I just got back from the RAAM racer meeting. (OK, I got back a couple of hours ago, kicked back, made a few pizzas with my crew, had a slice of chocolate cake. But you know what I mean.) As the racers were introduced we all shook hands and wished each other luck. At one point, I was standing between Jure Robic and Gerhard Gulewicz. And I didn't feel star-struck. I'm part of the race. I...belong...here.
And I'm the luckiest person in the world.
For starters, WAY over 99% of the world's population never gets a chance to race a bike, do a "fun" run, or try something athletic at all. They don't have access to clean water or adequate food to support any of the extra effort that goes with being an athlete. I take these things for granted - almost.
I'm healthy. I've been incredibly lucky that way. So many people have to deal with injury or illness. I planned out this training year assuming that I'd be healthy, and I was. The ability to train consistently was a huge mental and physical boost for me.
I'm lucky to have found ultracycling at all. I started on a path to get healthy when my youngest child hit kindergarten. I walked, did aerobics, started running, and got fairly fit. I did a fair bit of running, then got the random cue to try a triathlon from my brother-in-law. I entered my first ultracycling race - the Furnace Creek 508 - because my first-choice race in 1999 - Ironman Canada - filled up before my entry was accepted; if it had gone the other way, I'd probably be a reasonably happy Ironman athlete (who sucks at running and swimming, but is cheerful about it). At the time I got the news about IMC, I didn't know that ultracycling events existed. I happened on it by luck - I walked into Peak Sports where Darren was prepping George Thomas' bike for a race, and we got to talking. One thing led to another, and I decided that Furnace Creek would be my "A" race for the upcoming year. Problem: solved. Obsession: started. Lucky.
I have a network of supportive friends who are not just cheering me on, but doing something about it. You know who you are. My enduring, takeaway lesson from my 2002 RAAM was delivered in Pensacola by Susan Notorangelo. She told me that I had the physical skill to do RAAM, and that I'd put it together when I had the right people around me. She was right. I was lucky to hear that lesson, to absorb it, to believe it, and to have the right people arrive, as if by magic, at the right time.
My crew is amazing - I've been washed over and over again in their positive energy, absolute capability, and humor and camaraderie. We've been on-task and stress-free since we arrived. (OK, Brian may not be stress-free, but he's sure faking it well....)
I have an amazing bike sponsor. Dana (Bent Up Cycles) came up with an amazing amount of resources to help me with this journey. I can't say enough about this. Imagine the leap of faith that a sponsor takes - I'm almost 47 years old, for cripes' sake, AND female, AND new to racing recumbents, AND I've DNF'd the race before. And yet, here I am. The luckiest girl in the world, rocking a pair of hot pink-and-black carbon fiber machines.
I'm lucky that the recent successes I've had haven't come too easily. RAO, Sebring, Davis - tough races and tough conditions. I've had just enough to overcome that I feel tough, prepared, and confident. Not cocky - and fully cognizant that anything CAN happen - but confident. I don't have to worry that I might have to deal with headwinds. I know that my crew and I will figure out how to persevere.
But more than any of this, I'm lucky that I appreciate how lucky I am. I *do* have talent, training, grit, and whatever personal merit I will need to haul my ass to Annapolis. And it would be tempting to believe that I can take full credit for everything that I've accomplished. But - it's not true. I'm sitting in a villa in Oceanside, CA today because of an incredible set of coincidences, starting with being born to a family who could afford to feed me. I was lucky that at the time my path in life intersected ultracycling, I was open to trying something new. Ditto with recumbent riding, when that time came along. Without amazing luck, I'd never have known what I'd have been missing.
I'm the luckiest person in the world. End of story.
See you in Annapolis,
Sandy
PS - I'll not be blogging, but my crew will be sending twitter updates to the blog as often as possible. Twitter updates show up in the box in the upper right hand corner of my blog page.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Vitamin D - Where the Sun Don't Shine....
First - CONGRATULATIONS are in order. Astute reader Bill Spaeth (Team Raven Lunatics, Arcata, CA, sponsored by FSM) aced the competition in my recent T shirt contest by correctly deducing that an athlete laboring mightily in the sunfree Northwest might be supplementing with Vitamin D. Nice work, Bill!
Yes, sports fans, I've been sucked into the dark, dark world of sports supplements. But - Oregon is a dark, dark place, especially in winter. In fact, ANY place at a latitude above 40-42 degrees is unlikely to provide enough solar radiation to produce sufficient Vitamin D in the winter months. Salem, Oregon sits at precisely 45 degrees North latitude. Add in that current knowledge about skin cancer and UV damage lead most of us to be very careful in using sunscreen, and there are a lot of Vitamin D deficient people out there.
Vitamin D does a lot in the body other than "just" maintaining healthy bones. I'm already on the hook for crappy bone density - family history AND a lot of cycling (non-weightbearing exercise) predispose me - so I'm grateful for all the help I can get in the bone density department. But - in addition to that, there's good evidence that Vitamin D helps improve athletic performance and is protective against some autoimmune disorders and cancers. It has a very wide range of effects in the body - it's one of the fat-soluble vitamins that acts as a hormone in the body.
The research on this subject is pretty solid. If you'd like to get a look, you can type "Vitamin D athlete" into Google Scholar. (OH! You didn't know that Google has a "scholar" setting? Pretty cool - it ONLY returns peer-reviewed/journal-published information. Pull down "Scholar" from the "more" clickdown on your Google homepage...voila! Just the information you're looking for, and no commercial sites or "junk" science.) Or you can get some great information here: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/ (written by Dr. Jane Higdon, with lots of references).
