Lowell Gravel (mud) 50-race report

So much for posting a race report over the weekend! I have no excuse other then the fact that I was tired after racing the Lowell 50.

Even though the race was only about a half hour drive from my house I still woke up early (for me) on Saturday. I had gotten caught in the rain during my bike ride the day before, and when I went to bed all of my gear was still soaking wet. I woke up early to ensure that it was all dry, or I was going to have to pull out my hair dryer and start blow drying my shoes!

Luckily everything was dry and after eating breakfast and drinking lots of coffee I gathered up my gear. At this point in the season I can pretty much get everything ready with my eyes closed. It was cold at registration and I had a hard time figuring out what to wear. In-between temps are always the hardest for me. Once it gets really cold it's easier because then I just put on every article of clothing that I have.

I knew that I would warm up quickly once we started racing though, so I ended up wearing long socks, knee warmers, sleeveless base layer, jersey, shorts, arm warmers and a vest. It was the perfect combo...GO ME :-)

Both the 27 and 50 milers started together and the pace was pretty neutral at first. It wasn't until we hit the first hill that the group started to break apart. I'm not sure exactly how it happened but I ended up riding with a group of 4-6 guys the entire race. They were driving the pace and I was working my butt off to stay with them. There was no one in sight behind us and I knew that I HAD to stay with them because I didn't want to face the wind alone. The majority of the race took place on dirt roads, and some were still slightly soggy. These were the worse because I felt like no matter how hard I pedaled I was barely moving.

I hung on until mile 28-ish and then I had a monster explosion. Ka-boom!!! I think I took a turn pulling and then my legs started pedaling in reverse...or something. I felt completely pathetic watching the guys ride away because no matter how hard I tried I couldn't bridge back up. Just as I became resigned to riding alone for the next 20 miles I noticed that the distance between me and them was decreasing. I am 100% positive they slowed down until I caught back up and I am so, so thankful.

From that point my legs rebounded and I felt stronger towards the end then during the beginning. I will never, ever complain when coach Andy schedules me for steady state intervals again, because that's what the entire race felt like. One really loooooong steady state interval.

The finish line was definitely the most random finish line I've ever encountered. It was basically a parked minivan with a volunteer taking our numbers. I finished in first place and was completely whacked out by the end.

No need for a halloween costume for me....rawwwrrrrr!

My not so yellow shoes....
This bike has seen a lot of dirt this year!
Not only did I get to be on the top step of the hay podium, but I also got a podium kiss. The only bummer was not having a video camera when I got home. The look on Scott's face when he saw red lip marks on my cheek was priceless!

Nothing like a last minute race...

Tomorrow I'm racing the Lowell 50. I just signed up for this race a few hours ago and don't know much about it. All I know is that I'll be racing 50 miles on gravel roads and that there will be hot apple cider waiting for me at the end. At least I hope there will be hot apple cider left. I have a sneaking suspicion that everyone will be doing this race on cross bikes. I'm racing on my El Mariachi and will have my work cut out for me. It will be interesting to see how I do because I seem cursed when it comes to gravel road races. Seriously, I usually blow up within 5 minutes and then it all goes down from there. But it's been a while since I've raced one and regardless of how I do, it will be good Iceman training.

The only thing I dread about the race (besides waking up early) is how cold it's going to be at the start. I'm thinking I will be lucky if temps are in the low 30's. I need to just suck it up though because it's only going to get colder from here. In a month I'll be wishing for a 30 degree day.

Race report up this weekend!

One week from today...

Next Tuesday (Nov. 1st, 5-8 p.m.) is Ladies night at The Ada Bike Shop and I absolutely can't wait. Tons of great deals, massage therapists, beer, wine, lots of food, and awesome giveaways. The event is absolutely free but we are collecting food and money donations for Safe Haven, a women's shelter.

There will be several different speakers (moi included) and we will be covering different topics, like racing, riding, or keeping a healthy lifestyle. This is a great time to invite friends who are interested in getting into the sport.

One of my favorite things about cycling is all of the inspiring and awesome women I meet along the way. I can't wait to see you all there!!!

Why does the weekend go by so fast???

