked in distress. She had just been taken out by one of the other girls and ended up face planting - OUCH! But she got back in the mix of things, managed to gain her composure and chase down a number of girls, including me to finish 6th in her age class.
Looking back I know I took a small break in terms of effort in the middle of the race. I lost the pack of girls I was riding with in lap traffic and I wasn't able to catch back up which left me riding alone, as I usually do. At one point I looked down at my heart rate and saw it was in the 160's (that's pretty low for me) so I know there was a point I wasn't giving it what I should/could have been giving it. But other than that, I simply wasn't as fast. I rode clean, I managed to put the hammer down the last 30 minutes or so and with an effort just under LT I managed to catch and pass 4 or 5 girls within that time period.
I think not keeping my high end training up as well as I should have after SheVegas hurt me a bit, but I also think the competition was simply better this year. If the winning girl in my age group this year beat the time I set last year (when I won) by almost 20 minutes, I have to believe the caliber of girls racing this year was simply higher.
Anyway, it was a good time, I didn't fall, I managed to catch girls in the end, and I got to pass a LOT of boys, something I won't get to do much of next year. So all is good.
Watching the pro/semipro finish was fun, Brain Matter took it by leaps and bounds. Ned Overend was there and finished 6th I believe. I was very impressed by that. He's almost 60 I believe?? Whatever his age. . . .he's been around a LONG time. It was pretty cool seeing him SKOOL some of the younger pups. And Frankie Andreau raced as well. CK actually got to race with him, since they're in the same age class. The boys saw him prior to the race, but of course everyone thought he was a "discovery wanna be". They had no CLUE it was him. Sweet. CK said it was neat to ride wheel to wheel with him. I wish I was fast like that. Or fast like the winning woman. . . .holy shit. Those pro/semi-pro gals (and guys) are freakin' fast. Kinda makes me wish I started biking BEFORE I hit 30, instead of after. Oh well. I guess ya gotta work with what you have.
Overall the weekend was a good one. . . . .nice drive up (LONG, but nice), decent hotel, nice pre-ride, fun time hanging out with peeps, blah, blah, blah. BUT, race results weren't what I was hoping for.
The temperature was about 25 degrees when we started (I checked the thermometer on the truck) and it was in the low 50's when we finished. Tough to dress for. SO, first off, I over dressed. That was ok though, I just unzipped the wind vest and let the air hit my sweat soaked jersey and I cooled quickly.
The Iceman is one of those races that attract a variety of skill levels. Starting behind the sport boys meant I was destined to pass a LOT of people. Boys who's skills were sub par, boys who braked for every downhill, every bump that "looked" intimidating, who wobbled from side to side of the trail, who pedaled so slowly uphill I wasn't sure I'd stay upright. . . . .so I got to practice my passing skills a LOT. But that was ok. Sure, it took a lot more effort to ride OFF the trail in the grass/leaves/crappy line than it did to ride the nice trail. . . .but such is life.
My race time was about 2:24. That's approximately 4 minutes better than last year, but the course was in much better condition than last year so I believe every one's times were better.
We started out relatively hard, and I managed to hang with a small pack of girls who were doing a pretty good pace. My heart rate was a little high, but I was fine with that as it wasn't over the top. We picked off boys right and left and suddenly I came across Clair who looked in distress. She had just been taken out by one of the other girls and ended up face planting - OUCH! But she got back in the mix of things, managed to gain her composure and chase down a number of girls, including me to finish 6th in her age class.
Looking back I know I took a small break in terms of effort in the middle of the race. I lost the pack of girls I was riding with in lap traffic and I wasn't able to catch back up which left me riding alone, as I usually do. At one point I looked down at my heart rate and saw it was in the 160's (that's pretty low for me) so I know there was a point I wasn't giving it what I should/could have been giving it. But other than that, I simply wasn't as fast. I rode clean, I managed to put the hammer down the last 30 minutes or so and with an effort just under LT I managed to catch and pass 4 or 5 girls within that time period.
I think not keeping my high end training up as well as I should have after SheVegas hurt me a bit, but I also think the competition was simply better this year. If the winning girl in my age group this year beat the time I set last year (when I won) by almost 20 minutes, I have to believe the caliber of girls racing this year was simply higher.
Anyway, it was a good time, I didn't fall, I managed to catch girls in the end, and I got to pass a LOT of boys, something I won't get to do much of next year. So all is good.
Watching the pro/semipro finish was fun, Brain Matter took it by leaps and bounds. Ned Overend was there and finished 6th I believe. I was very impressed by that. He's almost 60 I believe?? Whatever his age. . . .he's been around a LONG time. It was pretty cool seeing him SKOOL some of the younger pups. And Frankie Andreau raced as well. CK actually got to race with him, since they're in the same age class. The boys saw him prior to the race, but of course everyone thought he was a "discovery wanna be". They had no CLUE it was him. Sweet. CK said it was neat to ride wheel to wheel with him. I wish I was fast like that. Or fast like the winning woman. . . .holy shit. Those pro/semi-pro gals (and guys) are freakin' fast. Kinda makes me wish I started biking BEFORE I hit 30, instead of after. Oh well. I guess ya gotta work with what you have.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
It's ON
Tomorrow we leave for the Iceman in Traverse City Michigan. Last year we encountered a blizzard on our way up there.