The current issue of OUTSIDE magazine has (in addition to a vaguely interesting interview with Jack Johnson) a good "popular science" type review of Vitamin D's uses in the body, and how we're likely not getting enough.
Sun exposure provides a HUGE amount of Vitamin D relative to food. A few minutes' exposure to the sun a couple of times a week provides several THOUSAND IU's (international units) - again, provided that the sun angle is correct to give you exposure to the UV-B wavelength which is necessary for synthesis. There aren't many foods that are high in D, and some of them, like cod's liver, just aren't a regular staple. An egg - a food that's on the recommended list for Vitamin D - packs in 20 IU. The RDA is 400, and current research shows that that's almost certainly much lower than is desirable for optimum health.
So - since the best available medical advice on sun exposure is still "don't", it almost becomes imperative to supplement your diet to make sure you get enough.
I've been taking 1000 IU once or twice a day since November. I can't swear that there's any difference, but I don't feel like I had the performance dropoff that I normally have in the winter, either. I bought a jar of 250 caps (250 x 1000 = 250,000) and as it turns out, I'll swallow the last one Friday morning on my way out of town.
Next post: WHY I'm the luckiest person in the world. Promise.
Tailwinds,
Sandy
Yes, sports fans, I've been sucked into the dark, dark world of sports supplements. But - Oregon is a dark, dark place, especially in winter. In fact, ANY place at a latitude above 40-42 degrees is unlikely to provide enough solar radiation to produce sufficient Vitamin D in the winter months. Salem, Oregon sits at precisely 45 degrees North latitude. Add in that current knowledge about skin cancer and UV damage lead most of us to be very careful in using sunscreen, and there are a lot of Vitamin D deficient people out there.
Vitamin D does a lot in the body other than "just" maintaining healthy bones. I'm already on the hook for crappy bone density - family history AND a lot of cycling (non-weightbearing exercise) predispose me - so I'm grateful for all the help I can get in the bone density department. But - in addition to that, there's good evidence that Vitamin D helps improve athletic performance and is protective against some autoimmune disorders and cancers. It has a very wide range of effects in the body - it's one of the fat-soluble vitamins that acts as a hormone in the body.
The research on this subject is pretty solid. If you'd like to get a look, you can type "Vitamin D athlete" into Google Scholar. (OH! You didn't know that Google has a "scholar" setting? Pretty cool - it ONLY returns peer-reviewed/journal-published information. Pull down "Scholar" from the "more" clickdown on your Google homepage...voila! Just the information you're looking for, and no commercial sites or "junk" science.) Or you can get some great information here: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/ (written by Dr. Jane Higdon, with lots of references).
The current issue of OUTSIDE magazine has (in addition to a vaguely interesting interview with Jack Johnson) a good "popular science" type review of Vitamin D's uses in the body, and how we're likely not getting enough.
Sun exposure provides a HUGE amount of Vitamin D relative to food. A few minutes' exposure to the sun a couple of times a week provides several THOUSAND IU's (international units) - again, provided that the sun angle is correct to give you exposure to the UV-B wavelength which is necessary for synthesis. There aren't many foods that are high in D, and some of them, like cod's liver, just aren't a regular staple. An egg - a food that's on the recommended list for Vitamin D - packs in 20 IU. The RDA is 400, and current research shows that that's almost certainly much lower than is desirable for optimum health.
So - since the best available medical advice on sun exposure is still "don't", it almost becomes imperative to supplement your diet to make sure you get enough.
I've been taking 1000 IU once or twice a day since November. I can't swear that there's any difference, but I don't feel like I had the performance dropoff that I normally have in the winter, either. I bought a jar of 250 caps (250 x 1000 = 250,000) and as it turns out, I'll swallow the last one Friday morning on my way out of town.
Next post: WHY I'm the luckiest person in the world. Promise.
Tailwinds,
Sandy
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Remembering Jane
I feel a little sheepish about this post, because I wasn't close to because Jane, really. People have said a lot of things about Jane. Nice things. "Academically talented", "hard working", "upbeat", "athletic"...Bottom line for me was, Jane was flat-out smart: the cool kind of smart that makes other people smarter.We were in a couple of classes together at OSU. She was also an Ironman triathlete - made it to Kona a couple of times, but was pretty low-key about it.
I was a lowly post-bacc...but I'd run out of normal classes to take, so Spring quarter saw me taking...weight training, performance cycling, first aid, performance swimming (I was trying to be a triathlete, see?), and - a graduate course in human micronutrient nutrition. We had to do presentations at the end of the term, and being the post-bacc, I got assigned the crappiest, most boring micronutrient on the planet: riboflavin. No one goes deficient, EVER, so there aren't any cool diseases to talk about. It's in a lot of foods, so there's not a particular group to study who might have nutritional issues surrounding it. It's not even very toxic. So - I decided to go deep and try for the Hail Mary...photochemistry. Riboflavin biodegrades in light - this is why vitamins all come in brown bottles (see! you LEARN STUFF reading my blog).
I hauled out my p-chem book and did my best..pored over a dozen papers, thought about sp3 orbitals for the first time in more than a decade...put the pieces together, looked at it all, and asked myself: when I get to the end of this presentation, WHAT SMART QUESTION WILL JANE HIGDON ASK? And - I figured it out. And I rehearsed the answer. And wouldn't you know it - I was right...and surprised the heck out of Dr. Leklem, and got an A in the course. So when I say that Jane made the people around her smarter, I'm speaking from personal experience.
