Cycling Obsessions

nobody blogs any more.

2011-06-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

I have just about forgotten I have this thing, and seriously doubt that anyone reads it. Each year I speculate about the upcoming Tour de France, swoon over my favorite cycling hotties, and lament over my own lack or riding or tell tales of recent rides.

It's not that there aren't stories to tell, there absolutely are. I could start with my recent trip to Italy. I was fortunate enough to ride through some of the most beautiful scenery in Tuscany and Umbria. But was it epic? I'm not really sure - I think I'd have to do it again to really determine if it was. Seven days isn't enough riding for me in a place such as Italy.

As always, I need to ride more. During the week I'm lucky to get one ride in which is usually indoors, but it's a good workout that translates directly into riding more efficiently (and racing, if I chose to do that). On weekends, I'm out riding. I've only ridden once solo in the past 2 months, so I'm anxious to do that again soon.

The Tour will be exciting this year. I don't really have any predictions yet but will be watching all of my favorites - the Schlecks, Horner, Levi, Cadel, and all the sprinters. I'm not sure if Tyler Farrar will go. Jonathan Vauaghters had the team narrowed down to 11 but wouldn't say who they were or which 9 will be chosen. The Radio Shack team has already been announced. It should be a great Tour.

Decisions, decisions.

2011-02-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

August or September?
2200 people or 250?
Oregon or Idaho?

Hmmm.

After doing Cycle Oregon 2 years in a row, I'm used to the training, the routine, the waiting in line. Frustrated by still not quite dialing it in so that I actually have time to relax. Without forking out another $300 for tent & porter for the privilege of sleeping right up against another tent (or 2, or 6), my experience for the most part hss been similar each day, depending on the length of the route. Arrive in camp, search for camping buddies, find bag, lug bag to camping spot. Find $5 to go get a smoothie to enjoy while setting up tent. Set up tent, find clothes, go find shower trucks, shower. Return to camp, usually right about the time people are already lining up for dinner. Eat, then it's close to getting dark. Sleep. Wake up in the dark, begin packing.

I don't know. I've never been to Idaho, closest I've been to setting foot in the state was Spokane, and that was only the airport. I don't like the jerseys, the Cycle Oregon "going coastal" is much better. But - the gang from last year is doing RI vs. CO, not that I can keep up with them while riding, but they were fun to camp with, even on my most cranky day(s).

Any ideas? Anyone?

Outside.

2011-02-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

Actually rode my bike outdoors yesterday, for the first time since New Year's Day. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Even riding in a group, with frequent stops, my breathless struggling to keep up, and people chattering either behind, in front, or beside me, it was still fun.

I have not even been outside in a while, I remember thinking yesterday as we rode north on Cornelius Shefflin towards our right turn on Wren. I've been spending time inside my house, inside my car, inside my office. But not outside, except to walk to the car, between buildings, or a quick walk to grab some lunch. Outside is where the wind is, carrying smells of fireplaces, burning piles of trash, livestock, some pleasant, some not. But - fresh air! How I have missed it.

And the 2011 racing season has already begun. I have been remiss in recording my all-too-infrequent observations of the latest doping news, the new kit designs, reports of early wins, training camps, and predictions for Paris-Nice, the Giro, and the Tour. But at least I have prepared with my annual ritual of printing my color map of this year's Tour and comparing it with last year's, hanging it up on the wall of my office, and dreaming of July. Please note that I love, LOVE, the new Garmin-Cervelo kits, and do note that I linked that to a page showing Tyler Farrar, one of my favorite sprinters in a victory salute!

So, on to my own plans for 2011. As I sit indoors, staring out at a dry but cloudy Sunday, I'm already dreaming about riding in the sun wearing only short sleeved jerseys and shorts. I was lucky enough to register for Cycle Oregon before it sold out, so I better start training soon. I said last year that I was going to do all different rides this year, yet I've already registered for Tour de Cure and Cycle Oregon, and am planning another ride around Crater Lake in August. In between, though, I hope to do some different rides, because I'll really need to challenge myself to train for Cycle Oregon. Come on, Spring!

Trusting an old friend

2010-11-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I rode outdoors, let alone solo. But on Thanksgiving Day, just about the time most people were sitting down to their enormous feasts, I set out on a spontaneous ride. With no clue of the route I'd take or how long I would ride, I inflated the tires of my trusty Trek, jammed some gel & shot blocks in my pocket, filled the water bottles, and set out into the cold. The sun was out earlier but I quickly discovered that it was much colder than I had anticipated. Clad only in a Sugoi baselayer, long sleeved jersey, vest & knickers, but with 2 pairs of wool socks, I didn't warm up as much as I would have liked. But I figured that would just make me ride harder, make it count. Right?

Thoughts invade my mind as I pedal, across TV Highway and onto River Road. Got the pump, spare tubes. I have my cell phone. Does anyone know where I'm going? No, even I don't know the answer to that. Wow, there's a lot of gravel and stuff in the bike lane, good thing there's not much car traffic. I'm cold. Pedal harder. I'll be fine, because I trust my bike. It's like an old friend, when we get together, I'm reminded of all the good times we've had. I remember my first ride on this bike, a 70 mile LiveStrong challenge, then my first century. Good times. I smile.

What's great about riding solo is that you can go as fast or a slow as you want, without having to wait for anyone else (or have them wait for you). No forced listening to conversations you have no interest in. No worrying about yelling "car back" to people in front of you or having it yelled at the person who continues to ride next to you and talk to you as you wish for solitude.

Solo. That word has come to define part of who I am. On holidays, and sometimes, on bike rides. But it's a good thing. It's okay. I'm okay with it. I do some of my best thinking on these rides.

So I decide to pass the time thinking of what I'm grateful for. Seems like a good tradition on a Thanksgiving ride. First I think of my lungs, as they fill with air and oxygen to fuel my body. Lungs are good. Then, my legs, working like pistons, knees up, light on the pedals. Then I'm grateful for the turkey bacon and pumpkin pancakes I made for breakfast, for a kitchen to cook them in, for the ability to ride and to enjoy this day.

On Burkhalter Road, I stop to eat some gel, as I'm getting hungry and wishing I had eaten a bit more before leaving so late in the day. I look up at the sun filtered through hazy clouds and give it credit for at least trying to shine through them to bring some warmth. I don't want to wait long because I'm still cold. I consider crossing Highway 47 on Simpson Road, riding past the golf course and back through Cornelius and estimate how much time this will take. On a warmer day, maybe starting earlier, or wearing another layer, this would be a no brainer. But on this day, I decide to cut the ride short and continue to Hillsboro on Minter Bridge Road. I know this is the right thing to do.

I stop to talk to some pygmy goats along the road, who are bleating at me through the chainlink fence. They are incredibly cute! I feed them some handfuls of grass until the dogs start barking at the unwelcome intruder, and I continue on. I get to Main Street, which turns into Baseline. I consider making the ride longer, but at this point I can only think about hot chocolate.

Arriving home, I patiently enter the code to open my garage door but it refuses to comply. I consider how miserable it would be to spend hours shivering on my front porch, and contemplate breaking into my house. The thermometer on my porch says about 38 degrees if I read it right. Just as I take a tire lever to pry the screen off a window, I try the code once more and the door opens. Warmth, hot chocolate, a down blanket, a hot bubble bath. Then a delicious meal.

This is my Thanksgiving.

Training with Grain

2010-11-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

Last week, I came across this on the Bob's Red Mill website after seeing it on Twitter: "Train with Grain: Welcome Aboard the Pain Train". I like the sound of that! Turns out, there is this cool contest where you can win a 'cross bike for racing - AND - they send you a free sample kit! Sign me up! This morning I went to my mailbox and there it was!
It was like my birthday, or Christmas! I opened the box, so excited to see what was inside. An armband to wear when I race! And this is no wimpy sample pack - there were regular-sized packages of quinoa, 7-grain pancake & waffle mix, steel cut oats, and whole ground flaxseed meal. Score!

This company does things right. Social media, recipe contests, blogging. And they are a sponsor of the cross crusade. How can you not love them?

If you want some great healthy grains, love to race 'cross and want a chance to win a bike, check out this site: http://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/category/train-with-grain/. Good luck, and enjoy the grain - but the bike is MINE!

Cross Season, Flo-style

2010-11-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

After all that hesitation, I showed up at PIR with my bike last Sunday, and I rode it. In the mud. Lots and lots of mud. And I had the best time! I was apprehensive but didn't want to pre-ride the course - no, I'd get too tired. The weather was wet, windy and fortunately, not too cold. I had run out of excuses - I had skinny tires on my bike, thanks to Victor! So I signed up. Pinned on a number. Sort of warmed up. Lined up. And I raced! Okay, I rode. And I had a blast!

I wasn't fast, and the first lap kind of hurt. I didn't crash, but just kept pedaling around the corners, through the mud and the puddles that were really small ponds. The water was warm in my shoes. I didn't really run up the run-ups. I hucked that heavy bike over the barriers, one tire at a time. I heard my name everywhere and didn't look up but I wondered, how do so many people here know me? I heard cowbells. I saw the face of a little girl cheering for me as I rode by, which made me smile. I tried to go faster on the pavement. I cheered for Traci, Sherry, Sierra, Kendra, and Heidi when they passed me. I managed to do 3 laps and was ecstatic to see the flag signaling the end of the race.

I caught up with Melanie, Kendra, and Tina after the race to catch our breath, pose for pictures and swap stories about the course. I felt great, like I had actually accomplished something. Who cares if I was almost last? What matters is that I had fun.

I wasn't up for paying for 2 days of racing in Astoria. I signed up for Sunday and showed up in my costume, which I'd been really excited about for months (Thanks to Traci for finding it on Etsy!). Then I saw Melanie & Kendra, who informed me that they'd decided not to race. I promptly declared that if they weren't racing, neither was I. But in the team tent, when people asked if I was racing, I answered with a shrug. As it got closer to the start time, I reluctantly agreed to ride one lap. Sure, I can do one lap. I rode over and lined up literally 2 minutes before they started sending off groups of women. Finally, the start, left turn, then right, into the mud, past the PV tent, left and over the barriers, and suddenly we were being told to slow and stop. There had been a crash, so they re-started all the women. So, I did ride an entire lap and then some. Past the place where they stopped us, I coasted past Ali and promptly fell on the off-camber turn. Couldn't unclip from my right pedal! Argh. I made it and struggled to get up the long hill, then I think I wiped out again on the sharp z-turn. Wound my way through the barns, spotting Kender with my camera yelling "Come on, Flo!" which made me laugh. When I got to the PV tent again, I pulled over and put my bike down, unnoticed. It was no big deal, I just decided I was done.

I'll post pictures later.

Energized.

2010-10-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have a fear of commitment. Many people who know me can vouch for this. I'm talking about racing. On two wheels.

It pains me to register for a ride in advance. I don't have an OBRA number. I don't commit to many events ahead of time. When I do, it's like I have a panic attack in advance and all the self-doubt creeps up into my gut at once.

PIR? No, I can't get there early enough. Blind date? Darn, I have a "Ride with Power" class at the NW Athlete's lounge that I've paid for in advance. Cross Crusade? Oh, maybe. But I have a big heavy mountain bike. Cross bike? No, can't commit the funds, and anyway, can't justify it because I don't commit to racing.

Racing? Me? Nah.... more like "participating". But that's okay. I recall a conversation with Russell Cree at Alpenrose 2 years ago. I told him I don't have the competitive drive which he called "eye of the tiger". Nope, don't have it. I saw the game faces yesterday at Rainier, the focus, the determination. How do they keep riding when people are screaming at them, ringing cowbells and yelling? Oh - I get it - that is supposed to encourage them! I vaguely remember from the first time I "rode" at Hillsboro - that yelling made me pedal harder, I got a charge out of hearing my name, and it made me both happy and self conscious at the same time. I'm not comfortable with all that attention, so I thought I can't let them down, they're cheering for me! That pressure. I couldn't take it last year, couldn't get up the courage to participate, so I didn't. I wasn't even in the right frame of mind to show up & socialize. Lame. This year, well, I think it's time to commit. People ask, are you racing? Are you going to race? Which races will you do? Oh... I mutter something about how I haven't thought about it, I didn't buy a cross bike, then I change the subject.

I love showing up at 'cross races and seeing so many people I know, even on various teams. They are all having a great time no matter how their particular races go. It's about fun. It's not serious competition (at least not for me). I like what Einar says - when asked how his race went: "I finished".

I've been thinking about triathlons recently. It was something I wanted to do when I turned 50, but couldn't commit. So, is it too late? I hate running, I tell everyone. But last week, to burn off some stress on one of my walks, I challenged myself - run just to the end of that street, I thought. So I did. No pain, no burning desire to stop. Felt kind of good, even. Hmmm. This isn't so bad. So I am seriously considering checking into a short distance (sprint?) tri for next season. Stay tuned - because I haven't committed to anything yet, I reserve the right to say that I never said any of this.

Hood River Harvest Ride

2010-09-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

Riding for joy

2010-09-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a perfect day to rediscover the joy I experience while riding a bicycle. The perfect confluence of crystal clear blue skies, warm temperatures, and smooth roads.

My ears soak up the sounds of a bird announcing our invasion of the quiet, the whirr of my chain, the clicking of flying insects, the pound of a hammer, my breathing as I climb Cooper Spur. My eyes absorb filtered sunshine, glimpses of Mt. Hood through the trees, a furry caterpillar scooting across the road, a stick which suddenly becomes a cricket and hops away just before going under my front tire, the golden vine maples among the green ferns.

This is what I love about cycling. This day is not about getting to camp, or the next rest stop, or riding a certain number of miles, or getting home by a certain time. This is about savoring every second, every minute, and every hour in the saddle, the air in the lungs, the burn in the legs, the sun on the skin. These are the sensations that will sustain me as I ride through the winter, during rides in the rain and cold. I will remember the warmth, the wind in my ears, and the sounds of this day when I am riding a fendered bike and bundled from head to toe.

