Legs…must…go…faster…

Okay, so…the story goes like this:

I got sick about 4 weeks ago.  I tried to ride through it, and even did my first race during it.  I took a couple days off to get better, and it worked, and started training hard again.  All of this took place during my first build period.  I then had to go to freezing cold Idaho for family stuff and proceeded to get sick again.  I still tried to ride through it (on the trainer this time, seeing as how there were 3 inches of snow and/or gravel on the ground).  I tried a couple hard efforts and to no avail, it just made me want to throw up, so I stopped both workouts.

I have finally been feeling better for a couple weeks – and I decided to sort of elide my 2 build sessions together, since I really hadn’t completed my first one while I was sick.  That would meaning having about a 4 week build session and then trying to taper and do my A race.  Well….yeah…right now my legs feel like Jello. I even had a dream last night that I was riding bikes with some people at school and they all beat me down the street (even the slow people!) What a nightmare!

This weekend Chris and I and Kennett headed up to WA to do some racing.  IVRR was on Saturday and we arrive to the welcoming sight of snow, and downpouring rain, accompanyied by a mud/gravel field to stage in and 33 degree weather.  YEAH!!!  I love racing!!!  So, we kitted up and got on our bikes.  I was just glad not to be doing almost 80 miles like the guys were.  The women were slotted for 58 miles. Not too bad.  I had no idea what the course entailed…but I soon found out as the first hill loomed in front of us at mile 2.  I’m thinking 10% grade?  It was short, but it definately split the pack apart, even on the first lap.  I held on, had to bomb it down the descent, but I was on.  It was painful, but it did warm me up.

The second hill wasn’t bad.  I dropped back a little, but chased to catch back on.  The second lap (out of 3) we hit the steep hill again.  I stood up to climb and realized I couldn’t really feel my arms well enough to rock my bike back and forth…and then my legs were like rocks – (not in a good muscly way, but in more of an icesicle way).  So, I fell of the back a little mroe than last time. I caught up to a group of 5 women, all of which had team mates in the front small break.  I just hammered.  I wasn’t very smart, but I didn’t care. I was freezing and angry that once again I can’t keep up on the climbs.  I hammer some more.  Feeling pretty warm, gaining on the front group.  I’m tired.  My legs are quitting on me.  And about 1K from the next hill and about 50 meters from the lead group, the other gals swarm me.  I’m left climbing the hill with 1 other gal.  I’m done.  We chase and chase, get pretty close and then they started slowly slipping away.

We sat up around the finish line area and asked how many girls were up the road.  They said about 7 – so we figured we were out of placement and out of the points…the temperature seemed to be dropping as it was snowing harder – and we called it quits.  This was the coldest, hardest race I think I’ve ever done.  I don’t feel bad at all about not finishing.  It took me the next 48 hours to warm up.  Chris ended up finishing up in the top 15 (out of 18 that finished) and Kennett finished about 18th???? That’s more than 2/3 of the guys can say who started that race!

The next day was Piece of Cake Road Race.  Flat, windy.  My legs are tired.  Calves feel like they are going to cramp just standing there.  Chris and kennett race in the morning.  I wait around all morning trying not to get dehydrated or tired.  I finally start my race.  It’s basically VF against everyone else.  It was frustrating not being able to control the race at all, but it was a good race.  Attacks the whole time.  Counter attacks and chasing the entire time.  I was off the front for a bit – but it was during the first lap so I sat up…

The final 5K was beastly.  Lindsay Fox launched an attack, we all held on, and the pace escalated to about 25+mph….then VF drilled it, alternating who was on front.  It was the perfect leadout for their teammate who won.  I was at the back of all this, too far back to get up for the sprint. I got gapped off right before the 200m, had to sprint around the girl and knew I didn’t stand a chance.  I still tried to sprint …my legs not really working properly.  Once I did get up and sprint, I propelled myself up to the other girls so much faster than I’d expected that I was kind of surprised!  I definately should have just sprinted the entire time, but my legs were trashed, and there’s something about seeing that 200M mark from the back of a group of 5 girls that are going balls to the wall.  I just didn’t have it.  Disappointment from me for getting tunnel vision…and not getting myself to the front.  Lesson learned.  I need to be more assertive and just keep my eye on the prize.

It’s rest for me and then Cherry Blossom Classic next weekend.

Now that’s what I call racing!

So, I have a couple different stories.  This first post will be about Banana Belt – and the other about the UO race that took place on March 21.

So, Banana Belt #3 – or #4, which ever you want to call it.  The 3rd and final race of the series.  Chris and I climbed into bed Saturday night, exhausted from the UO race, which I had coordinated the day before.  (see other blog).  We were planning on getting up at 4:30am the next morning to get on the road to Hagg Lake for the last Banana Belt.