Jane went on to get her PhD in human nutrition and run the micronutrient information center at the Linus Pauling Institute at OSU. Instead of a PhD, I got a divorce, a "real" job, and a move to Portland.
Jane died on May 31, 2006. She was riding her bike in a paceline on a routine training ride and was struck by a truck on a rural road in the valley. Four years ago Monday. She was 47 years old.
Every once in a while, people ask me why I'm not afraid to race RAAM, isn't it too dangerous, what about all the traffic....Here's the thing: cyclists are always vulnerable out on the road. Any time, any place, I could crash or be hit and be killed outright or catastrophically injured. So far, I've been lucky. If my luck ever does run out, I'm sure I'll have regrets for things left undone - but RAAM won't be one of them.
There's a foundation that's been set up to honor Jane's commitment to athletic mentoring, especially of young women and girls. You can read about it here: http://www.janehigdonfoundation.com
I thought about Jane out of the blue when I set up the t-shirt contest on my blog: it hit me like a ton of bricks that Jane would've figured this one out right away. Started in the fall...250,000...ultraendurance cycling...she'd chide me for being a little short, probably, but she'd figure it out, and she'd be sure. Jane was like that.
I was a lowly post-bacc...but I'd run out of normal classes to take, so Spring quarter saw me taking...weight training, performance cycling, first aid, performance swimming (I was trying to be a triathlete, see?), and - a graduate course in human micronutrient nutrition. We had to do presentations at the end of the term, and being the post-bacc, I got assigned the crappiest, most boring micronutrient on the planet: riboflavin. No one goes deficient, EVER, so there aren't any cool diseases to talk about. It's in a lot of foods, so there's not a particular group to study who might have nutritional issues surrounding it. It's not even very toxic. So - I decided to go deep and try for the Hail Mary...photochemistry. Riboflavin biodegrades in light - this is why vitamins all come in brown bottles (see! you LEARN STUFF reading my blog).
I hauled out my p-chem book and did my best..pored over a dozen papers, thought about sp3 orbitals for the first time in more than a decade...put the pieces together, looked at it all, and asked myself: when I get to the end of this presentation, WHAT SMART QUESTION WILL JANE HIGDON ASK? And - I figured it out. And I rehearsed the answer. And wouldn't you know it - I was right...and surprised the heck out of Dr. Leklem, and got an A in the course. So when I say that Jane made the people around her smarter, I'm speaking from personal experience.
Jane went on to get her PhD in human nutrition and run the micronutrient information center at the Linus Pauling Institute at OSU. Instead of a PhD, I got a divorce, a "real" job, and a move to Portland.
Jane died on May 31, 2006. She was riding her bike in a paceline on a routine training ride and was struck by a truck on a rural road in the valley. Four years ago Monday. She was 47 years old.
Every once in a while, people ask me why I'm not afraid to race RAAM, isn't it too dangerous, what about all the traffic....Here's the thing: cyclists are always vulnerable out on the road. Any time, any place, I could crash or be hit and be killed outright or catastrophically injured. So far, I've been lucky. If my luck ever does run out, I'm sure I'll have regrets for things left undone - but RAAM won't be one of them.
There's a foundation that's been set up to honor Jane's commitment to athletic mentoring, especially of young women and girls. You can read about it here: http://www.janehigdonfoundation.com
I thought about Jane out of the blue when I set up the t-shirt contest on my blog: it hit me like a ton of bricks that Jane would've figured this one out right away. Started in the fall...250,000...ultraendurance cycling...she'd chide me for being a little short, probably, but she'd figure it out, and she'd be sure. Jane was like that.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Win A Team Sandy Tee - Contest
Hi Gang -
If you've purchased, but not yet received, a hat, it is on its way to you right now. I have just a few leftover RAAM tees (and plenty of hats, though that may change after this weekend). These are nice, wicking performance tees, fully sublimated to match my race jerseys. I'll want to save a few tees for sponsors and such, but - I've decided to give one away to a lucky reader....so I'm holding a contest.
Contest Rules: Simple!
If you've purchased, but not yet received, a hat, it is on its way to you right now. I have just a few leftover RAAM tees (and plenty of hats, though that may change after this weekend). These are nice, wicking performance tees, fully sublimated to match my race jerseys. I'll want to save a few tees for sponsors and such, but - I've decided to give one away to a lucky reader....so I'm holding a contest.
Contest Rules: Simple!
- Post your guess as a comment to this blog post. (If you have trouble doing this, email me at sandyearl@gmail.com with your guess, but do try to post it - because seeing all the guesses is half the fun!).
- First correct guess wins - your choice of available sizes.
- If you already OWN a Team Sandy tee, you can guess, but you're not eligible to win. You know who you are.
- Multiple guesses are okay, but I'll only count your LAST one, so make it good.
- I'll TRY TO post feedback on guesses (getting warmer...), but no guarantees on timeliness.
- Contest entry period ends midnight 5/31/2010.
- If no one guesses correctly, I will award the tee to the person with the Most Entertaining (But Still Logically Reasonable) guess.
OK...drumroll....for your shot at fame, immortality, and a really hot tee shirt, answer me this:
Sandy has had almost 250,000 (what!!!) since 11/1/2009?