All stress and work and financial worries and family issues disappear. My mind focuses only on the road, the handlebars, and the beauty around me. Bliss.

Cycle Oregon 2010: rain, rollers & recovery

2010-09-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

Reader's Digest version:
Day 0, Portland to Elgin: Pack, drive 5 hours, freeze in tent, try to sleep.
Day 1, Elgin to Enterprise: cold, not enough bluerooms, warm sun, paceline. Skipped option to see Wallowa lake (regrettably). Beautiful golf course for camp. Gorgeous sunset.
Day 2, Enterprise to Clarkston: Gradual climb, winding descent, skipped rest stop (bad call), long, endless climb, great views. Finally lunch before fast gradual downhill, then fast winding downhill into Clarkston. Marching band. Skipped option to Lewiston.
Day 3, Clarkston to Waitsburg: Ride along the Snake river. Paceline with Rich & Karen. Flat just before lunch.
Day 4, Waitsburg-Walla Walla loop: wheatfields, rollers. Great lunch & best hazelnut latte ever.
Day 5, Waitsburg to Pendleton: wheatfields, massive rollers. Sidis trashed by gravel at rest stops. Exhausted & cranky. Sprinklers on football field blast my tent. Lovely.
Day 6, Pendleton: Awoke to rain. Ride? No thanks. Parade. Fantastic bistro lunch. Massage. Wine.
Day 7, Pendleton to Elgin: 2am thunder, pouring rain, lightning. Anxiety. 5:30am, partly cloudy skies. Happy to pack wet tent. Ride squeaky Bike Friday guy off wheel. Great band at lunch rest stop prior to climb. Climb climb climb climb. 6600 feet! Relief at summit, fantastic singing downhill to Elgin. Done.

Longer version:
So, Cycle Oregon #2 is in the books. Did I ever question that I could ride it? No. Did I enjoy every minute? Certainly not. Can I do better in terms of packing & managing my time to get the most enjoyment out of the week? Absolutely.

I'd say the keys to enjoying Cycle Oregon are planning and recovery. You must plan to bring the appropriate clothing and gear, be prepared for any weather, and structure your days to get the most enjoyment out of the ride. That means be prepared, ride at your own pace, and give yourself time to relax. Sounds simple, but trust me, this is not an easy thing.

In reality, it's tough, considering some of the routes are long and challenging, and when you stop to fill your water bottles, eat, use the blue rooms and stretch a couple of times along the way, you may not arrive in camp until late afternoon. Then there is the business of finding your luggage, locating your camping "crew", and setting up your tent. Next is hitting the showers. Then dinner, by which time I am usually starving, so I try to find time to grab $5 and get a smoothie from the Ben & Jerry's truck, otherwise I'm running on the chocolate milk handed out by volunteers at the finish line, which is chugged and greatly enjoyed as the most welcome reward ever for riding that day's route.

Last year I said "this isn't a vacation." So this year I planned to get massages, go to yoga, do more exploring, and relax. That didn't happen. The first massage I had scheduled was on Monday, the day we rode over Rattlesnake pass from Enterprise into Clarkston, Washington. What a long ride - and the climbs were relentless. The descents were amazing though, especially the winding roads down into Clarkston. I got into camp at 4:45, not enough time to get my act together, and couldn't find the massage tent anyway. We did manage to take a shuttle into Enterprise for some BBQ ribs one night, but didn't do a whole lot of exploring besides that.

On the plus side, I camped with Dean & his Intel crew who were extremely entertaining, so we had a lot of laughs with them. I had plenty of solitary time on the road, so it was nice to have people to hang out with in camp. My one cranky day was the ride into Pendleton, and after talking to others that day, I wasn't the only one who didn't entirely enjoy the day of endless rollers, no scenery but wheatfields & clouds, and the hill you had to hike in order to camp, retrieve your bags and shower. So we set up camp on the football field, and after relocating 3 times I chose a spot on the edge of the field by the track. Bad call.

After a somewhat uninteresting dinner at 8pm which I merely pushed around the plate, I crawled into my tent with my iPod as company, deciding to keep the crankypants attitude to myself. Just starting to doze off around 9pm, I'm startled by what sounded like a torrential downpour on the roof of my tent. Wait, there's water IN my tent. Now the rainfly on the left side is plastered to the tent, ripped out of the stake, and water pours into the top vent. I quickly close the velcro on both "skylights", exit the tent & in my tights, keens & rain jacket I run to where my bike is standing, yank a stake, lay down the bike, and run back to my tent. Meanwhile my tent neighbor had grabbed a plastic lined cardboard box used for trash and up-ended it over the offending sprinkler to stop the spray. It was like a firehose! People are running around with headlamps, doing what they can to minimize the damage. It's dark, and people are asking if someone has notified Rider Services so they can shut off the water. I am drenched from sitting directly in front of the sprinkler to re-stake my rain fly. I crawl back into my tent to towel off and assess the damage. Not too bad, really. I hang the wet jacket to dry and crawl into my sleeping bag, replace ipod earphones and eventually drift off to sleep.

On Friday, Dean and I went into town after breakfast to watch the parade. It was fun watching the horses, mules, wagons, oxen and rodeo queens ride by. It was humid. Headed back to camp where the crew was getting ready to head for the rodeo, all but Dave who was the only one in our group to do the Pendleton option loop ride. He & I walked back downtown to find a decent meal for lunch, ending up at a bistro across from the steakhouse, which we followed up with a Tillamook cheeseburger at the Burgerville Nomad (2nd lunch) and then found a place to buy wine & chocolate. Thinking everyone would want to go out for dinner, we skipped the steakhouse. Back at camp, the rodeo attendees drifted in and 3 bottles of wine were consumed, with everyone talking until about 11pm which was pretty late considering we usually wake up before sunrise.

2am: I awoke to wind whipping at my tent, followed by torrential rain, and then thunder & lightning. I'm sure everyone was also thinking if the weather continued, Saturday's ride would be nasty. I figured it would be a game day decision. Fortunately we awoke to partly cloudy skies with no hint of storms on the horizon. Last camp breakfast force feeding (Bob's Red Mill oatmeal is my favorite!) Riding east, I got dropped at a stoplight by the group, but found Aleson & Carol. Couldn't stay with Aleson when the road tilted upward, she's just so strong now! Saw Glen & then Dean. Took a couple of photos but not nearly enough. Devoured my 1/2 sandwich & chips at the lunch stop where they had a great band playing songs by Eve 6, Pearl Jam and the Presidents of the United States. Climbed up the slide to toss my gear drop bag into the box, told that if I made the shot, my stuff would go to Elgin, but if I missed, my stuff would go somewhere else. Rode off with lyrics from "Peaches" in my head, energized for the climb ahead. It was long. Relentless. Beautiful forest, breathing in the clean pine air. Legs felt great. I could even shift, stand & comfortably pedal, unweighting alternate legs, no weight on the bars, and I began passing people. The pink signs from the amusing CO crew saying "this is not the top" at each false summit became annoying, followed by one declaring "This is the top - NOT!" Finally, the summit. Took a quick photo and smiled as I passed the sign saying "ALL DOWNHILL"! Cranked it up and let 'er rip! Passed Dean who gave me a thumbs down. Oh no! Turned around to find out what was up, he had a mechanical. Crap! Continued ticking off the miles to Elgin. Finally, a left turn, and there were the CO flags. Cowbells, I hear cowbells! Then I hear Barb yell "it's LINDA!" right turn to cheers, cowbells, photos, hugs, and chocolate milk. Ahhh. I could have ridden another 30 miles.

Barb is amazing. Not only did she and Dean drive us to Elgin, but she took care of my cat Levi all week. Then she got up at some insanely early hour to drive back to Elgin so she could help Emily sell the remaining windchimes that her students made. They are awesome. (I found some when I got home - Barb surprised me! No wonder she wouldn't let me buy any.)

After showers, we had a great dinner in La Grande with Emily, then went to bed early. Woke up early too, did some laundry & went to brunch at Foley Station. Excellent food! Drove home, arriving about 5pm, and Levi purred in my arms for a long time, insisting that I carry him around while he did so.

Next year? I hear the route is entirely in Oregon, and the only hint is that it contains the best 80 miles of roads that CO has never been on. So, we'll see. But I would definitely consider tent & porter or a more luxurious option so that I can enjoy the relaxing as much as the riding.

Ready as I'll ever be.

2010-09-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time, I was probably 10-15 lbs. lighter. I'd done more climbing, having ridden High Rocks & Crater Lake on consecutive weekends, as the Portland Century. Seems like we had more climbing on our Saturday club rides as well.

This year, well, I haven't ridden as much during the week. Thursday evening SE rides, 1/2 Portland Century, disappointing Crater Lake due to winter in August, a few other rides here & there. Ride with Power class helped, I think. Neck & shoulder still bother me, even after physical therapy + massage - it's never enough. At some point, I'll just have to get another bike. Who knows.

Anyway, all that's left to do now is check the weather, then hope for the best & pack my stuff. I have it all piled up & ready to go. Squeeze everything into ziploc bags, toss it in, hope it all fits and is less than the maximum weight of 65 pounds, and look forward to a nice week of riding in beautiful country, meeting new people, setting up my tent, relaxing, and enjoying the week. Cycle Oregon, here I come!

On giving back

2010-08-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

I got an email yesterday thanking me for volunteering at Bike Beaverton, reminding me that it is about community. While it can be frustrating to ride with kids and people new to cycling, I did have one woman tell me that she learned by watching me, so I explained the signs to her for stopping, turning, etc. She was an adorable older lady on a mountain bike and it was fun to see her manage the hills while she was still learning to shift gears on her bike!

Another Bridge Pedal is behind me, the second year I've volunteered and taken on the task of managing the Hawthorne Bridge crew. As a major fundraiser for our speedskating club, it involves a lot of time and hard work, and we had 2 crews to place & retrieve cones on the Macadam and McLoughlin portion of the course as well. After riding 50 miles in Hood River, we arrived at the load location & got to the bridge only to discover that the Bridgefest crew was still busy loading up the sod that had been placed on the center lanes for the "picnic on the bridge" event. It took about an hour for them to clear out so we could then close down one center lane and the southern eastbound lane. We placed the signs & cones and waited for the city crew to arrive with the plywood truck and forklift. It took us until 11:30pm to finish, and what an exhausting job it was. When we were about 20 feet from the west end of the bridge, we ran out of plywood and the city crew had to go to the warehouse to get more, causing a delay of almost an hour. I told several people to just go, we had it handled, but they all stayed, so 8 of us finished the job. No one was interested in going out for pizza as we were beyond hungry and it was too late. Driving to the east side of the bridge, I discovered that all 3 of our big road signs had been inadvertently picked up by the Bridgefest crew, so I called Rick & Brad to report it. Drove 2 of my ragged crew home & staggered home to bed.

Sunday morning by 7am I parked on the Madison's viaduct and ran to the bridge to replace the plywood on the 2 lift sections. City crew was already there to help out. Shortly the riders began to pour over the bridge in droves. On the east side, it appeared that Eileen, the volunteer from Providence, needed some help directing cyclists down the Water Avenue ramp, as there weren't enough cones to clearly mark the way. Some riders seemed confused as they looked around for direction, some came off the high curb a bit too abruptly, as they prefer the sidewalk to riding on the plywood. One woman went down and it took 2 of us to help her up and back onto her bike.

No major catastrophe. Sarah told me yesterday that one person had their tire stuck in a gap between the plywood but I didn't see it nor hear of it. I walked the length of the bridge a few times to check the plywood, keep people moving on the sidewalk and took a few group photos of people who stopped to admire the view.

Finally it was time to load up the plywood again. One of my volunteers showed up. One. I radioed that I needed bodies, and they were sent. The city crew pitched in to help out. We strained, sweated, lifted, stacked, wiped sand out of our eyes, snacked on energy bars and drank warm water. Finally, we reached the east end of the bridge. Time to stack and load the cones and signs into my car and head over to unload.

Home by 4pm with a chipotle burrito and lemonade on the couch, time to read the Sunday paper. Napped for two hours, then took a hot bath and went to bed.

Dear Portland, I gave you my weekend. I did my best to make the Hawthorne Bridge safe for cycling. I hope you enjoyed it.

I am grateful for the hundreds of people who thanked us for their hard work as they rode by. I am grateful for the volunteers who came out and sweated and suffered with me, just so my club could earn money so we can afford to pay the ice rink to skate. I am grateful for this wonderful city that shuts down its bridges once a year on an August Sunday so people can enjoy the view and imagine what it would be like to have little or no car traffic. I am grateful to the organizers of the Providence Bridge Pedal for the opportunity to contribute.

But mostly, my dear fellow Portland cyclists, thank you for your smiles, and for showing me what joy looks like.

xoxox
Linda

Can't believe it's almost over.

2010-07-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Watching the Tour throughout most of the month of July leaves little time for such unimportant things as sleeping, working, and eating, but they must be done. I am already dreading Monday morning, when I will inevitably turn on the TV and find that the voices of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen no longer fill my living room as I shuffle over to the kitchen for my first cup of coffee shortly before sunrise. I suppose I should prepare myself now.

This Tour has been full of bad luck for some - Cadel Evans' broken elbow, Tyler Farrar's broken wrist, Frank Shleck's broken collarbone, to name a few. Some have abandoned, some have soldiered on. Chapeau to Cadel for hanging in there, and to the sprinters for making it over the Alps and the Pyrenees. Tough lads, they are.

Some surprises - Lance losing time on the cobbles, Contador not winning a stage, Levi falling back in GC, and Chris Horner currently sitting at #10. I'm so happy for Chris, he is one tough guy, and I've enjoyed his daily blog posts in the Oregonian.