This past weekend was pretty awesome. Lots of riding and even a little racing!

On Friday I got a text from my 8 hours of Cannonsburg teammate (SS Danielle) asking if I wanted to ride. We had no plan but ironically enough ended up at Cannonsburg. I'm really glad that we ended up there because workers informed us that it was the last day to ride on the trail for the time being. Apparently they are digging ditches for new electrical wiring and don't want to risk anyone falling in. This I can understand because I would totally be the person who accidentally rides their bike into a ditch.

Anyways the weather was pretty dreary and both Danielle and I had problems picking the right gear to ride in. Danielle couldn't find her gloves and wore her lobster claws, which were WAY too warm for temps in the high 40's/low 50's.
I was on the other end of the spectrum and completely under-dressed. In the last week I've managed to lose both sets of my arm warmers and tried to make my own in a last minute desperate attempt to stay warm. Needless to say it did not go well and I think it's safe to say that I won't be appearing on Project Runway any time soon.
Despite the fact that Danielle was too hot and I was too cold we had a really great ride. Both of us figured out what gearing we will be racing at Iceman and I have to admit I feel a little wimpy power wise. Danielle will be pushing a harder gear then me and was completely rocking at Cannonsburg. I was very, very impressed!

The sun came back out on Saturday and I went riding with Jason. He's racing Iceman for the first time this year and I tried to simulate the course a bit so that he could get an idea of what he's in for. I threw in a few extra hills for good measure as well. I mean, I have to get back at him a little bit for all of the hard workouts he puts me through in the winter :-)

Sunday was my first kisscross race and I was pretty nervous in the morning. I knew that I was going to be in PAIN!!! And guess what? I was right! I decided to race on my El Mariachi because I wanted a hard mountain bike workout before Iceman. I started to kick myself once I pre-rode the course because it was really cross friendly (which makes sense since it was a cross race). There were a ton of long, flat grassy sections and nothing that technical.

For the first half of the race I was racing in 3rd place out of the women but managed to work my way up to bring home the beer for my husband. I love cross-so freaking painful but so much fun at the same time. I was amazed at how much snot and drool was running down my face at the same time...not a pretty picture, I know. However, as painful as it was, it was not as painful as racing for 24 hours at 7,000 ft. It's amazing how Nationals put everything in perspective for me :-)

The weather was absolutely amazing on Sunday so I headed out for more mileage with Juli after the race. She and her husband are house shopping right now and we ended up at an open house. Definitely a first time for me during a ride. Sadly the house was super over-priced and even more sad was the fact that there were no snacks. I was sorely disappointed.

I felt like the realtor did a double-take when he saw me and figured it was because he wasn't used to seeing people wearing helmets on their heads while walking through his houses. When I got home and looked in a mirror I figured out why he gave me a weird look. I had mud splattered all over me....I always forget about that!The realtor got off easy...I've been a lot muddier, that's for sure!

I should probably do something...

Well, I think my rest and recovery phase is officially over. For the last 3 weeks I reached a sloth-like status. My coach MADE ME relax/eat lots of dessert/have a social life and it was definitely needed. Ok, he didn't mention that I should eat lots of dessert, but I'm pretty sure he wanted me to. For the most part, when I wasn't at work I was wearing PJ's and indulging in reality TV marathons. And since I have a ton more time on my hands I've been able to go out with friends who I normally don't get to see much. Fun!

I know I mentioned this a million times but this season was a long one and I planned on it being done the moment I crossed the finish line at Nationals. However, I completely forgot about one thing...Iceman. Scott signed me up last winter and it's been out of sight out of mind since then. You can't live in Michigan though and not hear about Iceman this time of year. It would be impossible. I have people who don't even own bikes asking me about the race.

Here are my thoughts about Iceman. My friends, I am screwed! Not only can I count on four fingers the times I've been on a bike since Nationals (which was the first weekend in Oct.) but I don't even remember the last time I did any sort of intensity. I think my last short, intense workout was in September. I might faint during the first mile of Iceman after the promoter says go. Seriously....

There's not much time before the race, but I am taking a few action steps before the race.