So - what is it? Bugs on the windshield? Holes in her socks? What's the significance of 11/1? I'll warn you right away that this is obscure. Someone out there just might be able to put it together, though.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Tapering: a different kind of hard
I'm doing a relatively long taper. I've had success with this before (Race Across Oregon 2009 springs to mind immediately). My sense is that by the time we reach this point as endurance athletes, there's nothing more to be gained by long, hard workouts. And I've had SO many friends comment to me on having a really great race experience that they just can't account for "...because I'd been basically off the bike for the past X weeks due to ". It happens often enough that it can't be coincidence. The benefits of rest and recovery outweigh any benefits of further training at this point.
The problem is that training is fun, and tapering sucks! I feel like I've been sitting around a lot. Changing light bulbs (in the van lights) and buying supplies like sunscreen, horchata, and neosporin...little stuff that does move my RAAM forward, but just doesn't have the fun factor that goes along with riding. I mean - let's face it - this is what fun looks like:
not this:
No matter how hard you try to make it look good, you just know that there's not enough Valium in the world to put my stupid-happy bike grin on this woman's face.
Tapering comes with another set of challenges, apart from the boredom. My body is healing up very quickly, and part of the healing process is the "reveal" - all of the nagging aches and pains that are normally masked by the endorphin load of training are coming home to roost. And since I spend this time being very highly attuned to my body and its needs and demands, I feel every twinge. There are all sorts of "phantom" sensations that, in reality, mean nothing at all. But the first time - and the second, and the third - that you go through a taper cycle, you can't help but worry...because now that you've finally given the knee some rest, you notice this funny feeling...AUGH!
And then the doubt sets in: maybe a taper is the wrong idea in the first place? Maybe if I just keep riding hard all the way to the main event I'll not have to deal with this. Maybe NOT training so hard is making me literally fall apart. Maybe...This is not a good time for doubt. I'm lucky - I know this works. I expect it to be hard - just as hard as any other phase of the training, just a different kind of hard.
On the plus side, I get to do some pampering things that really fell by the wayside when I was training harder. Salads - amazing salads. I don't eat a lot of spinach salad during a 24-hour race - in addition to the obvious logistical problems that presents, I just can't always spare the room when trying to pack in an extra thousand calories a day. Fruits and veggies just sound good - I need to lighten up a little with the reduced training volume, and I'm enjoying the tastes, smells, and textures.
I'm still training, of course - just cutting it a little short, focusing on form, speedwork, and quitting as soon as I get the results I'm after. Nice ride today - but no need to thrash through a 200k.I know I can ride that far, no trick to it, nothing to prove, and - it won't get me to Annapolis. I can do the intensity work inside (until next weekend, that is!) and just connect with the bike, make sure I'm happy with the equipment, and more or less relax and refresh.
So - nothing much of interest to report. All systems are "go". Eggplant (my RAAM van) is taking on a seriously badass appearance: she's sprouted FIVE speakers out the front (four for external music, one for voice/PA) and a couple of low fog lights to help light my way at night. The bed's installed. I've got a case of horchata in aseptic packaging: it's great alone, on ice, or mixed with orange drink (creamsicle) or instant coffee ("horchatte"). A lot of Honey Stinger product - bars, gels, and chews - and some other goodies are already stockpiled, too.
Alert readers will have noticed the new "twitter" badge on my blog. We've concluded that twitter will be a good way to get quick updates to those who are interested - it's very easy to send a text message from a cell phone - but most of you don't have twitter accounts. This badge will allow you to see updates live over the web whenever you want without having to log in, create a new account, or "follow" me.
Next week: OHPV Human Powered Challenge, Portland International Raceway. I'll be out there. Some speedwork, nothing too hard or too long, and good times with friends. I'll also swing by the Lewis and Clark Ultra - I'd love to race it, but...too close.
After that - Oceanside. And before I leave, I promise...I'll tell you WHY I'm the luckiest person in the world.
The problem is that training is fun, and tapering sucks! I feel like I've been sitting around a lot. Changing light bulbs (in the van lights) and buying supplies like sunscreen, horchata, and neosporin...little stuff that does move my RAAM forward, but just doesn't have the fun factor that goes along with riding. I mean - let's face it - this is what fun looks like:
Tapering comes with another set of challenges, apart from the boredom. My body is healing up very quickly, and part of the healing process is the "reveal" - all of the nagging aches and pains that are normally masked by the endorphin load of training are coming home to roost. And since I spend this time being very highly attuned to my body and its needs and demands, I feel every twinge. There are all sorts of "phantom" sensations that, in reality, mean nothing at all. But the first time - and the second, and the third - that you go through a taper cycle, you can't help but worry...because now that you've finally given the knee some rest, you notice this funny feeling...AUGH!
And then the doubt sets in: maybe a taper is the wrong idea in the first place? Maybe if I just keep riding hard all the way to the main event I'll not have to deal with this. Maybe NOT training so hard is making me literally fall apart. Maybe...This is not a good time for doubt. I'm lucky - I know this works. I expect it to be hard - just as hard as any other phase of the training, just a different kind of hard.
On the plus side, I get to do some pampering things that really fell by the wayside when I was training harder. Salads - amazing salads. I don't eat a lot of spinach salad during a 24-hour race - in addition to the obvious logistical problems that presents, I just can't always spare the room when trying to pack in an extra thousand calories a day. Fruits and veggies just sound good - I need to lighten up a little with the reduced training volume, and I'm enjoying the tastes, smells, and textures.
I'm still training, of course - just cutting it a little short, focusing on form, speedwork, and quitting as soon as I get the results I'm after. Nice ride today - but no need to thrash through a 200k.I know I can ride that far, no trick to it, nothing to prove, and - it won't get me to Annapolis. I can do the intensity work inside (until next weekend, that is!) and just connect with the bike, make sure I'm happy with the equipment, and more or less relax and refresh.