It's been filled with some drama too - from Renshaw's expulsion from the Tour after Stage 11, to Contador's attack when Andy Schleck had a mechanical on Stage 15. But what kind of a Tour would it be if there were no questionable tactics, no death-defying descents, no nasty weather, no situations where you can easily argue for one rider or another "well, that's bike racing". Reminds me of short track and Apolo Ohno always insisting at the Olympics that he can be the most fit, the most prepared mentally and physically, but once on the ice, anything can happen. "That's short track", he said in 2002 after crawling across the finish line following a dramatic pile-up when last-place Aussie Steven Bradbury glided across the line to capture the gold.

So, this bike racing, it is endlessly fascinating to me - every year I learn more about it and it becomes even more so. Why is that? After having seen the film "Chasing Legends" lastnight, could it be because I'm forming a list of the "Hottest guys in the Tour" calendar? No, that's not it - the Tour for me is not just about shaved muscular legs and fit bodies in spandex. It's about so much more than that. The passion for achievement, the willingness to "turn themselves inside out" as Paul Sherwen says, the sacrifices the domestiques make for the team, the strategy of one rider against another, team against team, rider against doubt, weather, injury, illness, fatigue. The beauty of France unfolding under each pedalstroke of the peloton, the crowds who come out in their crazy costumes, their skimpy clothing in the heat, waving their flags, shaking their fists at the riders, running alongside them, screaming "ALLEZ!!! ALLEZ!!!!" Willing them up the mountains, propelling them upward with the sheer passion of an entire country - the world, it seems, with all the flags representing so many nations waving in the wind. I even saw a University of Oregon flag on one stage flying next to an American flag! One day, I thought, I'd love to be there, but I don't think I'd scream and run alongside the riders. Just imagine camping there for days, waiting in anticipation, writing names in chalk on the road, meeting people from countries you've never been to, and then suddently, the motorcade arrives, the riders pounding out a rhythm with their bikes, their eyes looking ahead, unphased by the mayhem. How they manage to concentrate amidst all that chaos is beyond my comprehension! Some day, I shall ride up one of those climbs on my bike and await the peloton so I can experience it myself.

Until Monday, I will enjoy every minute. Can Andy Schleck gain time on Contador in tomorrow's time trial, an event Contador has been steadily improving in? Will Fabian Cancellara dominate as he did in the prologue? Will youngster Tony Martin outride Fabian like he did in the Tour de Suisse? Will Lance's farewell Tour end in a dramatic fashion? We shall see.

Best & worst

2010-07-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Commercials during the Tour are repeated ad nauseum throughout the coverage. I find that by mid-Tour, I have them all memorized, even though I record the live coverage on my DVR, but usually watch it at the same time, so I can't fast forward through all the ads. Even at night I'll watch the prime time coverage and forget that I have the day's stage recorded, but sometimes I'm too tired to pick up the remote, or I just get up & do something while the commercials are on.

I find myself missing the mojito commercials from last year in favor of the Michelob Ultra spots with Lance and featuring "Song Two" by Blur, a song I'm getting really tired of hearing. But it's better than the Cadillac commercials from last year featuring the whatshername redhead actress from Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice. I'd like to pretend I'd never seen the ridiculous ads for credit scores that are supposed to be what, dogs? Really? It's so stupid I hope that the agency that came up with this "creative" idea is never given another chance to come up with something even worse. My favorites, even though I've seen them probaby a hundred times by now, are the Radio Shack ads featuring Lance on his bike talking cell phone etiquette to his "assistant" Alphonse. They make me laugh every single time. My favorite one features Alphonse in full Radio Shack kit (with helmet) riding Lance's bike on the helmet. Camera pans past a note on the door "in France on business - Lance."

Alphonse:
"They say the weight gain in training was a problem, but Lance said 'go ahead young man'. They're raising French babies and throwing soft cheeses, as is the custom here."
*cell phone attached to his waist rings, with an unrecognizable tune ringtone*
Alphonse:
"Oh hey Lance, I was just faxing, I'm pretty busy."
Lance:
"Get off my bike, Alphonse."
Alphonse:
"Right, I'll get back to work". Hangs up the phone. A smile crosses his face.
"Oh yes, everyone is running after him, small children, saying 'he's the champion, ahhhh, woooooo!"

Me: Giggles.

Holding my breath

2010-07-13T18:42:00.001-07:00

Wow, stage 9 today already? I am so far behind. I swear every day I spend maybe 6-8 hours sleeping and the rest either watching the Tour or reading about it online.

There have been some really brutal stages so far. With Frank Schleck and Christian Vandevelde out, there are still a lot of GC contenders left. But it became clear today that Contador and Andy Schleck are the best climbers in the business, as Bob Roll would say. Watching Lance and his series of bad luck issues, beginning with the spill in Stage 2 and then the flat on Stage 3 which lost him some time, and culminating in not one, not two, but three crashes on stage 8, it's clear that an 8th Tour win will not happen for him. It's really bizarre, like all the good karma he had in those 7 tours having great teams around him and surviving without any major mishaps has caught up with him. Who knows. In any case, it makes him appear more human and will be interesting to see him once again ride in support of another teammate, but this time I really do think he wants Levi to do well. Can't say this was the case last year, though Lance & Alberto were both on team Astana then. Today's stage & climb up the Madeleine was painful to watch - the images of a struggling Cadel Evans in the maillot jeune, the face of Jens Voigt contorted in pain, the cool, calm and collected face of Alberto Contador, and the slight grimace on the face of Andy Schleck are the ones I remember most. Yet I saw an interview with Chris Horner in which he just laughed at how brutal it was, talked about how much he suffered, and will be there tomorrow for more of the same. He gave a somewhat emotional interview on Sunday saying that he'd ride for Lance any time and that he's "a legend". That kind of loyalty is pure as this sport can be. You don't see that in the NFL or NBA, do you? I'm not so sure. But nothing can compare with the brutality of the Tour de France, the sheer and absolute lunacy of riding a bicycle around France.

While I'm ranting, can I say a few words about ugly kits? I can't even remember who I mentioned last year but come on AG2R, brown bibs? Really? And what is with the Footon- Sevetto team? Couldn't they at least come up with a better design or some better colors besides brown and brownish? If you want to send a guy in the break for some quality camera time, don't you think they'd consider having something a bit more pleasing on the eyes?

Speaking of pleasing, I sure loved seeing Fabian Cancellara in yellow. His dimpled smiles on the podium as he dons the yellow jersey brighten up even the gloomiest of days. And I have to admit that I yelled at my TV as if it would help Mark Renshaw and the rest of the Columbia HTC leadout train deliver Mark Cavendish to his 2 stage wins. I actually cried when I saw his emotions burst forth as he stood on top of the podium, not able to hold back the tears as he finally regained lost confidence, paid back his team for their hard work with a well-deserved win, and hopefully silenced his critics. He's been under a lot of pressure, and coming off such a phenomenal 2009 season he had a lot to prove.

There's still a lot of Tour left. I can't even make any predicions right now but I would absolutely LOVE to see Levi Leipheimer on the podium. Everyone is ruling out Cadel after his admission today that he's riding with a fractured elbow. I see no cracks in the armor of either Schleck or Contador, both of whom have strong teams around them. I'd rather see Andy Schleck win, which I can only justify by saying he seems more humble to me, and more appreciative of his team than Contador was of his Astana teammates last year. I also have more faith in Saxo Bank to deliver Andy to the Champs Elysses than I do of Astana to deliver Alberto. But, we shall see....

So when I'm not watching the Tour, or reading about the Tour, or thinking about the Tour, or talking about the Tour, I'm riding my bike. I put in 180 miles last week!

Oh. I just remembered, I have a full time job. Back to work.

A very crashy Tour

2010-07-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

A 3-day weekend of riding and waking up early to watch the Tour de France reminds me that it's time for my annual Tour post. After all the hype & endless repeating of the Lance vs. Contador feud from the 2009 Tour, July 2010 is finally here. On Saturday the Prologue began in Rotterdam, proving to be no surprise that world champion time trialist (and hot Swiss guy) Fabian Cancellara needed no motor in his bike to crush everyone's time. Resplendent in yellow, and congratulated by Eddy Merckx, Fabian and the rest of the field rolled out today on Stage 2. But wait! I forgot all about Stage 1. What a mess. As all the teams fought to get their leadout men to bring their sprinters to the front, the twisty turns to the finish resulted in total chaos. First Adam Hansen and Mark Cavendish were caught up in a crash on a sweeping right turn, and then as everyone wound up within 1k of the finish, a massive pileup ensued. Caught up in the melee was well, pretty much the entire peloton. Poor Tyler Farrar had his rear derailleur torn off by locking up with the bike of an AG2R rider, who did not seem happy about that at all. A stage win by an American sprinter on the fourth of July would have been sweet. I'm sure Tyler could have achieved that goal had it not been for the craziness resulting in the massive crash. As it turns out, once again Alessandro Petacchi emerged from the chaos unscathed to storm across the line, much the same way he did in the Tour de Suisse when Cavendish and Haussler were caught up in a crash.

Anyway back to stage 2, Brussels to Spa. What seemed like a decent entry to the Ardennes ended up being absolute carnage. I've read the tweets, the blogs, and the articles, seen the videos, and watched the coverage on Versus. Apparently a moto crashed trying to avoid a fallen rider, and resulted in oil being spilled all over the road. This turned the descent of the Stockeu until "complete and utter chaos" with riders all over the road. Seeing the pictures of torn jerseys, bloodied faces, elbows and legs, just makes me ache. These guys, at least the ones who have not had positive x-rays for broken bones (Christian Vandevelde has 2 broken ribs and is out of the Tour) will be at the starting line tomorrow. Even Lance has road rash from a crash. Most of the GC guys hit the deck today at least once.

So I'm basically just rehashing everything that has already been broadcast and written. And there are some saying that this type of course should be reserved for the Spring classics and has no place in the Tour (Chris Horner, for one). I would have to agree. The Tour is difficult enough every year, why make it even more treacherous than it already is? These guys are away from their families, train for years to be there, spend every night in hotels, ride over 100 miles a day and burn thousands of calories. I for one don't want to see them bloodied and injured on the roads, that doesn't make it more exciting. What makes it more exciting is the suffering sure - but suffering like seeing a break that actually makes it to the finish, like Sylvain Chavanel's courageous ride today. That man deserves to be inyellow. Suffering like the contorted face of Jens Voight fighting to bring his teammates back to the main group after the crash. Suffering like the consecutive leadout men who pull off when their job is done and hope their sprinter is the first across the line.

I will get up at 5:30am to watch the Tour each day, then read about it on Twitter and all the internet articles, then watch it again in the evening. I'll talk about it with anyone who knows enough about cycling but I won't tolerate anyone who thinks that the Tour is easy. It's a pure sufferfest.

It sure makes it hard to predict any winners from the GC contenders with this type of start to the Tour. I do think that Lance will do well on the Pave' tomorrow, as will all the teams whose main guys ride the Spring classics. I wish Tom Boonen was there, as he'd really love it, even after his losses to Cancellara in both Flanders and Roubaix this year. He's Belgian, he lives for the cobbles. Contador may dance on his pedals and fly up the climbs but I don't see him doing well on the bone-jarring cobbles. I hope to hell it doesn't rain though, or it will be a total mess.

Daydreaming

2010-05-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

Some blue skies would be nice! Maybe a few puffy clouds thrown in just for texture?

New Zealand

2010-05-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

I am planning to go in October, no matter what - but at this point I don't believe the minimum of 10 needed for the group rates on the trip have signed up. Details of the trip are here - have a look.

I know it's expensive, and it's a big commitment which is exactly why I'm planning to go. I need something big, something HUGE, something totally out of reach and seemingly impossible to prove to myself that I can do it - save the money, make the sacrifices, do the training, do the planning, take the time off and travel halfway around the world, to another timezone, another day, and enjoy the culture of another country. So, I'm in.

Are you?

my version of spring fever

2010-05-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

Really, pro cycling? The Giro d'Italia and Tour of California both in May? How can you do this to me? I knew this would happen when I heard about it last year, but I didn't realize how much it would wreak havoc on my attention span. In previous years, it was all about catching whatever news I could find about the Giro, but now it's everywhere - live feed, recorded stages on the DVR, blogs, and Twitter. I can barely keep up. It's not so much about watching the day's stage as reading the entertaining blog updates (such as the one @BikesnobNYC is writing for Universal Sports). So, after the ToC officially begins, will sleep really be necessary? I may have to re-prioritize. It's only May.

It's these 70+ degree days that make me wish I wasn't indoors at the office or inside a car on the way to & from work, but rather navigating stoplights, train tracks and car traffic commuting to work. On weekends, I enjoy the long rides on west side country roads, but during the late Spring and Summer, I feel guilty sometimes commuting by car. But people typically understand why I don't do it very often when I admit that I live in Hillsboro and work on the east side, and the one way ride, while not even 20 miles, takes over an hour. And I frequently have errands to run, meetings to attend, or somewhere to go after work, which require a car. So, there you have it. Convenient, yet sensible excuses. Right?

I do look forward to being able to plan ahead, organize my schedule, and hop on the Max in the morning, work my (+/-)8 hours, and then hop on the bike for a leisurely ride home in the evening. I'll gladly ride up Washington Park and beside the zoo, along 26, and mostly downhill through Beaverton neighborhoods to get home, where I can relax and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Soon.

Is it just me, or does it feel like Fall?

2010-04-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I posted anything. Haven't been riding much outdoors, so I guess that's why. Other than a few sunny Saturdays, I have lacked motivation, or time, or both. So I'm now going to "ride with power" computrainer class on Wed. evenings. It's a good workout, much better than the one I'd do at home on the couch. I have every intention of riding either my newly-purchased CycleOps Comp 200e or my own bike on rollers (like I did while watching the Tour of Flanders last Sunday), but I don't. Not sure why. Doesn't make sense to complain about my lack of fitness and then go home and practice my couch luge form, does it?

