Amber's Adventures

I love summer!!!

2011-07-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

I almost need a vacation from all the fun I've been having lately. My days off, despite the fact I get four of them, always seem to come to an end too quickly and back to work I go. Lots of early mornings hitting the road or the trail.

For the 4th of July I got double lucky. I was already up early on the dreadmill at the gym when I got the call that I wasn't needed at work!! Woohoo, my run was already nearly done. I headed from there to hit the last 50 minute of master's swim. By 8 am I was done with everything I had planned on doing for the day, so I loaded my bike up and headed to what I hoped would be the least crowded roads I could find. My initial plan was to ride the Gold Lakes loop from Sierraville, but when I got to the turnoff in Bassetts I couldn't decided which way to go. I had never ridden to Downieville and wanted to see what the road was like. I had no clue that the road dropped 4000ft over 17 or so miles. It was a slightly busier road than Gold Lakes and the road surface wasn't as smooth, but it was a sweet ride. The climb back up to Yuba Pass is a perfect gradual gradient.

Yuba Pass above Sierra Valley 6700 ft.

The Sierra Buttes!!

Proof that I made it to Downieville.

On my next day off I headed to my favorite local run trail with the intent of running from Mt. Rose Meadows to Marlette Lake and back. It's mid July and I was itching to get on this trail. The snow has melted a lot since I was up here a month ago, but in the shade there was still 4-6ft of snow. After bushwhacking for an hour and losing the trail numerous times I called it a day and headed back to the car. Maybe it will be open in mid August?!?

There is still a bit of snow on the trail.

Mt. Rose Meadows

I had never been on the Tahoe Rim Trail on the other side of Mt. Rose so I took a chance that maybe the south facing slopes would have less snow. The view was totally worth getting thwarted by the snow once again. Bliksem had a great time, and while I didn't get to run the whole time, I got a fun session done.

Above Tahoe at about 9000ft

The next day I tried out the section of the TRT from Tahoe City. Only a couple of snow banks left there, and the rest of the trail was open to Watson Lake. Sweet riding!! I can't describe how much fun I have riding my mountain bike. Can't wait to head back here and explore the trails a bit more.

The view wasn't bad either.

The real reason I haven't been blogging is that my days have been filled with rides and runs. The next day I got to ride old highway 40 over Donner Pass and try standup paddle boarding. Perfect way to end my days off. Back to work as tired as ever and in need of a vacation.

Rainbow Bridge above Donner Lake

A taste of Heaven

2011-06-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

Another busy week with too much work and too little time to play. I've been squeezing in rides and runs before and after work, but my first day off was bliss. I raced up to Truckee and road the Emigrant Trail and a little section of Lloyds. I can't describe how much fun it was to be back on my mountain bike again. I'm also starting to feel little bits of fitness poke through every now and again.

One of my favorite things to do after work is head out for a night ride. The temps during the day have been in the mid 90's, so it really is ideal to get out after the sun goes down. It's crazy how fast the weather has changed in the past 2-3 weeks. Nighttime is when all the critters come out. I don't mind the scorpions so much, but the rattlers are a whole other story. I not worried about myself, but I do worry about Bliksem getting curious and a little too close. During the day I rarely see anything moving up on the mountain during the hot summer months, but the hills come alive after dark. Mice and rabbits are everywhere and usually gravitate to the light. It takes every little bit of skill to not hit them as they dance around in front of the bike.

I also managed a trip down to visit my dad. I can't believe how many fun places I keep finding in Foresthill that I haven't been before. I managed to squeeze in 4 rides in 4 days and still have time to go boating in the afternoon on Clementine Lake. It would have been even more fun to go boat camping....... next time.

On the Halo Trail above Reno.

Breathing.....

2011-06-16T20:34:00.001-07:00

Winter is tough..... especially when it lasts through May. With the cold weather and being sick for 6 weeks it has been a really tough couple months for me. Getting outside and playing is how I balance my crazy life. It's when I feel whole and happy, and to be on complete rest for over a month was pure torture. This past week the weather did a complete shift. What had been the high temps were now the lows. This week I got two amazing sessions in. One was snow running on the Tahoe Rim Trail and the other night riding until nearly 11pm under a full moon. I feel so alive again!!

Usually by this time in the season I've already got base and have some races in the legs. One of my favorite places to get in base miles is the Tahoe Rim Trail above Tahoe. I usually head south from Mt. Rose Meadows until I hit Marlette Lake and then back. Since I was finally feeling healthy I headed up to my favorite run spot only discover 5-6 feet of snow covering the trail. Since I'm not as serious at this point in the season and Bliksem was looking particularly excited, I went for a snow run. Snow shoes would have perfect, but I didn't even think about it when I left my house. I didn't even make it close to Marlette, but Bliksem and I did have a blast. I also discovered that I really am happy that I'm not running Western States this year. I can only imagine how much snow is on the trail.

The views on the Rim Trail are amazing!!

Bliks checking the view.

It's going to be a long time before the trail is snow free....

Warm enough to run in a skirt except for when I fell through the top layer of snow

Making dog snow angels

Adventure #2 was spur of the moment. I got off work on time and walked outside and had an itch to go mountain biking. I raced home and loaded the bike, dog, and lights. I got some funny looks at the trail head as I headed out just as the sun was going down.

What a magical night. There was no one out on the trails. It was just me, my dog, and the wind. The sun went down and the full moon came up. It's an amazing experience just to sit on the side of a mountain in the dark. Love it!!

Just before the sun went down

Bliks and the full moon

Moonlight over the city

A long hiatus

2011-06-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

When it rains it pours.... but at least I didn't miss any nice weather. We've been having I've been sick for nearly 6 weeks, but it looks like I'm finally on the correct antibiotic. On the drive to Wildflower at the end of April I got a little bit of a sore throat. I put it at the back of my mind for the race, and a flat ended up taking me out of the race. I guess I really need to learn how to change a tubular.... or at least carry a spare.

On the drive home the sore throat came back. Of course I worked the next day. I didn't feel that bad so I worked that week and headed down to start the Miwok 100K the next weekend. I felt horrible from the start of the race and pulled the plug at the turnaround. I was stoked to get that far. Every year I run as many miles as I am old and mission accomplished..... barely. The views were totally worth getting sick for though. I can't wait until I'm healthy so I can go back and run on these trails again.

Sunrise over Golden Gate Bridge

As usual I worked again the next day and what a mistake. By the next day I couldn't hear out of my ear, swallow, or get my eyes open. I never ever go to the doctor, but this time I knew it was necessary. After four hours hanging around the waiting room I was sent home on antibiotic #1. 3 trips to the doctor and 3 antibiotics later I am finally feeling better.

In the middle of this the Tour of California came to Tahoe. Gary, Keevin, and I had great plans to ride all weekend and follow the race on Sunday and Monday. Then it started dumping snow. Crazy mid winter snow. We opted to drive up and watch the race instead. During the course of the morning we heard the race was on, then it wasn't, then it was, and a final it was canceled. We did have fun hanging out near Emerald Bay, but it wasn't the weekend or weather I had envisioned.

Keevin chasing random cyclists up the hill
Gary and I clowning around

Maybe the racers heard about all the bear attacks and decided not to chance it.

Gary and Keevin on the bridge on the hike to Eagle Lake (above Emerald Bay)

I just retrieved my mountain bike from the shop 2 days ago. Apparently I did a number on it during that 12 hour race in January. The first ride back was pure bliss..... can't believe it's been a couple months with no mountain bike.

Racing plans for the summer have changed drastically. I'm back to base training this week and probably back to racing in August. It was very frustrating at times, but down time did make me focus on what is really important in life.... like my bike. :-)

Way to Cool

2011-03-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Way to Cool 50K. I was excited about this race when I signed up, but as the race day drew nearer I was most definitely unfit to be racing 50K and it ended up being a long training day. Training has been hit and miss with snow, rain, moving, and starting a new job. Despite being quite under-trained I was still really excited about running on new trails and catching up with friends.

The day before the race was my dad's birthday, so pre-race dinner included lobster and tirimisu.... and of course I had leftovers as breakfast race morning. Oh, and the ever present Girl Scout Cookies to top off the tank.

I was warned that the race would be muddy, but I wasn't prepared for how muddy. I did see a couple people stopping and putting shoes back on in places. It was entertaining to watch people try and hop around the first patches to only later blast right through the middle. My choice of white compression socks may have been a mistake, but I was glad to have the extra support. My legs felt okay for the first 15 or so miles..... never great, but I wasn't expecting great. After 15 miles my legs and stomach began to protest. Maybe one too many Girl Scout Cookies..... With everything hurting I just decided to enjoy the views and the trail. The strange part about this race was always running with someone. With about 700 entrants the trails were busy. It wasn't busy in a bad way, but there was always someone either in front or behind.

Overall I really enjoyed the event despite it hurting much more than a 50K should. Plus it was a good wake up call to start a more organized training program.

Mud?? What mud? One mud pit ran through my leg sank up to my knee.

They were white at the start.

Gary and myself after the race.

CUPCAKES!!!!!!!

Frog cupcakes....

Hanging out post race with Tim Twietmeyer

My travel buddy and her duck. She's a little upset that she didn't get to come along on race day.

Ditching the trainer

2011-03-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

It's been a little bit cold recently with lots of snow and highs in the 20s. Training days had been few and far between. Running in the snow and ice is doable, but I can't seem to motivate enough to get on the trainer. With a short break in the weather I jumped in the car and headed to my dad's house where the food is home cooked, the heat is always on, and the door is always open.

Foresthill is one of my favorite places. If there was a hospital and swimming pool there I'd move in an instant. My dad's been there for about 10 years and I thought I'd explored the surrounding area. Little did I know that this weekend I would discover my new favorite ride...... okay I have a bunch of favorite rides. Any day outside on my bike is a good day, but this weekend was exceptional.

The road to Foresthill is nice enough with light traffic and scenic views, and I usually ride on it to the end of the road and back to my dad's place. This weekend I was craving something a bit longer and made a right hand turn onto Mosquito Ridge road. I can't believe that during all the years I've been coming here I hadn't discovered this road until this trip. If you live anywhere in the area this road ride is a must do. This road truly goes to nowhere and ends somewhere deep in the Sierras without going all the way through. Because it really doesn't go anywhere there is nearly no traffic. During my 4.5hr ride I saw 3 cars, 3 motorcycles, 2 different herds of deer, and a couple turkeys. The road surface is good with no cracks or potholes. The best part is the near perfect climbing and descending. The road ribbons it's way down to the river at that perfect grade where you can pedal the entire 10 mile descent. I climbed and climbed and climbed up the other side of the ravine, but never reached the end. Guess I'll have to go back soon when there is a little more light in the day. Over the 2 days I got 9+ hours of riding outside and only polished off 1 box of Girl Scout Cookies in a bonk induced haze.

Bliksem doesn't like being cold either and can often be found in the only warm spot in the house....directly in front of the heater.

Hanging with Dad, Mary and Amanda. I think Bliksem was off chasing the turkeys.

Bliksem was undeterred by the fact that the turkeys were bigger than her.

The start of Mosquito Ridge road. My goal is to make it to the end of the road this year.

Descending to the American River.

Happy happy!!

Crossing over some fork of the American....

Sierra foothills.

...... and the running is always fun!

