Yes, I am still behind in my blogging but this will have to do for now.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Fitchburg 2008
Photo poached from BAMF Anna. Trip report to follow... I'm still recovering from the race, the drive home and having to work today.Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Haiku Wednesday
Kyle has his Hump Day and WTFM posts, Plain Jane has TGIF, so I now present Haiku Wednesday. Hopefully Robin will keep providing material.
So here you have another classic from Robin Z, a Z-aiku if you will. This is one of my favorites.
Why did chicken cross?
She likes dirt. And (dis)mounting.
Badass time-trialist too.
So here you have another classic from Robin Z, a Z-aiku if you will. This is one of my favorites.
Why did chicken cross?
She likes dirt. And (dis)mounting.
Badass time-trialist too.
Monday, June 23, 2008
A Bunch of Stuff in My Head
This morning on my commute into work the strangest thing happened. I was spinning down Penn Ave on the Hill playing my normal game of dodge this, dodge that when a WASA truck hit a Metro bus right in front of me. In fact, so close that some of the debris actually hit me and I had to swerve to avoid rear-ending the WASA truck. The bus driver was MAD to say the least. The WASA driver claimed to have not known that he hit the bus, but I think he was trying to make a cleaver get-away. Unfortunately for him, but I guess good for the bus driver, an off-duty police officer was there to stop the WASA driver before he could skedaddle. I only mention all of this because I wonder if the WASA driver would have stopped if not for the cop's presence.
All this brings me to the Tour of Washington County (For actual race reports check the Chicks in Black and Long A's blogs. Not writing race reports is easy when you troll other people's blogs and link to them :-) I am going to make a stretch here and compare one of the riders from this weekend to the WASA driver. You see, she is a cheater and has tried to get away with it for too long. The only problem is that we are all on to her now. I will not call out names but if you really wanted to figure it out you can. I was on to her when she took a short cut at Iron Cross last year and more of us are on to her now that she "finished with the group" but 1 lap down at the road race on Saturday. Here are my thoughts on the matter. I could easily see her missing the turn at Iron Cross last year. Heck, several riders missed it but all of those riders turned back once they realized their mistake, and that was one loooong climb back up to the actual turn. She kept going, found the course again, albeit cutting off one of the hardest, most technical climbs in Iron Cross and placed quite well in the overall. Did she ever contest that placing? No. Not even when riders "behind" her said they never saw her pass.
At the road race apparently she was so far behind the group that she was directed to the finish one lap early and just happened to be caught by the peloton as we were sprinting to the finish. She was placed in our group and that's that. Not a peep out of her even though she has to know that is not right. I heard that someone questioned her but she was adamant that she finished where she was placed. Bull crap! All I've got to say about it is Karma Sucks girlfriend.
But on to shiny happy thoughts. I loved the Tour of Washington County but it did not love me back. Respectable (but not spectacular) placings in all of the stages gave me 15th overall in GC. The most important lesson learned from the weekend is to keep it clean. I am studying Plain Jane's post to learn and memorize the important acronyms. And here is a special Monday treat, a Haiku from Robin.
Stay inside cone line
Turn before; motor ref chase
Go back. Redo. Eff!
That pretty much sums up Sunday's time trial for me.
Finally, it has come to my attention that I have been labeled an omen that brings bad ju-ju to the Greenbelt races. I propose a little experiment. I am going to be at Greenbelt this Wednesday but I will not be racing. I will be helping Route 1 Velo with roadguard duties. Let's see what happens to Sara Z if I am at Greenbelt but not actually in the race. I hope she and Wendy are there and that I can put this bad omen thing to rest (that means Sara doesn't crash).
All this brings me to the Tour of Washington County (For actual race reports check the Chicks in Black and Long A's blogs. Not writing race reports is easy when you troll other people's blogs and link to them :-) I am going to make a stretch here and compare one of the riders from this weekend to the WASA driver. You see, she is a cheater and has tried to get away with it for too long. The only problem is that we are all on to her now. I will not call out names but if you really wanted to figure it out you can. I was on to her when she took a short cut at Iron Cross last year and more of us are on to her now that she "finished with the group" but 1 lap down at the road race on Saturday. Here are my thoughts on the matter. I could easily see her missing the turn at Iron Cross last year. Heck, several riders missed it but all of those riders turned back once they realized their mistake, and that was one loooong climb back up to the actual turn. She kept going, found the course again, albeit cutting off one of the hardest, most technical climbs in Iron Cross and placed quite well in the overall. Did she ever contest that placing? No. Not even when riders "behind" her said they never saw her pass.