Speaking of the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Flanders), what an amazing explosive acceleration by the Fabulous Fabian (aka "Spartacus") Cancellara on the Muur to splinter the legs of Tom Boonen. Fabian didn't even get up out of the saddle. Fireworks on the Muur.

At least I managed to clean the rest of the Kruger-mud off my mountain bike, clean the chain and put new pedals on, and put the new Selle san Marco saddle on my road bike. But did I ride? Umm....

It just feels like fall to me. It was Spring, briefly, and the clouds gave way to sunny weather, but now they are back. I am chilled more often than not, and wearing sweaters & cords to work, wearing fleece around the house. But it's April! I should know, having lived in Oregon for so many years, that Spring weather can be unpredictable and cannot be blamed for anything, nor can it be used as an excuse for mood fluctuations. I don't like to complain about the weather, but I can observe what effect it has on my moods.

I need goals. I still haven't thought much about PIR, don't feel like I'm all that enthused about it. I have to find some way to gain confidence, something to work towards that is more specific than "get into better shape" or "not be overweight and unhappy". Riding on Saturdays is clearly not enough.

There are a few rides on the calendar that I'd like to do. Coming up: Monster Cookie metric on April 26, always a fun (though flat) ride, the first organized one of the season (since I usually skip the Worst Day ride). Talking to my friends in Bend about doing the PPP (Pole Pedal Paddle) May 15, which would mean skipping Reach the Beach. Then there's a few centuries here & there, maybe the Pioneer, since I haven't ridden that in a few years. The Portland Century is a tough one! Maybe Crater Lake again, since I bought a new tent.

Cycle Oregon is up in the air at this point. I've already paid & registered, so I'd lose $100 if I cancelled before the end of August. But - there might be a more exciting trip in the plans. TWO WEEKS IN NEW ZEALAND. In October. That's SPRING cycling. Organized by none other than Heidi Swift.

The planning has begun. I'm already scheming on what I can sell and how to save up enough money for this trip. I need a goal.

Rite of passage

2010-02-22T09:34:00.001-08:00

I went for a ride with Ken Lee after skating practice yesterday. We took our usual route out towards Camas and around Lacamas Lake. It was an incredibly clear, even warm, but windy day, and felt like Spring.

Saturday was the same type of weather, and the planned route included climbs up Mason Hill & Dorland to Skyline. On Helvetia I was already feeling sluggish and didn't have the energy to catch the group as they surged ahead while I stopped at West Union. John Elrod waited for me, and after riding up Jackson Quarry, we met up with a smaller group that turned left on Mason Hill, skipping the tough climb, which seemed okay with me. I need the challenge, but just wasn’t feeling it, and I’m sure there will be more opportunities to ride those hills throughout the summer. We had enough of a challenge riding into the wind on the way back.

With the way I felt on Saturday's ride, I was glad Ken was on his fixed gear yesterday, since earlier in the week he had mentioned bringing a bike with more than one gear and doing some climbing. To me, the route is challenging enough, with rollers and a few short, but steep, hills that get my heart rate up and usually have me out of the saddle. It gets easier each time though, and I’m feeling stronger.

I don’t pay attention to the street names, but just follow Ken’s wheel, though the route is becoming more familiar so I can anticipate when we’re going to turn as I recognize the familiar landmarks. I have no idea which road we were on, but it’s just after a left turn onto a short hill, then it curves around, and all of a sudden I look down and there’s a white dog chasing me and barking. I’m not afraid of the dog biting me, I just don’t want the dog to cause me to crash & take Ken out. I can’t even think about pulling out my water bottle to squirt the dog, and I don’t have my small pump with me, not that I could bring myself to hit the dog. I imagine I can feel the dog’s teeth on my shoes and before I know what I’m doing, I yell “DOG! DOG! DOG!” and sprint past Ken to lose the dog. There’s a car behind us, and no shoulder, and I’m grateful that the car doesn’t try to pass. Without turning to look back, I hope the driver sees the dog and is patient enough to wait until we continue on and the dog goes back to his yard. Then at the very next house, I see another dog, a small brown one, start to run towards the road. Ken and I simultaneously yell at the dog as loud as we can and I believe it stops him in his tracks. I continue around the road as it curves, relieved, adrenaline pumping.

Finally we get to a place where we can ride side by side, and I say to Ken, “please tell me the white dog didn’t get hit by the car.” He says no, and then remarks “I didn’t know you could sprint!”

Hah. I guess I can if I have to.

When we got back around the lake and on flatter roads again, thinking of outsprinting the dog made me smile and I decided I needed to document this milestone. So I took out my camera and took a picture of Ken. I wasn’t too far back but slowed down a bit to take the photo. I was super grateful to be on his wheel when we were in the wind.

As I thought about it, I commented to Ken that this is like one of those rites of passage that were listed in Bicycling Magazine a few issues back. Like your first saddle sore, first bonk, first century. First time chased by a dog . Rite of passage. I outsprinted the dog. Crisis averted. Whew. WIN!

Surviving strength training

2010-01-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

The late fall-early winter doldrums had arrived. Working too late most nights, not having the time or energy to plan healthy meals, time in front of the TV, and dark mornings with no energy to drag out the rollers resulted in lethargy, weight gain, and general malaise. Does this sound familiar, or is it just me?

I can’t remember what I initially thought when I saw the information about Upper Echelon’s strength training classes. I read about it on the website, talked to people I knew had taken the classes last year, and procrastinated. I knew I had to commit to something, because the old routine wasn’t working. My biggest fear: making it blatantly obvious how out of shape I really am by demonstrating that I don’t belong in a class full of bike racers. My biggest worry: what to wear? After all, the class involves both gym work and on-the-bike training. I had to get organized.

I tried not to think about it. I told Russell Cree that I was pretty sure I would die in the class, even though he had no idea what I was talking about. He just said I’d be fine. But I was dreading that first night, Monday December 7th. I thought of what could go wrong. I planned how to make sure I had enough time to get ready after work including time to grab a quick dinner.
I showed up. After all, 99% of the challenge is showing up. Right, Einar?

I immediately liked Lara Brown, the coach, and tried to put out of my mind what I imagined she was thinking when I introduced myself. Generally I don’t care about making an impression or what people think of me (those of you who know me will agree) but I would bet she was wondering what I was doing there, with my $129 set of Advance Minoura rollers, shebeest knickers and slightly worn North Wave shoes. Most everyone else had on their team jerseys, brought trainers and looked like they belonged. I chatted a bit with Lara, who reminds me a lot of a friend of mine who was once on the National Cycling team and came very close to qualifying for the 2006 short track speedskating Olympic team. I got on my bike and managed to stay upright on the rollers for the warmup, thanks to the strategically placed table (for my towel & water bottle).

Warmup over, time to do some “dynamic strength work”. This consisted of light jogging & doing various warmup exercises in laps across the room – knee-ups, lunges, etc. Then, the coordination drills. Lara lays out a “ladder” on the floor and shows us the hop-scotch-like drills. At first it’s easy, just run with knees up, one foot in each square, like football players running in tires. Then it becomes more complicated, this is where the “coordination” (or in my case, lack thereof) comes into play. Lara hops lightly and effortlessly as she demonstrates each combination drill. Javad quickly imitates precisely what she has demonstrated, and everyone else follows. Then I attempt the drill, and sometimes can’t get my brain to stop the negative “you can do this, klutz!” thoughts so that my legs & body can actually perform. At least I try, and hope nobody is laughing, but I am amused at my own clumsiness. So be it.

Time to get on the bike. Lara brings out a chart which I can’t read, because I am so focused on staying upright on my rollers that I don’t dare look up. At the beginning of class during warmup she had us introduce ourselves and I did so without looking up, but managed to shoot a quick frightened glance at Lara, and heard a few chuckles. I paid my money like everyone else, and I need to be here, I thought. I am out of shape, so what if I’ve got 10 or 20 years on these “real” racers. I just want to ride my bike and not die.

Back to the chart. I can’t focus on it, but Lara is saying something about “power 1” and “power 2”. I interpret this to mean “pedal hard” and “try not to puke”. These are my goals. I manage to accomplish both, for the most part, though Lara does have to say “get your cadence up there, Linda” quite a few times. I try not to watch the clock. Lara says “throw your knees up over the handlebars” and I picture parking my bike somewhere and just reclining with my legs draped over the bike. Not exactly what she meant. I realized that the coordination and warmup drills are intended to simulate the pedaling motion (at least the running knee-ups, anyway) so I find that if I just concentrate on pretending there are wires on the ceiling attached to my kneecaps, they will pull them up repeatedly, allowing me to somewhat resemble an actual cyclist on rollers.

I survived the first class. Even though I ate before the workout, I was ravenously hungry when I got home at 9pm. Note to self to bring snacks for the ½ hour drive home. I even went back for 2 more classes in December. Then the holidays came. I had to work up my courage all over again to return to class on January 13th. In place of Lara, who is out of town, Chris put the three of us through a similar warmup and more core workout, which I badly need. The spinning portion of the class was much harder – 120 rpms? Are you kidding me?
I’ll get there. I may not ever be an actual road racer, but I am determined to regain the fitness I’ve lost, be able to pedal more efficiently, not get dropped on rides, and most importantly, fit into my jeans.

Post-Cycle Oregon Syndrome

2009-11-23T17:07:00.001-08:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted on here. Or at least it seems like it has. Sometimes I'll draft a post in my head and then later can't remember whether I actually typed it out & posted it or not. It's hard to think of anything unique or interesting or humorous that relates to me riding my bike. So I'll just kind of review what's been going on.

I haven't been riding outdoors during the week, now that it's dark at 5pm. Occasionally I'll make it to spinning class or drag the rollers out for a 45 minute or 1 hour spin. It's not much, but I always feel better for having done it. Hopefully I can get some motivation back and with consistency, find that fitness I had earlier this summer.

Brian Collie calls it "post Cycle Oregon syndrome". He said that on a day after the group waited for me to slog up Jackson Quarry, which really isn't a tough hill, but for some reason the last time we rode it on a Saturday, my legs were lacking the energy to ride any faster. Last Saturday we rode up Pumpkin Ridge, and then around Jackson School Road. The group I was with hesitated and considered going straight to West Union, skipping the short but steep climb up Mason Hill. After about 10 minutes of debating, I said the hell with it and turned to go up Mason Hill. I felt great and was so glad I did it. Jackson Quarry looked slick with leaves but we weren't really descending, it's just a winding road and before we knew it, we were back at Longbottoms.

Saturday the 7th was like the rainstorm from hell. Starting out wasn't too bad, but once we got to Verboort, site of the locally famous Sausage Festival, the car traffic forced us to stop for about 15 minutes before we could turn onto Porter. By that time it was pouring and getting colder by the minute. The wind was whipping around and the rain was stinging as it hit my face. I thought I'd dressed appropriately, but the Santini clear rain jacket did nothing to keep me dry, only made me wet and cold. Shoe covers and wool socks couldn't keep the toes from going numb, and my glasses had fogged and then gotten splattered with so much rain & road grime that I couldn't see. Quickly I scanned my brain to think of who I could call to come get me. Just like when I'm on the rollers and the idea of "time to stop, screw this!" pops into my brain, I couldn't let go of the idea. I know, I thought, I'll call Dean! As we crossed Highway 47, I spotted a huge tree in front of a house and knew it was time to pull over and make a phone call, waving everyone else on & telling them I was done. Sure enough, I reached Barb and told her I was miserable. After about 20 minutes of running in place and waving my arms around to keep warm, Dean showed up with towels, laughing and calling me a drowned rat. Needless to say the coffee and bagel sandwich tasted extra good that day, and watching Bigwood shiver for about an hour reminded me I'd made the right choice.

This Saturday for some reason my legs were again devoid of energy. Starting out down Evergreen, I noticed my computer wasn't registering speed, which seemed appropriate, as I felt like I was going backwards as I watched the group pull away from me. Talking to Elena, we found we were in the same mode - she didn't want to be an "anchor". I assured her that was not the case. Tim waited for us at Mountaindale. Frogger wasn't bad at all for a change (crossing Highway 26). Once we got to Banks, it seemed a good idea to stop at the drive-through espresso stand. Refueled, we agreed to bag Cedar Canyon and go back to meet the group. I was fine with skipping Stafford, though I knew I'd feel wimpy about it. Oh well, I'll make up for it next time. At least for once it didn't rain sideways and we had a good social ride. I just don't believe in pushing myself beyond what I feel like doing sometimes.

Yesterday I actually did another cross race. Well, I don't think I'd actually call it a race. Considering there were a few "DNFs" and I only did one lap, it was pretty dismal and pathetic, but for the most part, I had fun. I showed up at Kruger's after the deluge and it was sunny and getting warmer. Too bad it didn't dry up any of the MUCK on the course. I thought my mountain bike's new super-fat tires would eat up the mud, but in fact it was the opposite. It was like thick, gummy peanut butter that had been left in the freezer and taken out to thaw. There were also leaves, sticks and grass caught in my brakes, chain, derailleur, and about 15 pounds of muck clinging to my bike and shoes. This made my attempts at pseudo-running quite comical. I even ate it a couple of times, but I didn't care. I made no attempt to go any faster than I was capable of and told myself one lap was all I planned to do. Coming around the corner, I heard Luciano say "and you're done, Ladies!" Perfect timing. Who cares if I was DFL? That course was the most sloppy, slippery, slickery, sticky, mucky, goopy, impossible-to-ride-in mud I've ever seen. And yet I attempted it. Now if I could get the mud-stains out of my knickers, I'll be happy! Washing off the bike was not too bad, washing the car seemed like the right thing to do even though it's going to just get dirty with winter almost here. The hot bath though... that was a pretty great idea.