Interview link

2011-03-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

Reno locals check out activereno.com. It's a great local site that has links to just about everything I could think of to get involved in sport in Reno.

http://www.activereno.com/amber-monforte-ultraman/

It's all about the dog

2011-02-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy couple weeks for me. The new job started and it's great to be back working.... and getting a paycheck! I moved out of the van and into a place of my very own. My mom packed up and is moving all the way to Greenville, SC. Plus the biggest storm of the year hit the Sierras meaning lots of rain on the California side and lots of snow on the Nevada side.

Keeping me sane through the whole process has been Bliksem. She needs to get outside to play at least twice a day so it keeps me moving. Anyone that has had a dog knows how motivating they can be to keep you going. They are so genuinely excited to just be outside running that it is hard not to be motivated around them. With just me at the house it's a bit tricky to get her all the exercise she needs as it often means walks at 5am before work and again at 8pm after work. We're getting it done though and it's a great way to wind down after a busy day at work.

Nighttime walk at nearly 9pm. With the recent snowfall it's still really light outside.

Today's run was slow..... really slow because we were breaking trail in knee deep snow part of the way, but it was a lot of fun!

Crazy dog loves playing in the snow....

In my boots and knee length jacket I'm not nearly as agile as the little rocket dog.

Another good day playing in the park.

Shortly life will settle down back into a rhythm, but for now I'm just getting the basics done. Walk the dog, eat, sleep, work, and train.

12 Hours of Temecula

2011-02-06T13:58:00.001-08:00

12 hours of Temecula or quieting the voices in my head.....

Long events are always a battle for me especially when I don't train for them. During my whirlwind trip around the southwest I spent some time in Huntington Beach with friends from Ultraman. I heard about this race they were doing about a week before the event, but I didn't have my mountain bike with me on the trip. It was actually still packed in it's box from the return trip from Hawaii in October. On my drive to Reno I had the event in the back of my mind. The last couple years I've been thinking about doing a 24 hr solo race, but I've never had the chance with the rest of my schedule. This would be a good stepping stone to try some of my equipment out and get a feel for spending a day on a mountain bike. I got to Reno 2 days before the race, quickly bought a ticket, and off to the airport I went. Luckily the bike was all packed up already.

It was kind of refreshing to go into an event unprepared. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into or what gear or food I'd need or want. The plan was gels during the lap with NUUN in my camelback. I know bottles would probably be faster, and I could have them all filled before the start, but my bike frame is so small it's hard to get a bottle in and out of the cage. I planned to stop every other lap and fill up and grab a solid food snack of some sort.

The night before the race we stopped and picked up a Monster. I'd seen the 2 sizes of Monster before which I refer to as large and extra large, but at the 7-11 in SoCal they had bucket size.

Trying to organize for a race where I didn't really know what I wanted or needed was a little tricky.

Race morning went smoothly with no pre-race nerves. It's nice doing an event where I have no expectations except to get through 12 hours. I did a super short warm up, and then we were off. I wanted to start the first lap fast because there is nothing worse than getting stuck behind people on a single track descent. The laps were a little longer than 9 miles with 1100 ft of climbing per lap. Lap 1 was a little faster than I wanted to go out, but it was good to be riding with good technical riders.

Woooohooo... it was so much fun being back on my mountain bike. It's been a couple years since I've raced in Temecula and the changes to the trails were nice. The course included more single track and the same great roller coaster descents. I think I had a stupid grin on my face for the first 2 laps. After that the climbs became steeper with every lap, but the descents were still a blast. I had an energy low point about 3 hours into the race and backed off the pace a bit. I also stopped and shoveled more food in my mouth as I passed through base camp. After that I felt slightly better, but as always it's the mental part that is the toughest. When I'm out of shape it's that much harder to fight to stay in the race especially when passing though bass camp every hour. It was a back and forth battle during the middle section of the event. I was having fun, but the body wasn't happy at all. The thoughts vary from I got a good workout in already, 5 hours is a good day, I'll just stop and rest for a bit and then get out and ride a couple hours at the end, my butt hurts, my back hurts, everything hurts, I'm hungry...... and on and on it goes. By the end of the day the voices of self doubt had quieted and I finished 11 laps for a grand total of about 100 miles and 12200 ft of climbing. Not bad for the first mtb ride in 3 months. The night laps were the most fun. It almost felt like I was riding on a completely new course as sections would sneak up on me as I lost perception of time and distance. Can't wait for the next 12 or 24 hr race......

Thanks Keevin and Slater for talking me into coming down to the race and for the hospitality!

Such a treat to be riding the roller coaster trails in Temecula in just shorts and a jersey in January!!

Thanks to Gary Wang for race photos and support!!

The gang post race..... it got cold......really cold at night.

And the next day I made up for the calorie deficit with cupcakes. One in every flavor!

Random photo I got in Huntington Beach that I needed to throw in somewhere.

Link to ESPNW interview

2011-01-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

http://espn.go.com/espnw/blog/_/post/6034419/amber-monforte-takes-body-limit

bike photo by Timothy Carlson

And the rest.....

2011-01-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

It's almost hard to remember all the stuff I've done in the past couple weeks. Keeping busy is helping keep me sane at this point.

Since I was already in central Texas I decided to make a 200 or so mile detour and visit Big Bend National Park. The park is on the border with Mexico with the Rio Grande separating the two countries. I was in full on recovery mode after the 100K run so a scenic drive sounded like a good idea.

Dogs are not allowed on trails in national parks so Bliksem was the guard dog. Probably not the wisest idea to be a solo female hiking on the border of Mexico, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go on some short 2 mile walks. Everywhere I went it felt like I had eyes on me. Upon entering the park we are warned not to buy anything from Mexicans for a bunch of reasons. If they are caught they get held and then bused about 60 miles upriver to be deported and the goods are confiscated. There is also warnings about encountering drug smugglers. The walks I did were all out and backs. The strange thing was that things for sale would appear on the trail that weren't there on the way out. I wouldn't see the people that left them, but I could feel their presence.

I did one stop at a scenic overlook to let Bliksem out for a bathroom break when I heard a commotion coming from the river. A man was running across the Rio "not so" Grande river to try and sell me walking sticks. His English was easy to understand, and it was really obvious that this is his normal day. I wanted to capture how small the river is so I filmed him as he walked back to Mexico. Not the most exciting video in the world, but I was trying to film him crossing back over without him seeing the camera. He had 2 dogs with him and kept asking me what I feed mine. Anyhow, here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGWuzDUsCd0

The "mighty" Rio Grande. Really scenic area and not at all what I was expecting.

Notice the sign stating that high clearance vehicles only on this road. It was a shortcut that saved me backtracking about 50 miles so I took it in the super low clearance mini van. Made it though and nothing is leaking from under the vehicle.

Not with Bliksem the guard dog in the car. I'd get back from short little walks and she'd have all her hair standing up. I wonder who she got to meet. I guess they decided that whatever I had in the van wasn't worth losing a limb over.

Random stuff that was for sale. Never saw a person. The cardboard sign has all the prices and you are supposed to just leave the money.

Guard dog keeping an eye on the border.

Short walk into one of the canyons.

Singing Jesus was across the river in Mexico and ready to serenade me if I put some money in the bottle.

Santa Elena canyon is 8 miles long and 1500 feet deep. Wish I had more time here to explore.

Bliksem making a break for Mexico. Had to let her out of the car as some point.

Yes, bad me. Taking photos and driving. It's called multitasking.

Next stop was Tuscon to ride the legendary Mt. Lemmon climb. On my trip east I had planned on doing this ride, but the temps were cold and I'm a bit of a wimp when it's below 50. The weather cooperated this time around and it was in the high 60s.

This might be my favorite road climb. 25 miles of consistent climbing on a nice grade. It starts in cactus and ends up in pine forest.
Suck it up legs. It's going to be a long climb!

The start among the saguaro cactus.

Tuscon way off in the background.

Really cool section with switchbacks.

The descent was perfect except for the snow melt that sprayed up. Burr!

Made a stop in Huntington Beach for another fun filled weekend and a ride up Mt. Baldy. Thanks Keevin. Onwards to Reno I went only to grab my mountain bike and hop on a flight back to Orange County. Next up was 12 hours of Temecula.....

Bandera and Beyond

2011-01-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

I started toying with the idea of running the 100K trail run in Bandera about a week before the race, and 3 days before the race I decided it was a go and signed up. I've been running fairly consistently since Ultraman, but nothing had been longer than 2 hours or so and most of that was done on a treadmill. I guess I was hoping that Ultraman fitness would still be lingering. Since I was already on the road driving to Texas seemed a logical choice. Little did I realize how big Texas really was, and I only had to drive halfway into it. The rest of my trip so far had consisted of 3-4 hour drives broken up with a stop at a national park or a friends house. Bandera is about 500 miles from the New Mexico border. Fortunately the van is a comfy sleep and most McDonalds and Starbucks have free wifi. At nearly every exit off the I-10 I could stop, connect to the internet from the convenience of the drivers seat, and plan the rest of my day. One of the rest stops in Texas even had free wifi.

Somewhere in Arizona..... The van setup. Sleeping bag on right, crates full of gear all neatly organized, and the dog kennel just behind the drivers seat. I might be the most organized hobo out there.

The drive was uneventful with unchanging scenery for about 500 miles. Bandera is a small town that is mainly comprised of dude ranches. I didn't start getting nervous about the race until I arrived at packet pick up the night before. At the pre-race briefing they talked about how rough the course was and some cactus that looked like an aloe plant that we shouldn't touch. There were some chuckles about there aren't switchbacks in the Texas hills and we'd go straight up and down the steep hills. The nerves were building. 62 miles is a long way to go in a car let alone on foot, but I was excited about the new challenge. This was going to be the next step into building towards hopefully my first 100 mile run in the next year or two.

Hill Country Texas was more scenic than I had pictured and had actual hills. Really great views on the run.

The race itself was much more than anticipated. It was 2 laps of 31 miles. I had Bliksem with me so I was stopping after lap 1 to check on her and let her out for a bathroom break. Coming from the Sierras the "hills" in Texas didn't scare me, but they did go straight up and down as promised. It was also really rocky and loose in some places. The cactus was much eviler than I had thought. Their branches reached across the single track interlacing with the plant on the opposite side of the trail. We really had no choice but to run through them. At first my legs were cold enough that I didn't really feel them, but when I looked down about 5 miles into the run I had blood running down my legs from 100s of tiny little cuts. For the first lap the rocks, cactus, and hills were a piece of cake, but round 2 on the course really worked a number on me both physically and mentally. Lap 1 went really smoothly, but I didn't take enough calories in. This caught up with me on lap 2.

photo by Enduro Photo. Lap 1 as I'm still looking fairly coherent.

Finished the first lap in about 5 hours, stopped and took the dog for a short walk, changed my shoes, and headed back out for round 2. Bliksem was not impressed as she got shoved back in the van. The toughest part of lap 2 was the mental aspect. It was a USATF Championship event so there were no pacers, no ipods, no HR monitors, and no GPS. As I left or lap 2 I passed 2 other runners and then didn't see another runner for the rest of the 30 miles. Every time I would stumble into an aid station I'd be so happy to see people that I wouldn't want to leave. I'd have to focus on grabbing some quick food and getting back out on the trails. I usually enjoy running solo, but something about this run was really tough for me. Running through the cactus became a dread as my legs felt more and more raw. I was still running flats and uphills quickly, but my legs turned to baby giraffe legs and each loose downhill became a battle to stay upright. As I came through the last aid station the last of the sunlight faded and it was time to break out the light. The last 5 or so miles were slow...... real slow. As I approached the finish I could see the clock at 10:59, and I hustled through to get in under the 11 hr mark. Tough day, but I'm glad I gutted it out. Immediately passed out in the van only to wake up starving at 3am. I promptly polished off an entire bag of trail mix.