The alarm goes off the next morning and I hit snooze probably a little more than I thought I did and before we knew it, it was 5:30.  Chris decided he was going to go for sure and I just laid in bed and said I wasn’t going to go.  Then I started having arguments with myself as I tried to go back to sleep…which eventually led me to jump out of bed, throw all my stuff in a bag and climb sluggishly into the car.

We made it to Hagg Lake in record time.  2 hours and 10 minutes thanks to Chris’ amazing skillz.  It took me quite a while to wake up and I couldn’t really warm up because in our rush, we had forgotten the trainer. I rolled around and then it was time for the race to start.

There was an ample number of women there, which was exciting. The TAI women had Jill, Pam, Emily, and myself.  The race began and it we held a pretty steady tempo throughout the entire race, which was fun.  I won’t go into a lot of details, but pretty much the race consisted of some early attacks by a few Veloforma riders, which Emily and I were in charge of chasing down.  The first one I was not successful at and Jill had to take over, because, as I said, I was not warmed up…at all…  Anyway, so the rest of the race was pretty much Veloforma Attacking and we’d mark, chase, cover and then Jill and Pam launched a few attacks and they’d do the same.  There were some other women in in the field that were doing a lot of work to chase stuff down, which was really awesome!

Throughout the entire race there was usually 2-3 people off the front being brought in, which made for a fast paced, extremely fun race!  I’m thinking finally!!!!  Women’s racing is coming alive in OBRA LAND!!!!!!  So, the 3rd lap consisted of me starting to cramp in my right calf.  I’ve never cramped in my calf before, so it was weird – and it didn’t feel good.  It was just trying to seize up though, and never cramped fully until the final sprint.  I started drinking all my water and trying to massage my calf as I rode – it went away for a while.

During the 4th lap we got neutralized because the Men’s 1/2 came through, so it slowed down a little bit, but was fast at the end.  At the end climb, some one jumped and I jumped also and there it went.  My calf said NO WAYYYYY!!!!  It seized up and I sat down immediately.  My 2 teammates were able to get on the train up the hill, so that was good.  I rubbed the cramp out and started motoring up the hill and over – it was me and another VF gal…with a large gap in between the last part of the pack.  We made it to the lead group at 1K.  They had let up a little and so I yelled, “COME ON, WE GOT THIS SPRINT IF WE HIT IT HARD NOW!”  and so we all took off…

Unfortunately the chase pack caught us right at the 200 M and it was all downhill from there…literally.  I saw a VF gal going up the right side and jumped on her wheel.  I stood up to sprint and there it went again.  My legs weren’t going to let me sprint.  So, I sat down and rode it out.  I’m sick of cramping. I never used to cramp.    Wahhhh!!

Okay, enough wining.  Drink a lot of water, get some endurolytes or salt tablets, eat more bananas.  Anyone else got suggestions????  I’ve cramped twice already this year in critical points…IT NEEDS TO STOP!

My teammates did awesome, and it was a very successful race for all of us.  Unfortunately Emily flatted and did not finish.  But Jill ended up getting 3rd overall and 2nd in the 1/2’s and Pam finished 3rd in the 1/2’s.  We were able to cover all attacks and I think put some hurt on on our own.  Nice job gals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week is going to consist of some hill work, but also just some long sustained rides.  I haven’t been able to ride a steady long ride (more than 50 miles) for about 3 weeks – so it is time.  These next 2 races this coming weekend are both pretty flat, so I’m going to also be getting on my sprint this week.  YEAH!!!!!  I can’t wait to try out my sprint!!!!!!  (without my calf cramping).

Alright, that’s it.

1100 Miles Later

Unfortunately, those 1100 miles are driving miles, and not riding miles.  This past week consisted of death, family, driving, snow, driving, rain, and sickness and driving.  (not necessarily in that particular order)

Last Thursday I made a spur of the moment 13 hour drive to Idaho to be with my family because my Grandmother passed away.  I arrive in Pocatello to find snow and really really cold air.  I also woke up the morning after my late arrival to find I was coming down with a head cold.  I tried getting on the trainer a couple days after I got there – and I was miserable.  I lasted a whole hour. But I did get in some Kung Fu Panda, so that was great!

Being with the family was great – I don’t get to do that very often – due to distance, so it was fun.  The funeral was as good as a funeral could be. I saw a lot of people that I haven’t seen in ages, including more of my family, so that was nice.

