Monday, March 31, 2008

Sustainable Pace

On Marshall Wall, I got pretty far up there before having to stop. My mistake, however, was when and where I chose to stop which was pretty much wherever I was when I couldn't pedal any longer. I had pedaled and pulled till I just couldn't move another inch and felt quite proud of that.

When I finally caught my breath and was able to stand upright, I realized I'd stopped at a pretty steep portion of the road. "Hmmm ... Of all the places on this 11 mile stretch of road, I probably shouldn't have stopped here," I thought to myself.  So since I knew I wasn't able to go farther, it would have been much more prudent of me to have stopped earlier. I would have been able to take on this portion of the rise much more aggressively had I decided to regroup, replenish, and recover earlier on, EVEN IF there were reserves (of diminishing proportions) in my tank.

My pastor often refers to doing life at a sustainable pace, and it made all the more sense to me while I was standing on the side of that hill.  We need to embrace and enjoy the lulls in life and not feel like we need to fill it up with activity all the time.  Even more so, we need to purposefully create margin in this ever-busy world of ours.  We need to regularly regroup with God so that He can replenish our spirit and guide us in the recovery of our soul.  That's the only way we'll be able to finish strong.

Mine is not a race, it is a ride ... and such is life.  We will all get to the finish line someday - and honestly, who really wants to get there first?  We just hope we finish well.

Was I finally able to make it all the way up that hill?  Ya.  Was it easy?  Heck no!  In fact - just when we thought we were near the summit, someone asked why they called it Marshall Wall. Well, what we faced after the bend in the road gave us our answer.  Some moaned.  Some cursed.  I laughed.  See, it's those stops along the way, the having to ride down the hill a bit to get back up it, and even having to walk a few paces to more level ground that make the ride so exhilarating.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

I'm thankful for ...

My brother Rob, Instant Messaging, and YouTube.  (In the background playing Where's Waldo? is one of my sisters, Ana.)

Since my accident, my brother and I have been spending much more time together.  During my recovery, he'd stop by and bring me smoothies and watch the Tour de France with me.  He used to be an avid cyclist, so it's been cool to share this experience with him.  We IM each other almost every day - usually my asking him cycling questions, and he sending me informative links. In fact, he's since sold his old clunker of a bike and bought a full carbon one, and we've done several rides together.  He even helped SAG (support and gear) at our Novato ride this past Saturday!  Thanks Rob.  I love you!

Anyway, I was getting ready to do my Sunday afternoon recovery ride.  While topping off my tires, I broke the pin in the valve of the inner tube and knew I'd have to skip the ride and would have my first experience changing a tire.  

I immediately IM'd my brother, because although we had a quick clinic on fixing a flat at our very first TNT ride, it really isn't something you remember how to do until you've done it yourself.  Of course, Rob sends me a YouTube link on "How to fix a flat,"  and coaches me via IM along the process. So after much trial and error (and grease on my hands and laptop), we got the job done.  Thanks again Rob!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Pungent - Bovine - Road Kill

TNT Stafford Lake Ride

BRUTAL!

So brutal that I can only think in blurbs at this time ...

Top 10 Most Notable Moments:

10. Lots of cows ... i mean LOTS of cows. You wanna take a deep breath, but then you don't.
9. 3 huge birds feasting on the carcass of a skunk. "Pfew, that's pungent," someone says. And I automatically think of a friend who'll randomly ask people how they smell their fingers.
8. The breathtaking views along Hwy 1 and Tomales Bay and ... my dead camera in my jersey pocket.
7. Dropping my chain in the last 5 miles of the ride.
6. 49.59 total miles
5. 3,529 feet of climbing
4. Wilson Hill - definitely more than just a hill
3. Marshall Wall - just as it's name implies
2. Coach Dave "lying on the side of the road like a beached whale 30-feet from the shore." (His words)
1. Coach Dave lying on the side the road like a beached whale 30-feet from the shore. My words - "ROAD KILL!"

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

How Much Ya Wanna Bet?