So - nothing much of interest to report. All systems are "go". Eggplant (my RAAM van) is taking on a seriously badass appearance: she's sprouted FIVE speakers out the front (four for external music, one for voice/PA) and a couple of low fog lights to help light my way at night. The bed's installed. I've got a case of horchata in aseptic packaging: it's great alone, on ice, or mixed with orange drink (creamsicle) or instant coffee ("horchatte"). A lot of Honey Stinger product - bars, gels, and chews - and some other goodies are already stockpiled, too.
Alert readers will have noticed the new "twitter" badge on my blog. We've concluded that twitter will be a good way to get quick updates to those who are interested - it's very easy to send a text message from a cell phone - but most of you don't have twitter accounts. This badge will allow you to see updates live over the web whenever you want without having to log in, create a new account, or "follow" me.
Next week: OHPV Human Powered Challenge, Portland International Raceway. I'll be out there. Some speedwork, nothing too hard or too long, and good times with friends. I'll also swing by the Lewis and Clark Ultra - I'd love to race it, but...too close.
After that - Oceanside. And before I leave, I promise...I'll tell you WHY I'm the luckiest person in the world.
Monday, May 17, 2010
RAO Pre-Ride - Final shakedown
This weekend's ride went really, really well! We did a crew, van, and logistics shakedown by riding the back half of the Race Across Oregon route. Dennis Johnson, Team Bacchetta rider from Texas and really cool guy, was the instigator on this trip. I was just tagging along, but it was sure a great way to do it. Here's Dennis in action:
Those of you who are paying close attention to my blog will know that last weekend I rode my bike to Arcata, CA, rode the Tour of the Unknown Coast, and then flew home. So - where does that leave my bike? In Arcata! And who is coming up to Portland for Dennis' training ride? David Bradley and Bill Spaeth, 2/3 of Dennis' dream team RAO crew (third member is the inimitable "Lone Star Sharon" Stevens). And David and Bill are from...yep...Arcata. So they drove my bike back up for the weekend. How cool is that?
David:
and Bill:
We started the weekend early with a mandatory trip to Clyde's. Clyde's is the mother of all meat joints - unbelievable atmosphere. Dimly lit, red velvet booths, shiny chandeliers of many colors, atrocious art, including a suit of armor in the foyer....you get the drift. Really good red meat.
The boys' van (Dennis, David, Bill) headed off to Hood River to get an early jump on the driving, while the girls' van (Sandy, Elise, Mandy, and our honorary girl and Team Carbent member Chris Young) stayed in town and got up earlier. Drove out to Heppner, did some shopping, and got going around noon.
The scenery was still spring green, not the toasted brown that it will be in July, and really, really pretty. The first stretch - Hwy 74 - has some ups and downs, as one would expect on a course with >40k' of vertical. I was wondering if David would recognize the scene of the crime - the much-storied September 2008 Theft Of Descent - and of course he did...I distinctly heard him holler "Descent Stealer!" over the PA as we summited. I giggled. What's a girl to do?
On to 395, where we turned south. Light tailwinds so far, so unlike 2009 as to be striking. Also, since we left Heppner at noon I'm getting to see everything that I rode in the dark in the light...I remember the climb to Battle Mountain as not being so terrible, and I'm glad to report that I'm not changing my story one bit. Middle ring, baby! Woo-hoo!
Just as I summited, a DF rider came shooting by...nice, but?? OH! Yeah! Bill brought his new Cervelo! Awesome...nice chase down the mountain....about the only thing that could have made that splendid descent just a little better was the added company. The descent down to Dale was amazing in the afternoon light, filtered through the trees, along the water's edge. Bullock's Oriole...first one of those I've seen in a while.
Chris and I had been looking at the clouds, wondering if there might be "weather" on the other side. We each got about...oh...4 raindrops on the way down. Not quite enough to count, just enough to make each of us wonder whether the other was messing with us. Flush toilets in Dale. Yay!
Eating well, drinking well, electrolytes on schedule. Yep, a sandwich sounds good...I was also eating an unsupportable number of Noreen's Latte Bars, but dang were they good!
Got to Long Creek long after the sidewalks were rolled up (though also long before dark...). On to Monument - a more difficult climb - Kimberly - Spray. I took out at Spray to practice a sleep break. It was a little early - I probably should've gone on to Fossil, but I wasn't in a 'pushing it' mood; the goal here is to perfect the crew communications, get some good data, ride strongly, and not work to the break point.
When we went down for a sleep break we lost contact with the boys' van briefly, backtracked to make sure we knew where they were (since we were out of cell range) and were very happy to make it to Shaniko, though somewhat before the gas station opened there. Yes, Shaniko is open for business again! I was proud of Mandy and Elise - we knew we were short on gas, and I let them figure out the plan to overcome that. Good job!
After getting gas we sagged forward to meet up with the boys, pausing in Maupin to get coffee for all. We were able to rejoin them for much of the FR44 climb, and the final descent into Hood River. The scenery along FR44 is gorgeous. Sadly we didn't make much time for photo opps, but the views of Mt. Hood were amazing, particularly set against the jewel-blue sky. If you really squint at the picture, you can see Elise at the summit, holding out the ultimate Sandy bribe...two electrolyte tablets discreetly mounted onto a York Peppermint Pattie! We ended our day at the last RAO time station - the Pine Grove Pit Stop - to save riding into Hood River in Sunday morning traffic.