Harvest Century

2009-11-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot to post about this ride, over a month ago - October 10. I decided at kind of the last minute, and showed up super early, between 6:30-7:00am, not sure whether I'd even do the full 100 miles. I agreed to ride with Martin since he was committed to ride the full century, but I could decide at mile 43 or whatever. It was still dark when I got there, and cold, about 37 degrees I think I heard. Yikes. I had my new fleece-lined bib knickers on and figured a vest & arm warmers would suffice. Definitely full-fingered gloves were in order.

After signing my release and paying the $55, we were off. Oh, wait - blue rooms. Then we were off. Rode through some quiet Hillsboro neighborhoods and wondered why everyone was still asleep on what was sure to be a beautiful fall day. Martin and I decided people should be awake since we were, so we didn't make any effort to lower our voices as we rode down the street. Within the first mile or so, we had already lost track of the orange pumpkins painted on the road to indicate our route. We weren't the only ones, either. Not enough coffee, maybe? Finally a group of us followed Martin, as he was familiar with the way to get us on track.

The ride was perfect, for a century at least. No major climbs, not too many rest stops, but just enough to stop & refuel. Sitting in a school cafeteria scarfing down sandwiches at 10:30am? Okay, sure. Then back on the road. Made it to the cutoff for the shorter routes & decided to go for the full century. Why not? It was a beautiful day, and warmed up enough for me to change gloves & shed the vest. Even the ride on the Canby Ferry was fun, though the hill climb afterwards had me briefly out of breath. A few more rollercoaster-like hills and we were on our way back towards home. Roy Rogers Road offered a wide shoulder, fast traffic and some quickly tiring riders. I somehow had plenty of energy left to pedal ahead for a bit, and we stopped at the last rest stop for smoothies before charging on towards home. I didn't take any photos but there was one I found on the event website somewhere, I'll have to find it. All in all, a great ride, and I'd do it again!

Autumn

2009-10-06T15:22:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I took the old mountain bike out for a spin. Got brand new tires on it (thanks to Marc A.) and put a different saddle on. Much better. Went up Leif Erikson, and realized I haven't ridden or walked up there in years. It's beautiful! I really should do that more. It was fun. But have I ridden it since then? No. Even schlepping the bike in my car all last week, I couldn't manage to get out early enough to get in a short ride before pitch darkness set in. Lately, that's getting closer to 6pm.

I haven't ridden a lot since Cycle Oregon last month. Wow, it was almost a month ago already? I have ridden on Saturdays and most Sundays.

I still can't believe I did it.

I never thought I'd ride Cycle Oregon, let alone finish it. I'm still thinking about how much fun it was, what I'd do differently, and whether I'll do it again.

Actually, Cycle Oregon was a blast. Once I got the routine down in the morning, it was great. I'm a bit groggy without an initial hit of caffeine right when I wake up though. So, the first day was a bit of a struggle, but it turned out fine. We were camped at a huge park in Medford, and I didn't sleep all that much, it rained a bit that night, but cleared up in the morning. Packed up, went to get breakfast & at 8am, we were told they were shutting down. What? No breakfast? No coffee? They had food left so we got to eat, (whew) but I had a tiny meltdown about no coffee until I found the Nossa Familia booth and went running over to buy a cup. Day #1: Medford to Yreka - The first day's route was TOUGH. Went through Ashland, and the first rest stop was at Lithia Park. A few more turns, and then began the climb. It went on and on and on. Then downhill and into California where we spent some time on I-5 which had a wide shoulder & it was coned off for us. Not too bad but the draft from those big rigs is a bit scary not to mention the crosswinds. And it was an overcast & windy day. By the time we saw Mt. Shasta I was unimpressed, and all I wanted to do was get to camp. On the endless rollers into Yreka, my bike was getting tossed around like a paper airplane. It was tough - riding into a gusty 30mph wind! But I made it. Got to camp where an irritated KRhea had argued with some lady about reserving space for our tents. She had a 6-person circus tent for herself & her husband. It all worked out, and they took their tent elsewhere. The wind died down and we spent a decent night at the fairgrounds in Yreka. There were even flush toilets. Yay. We took out the Barbie that Dean had stashed in his bag and carefully sat her upon the saddle of KRhea's Colnago.

Day #2 - Yreka to Happy Camp - was a gorgeous day along the Klamath River - mostly downhill, which was great after the previous day's climbing. We arrived in the town of Happy Camp where we stayed at a school. I had my first post-ride smoothie. Had to hike a ways down to the dining tent, etc. so we asked around & scoped out a breakfast spot in the Frontier Cafe for the next morning. Enough waiting in lines for us! By then we had the routine down - get up before dawn, pack tent & get dressed, have bags ready for pickup by 7am, then off to breakfast, and rollout on bikes by 8am. Perfect.

Day #3 - Happy Camp to Lake Selmac - Had a great breakfast at the Frontier Cafe. From Happy Camp to Glendale was a bitch of a 20-mile climb that started literally right as we left town. It was just a continuous grind, much like High Rocks. Once I reached the summit (of course KRhea, & "toofastforyou"Phil were nowhere to be found) the view was amazing! Had a rest stop at a snow-park complete with live music. The descents were awesome too. Then as I was hanging with Cary, we hit the wall at about oh, mile 65 or so. On the map it showed some &*$#^()&*$# type of thing so we thought "oh shit". It was indeed a wall and some people were walking, off their bikes, and as I approached I yelled "walkers right please" as I really wanted to ride past them, but didn't have enough room to get by as it was a really narrow road, so I had to get off and walk for a bit. Got back on after it leveled off, and made it to the top where there was a drumline pounding out a rhythm to pedal to and Dean waiting to snap my photo. It was a great day - but to have such a brutally steep climb at the end of an already long ride was a bit cruel!! Ouch. Jonathon Nicholas joked about it that night at announcements like it was funny. I hope he enjoyed the climb! (Not really, actually I hope he suffered like the rest of us did!)

Day 4 - Lake Selmac to Glendale - was a beautiful ride along the Rogue River. The last couple of miles was a nice ascent along I-5, kind of deceiving as it looked flat but certainly didn't feel like it. I was really tired when I finished that ride! It was muggy, and we all got some pizza in the beer garden before getting ready for dinner. We were camped at the high school, a strange building, but at least our tents were far away from the stage so it was relatively quiet.

Day 5 - Glendale to Grants Pass - we started out having breakfast at this pizza place in Glendale. We were fascinated that they had ziploc bags with pennies & water hung above the front door to keep the flies away. Never heard of such a thing! The ride was really nice, along the Galesville Reservoir, and we had a rest stop in a beautiful park. Then we wound along farmlands for what seemed like endless miles!

Day 6: Grants Pass - I had no energy for a ride that day, and thankfully I wasn't the only one. Plus, I had washed some laundry the night before, and no way was I going to put on wet & cold shorts that morning to go ride. Ugh. So we slept in, had breakfast, read the paper, and went for a walk in town. It was a warm day, and I was envious of the people who went kayaking or on jet boat rides on the river. We had Mexican food for dinner at the restaurant across the street and scoped out our breakfast destination for day 7.

Day 7 - Grants Pass to Medford - the day started with a beautiful sunrise, and a delicious breakfast in downtown Grants Pass. Then the inevitable - getting dropped by KRhea & Phil, as Dean, Cary & I slogged towards Medford. Eventually I left a not-feeling-so-great Cary at the Fiasco winery rest stop and opted for the longer route into Medford as the rest day had done wonders for my legs. Made what I thought was pretty good time, rolling in around 1pm. Dean & Barb were waiting!

Showered, ate, drove home. Unpacked, did laundry, rode 37 miles the next day, feeling great!

Overall: Some of the days run together. Lots of rest stops at wineries, taverns, churches, schools. I honestly had forgotten we had a rest stop at the cinnamon roll place (Heaven on Earth bakery?) as most of the time I would cruise in, fill my water bottles, grab a snack, use the blue rooms, and take off again.

As a first-timer, I thought the organization was great, waiting in line, not so bad, camping, not so bad, food, pretty okay, company, spectacular. Never laughed so hard in all my life. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

As for camp, I missed out on a lot. I never had time to find yoga, let alone take a class. I didn't do anything really all that exciting on the rest day in Grants Pass. I didn't visit the PT, take a bike class or have my bike cleaned by the Community Cycling Center. Guess I need to ride faster. There's always next year!

Crater Lake 2009

2009-08-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

Another awesome ride. Just like in 2007, it was back-to-back weekends of long rides with tough climbs. Aug. 16 century, Aug. 23 70 miles with some ridiculous amount of climbing, and Aug. 29 Crater Lake, which is 61 miles roundtrip to & from Diamond Lake. I know it doesn't sound like much, but believe me, it's a challenging route.

On Saturday we woke up to VERY cold temps, after driving part of the way to Diamond Lake on Friday in pouring rain. The rain stopped fortunately when we arrived at the campground! Man, it was cold though. Got rolling about 9am, a bit late, and I think we were the last to leave camp. The climb is just relentless. With each turn you try to avoid looking up and when you do, thinking you are just about there, no, there is another turn and the road continues to point upward. It's just an endless grind. Then you arrive at the first viewpoint for some photo ops, quick rest, and continue to climb after that! Miles of climbs. Miles of fun screaming downhill on smooth pavement, then more climbs! Wow. Much more fun than when I rode it in 2007 because of my Tsunami! On the way down there were some brutal crosswinds, combined with a somewhat slick-newly chipsealed (but not loose gravel) road surface. We felt better hearing that everyone felt a bit uneasy on that stretch of road, but we all made it! EPIC. And the high temp of the day was probably 72. Perfect.

Sunday was MUCH hotter. Rode around Diamond Lake after packing up the campsite, but most people took off for other destinations. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. They really missed out! It's a flat ride through campgrounds on a bike path around the lake, but offers some gorgeous views. I was surprised not many people were there. This is really the ideal time to go camping there, as the crowds seem to be gone, and the weather is still good (though cold at night). I'd much rather go for a short, easy ride before sitting in the car for 4 hours to drive home than just packing up and leaving!

I'm so glad I went and did this ride again, and very glad that so many Portland people went along too! It was an awesome weekend with lots of laughs, great rides, and some great food!

A summer of climbs

2009-08-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Tour is over, but there is still plenty of perfect summer weather left which should last the next few months. While I haven't done all that I planned to do this summer, one thing I have done plenty of is climb. It never seems like I ride enough days or miles, and the more I ride, the more I want to ride, so that's a good thing. But there is always some climb I long to do, some obstacle to overcome. What a summer of climbing it's been so far, but there are still more climbs to do. I haven't even ridden home over the zoo (on a path I call the Zoobaix) once this summer. That seems so lame while the weather is dry and warm, and it stays light so late, to drive to & from work. But there is always some reason why it seems more convenient - some appointment, errand or whatever. Still, lame. But the Thursday night SE rides have been great, taking me on some roads I never would have known existed, bike paths, and other assorted "urban assault" type shortcuts.

But the climbs. Every other Saturday, the routes take us up some new climb I haven't done before, and we ride up Clapshaw, or Rocky Point, or Old Cornelius Pass, or Skyline. Even doing familiar routes in reverse brings a whole new feel to the ride. I figure any day on the bike is a good day, time well spent. Climbs are easier than they were in the past, and descents are not so intimidating. The Portland Century was a tough one, seeming more like 200 miles than 100, but I managed to get through it with plenty of rest stops for food, and good company.

This weekend: Crater Lake. One of my favorites! I will have photos of that to post soon.

Is it time for Le Tour 2010?

2009-07-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, the 2009 Tour de France is now over, and I'm left with wrap-up articles, speculation on who will ride for which teams next year, and rumors about the 2010 route. It was really a very exciting Tour this year - it had it all, including soap-opera-like drama, crashes, unexpected stage wins, expected sprint finishes, brutal climbs, hot weather, rain, and wind.

I would have liked to see George in yellow, and come to think of it I would have liked to see Lance in yellow as well. To see him on the podium after his comeback was an amazing thing, and I am sure he was pleased with how well he rode. But to see him not on the #1 spot on the podium was a bit.. strange. This business about Contador going around trashing him and his team is unacceptable to me. I was just as supportive of Contador leading Astana as everyone else was after his unplanned attacks, and it's common knowledge that he is the world's best climber. But to win, and then turn around and whine about how there were "two Tours - one on the road and one in the hotels"? Come on. He's got many years of wins ahead of him, why not accept the pretty trophy and go enjoy the adulation of his fans in Spain? I could go on, but I'll be nice.

Speaking of nice, I think Lance was the gracious and sportsmanlike gentleman, refusing to comment on many of Frankie Andreu's questions to try and pry some of the controversy and drama that everyone was dying to hear. Lance even today has good things to say about Alberto Contador. I saw a video where Phil Liggett points out the obvious, that Contador is not a team player. Lance just posted on Twitter: "Seeing these comments from AC. If I were him I'd drop this drivel and start thanking his team. w/o them, he doesn't win." I have to agree. He should be thanking his team, not acting like a petulant and indignant teenager. He got his win. The team supported him. What more could he want? Lance didn't attack him on the mountains. Lance didn't drop his teammates.

Just think - if Levi & Horner had been there supporting Lance, things might have been different. Which brings me to next year's Tour. Wow, a whole year for the rumors to fly, the analysis to begin, the speculation on who will ride for which team. This to me is WAY better than the NFL draft. New teams, new kits, new sponsors. Such fun! And what if Lance decides to form the very first ever ProTour cycling team made up entirely of Americans? I don't know that he will, being as he has mentioned Andreas Kloden as one of the riders on his list, and I've also heard rumors of Cadel Evans riding for Radio Shack. But I still think it would be a pretty historic Tour to have a whole U.S. team - it just goes to show how far American cycling has become, because there are actually enough Tour-caliber pro cyclists to make up such a team.

