things that go "bump" in the night

Ventured out to Explore Park this evening for our weekly ride. Since the temps have gotten colder, our numbers seem to be dwindling...tonight's temp was 33 when we started & 28 when we ended w/ high wind...fun.
Hubby, Adam, Brian (aka Snuggletruck), and myself headed out this evening. The pace was set by my hubby and was super fast at the start. I don't thing he realizes how fast he goes on his Single Speed since he's started training w/ the cross bike. You'd have thought he was racing.
Anywho..went out beginner loop, crossed the road & headed down the intermediate trail. The big wooded bridge had some snow on it but was very negotiable. I had some trouble getting up the other side this evening. I don't think I had recovered from Tuesday night's 2 hour ride at Fishburn...in the cold...... Anywho as we trudged up the intermediate trail I heard something in the woods which sounded like the cog of a bike turning. I stopped to shine my light in the direction of the noise & it stopped...weird...so we kept riding.
As we continued on the inner loop, we got to the section just before crossing Rutrough when I heard a fluttering sound in the trees. I was too scared to stop & look so I kept going. I asked everyone else if they had heard the noise & they just looked at me like I had 2 heads...
Proceeded on to the lollipop loop....climbed the big hill, yada yada yada.....
As we came back from the lollipop loop and crossed over Rutrough, Hubby stopped and was looking up in the tree at something looking down at us.....It was a big owl!.....it just sat there wondering why we kept blinding it w/ our lights. Finally it flew but did not make a sound. Eery. It's wingspan had to have been around 4 feet....He was big.

We reluctantly decided to take the outer loop back. I was having a heck of a time seeing the trail tonight. Adam was barreling down behind me so I had to let him go. I told him he was freaking me out too much!....as we proceeded up the babyhead section of the endurance loop the "woosh woosh" sound was back...only it was much louder & someone else heard it too!....Very freaky b/c we couldn't see anything in the trees... I think it was a terydactyl or maybe it was a sasquatch w/ wings.....I was scared it was going to pick me off of my bike & carry me away!

Headed back on the intermediate loop & heard the same "cog" sound in the woods....I think it was the trees rubbing together but it was another spooky sound.


Made it back to the car.....ate pizza, went to bed...The end
(will probably have nightmares tonight)
The end

brrrrrrr

had to get out of the house on Sunday...I feel like I"ve been couped up all week..hadn't been on the bike since last Saturday...so I braved the cold and rode for 2 hours w/ my hubby. We headed out down some alleys in the neighborhood..then rode the Rke River Greenway through Wasena Park. Headed over towards Rivers Edge & rode through the tunnel to the other side. Took another couple of alley ways to get to our first part of the ride..Ferncliff Park. We rode up this trail then crossed over Fishburn Parkway to tackle Woodthrush Trail on Mill Mtn. As we headed down Woodthrush I noticed a rolled up mattress stuffed inside a garbage bag.....there have been some homeless people setting up camp on this part of the mountain. My friend Paul Chapman, Mill Mtn Supervisor, has been working diligently to get these people off of the mountain....you're not supposed to camp out on city property...luckily we didn't see any of these folks..
We continued on..climbed the loose steep part..(I had to walk 20 feet or so), then jumped on the lower portion of the Star Trail so we could get back to Fisbburn Pkwy I had to walk part of this trail too.. We descended down Fishburn Pkwy, then turned left on Sylvan Rd and climbed the road to Monument trail where we started to ascend. This was very difficult for me for some reason. By the time we got to the Star trail intersection, my back was in agony. I kept plodding on, slowly......Finally made it to the zoomy part which makes the climbing worth it. We crossed over the road and headed on to Car trail. From Car trail we climbed back up the old road to the Discovery Center. Then we headed down the Zoo trail. I goofed on the switchback & had to walk it straddling my bike. I hopped back on..& kept going.
When we got back to the intersection where you can go right on Car trail, left to go to the road, or straight to climb..we decided to climb. so we could take Ferncliff trail back. ...That didn't last long...it was so icy & snowy that we made it about 40 feet & decided to take the road back down to pick up Ferncliff Trail (I know it's named something else but I can't think of the name so Ferncliff will have to do).....We dumped back on a small section of Chestnut Ridge Loop (shhhh!) so we could go on to Ferncliff. I sure do like the Ferncliff trail better in this direction..not as much climbing. We took a few more alleyways to get over to the Greenway and headed home. My legs started giving out on the Greenway...I was cooked so I pedaled the best I could to keep moving.
Total ride time was roughly 2 hours 15 minutes. My hubby continued on for about another hour. I didn't start to get a chill until my legs gave out....so I was dressed appropriately for the weather. I wore ski gloves b/c my other gloves just don't keep my fingers warm..surprisingly the ski gloves seemed to do the trick. They were quite cumbersome though. I need to get some warm winter riding gloves....
It was cold but it beats sitting on the blasted trainer for an hour!

Cylclocross w/ Team Taco

Went to Davidson, NC on Sunday to watch the boyz from Team El Toreo race cyclocross.. It was a looooong day in terms of spectating but the guys seemed to have a good time. Ron & Frank raced 2 races each while my hubby (the former Grizzly Adams) raced one.