I tried getting on the trainer a couple days later – having a full on head cold, but feeling really antsy because I couldn’t really do anything outside (Now that I think about it, I should have gone X-Country skiing) – Anyway, I hopped on the trainer.  I felt good warming up, but when I got off the bike for a short “switching movie session” after 20 minutes of warming up, I felt like I was about to pass out. I know it was pretty much just because my HR was high and then I all the sudden stopped riding, but still – I hovered over the garbage can, feeling pretty woozy – then regained my composure and hopped back on the bike.  I was planning on doing some short Threshold efforts – so I did my first one.  90 seconds – felt good.  I finished the interval and immediately felt the nausea coming back – I was also coughing quite a bit and once again reached for the garbage can.  Maybe this workout wasn’t such a good idea.  So, I spent the rest of the hour trying to keep my HR at a decent – high endurance level which felt pretty good.  At the end of my hour and 1/2 I tried 1 more effort.  To no avail the nausea feeling came back – and I decided to cool down and call it quits.  So much for a good week of build.

11.5 hours back to Oregon (the weather was better on the way back), I’m feeling pretty exhausted and sickly.  My headcold is not letting me sleep.  I wake up after a little rest and feel a little better – my nose wasn’t snotting as much, so that was a good sign.  Chris, Derek, and I went for a ride.  My legs didn’t feel tired, but they also didn’t feel like they were strong from a good week of workouts, so I was a little worried about the upcoming Banana Belt on Sunday.

Banana Belt came a long.  Another 2.5 hours of driving.  (I swear it never ends).  Sunday morning at Hagg Lake was frigid.  Rains pouring, actually blowing sideways, the wind blowing, getting stronger and stronger every minute.  We started the race with few people in attendance.  (Whoever didn’t end up racing Sunday was SMART!!!!!!!!!!).  I wasn’t feeling it – the race I mean – I just wasn’t in it.  My glasses were fogging, my eyes hurt from the grit, my legs hurt from the attacks at the front.  At some point along the dam I took my glasses off, and stuffed them in my pocket, meanwhile drifting to the back.  I spent the next few minutes trying to get my way to the front before the next hill….it came sooner than I wanted it to and the attack came.  My legs screamed, my chest got tight, and I just couldn’t do it.  Almost there…almost…If I had been 2nd or 3rd wheel, I could have made it.  But I wasn’t there.  I was probably about 8th wheel back, and after passing a few people who were struggling just a bit more than I was, I saw the break pull away.  I chased, I chased with all my might and my little muscles just couldn’t do it.

I was joined by 2 other girls, one of who ended up yelling at me for not doing work for the next few minutes – I just thought to myself…”I’m doing plenty of work dangling back here off the back trying to keep up with the 2 of you, there’s no way I’d be able to pull.”  Then, I tried to pull and one of the girls yelled at me to get off the front because I would slow them down.   Anyway, we eventually ended up working together, but to no avail.  We were eventually joined by some other girls and pace lined for bit, but no luck.  We kept the lead group in site for almost a lap and then they disappeared.

I spent the whole 3rd lap feeling miserable.  I couldn’t breath, I wasn’t recovering, and my lungs were screaming with tightness.  I was starting to think I shouldn’t have even raced in this condition, but now that I was in it, by darned, I was going to finish!  Well, just after the finishing stretch, going into the 4th lap, just when I’d gotten my gung-ho-ness back because of it being the last lap, I went to switch into my little ring and KUNG – my pedals froze and I couldn’t pedal.  It felt like my bearings in my bottom bracket had completely failed.  I pulled over to the side as the group I was with slinked away.  I quickly got of my bike to assess the problem.  When I lifted up my bike and turned my cranks, they spun fine.  So, I got back on the bike, tried to switch gears to continue up the hill and all I heard was some awful crunching, gears sliding, no gripping, not so good noises.  I was done.  I got off my bike, rather irritated, and walked back to the finish line to tell them i was a big fat DNF.

As for the rest of my team: We had passed Lisa who was stranded on the side of the road.  She had been in the break group, gotten a flat tire, and couldn’t get a spare because the spare car was behind us.  What luck, eh?  I think she could have given them a run for their money in the final sprint!  But Jackie did a pretty good job of it on her own – placing 3rd in the 1/2 women.  Pam got a flat within the first lap and Jill stayed back to help chase her back on (TEAMMATE POINTS FOR JILL!!!)  They chased the entire race – giving them an awesome workout!  Jessi worked her little butt off in our chase group – and ended up getting 4th in the Cat 3 race, which is just awesome!

Overall, a bunch of bad weather, and bad luck for some of us – but what do ya do????

This week I am looking forward to kicking my own butt.  I am going to be putting on the hurt and officially starting my Build I period.  This will put me a bit behind schedule, but I’ll just compact a few weeks, and I’ll be fine.  I feel better today, and feel like I’m ready to go out and brave the rain and the muck here that has been happening in Eugene.  Hopefully I’ll have a little bit more legs for the final banana belt.

