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 :-)

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!

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.

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 ...

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.

GO TEAM!

We headed out to Dry Creek early, my Bro. and I. Excited, yet calm at the same time, I wasn't nervous at all ... unlike the last time I rode Dry Creek. Determined to just go out and have a good time, I reminded myself to just ride at my own pace. The coach said, "This is not a race, and it won't be a race in June or July either." So I got myself in a good place, mentally, and had a really good 27.3 mile ride.

Some team mates from Summer Season ... Left to right: Kim, Chani, Me, and Nader. GO TEAM!

Tessa's Extreme Cycling Challenge, Part Deux

OK, I’m back in the saddle again!
First official training ride of the season was last Saturday.
Time trial at Dry Creek is this Saturday. Same time trial route as Summer Season, but I'll let you know how I do ... given my torrid history with that area.

Recap from Summer Season:
In May 2007, I signed up with Team in Training (TNT) to bike a century in honor of my husband’s cousin, Roman Seguerre, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2003. In exchange for coached workouts and preparation for the endurance event, I committed to raise funds which would go towards finding a cure for blood cancers. I was overwhelmed by the financial support that poured in. Thank you!

However, mid-season (July 07), I was involved in an accident while training with a friend. My challenge would be put on hold. Thankfully, TNT also allowed me to put my funds on hold, until I was ready to get back in the saddle and train with the team again. Well, after 7 long months, I’m ready!

Aiming High for the Spring Cycling Season:
Because I was fundraising for Honolulu last year, I've already exceeded the fundraising necessary to participate in June’s America’s Most Beautiful Ride. HOWEVER, I am only $300 away from participating in the 2-day, 200 mile, Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic which will be held in July!

If you’ve already contributed to my cause, I thank you for bringing us one step closer to a cure for blood related cancers. If you haven’t made your donation and you’d like to partner with me in my 100 and 200-mile, extreme cycling challenges, I encourage you to give generously. (Click on the link at the top, right.) While I need your support to help me finish these rides, these people need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - finding a cure!

This year, Roman, will celebrate his 5th year in remission thanks to a drug called Gleevec. The Leukimia & Lymphoma Society, contributed over $8 million dollars towards Gleevec’s initial research. Give, and together we can help cure cancer one mile at a time!

Tessa
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America’s Most Beautiful Ride - Tahoe, June 1, 2008
100 miles around Lake Tahoe. Challenging 800-ft. climb overlooking Emerald Bay. A 1,000 ft. climb over Spooner Junction. Many ascents and descents totaling over 2,600 vertical feet of elevation gain.

Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic , July 12-13, 2008
200-mile, 2 day bike ride through scenic valleys, forests, and farmlands of western Washington and Oregon. Bicycling Magazine has listed this ride as one of the best cycling events in the nation!