Evil cactus that looked kind of like an aloe plant but with hack saws for blades.

photo by Enduro Photo
Rick Kent from Ultraman was at the finish doing the photography for the events. It was great to see a familiar face!

Awards were Tarahumara pottery that I actually managed to not break during the road trip. I also got my first belt buckle. As you can see the bed is super comfy.

Next up my trip though Big Bend National Park

Eastward Bound

2011-01-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

Bliksem and I are enjoying life on the road. After leaving Huntington Beach we spent a morning in Palm Springs, more so that I could get a swim and shower than anything else. From there we headed to Joshua Tree National Park and spent the rest of the day. The hard thing about NPs is that you can't have your dog on the trail, so we did our run on a dirt road instead. I'd love to come back here and spend some time without a dog, but it is nice to have a travel companion. Even if she growls at me when I leave her in the car to go on a dog prohibited trail.

Sometimes I still wish I was into rock climbing.....

Sunset in J Tree

From J Tree we hurried on to Tucson where it was kind of cold so I only stayed there long enough to do a run. I probably would have rushed on, but after leaving the lights on in the van during my run I was stranded for a while. When I got to the park earlier in the day there were a dozen vehicles in the parking lot, but by the time I got back from my run there was just one left. I waited and waited hoping it's owner would return. After getting the car jump started I did get a pleasant surprise. The check engine light which has been on for a couple thousand miles was suddenly off. Apparently by killing the battery I fixed the engine. Woohoo! Onwards to White Sands.

Sunrise in White Sands was stunning.

If you check in the bottom right corner there is a coyote. Getting up early means the critters are still roaming about.

Kind of looked like snowbanks and they do plow the sand. It was cold enough this morning for snow.

People headed out to go sledding in the "snow".

Bliksem and I opted for a run on the Alkalai Flat Trail. It was about 5 miles, but anything but flat. The first 5 minutes were flatish, but then we headed up and over dunes. It was a lot of fun.... especially going down the dunes. I finished up about an hour later with shoes full of sand. From there we headed to Las Cruces, NM for much needed shower..... errr I mean swim.

Next up my trip to Texas and the Bandera run....

Slowtwitch link

2011-01-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

Performance of the year!!

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Opinion/2010_Tri_Year_in_Review_1849.html

Road Trip part 1 of many.....

2011-01-06T12:10:00.001-08:00

With Reno high temps in the 20's I loaded up the van and fled town with no real plan in mind other than head south until the temps were at least in the 60's. The van is fully pimped out with a cozy bed, dog crate, and ice chest. I drove as far as I could on I5 south the first night. I wasn't sure how comfy the setup in the van would be, but I slept a solid 7 hours.... in a rest stop. Sweet!! Woke up and finished the drive to Huntington Beach. I had fully intended on camping in the van the entire week, but got an invite to stay with some friends that I met at Ultraman this year. Thanks Keevin!! I also got invited along on a little ride. I hadn't been on the bike outside since day 2 of UMH and had only managed 2x45 minutes inside on the trainer. I heard that we were jumping in on the Long Beach New Years Day ride. I was told the pace would be fast and there would be 500+ people. We planned to regroup part of the way through the ride at a Starbucks along the course. In spite of knowing before hand the logistics of the ride, I was in no way prepared for the sight or sound of the peloton as it rounded the corner. I started pedaling to meet their speed, but felt like I'd never be going fast enough to latch on. Finally I merged into the group, but found myself towards the rear of the 600+ riders. It was really amazing to see and be surrounded by the riders, but really nerve racking. It took a lot of concentration to stay away from the rift raft and keep up when the group surged. I heard that we were doing 30+ during sections of the ride, and the one time I managed to peek at my HR monitor I saw an unbelievable 178. I don't think it's ever been that high on the bike before. There was a police escort we were blowing through most stoplights, but stopping at others. The slow and then sprint surges finally got the best of me and I was relieved to get spit out the back. I sat up and cruised into the coffee shop to regroup with everyone. After that the ride mellowed out and we headed to Dana Point for breakfast buffet. The return trip entailed a little more suffering with a stuffed belly. Breakfast in Dana Point with Keevin, Monique, and Rick A fantastic way to spend NYD! Monique and Slater Fletcher
The rest of the weekend included some beach runs and taking Bliksem to the dog beach for her first ocean experience.

Bliksem playing in the waves

Freedom from the leash

This is my super cute growl that says play with me please

I got sand everywhere...

Next up a quick trips to Joshua Tree NP, Saguaro NP, and White Sands NM......

On the road

2011-01-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

With winter temps in the 20s in Reno I jumped in the car and headed south. With no job and no home there really wasn't a reason to hang around in the snow and suffer. I'll get a proper blog up tomorrow about NYE fun, but for now here are a couple of links to recent interviews I have done.

This one is to the local Reno paper
http://www.rgj.com/article/20101230/SPORTS/12300324/1018

This one is on Competitor Radio with Bob Babbitt
http://competitorradio.competitor.com/2010/12/amber-monforte-with-aj-acosta/#disqus_thread

Enjoy!

Winter Fun

2010-12-26T17:21:00.000-08:00

Reno isn't a whole lot of fun during or immediately after storms. The dirt in the mountains around town isn't used to a whole lot (or any) precipitation, so when storms hit our dirt turns into sticky mud. The kind that builds like stilts on the bottom of your shoes or turns your mountain bike tires into sausages. The only way to avoid it is to get up really early with the hopes that the mud is frozen. With this strategy you just have to make sure your run isn't too long and everything melts on the return trip.

The only way to stay sane or keep the dogs sane is to escape 30 minutes up the hill to the snow. We've gone skiing a couple times this week. Mostly just the tromp around and play variety skiing. I packed up my skate skis with the good intention of getting out there, but it's a bit intimidating. It's something I picked up last year, and I never get up there enough to get to be any good at it.

There isn't a ton of snow in the mountains yet, but there was enough to get out and play. Kona and Bliksem ran flat out for 2 hours and then slept for the next 24.

At Prosser Lake near Truckee

Snoooooow!!

At Mt. Rose Meadows above Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe

The view were impressive and it's such a new perspective after running on this trail in the summer. Amazingly every time I think about leaving Reno I have a day like this and reevaluate. This is 30 minutes from home. It doesn't get much better than this.

Shades of Gray

2010-12-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

In reflecting over the past couple months a topic has come up a time or two. The average person I talk to wants my perspective on if my sport is clean, and by this they mean doping. Lance Armstrong has been making major headlines all summer and this is often the only connection these people have to cycling or sport. As far as Lance is concerned, others will have to decide his guilt or innocence, but it did bring up the topic of cheating in sport. Most athletes I know all are vehemently opposed to doping, but what about other forms of cheating. We all say that we want a clean sport and to participate on a level playing field. What about the gray areas? Where do we draw the line? Does deliberate acts like drafting count? or how about prescribed medicines that can potentially increase performance?

During the last couple Ironman races I've participated in there has been rampant drafting. In Kona this year I was passed by a peloton of at least 30+ riders. I watched a woman draft off a man as they passed me. She continued to draft as they pulled away from me. When the referee flashed a red card for drafting she proceeded to argue with the referee. I passed her as she was serving her penalty in the "sin bin", but was later passed back as she drafted off yet another guy. Talking with people after the race I learned that this is indeed a race strategy some use. They figured that the 4 minute penalty they receive is well worth the time advantage of drafting. It's basic risk versus benefit. They hope to not get caught, but if they do they still gained time and saved their legs. As frustrating as it is to get passed by these people I know that my time is the result of my effort. I don't know if there is an easy way to solve this problem at Ironman. It did seem like there was a good amount of referees, but what do you do with a pack of 30? With 1800+ athletes on the road it is crowded, and those that choose to draft can. Only their choice of doing what is right will keep them out of the draft zone.

Another gray area is the use of inhalers by athletes. If an athlete has asthma then go ahead and use your inhaler because you need it. What I think is interesting is that a much larger percentage of elite athletes have asthma when compared to the general population. Why is this? There has been much debate whether use of inhalers in people without asthma does or does not improve performance. Do these give an actual boost or just a mental one? I guess my issue with the use of inhalers by athletes NOT having asthma is the intent to cheat. Whether or not they get a boost, their reason for taking the medicine is to improve performance. They can "legally" do this by applying with USADA for a therapeutic use exemption along with a doctors diagnosis and script. Is this the "gateway drug" to trying other performance boosters? Where do they draw their line or do they?

At the end of the day we all have to look ourselves in the mirror and face what we are. I never have understood cheating on any level and don't have any idea how someone can accept an award (or take it away from someone else) knowing deep down that they didn't come by it fairly. It makes you a morally/ethically bankrupt person to cheat at whatever level. What I would like most of my non athlete friends to know is that most athletes are clean and fight fare. It's a shame that the few among us that cheat are the ones that are remembered by the masses.

The aftermath

2010-12-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

Post race morning included a swim and much needed pull-a-part at the Lava Java. Actually it was more like a bob in the ocean. I was hoping the movement would help my leg recover a bit, but I had no luck there. It still felt like a knife was stuck in my shin, and every step seemed to make it hurt more. I opted for spending a couple days on crutches versus making it worse. It ended up taking about 4 days for the swelling to go completely away. It was time to relax and maybe play.

Getting up was the hardest part of the next week. I was sleeping on a blow up mattress on the lanai which was amazing, but getting up from it was close to impossible. I remember waking up in the middle of the night needing to go to the bathroom, but having no clue how I was going to get there. 10 minutes later after crawling and bracing on the walls I would get there.

Lava Java pull-a-part. Yum Yum!!

Apparently I wasn't the only one craving Lava Java breakfast.

The day after awards the group was invited to a paddle with Keauhou Canoe Club. Amazing experience that I was lucky to be able to do a couple times on this trip. My waterproof camera didn't make the trip, but check out the link below to see Slater Fletcher's video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJKNWNwPTnY

Other than that it was time to do anything except bike and run. Swimming still felt good so I stuck with that. There was also a farewell stop at Kalamas. I found this place when I was here in June for Honu 70.3. I'd run out of water on the climb up from Kealakekua Bay when this place appeared. Salvation! They have the yummiest ahi spinach nori wraps and shaved ice. I planned my shorter ride days here so that I could stop on the way home.

I"ll be dreaming of this menu until I return next year.

Wheelchair races at Honaunau with Slater Fletcher.

Another treat was the tour that we got to take at Lions Gate Coffee Farm. It was a lot of fun to see the whole process from tree to cup, and we got to enjoy a latte on the lanai after.

http://www.coffeeofkona.com/more.htm

Learning how the beans are dried.

The last couple days on Kona went by quickly and it was time to go home. The 10 weeks here have been an amazing opportunity, and I feel truly blessed. There were highs and lows, and I'm going home a different person that the one that came here. It is something to learn and grow from. Hawaii will always be a special place for me.