Oh yeah, I found out later that the problem with my bike was just chain stuck – all the grit and lack of lube caused my chain to jam up between my chain ring and bottom of the back triangle….my bike now has a nice huge chunk of itself taken out where the chain hit.  Just glad it wasn’t my bearings, cause I don’t have the $$$ to be worrying about that right now.

Okay – that’s it.

Monkeyin’ around – Banana Belt Style

Banana Belt #1 – BB#1 – Banana Numero Uno – what ever the name – it seems to be the race of all races around these parts.  Everyone was so pumped for this race!  I think maybe it’s because the most outspoken of us are the sprinters – and this is their chance to actually put their sprinting legs before crit season – and that’s all we hear about… (much love to you sprinters out there – I may be one of them).

Anyway, Chris and I drove up with Will and stayed at his parent’s house.  It was cool.  We watched “Across the Universe” – which is really weird – and really cool.  You should watch it.

So we woke up bright (well, not really) and early to head over to Hagg Lake for Banana Belt #1.  I was feeling pretty good, pretty not tired – I felt good.  So, we got their kind of last minute and rushed around getting ready.  I found my team and talked with them a bit.  Lisa was planning on racing the Men’s 3’s, and the rest of us were racing Women’s 123.  Jill, Jessi, Emily, and I were all ready to get our game on!  Casey (our director) made it to this race to cheer us on, so that was great to see him there!

Anyway, the race started – and was pretty uneventful, except for the fact that there were a good number of women.  About 21 or so started, which is awesome!  I hope we keep having more numbers at the races.

During the race there were a couple of attempted breaks – hard up the hill, but nothing got away.  On the 2nd or 3rd lap we created a small gap of about 10 of us but then people just sat up – so, of course it didn’t stick.  I think a lot of people (myself included) were just sort of keepin’ low to test the waters.

Some time during the 3rd lap (which had slowed down a lot) – The TAI women started trying to figure out how we were going to finish this race.  All we knew was that we were going to have to be aggressive enough to stay at the front the entire last lap – not just near the front – but at the front, because I or Emily or whoever could get there, needed to be in a break if it went, or at the final sprint.  The last lap came – there were a few attacks up the hills – again, nothing stuck.  Probably everyone too afraid to burn their matches before the sprint (myself included).  So, I’m at the front, it’s getting faster toward the end, and all the sudden Jill is there, protecting me in the front.  It was awesome!  She just appeared out of nowhere!

Then, there was a surge and I went up ahead with the group.  It slowed back down, and then all the sudden Jessi moved her way up in front…man, I tell ya – these girls are miracle workers!  So, she protected me for a while.  I hadn’t seen Emily for a while – and I knew it would probably be either me or her in the sprint – so I just decided to stay up front.  All the sudden at probably the 1.5K someone attacked hard and everyone went.  I was trying to keep my lines open for whoever’s wheel was best – and then there she was…..Emily comes barreling down the side of the road full speed ahead.  I hopped on her wheel and just shouted GOGOGOGOGOGO!!!!!!!!!!   And away we went. I saw the 200M and began my sprint.  My legs felt AWESOME!  I went fast down the hill – though I never got into a full sprint.  It just felt like I was pedalling hard – downhill… anyway, at the last minute I saw someone (Beth) trying to come around me – and amped it up a little more and thrusted at the finish line.  Well, you can see the result here. It was a close call when it came down to it, but I won!

I think its time to amp up the pace a little.  I guess some one at the finish line (officials maybe??? or maybe just adoring fans???)  was complaining about how slow we were going and that we weren’t really racing bikes – and that the women always just let it come down to the pack sprint.  I’m expecting it to be a little different next week, simply because the climbs are a little steeper.  We’ll see!!!!

The Therapeutic Associates Inc. team is doing really well over all, and it’s really exciting.  The men are looking really strong, and the women have gotten a lot of good results.  Lisa ended up doing well in the men’s 3’s and our final results for the women’s field included 1st, Emily in 5th, Jessi in 7th and guess what????? JILL WON THE 1/2 field!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Even after all her work for me.  What a beast!

I’m really looking forward to the season with these women.  It really almost brings me to tears after I see how much each of the women have sacrificed for me so far this season – seriously – It’s something I’ve never experienced with racing before, and it makes a huge difference when you know you have that support.  Thanks again ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And thanks again to Casey who has been our most awesome scattered busy hard working director.  It was great to have him at the race!  And also thanks to Bill who is just awesome at everything he does (which is a whole hell of a lot!)

Alright!  Time to get my build on!  See y’all next week!