Step 1. I called up Andy to ask him to make me really, really fast in 2 weeks.
Step 2. I visited Jason today to get some serious work done. For some reason stretching and foam rolling seemed like too much work these last couple of weeks. You would think it would be easy to foam roll while watching TV, but like I said, it was too much work because it would involve getting off of the couch. As a result my muscles are completely tight and out of whack. I should know better...
Step 3. Time to visit the Ada Bike Shop and pick up my Selma. Ted took my Colorado gearing off my Selma because the gearing I ran at Nationals (32x21) would be waaaaaaay to easy for Iceman.
Step 4. I'm doing a cross race this Sunday. I considered doing one last weekend but opted out. This Sunday I am going to race no matter what. It's going to hurt like crazy but maybe it will shock my lungs into action!

Hanging out at the Ada Bike Shop

Have I mentioned that I really want a Mukluk???

Home alone. Well, not exactly alone

I was supposed to travel to Milwaukee with Scott today to go see the Smashing Pumpkins in concert. Scott is a super-fan and had been looking forward to this concert for months. Me? I was excited to go to the concert before Nationals happened but I have to admit the trip started to seem a little less appealing afterwards. I'm in full homebody mode right now.

As fate would have it taking a road trip wasn't really an option for me anyways. I'm at home taking home of Ben and Naomi (who happens to be sporting a cone head).

I'm not sure exactly what she hit in our backyard during one of her sprints, but she managed to cut open the tops of both of her back feet and her thigh. Greyhounds have super thin skin, so just hitting a stick wrong can give them a cut. And when they hit a stick wrong while running 40 mph it can get bad quickly. On a side note, I wonder if I can get sponsorship from a veterinarian? Because lately I feel like I need one!

Ben has been very supportive and providing his butt for Naomi to rest on at night. However, he still wants to play with her really bad. Today we were in the backyard and he actually grabbed her cone in his mouth and started trying to pull her across the yard. I think he views the cone as a giant toy. Poor Naomi.


Scott will be back tomorrow morning and I'm hoping that we can get a nice ride in. My legs are FINALLY recovering from my adventure race. Today I rode for almost 3 hours and my legs felt really good while pedaling. However, all of the muscles I used for running are still sore.

I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing this weekend yet. Right now it looks like we might be in for some rain, and if that's the case I will probably stay inside. There's also a cross race this Sunday and I'm kind of tempted to race it for fun. If I do I can promise you one thing..it will be really ugly!

GR Urban Adventure race-Art Prize Addition

This was my first adventure race and I had no clue what I was in for. I first heard about the race a few weeks before Nationals, texted my BFF Juli about it, and we were registered for it the next day. We would talk about it intermittently but I was so focused on Nationals that I didn't pay much attention to what the race entailed. In fact, when my coach asked about it I told him that we would be riding our bikes around for 4 hours and might have to do the limbo. And maybe toss eggs.

What got lost in translation was the fact that we were going to have to run. For some reason I thought that there were going to be 2 different races going on. One for runners and one for cyclists. But 3 days before the race Juli called and told me to bring running shoes...because the race involved both. I started to freak out a bit because I hadn't been running at all.

It was weird packing for the race. I had all the usual things...bike, helmet, sunglasses, hydrapak, cycling shoes...


And running shoes...I actually had to dust them off!

There were about 350 teams (700 racers) milling about at the start. The promoters went over a few basic instructions and then we were handed maps of the downtown area. It was our first glimpse of all the different checkpoints and challenges sprinkled around the city. We had exactly a half hour to figure out our route.

We had the liberty of choosing whether we wanted to bike or run first, but the rules were that you had to finish one discipline before transitioning to the other. Juli and I figured that we should get the running out of the way since neither of us had been running much (or at all in my case). We could hear all the teams around us plotting out their routes, and we followed suite. We didn't know if there were some adventure race secrets that we were missing out on, but just mapped the most logical path between checkpoints. Since this was our first race we decided to just play it by ear.