The dreaded pavement run, part 3 of 3

2010-12-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

Besides the swim, the run was the most intimidating part of this event for me. It's not so much the distance of the run, but rather it is all on road. 99% of my training is on trails. The only time I run on road is to get to the trail, which is 3 minutes by foot from my front door. Trail running is my meditation. I get totally lost and feel so incredibly lucky to run in such beautiful places. I tend to get injuries when I run on road, but this is probably more due to the fact that I avoid it until it comes to race day. My ouchy spot post run tends to be my anterior tibialis, and I was a little worries about this going into race day. With the worry about my legs I decided to run in compression socks to help mitigate the damage to my legs for as long as possible. It worked.... for a while. 52.4 miles takes a toll.

The morning started early, very early. The night before I bought some more rocket fuel at the gas station in the form of 2 spam musubis. When my alarm went off at 3am, I rolled over, turned the light on, and started to cram them down. They actually tasted good. Salty stuff after all the sweet gels the day before were a nice change. The run didn't start until 6am, but because of some serious procrastination on my part we had a 40 minute drive from the hotel to the start. Next year I'll get started on my reservations early..... I promise.

As I went to put my shoes on I felt some pain in my right toe. Noooo, there was an enormous blister on my big toe right where I used to have a toenail, until Ironman claimed it's victim 6 weeks prior. The soft new skin was just no match for 260 miles on the bike over the past 2 days. Not knowing where to find a needle in the van at 4am after it had been hit by 2 days of Ultraman tornado, I pulled out a safety pin from the race packet and began surgery. 15 minutes later my foot was nicely bandaged and ready, I hoped, for 52 miles of running.

Waiting for the run to start. It might have been the only moment all day that I felt cold. Too bad it didn't last.

One, two, three, go! It was still dark outside as we all started..... much too fast. Ooops. I know better than this, but my legs felt good. The first marathon went by quickly and felt easy. Then the heat began, my stomach started protesting, and my right leg started hurting.

My plan was to leave the socks on until they felt hot, and then change them and change out my shoes. The first half of the run I wore Avia Avi-Lite and for the finishing stretch I wanted the Avi-Bolt. The Bolts gave me the extra zip I needed to maintain my lead, plus they just look really fast. The socks still felt cool, so I left them. I also wasn't sure if I sat down to take them off that I'd ever get back to my feet again.

Just before the turn in Kawaihae. Photo by Timothy Carlson

Between my stomach protesting and my right leg pain I was alternating imodium and ibuprofen with a little improvement. I was all too familiar with this course as it's the last half of the Ironman bike course. I knew how much further I had to go and I knew I'd get there.... eventually. I slowed my pace in hopes that my stomach would stop it's revolt, and I got a little relief. The last 13 miles were torture, but I kept on right, left, right, left, repeat. My right shin felt like someone had placed a knife in it and every time it touched ground they turned it. My crew kept me moving forward, and I think they knew it was bad when I wouldn't take anything else to eat and stopped talking. No sound from me is a bad thing. The last 10K or so of the course I also know well from many a long IM day. One of those long IM days was this year, and I knew where every bump in the road would be. Finally on the top of the last hill I could see the top of the old airport buildings. Woohoooo, going to make it! I might be dragging my right leg behind me and forcing my stomach into some kind of compliance, but I was going to make it across the finish whether my body cooperated or not.

Somewhere on the Queek K.... with my crew and pacer Taylor Seavey.

Post finish and ocean dip with my wonderful crew. Thanks again Seavey family!

With Wendy Minor, my hero, she is an Ultraman finisher at age 65. This is proof for all my 50 year old patients that tell me they can't. You really can, it's all a state of mind.

With mens champion and all around nice guy, Mike Le Roux.

My favorite shoes. How can you not run fast when you're wearing these?

Immediately after the race comes the question, are you coming back next year. My first response, while hobbling back and forth to the bathroom every 10 minutes for 6 hours, was an emphatic NO. My thought was there are so many races to do and so many places to see. I've heard rumors of Ultraman Brazil, and I haven't been there yet..... Definitely on my to do list. After a couple weeks of reflection though, I will come back. The friends and family I've made through Ultraman are priceless, and I couldn't imagine not going to the family reunion next Thanksgiving.

On my to do list for next year is to spend more time running on pavement to get used to the pounding. My right leg swelled to about 3-4x the normal size the day following the race. Ouch! Spent a couple days post race on crutches to give my right leg some well deserved rest. It still felt like a knife was stuck in there, and I was worried I was doing more harm than good by shuffling around on it. The good news is that 2 weeks post race I'm back to running, on DIRT, sweet dirt with my dogs.

Bliksem with her wiggly wrap around the seat sneak kiss.

Part 2 of 3

2010-12-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

The unspoken part of Ultraman is trying to get in as many calories as possible as soon as the day is done. I normally enjoy eating and am not picky, but after racing I generally loose my appetite for a while. I ate a burger after getting off the bike, we checked into the hotel, and then we headed to the group dinner with the rest of the athletes. I was a little worries about getting hungry in the middle of the night, so I took some food back to the room. It was so cold up at the top of Volcano that I didn't end up eating my hot potato but put it in my pocket and slept with it.

Race morning came early and I didn't want to climb out of my warm bed. I was relieved after a quick peek out the window to see stars. No rain. It was chilly outside and the roads weren't wet, but I felt very lucky to be mostly dry on the first descent.

Still trying to squeeze in a little sleep. When I planned for this trip I didn't think to bring arm warmers, so these beauties I picked up at Target. They started out as argyle socks, but made great arm warmers.

Day 2 bike start is on the top of Volcano with about a 20 mile descent to start. Lucky us with clear skies, but there was a bit of spray off the road. We were allowed to stay grouped up until the turn down to red road. I normally enjoy riding in groups, but it was a bit high speed and twitchy at moments which meant keeping focus.
Keeping with the front pack. Right behind me are the ladies putting the pressure on. Hillary Biscay and Shanna Armstrong. Photo by Rick Kent, Josh Baker

After making the turn down to red road the group split up and I was on my own.... kind of. I knew the Hillary and Shanna were close behind as I could see their crew vehicles preparing their drink hand offs as I went by. The leapfrogging of crew vehicles continued. My plan was to up the pace when I got to red road. No crew support is allowed on that section of road and I wanted to get out of sight. Despite it being a coastal road it has a lot of rolling hills and my legs felt great. I dropped the hammer and mission accomplished! Once I turned off red road I saw their crew vehicles for the last time that day. Around this time I started to have shifting issues. Not sure if it was all the vibration from the old section of road we crossed or not. Shifting slowly went from bad to worse, but I tried to stay relaxed.

This is along the red road section. That's my hocus pocus focus expression. Photo by Rick Kent, Josh Baker

Another shot of red road. I was really bummed my crew didn't get to see the view along here.

All forward momentum seemed to stop when I hit Hilo. At race briefing they said there are 8 traffic lights. I stopped at 7 of the longest lights I've ever seen. I kept turning around to see if I was the only unlucky one. Christian was riding through the lights at the same time as he had went off course a little earlier and had to backtrack. Because of my shifting issues he'd have a good gap on me coming through the intersection, but then the light in front of us would turn red as I'd slowly spin up. We'd chat a bit at the light and then repeat.

Somewhere after Hawi

After Hawi there are about 40 miles of rolling terrain. My legs were feeling great, but my bike was not. I couldn't talk her into shifting into the big ring any longer. I tried to deal with it for a while as I hadn't seen bike tech in a while, but kept finding myself spinning out. After 10 miles of this I gave up and asked my crew to call for bike support. They were there fairly quickly and we both pulled over. I stayed as relaxed as possible when you're standing on the side of a road during a race. I used the opportunity to pee behind the tech vehicle, eat a banana (not at the same time), and finish off my bottle.

Thanks bike tech for getting me rolling again so quickly. Shifting wasn't perfect, but it was so much better than before the stop. Woohooo, I had my big ring back and felt ready to fly!

This is where the Spam Musubi rocket fuel came in handy. My crew had handed me one sometime after Hilo and every chance I got I'd eat another bite. Tastiest thing I'd eaten all day. So nice to get in some real food after taking gel most of the day. I polished it off just before the climb to Waimea started.

The final climb over the Kohalas before descending to Hawi.
photo by Timothy Carlson

I had no idea I was going to break the bike course record by over 40 minutes, but I was stoked. The best part was that Hillary and Shanna also broke it. I love how tough competition brings out the best in all of us. New bike course day 2 record of 7:57:58.

photo by Rick Kenk, Josh Baker

Overall it was a great day. With racing at this distance you have to take the bad with the good. Unexpected things are going to happen. What is important is how you deal with them. The same goes for energy level, it goes up and down and then back up again. I always remember that good moments will follow the bad and often it just means I need to eat more. :)

I couldn't have done it without my crew. Thanks Siri, Darian, and Taylor for everything. photo by Rick Kent, Josh Baker.

The fourth event followed the bike ride. Ice bath and eating and eating and eating. From last years experience at Ultraman Canada I knew that I would have tummy trouble on day 3, so my goal for day 2 night was to get in as many calories as possible. Mission accomplished again. Huge Chinese takeout with some local fried doughnut like things. I ate until stuffed and took the rest with me and finished it off 2 hours later.

The past couple months part 1

2010-12-09T17:51:00.001-08:00

Part 1 of 3

The past couple months have been the hardest of my life. Big changes happened that I didn't see coming and couldn't change. My heart was shattered by the person that I trusted most with it.

For the past couple years Conrad has been asking me to quit my job and come to South Africa with him. With huge student loan and credit card debt I hadn't been able to. For the past 2 years I stopped racing to save money and worked every extra shift I could. I finally saved up enough money to quit the job and after much encouragement from Conrad I quit. He said that I had to do it this year for the relationship to work. I was told to trust him and that everything would work out for the best. A little over a month after quitting my job, I found myself all alone. The day after Xterra Worlds shortly before getting on his flight he said, "it's over and I don't want to talk about it." Asking for an explanation the only thing I got was, "you're not Afrikaans and you have bad table manners". I don't know why it took him 5 years to figure out I was American. I guess sometimes there is no explanation. Where was I supposed to go from here. I just quit my job, moved out of our house, and the biggest race of my life was coming up in 5 weeks.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1667724450453
from this to breakup in 24 hours

For 2 weeks I didn't eat, sleep, or train. I considered dropping from the race. Riding had always been my escape and now it was just torture. Then the supportive Ultraman family started arriving in the islands. Without them I wouldn't have made it through the race. I stayed as busy as I could and joined with every group ride and swim. I figured I was here and I should make the most of the experience. About 2 weeks prior to the race I decided to go for it and race.

Pre-race practice swim.

Pre-race ride with Gary, Jason, and Marty. This was an infamous gas station bonk where you grab every item of food in sight.

Race week came along quickly with all the preparation and organizing. I think I bought out the entire supply of chicken broth and pedialyte. Then there was the selection of an ice bath bucket. I was pulling the storage bins off the shelf at Target looking for one big enough to fit when the manager asked if I needed help. I quickly jumped from the tub I was sitting in and replied that I was okay.

My support crew came together at the last moment. Thanks Darian, Siri, and Taylor for getting me through the race.