On the way home, an amazingly alert David noticed that one of the bike trays on our roof was coming loose, so we pulled over in Cascade Locks, which is home to...the best soft serve in the world, the East Wind Drivein. I suggested that too much thinking was a problem, and that we have medium swirls and be done with it. No one protested. And I finally had an excuse to haul out the ice cream chimes playlist...
Summary - Mission: accomplished. Crew: amazing. Van: rocks. Company: amazing. Thanks so much to everyone involved, not least of all Robert and Adrienne, who managed to serve as the mission control center while in their 38th week of pregnancy.
Next up: tapir - it's not just a bizarre South American mammal....
Tailwinds,
Sandy
Those of you who are paying close attention to my blog will know that last weekend I rode my bike to Arcata, CA, rode the Tour of the Unknown Coast, and then flew home. So - where does that leave my bike? In Arcata! And who is coming up to Portland for Dennis' training ride? David Bradley and Bill Spaeth, 2/3 of Dennis' dream team RAO crew (third member is the inimitable "Lone Star Sharon" Stevens). And David and Bill are from...yep...Arcata. So they drove my bike back up for the weekend. How cool is that?
and Bill:
We started the weekend early with a mandatory trip to Clyde's. Clyde's is the mother of all meat joints - unbelievable atmosphere. Dimly lit, red velvet booths, shiny chandeliers of many colors, atrocious art, including a suit of armor in the foyer....you get the drift. Really good red meat.
The boys' van (Dennis, David, Bill) headed off to Hood River to get an early jump on the driving, while the girls' van (Sandy, Elise, Mandy, and our honorary girl and Team Carbent member Chris Young) stayed in town and got up earlier. Drove out to Heppner, did some shopping, and got going around noon.
The scenery was still spring green, not the toasted brown that it will be in July, and really, really pretty. The first stretch - Hwy 74 - has some ups and downs, as one would expect on a course with >40k' of vertical. I was wondering if David would recognize the scene of the crime - the much-storied September 2008 Theft Of Descent - and of course he did...I distinctly heard him holler "Descent Stealer!" over the PA as we summited. I giggled. What's a girl to do?
On to 395, where we turned south. Light tailwinds so far, so unlike 2009 as to be striking. Also, since we left Heppner at noon I'm getting to see everything that I rode in the dark in the light...I remember the climb to Battle Mountain as not being so terrible, and I'm glad to report that I'm not changing my story one bit. Middle ring, baby! Woo-hoo!
Just as I summited, a DF rider came shooting by...nice, but?? OH! Yeah! Bill brought his new Cervelo! Awesome...nice chase down the mountain....about the only thing that could have made that splendid descent just a little better was the added company. The descent down to Dale was amazing in the afternoon light, filtered through the trees, along the water's edge. Bullock's Oriole...first one of those I've seen in a while.
Chris and I had been looking at the clouds, wondering if there might be "weather" on the other side. We each got about...oh...4 raindrops on the way down. Not quite enough to count, just enough to make each of us wonder whether the other was messing with us. Flush toilets in Dale. Yay!
Eating well, drinking well, electrolytes on schedule. Yep, a sandwich sounds good...I was also eating an unsupportable number of Noreen's Latte Bars, but dang were they good!
Got to Long Creek long after the sidewalks were rolled up (though also long before dark...). On to Monument - a more difficult climb - Kimberly - Spray. I took out at Spray to practice a sleep break. It was a little early - I probably should've gone on to Fossil, but I wasn't in a 'pushing it' mood; the goal here is to perfect the crew communications, get some good data, ride strongly, and not work to the break point.
When we went down for a sleep break we lost contact with the boys' van briefly, backtracked to make sure we knew where they were (since we were out of cell range) and were very happy to make it to Shaniko, though somewhat before the gas station opened there. Yes, Shaniko is open for business again! I was proud of Mandy and Elise - we knew we were short on gas, and I let them figure out the plan to overcome that. Good job!
After getting gas we sagged forward to meet up with the boys, pausing in Maupin to get coffee for all. We were able to rejoin them for much of the FR44 climb, and the final descent into Hood River. The scenery along FR44 is gorgeous. Sadly we didn't make much time for photo opps, but the views of Mt. Hood were amazing, particularly set against the jewel-blue sky. If you really squint at the picture, you can see Elise at the summit, holding out the ultimate Sandy bribe...two electrolyte tablets discreetly mounted onto a York Peppermint Pattie! We ended our day at the last RAO time station - the Pine Grove Pit Stop - to save riding into Hood River in Sunday morning traffic.
On the way home, an amazingly alert David noticed that one of the bike trays on our roof was coming loose, so we pulled over in Cascade Locks, which is home to...the best soft serve in the world, the East Wind Drivein. I suggested that too much thinking was a problem, and that we have medium swirls and be done with it. No one protested. And I finally had an excuse to haul out the ice cream chimes playlist...
Summary - Mission: accomplished. Crew: amazing. Van: rocks. Company: amazing. Thanks so much to everyone involved, not least of all Robert and Adrienne, who managed to serve as the mission control center while in their 38th week of pregnancy.
Next up: tapir - it's not just a bizarre South American mammal....
Tailwinds,
Sandy
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Gone Raven!
I'm back from an amazing road trip.
I bike-commuted to the Tour of the Unknown Coast. It's about 325 miles to get there. It was an adventure.
Highlights, in no particular order: Aerosmith, Crystal (my waitress at Denny's and I'm sure a guardian angel in disguise), Avenue of the Giants, good times with friends, macaroni and cheese, Trinidad, scones, hummingbirds, wildflowers, the Best Sign Ever, and tsunami warning zones.