It looks hard b/c each race is an all out effort from the moment they send you off the start. There were some gals out there too!...Go Chicky's....I give them a lot of credit...

Here are some pics.

New Year's Day ride

Met up at the Cove for the annual New Year's Day ride. A bunch of folks left from the boat dock side after a few photos, etc....probably 60 or so on this side & another 30 left from Bennett Springs. I rode w/ Grizzly Adams (hubby w/ a big stubbly beard), Chas, Brian, a few folks from East Coasters, and some guys who I've seen before but could not place their names...We probably had close to 10 or so in our group.

Headed out the fire road from the Boat Dock...felt like crap the initial 2 miles in...legs were really "thick" and the cold air was hurting my lungs. Once we hit the trails, I felt a little better...We rode Schoolhouse to Little Bell. When we came upon the intersection to Little Bell, we caught up w/ another group & waited for one of the riders to change his tire...This took a little while so my legs started tightening up . We got moving again and once we got off Little Bell, I was pleading w/ the group not to do EF. I was worried the stream would still be up. I won my case & we rode on to do Songbird backwards....felt ok on this trail..then the legs started getting heavy again. I don't do well with a lot of stopping & starting..I ride better when I go continuously.

I passed by my buddy Jen coming the other way...I shouted "having fun?"..she said she was having a blast....my crew continued on. Dumped out on the fireroad..hung around again...then on to Comet. When we got to the 4 way intersection, we met up with another group of our riding buddies...they started out on the Bennett Springs side and had been riding for a couple of hours. They followed our group for a bit..then we split off..they took Songbird and we went on to Arrowhead.

The group set a blistering pace up Arrowhead...I thought I was the last one but lo and behold, 2 more riders joined up behind me..On we went....I attempted a couple of the creek crossings & managed to stay dry..until the last one. I was feeling extremely confident in my bike handling skills so I decided to try the last crossing. I picked a good line..but was surprised that I had such a good line that I quit pedaling....I proceeded to "foot out" into the water BRRRRRRRR!...come to find out only me and Grizzly Adams tried the creek....I felt pretty good about that...the only chicky in in the group & she outdoes the boys...well almost!....On we went descending down the bumps and rocks back to the fireroad.

By this time the sun was ducking behind the mountain and the temps were dropping. We plodded along the fireroad....I thought we'd never make it back...my toes became numb but we kept plodding. We came upon a group we rode with earlier in the day..2 were riding bikes, the 3rd was walk/running.....Turns out he had major mechanical issues & a buddy of his was carrying the bike back!...Hope he compensated him well for all that effort.

Finally we made it back to the vehicles..Changed into DRY socks!!! and put on warmer clothing. Stopped for a bite to eat on the way home. All in all it was a good day for a ride! Happy New Year!

Spoiled one

Tomorrow 12/31 is my "spoiled one's" birthday. Actually it's the anniversary date of her adoption from the Roanoke Vally SPCA. She was born sometime in October but we don't know when..so we use her adoption date as her birthday. She'll be 8. Hard to believe we've had Gretta 8 years now...where does the time go? Here's a pic of her chewing on her "birthday treat" and then chilling out afterwards.

bucks, trees, graves, creeks, rock sculptures and trolls

Went for a ride this morning w/ Jen at the Cove. Temps were hovering in the high 40's, low 50's along w/ a bit of wind....It would be chilly on the road but we'd be out of the wind on the trails. I didn't feel like climbing so we stayed on the lower trails today. My legs are still feeling the weight workout from Saturday and riding at Panapas Pond on Sunday. We headed out the road and made the left onto Songbird. About 6 1/2 minutes into the ride we had to do some log clearing on Songbird. With all of the wind, there was a bunch of stuff down. We laid the bikes down & started moving the log. I'm such a weakling..Jen was using her brute strength gained by moving patients at the hospital to push this log off the trail. It took a little more effort on my part but we got the thing moved. Jen then decided to act like a tree, so we captured a photo.


































Onward we went...twisting, turning, through the leaves. We got to a point where a log used to cross the trail....I was getting ready to dismount when we discovered it has been moved! Woo Hoo. Down through the zoomy section we went...We came upon the tree that is across the lower section of the trail. I think Jen underestimated the angle to get around this log & here's the end result:














We decided to go up Arrowhead...before ascending we took a detour to check out the Confederate grave. I'm curious to know the history of this person...maybe one day I'll do a little more research. The setting is quite serene...with the minor exception of the crazy mountain bike chicks taking pics of the headstone.
















We got to the first crest on Arrowhead & took a short break. I had forgotten what a pain that climb can be. As we sipped from our water bottles, I could see a large buck in the distance. We continued down the trail. I tried to ride slow b/c I knew buck would be hanging out. I came upon him too quickly & he took off. He was around 4 -6 points.. and he was chasing a doe. They scurried up the other side of the trail. We plodded on. Soon we came across another buck which was larger than the first. He was afraid of us too & took off. Got to the creek crossings...I was able to do most of them.....I cleared the one at the end....Jen commented "Well aren't you special"...that's only the 5th time or so I've been able to ride that creek and I took a bad line. Jen walked it..the entry is a little sketchy so I don't blame her at all for walking it.