The biggest worry about the race for me was the swim. Wetsuits were legal and I was a bit worried about overheating, but knew that I had to take advantage of the extra flotation. I'd been doing a bit of open water swimming, but the sheer distance of 10K was intimidating. The swim itself went really well for the first 9K, then I hit a bit of a wall. I struggled a bit to get through the current coming out of Keauhou Bay, but once around the buoy the current seemed to let up a bit. My paddlers did a great job of keeping me straight and stopping me every 25 minutes to refuel and hydrate. My goal of the day was to get out of the water no more than 30 minutes behind Hillary Biscay and mission accomplished. I was only 22 minutes behind. :) Hillary smashed the swim record with a 2:20 swim, breaking the old record by 26 minutes.

That's me in the water beside the buoy and my paddlers Karen and Don.

Actually feeling fairly good coming out of the water with a swim PR of 2:42

The first couple miles of the bike go straight up. Not a great feeling after being horizontal for the past 2.75 hours. My legs never felt great this day, but they didn't feel bad either. Post race I think it was due to not taking enough calories in during the swim or the bike. After the initial climb it's a bit rolling to downhill, and it goes by fast. Heading up to Ocean View we hit the infamous wind. Wow! I'd pre-riden this section once before and I thought it was windy that day, but it wasn't even close to as windy as race day. The last 30 miles of the ride are the climb from sea level to 4000 ft at Volcano. Looking at my bike computer I was calculating how much longer I'd still be on the bike and the numbers weren't good. On some of the short downhill sections I'd be riding in my aero bars going 12 mph. It was going to be a long climb and my energy wasn't great. I started to take in a bit more calories and amazingly felt better during the last 10 miles of the climb. Note to self... eat more. I finished the ride portion in 5:39 for the fastest ride split of the day.

The long climb up to Volcano.

Hawaii can be cold, very cold, at the top of Volcano, but the post ride ice bath was a must for recovery. Bob Babbit is trying to distract me from realizing that I can no longer feel my feet.

Just had to throw a sunset picture in. This one was taken from the lanai of the condo.

Silly smiles and spam musubis

2010-10-17T00:42:00.000-07:00

Wrapping up here in Maui after a big Xterra week. More photos and updates to come, but here is a quick one before I race to the airport.

Post Ironman training has been great fun. I wasn't nearly as sore as I'd been in the past, and I'm guessing that had something to do with my run strategy of stopping every mile to use the bathroom.

I've just been getting out on the bike and exploring the island a bit. One highlight have been a trip over the saddle road to get to Hilo. I was asking for another gear in a couple places only to find that I'd already used them all up.

One of my favorite things in Hawaii are the local fare at the gas stations. Quick refill of the bottles and a spam musubi in my bento box.

See..... it fits perfectly.

On the top of the saddle road shortly before heading down to Hilo.

Almost to the top...

Lots of road construction and dirt on the descent. Guess I should have brought my mountain bike.

Little detour onto the scenic road.

Stopping to enjoy the views.

This is amazing opportunity to spend so much time on the islands and I'm loving every second.

Ironman and such

2010-10-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

Ironman week and race day passed by in a bit of a blur. I did a bunch of bike training leading up to Ironman week and went with a 5 day taper leading into the race. The race itself went okay, but I knew that it wasn't going to be a great day going into it. With the time off the bike with the hand injury and a big bike/run day 6 days prior to race day I knew it was going to be a tough one.

Race week felt different than every other time I've been here. I didn't hang around the venue at all and didn't attend pre or post race dinners or even the pre-race briefing. It almost felt like I wasn't racing. I never got nervous, which was a weird feeling as I stood on the pier at 6am on Saturday.

I got my training done early and hung around the condo the rest of the day. I did get up and swim every day. I am completely blown away by the swimming here, and even on days I wasn't supposed to swim I'd make up an excuse to get out there.

Race day started with a 4am breakfast and then hitchhiking to the start line. No way was I walking 1.5 miles to the start. I lined up in the center about 2 rows back for the swim, but kept getting pushed/kicked back during the 15 minutes of treading water prior to race start. I could feel the nerves coming off people. The start of the swim was insane, but I was jostled far less than I had been during prior IM swims. For 400 meters or so I went fairly hard to get into a good bunch and then settled in on someones feet. Which is where I stuck for the duration of the swim. The pace felt moderate hard and I didn't feel like I was pushing myself very much. I was super excited post race to discover that I swam a 1:03. Sweet!!

The bike was a draft fest from start to finish. I felt slightly tired on the bike, so I didn't push the effort and just enjoyed the experience. The winds were insane this year..... the windiest I've ever seen it on race day. The descent from Hawi was a white knuckled experience.

The run was a death march. My legs felt okay, but about 2 miles into the run my hands started cramping really bad and were super swollen. I drank some of the Ironman drink to get some electrolytes in at the next aide station...... big mistake. About a mile later the stomach cramps started and I proceeded to stop at every mile to hit the bathrooms. I figured to just keep it as a training day and not do too much damage to myself, so I got in a rhythm of bathroom, walk the aide station, and then run about 1 mile to next bathroom/aide station.

The finish was amazing as always and so was the post race party. Sorry about no race pics.

View from the condo of the IM turnaround buoy and cruise ship. The best is when the cruise ship disembarks it's passengers at the pier among all the athletes. We all look at each other like the other is crazy.

Racing the sunrise on the Queen K. I lost....

I had the beach all to myself.

Conrad playing around

Still wondering why we make such silly faces when holding our breath.

Coffee is this way!

Treading water at the coffee boat.

Coffee served about 1k into the swim!! Wish they were here all year.

A new chapter

2010-10-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirl wind of a couple weeks. Big life changes ahead. I'll be in Hawaii from now until December 8. Then I fly straight to South Africa until April 5th. So during the last couple weeks I quit the job, packed up an entire house, painted said house, fit everything I need for the next 8 months into 2 bags, and said goodbye to the dogs. Fortunately my dad came up to Reno to help paint. In a little over 24 hours and between the 3, okay 4 if you count Bliksem, we got it done.

See mom, I can help paint all the yellow bits.

.....and I miss you guys when I'm on the ground, so I learned how to climb the ladder.

Dad is in full mask while spraying, I got the super fun job of operating the staple gun to cover all the windows in plastic. The day was a success as I managed to not staple myself to the house.

I miss them already

Please come home soon....

Chasing Baboons

2010-03-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

I'm back home and in the thick of work. There were lots of changes at the hospital I work at while I was gone, and I'm lucky to still have a job.

I'm missing all the endless free time I had in South Africa to catch up on sleep and ride my bike whenever I wanted. It's a fantastic feeling to just ride and have no real training objective. Being off the trainer was also a bonus.

On every previous trip I'd seen baboons, but by the end of the second week all I'd seen was this headline about them. I'd also passed a couple of signs while on a road ride instructing me not to feed the baboons, but still no luck.

When I least expected it, there they were. I was on a mountain bike ride in Jonkershoek and I kept riding up and up to this saddle in the mountain. I'd ridden this route previously and remembered the stunning view from the top.

The view was as spectacular as I remembered. As a bonus the baboons were hanging out near the top.

They ran off the trail a short bit, but then turned around. I stood there watching them as they watched me.

The view looking down towards the saddle.

My favorite road ride was from Stellenbosch to Rooiels. Coming from the mountains in winter it was a real treat to ride in the heat on the ocean. Such a treat! I'd tell Conrad that I'd be gone from 2-6 hours depending on how I felt. It was nice to ride by feel and not have to turn around when I'm having fun. Sometimes I just want to see what is around the next bend in the road. This has gotten me into trouble a couple of times.

Another rough day in South Africa.

The hardest thing about riding was remembering to stay on the left side of the road. Approaching each intersection or round about I'd look both directions what felt like 10 times and still not really know if it was safe to cross.

Stopping to Smell the Flowers

2010-02-15T04:07:00.000-08:00

What a busy couple of weeks, but they've been packed full of all the things I like to do. The flight over here went smoothly, and it's great to be here with Conrad. Time seems to pass by so quickly at times.

I think I've done more cycling in the past 2 weeks than in the past 2 months. Actually I know I have. I did a handful of trainer rides in the weeks leading up to my trip, but in the winter I'd rather run. The dogs also prefer the runs, so the cycling has fallen a bit by the wayside.

I've made up for it though. Yesterday was a brilliant solo 6 hour "coffee shop" ride along the coast. Conrad had some crazy session and I heard he say something about 300 Watts and I said no thanks. My actual riding time ended up being about 5 hours and I stopped to watch seals play, stopped to just look at the stunning view, and stop to watch and chat with the surfers. Incredible views and weather!

It's fantastic to just enjoy life. Often we get so busy with work and waiting for all the fun things in life to happen. It's also a blessing to not be training and just riding for the sheer joy of riding. It makes me wonder if all the work is worth it, or if I could work less and live with less. What brings happiness at the end of the day? Unfortunately I have a fondness for shiny carbon fiber objects on 2 wheels. The rest of the rat race I can pass on, but I really enjoy being able to travel and have a nice bike or 2 or 3.

I see and work with so many people on the work treadmill. Needing bigger cars or bigger houses. Stepping back really makes me think what is my priority and why.

BBQ at Conrad's house.

The yummiest coffee ever!

The best swimming place (and napping place). 50 meter salt water pool next to the ocean.

Random Ramblings

2010-02-03T06:33:00.001-08:00

First off. I did that 50K trail run last week and the only problem I had after the race was a little poison oak. Damn.... so itchy... and it's the smallest area. I was wearing full tights, longs sleeves, hat, didn't even stop to pee in the bushes (thankfully). Apparently there was a tiny area peaking out between my socks and my tights that was exposed. So very itchy this week! Forget knee or quad pain this is way worse.

Currently I'm sharpening my nails so I can get a good scratch in while I wait for my flight to South Africa. I'm feeling descent after a red-eye from SFO last night. The bike fee was $250, thanks United. The ticket counter lady snarkily said, "How do you intend to pay for that?" Seriously, like it's an option at this point. I'm standing at the counter with one bag, one bike box, and myself weighing a grand total of 230 pounds. Whatever, "credit card" I reply. I've gotten used to paying rediculous bike fees at this point, and it's not like I can just leave it behind. However, I am leaving the bikes and case in South Africa this time. Delta charges $300 for a bike, so I guess I'm getting a deal. I remember when they were free on international flights.

Only 24 more hours of travel to go! Definitely not looking forward to the next 20 hours wedged into the same seat. My recipe of choice for this flight is 1 ambien, 2 benadryl, and maybe a drink. Hopefully when I wake up I'll be at my destination.

Fingers Crossed

2010-01-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

The most dreaded sign when driving in California is the chain control sign. Cal Trans does an amazing job in keeping I-80 open all winter, but they require you to chain up for the smallest snowflake. The road will just be wet and they require chains.

A couple weeks ago I signed up for a 50K race in Pacifica hoping to get out of the mountains for a couple days and to get in some riding in the California sun. The weather conspired against me and I-80 was closed on the day I was supposed to leave. Semis were playing bumper cars and everyone lost. I've lived in Reno a long time, but I've never seen this much consecutive wet weather. It's a desert!!

Anyhow, I left for the race Friday after the roads were reopened. I kept my fingers and toes crossed that I wouldn't have to chain up. Passing through Truckee the skies darkened and the carry chains sign was on. Clearing the pass I thought my troubles were over, but later realized that maybe it would have been a good thing if they had required chains....... on the semis at least. I was cruising along at about 35mph when the semi I was passing decided to slam on his brakes. Immediately his trailer was going sideways down the freeway inches from my front bumper. I tapped frantically on the brakes hoping against all hopes that there wouldn't be contact. Amazingly he took his foot off the brake and the trailer fell in line behind the truck.