It's always interesting trying to figure out how to dress, especially when there haven't been that many COLD days this year. Last night we did a night ride and I completely OVER dressed, causing me to become one big sweat ball, which turned me into an icicle. Perhaps looking back on last year's pics will remind me how to dress. Or maybe not. . . . . . .
It's also strange to be doing a mountain bike race after such a long break from the end of the WORS season. While I've been doing some "fun" rides (some of which have had a little bit of intensity), I've really taken a break from race efforts. . . . .other than at the cross race. And we all know how THAT went.
But the Iceman is different. It's all different peeps, it's in a totally different place, it's completely different weather than we're accustomed to (I'm actually better in the COLD than I am in the HEAT so at least I've got that goin' for me), it's different terrain, and it's at a time of year where you're just out to have fun. So that's what I'm planning for. Last year I had absolutely NO idea what to expect and I did pretty good. This year I have a bit of a clue. . . . .and although my fitness is probably a little behind last year I think I'm still gonna have a good time.
I'll just have to remember to french fry when I feel like I need to pizza.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Estabrook Park Cross Race
Yeah, I remembered cross racing was hard, but I seem to have forgotten just HOW hard it is. Holy Cow.
We arrived at Estabrook park in the drizzle. It was cold and icky looking. While the course didn't really appear muddy, it was wet and slippery in a few places. I wrestled with the lethargic feelings inside me. . . . the ones that just wanted to go plop my butt on a chair and cheer for my peeps, but I knew I needed a high end workout and one way to make SURE I got that work out was to suit up and race. SO, reluctantly, I did.
I'm really not all that fond of my cross bike (her name is tangerine). Sure, she's pretty, cuz she's orange, but the crank has never been all that good, the pedals turn harder than they should and it doesn't have enough gears - I might as well be racing a SINGLE SPEED cross bike cuz I only use a couple gears. I'm not sure it's ever made it to the big ring. I'd need a pretty big downhill to use that puppy. And no matter how hard I try to clean it, the chain is ALWAYS full of crap & crud. While it feels like a tank, I guess it is lighter than my mountain bike. . . . .and it does match my team gear, so at least I look good (or so I think).
Anyway, I registered myself, suited up and headed out for a warm up. Who was I kidding. The only way I was going to get a warm up was to hit the course. . . . . .so as soon as they cleared the racers off, that's what I did.
As I started out it wasn't SO bad. Sure I got bounced around a lot. . . . .and I sure missed the awesome Terry Saddle on my mountain bike. . . . but it wasn't SO bad. I hit the first set of barriers and while I've practiced ONCE this year (with TAPE as barriers. . . . .which I BROKE mind you), I managed to clear them OK. Probably cuz I got off about a quarter mile ahead of time and simply ran so I wouldn't fall on them. My remounts were a little rusty, but overall not so bad so I headed to the start line and was ready to go.
After racing the Cat 4 women and taking the overall 2 years in a row, I had upgraded to a Cat 3 last year. Yeah, I'm not a Cat 3. Those chicks are WAY faster than I am. But I figured, what the heck. Someone has to finish last.
They called us up to roll out and off we were. It was no more than 20 seconds into the race when I heard my heart rate monitor pop over LT (which would be over 182 for me). I never heard it drop under again. That race was 45 minutes of pure hell. The high end workout I was looking for. . . . I found. An average HR at a HARD WORS race is about 182 for me. And that's a good race where I'm REALLY working. Yesterday, my AVERAGE was 187. Yes, that's my average, not my max. My max was 195. Yes, it hurt. A LOT.
I took up the back right off the bat and that was OK. Part way through the 2nd or 3rd lap I saw Sonia (who was the next girl in front of me) quickly pull over, which I soon discovered was to "get rid of some of her breakfast". How she kept going after that, I have no idea. In fact she closed a good portion of the gap and almost GOT me in the end. . . . . .after she had completely stopped and "partially yaked" (as we later labeled it). Wow.
I thought about quitting a number of times. I wondered how in the world I would hold that heart rate for that entire 45 minutes. At one point when I thought I was literally going to DIE, I looked down to see how long I was into the race and discovered it was only 19 minutes - not even 1/2 way. After that, I never let myself look again. At 2 different times I started day dreaming, almost hallucinating, and completely lost the trail. Once I nearly broke through the tape when the trail turned and I went straight. I was just delirious I was working so hard. But I kept telling myself, it's only 45 minutes. So I hung in there.
Sonia and I brought up the back of the Cat 3 women to finish the race, and we lived to race another day. How, I have no idea. How I got out of BED this morning I have no idea. My feet are killing me, my hip flexors feel like a midget used them as a trampoline all night, my calves are twice their normal size, my gluts feel like someone whacked them with a baseball bat and my back is screaming that it needs some ibuprofen - or something STRONGER. It should be an awesome Monday.