We came out on the fireroad..on to Schoolhouse & Little Bell. I was starting to fatigue at this point...not enough carbs a few days prior to this ride. We rode along and came up to the "vista point" there's not much of a vista b/c there's no water in the cove! We continued on..debated on going down Enchanted Forest...we opted for the fireroad for a little bit, then decided to dump back down to EF. I'd much rather do the logs, roots on EF than ride the boring fireroad.



















Once we jumped on Comet, Jen pointed out the rock sculpture in progress so of course I had to take a photo.


















We continued on..my legs were shot so no Four Gorge trail for me. We rode back on the road...I noticed 2 trolls on the trees....I had never noticed these in all the times we've ridden by them. We rolled back to the vehicles..Jen had to go to work...I headed home to grab lunch & hang out w/ the pooch. Fun morning at the Cove!

Ridin at the Cove

I decided to take a "mental health" break this morning & joined my friend Jen for a spin at the Cove. Weather was great...high 50's, low 60's, slight breeze. We had tinkered with the idea of doing Hemlock Tunnel aka Clownhead. Jen had not ridden this trail before so she was up to the challenge. We headed out the paved road then started up the 1000' climb. I forgot how tough the first part of the climb was with only 1 gear...we trudged on...I stopped once or twice to snap some photos but we got to the trailhead in roughly 30 minutes. At the top someone had added a nice rock formation to the top of the sign:

We were a little pooped out from the climb but we ventured on. The top of this trail is a little loose in spots and it's covered in leaves..although you're not knee deep in leaves just yet. I managed all the switchbacks this time around. Jen walked a few but they were a little narly...we proceeded down to the really steep section. There was a friendly little sign on the tree warning us to turn back...Ha.

I could see the line to ride in this section but I could not manage my bike to get there. I kept ending up in the rut and the leaves were a little slick so traction was a bit of a challenge. We hopped off & walked a bit. We had to climb over a big tree which has fallen across the trail but were able to get back on the bikes at this point.

We proceeded down to the bottom of the trail.

There was some old caution tape on the trees left over from the Commonwealth games race. Why this was still out there after all these months, I have no clue. We decided to be good stewards of the trail & clean up this stuff. We contined on, crossing a couple of semi dry streams. We picked up more caution tape along the way. As we came out to the fireroad, we turned left and headed up towards the trailhead for Comet. When we arrived at the trailhead we debated on continuing up the fireroad to Tuckaway or tackling this section of Comet. We opted for Comet...Jen had not ridden this section of trail yet so it would be a good challenge. We descended quickly. There are a few spots in the trail which are very technical..I stopped along the way to let Jen know which line to take. When we got towards the middle of the trail, it makes a tight left hand switchback with no where to bail..so once you commit to it, you have to ride it out. What was funny is when I arrived I blurted "Oh Sh#^"...I made the turn..then watched Jen try it. She also blurted out "Oh Sh#^"at the same exact point I said it. Too funny! She made the turn like a pro. We encountered more caution tape tied on the trees so we proceeded to take it down. We ventured on and at one point we inhaled the sweet scent of bear poop & decaying leaves....It was quite aromatic! Jen reminded me we were approaching the area where she encountered 3 bears earlier this summer...so we kept calling for the bears as we rode throught this section of trail....we also joked that we had caution tape & we weren't afraid to use it!!!! (ok..it's no so funny now but it was funny when we were riding)

We continued on to the end of Comet & dumped back out on the fireroad...we headed back to the cars...Jen had to be at work at 2 and I had to spend the rest of the afternoon to continue my job search. It was a great ride..Jen did very well on the trails...maybe next time we'll do Gauntlet???

Ahhhh..the rewards for a fun ride....mmmmmm Smoooooooothies...

more spoiled dog pix

Since Gretta had chosen her "favorite" toy from the many I brought home, I put the remaining toys back in some bags & took them to the basement. I went down the other day to get something and Gretta proceeded to rifle through the bags and pick out another toy. She brought it upstairs with her...later that evening....

she fell asleep w/ it in betwen her paws...once again..the cuteness factor was raised another level.

Spoiled Dog

So Friday was my last day at the paper.. did the whole cake, & cookie thing & we'll miss you schpeel....as I was conversing w/ some of my soon to be ex-coworkers, someone asked me what was up with my desk? I was not sure what they meant...but when I came back to my desk, a whole sea of stuffed animals had appeared. One of my co-workers brought them to me as a going away gift.

I bagged them all up, brought them home, and proceeded to dump them on the floor for my dog. It was like watching a kid at Christmas...she didn't know which one to pick so she proceeded to "mouth" all of them before settling in with a Frankenstein doll. It was quite cute! Here are some pics of the spoiled one:

Making lemonade

Have been really busy w/ personal stuff going on..sorry for the lack of blogs. Here's what's been happening. Towards the middle of the summer, my hubby was approached by his company to become a Territory Manager in Pennsylvania. His future boss told him it didn't matter where he lived, so long as business in the territory grew. We were thrilled b/c it meant we could move back to his hometown outside of Pittsburgh, PA. So we got the ball rolling and over the course of the past couple of months, we have done a whole bunch of work on the house to get it on the market, started looking at homes up north, informed the family up north we were returning, broke all the bad news to our dear friends down here that we'd be going. His start date was to be the Monday following Thanksgiving. I gave my resignation at work, blah blah blah.

