TWC1-2011

The w/e b4 the TWC I remember feelin' chilled, like I couldn't get warm. Shure enough by Tues I was sick, so was everyone else. I decided to ride/be outside as much as I could, you know like gettin' up at 6am. So I was able to accomplish this by riding every morning for 2hrs leading up to the race. Really I had no idea how long the race would take me. It turned out to be 5hr n 20min day followed by good beer, great food and a bunch of friends/teammates (18 to be exact)! Kicked that cold right the heck outta here!



The race was intense. Maybe it is functioning that is my slowness in the am. I am a procrastornater. I remember being called that by my nun teachers in catholic grammer school, it has stuck with me and I believe it. Not really shure what that means, but I know I get some shit done. Gettin up that early, gettin dressed, makin & eatin b-fast, feedin the boyz, gatherin gear, water, DogFood, bowls, wonderin what to wear, loadin up bikes (JayP), preping to camp out, skis, dog gear, walk the dogs, bikini, towel-GO! you gotta be flexible.


The course was easy to follow so long as you had your directions or could remember that much, I had to check mine. All were gearin up in the PL. Lots of new bikes on the scene-lookin good. I don't think anyone warmed up? A picture of us, all lined up would be pretty cool. Head over to the start, ready-GO! Conditions were good in the line, a little soft otherwise, not ideal for passin early on. Lots of climbin, which is just really fun, lots of rollers, whcih are fun too. I love to snowbike, so it's all a good time to me. It was snowing as we started the race and lasted about 2 hrs. I was able to ride with a few of my teammates, TJ & Byers for a bit, watchin JayP in the distance goin faster and faster-he knew I was comin for him! There was a really wicked DH on the K trail, I stuck out my foot and rode it out and made it thru rubber side down, fun when your done!




My eatin was random. I had a sweet potatoe, kidney bean, cheese burrito, same as the night b4, for b-fast, so I was fueled. 1.5 hrs into the race I ate a carmel milky way, which I enjoyed much more frozen, then when I stuck it in my pocket and it got all warm, it's easier to break off when frozen, followed by a PB snickers at some point, pack of cheese crackers and 1/2 bag of jelly ring gummy candy things which got me thru those last few miles. I drank about 40oz of water.


What do I wear?
Obviously temps dictate this, but one thing I always wear unless it's above 30F, is my RBH design Vapor barrier vest, it keeps the sweat warm. I recently received the morning glory zip from I/O Bio, and wholly, this is fer shure my favorite piece. It was perfect for this race and temps, and is going to be my choice for Knik to McGrath. The zipper has a nice protector over it, so the cold metal doesn't ever touch your skin, the hood is sweet, keeps the neck breeze free, and of course, it is so soft. It snowed early on and this piece just thrived. I was never uncomfortable, wet or cold, things I like to leave up to the gear to handle-so it was perfect! Under that I wore the contact top (bra) and racer tank, hey I like my layers! I also appreciate how long the I/O Bio gear is, so my back is never hangin out catchin a draft. Since the temps were so warm, I wore 3/4 cycling knickers and some 13+ year old wind tights on my legs. Again being so warm, I wore super thin Bridgedale liners along with my raglin wool socks inside my RU Outside Tundra boots!

I won the womens division with a time of 5:20, and was quickly reminded by JayP that I was 15 mins behind him like last time! ;)

Super fun time! Til next time!

snowday

I knew it was goin' to snow big today! Super physced I didn't go to work. Instead I went for a 4.5 hr snowbike ride on the back rds of ID. Departure time was 730am, with a turn around to put more air in my tires, which I later let out. The snow was DEEP today, proabably a foot on top of ice covered rds, but thats ok. After I ate it on a corner, I deceided to let the air out, which was a huge improvement. It was a very quite morning, with few autos out. It wasn't until the tree farm, 1 hr into the ride that the plow caught up with me. Then I turned on Bates, which had only 1 truck track, and once I got to Teton Creek bridge, there was no tracks for a bit, until I hit the next farm. It dumped until I got to Driggs, so goggles were in order. I had to defrost them a couple times in my jacket, which worked really well, a little tip I learned from JayP. Then I headed up to Darby Canyon, the snow was deep here too. I ate it again, due to some off camber ice under a foot of snow, then finished up by takin' the backrds out to the frontage rd, which was smooth sailin', deep but nice. Had some lunch, shoveld, made pizza and chocolate chip cookies. It was a great day!