I left bright and early on Thursday morning - about 6:30, well after light but before much traffic was out. I had done several slightly different Google map routes and finally decided on the frontal assault: straight west to Florence, then south on Highway 101. Just outside the hamlet of Walton, still on Highway 126 heading west - far enough in that I was looking for a bathroom, and feeling like a snack - I saw the Best Sign Ever. It simply stated:
I bike-commuted to the Tour of the Unknown Coast. It's about 325 miles to get there. It was an adventure.
Highlights, in no particular order: Aerosmith, Crystal (my waitress at Denny's and I'm sure a guardian angel in disguise), Avenue of the Giants, good times with friends, macaroni and cheese, Trinidad, scones, hummingbirds, wildflowers, the Best Sign Ever, and tsunami warning zones.
I left bright and early on Thursday morning - about 6:30, well after light but before much traffic was out. I had done several slightly different Google map routes and finally decided on the frontal assault: straight west to Florence, then south on Highway 101. Just outside the hamlet of Walton, still on Highway 126 heading west - far enough in that I was looking for a bathroom, and feeling like a snack - I saw the Best Sign Ever. It simply stated:
Produce.
Espresso.
Restrooms.
Open.
1/2 Mile.
Best Sign Ever. Gets my vote! Morning Glory Farm was selling soaps, honey, and very nice looking greens, in addition to espresso. I had a large au lait and a muffin..to go, of course.
The trip west was a little windy and chilly. I was able to remind myself that I would have a tailwind as soon as I got to the next turn. In 47 miles. That's positive self-talk, RAAM-style.
Once I got made the turn south, it was mainly sunny, and there actually WAS some tailwind. I stopped in Coos Bay for lunch (Wendy's, chicken sandwich, small fries, coke). I got to talk to some folks who were interested in the bike - is it easier to pedal? How do you balance? Why are your feet so high? When they heard I was racing it across the US, they were flabbergasted.
Not far outside of Coos Bay I saw the first of many signs for the Trees Of Mystery scenic attraction: "Trees Of Mystery - 119 Miles Straight Ahead". Hmmmm. 200k....and it's still a ways from there to David's place in Arcata, which is where I'm spending Friday night. I'm not so sure I wanted to see THAT sign.
I got to ride through Humbug Mountain State Park. I love that place! I used to do an annual trail run - the Bah! Humbug Killer race - on a regular basis, back in the running days. Beautiful spot.
On along the coast. It seems like there are decent sized towns spaced out along the coast about every two cycling hours: Port Orford, Gold Beach, Brookings...I stopped for "dinner-ish" in Gold Beach - hit the supermarket, which has a deli. They had a lot of good-looking stuff there, but the treat for me was macaroni and cheese - the real, baked stuff. It went down very well.
I came to despise the tsunami warning signs. Anyone who cycles in Oregon knows that "Right Lane Ends" is good news - the passing lane is going away because you're at the top of the hill. Until I biked 101, I didn't realize that the opposite of "Right Lane Ends" is "Leaving Tsunami Hazard Zone"...in other words, you're headed toward the high ground, which can only be reached by...yep. Climbing.
Brookings - keep going...California Dreamin'...I was quite the sensation at the ag inspection station at the California border.
I ended up staying for a while in Crescent City. I hit the Dennys and had a nice pulled chicken sandwich and a LOT of coffee. Crystal, my guardian angel waitress, suggested that I should stay off the roads for a while, until the drunks cleared out. Her dad was also riding the TUC. I hung out in Crescent City until 4:30, and headed UP and out of town. A tough climb, for sure. Glad to do it with such light traffic.
Klamath. Finally! Trees of Mystery! There's Babe and Paul.....not too far to go now.
Breakfast in Orick. Really good ham and eggs and pancakes. I knew I was coming in quite a bit earlier than David expected, so I grabbed a map from their brochure collection. There's his street. Should be easy enough....Hammond Trail, took the Mad River bridge and got to his house at 11:30. I headed to Adventure's Edge for some tubes (I'd had two flats along the way) and general reinforcements. Since that's close to David's work, he met me for lunch, then took me to his house so I could wash up and get some real sleep.
About the time I got out of the shower, the UPS delivery showed up - the box of clothes that I had sent down. Good timing! I hit the sheets for a few hours, then TUC registration.
EARLY start on Saturday, but not as early as Jim, who'd driven straight through the night from the Bay area and would be riding recupright (David had Jim's nice shiny new Khalsa on the roof of the support vehicle). A small but hardy group took off at 5AM. 200 yards in, my headlight blew off the mount, which put me off the back. Oh, well.
The TUC route is beautiful. I caught myself sightseeing quite a bit, but who can blame me?
EARLY start on Saturday, but not as early as Jim, who'd driven straight through the night from the Bay area and would be riding recupright (David had Jim's nice shiny new Khalsa on the roof of the support vehicle). A small but hardy group took off at 5AM. 200 yards in, my headlight blew off the mount, which put me off the back. Oh, well.
The TUC route is beautiful. I caught myself sightseeing quite a bit, but who can blame me?
First BIG climb - Panther Gap. Wow. Just as I'd knocked off the hardest part, here comes David, complete with bagpipe music to buoy me up to the top. The trip down wasn't as rewarding as I'd hoped - a LOT of 10 mph switchbacks. I figure that they MEAN 10 mph if they take the trouble to park an EMT there, complete with stretcher/backboard. Then on to lunch! Soup and sandwiches - by then the soup was sounding fantastic, and I knew that I'd want to be well-fueled for the next couple of climbs. This stretch is where I saw a summer tanager - I've only seen two, ever.