So we're in Florida last week visiting my Dad and his lovely bride. Hubby's phone rings...it's his soon to be boss. Here's what he has to say...."Warren, Al Morris here....I've been in meetings w/ the CEO and National Sales Manager. They feel it's important for the eastern Pennsylvania area to grow so they want you to move to Philadelphia/Lancaster area....." Huh???? In all the dealings and conversations regarding this new opportunity, knowing we've been looking in Pittsburgh, this NEVER came up. Imagine my husband's surprise & extreme disappointment. It didn't take long to make the decision about the new position. The whole point of taking the job was so we could be closer to his family. Why the hell would we want to move to someplace we have no knowledge about to be only 5 hours from family vs the 6 hours it takes now!.

Warren called his old (current) boss back and fortunately can remain in his current position. I on the other hand did not fare as well. I had given my resignation at my current job b/c all signs indicated we would be leaving Thanksgiving week. My last day is Nov 9. I called my boss, explained what was going on...the reply was I'll have to talk to HR. I knew from the tone of my boss' voice it was not good. I called HR..they informed me they had completed the interviews for my position and had offered the job to someone. They do not rescind resignations and the only option left was to look on-line at the current openings in my company and apply for something that might be a good fit. In summary: I'm unemployed after November 9th. I'll go back to work these next 2 weeks to train my replacement, then I'm out of work. Ain't that something? I'm deeply dissapointed and understand completely where my company is coming from but it's still a real bummer. What's the old saying..When life throws you lemons, make lemonade.

So, for all of you fans who read this blog, if you know of any companies in the Roanoke, VA area who are hiring, let me know.. My degree is in Recreation, Sports Management...most of my more recent positions have been admin support type jobs...I'm open to exploring new opportunities. I can send along my resume, or if you're interested in seeing my resume, contact me pschimizzi at cox dot net and I'll send a copy along.

For the full story you can check out hubby's blog at http://www.bicyclesoup.blogspot.com/

For some cool Florida picks including the recent space shuttle launch check out http://www.skmeetzworld.blogspot.com/

Bedford - Falling Creek Race

Sorry.haven't had a chance to blog about the race. Here's a quick summary

1. Borrowed a bike (when we pre-rode I knew the full suspension would not be necessary) My other hardtail is still in a single speed state, so I borrowed a buddy's Kona Hot. It had v-brakes so that was a bit different!

2. Before the warm up I saw one of the Sport Chickys who I raced with last year...she had a horrific accident the week before the race involving an endo and losing her front teeth! It was bad...I felt horrible for her.... I hope she recovers soon!

3. Start of the race...not a big field..only one other expert chicky & she was in the younger age group. She raced derailer last year...really strong rider! My other competitor in my class was a no show so all I had to do was finish.

4. Start goes off....I immediately have an asthma attack...could not breathe..had to back off....the experts were gone.

5. Got passed by a whole bunch of people....even some junior beginners towards the end of my first lap. Caught back up w/ a couple of sport guys..really nice dudes..one told me I was a celebrity b/c I had a blog & all...He knew my name but I had to ask him his....Kind of scary when people know who you are b/c of your blog. Oh well..

6. Course was tons of fun..Bedford has done a phenomenal job in getting the trails & park constructed just in the past year. Roanoke should look at how efficiently Bedford gets stuff done! Definitely a place I would ride just to ride for fun.

7. Had a meltdown on lap 3...Hubby was the sweep & he came upon me sitting in the middle of the trail sobbing. Not pretty. Got myself back together & continued on.

8. Finished the race exhausted & dead last (or first in my class). Having an asthma attack at the start really made it difficult to ride this race....I just wanted to survive.

9. I think I'm done for the season. No time to train & I've done the hillclimb 2 times before and really don't need to prove anything for the remainder of this season. I'm pretty burned out on the whole race scene this year. I'm ready to get back into the gym & start on the weights.

10. The end.

Peaksview Park.......

Sunday was the Peaksview Park race in Lynchburg. I didn't really feel motivated going into this one. I guess I'm really tired of all the heat & dry weather. This time of year is really tough for someone w/ allergies to ragweed & grasses and with chronic asthma. Makes riding a real challenge b/c when you breathe, it feels like you're breathing through a straw. When you race, it's worse...