At the road race apparently she was so far behind the group that she was directed to the finish one lap early and just happened to be caught by the peloton as we were sprinting to the finish. She was placed in our group and that's that. Not a peep out of her even though she has to know that is not right. I heard that someone questioned her but she was adamant that she finished where she was placed. Bull crap! All I've got to say about it is Karma Sucks girlfriend.
But on to shiny happy thoughts. I loved the Tour of Washington County but it did not love me back. Respectable (but not spectacular) placings in all of the stages gave me 15th overall in GC. The most important lesson learned from the weekend is to keep it clean. I am studying Plain Jane's post to learn and memorize the important acronyms. And here is a special Monday treat, a Haiku from Robin.
Stay inside cone line
Turn before; motor ref chase
Go back. Redo. Eff!
That pretty much sums up Sunday's time trial for me.
Finally, it has come to my attention that I have been labeled an omen that brings bad ju-ju to the Greenbelt races. I propose a little experiment. I am going to be at Greenbelt this Wednesday but I will not be racing. I will be helping Route 1 Velo with roadguard duties. Let's see what happens to Sara Z if I am at Greenbelt but not actually in the race. I hope she and Wendy are there and that I can put this bad omen thing to rest (that means Sara doesn't crash).
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Missing Colorado
While going thru some files at work I came across some old photos from Colorado, specifically a hike up Grays and Torreys, 2 of Colorado's 14ers. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I last climbed a 14er. That was in August when I was in Leadville for the Leadville 100, or the Leadville 85 as I like to call it. Yes, I hitched a ride 15 miles from town because I was done and riding like a fool and at risk of breaking something.
Here, Annette and I are at the trailhead for Grays/Torreys. That's Torreys on the right and Grays on the left.
We chose Kelso Ridge for our ascent up Torreys. It has some 4th class sections on it and some exposure. Here Annette and I are scooting across the "knife edge." We are scooting because we are chickens. One misstep and we would have plummeted to our death. Sonja walked right across it like it was nothing.
Here, Annette and I are at the trailhead for Grays/Torreys. That's Torreys on the right and Grays on the left.
We chose Kelso Ridge for our ascent up Torreys. It has some 4th class sections on it and some exposure. Here Annette and I are scooting across the "knife edge." We are scooting because we are chickens. One misstep and we would have plummeted to our death. Sonja walked right across it like it was nothing.
I got a little off trail and thought climbing up this way would be a good idea. It was not. Once up and over I was faced with a lot of exposure and loose rock. Besides almost being struck by lighting on Princeton (and Huron for that matter) this was my scariest moment on a 14er.
Annette, Sonja and I on the summit.
This last shot is from another trip. This was taken right after I had completed the Pikes Peak Double (running the Ascent on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday). The only thing that kept me going on Sunday was thinking about the jumbo margaritas at The Loop in Manitou Springs.
When I finally finished the marathon we headed to The Loop and I had my margarita. It was the best margarita I've ever had.
So now that I am reminiscing about Colorado I've decided that I need to plan a trip out there, possibly in August or over Labor Day weekend. I really need to get out to the mountains. I miss them. Maybe I can finally get a shot at Kieners Route on Longs Peak. So Laura, if you are reading this, I think you can expect come company come August.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Church Creek TT
Saturday was the Spring Church Creek Time Trial and I am happy to report that I had a good ride. I was the first Cat 3 woman off but at least I had a few Cat 5 men in front of me to chase down. In the spirit of not writing race reports I’ll just link to the results here. I mean, is there really anything to report from a time trial except that your ass hurt, you felt like puking and every muscle in your body cramped? Well, Heidi VonHottie does a fine job of detailing her experience, but I am not as eloquent as Heidi and all I remember about the TT is well, that my ass hurt, I wanted to puke and every muscle in my body was cramping by the time I was done. And kudos to Amanda... she flatted a couple of miles from the finish and refused to DNF. She wound up walking, then riding on her rim to finish DFL. But like she said, and I agree, DFL is better than a DNF any day. Heidi's macadamia nut cookies would have been the perfect treat after 80k of time trialing (ITT then the TTT), but I missed out on those... she gave them to Sonja and by the time I was ready to eat, they had "disappeared."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A Long and Rambling Post (In fact, probably only the parents will read this one!)