Cedron Bates Loop, 12/11/10, 20F, approx 2hrs. I stopped for a pee break and speak w/ JayP after his double lap on Mt. Glory. 3 people stopped to see if I was ok, timing is everything. I didn't need to use my RBH vapor barrier sock today since it was warm. Bridgedale liners and a wool wigwam sock inside my RU outside boot which is now Baffin. I'd like to get a loop on the front of the toe for my gaitor?? and also need to apply some more wtr sealent on the seams. I do however love wearin' my RBH vapor barrier vest. It's just a piece of essiential gear. I saw my snowbiker buddies, the Byers gettin' some SBin' done themsleves. We disscussed the sizing of the VB vest, when travelin' via snowbike your clothes need to be bigger so you can fit stuff in your pockets/jacket perhaps your goggles or snowglasses if they freeze. It's easier to get your Jacket zipped up and is more comfortable with a water pack on. Pit zips, a two way zipper on jackets. Elastic waste band pants instead of having to tie.

Thoughts

The wx has been fluctuating a lot, so it's a good thing I have gear, snowshoes, Nordic skis, xc skis, a bike w/ studded tires and a snowbike b/c I have been usin' them all! I think about the Alaska Ultra Sport everyday. Thinkin' about those rough times I will need to push thru, the solitary times and of course the good times which brings a huge smile to my face. Until then I continue to "practice". I don't follow an actual trainin' regimen, but I know how important it is to get out everyday, or as much as I can. I am thankful to have the boyz (dogs) Rippin' & Chillin', b/c yes there are days I'm not so motivated and since I have chosen to be a dog owner and I am responsible for gettin' them out to exercise, I do, it creates a happy world for all of us.

I'll be working on gettin' my gear & food list together from notes I compiled from last yr. I will also be thinkin' about what I can get done prior to arriving AK for Nome. It was a little crazy last yr with all the running around before hand. We are on a pretty tight budget, so fer shure plannin' ahead of time will certainly help.

I am looking forward to the new Ti bike and rims we are graciously receiving from Chain Reaction Cycles in AK. Their support has been unbelievable as well as their bikes!

Til next time! Movin' forward!

The Cube in Rexburg, 3 race series

The Cube is a really fun race series and being that is less then an hour away makes it great! The City of Rexburg, Bob and Chris have done a super good job making a challenging and spectator freindly course, then even run it in reverse!



Lat week I raced with the ladies, their were 5 of us. The ladies are really awesome and fun, but since I have more experience the playing field wasn't fair. So after last weeks race I asked Bob if I could race with the dudes, no problem.



I have to admit, I was nervous and my main concern was gettin' in the way of my fellow racers, but JayP gave me confidence and suggested I just go for it! So I did. I watched the ladies race go off and then started my warm up. I did a couple laps and the course was definitely technical with some running, but REALLY fun. It had snowed so sloppiness it was going to be. The ladies finished and it was the men's time to go. All the men had lined up 5 a breast, there were about 20, then I pulled up and placed myself in the front row. There were a couple comments, one being, I hope you guys don't have big egos, shure no pressure, thanks. It was a little brisk standing there waiting for the go. The horn went off and with all I had a raced for the hole shot, I wound up in 3rd off the line. Within seconds I was passed by 2 men, but that was it! I held on to my place for 8 laps, the middle laps were the hardest of course, but I kept it together. JayP was cheering me on the whole time along with other teammates and friends. I finished 5th overall and felt great! I had a clean race with no bobbles and just kept my head together-wanting it more then the men who finished behind me. Looking forward to next week, the last of the Rexburg and my cross season racing this year, I think.



Thanks to all for the support!

whoa!

Well I can't believe that the Alaska Ultra Sport is only 4 months away. I don't think a day has gone by that I haven't thought about it. And of course so much has happened since then. I have all these 1/2 post that I started and are just sitting waiting to be finished.

For example the story from McGrath to Nome. I remember bits and pieces now and may still work on this. Returning to ID it snowed til June, the vision of white was overpowering. Driving 17 hours to Iowa to race for 12 hours and then have the race called due to lightening, then driving back the next day. I kinda don't want to remember that race. I wasn't as motivated as I normally am to race MTB this year like I have been for the past 15+ years, even though I purchased a brand new super sick Jamis 29er, which is just amazing. I competed in the Boise 9-5, which was a blast, and another story I have 1/2 written. Then there was the Leadville 100, Jay and I raced on the Grinch. I don't think it helped us building this bike less then 2weeks before the race, and not having it dialed it. We finished in 9hrs 9mins.

I led the Fitzgerald's women's ride on Weds with the help of the other women top shelf riders, which was great. Really great to see the women come out and try it. By the end of the season there was a consistant group of 5 training for Lotoja, that was really awesome to see and be a part of. I supported my husband JayP, who won Master's 35+, despite me missing the feed in Afton, which of course I felt horrible about.

Then what? Freakin' cyclocross season! Wholly fun-ness! To date I have competed in 5 races winning 3 Thanks to Victor Velo for creating and putting on Kross Kickoff, Moosecross and Spooky cross. I volunteered to host a women's cyclocross clinic in Victor, ID at Pioneer Park on Tues. We had a solid group which averaged around 5 women and everyone made so much improvement and learned so much, including myslef. Thanks to my friend J9 I was able to get rid of my stutter step!