Anywho...warmed up a little big on the start area & finish area to get a feel for the trail conditions. Things were dry so the course would be fast. Lined up at the start. There were 3 chicky's in the expert woman's field. One younger chicky who was super fast, Kim, my fellow competitor from MW & Mountain Lake race & myself. All I needed to do was finish today. I wasn't feeling good in the warm up...had to race back to the car to do an inhaler shot before the start of the race, then race back to the staging area. When the starter released us, it was a super fast pace again. That's the big difference in racing in the expert field...these guys and girls are fast right from the git go. I'm not fast so I just about blow up trying to keep the pace w/ these guys. We went into the woods and sure enough it was a big cluster at the first switchback. Trying to dump 30 some odd folks into a 2' singletrack section is a joke. People were bobbling all over ther place. I tucked in behind Kim & let her pace the first section. She's a super strong climber & really smooth. As we started to settle into a groove I heard the single speed guys coming up behind. Skippy got right on my wheel and started taunting me. We were right in the woop section when they caught us...Skippy knew how much I love for him to ride behind me & he let me know about it..(it's a running joke with us....I hate it when he rides behind me...I get really nervous)...I was finally able to let the Single Speed dudes by..... not too much later a bunch of sport dudes caught us. Once again I had to let them by. Fortunately Kim let them by also, so there was not much of a gap between us & I was able to quickly pace back up to her. We continued to go & I knew more guys were back there. I made sure to shout back to them to let me know when they needed a line & I would gladly move. One dude was a total jerk though & decided to make his own path through the woods about 15 feet off of the trail. I shouted to him "hey..I would have let you by!" I didn't see his number..if so I would have said something to the race officials....I don't think he had a shot at placing..maybe he did but he was kind of riding like an idiot. Oh well

After the guys got past us, Kim started screaming...I looked up and a big black snake slithered under her wheels and into the brushy section next to the trail..Eee Gads....It reminded me of the snake in a West Virginia race last year. Then we encountered a turtle hanging out of the trail..He was probably wondering what in the world was going on!...As the first lap continued, I was descending and handling the technical sections quite well. Kim let me by 1/2 way through the first lap & we continued on. At some point some of the CLydesdales passed us. I can't remember if it was the first lap or second lap...I just could not get into a rhythm on this course..I start hammering on a downhill to have to gear down for some of the short uphill parts. I kept footing out on some of that stuff...very frustrating. With about 3 miles left on the first lap I came to an intersection where the course tape was torn down...I stopped & waited for Kim..we looked at each other & asked which way? We chose to go straight which was the correct choice. I came out onto the road...tried to keep a relatively high pace but couldn't breathe. Kim passed me so I tried to pace behind her. She got a little ahead going into the second lap. She started to pull away on the climbing sections...I just maintained a steady pace....as soon as we got to more of the technical down parts, she allowed me to pass..we sort of ping ponged the first 2 laps, she'd lead, they I would lead, then she would lead, etc. 2 Sport chicky's caught us..they were flying, but then again, it was their last lap..we still had another to go! About 1/2 way through the second lap, there was a section of trail which dumped out into doubletrack. It was a slight left hand turn with a tree branch sticking out. I took the turn a little wide & knew I was in for it. Sure enough I clipped my hand on the tree and down I went. OUCH! I noticed my left pinky sort of hurt but didn't think much about it. I picked the bike back up, checked to make sure everything was working & went on my way.

By the end of the second lap I was really laboring...my breathing was not good and it was really hot. I drank the contents of my camel back so all I had left was a warm bottle on the bike...Yuk..Cytomax is really horrible when it's warm..but it was wet & had electrolytes so I forced it down. As I was finishing the second lap on the road I saw one of the Single Speeders hanging out on a park bench..He was done! I still had another lap! *sigh*

Lap 3...I can't remember where Kim was at this point...I think I was ahead but not by much....just needed to race a clean 3rd lap. I wasn't moving fast which was frustrating for me...but I was moving. I came to this one trail which had 2 very small logs approx 3' apart from each other. I rode this part clean the first 2 laps...I brain farted this time...Got over the first one w/ my front wheel..then tried to stand up & pedal Nothing happened...I think I just spun the back wheel out on the log..next thing I knew I was slamming into the ground on the same side I had crashed on the 2nd lap. Yikes! I was pretty slow getting up but dragged myself back on the bike & plodded on. I was able to hammer the downhills but could feel my body temperature rising....I even contemplated quitting but figured I should finish to get points. I knew by then Kim & I were the only ones left on course. Even the marshalls left.

As I dumped out on the road, my hubby was waiting for me along w/ Jen, my fellow chicky riding buddy. He started to say something to me about my pace & timinig when out of nowhere, the Evil Pookie reared her ugly head. She blurted out "Protein shake...I need a protein shake!" I was tired & beyond frustrated. I did not know how far back Kim was..it was all I could do to keep the legs turning the pedals on the road. Jen rode out next to me encouraging me all the way..come on, you can do it! When I got to the finish area, there were 2 people there....very demoralizing..even the awards ceremony was done! I rolled back to the car, subdued the Evil Pookie with a protein shake & got cooled off. I downed a bunch of electrolytes to start the recovery process. I finally mustered the strength to see if there was any food left. Turns out I ended up getting first in my age group...so that was a nice surprise. Kim finished too....not sure how far back.

Gretta sporting the 1st place medal

As I took off my gloves, I noticed my left pinky where I hit the tree was pretty swollen & bruised. It looked like a sausage. I iced it down all night and now it's purple I thought I had broken it b/c I've broken fingers before & the feeling was the same. I'll probably just tape it ot the ring finger if it gets any worse. Hopefully it won't hurt my golf grip.

My hubby DNF'd the race..he had breathing issues too severe to allow him to continue racing. He mentioned he's done for the season. I'm gonna finish it out just to prove to myself I can race expert. I'm getting to old for this racing stuff. Hopefully it won't be stifling hot at Bedford in 2 weeks.

not risking it...