I hadn't ridden since the Vacaville ride (almost 2 weeks ago); and since I've had the past couple days off, I knew I really should get out there and hit the pavement. I mean, hop on my bike ;-)

I almost did Sunday afternoon, after the Easter festivities, but I decided to hit the couch instead. So I woke up this morning ... not that I've been asleep since Sunday ... I got up this morning and debated with myself for 2 hours about riding. I finally left my house at 10:45 AM. Up Lopes, cross Lake Herman, and a right onto the incline of Rose Drive which I'd take all the way to Columbus Parkway and back.

The last time I did Rose Drive was prior to my accident. I had done it a couple times, but both times I clearly recall stopping several times either to catch my breath or because of the burn in my legs. This time however, from East 2nd towards Columbus at least, I did pretty good. I may have been going slow, but I didn't have to stop at all! I'd never ridden Rose in this direction, so I figured it just isn't as steep on this side.

At the bottom of Rose, I had to compose myself for the ride back up and home. I knew it was going to be tougher. I think I stopped too long, as I almost chickened out thinking maybe someone could pick me up. Instead, I quickly chomped on some sport beans, downed some gatorade, and started pedaling. It was definitely harder.

At one point, I thought to pull off to the side for a breather, but two guys got out of their truck. "I can't stop in front of them," I thought to myself. "Let me just pass them, and I'll stop in a little bit. I'll give them time to get into the house." And then it occurred to me .... It's kinda funny the things that run through my mind to keep me going ....

What if they're standing at the truck taking bets ~ "I betcha $20 bucks she doesn't make it up that hill!"

And that was enough motivation for me to keep pedaling ... all the way home :-)

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Dare I?

The day after the Vacaville ride, we received an email from Coop, our head coach. He told us we've completed more than half of Lake Tahoe in miles and getting close to half of the ascent. He told us we would continue to improve as the next couple months go by. He also suggested "instead of logging major mileage each day rather, work on using the time on the bike in a quality way by climbing hills." His email went on to name about 10 different hills in various areas ~ one of which was Mt. Veeder. Hmmm ... dare I try it again, I thought, or do I leave well enough alone?

Cooper ended his email by encouraging us to get out and ride today... "Your legs may not feel so good in the first 10-15 minutes but after about 20 they'll thank you for it!" So I did. And he was right. I almost turned around at our corner mini-mart (smile), but I told myself to just get past the first 15 minutes.

After awhile, I was flyin'. I only average about 12 mph, but after getting warmed up, I felt very little tension in my legs, and I felt like I was going faster than usual. I glanced down at my computer and it read 15 mph, then 17. "What the heck?" I thought to myself. Did I really improve that much because of yesterday's ride? I got to Lake Herman in 30 minutes! I've never checked my time at this turn-around spot, but I do know it normally takes me 1:20 for the round trip, so I know I've made good time.

BUT - as soon as I turned around to head back, I was greeted with the strongest head-wind I've ever had to ride through yet. "That explains it!" And I laughed at myself all the way home.

My time when I got home ... one hour and 20 minutes :-)

54

I wasn't able to ride this busy Easter weekend. (Sigh ... ) But that's ok. We celebrated well with family and friends. I can tell you about last weekend's Vacaville ride, though.

This is my friend Carmen with her new road bike! She was my daughter's Daisy Troop leader when our girls were in kindergarten 7 years ago. I'm excited to be riding with her this season.
The maps we had were kinda wrong, so what should have been a 50 mile ride ended up being more like 54. The ascent was the same, though ~ 1790 feet. I kicked butt on Cantelow, the steep hill towards the end, but I did feel somewhat squirrelly on the descent. I was warned that it was steep with sharp turns, so my group (who knows about my crash) was very cautious. With Michelle and Jeanne in front of me and Coach Dave behind me, we took it really slow ... as slow as we could go, trying to gain as little speed as possible. This descent was very different from Lake Herman's 37 miles per hour the other week, which was a straight away. At the bottom of Cantelow, my arms were sore from the tension of applying the breaks all the way down. I can hardly believe there's only 5 miles left to go. I finish strong once again. I rolled into the parking lot and stopped by Coach Dee Dee (pictured with me below) with the biggest smile on my face. I felt so good, I could have kept on rolling :-)

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Potato Chips, Acne, and Apricots

Part of training is learning about nutrition and trying out different foods and sports drinks so that come event day, your stomach's not surprised by what enters. And so that you're not surprised by ... what comes out.