I was nervous at the start because I had no clue how I was going to feel. Since Nationals the most exercise I had gotten was getting off of the couch to go put a spoon in the Nutella jar (I think I covered some serious miles to the kitchen over the week) and I didn't want to slow Juli down. However once the promoter said "GO" I was off and running with my teammate. Let me tell you, instant shock. My legs were actually swearing at me.It was pretty brutal. Not only did we have to run close to 7 miles, but we were running as hard as we could from checkpoint to checkpoint. Half of the time we were on pavement, and half of the time we were on grass. Not to mention jumping over curbs and such.

Some of the checkpoints were easy. Get a punch and move on. Other checkpoints had challenges. They were way too involved to go into much detail but below is a picture of the checkpoint that we sucked at the most. It seems like it should have been a really simple challenge because all we had to do is count the number of monkeys that were hanging right side up (others were upside down) and then whisper the answer to a volunteer. However, if you look down the bridge you will see that there were a lot of monkeys...and they were swaying in the wind. It was really easy to lose count or forget which monkey we left off on. I can't even remember how many times we counted but let me tell you...we were on that bridge for a while.

Just in case you are wondering, there are 76 monkeys hanging the right side up...
Finally we were done with the run. I was NEVER SO HAPPY to see my bike. And it felt amazing to ride it after taking a week off. I was afraid that I would still be tired from Nationals but it felt so good to be riding at 700 ft instead of 7000 ft. I felt like I couldn't push hard enough if I tried. Ahhhhhhh....I will NEVER take riding at sea level for granted again.

I was riding my El Mariachi and Juli rode her Dos Niner. We made up some major time during the bike portion and our favorite part was being able to ride a little bit of singletrack. That being said, the challenges were still hard. At one point we had to fill up a tube (that had holes in it) with water from a lake using a bucket (that also had holes in it). Not only did we have to run down to the lake in our cycling shoes, but we also had to climb over wet slippery rocks. This challenge ended our race a bit prematurely because we accidentally got our map wet. It was a total adventure race rookie mistake but oh well. Live and learn.

Me and my BFF...
Even though the race completely kicked my butt I had a blast. Juli was so much fun to race with and we worked really well together. I couldn't have asked for a better teammate. Our field was pretty big (there were 100 female teams) and it was really close near the top. We finished in 3rd place, a minute behind 2nd place and a checkpoint behind 1st place. It was really cool to see so many people out racing. The best part of the race is where it started and finished...Founder's Brewery. It was great being able to sit outside with friends and celebrate the season. And we did a lot of celebrating :-)

I definitely plan on doing this race again next year. Hopefully I will be able to move by that time. Because trust me when I say that I AM WRECKED!!!! I was fatigued and a little sore after Nationals but nothing like how I feel after this adventure race. I can barely move. Every single part of my body is sore and I feel like people must think I'm being dramatic when I'm walking because I actually have to shuffle along like I'm 90 years old. No, right now a 90 year old could walk faster then me. I'm walking like a 100 year old :-)

Now I'm back to some heavy duty recovering. It's been 3 days since the race so I have to start feeling better eventually!!!

The sorest I've ever been....ever!

I survived my first adventure race, but barely. Since then I can barely move. I suspect that it had something to do with the run. Actually I KNOW it had something to do with the run.

Full race report coming up later today!

Time for my legs to rally

How am I spending the first weekend of my "off-season?"

Prepping race gear. Sheesh.

It seems surreal that a full week has passed since the 24 hour National Championships. It flew by and I barely accomplished anything...unless you count eating out of a nutella jar an accomplishment.

I always forget how long it takes for me to recover from a 24 hour race. I think I had so much adrenaline going through me the first couple of days that I didn't notice how sore I was and then BAM! Talk about feeling like I got hit by a truck. I haven't been on a bike since I crossed the finish line last Sunday. The weather has been beautiful and I've wanted to go riding every day, but then I would just take a nap instead :-)

That's about to change tomorrow. I'm racing my first 4 hour urban adventure race with Juli. It's part of art prize and there will be hundreds of teams competing. I'm sure my legs are going to feel great (insert sarcastic tone here). I'm NO WAY recovered but oh well, I'll just have Juli pull me. When we signed up for the race I missed the fact that we also have to run 5-7 miles. Oops! This is troublesome for three reasons.