Saturday is the 2nd race in the Derailer series. It's in Danville. The forecasted temperature for Roanoke is 98 at last check...Danville's usuually a few degrees higher than us...so that means it will hover near 100. I'm not going...remember last year? In case you don't here's a quick reminder:

Pretty, huh? Not going through that again this year. If there's one suggestion I would have to the race promoters is to hold the series in the fall...start it in mid - late September and run through the first 2 weeks of November. You're less likely to have heat related problems.

Good luck to all those racing... remember to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I'll be home fixing a leaky toilet!!!!

18 hrs on the Farm..

Friday morning I get a frantic call from my husband, then a copy of this email is sent:

We regret to inform everyone that the 18 Hours On the Farm Mountain Bike Race will not be held this weekend. The storm that hit the Goochland/Richmond area last night left the Boy Scout Camp looking as if Hurricane Isabel had been there. This decision was not made lightly and was in conjunction with recommendations made by all those associated with the host camp and the event. There is no power, thus no restrooms; conditions at this point are not sanitary, regardless of the trail conditions (trail conditions will be addressed by the work crew once we can get to them). We are doing our best to reschedule the race, as there is an incredible group of you riders that have pulled teams together/registered solo and duo/volunteered to help! Please watch your email for further information. We wanted to get this email out ASAP and sincerely apologize for not being able to control the circumstances. Thank you for your patience and please share the word with others!

so..no 3 and P team to race together ..oh well..I'm not too conernced...I look at is as though we were not supposed to race this event since it took an act of God to prevent it. Will probably ride down near Mountain Lake tomorrow.. then prep for Danville (ugh!) this coming weekend.

Off to wash the dog!

Va Derailer Series Race #1 MW Windows

Sunday Aug 12...
This was the first in the Derailer Series races. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to race this event. We spent all day Saturday at Roanoke County's Summer Blast event hosting kid's races...it was hot & dry...being out in it all day tends to sap your energy. Anyway, Ron & Skippy convinced us to race.

We headed down to Franklin County's Waid Park. The folks down here do a great job putting on this race...There's always a ton of volunteers & things seem really well organized.
Got registered for the series & did the whole pre race routine (food, drink, bathroom, warm up, more drink, bathroom, good to go!)

The field seemed much smaller than in previous years. This year I moved up classes to Expert. I'd have to do 3 laps instead of 2. I was up for it. We lined up at the start & there was only one other female in my division. She raced at Mountain Lake in the spring and I remember she was a really strong rider. I wasn't out to prove anything today..just wanted to get a good ride in with little mistakes. The starting horn went off & the pack flew off the line. The first part of the race climbs up this grassy hill..total pain. Everyone was gone. I tried to keep the other female in my sights but she was waaay strong. Oh well..time to sit in & do my thing.

I rode steady..I didn't feel strong but I didn't feel weak either. I knew this course from previous years and knew I needed to conserve at least for the first lap or so....as long as I kept the other expert chicky in my sights, I had nothing to worry about. As I descended down the gravel road to the first creek/river crossing, Skippy & Gordo passed me on their single speeds. They were flying...I just stayed in my steady pace & kept on going. I attempted to ride the creek crossing but ended up drifting away from my chosen line & finally had to dismount & run through it. Back on the bike, up the cornfields to the first hill! I managed to ride this hill with no problem. other expert chicky walked it..I thought it was strange for her to be walking so early but maybe she was conserving too. On we rode.

This course was really hard to get a rhythm going. Once you climbed, you descend a little, only to have to climb again. I kept riding keeping her in my sight....as we approached the 2nd river crossing, I caught up to her. We both looked at each other and asked.."are you gonna ride it?" "I'm not gonna ride it"....we pushed across. The river was much lower this year..only up to my hips rather than my stomach. Many guys were riding it this year...even the mud on the banks was negotiable....As we crossed the river, we remounted and I took the lead for the second half of the first lap. She stayed with me....I walked the rest of the climbs to try & conserve...many of them I realized I could walk/jog the cimbs quicker than I could ride them.

Second lap was much the same as the first.. expert chicky stayed w/ me....after the 2nd river crossing, I noticed I was starting to gap from her..I think I was making up ground on the descents. I rode the full suspension bike for the race..this bike just holds the lines on the descents and I am able to hammer on them. I rode hard the 2nd half of my second lap continuing to try to distance myself....I still ran the climbs. I passed a couple of beginners & shouted some encouragement to them....

The third lap was uneventful as well. I tried to ride the first creek crossing again, only to drift off line & have to dismount....I could not figure out this stupid creek. pedaled on up the first climb..continued on. I did not want to look back b/c I was afraid she would be right with me...so I kept my focus on the remainder of the course ahead.
I tried to ride as hard as I could on the descent to the finish line...hoping not to flat.My legs were starting to tighten but I continued to pedal hard. I threw a look back over my shoulder just to see..but there was no one back there. I cruised on to the finish line completing the race in 1hour 42 minutes & some change.