Since Saturday was a buddy ride, we had to be self sufficient. No SAG (support and gear), so I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a power bar, 3 Aussie Bites, and sport jelly beans. Ya, I later realized I had way too much food for our (relatively) short ride. What I neglected to pack, however, was a salty snack. Proper hydration involves replacing both water and salt lost during exercise. Well, since I brought way too much food, I shared my PB&J with Chani, who shared her bag of potato chips with me. Thanks Chani, because I am a lover of all things potato! And my body needed it.

What I forgot though ... was that I get the same reaction every time I eat potato chips ~ one HUGE-MONGOUS pimple on the apple of my cheek! And sure enough, as consistent as usual, as if to remind me of my greasy indulgence the previous day - the acne attacked. Guess I have to find an alternative source of sodium.

Something else I discovered several weeks ago (but was too embarrassed to blog about) ~ our need for potassium. I always knew bananas were good for you if you suffered from leg cramps, but I didn't know it's because bananas are high in potassium. (That's not the embarrassing part.)

Back at the Dry Creek ride, which was almost 4 weeks ago, my left calf felt odd for some reason. I knew it wasn't a cramp, so I kind of stretched it out and just shook it off. It went away. Someone who thought I might be having a cramp mentioned that dried apricots are really high in potassium and great to keep in your jersey pocket in case you feel a cramp coming on.

Well, that tip stayed with me as I geared up for our next coached ride, the 39-mile Sonoma Ride. I emptied a package of dried apricots into a ziploc bag and slid it into my right jersey pocket. As we rode, we made periodic stops to regroup, rest, and replenish our energy. Each time we stopped I ate a few apricots ... just to make sure I didn't cramp up. What I didn't realize was that by the time our ride was over, I'd eaten more than half the bag. What I also didn't realize was that not only are apricots a good source of potassium, they're also a good source of fiber ;-)

When I got home, my stomach started feeling really weird ... and then the rest ... well, use your imagination. Let's just say - I'm glad I didn't test the apricots out on event day!

Monday, March 10, 2008

37 Feels Good Again, Part 2

My legs felt heavy Saturday morning. I know i didn't sleep well the night before. A friend suggested that had a lot to do with it. I need to keep track of what I eat, when I rest, and how I feel as I train.

Anyway, Lopes turns into East 2nd Street. East 2nd has it's share of rollers. At one point, there was a sign: 6% grade. Six percent doesn't sound like a lot, but someone must have found it noteworthy enough if they posted a sign. I recalled all my hill-climbing tips: sit upright, quiet the upper body, relax the shoulders, slow down the breathing, nice and easy pedal strokes, muscles feeling tired - try pulling up on the pedals for a bit, just get to that sign, now to that tree, make it to the light post ... by the time I know it, I'm at the top without having to stop. "Oh, we've done steeper than that!" I thought to myself. But the reward is always great - a breezy descent.

I'm with the last group now, but who cares. I feel great. We turn right onto Military and ride through Benicia Park. I see the rest of the group just ahead and we stop for a quick breather. Guess who’s there, chatting it up with the team? Roman, in his IronMan garb, taking a quick break from his run! All of the TNT alumni know Roman. Greetings and hugs go around. I do hear a few whispers, "WOW, he looks great," and a "Who is that?" Then Dee Dee does the formal introduction, "This is Roman, and as you can tell, he's training for an IronMan with TNT." Then Merle chimes in, "Not only that, he's an honoree." (And spontaneous applause breaks forth.)

After the welcomed break, he watches us ride into the sunset .. I mean onto Columbus Parkway. I hear someone say, "He's the picture of health." I've heard Roman tell his story enough to know that he'd say, "It's because of a medication called Gleevec, which TNT helped raise money for." My CAL buddy who's also in remission said to me, "Thank you so much for doing TNT. If it weren't for the medication, I don't know where I'd be today." So in effect, we really are saving lives one mile at a time.