My blogging has been scarce lately mostly due to the fact that my Internet was down at the homestead and once I got it up and running again, only the “wired” modem seems to work. Having to blog while tethered to a DSL cord and sitting in an uncomfortable chair at an uncomfortable desk is not appealing, especially since my preferred blogging mode is slouched on the sofa with some cycling DVD (doesn’t matter which one) on the tube and a glass of red wine. The Goat won’t let me drink wine in the “computer room” because I am likely to spill and get it all over the place. My lack of blogging can also be attributed to the fact that I am no longer writing race reports (at least not on this site – check out the Chicks in Black for those). There are however, several things that I’ve been meaning to blog about and in no particular order, here it goes:
My New Team – I absolutely love C3-Sollay.com and I am so honored to be a member of this team. It all started back in November/December. I was feeling a little lost on Route 1 Velo considering Sonja had moved on to Vanderkitten, Robin had left for Cyclelife, and K-Lo had quit. I have always had the utmost respect for the Major (she’s right up there with Chris K in my book) and I contacted her about the possibility of my joining C3. I feared they would not take me considering I am a Cat 3 and they are all 1’s and 2’s but I had to give it a shot. Of all the women’s teams in the area they seemed to be the one that loved to race, but most importantly have fun doing it. As an added bonus they all race cross. (Is that really surprising given that cross is the most fun one can have on a bike?) I got the ok to talk to Auer, the team director who also happens to be my coach – how convenient is that? Well, let’s just say there was some miscommunication and I wound up staying on Route 1 Velo a little longer, but officially made the jump to C3 last month and have not regretted it one bit. I do feel a little like I abandoned ship because Route 1 and Capitol Hill Bikes have done so much for me but I cannot stress the joy and happiness I get from having some of the most wonderful teammates ever. Here are some random tidbits about each of them.
Beth aka The Major: The Major is an electronics junkie and if she was not a physical therapist in the Army she’d most likely be an IT nerd, I mean professional, at some computer company. If you want to know about the latest and greatest iPhone or have questions about broadband and such, ask The Major.
Heidi aka Hotty: The team’s resident baker. Hotty never disappoints with the delectable baked goods after team training rides and races. Plus it’s fun having the hottest rider in the D20 on your team. But don’t be fooled, she has brains to go with that beauty and an incredible sense of humor. One thing we do have in common is our DD ritual before races. I think we should get them to sponsor us next year.
Elizabeth aka Harlow: I first met Harlow at a cross race in 2005. It was my first race ever (road, mountain, or cross). I remember Sue Haywood lapping me twice, but I also remember talking to Harlow after the race and thinking what a nice community these bike racers are. It’s people like you, Harlow, that have kept me coming back for more. BTW, I also remember Sean yelling at you and then you crashing on the tree roots. It’s so nice to finally be your teammate.
Lorainne (I need a nickname for you): I only recently met Lorainne. In fact, she may not remember but I introduced myself to her at the Strasburg Road Race back in March. I had an ulterior motive though… I was trying to figure out if she was in the Cat 2 35+ group. I never could figure it out so I just told Sonja to look out for her, she looks strong! Since then, I’ve learned that Lorainne is the sweetest person I’ve ever met. I should have known this anyway because anyone who loves horses and dogs the way she does can’t be too bad. Interesting fact – Lorainne formerly competed in equestrian show jumping.
Diane aka Diesel: Ah, the Diesel. Di Diesel is a fighter and has reached speeds of 56+ mph on her bike, and this was not on a nice long descent… this was on the Manayunk Fall. Absolutely fearless I tell you. She is an inspiration to us all and has a future in the coaching business if she ever wanted. I first met Diesel at the Hagerstown cross race last year (she remembers this too). We were lined-up at the start and she told me not to beat up on the old ladies. Ha! She wound up kicking my a$$ that day.
Janet aka Jo: Janet. What to say about Janet? Janet is a legend to me. Anyone that can break 1 hour in a 40K TT definitely has an engine, but getting to know Jo personally has been a pleasure. I find myself somewhat speechless around her. On the exterior she seems so matter of fact, but I do detect a bit of wild side underneath. She’s a Sagittarius for crying out loud and as my mother always says, “Still waters run deep.” Jo is also known for leading epic rides, you know, those rides that you are told will be about 40 miles and 2 hours long but when you finally get back it’s been something like 80 miles and 5 hours and somehow you’ve managed to get by on those 2 water bottles and 1 gu that you stuck in your pocket “just in case.” Remind me to never get Jo and Chris K together for a ride. I might not make it back. One thing I find surprising is that Janet is a painter and owns her own decorative painting business. Fascinating, especially so because I didn't think Sagittarians were supposed to be artistic. I know I'm not. I can't even draw a stick person.
And finally, Sonja aka the Goat: I will just say this, I would not be racing at all if it were not for Sonja. You can all blame her.
Whew! I had meant to blog about so many other things, especially the Pathletes that have been plaguing me lately, but I’m exhausted now. I’ll just have to save that rant for another time. Oh and to whoever commented on the C3 blog about why we race… I’ve got one coming for you too. In the meantime, if you care to show your face, just ask me in person. I’ll be happy to explain. No hard feelings.