During the post race meal they had a raffle...I heard my name called..I got a nice gift cert to REI...sweet! I never win raffles or door prizes so this was a nice surprise.
They did the awards & I finished close to 10 minutes ahead of the other chicky...I asked her what happened...she said she blew up....It could have been the heat & the fact you're constantly pedaling on this course.
They did one final award...best overall male & female...I won that award (for the female) as well as some cash..totally unexpected!.... It turned out to be a productive race....got an award, got some dough & got a door prize...& to think..I wasn't even going to race 24 hours prior. Yeah!


Up next..18 hours on the farm race... I'm in a 4 person team Our name is 3 and P....It will be interesting!

Showdown at Sugar

Here are some random pics from the Showdown at Sugar last week. It's fun to watch the pros ride stuff that seems impossible to us regular folk. Enjoy.

women's pro winner Georgia Gould

5th place finisher Mary Mcconneloug

Sue Haywood heading up the climb

Weeee!

RANDOM B-DAY PICS

Happy Birthday part deux

So I get home from work and plan to spend a quiet b-day w/ my hubby..going out to dinner, no big plans. When my hubby arrives, he asks if I want to see my b-day gift. I said sure!..(in my mind I was thinking it would either be bike stuff or a new golf bag I've been eyeing) He can't get the gift downstairs so he leads me up the stairs telling me to keep my eyes shut. I enter the room & lo & behold....a brand spanking new set of women's golf clubs. Not just any old clubs..Adams Golf clubs..complete w/ the hybrid clubs, a big ol driver & everything I need to improve my game.....oh..the set came complete w/ a really cool bag.... I was floored! totally unexpected! I even cried a little....

So off to dinner we went. We ate at this new place downtown called Trio Bistro. I had many co-workers raving about this place so I thought we'd give it a try. It was pretty underwhelming. Places like this are quite fancy..high dollar menu items, blah blah blah..you'd expect the royal treatment when dining at this type of establishment...We ordered our entrees to find out they don't come w/ salad..you have to order that separate. So we ordered the $9.00 Greek Salad and split it. The salad was not so great...they didn't put any dressing on it. Next came the entrees. Hubby ordered a Salmon dish w/ a horseradish vinagrette dressing. The portion was huge and pretty tasty. I had crab stuffed shrimp...this was also good, very filling. The bill came to a total of ...well, let's just say I would never go back to this place. The bill was high for 2 salads & 2 entree's and water!...the service was lacking. When I go to places like this, I want to be wowed! I want to be treated like I'm the best guest ever. This fell far below my expectations. The waitress barely came over to ask how the food was or if there was anything we needed.. She didn't even recommend anything from the menu....underwhelming.

On the way home I got to talk to my dad & his beautiful bride..I told him about my day so far..getting the call from my brother to extend his deepest sympathies on the loss of my youth and so on. Dad asked if we had any other plans..I told him no..we were just going to go home & hang out w/ the dog & call it a night.

We got home & opened the door to the house. The light looked really weird...really dark and I thought something was wrong with the light bulb. Then the eruption of screams & "surprise!!" "Happy Birthday" It actually scared the crap out of me & I went back outside. I headed back in to a room full of close friends singing Happy Birthday!....Tears again...jeez I'm sappy...anywho, my sneak of a hubby planned a surprise party & kept it a secret for a week. Originally he was going to be traveling to Charlotte, NC for a trade show and would have to leave on my b-day. I was bummed out but understood. The plan was to go to dinner Tuesday night. Well Tuesday night came...the phone rang & he took the call outside. When he came back in he said "guess what?" I said "You don't have to go to Charlotte!" He said..I still have to go..but not on your birthday...so we can celebrate on the regular night. Little did I know that he had concocted this story to not have to go to Charlotte. and he had all of our friends in on it! How they kept it a secret from me, I'll never know. I kept asking everyone where they parked because I did not see any cars on our street.

What a great day!...I never expected to be getting a brand new set of clubs..let alone having a surprise party to boot! Wow! I'm still a bit overwhelmed but really enjoyed this milestone day! Once I get pics up I'll post em'

Well, gotta run..I'm tired & now that I'm older, I need my beauty sleep.

Hippo Birdie Two ewe

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday dear me-e
Happy Birthday to me....

Today celebrates a milestone b-day for me. I've been pretty low key all day..then some co-workers found out & had to sing to me at the tops of their lungs. It was fun seeing the reaction on their faces when they found out my true age! Biking keeps you young.

Heading to Sugar Mtn NC this weekend to watch the pro guys and gals duke it out at the NORBA nationals. The course is 3 miles straight up & 3 miles straight down. I don't see how they handle the climbs..but then again they're paid to ride! Hope to have pics up after the event.

Off to eat some b-day cake!

Commonwealth Games Race Report

Carvins Cove…Sunday, July 15

Today was going to be a big test for me…it was my first single speed race ever! I tried to stay hydrated all week and rested as much as I could the day prior to the race. The morning of the race I was a bag full of nerves. I couldn’t figure out why I was so nervous…it’s my “home” course, I’ve ridden the trails tons of times, I was probably going to be the only single speed female so all I needed to do was finish.