1. I haven't run in months.
2. I have a huge bruise on my shin from a crash at Natz. It hurts just walking so running should be interesting.
3. We have to get around using a map...while running.

Agggggghhhh! I'm actually really excited about this. Our team name is Team Bad Ass. Nothing cocky about that, right? :-) Pics to come but for now I need to go to bed. We have to check in at 7 a.m. So much for sleeping in!

24 Natz race report- Part 2

It was a relief once I was racing on the actual course. Leading up to the race, everyone that I talked to kept telling me that the course was super hard and technical, and I started to build it up in my head in monumental proportions. I basically pictured a world cup downhill course.

Once I actually started racing on it I could see what they were talking about. Yes the course was very, very technical. We don't have anything even remotely close to this type of riding in lower Michigan. And yes there was no part of the course where you could rest...especially on a SS. I had to stay on the gas the entire time and it was a challenge trying to clean all of the rocky uphills and downhills. Even so, I really, really liked the course. It was a lot of fun letting my bike fly over so many rocks. And the technicality of it kept me so occupied that I didn't have time to think about how my lungs were suffering at 7,000ft.

I took the lead during the first lap and focused on remaining as consistent as possible on each lap. It was brutally hot during the day, and I felt like I was baking in the sun. When the sun started to set I felt much better. In fact the "sun setting" lap was 5 minutes faster then my previous one.

Night was a different story and I started to feel much more fatigue in my legs and arms. The rocky climbs became much more challenging and I started to ram into rocks instead of lifting my front wheel over them. There were a ton of spectators on the course and they would always cheer loudly at the technical sections. At one point I was flying down a hill and they were all, "Yeaaaaah! Gooooo!" Well the downhill was immediately followed by a really technical uphill that I had to walk. They instantly fell silent and I could just feel them watching me in the dark. I told them that they didn't have to stop cheering just because I was walking and they started doing something close to war cries. It was awesome. I swear I could hear them cheering a mile away!

The rest of the night was pretty typical for a 24 hour race. More and more time passed in between seeing other riders and the rocks seemed to grow bigger and bigger. When I was little I used to have really bad asthma in the cold. I basically outgrew it but it seemed to come back towards morning. I think it was a combination of lots of dust, altitude, and the 40 degrees that I was racing in at night. Because I was on a SS I couldn't shift into an easier gear and find a rhythm. As a result my lungs were maxed out for most of the race.

While riding in the dark I kept my eyes glued to the sky for signs of daylight (Well, I kept my eyes glued when I wasn't bombing down a hill). Finally I heard one bird chirp, then another, and then the outer parts of the sky started to have a pink tinge to them. And then I could make out a rock and then another and all of a sudden it was daylight again. It's always such great feeling to be able to roll into the pit area in full daylight and see everyone's face.

Scott handed me a bagel with melted butter and cheese on it and I think it was the best thing I've ever eaten. After drinking some coffee I headed out for two more laps. The last lap was the worst because my lungs were completely closing up anytime I tried to pedal hard. And they were making this freaky high pitched squealing noise whenever I would breathe. As a result, I had to walk almost every hill and then stop and breathe deeply at the top. The next time I race at altitude I'm bringing an inhaler.

When I rolled into the pit after my 12th lap Scott and Ted were all big smiles! They told me that I could finish early since I had a few laps lead on second place. Woo hoo!

I don't think I will ever forget coming through the finish line :-)


I feel corny saying that "dreams come true," but in this case my dream really did come true. About a month before the race Andy had me working really hard for my final Nationals training block. Scott buckled down with figuring out the logistics of the trip and Ted was working on my bikes all the time. As a result we were talking Nationals 24/7. One night I had a dream that I won Nationals and it was the best dream ever. I was so excited in my dream and going up to everyone and saying, "can you believe that I'm the National Champion?" Ha ha, talk about a total let down when I woke up.