My New Team – I absolutely love C3-Sollay.com and I am so honored to be a member of this team. It all started back in November/December. I was feeling a little lost on Route 1 Velo considering Sonja had moved on to Vanderkitten, Robin had left for Cyclelife, and K-Lo had quit. I have always had the utmost respect for the Major (she’s right up there with Chris K in my book) and I contacted her about the possibility of my joining C3. I feared they would not take me considering I am a Cat 3 and they are all 1’s and 2’s but I had to give it a shot. Of all the women’s teams in the area they seemed to be the one that loved to race, but most importantly have fun doing it. As an added bonus they all race cross. (Is that really surprising given that cross is the most fun one can have on a bike?) I got the ok to talk to Auer, the team director who also happens to be my coach – how convenient is that? Well, let’s just say there was some miscommunication and I wound up staying on Route 1 Velo a little longer, but officially made the jump to C3 last month and have not regretted it one bit. I do feel a little like I abandoned ship because Route 1 and Capitol Hill Bikes have done so much for me but I cannot stress the joy and happiness I get from having some of the most wonderful teammates ever. Here are some random tidbits about each of them.
Beth aka The Major: The Major is an electronics junkie and if she was not a physical therapist in the Army she’d most likely be an IT nerd, I mean professional, at some computer company. If you want to know about the latest and greatest iPhone or have questions about broadband and such, ask The Major.
Heidi aka Hotty: The team’s resident baker. Hotty never disappoints with the delectable baked goods after team training rides and races. Plus it’s fun having the hottest rider in the D20 on your team. But don’t be fooled, she has brains to go with that beauty and an incredible sense of humor. One thing we do have in common is our DD ritual before races. I think we should get them to sponsor us next year.
Elizabeth aka Harlow: I first met Harlow at a cross race in 2005. It was my first race ever (road, mountain, or cross). I remember Sue Haywood lapping me twice, but I also remember talking to Harlow after the race and thinking what a nice community these bike racers are. It’s people like you, Harlow, that have kept me coming back for more. BTW, I also remember Sean yelling at you and then you crashing on the tree roots. It’s so nice to finally be your teammate.
Lorainne (I need a nickname for you): I only recently met Lorainne. In fact, she may not remember but I introduced myself to her at the Strasburg Road Race back in March. I had an ulterior motive though… I was trying to figure out if she was in the Cat 2 35+ group. I never could figure it out so I just told Sonja to look out for her, she looks strong! Since then, I’ve learned that Lorainne is the sweetest person I’ve ever met. I should have known this anyway because anyone who loves horses and dogs the way she does can’t be too bad. Interesting fact – Lorainne formerly competed in equestrian show jumping.
Diane aka Diesel: Ah, the Diesel. Di Diesel is a fighter and has reached speeds of 56+ mph on her bike, and this was not on a nice long descent… this was on the Manayunk Fall. Absolutely fearless I tell you. She is an inspiration to us all and has a future in the coaching business if she ever wanted. I first met Diesel at the Hagerstown cross race last year (she remembers this too). We were lined-up at the start and she told me not to beat up on the old ladies. Ha! She wound up kicking my a$$ that day.
Janet aka Jo: Janet. What to say about Janet? Janet is a legend to me. Anyone that can break 1 hour in a 40K TT definitely has an engine, but getting to know Jo personally has been a pleasure. I find myself somewhat speechless around her. On the exterior she seems so matter of fact, but I do detect a bit of wild side underneath. She’s a Sagittarius for crying out loud and as my mother always says, “Still waters run deep.” Jo is also known for leading epic rides, you know, those rides that you are told will be about 40 miles and 2 hours long but when you finally get back it’s been something like 80 miles and 5 hours and somehow you’ve managed to get by on those 2 water bottles and 1 gu that you stuck in your pocket “just in case.” Remind me to never get Jo and Chris K together for a ride. I might not make it back. One thing I find surprising is that Janet is a painter and owns her own decorative painting business. Fascinating, especially so because I didn't think Sagittarians were supposed to be artistic. I know I'm not. I can't even draw a stick person.
And finally, Sonja aka the Goat: I will just say this, I would not be racing at all if it were not for Sonja. You can all blame her.
Whew! I had meant to blog about so many other things, especially the Pathletes that have been plaguing me lately, but I’m exhausted now. I’ll just have to save that rant for another time. Oh and to whoever commented on the C3 blog about why we race… I’ve got one coming for you too. In the meantime, if you care to show your face, just ask me in person. I’ll be happy to explain. No hard feelings.
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