I think I remembered why I only did one or two cross races last year. Yeah. Those cross racers are CRAZY people. Crazy I tell you. :-)
We arrived at Estabrook park in the drizzle. It was cold and icky looking. While the course didn't really appear muddy, it was wet and slippery in a few places. I wrestled with the lethargic feelings inside me. . . . the ones that just wanted to go plop my butt on a chair and cheer for my peeps, but I knew I needed a high end workout and one way to make SURE I got that work out was to suit up and race. SO, reluctantly, I did.
I'm really not all that fond of my cross bike (her name is tangerine). Sure, she's pretty, cuz she's orange, but the crank has never been all that good, the pedals turn harder than they should and it doesn't have enough gears - I might as well be racing a SINGLE SPEED cross bike cuz I only use a couple gears. I'm not sure it's ever made it to the big ring. I'd need a pretty big downhill to use that puppy. And no matter how hard I try to clean it, the chain is ALWAYS full of crap & crud. While it feels like a tank, I guess it is lighter than my mountain bike. . . . .and it does match my team gear, so at least I look good (or so I think).
Anyway, I registered myself, suited up and headed out for a warm up. Who was I kidding. The only way I was going to get a warm up was to hit the course. . . . . .so as soon as they cleared the racers off, that's what I did.
As I started out it wasn't SO bad. Sure I got bounced around a lot. . . . .and I sure missed the awesome Terry Saddle on my mountain bike. . . . but it wasn't SO bad. I hit the first set of barriers and while I've practiced ONCE this year (with TAPE as barriers. . . . .which I BROKE mind you), I managed to clear them OK. Probably cuz I got off about a quarter mile ahead of time and simply ran so I wouldn't fall on them. My remounts were a little rusty, but overall not so bad so I headed to the start line and was ready to go.
After racing the Cat 4 women and taking the overall 2 years in a row, I had upgraded to a Cat 3 last year. Yeah, I'm not a Cat 3. Those chicks are WAY faster than I am. But I figured, what the heck. Someone has to finish last.
They called us up to roll out and off we were. It was no more than 20 seconds into the race when I heard my heart rate monitor pop over LT (which would be over 182 for me). I never heard it drop under again. That race was 45 minutes of pure hell. The high end workout I was looking for. . . . I found. An average HR at a HARD WORS race is about 182 for me. And that's a good race where I'm REALLY working. Yesterday, my AVERAGE was 187. Yes, that's my average, not my max. My max was 195. Yes, it hurt. A LOT.
I took up the back right off the bat and that was OK. Part way through the 2nd or 3rd lap I saw Sonia (who was the next girl in front of me) quickly pull over, which I soon discovered was to "get rid of some of her breakfast". How she kept going after that, I have no idea. In fact she closed a good portion of the gap and almost GOT me in the end. . . . . .after she had completely stopped and "partially yaked" (as we later labeled it). Wow.
I thought about quitting a number of times. I wondered how in the world I would hold that heart rate for that entire 45 minutes. At one point when I thought I was literally going to DIE, I looked down to see how long I was into the race and discovered it was only 19 minutes - not even 1/2 way. After that, I never let myself look again. At 2 different times I started day dreaming, almost hallucinating, and completely lost the trail. Once I nearly broke through the tape when the trail turned and I went straight. I was just delirious I was working so hard. But I kept telling myself, it's only 45 minutes. So I hung in there.
Sonia and I brought up the back of the Cat 3 women to finish the race, and we lived to race another day. How, I have no idea. How I got out of BED this morning I have no idea. My feet are killing me, my hip flexors feel like a midget used them as a trampoline all night, my calves are twice their normal size, my gluts feel like someone whacked them with a baseball bat and my back is screaming that it needs some ibuprofen - or something STRONGER. It should be an awesome Monday.
I think I remembered why I only did one or two cross races last year. Yeah. Those cross racers are CRAZY people. Crazy I tell you. :-)
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Saturdays Fun Filled Festivities
Rode the Tosa trails this morning with some peeps. It was a MILLION times more fun than the night ride we did down there last time. We even hiked back to the UPS trails. . . . .all in all a good time. 
Here's the group we started with (minus Captain, the picture taker). Later we met up with Tyrine.
Here's the group we started with (minus Captain, the picture taker). Later we met up with Tyrine.Then a quick stop at the Polska cross race to spectate and cheer on our peeps. The course looked awesome. Actually looked like it was a good time. CK took 2nd and scored some beer AND some cash.
After that it was home for an early b-day celebration for CK. While his b-day isn't until next week, tonight seemed to be the best day for a little "surprise" celebration. After several very heated games of Catch Phrase, we decided to take all our frustrations out by making a pyramid. Again. . . . .no intoxication necessary.
Now we'll need to rest up as CK and Captain are planning on doing the Estabrook Cross race tomorrow. While I have yet to attempt a cross race this year. . . .I'm planning on doing it as well, as long as the body allows me to. I know I'll finish in the back, if not DFL, but it's ok. SOMEONE has to do it!
I'll try to savor the moments so I can post a nice race report tomorrow night.
Night 'yall.
Friday, November 02, 2007
This is hot?
I must have a very skewed idea as to what's "hot" and what's not.
'Cuz I would definitely say NOT!!
'Cuz I would definitely say NOT!!
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