Scott took this picture of me after the race. I guess I wanted to make sure that I knew I wasn't dreaming again when I woke up :-)

24 hour Natz race report- Part 1

24 hour solo racing is still my favorite type of racing out of all the different types of endurance races out there. I'm not sure why but I think it has to do with all the crazy/awesome experiences that come with it. That being said, it's also scary. You can go into a 24 hour race 100% prepared, but you never know how it's going to end up. A lot of unpredictable things can happen in a 24 hour race. Like the grown men dressed up as chickens who jumped out at me in the dark making chicken noises. At least I hope that there were men dressed up in chicken costumes on the course and it wasn't just a big hallucination :-) Come on, someone back me up. There were men dressed up as chickens out there, right???

Anyways, this was my 4th attempt at a National Championship jersey and my A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus, plus (ok, you get the idea) race of the year. I was racing in the SS division but it was really hard to figure out what gear to run because I had no clue what the course would be like. I was getting a lot of reports that it was super technical and would be hard for a 24, but that was about it. Luckily for me, my coach rode a lot of Palmer Park earlier in the season and told me to ride with a 32x20 or 32x21. I took both options out with me and figured I would decide after pre-riding the course.

I mentioned this in my previous post, but the course still wasn't marked (park rules) when Scott, Ted and I went to pre-ride it on Friday. However, I knew what gear I was going to run the moment I jumped on my bike. Ted had the 32x21 on my Selma and it didn't feel any different then the 32x18 that I usually race on at home. I was breathing hard just riding around in the parking lot...darn, darn altitude :-) I know that everyone is different with altitude and I wish that I were more like Scott. We were at 7,000 feet and I don't think he felt it at all. I seem to be on the other end of the spectrum and would get out of breath just talking. It was slightly demoralizing but I refused to focus on it. I went with the "mind over matter" approach and kept telling myself that I didn't feel a thing...We ran into a bunch of fellow endurance racers in the parking lot, and it was great catching up. After a late lunch, and a later dinner, it was time for bed.

And then it was race day. From the moment my alarm went off my heart was in my throat. I was so freaking nervous but also really excited. I was definitely more prepared for this 24 hour race then any in the past and I was excited to see what I could do. After a quick breakfast and a big coffee we all headed over to the race venue, Palmer Park. I had an awesome pit crew who did all the work setting up. All I had to do was sit and try to relax...and drink water.


Finally it was time to head over to the start area. I was wearing a hydrapak with about 40 ounces of water mixed with Powerbar sports mix and I felt like I was going to suck it dry before we even started. Andy had told me that I would need to drink a lot more liquids then normal, and I could tell that wouldn't be a problem.

With 5 minutes to go I was so nervous that I was pretty sure that I was going to puke at the start line. Finally the promoter said "GO" and we were off running. All that we had to do was run across a field to our bikes but it seemed like it took forever. I was breathing incredibly hard but felt like I was barely moving. And it was so dry out my throat felt like it was on fire. Finally, I reached my Selma!!!

I hopped on, heard everyone around me click into harder gears, and tried to spin as fast as possible to keep up. To tell you the truth, I don't remember if we went straight to the course or if we did a little extra riding in the field to break everyone up. All I remember is that I was happy when we started climbing the first paved hill to the actual course. Finally I was able to start moving forward!

To be continued.......

And that's a wrap!

Winning the 24 hour solo SS National Championship was the perfect ending to a really great summer. I thought about this race all season long, and I can't even begin to describe how awesome it felt to put on the stars and stripes jersey. I still feel like I'm dreaming :-) I'm incredibly grateful to all of my sponsors/friends who helped me get to Colorado. It was a solo race but definitely NOT a solo effort.

Ted (my mechanic extraordinaire) flew back to Michigan this morning and Scott (husband/pit crew chief extraordinaire) is driving all of my gear back as I type. I feel a bit spoiled because I was able to stay an extra day in Colorado Springs to rest and recover. However, I'm not sure I did much recovering because my aunt and I tried to cram as much Colorado in a day as possible. I'm really tired.

I fly out tomorrow morning bright and early so I should probably try to catch a few zzzzz's. As beautiful as Colorado is, I'm really excited to get back to oxygen and moisture. My lips took a beating from the dryness/24 hour racing out here and they look awful. One more day and I'm pretty sure they would just fall off of my face.

Full race report when I get back to Michigan!!!