I thought the nerves would go away during my warm up but they never subsided. I ventured out on the road and immediately noticed something was not quite right with the bike. I thought it was an underinflated tire…checked the tires..everything was ok. I rode a little further and discovered my fork had completely lost all of it’s air! Oh Crap….I spun back to the parking lot & had my hubby do a little last minute maintenance. We got it re-inflated so off I went to finish the warm up. The weather was quite toasty..high humidity and temps near 90 degrees.

I came back to the starting area where we waited for 10 minutes while the experts were escorted down the road in the neutral start. The nerves were still there & I was not having a good feeling about things. I knew I had to pace myself because I’d have to ascend the 1000’ climb in 1 gear….the “pace car” came back & off we went. I hung with the group for most of the way but I had to spin myself silly to do it. About 500 yards from the entrance to the Cove, the group got away from me. I was killing myself trying to keep up so I decided to let up a bit to save some energy.

Through the gate, onto the fireroad and hard left onto Songbird. I kept 5 riders in my sites through Songbird. I absolutely love this trail. It’s not too hard and has a good flow to it. I zipped through all the downhill sections, and came out on the fireroad to make the hard right to continue down to Tuckaway. I got really confused because I thought the trailhead would come up quicker than it did….In fact, I turned around & pedaled back about 20 yards before I turned back around to get my bearings. The worst part is I helped mark the course so I should have known where this turn was. I pedaled in the correct direction & saw a couple riders up ahead turn down Tuckaway. I thought I could still hang with them so no worries. Through Tuckaway to lower Comet. I was flying through lower Comet..starting to feel ok when all of the sudden WHAM! Somehow my handlebars clipped a tree and I went slamming hard into the ground. It happened so fast that I was still clipped into the bike. I landed hard on my left knee & shoulder. It took me a minute to get clipped out of the bike. I had to be careful with my shoulder because I hit the ground with such force I was scared I may have done some serious damage. I moved my arm & it felt sore but not broken. I got back on the bike but had bllood dripping from my knee & I was feeling a little dizzy (I think I hit my head but I’m not sure)…

I came through to the fireroad. Donny & my hubby were cheering for me…I was laughing at my crash & they said I wasn’t far behind . On to the dreaded 1000’ climb. As I started the climb I was feeling a bit tired and overheated. I tried to keep drinking all the way up. Out of the saddle, in the saddle,,,on I trudged. I saw 2 sport guys just up ahead..I pedaled on but I did not feel strong. I think the early morning nerves & the recent crash were sapping my energy..not to mention the heat. Tuesday when I prerode, I was much stronger….I caught one of the sport guys & asked him if he wanted to trade bikes….he said “no deal”…rats!!...On I went…I almost caught the second rider as we entered the trailhead for Hemlock Tunnel (aka Clownhead)…The top of this trail is loose and rocky & full of ruts. I was proud of myself because I rode most of the top. I only had to walk about 20 feet or so. Down the steep section, through the lower woods. My legs felt heavy…like I could never really get them going. Almost to the end of Clownhead, I had another crash. Somehow a giant stick got caught between my fork & front wheel & slammed me to the ground..this time on the other side. Ouch!! I sat there for a good minute, frustrated at my ride and puzzled how this stick ended up in my wheel. I hopped back on the bike but I could tell the rest of the race would be a struggle to just finish.

I turned up the road to head towards Comet. There’s a wicked climb along this road which I had to walk. I turned down Comet & descended. I rode this very clean. As I continued to plod on all I could think about was laying down and taking a nap…right there on the trail! I was sooo drained. I tried taking in my gel..but it never kicked in.
I just could not get it going today. The heat was getting to me to. I kept drinking. I did not want to have another Danville incident (heat exhaustion) I continued on, remembering the spot I crashed on the first lap & took care to stay away from that tree!

Back to the fireroad & up the 1000’ climb for the second time. I had to walk about 100 yards towards the top because I was just exhausted. I was dizzy & my head was pounding. I wasn’t having fun & contemplated quitting altogether. I stopped at the trailhead for the Four Gorge (connector trail) and drank some water. I just wanted to get it over with at this point. I hopped back on the bike & rode Four Gorge. There were spots I was walking because I had nothing left in my legs. I came to the bridge crossing where Smiley & Brian were doing bike passing duty. As I rode away I heard hammering..Brian was also doing bridge work!! Too funny! On to Hi Dee Ho for the last descent. I think this was the fastest part of my race…I passed my buddy Jen (who got a gold for beginner women –CHICKYs ROCK!) I muttered something about the race not going so well…finally to the finish. My clock had my ride time at 2:04:00 the timers had it at 2:07:00…must have started early from the gate or something. AWFUL.. I was sooo disappointed…I really wanted to do better than this but it was not my day. I was thankful to just finish. Heat & racing are not a good combination for me.

I went back to the vehicle & stretched. My buddy Jen came over & tended to my wounds..my hand was tender from the fall so she hooked me up w/ some ice. She also took a pic of my bloody knee for posterity reasons (I think)….ewwwww. Thanks to El Toreo for hooking us up with some wonderful food..thanks to all the volunteers who put in a lot of effort in getting the course marked & ready to and for cheering us on. I medaled but it was only by default….there were no other chickys crazy enough to go out there on a Single Speed. Oh well, at least I can say I did it!....