So. Let's talk about me. I went for a ride on Saturday, a typical, perfect, cloudless hot day in Bend. Since seeing Chris Horner's "taxi" ride of another rider & bike up to the CCC stage finish at Mt. Bachelor last July, it has been my goal to ride up there and find out just how hard it is. I started out from SE Bend and made my way to the sign on Century Drive announcing that it was 20 miles to Mt. Bachelor. Twenty miles? I thought. That's not a problem. No big deal. I have driven this road. I know what it looks like. So I plugged along. I got passed by a few people who said hello and there was the usual cycling small talk about what a nice day it was. Cyclists on their way down buzzed past with slight waves or head nods. I envied them as I began to climb. The words ran through my head that Heidi wrote about Bruce: "when the road turned up, he grinned. When the rain came down, he laughed". I thought about how much Bruce loved to climb, and pedaled harder. I thought of how hot it was and wished I hadn't frozen my water bottles, as they were still too slushy to drink from, and I was thirsty.

The road turned up. I kept my head down to avoid thinking that the climb would never end. Was I out of gears? No, not yet, still got a few left. Good. Lungs felt okay despite the altitude. Overall, not bad. 20 mile climb? Psh. No problem. But it was getting quite warm. I scoured the road ahead for some shade but there was none to be found. I shook & squeezed my water bottles to get some cool liquid, ate some Clif bloks. Better. Rounded a corner, and there it was. My very own, personal, Le Petit Mont Ventoux.

So, long story short - I made it, and it was hot. Planned to ride up to the parking lot but the plan was to stow the bike in the car & head to Sparks Lake to kayak, which we did. I wanted to ride down afterwards but it was late, and hotter, and really, it's not 100% downhill all the way. Next time.

Le Tour

2009-07-12T13:08:00.001-07:00

Tour Widget!

July = TDF

2009-07-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of year is here! Some people love summer for BBQs, camping, and family vacations. Me? I spend a great amount of time in front of the TV - watching Live telecast in the mornings and then I watch the extended coverage in the evenings. Needless to say, I don't get much sleep. But for the excitement, the beautiful scenery, and the greatest sporting event of all time, it's well worth it. Wow - average of 7% gradient on the climb in today's stage with some portions up to 15%. Yikes.

I have been looking forward to this for weeks. Reading the predictions, the endless analysis, the drama and speculation over who will lead Team Astana, poring over start lists to form my Tour fantasy team. Studying the stage routes. Following all the news. And last Saturday, which I decided to call the Tour-th of July, it finally arrived. A beautiful time trial in the principality of Monaco, then 3 days later an amazing team time trial after some flat stages brilliantly won by the unbeatable, unstoppable sprinter Mark Cavendish.

Today, they are in the Pyrenees for the first mountain stage, the longest of the Tour. It will supposedly establish who will lead Astana and be the true test of Lance's fitness after his years of absence from the Tour. I'm ready.

I'd continue, but there is only about 10k left in the stage so I must glue my eyes to the TV.

Two families suffer a great loss.

2009-06-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know Bruce Giunta's family, but have heard many wonderful things about them over the past few weeks. From emails I've read and from hearing from those who visited Bruce in the hospital, it sounds like they are a strong, close-knit and loving family. Bruce passed away on Friday from the injuries he suffered in his June 2 bicycle accident. The more I hear about what an amazing man he was, the more I sense the enormity of this loss, not only to his own family, but to the Portland Velo family, and the cycling community as a whole. I am so sad for their loss.

We had our new Ride Leader kits delivered on Saturday and wore them in a fitting tribute to Bruce, pedaling harder on the difficult climbs as we were asked to do. Resplendent in our visible green, orange and white, with the same design as the regular black, blue and white club kit design, we ascended the west hills with grim determination. During the ride i paused to look around at the beauty of the view, soak in the warm sunshine, feel the wind on my face, and can only begin to understand the effect this one man has had on the local community. I recall only a few conversations with Bruce, but will never forget the last one. I commented on his bike, and could see the pride in his eyes when he replied. That day was exactly like Saturday - a bright, clear, cloudless warm day. I think it was Matt D'Elia who said that Bruce will always have a tailwind, and will climb like an angel. A memorial is set for July 11 at the Mountain Park Rec Center in Lake Oswego. This should be a wonderful celebration of Bruce's life.

I am so glad I forced myself to do all the difficult climbing and ride the entire route on Saturday. Recently it has seemed too easy and tempting to cut the route short or skip the hills, when I know I need to do them. I need every mile. However, after getting up very early yesterday (and arriving at Stoller Vineyard an hour earlier than I needed to) then riding a 30-mile route, I was really feeling it. My legs ached on the climbs, especially when I stood up out of the saddle. Lunch was good and it was fun to ride behind Carlo & Monique on their tandem or take turns pulling with Maggie. After a long drive home, I could barely keep my eyes open and ended up napping away most of the afternoon. Here's to hard rides and long naps to recover from them.

Yesterday's ride

2009-06-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

We assembled at Longbottom's for a quiet gathering, Mary O'Donnell and family in attendance for a silent ride to remember Tim O'Donnell. Mary spoke briefly about her efforts working on the Vehicular Homicide bill, letting everyone know that the next legislative session is 2 years away, but she'd be happy to inform people who their legislators are, if they aren't sure. This bill is very important, because as Mary reminded us, the woman driving the car that killed Tim on his bike was fined $1,100 even though she shouldn't have been behind the wheel at all. So unfair, so wrong.

After a mostly silent rollout, the ride was smooth and fast, at least for me. My legs felt heavy, the muscles tight, my heart rate stayed high. Some of us chose not to do the Dairy Creek portion of the ride, which was fine with me, though I could have used the miles. Everyone took care to ride ultra-safe, pointing out debris on the road, potholes, and being especially vocal about communicating when turning, slowing and stopping. This is how we should always ride.

No update on Bruce Giunta's condition today. I spent some time assembling a few photos into a collage for the website. Here's a preview:

Prayers for Bruce

2009-06-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

It could happen to anyone. A large rock, a stick, a pothole. Yesterday it happened to a Portland Velo club member, Bruce Giunta. Here is the information from Vancouver's newspaper, the Columbian:
============================
Bicyclist, 69, critically injured in spill
Tuesday, June 2 | 10:32 p.m.

BY LAURA MCVICKER AND JOHN BRANTON
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITERS

A 69-year-old man was critically injured in a bicycle crash Tuesday morning when he was riding with a group of cyclists along Northwest Lower River Road.

It was the first of three bicycle accidents Tuesday that were handled by the Vancouver Fire Department, said Firefighter-spokesman Jim Flaherty.

Bruce Giunta of Tualatin, Ore., was rushed to Southwest Washington Medical Center with critical injuries from the 9:54 a.m. crash near Northwest Gateway Avenue in the Fruit Valley neighborhood, Flaherty said. Giunta was in intensive care Tuesday night.

A second cyclist, James Mazzocco, 61, of Aloha, Ore., suffered scrapes and bruises, and also was transported to a hospital as a precaution.

Giunta, well-known in Portland bicycling circles, was riding with a group of between 18 and 20 cyclists from the Portland Velo Cycling Club, a nonprofit cycling group. His bike hit road debris, likely a stick, and he was thrown, Flaherty said.

He was wearing a helmet and protective gear.

Riding team members performed CPR on the man. A passing Vancouver Public Works vehicle stopped and two workers rendered assistance.

Duane Lane exited the truck and held Giunta’s neck stable, and Rick Freeman positioned the truck to block the road, protecting the cyclists, Flaherty said.
==============================

Bruce and his family are in my thoughts and prayers. I am also very grateful for the fellow Portland Velo riders who were with him yesterday and who continue to show their support by helping out any way they can. I am hoping for some more positive news after Bruce had some very complicated neurosurgery today.

Summer Cycling Plans

2009-05-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

After being sick, lazy, or otherwise occupied, I've missed out so far on two rides I did last year - Monster Cookie and Ride around Clark County. That reminded me of all the great rides I did last year, including our club century (I did 70 miles), Vine Ride (century), Tour des Chutes (70) and Peach Century (62). I may have missed a few but it was a good summer.

This year I'm doing Reach the Beach. Probably 55 miles but possibly 80. Should be interesting. After that the plan is possibly Tour des Chutes in July as well as the Mt. Adams ride in Trout Lake, Crater Lake in August and Cycle Oregon in September. I will have to fill in some other weekends with other rides that I'm not sure about yet at this point. But I know right now I need to get my fitness back and my mileage up there.

New bike!

2009-04-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

So, the bike was delivered ON MY BIRTHDAY. No bow or wrapping paper - but still, what a gift! Of course I had to rush home that evening to take her out for the maiden voyage. Talk about smooth - she shifts like a dream! She's light, and quick, and fits like a glove. Perfect!
I took the day off and rode on Friday morning with the PV crew. What fun! Had a photo op prior to the ride, too.

Feast Your Eyes.

2009-03-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

New Frame. Beautifully painted!

Patience - have you seen it? I seem to have lost mine.

2009-03-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Cycling can be frustrating. But even worse, the inability to ride. Saturday I wasn't able to make the club ride due to some banking issues I had to take care of. My bank is open from 10-2 on Saturdays, so I wasn't sure I'd make it there if I went on the ride and had time for lunch (a very important part of the Saturday ride ritual). The fact that some jackass decided to counterfeit my debit card and charge up all kinds of crap all over San Francisco necessitated my fun trip to the bank. The charges have been disputed and are being investigated, and the debit card has been cancelled & a new one issued, but that doesn't make the feeling of being violated go away.

But I digress. Missing the Saturday ride sucks. Fortunately I made it to the coffee shop in time for lunch, which was great since a) a friend was kind enough to buy me lunch, and b) I got to commiserate with other cyclists. On Sunday I decided to go out for a ride, a process that takes probably 20 minutes - getting dressed, finding helmet, gloves, vest, food, filling water bottles, pumping up the tires. Not even 10 minutes into the ride I hear something rubbing on my back tire. I look down, can't see anything, and decide to look at it once I stop at the stoplight. Before I even get there, I hear a "POP". Flat. Great. I stop, roll over to the grass up the curb and proceed to investigate. Remove the wheel. Obtain tools from seat pouch - tire levers, pump, CO2 cartridges, extra tube. Sit down on curb to commence removal of tube. I don't see anything on the tire (which was brand new, by the way) that could have caused the flat - wait, is the tire overlapping the rim? WTF? Not again. I attempt multiple times to get the tire lever around the bead of the tire. Cannot quite get it right no matter how many times I try. I take deep breaths and curse all the people who have helped me do this, because in the process they are actually preventing me from learning how to do it myself. I *HAVE* done it myself. So why can't I do it this time?? Finally in frustration I pick up the tools, stash them, and pick up frame, tire and proceed to walk home. Total and complete humiliation. In the process a group rides by and asks me if I have everything I need. Although nice of them and comforting, I am too embarrassed and wave them on, saying I'm done for the day and going home. Then a group of young girls ask me if I'm OK and need help. I shoot a smartass reply across the street at them and then quickly realize what an ass I am being and apologize, saying I'm having a bad day. But seriously. Is it that bad? I start to cry. Really, is that necessary? At that moment, yes, it was. My internal dialogue goes something like this: "People can do this, why can't I? I suck. I guess I'm not meant to be a cyclist. I need to ride - I have been so lazy lately. How am I ever going to ride Cycle Oregon? I hate all those people who get to ride during the week.. Me? No - I have to WORK. INDOORS. IN AN OFFICE. It blows." Yeah, real positive. Very helpful. I get home, hang up the bike, go inside and hop on my stupid lame Lifecycle recumbant stationary bike and grind out a boring hour workout. Not the same. Just as well, the weather looked pretty ominous outside.

Here's hoping that this weekend is better. But some good news - my new frame is at the painter. I am hoping like HELL that I am worthy of this new bike. I need to prove that I am - to no one else but myself.

My love affair with the wind: I'm over it.

2009-03-01T18:26:00.001-08:00

Years ago, I used to windsurf. When you rely on wind to propel you across a body of water, and those perfect days when consistent, steady wind gives you just the right amount of wind for the size sail you like to use, it's a thing to be enjoyed. Windsurfers are wind snobs. If you have just a few sails, the small ones are for screaming wind, the large ones are for the low-wind days, and hopefully you have a middle-sized one for decent wind days. I had one that fit that description. I can't remember the size or the color, but when conditions were right, I'd hop up on the board (or waterstart), position myself just right so the wind filled the sail, hook my harness straps to the boom, and take off. The wind was my friend.

I haven't windsurfed since about 1994, and sometimes I miss it. I used to stop in Stevenson or Hood River and just watch them scoot across the Columbia with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I just didn't have the money to support such an obsession. And believe me, it's an obsession, and an expensive one.

Not that cycling isn't. Just when you think you have your bike, your equipment and your clothing all dialed in, something new catches your eye and it's all you can think about. That lightweight carbon frame. That sassy 'cross bike. Those light, stiff-soled shoes that match your kit. That helmet that makes you look like you are going fast even when you're standing still. Those special lenses in the glasses that keep crud out of your eyes and make you look cool at the same time.

So, as a cyclist, I learn that wind is something to be endured, something to tolerate. We learn to draft, to ride in a paceline, or an echelon, and hope for a headwind early in the ride so we can enjoy a tailwind on the way back. Sometimes this doesn't happen the way we like. I've come to appreciate group riding so much that I rarely ride solo anymore, at least not lately.

So yesterday I'm battling down Evergreen, having passed people in my hurry to get back to Longbottom's and enjoy my bagel sandwich. I'm cruising along at a snappy 14mph, feeling like I'm standing still. I look down and see 13mph, and then as I approached Shute Road, a screaming 10mph. Good thing there was only one stoplight to go.

Sorry, wind - I'm over you. Can we just be friends? I want to stay on your good side.