At this point I was desperate to get around him, so I tried the slow motion pass again. The second I was next to him, he hit the brakes again, but this time the trailer was coming at the passenger side of the car. More frantic brake tapping ensued and I gingerly steered my car off the left hand side of the road. I've never had such a close call driving before and I think my heart rate was higher during that drive than it has been ever during a race.

Leaving Truckee the carry chains sign was on, but no sign of Cal Trans yet. Maybe they are on a coffee break.

Winter wonderland!

The unlucky people that were stopped on I-80 eastbound that had to chain up. See the road is just wet! Evil Cal Trans.

I eventually made it over the pass and to the race. Then I forgot to take pictures during the run. I did carry the camera the entire 50K though. Lots of ups and lots of downs. 7000 ft worth. It was beautiful, wet, and muddy. I loved every second of it!

In sun, or rain, or snow

2010-01-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

I went on the most magical run last night. It was just as the sun was going down, but it was so bright outside. When the storm is actually here is the most fun. Cleaning up and the mess after never is. When it's snowing outside people stay inside.... meaning that I had the trails to myself! There is something special about running in a snowstorm.

Proof that I was breaking laws by letting the dogs off leash in the leashes required area at Rancho yesterday. No one was there.

Bliksem loved jumping over the creek. So back and forth she went chasing snowflakes.

People are always asking me why I run. It's for special moments like this, and I find them in almost every run. It's the free time to myself to think or to not think and just feel, depending on my mood. Today was about feeling alive and enjoying the magical moment.

Dog Days

2010-01-19T20:56:00.001-08:00

Winter in Reno can be difficult at times. It's not really cold or snowy enough to go ski, and it's not warm enough to ride outside. I continue running all winter, but riding in 40F temps has no appeal. Last year I was able to motivate for the trainer, but this year I keep putting off rides.

Skiing is possible. It's about an hour drive, but then I feel guilty about leaving the dogs behind. When all else fails, I take the dogs for a run.

I enjoy the cold of winter, but I could do without the mud. The dogs love it. Kona pounces in it with a smug look on her face. Bliksem has longer hair and just wallows in. They love every minute. The trick to winter running is to go as early as possible when the mud is still frozen, or else you end up with this........

Mud stilts!!!

Up and up and up we go. Above Reno the views are usually spectacular. Today I could barely see the city. There is an inversion layer stuck in the valley. My treat for running up above it is a temperature a good 10 degrees warmer than down below and sweet sweet sunshine.

Kona and Bliksem's mud covered belly.

Back home a while later the dogs are tired and happy. Another dog day!

Barefoot running?!?

2010-01-15T20:07:00.000-08:00

So about a week ago I read an article on barefoot running that I found as a link on facebook. Interesting stuff, considering that I'm currently reading Born to Run which is about the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico. They run ultra and by ultra I mean hundreds of miles at a time. They do this without all of our fancy shoes and have no injuries that seem to plague most runners. Add this one to your winter reading list.

If anyone is interested in the article here is the link

http://isiria.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/the-great-marketing-lie-expensive-runners%20-will-prevent-injury/

Anyhow, barefoot running was on my mind. Here I am running in mountains above Reno on a 12 mile trail loop when out in the middle of nowhere I come across this. Okay, so it rained a lot, and for Reno this means anything more than 5 minutes of rain. The mud is shoe sucking deep in places, so I think maybe someone's shoe got sucked off.

There are more footprints and they go in both directions. I tracked the footprints for a while and it looks like the crazy shoeless runner went at least 6 miles in temps that have barely broken 40 F in weeks.

Maybe the barefoot runner is onto something. Reno isn't meant to get rain. The dirt turns into this sticky glue like substance that sticks to the bottom of your shoes and adds 6" of height to my legs. I run a few strides trying to land on rocks and then stop and have to scrape it off my shoes. Another couple hundred meters and repeat again. and again. But the dogs love it and half my reason for going out instead of hiding on the treadmill is for them. So we will continue our hunt for the barefoot runner in the hills above Reno. Are you out there? She/he is probably wondering who is crazier.

My Running Partners

2010-01-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

The original running partner was Kona. When we arrived at the pound 2 years ago she was leaping 3 feet off the ground and barking non stop. She is a great running buddy. Anytime I put on running shorts or shoes she starts quivering with excitement. It's hard not to be happy when you're running when she looks so happy.

Kona needed a buddy though for those long days when I'm at work and Conrad is back in Africa. About a month ago when we heard that our price was accepted on the house, we went to the pound just to look. We nearly came home with 2 dogs. The Nevada Humane Society had a requirement that we do a dog meet dog at the pound before they would let us a take a dog home. Kona came back into the pound the same way she left 2 years prior. The dog meet dog took place in a 10x10 room with 2 dog handlers, 2 dogs, and 2 of us. It didn't go the way the pound workers liked and after 20 seconds and one raised lip they said the dogs would never get along and left.

Bliksem's pound foto. She looked so sad, and I couldn't leave her there.

We left the pound that day not knowing what to do. A plan was hatched, and we obtained Bliksem from the pound by other means. Thanks Graham for the alibi.

Bliksem enjoying her first snow day.

Kona and Bliksem enjoying a ski day at Prosser Lake. See they don't get along at all.

Where does the time go?

2009-11-30T21:47:00.000-08:00

Bliksem's kennel photo

It's been a busy couple of months with lots of exciting times. The trip to Hawaii this October was amazing, and I wasn't as disappointed as I would have thought about not racing. I ended up doing the 10K trail run for fun and it was nice to not have to travel with a bike.

Now it's going on December and I'm really craving to get back out on the bike again. The one race this year was great for my budget and getting the student loans nearly paid off, but I can't wait to get back out there next year. In the pipes are a couple 70.3s, maybe IM Hawaii, and definitely Ultraman Worlds. Anyone know of a condo I can rent for the months of October and November in Kona next year?

Even bigger news is the new pup we adopted from the pound last week. She is about 11 months old and is some kind of mix with Blue Healer and pointer. Kona and her are getting along great and she has already been out on a 1.5 hr run and passed with flying colors.

Other crazy news is we should be closing on a house in the next 2 weeks! Keeping the fingers crossed for now.

LAST HARVEST

2009-10-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

The days have gotten shorter and temperatures are below freezing each night. While I love the crisp mornings, the garden isn't loving it quite as much. The tomato plants died almost overnight. This was the first year Conrad and I planted a garden, and it was a lot of fun. Sadly it is time to wrap it up for the season. Hopefully someday we'll be in our own place and be able to have a green house. It was nice knowing where our food was coming from, and to be able to eat it right off the plant.

Up up and away!

2009-09-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

It was time to break out of the ordinary and go ride somewhere new. Conrad had never been to Markleeville, so we decided to make a day out of it and he would squeeze a little fishing in after the ride up and over Ebbetts Pass.

The first 6 miles are a climbing false flat, and then the road kicks up and up and up some more. Just when you think you have to be at the top, there is a demoralizing hill starring you down.

Super fun hill riding! No centerline, almost no cars, and no guard rail over the cliff!

It's not a continuous grade on the way up with some sections reaching 23% and a couple rollers on the way up. I was super thankful for my new Specialized Ruby with compact cranks. Conrad was on a mountain bike and laughing at me.

About a mile from the top we filled our bottles up at this lake. My new favorite toy of the week is a UV light water purifier. Fits easily in the back pocket, and no need to find a rest stop.

We descended the other side and climbed up the next pass which happened to be even steeper. Too steep for Conrad to get pictures.

It's a beautiful area and I can't wait to go back. Maybe next time we'll camp. Conrad enjoyed the fishing and caught more than 10 "monster" fish. After a big fight the first 3 incher was reeled in. Next time I'll try my luck.

Mental Recovery

2009-08-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

After returning from Canada with a 19 hour drive to make it to work on time I needed some rest. So, my first weekend back I went on a 3 day solo (just the dog) backpacking trip into Desolation Wilderness (west of Tahoe). It was amazing and perfect to recharge the mental battery. Physically carrying a pack for 3 days probably wasn't the best, but I loved it anyway.

I found this sweet little camp spot above the lake. It was on a little ledge overlooking the lake. Kona loved her new found freedom in the day, but nights were a different story. She sat in alert the entire time growling at every bump in the night.

Just some of the amazing views.

The view from the climb up to the campsite from Lake Tahoe.

On day 2 we did a 14 mile hike to the top of Talac for the views.

There was one particularly bold chipmunk that decided to torment Kona. It kept running around Kona's legs. She'd stand perfectly still and hold her breath. After about 15 minutes of this Kona couldn't take it any more and half heartedly chased the chipmunk away.
The stare down.

We are about 1500 feet above the lake here. We camped at the one that is further away.

The poor puppy was traumatized by the chipmunks and the dark. She stayed awake most of both nights with every bump in the dark eliciting a low growl.

The best way to go backpacking. No tent, just a sleeping bag, food, UV light to treat the water, and a dog in case things get desperate. :)

Ultraman Day 2 & 3

2009-08-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

The trip home was amazing, but went by far too fast. We got home just after midnight Saturday, and I had to work at 6 am the next day. I guess I'm trying to squeeze as much life as possible into 24 hours and it's not quite all fitting.

Anyhow, day 2 of Ultraman started with stiff legs. Climbing down the stairs of the hotel I wasn't sure what would be in store for the day. 170 miles is a long way to go. Did I overcook it the day before? As soon as I hoped on my bike all my fears were gone. My legs felt great! I took it fairly conservative the first 60 miles which is a flat out and back. There was a bit of a headwind on the back part, but I tucked into my aero bars and started reeling in the men's field.

The top 3 ladies going into day 2. Such great competitors!

After the out and back there was a section called the wall. I had heard about it through the competition, but I love the hills. Actually the tougher the course and conditions the more I enjoy it. The wall fell a little short of expectations after climbing the "walls" that surround Reno. It was a great chance to get out of the saddle, and I quickly flew up the hill. At the top I was surprised my support crew dressed in interesting garb. I don't know when they had the time to stop and purchase their attire, but it kept me laughing.

I'm looking back in disbelief. I couldn't quite grasp what I was seeing.

After the wall was a rolly section through beautiful grassland. There was another short hot climb and then we were at Yellow Lake and ready to descend the climb we had completed the day before.

After the descent was a 40+ mile false flat with a pumping headwind. Conrad trying to be encouraging yelled from the car that it was all flat, but I had looked at the profile and knew better. I was folded as low as I could get and was still only averaging 14 mph. The wind kept on pumping, but no one from behind was catching me. Weather is weather and we all have to deal with it.

Near the end of this stretch the boys disappeared for about 30 minutes. I was beginning to get panicky. Did they get a flat? Run out of gas? Then I saw the river to my right and guessed that they went fishing. Conrad had snuck his fly rod into the team car that morning. That night when I was downloading photos I found a couple of them playing in the river and Conrad fishing.

Much ado was placed on the cattle guards in the race briefing. Everyone was told to dismount and walk and that there was a hole in one of them. When I would get close all the other team crews would yell "CATTLE GUARD". I couldn't quite wrap my head around walking my bike across (I mountain bike over scary stuff), so I rode them...... all of them. Anyhow, this is how you ride a cattle guard.