So I have 2 cross races left in Rexburg at The Cube. This w/e I will be racing against the men, which I am REALLY looking forward to. Then, it is time to focus on snowbiking and the Alaska Ultra Sport.

I will start snowshoe running with my 2 boy dawgs and will watch the grooming report like a hawk.

Knik Lake to McGrath 2010

Well, we did it! Our snowbike trip to Nome AK was the most wicked thing I have ever done. My fingers and toes feel like they are sleeping, my nose is burnt from frost, a piece of ice formed on my buff which was covering my nose and thats how it got burnt, I had no idea it was there. The ride from Knik to McGrath seems so long ago. It was very warm when we started, approx 30 to 40 degrees. I was so nervous at the start, I made myself sick. My stomach was just in knots, wondering how I was going to do this with out my safety blanket JayP? Would I be able to get up the happy steps? How would I get over the pass if I were alone? What if I fell in open water? Gesh! Well all that worring may have helped and kept me focused on the goal-finishing! Winning the race and setting a new record was a bonus. My 1st 6 hrs I was unable to eat due to the stress I had caused myself. We just used the leftovers from our other drops so most of the food I had was chocolate, I like it but could have used some real candy, sour patch kids, Mike & Ikes, I like that kind of candy and it works for me. The temps were warm and the trail was variable. Before the race JayP said I should suck it up and try to mke it to Skwentna, but when I had arrived at Yentna I was completely soaked due to the warm temps, it was after midnight and the only thing I wanted to suck up was a pillow. I ate some Ramen, which I really developed a taste for on this trip, dried my stuff and slept there for approx 3 hrs. I departed the next morning at 425am, the trail conditions were variable, so some walking some riding, it took me approx 7 hrs to get to Skwentna. I had a salmon burger there, dried a few things, spoke with Craig who was breaking trail then continued to Zoe's place. Again the trail comditions were variable. I stopped at Zoe's had a bag of stuffing and a bag of instant potatoes, spoke with some locals who were having a good time, then continued to Finger Lake. As I was leaving Zoe's 2 of the men sleded out to some overflow and clearly marked it so no one would fall in. They were very kind and really wanted to help out. I made it to Finger Lake at 1am to find everyone sleeping. I looked in one of the tents and thought I saw a bunch of chopped off pig heads, but when I looked again the following morning it turned out to be sleeping chickens, guess I was tired. I got my drop, left a lot of food there and departed the next morning with a few others, heading towards Puntilla, which wind up being mostly a walk. My main goal was to stay close enough to someone so I could travel over the Rainy Pass with them. I wind up lagging behind, which meant I had to climb the happy steps by myself. It wasn't as bad as I feared and I even had an audience. Craig Medred was there taking pictures and making me laugh. He was joking around with me saying "Look at me, I'm so little and my bike is so big!" Once my bike is fully loaded, yes it looks pretty big. I caught up with the guys just before Puntilla, but about 5 miles to Puntilla some sort of sprint started, I wasn'r able to keep up, but casught the guys at the checkpoint. We all got some food and rest before heading over Rainy Pass. We pretty much walked from Finger Lake to Rohn. Once at Rohn, Rob who is just an awesome volunteer greeted us with food, warm drinks and made room for us to sit and eat. We all got some sleep before heading to Nikolai. We departed approx 830am. We had to cross some ice and it was really cold, but I recall riding a lot. I was with Bill Fleming, Plesko and Kyle, I was very fortunate to be with these guys, we had a great ride and even some fun! Once we got to Nikolai we had some of the most awesome spagehtti, cheese and butter, which I remembered from last year at was looking forward to. Nick and Olene welcomed us into their house at midnight and were so helpful in feeding us and letting us dry out our stuff. Within 2 hrs we were ready for departure. We wind up dropping Plesko, just becasue he was being thoughtful about me trying to break the record. I was amazed how Chris was able to do this race on a Singlespeed 1st of all, and then with a ankle he had broke only a few months before. So the pack was Bill, Kyle, Sean and myself. They totally pushed me to keep going and helped keep my focus on winning and setting a new record, Sean even shared his skittles, which was very exciting to me, since I love candy. I really didn't think about either, until I was approaching Nikolai. So the stint from Rohn to McGrath wind up being 24 hrs. Once I got to McGrath at approx 10am I was reunited with JayP, who I couldn't wait to see and greeted with a plate of MANCAKES!!! What a treat!

Thank you Chain Reaction for the sick 907 rocket ship, which made my adventure amazingly comfortable. Thanks to Fitzgerald's Bicycles for all your help. Thanks to Jeff at Carousel Design works for the custom frame bags, which carried all my survival gear. Thanks Salsa, Vicious Cycles and Wilson Hardware for giving me the time off.

I knew we would be departing the next day by noon, so I took a shower, washed my clothes, ate and slept as much as I could. Stay tuned for part 2, onto Nome!