Needing Motivation, Contemplating Change

2009-02-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

It's not been the best of weeks for a few reasons. I have been overwhelmed at work and even skipped my Wed. cicruit class, going home at 9 that night to grab a quick bite to eat and head straight for bed. This combined with the appetite loss/nausea/headaches didn't help. I didn't work out Monday or Tuesday, and lastnight I went to spinning class. It didn't seem like a very tough workout to me. So, I'm feeling like I really need to make some changes, and one idea is to quit the gym altogether. I only re-activated my membership to go to spinning during the winter anyway, and I haven't been going that much. It's all about accountability. Go to spinning (rush to get there by 6:45pm to change, get home at 8:30 starving), or go home and ride the rollers for an hour? One is more social, one is not. I don't know. I could also change to morning cardio workouts, which would leave the evenings free for resistance workouts. I need to commit to something else, because this isn't working. I wish I could afford a full-on coach like Upper Echelon Fitness, but I will at least look into their strength training classes. Suggestions welcome. I also could PUT DOWN THE HOT TAMALES (the candy, not the Mexican food version)!

It's here!

2009-02-14T16:15:00.000-08:00

Racing season! Not only did the Tour of California Prologue start today in Sacramento, but Portland Velo's first race is tomorrow. Good luck, everyone!

I just read an interview VeloNews did with Lance Armstrong about the Tour of California. This quote sums up his view of the race: "The guys I know are racing like it’s May."

I found some things I had written a couple of years ago on my favorite things about pro cycling. It needs a little updating, so I had to change some things, but here it is - my favorite things about pro cycling:

1. Favorite race for scenery - Giro do Lombardia ("race of the falling leaves")
2. Favorite early season one-day race - that would be a tie between the Tour of Flanders (insane climbs, horrific cold weather, crazy Belgian fans and cobblestones) and Paris Roubaix (again, cobblestones, and the finale in the Velodrome).
3. Favorite Spring classic - Milan San Remo
4. Favorite US cyclist - Levi Leipheimer. The guy just never quits and is a great all-around cyclist. Back in the Discovery days it was George Hincapie, and I also really was impressed by Christian Vande Velde's 2008 season.
5. Favorite team kit - this is a tough one. I'd have to say Astana, because I don't think any other teams in the pro peleton have the aqua blue & yellow combination. I do like Garmin's argyle, but not so sure about the blue & orange combo.
6. Favorite team director - Jonathan Vaughters - the guy just seems so cool.
7. Favorite bike - Garmin/Slipstream's Felt - but I also love CSC (oops, Saxo Bank)'s Cervelo
8. Favorite sprinter - Mark Cavendish. He is wicked fast!
9. Favorite commentator - Bob Roll. He's kind of grown on me.
10. Favorite pro cycling magazine - Cyclesport
11. Favorite cycling website - VeloNews
12. Best aerial views - Tour de France. The best way to see all the cool cycling sculptures the fans make out of hay is from the helicopter footage.

Least favorite things about pro cycling (notice there aren't as many):
1. Worst team kit - Columbia/High Road. WHY on earth did they change it? I didn't like the yellow & red, but then Columbia's blue was pretty cool. Rock Racing's black & green kit is pretty hideous too (but kinda cool in a scary sort of way). Note - it's red, black & white this year. Still bizarre.
2. Least favorite commentator - Craig Hummer. Today I actually heard him say "spite-lot" when he meant to say "spotlight". Seriously. Where is Al Trautwig when you need him? He just has a better voice. What does Craig Hummer know about cycling?
3. Commercials on Versus. These are some of the worst on television, I swear. Yay for Tivo.
4. Least favorite race - Tour of Quatar. Boring. Tour de Faso runs a close second.
5. British commentators' mangled pronunciation of US cities. Cracks me up. I would do worse to the European cities. Bob Roll has gotten pretty good with his pronunciation of French & Italian.
6. Dopers. Vinokourov, Ullrich, Basso, Ricco, Schumacher, etc. Such a shame.
7. Podium girls. What's the point of this? Some ancient cycling tradition?
8. Most hideous fans - that would have to be the summit of Alpe d'Huez, but it's a toss-up. They've gotten smarter about putting the barriers out close to the finish so there won't be as many cyclist/fan incidents.

That's all I can think of for now - but might edit more later...
Here's to a great 2009 season!

Ow.

2009-02-02T16:59:00.001-08:00

Much better riding this weekend! Saturday was cold and foggy - one of those days when it's really tempting to pull the down comforter over my head and grab a couple more hours of sleep. But no, I had to force myself to get up, chug some coffee, and get moving. I find that driving to the ride is a good option on these days. I wasn't sure about hopping on with KRhea's 3-hour endurance-fest, but I actually did alright. Brian Collie kept encouraging me to stay in the middle of the pack, and we kept the pace up for most of the ride. Even Blooming Fern wasn't so bad though I haven't done much climbing in a while, and that bagel sandwich sure did taste good. This photo was taken towards the end of the ride (thus the smile - I'm on the right).

Yesterday - different story. Not sure if it was a wise decision but I carpooled with Matt over to Palio's to meet up with Kristin & crew for her SE ride. Advertised as "flat & conversational, easy pace" I thought sure, I can hang on with these guys. But the sea of blue & black were way ahead once we started up River Road. I talked to Lindsay for a bit, then once we got to Oregon City I fell behind as we started up 43, but Kender was nice enough to lend me his wheel. Those climbs are deceptive, he said to me later. Terwilliger wasn't much fun either, especially after I biffed trying to unclip & avoid hitting Kristin's wheel as we stopped to step over a curb. DOH! Hungry, a little sore and very tired, I went home to clean my bike, take a hot shower, eat and got in bed by a little after 9pm. Time to build up some more miles in the saddle.

winter riding

2009-01-28T21:39:00.000-08:00

Finally I've been able to get out on a few rides - the 17th and the 24th. Saturdays is about the only time I have to ride outdoors lately, but I try and get some spinning indoors during the week. Apparently it's not enough. I was so discouraged on Saturday when I got dropped on Dairy Creek. It was sooo cold, and even snowed on me a bit. I allowed myself to pout a little bit, and was angry at myself for not trying to keep up. I couldn't catch the group when they went zooming by, and that was the last I saw of anyone on my way back. I didn't even stop at Longbottom's as I had ridden there instead of driving for a change, so I continued home for a hot shower. I missed that bagel sandwich.

I've really got to step up the fitness level a notch if I'm ever going to be able to ride with the 19's. What do I blame this slowness on? Lack of fitness? Well, I've been cross-country skiing a lot, but that isn't the same as a 3-hour ride. So I'll just venture out on a limb and say that I haven't been riding enough. It's all about base miles, right? I need to just ride more, simple as that. Back to the basics. No more excuses.

Dear bike, I miss you.

2008-12-22T14:38:00.001-08:00

Hopefully we can ride again soon. In the meantime, here are some gloves and a scarf to keep your handlebars warm. The thaw is coming!

New bike to be?

2008-12-05T14:24:00.000-08:00

It's possible. I'm being persuaded. But first, colors have to be changed. Purple does not go with red. I like things to be more neutral, less flashy. And once I get my new Castelli Portland Velo gear, it would definitely clash, so it's better if I had something that would match. I'm thinking take off the purple and red, and add a dark blue. Or a PV blue.

I suppose it's time. I've had my Trek for 2 years now. It's not the perfect bike, but I really got tired of shopping around so I bought the only color they had, and it was all I could afford at the time. It's carried me over many miles and gotten me up some difficult climbs. It has now been fitted with fenders and flaps and is now the "rain bike". I think it's time for what KRhea calls the "uber-chick-rocket" lightweight climbing bike. It would be nice to have a bike that I love, one that looks good, and is fast, and one that I could ride as it's meant to be ridden. Yes, it's time. I just realized that I want to ride faster, be stronger. It's obviously the bike, right? It couldn't possibly be ME that's slow.

Overcoming intimidation

2008-11-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

After missing most of 'cross season and making multiple excuses (some actually quite imaginative, I think), I finally stepped up. So after much encouragement, some positive, some consisting of "shut up and race" or "man up!" I brought my mountain bike to the Hillsboro fairgrounds yesterday, still not 100% sure I'd race. I had plenty of time to back out. I hung around the Portland Velo tent for a while, then casually wandered over to the registration desk and was handed the number 423. It was karma - my birthday. So, it was decided. I had to race. I headed over to my car around noon, changed into my knickers & mountain biking shoes, and rode my bike over to the tent. A flurry of activity followed - people excitedly asking me "are you going to RACE?" which I replied with a shrug and "well - I'll ride, let's put it that way." My head is not really into this racing thing - I've got nothing to prove. I just thought why not - it'll be fun. (Right?)

Numerous people offered advice and to loan me their jerseys. I'm overwhelmed. I was told my long-sleeved jersey would be way too hot. I stripped that off as well as the sugoi shirt underneath and Sal tossed me one of Heidi's short sleeved PV jerseys. Kender patiently pinned the number on for me, instructing me to "raise my hand as if I knew the answer in math class", which makes me laugh. Can't back out now - I'm wearing a number. Looking around to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything, I grabbed my gloves, helmet and bike, and rode over to the start. I saw some women riding around, and not knowing anything about the course, I started to follow, but Traci & Kristin yelled at me to hang out with them, so I complied. I'm amazed that I feel no urge to hurl, no nervous butterflies waiting for names to be called as all of the women's categories are lined up & then started. Cheered when they called Heidi's name and noted that her hair was already wet with sweat from warming up on the trainer. Warmup? I don't need to warm up, I thought. I'm only going to ride - maybe see if I can finish a lap. A whistle blows and I follow Traci - until she disappears into the throng of women. I hear someone yell my name. All I can do is focus on not falling as people pass me left and right. Great, I think. I'm so slow! I pedal through and wind around on a very bumpy section as everyone comments on how bumpy it is. I realize I am going to have to pass by the PV tent and am absolutely unprepared for the volume of noise as I do. Someone tells me "ride through the tent!" I have never heard so much simultaneous yelling of my name - it's deafening, but I like it and can't help smiling.

I decide not to dismount for the mushy barkdust speedbumps. I can handle that. Off to the bumpy section again and then around in circles until I realize I have completely forgotten everything I learned in the clinic I went to 2 months ago. I still manage to do a decent run through the 6-pack of barriers, or so I thought, at least the first time. Then after winding around a couple more circles, I see it. The ocean of mud in the famed "corral of crap". Ugh. I slog through as much as I can, managing to ride through most of it. I'm told the right side of the puddle is better. I trust no one and think that must be a lie. My shoes are soaked and my socks are caked with mud. People yelling at me the whole way to "ride it! ride it!" I try not to disappoint. My legs are already tired, and my breathing is much faster than I would like. Is my bike too small? Am I the only dork on a moutain bike? At some point I am riding with two other women who take turns passing me when I decide enough is enough and I must get around them. I don't see them again. On the second lap, I'm passed constantly - and I am grateful for all the words of encouragement "great job!" as well as the "on your left" as fast women on fancy 'cross bikes skillfully speed by me. I wonder if I am the last of the beginners. Better to be DFL than DNF, I think. Once again I make it past the PV tent and hear my name shouted by so many people I think I might burst into tears. It actually gives me a surge of energy and I try to go faster, attempting to catch some air on the bumps, but I don't. By the third lap, I no longer care about anything. The silence on the far part of the course is almost deafening and I wonder, is it over? If I quit now, would anyone know? I could just ride home on my muddy bike, or ride to the car. No one would know. They can't see me out here, how would they know where I am? Then I see J-Rod with his camera, Daryl shouts words of encouragement, even a girl leaning against the fence tells me "great job!" I smile and decide to finish, what have I got to lose? It becomes my only goal. So I head for my third trip into the dreaded mud pit of despair, hoping to emerge unscathed. The shouting is both helpful and distracting. Riding through the muck becomes completely impossible so I slog through, not possessing the energy to run. I accuse one guy of lying to me when he says I'm almost done. I can't make eye contact with anyone. The finish line is around the corner, I can hear it. I decide to remount for the occasion and at least not completely humiliate myself. I hear someone commenting on my Diamond Back and think better of asking him if he's making fun of my bike, because I don't care. I ride through the finish to cheers and then nonchalantly ride back to the tent and hang my bike on the rack. I'm greeted with high fives and hugs. I chug down the contents of my water bottle. Sierra takes pictures of me all muddy. I'm not as tired as I expected to be, but wonder how long everyone else has been done with their race, and then decide it doesn't matter. I finally collect myself enough to change back into my jeans and suddenly I'm ravenous. I drag Javad over with me to get some fries, which taste like the best food I have ever eaten. I stand around stuffing my face and decide this is the best team, the best day, ever. I can't wait to do it again - and maybe I'll actually try to race, not just finish, next time.

Chasing sunlight

2008-10-28T16:12:00.001-07:00

Time to focus on positive things. In my efforts to attempt to include more riding time during the week, I brought my bike to work yesterday. I was too unorganized in the morning to ride to work, as it would have taken too long, and showering in this building is not a viable option. If I was going to ride after work, I needed to leave early. So right at 5pm I decided to head west - in my car. Dumb idea. I'm sitting on the freeway wearing my cycling clothes feeling like an idiot and getting angry while the traffic inched along. I wanted to scream "don't you people know I need to ride?" I was more mad at myself than anything, for not leaving earlier, for not being organized enough to ride more often, for not getting to work earlier and for having such a long commute. How frustrating. Finally I reached my exit and hurried to hop on my bike for what would probably be only a 1/2 hour ride. Better than nothing, I thought, glad that I fought the urge to just say "screw it" and head home to walk the dog. No, I needed this. So I rode west on West Union, figuring I had lights, was wearing a bright vest and I'd figure out the route along the way. Took a right on Jackson Quarry, deciding to ride Helvetia clockwise instead of the usual direction, I pedaled as fast as I could to race the dwindling sunlight. I still haven't decided whether it's easier to pedal up that hill to the church that way or the usual counter-clockwise direction. The orange sun was drifting behind the haze as I cruised at 22mph down Helvetia towards West Union. I coughed through clouds of smoke as I passed houses where they burn their own trash. Cars whizzed past me with their headlights on. Feathery clouds brushed the remaining slivers of orange glow on the horizon as I raced for the car. Driving home just barely warmed up, the sky faded to a dull gray but a tiny bit of red sunk lower in the west. Ah well. Another gorgeous Fall day. Only a 45 minute ride, but definitely better than nothing at all. I just need to plan better so I can ride more.