All that, a quick bathroom break at a well known coffee establishment, and we're all re-energized for the last half of our ride. Columbus Parkway - you wouldn't know from driving that it's all uphill. Two of the other 4 I'm riding with have to stop for a breather. I may be going slow, but I just keep on pedaling ... cuz I ain't stoppin' on no hill :-) I turn onto Lake Herman, and the thoughts of the Zodiac come to mind. I'd better not get too far ahead. So I stop in the shade to switch my water bottles out, remove my arm warmers, and then glance behind me. I see someone coming, so I hop on again.

Lake Herman Road is a nice, two lane road from which you can see Lake Herman, of course. But there are rollers and hills, and it's on this road where I hit 37 mph on a descent ... and boy did it feel good. I was definitely more cautious and alert, but it was a straight away, so I felt comfortable with the speed. I smile and let out a "Woo Hoo!" as I began to slow due to another incline. "That was it," I think to myself. "I think I'm over it (the crash)."

We take a left back onto Lopes for the last 8 miles, and I finished feeling great.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

37 Feels Good Again, Part 1

35-mile buddy ride right in my own back yard yesterday. I didn't have to load up the car to get to the meeting place; I just pedaled down the street towards Rodriguez High! But since I was out of my (somewhat) pre-ride routine, I ended up riding back home a couple times for things I'd forgotten ... my jacket, for one. And DUH - your water bottles, girl! Whatta rookie. Wonder what my poor brother must have been thinking. "At least we got in a good warmup?"

(No, my brother didn't do the buddy ride with us yesterday. Since he's not part of the team, he was only able to do the Napa ride with us. So he rode out in the opposite direction to Jelly Belly just before we rolled out towards Benicia. Maybe next year, Rob?!)

I think there were 12 of us out on Lopes heading toward Lake Herman, which is my usual mid-week ride. Lopes to Lake Herman and back - 16.5 miles. Yesterday, however, we'd cross Lake Herman onto East 2nd Street and keep on going. Then, right turn onto Military and into Benicia State Park. Out of the park, we'd turn left to get onto the long and gradual incline of Columbus Parkway. We'd turn right onto Lake Herman (yes, the same Lake Herman that was made famous by the Zodiac Killer), and then a left back onto Lopes towards the high school where the morning began.

I started out in the middle of the pack. It was kind of exciting to be riding this familiar road with 11 other people. It's definitely a different dynamic than when I'm riding solo or even with my usual riding group. For one, we hit 21 mph on a stretch that I've probably only gone 14 mph max! Man, whatta feeling ... I was lovin' it! But I eased up a bit, as I knew I wouldn't be able to carry that same pace for the whole ride. "Someday I will," I thought to myself. "For now, let's keep it real."

We regrouped at the top of Lake Herman. (Three speed racers went on ahead.) "This is where I normally turn around and head back home," I told the team. Not today though. Not today.

... to be continued ...

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Flat My Foot!

I will no longer believe our coach's email if it ever says the course will be "relatively flat."

This was one of the beautiful sites on our 39-mile Sonoma ride yesterday. Flats, rollers, and 3 hills, one of which was Duhig Road - a long gradual incline along the left side of this winery. The stately architecture served as a momentary distraction from our physical exertion.

Updates and Exciting News:
- Recently reconnected with a couple long lost friends - a junior high friend from Virginia, and an old friend from CAL. Unfortunately, I learned my CAL buddy was diagnosed with CML - the same form of Leukemia that Roman has. The good news is medication is keeping him well and in remission.
- Braces come off May, 14th! I'll be fitted for a retainer that'll have 4 prosthetic teeth which I'll wear until I can get dental implants.
- Roman and Jun are well into their rigorous (TNT) IronMan training.
- Trish and Leona, Roman's sister and cousin (which make them my cousins-in-law) are also participating in an endurance event, LLS's Hike for Discovery .
- This will truly be an exciting year as we celebrate the culmination of our endurance events and celebrate Roman's 5th year in remission.