A bit of climbing out of the lunch stop, then down to the beach. By this time I was groovin' pretty well, and I was able to fend off a pretty enthused and organized pack of riders behind me. Coke at the base of The Wall! I downed one and took one along for the ride....which was partially a walk. I *may* have been able to get the Raven up that grade (17-20% for the first bit, with some ugly pitches and then a 6-8% finish) but I decided it just wasn't worth the risk, especially considering that walking was danged near as fast from what I could tell. And after The Wall comes the Endless Hill - aptly named - which I thoroughly enjoyed. I figured if I shot my wad on The Wall I'd regret it and I'm probably right. Lots of hummingbird sightings on Endless Hill. There weren't so many birds out when I was riding upright....oh...maybe I'm just looking around more?
Down to the bottom, giant burrito, and I'm done for the day. I'd had visions of doing another lap - or a partial lap - but the lead guy was well over 2 hours ahead of me, and David needed to support everyone on the 200-miler, which just wasn't going to happen if I stayed in the game. And there are more miles that can be ridden tomorrow. I felt really happy, my legs were feeling good/strong.
I spent the rest of the day helping David and Bill support the three hardy souls who were still out there: Jim R (who needed no support, which was good because it took us forever and a day to get to him because he was so FAST!), Jim K, and Dave L. Dave was about 1/2 hour behind Jim K, and we treated him to RAAM-style support on the way in. By the time we got to the descent back into Ferndale, it was dark enough that it was good to light up the road. And having music helps, though it turns out that the local cows don't particularly like Aerosmith. Dave is danged good at air guitar, when viewed from behind.
Sunday, we hit the Latte Warriors ride. OK, for the most part, we WERE the Latte Warriors ride: Hammond Trail to Clam Beach, then along mainly side roads to Trinidad, where we stopped for coffee and treats. Chocolate chip cherry scone? Don't bother to read the rest of the menu.
Here I am at a scenic viewpoint in Trinidad...that's me on the right. I don't know the guy on the left.
As I was later to find out, the reason the Latte Warriors weren't out in force was that they were all madly cooking incredible treats for their annual post-TUC potluck, which I got invited to as a tagalong friend of David's. Nice folks, great cooks, lots of stories and fun....then I was off to the airport for my 7:44 flight.
Sort of. Bad weather in SFO delayed my flight, so that my connection would've been missed. I was re-routed onto a flight the following morning. So I was forced to go back to David's, where I could drink scotch, hang out in a hot tub, and hit Bill's 6AM spin class on the way out of town.
I just felt incredibly lucky - again - to have had a gang of people supporting this effort, and to be able to make it work to my advantage. Compliant weather, good company, good experiences, and a lot of confidence gained.
A bit of climbing out of the lunch stop, then down to the beach. By this time I was groovin' pretty well, and I was able to fend off a pretty enthused and organized pack of riders behind me. Coke at the base of The Wall! I downed one and took one along for the ride....which was partially a walk. I *may* have been able to get the Raven up that grade (17-20% for the first bit, with some ugly pitches and then a 6-8% finish) but I decided it just wasn't worth the risk, especially considering that walking was danged near as fast from what I could tell. And after The Wall comes the Endless Hill - aptly named - which I thoroughly enjoyed. I figured if I shot my wad on The Wall I'd regret it and I'm probably right. Lots of hummingbird sightings on Endless Hill. There weren't so many birds out when I was riding upright....oh...maybe I'm just looking around more?
Down to the bottom, giant burrito, and I'm done for the day. I'd had visions of doing another lap - or a partial lap - but the lead guy was well over 2 hours ahead of me, and David needed to support everyone on the 200-miler, which just wasn't going to happen if I stayed in the game. And there are more miles that can be ridden tomorrow. I felt really happy, my legs were feeling good/strong.
I spent the rest of the day helping David and Bill support the three hardy souls who were still out there: Jim R (who needed no support, which was good because it took us forever and a day to get to him because he was so FAST!), Jim K, and Dave L. Dave was about 1/2 hour behind Jim K, and we treated him to RAAM-style support on the way in. By the time we got to the descent back into Ferndale, it was dark enough that it was good to light up the road. And having music helps, though it turns out that the local cows don't particularly like Aerosmith. Dave is danged good at air guitar, when viewed from behind.
Sunday, we hit the Latte Warriors ride. OK, for the most part, we WERE the Latte Warriors ride: Hammond Trail to Clam Beach, then along mainly side roads to Trinidad, where we stopped for coffee and treats. Chocolate chip cherry scone? Don't bother to read the rest of the menu.
Here I am at a scenic viewpoint in Trinidad...that's me on the right. I don't know the guy on the left.
As I was later to find out, the reason the Latte Warriors weren't out in force was that they were all madly cooking incredible treats for their annual post-TUC potluck, which I got invited to as a tagalong friend of David's. Nice folks, great cooks, lots of stories and fun....then I was off to the airport for my 7:44 flight.
Sort of. Bad weather in SFO delayed my flight, so that my connection would've been missed. I was re-routed onto a flight the following morning. So I was forced to go back to David's, where I could drink scotch, hang out in a hot tub, and hit Bill's 6AM spin class on the way out of town.
I just felt incredibly lucky - again - to have had a gang of people supporting this effort, and to be able to make it work to my advantage. Compliant weather, good company, good experiences, and a lot of confidence gained.
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