This is the men's winner who was just behind me on the bike demonstrating the other way to cross a cattle guard. Conrad couldn't resist snapping the photo.

The last 40 miles of the bike were an out and back. 20 miles of rolling climbing and 20 miles of flying. This is my flying past one of the incredibly beautiful lakes that I wished I could stop at for a quick swim. I was surprised to find myself finishing the bike leg in 3rd place overall. What a day! As I tried to hobble up the stairs to the hotel room I became slightly worried about day 3. 53 miles of running...... I couldn't even imagine it at this point.

DAY 3

I stiffly rolled out of bed about 1hr 15 minutes before the day 3 start. I immediately knew I wasn't going to be taking in any solid food today. The legs were stiff, but the stomach was not happy. I stuck with taking GU flask with me on the run and taking little hits every 10-15 minutes. Pedialyte turned out to be my beverage of choice until we ran out.

The start was cool and crisp which was a nice change to the 100 degree days we had been having. For the first 5 minutes I just kept thinking left, right, left, right. Then the legs loosened up and felt..... springy. Amazing what the body can do! I really enjoyed the run for the first 20-25 miles, but then I started feeling a pain in my left shin. Shin splints.... really. I had been having knee problems for the past 2 months, so knee pain I was expecting, but shin splints. Super thanks go to Mark DeJohn in Bend, OR for doing ART on our quick stop on the drive to Canada. The knee felt great. The shin had other plans in mind. Every down hill turned into a torture session.

The course was rolling hills the entire way, and I don't really remember running on anything flat. There was a dirt road for about 25 miles which was gentler on the legs, and the scenery was incredible.

At about 45 miles, the shin pain started getting out of control and my stomach started to revolt. I couldn't take in another sweet or sugary thing. When it got really tough I tried to focus on something inspiring. The first thought that came to my mind was Jamie Whitmore. I've been truly inspired by her courage and attitude. I kept moving forward.

I looked down at my Suunto watch and the mileage stated that I was done, but I didn't see a finish line anywhere in sight. I asked Graham how far it was, and he drove up a little to find out. When he came back he said 4 km. Yikes! 4 km seemed like a marathon at this point. I guess I didn't calibrate my foot pod correctly. The last bit lasted an eternity, but eventually the finish line was in sight. Conrad, Graham, and I ran across the line together.

This race was more fun and more rewarding than anything else I have finished. It was amazing to have my crew with me. Thanks so much Graham and Conrad for your support..... I couldn't have done it without you. It also meant so much more to be able to share the entire experience with them. Usually your family just gets to see you at the start, transition, and finish. They got to see me through the highs and lows. Like life there are good moments and bad, but it's the journey that is important.

Ultraman Canada Day 1

2009-08-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Just waiting for the ferry now to go to Olympic National Park in Washington, so just time for a quick blog.

The drive from Reno to Canada was uneventful. Graham, my friend that was to be my 2nd crew member, met us in Bend, OR and we completed the drive to Penticton together. The boys rode together swapping stories......

The night before the race we drove to the swim exit and did a little 30 minute spin together to loosen up the legs after the long drive. The boys wanted a longer ride so they carried on and I drove back to the hotel. After a good nap I woke up to find them still gone. It was 8pm the night before the race, we hadn't packed a thing in the van, and my entire crew was missing. About 30 minutes later they showed up. It turned out that they had split up while riding so that Conrad could get in some mountain biking. Graham had come back to the hotel only to get a call from Conrad to come and pick him up. Conrad's mountain biking adventure involved getting lost, running out of water, drinking lake water, running into both mama and baby bear, getting further lost, and finally having to retrace his steps back to the main road.

We ended up getting the bike and van ready in the parking lot at 10pm by headlamp light. Typical Conrad!

The morning of day 1 arrived and I was all nerves. What had I gotten myself into? A 10 km swim!!!! I looked across the lake and couldn't even see the buoy that was 8 km away.

Graham goofing around prior to the start.

We swam all the way across and then around the corner that you can't quite see. My longest swim by far.
The taper apparently worked and I swam a 2:52. My goal for the day was a sub 3:30. Conrad was my super straight paddler escort. Our plan was that he would whistle every 25 minutes to signal me to stop and get fluid and nutrition in the tank. The plan seemed to work well, and I felt strong most of the day. My right hand started cramping up at about 8 km and I couldn't quite control 2 of my fingers anymore. Weird..... Finally the swim finish came, and I was super stoked to get out of the water 3rd. It was amazing to find out that the two people in front of me were both women. Awesome! I fumbled through transition, but I guess that's what happens when you spend nearly 3 hours being horizontal.

Because the swim was so short, a 90 mile bike seemed appropriate. The first 30 miles were basically flat with some small rollers. I was loving it. Even better was the big climb up Richter Pass. I passed the 2nd place female about 10 miles into the ride and heard that I was about 5 minutes down on the super swimmer (also super biker) Barbi Brochu. I was chasing, but also staying in my comfort zone. The heat was starting to build, but the guys were dowsing me with water and putting ice down my jersey. I passed Barbi when she stopped for a quick refill just before the climb to Yellow Lakes. I held the lead for a short time before the first male passed and then Barbi passed me back. My head felt like it was baking. I later heard that temperatures had topped 100F that day. I was also missing my support crew for a while. We had miscalculated the amount of water and ice I would need and they had stopped at a store to refill. Unfortunately for me they were gone just as I was imploding. As Barbi passed me she gave words of encouragement and her support crew was amazing and they super soaked me! At the top of Yellow Lakes we had finished the climbing, and were in for a quick descent to the finish line. Even with my mini implosion I held it together to post a new bike day 1 record of 4:58 and managed to finish just 2 minutes behind Barbi. So happy!

Barbi and her crew with the super soakers.

Post race burger and fries. It just sounded really yummy after eating GU all day.
Ice bath..... as if hanging out in spandex all day wasn't weird enough.

Summer in the Mountains

2009-07-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer so far. Too many fun activities to choose from. Training for Ultraman has been good, but often leaves me exhausted. Conrad's travels and racing have kept him away for most of the summer. So, on a recent sunny day we did a fun training day without heart rate monitors or a plan at all. It was our first ride of the year at Hole in the Ground at Donner Summit. One of my favorite places of all times to ride! There was still snow in a lot of places, but it was mostly ride able. The only down side was that we were in the middle of the mosquito hatch and stopping was not allowed.

Post ride we camped out at the Yuba River while Conrad tried to catch dinner. No luck there, but we did have some left over sandwiches from Wild Cherries.

RANDOM EVENTS

2009-07-05T20:00:00.001-07:00

I nearly always ride with my camera for various reasons, but mostly because when I don't have it I wish I'd brought it. On a recent ride through Sierra Valley I passed this group of bees on the side of the road. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I did stop and watch for a bit.

My other random event of the week was on my intended "long ride". I had this amazing route planned out, but just before I climbed the pass to get out of town I heard a bang. I pulled over and looked at my tire..... damn. It wasn't just a simple flat, the tire decided to give up before we even began. There was a huge hole. I whipped the cell phone out and made a couple calls. All I got was voice mail. I guess people have to work sometime. Left on my own at the top of Geiger Grade was a little intimidating. I was almost to the summit (6700 ft) when the blowout happened and it was going to be a hairy descent to get back to the valley floor.

I left the cell phone sitting out just in case someone happened to call back to rescue me while I was trying to fix the tire.

With no returning phone calls I got to work on the problem. I tried putting a bar wrapper inside the tire and putting a new tube in, but at about 35 psi the tube started pushing the bar wrapper out through the hole. This wasn't going to work. Suddenly an idea struck me (thanks Conrad). About 10 minutes later I was on my way back down Geiger and to the nearest bike shop.

I ended up wrapping the tube as tightly as I could around the wheel while keeping it as thin as possible. Then I loosened the brake (actually I had no rear brake). Front brake only, I crossed my fingers and toes as I slowly descended the pass. Fortunately there is a bike shop near the bottom and I made it there with no further incident. I got a look of disbelief when I told them this happened at the top of Geiger. New tire in place I continued on with my ride.

170 miles of crazyness

2009-06-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

I signed up for a 200 mile ride with 20,000 feet of climbing a couple months ago. I'm not sure why. The ride would have been much more fun if it hadn't rained, then snowed, then rained, then snowed, then rained, and then poured. The temperature above 7,000 feet was never more than 40. After 170 miles of this I called it a day. I'd been cold and wet for about 12 hours and nearly shivered off my bike on a couple of sketchy descents. About halfway through the ride I changed kit and added a couple layers, and I was almost warm for a while. By the end of the ride I was wearing every layer I had carried including undershirt, jersey, arm warmers, winter jersey, vest, and rain jacket. I was never warm during the race but I never got too cold until I got to Ebbetts pass at the end of my day. Ebbetts pass was passes # 5 & 6 of the day. It is about 13 miles long in total with the first 7 being an easy lead up and the last 6 crazy (European) steep. Sections of the route kick up to 24% grade. I didn't know about the crazy steep part until I was there. We rode up and over and down the other side of the mountain and then came back down the scary steep side. Steep + technical + pouring rain + no guardrail +carbon wheels = not so much fun. I couldn't feel my fingers, and my arms were shaking really bad as I crept down the hillside. Finally I made it to the bottom and arrived at the next checkpoint. There I talked with the bike support motorbike that had just come down from the last mountain of the ride. As soon as I heard rainy and windy I decided to call it a day. It wasn't worth another 3 hours of freezing for, and I'd already put in 12 hours. It turned out to be a good decision as the winning men's time was around 13 hours. All in all it was an amazing training day, and I can't wait to come back when winter has finally decided to move somewhere else.

Me at the start......... still smiling. Actually I was smiling until the violent shivering began.

Nothing like being at 8700 feet in the rain on a 40 degree day.

Ugly storm clouds as we approached Carson pass. I had a sneaking suspicion it was snowing up there...... it was.

Post race I was too tired to drive home, and I camped at Blue Lakes (one of the places we biked) at over 8500 feet. Conrad may never get his car back after this trip. The three sleeping bags were key to surviving the night.

Getting it done

2009-06-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

Reno on average gets 7" of rain in a total year. It's a desert. This year it feels like we've had nearly that in the first week of June. It has rained every day so far this month and the forecast doesn't look much better for the coming week. Along with the rain there has been a 30-40 degree temperature drop. 3 weeks ago we were in the 90's and Saturday for my long ride we hit a high of 48. Yeah! So, after swimming in the rain and the two hours it took me to re-warm after that I decided to ride indoors today..... in June. My cold weather clothes and neoprene booties have long ago been packed away along with the trainer. 6 hours on the trainer has absolutely no appeal, but neither did freezing in the rain. So I popped in the movies and got it done.

Bad Blogger

2009-06-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've been in a bit of a funk. When I'm busy sulking I don't blog, in fact I don't tend to do much of anything, which makes it worse. It's not been a great spring, but maybe it's how I'm looking at it. I've been sulking a bit due to injuries and also because I'm staying home while Conrad goes racing. The staying home would be easier if I could just stay healthy. About 2 weeks ago during a fun easy trail run Kona ran straight into me while chasing a rabbit and knocked me over. It would have been okay if my left knee and elbow hadn't landed on rocks. I tried to finish the run, but the knee just wasn't having any part of it. A week later the knee was starting to feel a bit better, when Conrad decided that kissing the pavement would feel good. He has the full story on his website. Somehow I managed to break my fall with my head (cracked my new helmet), my left hip (Conrad is calling it my 2nd butt), and my left knee and elbow. I opened the almost healed skin from the prior weeks fall.