I'm already looking forward to next year's Tour. The route will be really interesting, starting in Monaco and going right into the Pyrenees.

I <3 dirt and mud.

2008-09-22T10:14:00.001-07:00

After watching my first 'cross race, then riding out to Sauvie Island last weekend to watch some of the Kermesse, I think I'm falling.... for 'Cross.

After much trepidation, (and thanks to Matt for making my old mountain bike into a semi-decent 'cross machine), I showed up at the free 'cross clinic at the Hillsboro stadium on Thursday. After learning and practicing dismounts, remounts, etc. and riding around almost until it was too dark to see, I rode up next to Matt. "What did you think?" he asked. "Oh. My. God." I replied, "I've never had so much fun in my life!" Okay so it was a bit over-dramatic, but I felt like I was 12 years old on that bike. The only problem I have with dismounts is that when I unclip my left pedal, it usually clips back in, and then when I unclip the right and pull it through, I have to tweak my left foot to get the pedal out. So I'll have to try loosening the tension on the pedals a bit and maybe some WD-40. Anyway it was a blast!

I took my bike to Bend with me. Once I arrived at the Devil's Lake campground and set up my tent, I couldn't wait to get on my bike (especially after driving for 4 hours!) and ride around on the trails. I practiced dismounts, run-ups, remounts, etc. for about an hour while the people I was camping with watched me in disbelief. It was so much fun. I was pretty careful as we had a long difficult climb to do early the next morning so I didn't do anything crazy (not that I'm really confident enough to be capable of anything even remotely qualifying as craziness on my bike at this point).

Yesterday I went mountain biking on the river trail with Jennifer & Alyssa. I haven't done that in years, and honestly it was pretty cool to navigate my fat-tired bike (with no front shocks) around big rocks and over big tree roots and up hills on narrow trails. It's really beautiful along the Deschutes though, and I'm sure I've hiked there many times, but it looks really different when viewed from a bike! A few times when I didn't shift in time for an uphill or turn sharply enough, I had to unclip, but no biffs and I only had to lay the bike down once. On our way back, the dark clouds I had noticed halfway through the ride (thinking we had timed it just right and it would maybe just sprinkle on us a bit) just completely unleashed a torrential downpour on us. We cruised back to the car on trails that instantly turned into large mud puddles and poured ourselves into the car.

After that, a hot shower, dry warm clothes, soup & grilled cheese in front of the fireplace was in order. Then, it was time for a big cup of coffee - my first pumpkin spice latte' of the season to celebrate Fall - and a long drive home. Drove 190 miles in a little over 3 hours. Not bad!

I love mud.

climbfest

2008-08-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Did a zoo loop lastnight with Patty, KRhea & Michele. It was awesome to discover some roads I haven't ridden before - even the steep ones! I especially liked Highland Road, which winds up on the road (Fairview?) that goes back by Washington Park. Really fun, and the fact that I could actually carry on a conversation while climbing was amazing to me! Legs burned, but I kinda liked it!

tiny victories

2008-08-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

I think yesterday was the 5th or 6th time I've commuted to work by bike. People who are obviously non-cyclists act as if I've just won the Tour de France when I tell them I ride to work 1-2 times per week. Please. It's only 20 miles. Sure, going up & over the zoo is a bit of a challenge, but I enjoy it. So yesterday I was fighting that voice in my head that said "just take the Max". I argued "no - that's cheating!" The voice had all kinds of tempting reasons, from making the ride easier by skipping the hills, to getting home earlier to eat dinner and walk the dog and watch the Olympics. So tempting. I'll admit that before I discovered (and named) my "zoobaix" route, I got frustrated and ended up taking Max from Goose Hollow to Washington Park and rode home from there. I think now I can ride it without having to think about where I am or even looking at street signs. It seemed much easier on Saturday though, when I rode the route on the club ride. Any ride done with friends always seems easier for some reason! Anyway another random thought I had while riding was how heightened my senses are. One thing I don't like about riding downtown is all the smells - specifically, cigarette smoke. It would be so nice if I didn't have to breathe while riding, and suck in the smoke, exhaust fumes, etc. But overall - I would have to say that it's all still worth it, because at least I'm on my bike, and that means I'm happy!

Vive le Tour

2008-07-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

Now what will I watch in the morning - NEWS?? I swear I woke up this morning and couldn't think of a single reason to turn on the TV, or to get out of bed, for that matter. No calming voice of Paul Sherwen, no exciting stage finale commentary by Phil Liggett. No attempting-to-be-poetic-like-Al-Trautwig by Craig Hummer, no "ask Bobke". No gorgeous, dizzying views of chateaus and winding mountainous roads from the helicopter, no crappy broken-up video shot from a motorcycle. No annoying, repetitive commercials for motels, rum or male enhancement products.

Ah, the Tour. It's over until 2009. It always makes me feel so elated yet melancholy, like watching the Closing Ceremonies after the Olympic Games. But Beijing is only a few days away! That makes me realize that there is something to look forward to. It gives me hope.

Anyway, I was happy for Carlos Sastre, and I am proud of how the U.S. cyclists finished in the Tour this year - Christian Vande Velde in 5th (if only he hadn't crashed!), George Hincapie, Danny Pate, & Will Frischkorn. Next year will be even better when Astana is back, with Levii Leipheimer & Chris Horner (hopef.ully!) It was exciting to see the 4 stage wins by Mark Cavendish, though some of my favorite sprinters were missing (Paolo Bettini & Tom Boonen). This year the Tour was completely unpredictable from one stage to the next, but in the end, CSC-Saxo Bank epitomized how a team should ride in the Tour, and somewhat reminded me of the Discovery Channel years. They were unstoppable. Team Columbia and Team Garmin-Chipotle made very impressive debuts in their first appearance at the Tour as well.

As much as I would have liked to see Cadel Evans win after his close 2nd place finish last year, his legs just didn't seem to have the snap that they had early in the Tour this year. He wasn't quite the same after his crash, and his TT performance wasn't his best. I felt badly for him, especially since he was so emotional when he got to wear the yellow jersey. But it was still progress, and I don't think it's completely beyond the realm of possibility to see him on top of the podium. For now though, my favorites are headed to Beijing! Allez!~

l'Alpe d'Zoobaix

2008-07-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finally conquered what I called L'Alpe D'Zoobaix. The third time I've ridden home from work, and I finally managed to find the way up to Washington Park and the Zoo. Because one of the roads is all torn up, I decided to call it "Zoobaix", though I actually rode through the gravel, potholes and all without having to stop, unclip and walk. And the climb wasn't really so bad. People were flying by me going downhill but there are actually some rather flat areas where I could gain speed. I also remembered hearing (maybe it was Phil Liggett) that you should accelerate on the corners when going uphill on switchbacks.

Due to stoplights, etc. it took me almost an hour and a half, but I didn't officially get lost or have to backtrack this time (or cheat by taking Max from Goose Hollow to Washington Park). Actually riding up the hill is much more satisfying than taking the elevator!

A new way to support my habit..

2008-07-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

I've found a way to fund this passion of cycling I have which drains my bank account. Sell stuff I don't need! I was given a Polar F11 heart monitor a few years ago for Christmas. The person who gave it to me is not someone I've remained in contact with, and honestly I didn't like the watch. I used it a few times but think that at some point in the future I'll invest in one either specific to cycling or just get a new wireless computer for my bike. So - thanks to that idea, I sold it on eBay, and my Paypal account has just miraculously been infused with some cash. Now I can figure out something else to sell in order to be able to afford those Sidi shoes I'm lusting after.

What will I sell in order to save up for a new bike? (Do I really need furniture?)

In other news, I rode my bike again today. Well, okay, so I rode to the Max stop, but I'm riding the entire way home, hills and all, or at least that's the plan. It's hot outside.

I love both cycling AND the Olympics. What a great summer it will be watching the Tour and the 2008 Games! Plus the men's team includes favorites Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie, Dave Zabriskie, Christian Vandevelde, and Jason McCartney. Only Chris Horner is missing...

le Tour de France

2008-07-05T18:34:00.001-07:00

July means one thing - the TOUR!!!!

I did it! I commuted by bike!

2008-07-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

Okay so I took Max part of the way to save time. See, here is my bike hanging upside down on the train.

And on the way home, though I was determined to ride the entire time, I skipped the ride up to the zoo because I'm not really sure of the route. I tried to map it out but because there are some paths that are not named roads, it's hard to figure out. Also I left work at 7pm so that didn't leave a lot of time for getting lost. I actually found some Dan Henry signs leftover from the Worst Day ride (which is the last time I rode from SE to Hillsboro - in 2007!) So that helped, riding along 26, crossing Sylvan and then cruising at 24mph down the other side of 26. I found Park Way, but then got totally lost and kept running into dead end streets in some neighborhood that was entirely unfamiliar. Finally I saw an elementary school and rode through that but didn't see a way out. I reallyl need to study the map of that area. I was laughing at myself by that time. Finally found 107th which lead me to Walker Road, so I was fine from them on. Pretty uneventful, and a fun ride for the most part. The best thing is that riding across the Hawthorne and along Water Street and the road in front of the office building where I work is not so bad. I was so worried about the deep ruts, potholes and tracks, not to mention the trucks, but I had no problems. I consider it an obstacle now overcome. Yay!

Aspiring cyclist, or real cyclist?

2008-06-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

I only bought my road bike 2 years ago.

So when I did, I thought of myself as a weekend, recreational cyclist. I remember telling a mechanic that someday I'd be a "real" cyclist, not really knowing what that meant. I suppose after two years of collecting various base layers, jerseys, shorts, tights, knickers, shoes, jackets, vests, arm warmers, leg warmers, hats, and gloves, I could potentially qualify. But what exactly is the criteria? Do I really ride often enough to be a real cyclist? Or is it more about quality than quantity? I'm not entirely sure. I know that there is definitely an intimidation factor for me any time I am around people who race, or commute by bike. Those are two classifications of cyclist that I most definitely am not. What's cool about the people I know who either race, commute by bike or both, is that they don't act as if they are in any way superior to anyone else. And I totally appreciate that, because I think they are awesome and wish I could be more like them!

So, is it the inventory of bikes one owns that qualifies a person as a real cyclist? If so, I officially have two, though I really only ride one. My poor old purple Black Diamond Ascent mountain bike, circa 1994, hangs lifelessly in my garage, knobby tires having been traded out for "road slicks" back in 2003 when I actually did ride my bike to work - a whole 2 miles. I know, impressive, huh? But sometimes after work I even took that heavy monster on some hills, and I did actually ride a 35-mile route of the Spring Century and a 55-mile route of the Pedal the Pinchot one year on that thing. I still can't believe I did that. I finally got so tired of that heavy bike that I just had to get a road bike. The difference is amazing - road bikes just fly.

One thing I have noticed is that since I've been riding, I pay so much more attention to roads when I'm driving. What I mean by that is when I'm driving on a winding, hilly road, I can't help but think "man, I'd love to ride my bike on this road!" I just love the rides out in the countryside with little or no car traffic and long climbs past farms with llamas, alpacas, cows, horses, chickens, and sheep.

I had a bike fitting today. I'm pleased to know that I have the correct size of frame (54cm) for my body geometry and a "nice cadence". I don't experience any major pain or discomfort (other than occasional foot cramping and shoulder tightness) on long rides. So all that was needed was to lower my stem by about 1 inch, as it was actually higher than my seat. Also new pedals will help. I'm excited to get some better cleats and hopefully some light shoes, but the Sidi Genius 5's are $239! I've never spent that much on a pair of shoes in my life. Ski boots, definitely, but not cycling shoes. I know it will be worth every penny, for the experiences I will have on the road. :-)

In other news: rumor has it that Levi Leipheimer will also be at the Cascade Classic along with Chris Horner, IF Astana doesn't get a last-minute invite to the Tour. Not likely, though I'd love to see Levi in the Tour again. But honestly, I hope to see them both in Bend!

How do I get over the intimidation factor of bike commuting? First of all I need a nice messenger bag, one that is comfortable to ride with, though I won't load it up with lots of heavy stuff. I'm not too excited about packing onto the Max with all the other unhappy commuting types. I don't really know my way around downtown by bike, but yeah I can drive through on my way home blindfolded. Downtown has stoplights, lots of car, bike & pedestrian traffic, streetcars, lightrail, and the dreaded TRAIN TRACKS. Oh, and bridges with narrow sidewalks. I just need to do it, because it kind of scares me. Soon. I promise.

So. Why the Obsession?

2008-06-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

First of all, people just don't get it if they don't ride. Some of my friends roll their eyes whenever I even mention cycling. What's cool is that many people I know DO get it, and many are way more obsessed than I am!

So - I started this to rant about whatever is going on in my brain regarding cycling, whether it is to rave about a great ride, contemplate what's going to happen in the Tour this year, or drool over hot guys with muscular, shaved legs and lycra skinsuits. ;-)

Anyway, I have to admit that I have watched both Specialized commericials (the ones featuring Tom Boonen or Paolo Bettini) several times. Even if I am watching something on Tivo, and I can fast forward through all the commercials, I always stop to watch those two. If only I could speak Italian...

I was SO elated for Levi Leipheimer to win the prologue of the Dauphine Libere! Don't even think about telling me who is winning each stage, I won't catch up until Sunday....