Yep we stuck to the sheets for the next week....

The week got better when I returned from work one night to find a shiny new toy in the driveway that was just for me. :)

Putting my nursing scrubs to good use I raced around the front yard trying to find any and all bumps.

I'm now too fast to capture on film.....

Kona pretending to be the saddest dog in the entire world.

Another week has gone by and I'm still hurting. I tried swimming today, and the neck still hurts to bad to flip turn. Then I tried a run. At first it felt like it was going to be okay, but about 15 minutes in the pain started up again. I turned around and walked back.... sulking the entire way. I got home and crawled under the blankets about to start a full blown pity party. Before the party could be started I remembered my shiny new toy in the garage. The knee seems to be good when riding, and there is nothing like sweet single track to put a smile back on my face. No more funk... I just need to go ride my bike.

Racing the storm home. I won, but just barely.

31 is just a number.......

2009-05-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

..... of miles I ran for my 31st birthday. Conrad was out of town, so I was on my own to make all the crazy plans I wanted. Before my stress fracture I had been planning on running the 50/50 race in Reno. I had been planning on the 50 mile version, but post injury I settled on the 50 kilometer version. The 50k runs up and over Peavine Mountain with 5800 feet of climbing. The race is put on by the local running group, and the best part is that I can walk to the race start from my house. The race started with a water crossing (they are flooding the dog park at Rancho again) and there was no way to keep my feet dry. I was stoked that quickly my new Avia Avi Stoltz felt dry. I was even more impressed that at the end of 50k with all that climbing and descending my feet felt great. I brought the camera along on the run, but didn't take as many pictures as I had at previous events. I'd been on nearly every trail on the east side of Peavine on both bike and foot over the past 6 years, and nothing exciting happened to capture on film. The mountain is in full spring bloom with wildflowers dotting the hillsides. I got slightly lost twice and probably ran an extra half mile total, but other than that the race went great. A lot of people started off hard, and I passed most of them on the climb up Peavine. It is 13 miles of climbing to get there, and then we went straight down the other side. As I was running down I was thinking about the long climb back up. Strangely my legs felt really good. I've only been back running for about a month, and I had a non existent taper week that included a 2 hour run and a 5 hour ride in the two days leading up to the event. I felt a little fatigued starting the day, but the longer I ran the better I felt...... until the last 2 or so miles. The last little bit is all down hill and by then the sun was baking down. I ended up finishing in a respectable 5:15 and 3rd female overall. Not bad for not really training. I did a post run ice back at the finish and headed home for some serious napping. Naps are the best. I don't know why I didn't enjoy napping as a kid because it sure is a treat now.

The long climb back up Peavine. No one in my rear view mirror. :)

This is why I shouldn't take picture while running.

2009-05-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Nothing may ever get done in our house again. On a cold and windy day Conrad took me for my first real ride on the pedal-less bike. My last ride was after work as the sun went down. 3ish hours and a couple of bruises later and we were back. So much fun and so demanding. Of course I had Conrad the mutant to follow as an example. It was kind of like trying to keep up with him while mountain biking, running, swimming, or well just about anything (except for snow sports).

I remember our first mountain bike ride together down the MacKenzie River Trail. I was trying to keep up, or rather was just trying not to look too pathetic. I came across a real technical section with a big root and lava rocks and instead of getting off and walking (I didn't want to get left behind) I decided to ride it. Bad decision. I'm not sure of the specifics of the crash, but my knee went into the lava and didn't work so well for the rest of the ride (this was at the beginning of the day). A couple of turns later near a spectacular waterfall I found Conrad waiting for me. Damn, so much for looking cool.

Anyhow, riding motorbikes with Conrad reminded me of that first mountain bike ride. I blindly follow without questioning if I really should be following. Anything involving 2 wheels comes easy to Conrad, and I should have known better. With my heart thumping in my chest I followed.

The end of the ride.... wheew, I made it home in one piece. At the end I had a big smile and sore arms and legs.
This uphill thing is great. Just give it gas and it goes.
Scary steep downhill... Conrad was nice enough to send everyone we know this picture with the caption "everyone has their limits".

Xterra Vegas

2009-05-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

I was really unsure how I'd feel going to the first Xterra of the season and not be participating. As we packed up in Reno, Conrad noticed that I packed up my road bike and left the mountain bike behind. Now there was no way I could be talked into racing. I've only done a handful of runs since the stress fracture and my heart just wasn't into this race. Friday I went on a road ride through Lake Mead area and was pleasantly surprised. Quiet freshly paved roads with a huge shoulder. I wish I had another day in the area to explore.

It's really a treat to see the desert this green. I've only been able to see a couple cactus in bloom.

Red sandstone cliffs surrounded sections of the road.

It was rolling hills the entire way.

I almost started crying when I finally got to the store after running out of water 20 head wind filled miles earlier.

Conrad on the bike

"I fell over there"

Conrad had some fond memories of his first borrowed bike.

Christine Jeffries leading the men out of the water.

It was a great race for spectating as both the bike and run were 2 loops. The crowd got to see Conrad and Josiah charge out for their second loop of the run stride for stride. In the end I never felt, even once, the urge to be out there racing. It was much more fun to talk to long lost friends and watch them duel it out in the hot Las Vegas sun.

It turns every hill into a downhill......

2009-04-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Or that is what Conrad keeps telling me. He claims it's "skills training". Kona thought is was pretty cool until she realized that she didn't get to come along. Anyhow, Conrad got a new dirt bike about 3 weeks ago, and somehow managed to fit it into the back of his minivan to get it home. He's been disappearing for hours during the day and then starting training sessions just as the sun goes down. Dishes are multiplying in the sink and nothing has been cleaned in weeks. He keeps telling me he doesn't have enough time. After I finish my 48 hour work week I role my eyes at him. I guess enough was enough. This week when I pulled into the drive way I saw what appeared to be a second bike in the drive way. My gut reaction was isn't 1 enough. Then I noticed it's mini-me size. For me! Yeah! Now I have a reason not to clean the dishes too.

Kona isn't getting what is so fun about the bikes.

Spectating

2009-04-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about not racing that much this year. If the first race of the season is anything to go by, I'm going to love it. It was refreshing to go to a venue and just enjoy it. Days 2 and 3 of my Monterey adventure included demoing the Specialized fleet and I now have my Christmas list complete. If anyone needs ideas I want a small Era and a 48" Ruby please. I had too much fun if thats possible riding the Era around the XC course..... twice. The demo bike area closed at 5pm and I was racing to get the bike back, and I was only 20 minutes late. In 3 days I managed to squeeze in 14 hours of riding. I raced back home Saturday night and got back just in time to squeeze in 3 quick hours of sleep before heading off to work.

The highlight of the weekend was watching the short track event. The Specialized crew dominated the event taking 1st (Todd Wells) and 2nd (Burry Stander). Far more fun for me was watching Conrad suffer a little... usually he's making me suffer. Out of a 150 riders he made the top 15. In the morning he was overheard asking, "How do you race a short track". It was good to see the triathlete hanging with the xc guys. I was really impressed.

Todd Wells and Burry Stander leading the short track with no competition in sight.
Post race hanging out with my old house mate Tom Skiles.

Conrad suffering just a little.

One of my super fun road rides along 17 mile drive. The fog was intense that morning, but .5 mile inland it was brilliant blue skies.
Just outside Monterey.
Not sure what these guys were selling at the expo.
This guy could barely walk...
Happy demo day!

I was actually pretty stoked to not be racing this week. It was great to just enjoy biking for biking and have no other purpose in mind. If every day could be like this....... :)

Sunshine!

2009-04-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made the drive to Monterey. Conrad made the drive earlier in the week to get ready for The Sea Otter Classic. At first I was a little sad to not be racing, but I quickly got over it. Not racing meant I could do whatever and not suffer the consiquence on race day. Usually in the lead up to an important race I try to stay of my feet, get proper nutrition, and I have specific training/taper plans. This week I was going to try and do the opposite. I have to work on Sunday so no racing for me. My goal is to enjoy some of the good weather and have fun riding. Mission accomplished! Day 1 here included a 5:30 road ride through some private communities. All you have to do is wave and smile and the security guards and there is unlimited access to perfectly paved roads and beautiful scenery. The only hazard I came across was a deer bolting in front on me on a descent.

Sneaking in part 1

The first of many fences I eluded....

Just some of the many deer that I saw.
My favorite was the turkeys. The male was all fluffed up, but he didn't stick around to pose for pictures.

All in all it was a great day with some amazing climbs. I was wishing I had a compact or even a triple. Time to refuel and get ready for day 2.

Christmas Conrad

2009-04-11T21:41:00.001-07:00

I've lived in Reno nearly my entire life, and while I don't enjoy winter as much as I did as a kid I don't quite understand Conrad's perspective. Until he got here I had the heat in the house turned down to 48 degrees which is just high enough to keep the pipes from freezing. I turned the head up to 60 for Conrad, but he still thinks it's cold. I guess jumping hemispheres and living in eternal summer or the last 17 or so years makes a person soft. He's always claiming that they're "Bred tough in Africa". I'm not buying it, and here's the proof. On what I thought was a beautiful day (mid 60's) we went or a bike ride. Conrad put on so many layers I wasn't sure he's be able to move, let alone turn the pedals. With all the red on I've nicknamed him Christmas Conrad.

At the base of the climb he shed a few layers and quickly proved that he could indeed pedal. This is the view of him I captured of him just before he disappeared out of eyesight.

After getting home he loaded up the van to head to Sea Otter. Yep, we have a van. After he finished packing we sat down inside to eat dinner before he left. After a while we noticed that our normal audience was missing. Where's Kona? Turns out she packed herself into the van and was trying to be as quiet as possible. Hoping beyond hope that we would take her. She knows after last summers fun car trips that only fun things happen on trips involving bikes. Some of her fun included grabbing a skunk by the tail. After 6 months and many home deskunking remedies the smell finally went away. With her attempt at hiding thwarted she got packed up and sent to grandma's house.

STARTING OVER

2009-04-09T13:24:00.001-07:00

New starts can be something we choose or something that is chosen for us. This year, my world is completely different from the one I left behind last year. My website crashed and it has taken me a few months to get the new one up and running. I had a stress fracture in my foot that kept me from running for 8 weeks, so there was no outlet for frustrations. The nursing job I was supposed to start was cancelled and the job marked looked bleak for a while. Travel nursing positions were few and there were many applicants. It was a trying time for me, but I decided to come back to Reno where I knew I could find work. To add to the stress of bills piling up, Conrad left for his winter break back to South Africa at the end of November and it was a REALLY tough 4 months apart. So we're starting over.

Conrad arrived back in Reno on the 21st of March which interestingly is the first day of spring and probably my favorite time of year. We are renting a really neat older house complete with a garage and a full basement. It's so nice to finally have a place to put our belongings. On my days off we drove to Bend, rented a Uhaul (again) and moved all our stuff back to Reno. We'll be here at least until November, and then ??? Who knows? What I do know is that we are professional movers. We can fit all our belongings in a 10ft x 10ft storage unit and load a Uhaul in under an hour.