Little Miss Singletrack

Cancerversary

2010-07-30T10:38:00.004-05:00

One year ago today I was diagnosed with Stage 1B2 cervical cancer. It's been an interesting journey and one that changed my life, for the better, surprisingly. Throughout this experience I've felt a range of emotions and feelings - fear, anger, hope, gratitude, frustration -and have spent a lot of time thinking about my life, what I want and who I want to be.

These thoughts weave through my mind daily. And, although I don't talk about it much, the fear of recurrence weighs heavily on my mind. In talking with other cancer survivors I'm learning that this will lessen as time goes by.

Recently, I've learned that recovering from cancer treatment takes a long time! I've had a few conversations with some cancer survivors who were competitive athletes and they said it takes years. I had to be patient during treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation) but I wasn't prepared to be patient after treatment! However, I have been struggling this summer with my fitness so I'm going to listen to the advice and focus on recovery, not racing. Having said that, I still have a few races that I'm going to be doing but for fun. After all, I love mountain biking so why stop?

This weekend is the Wausau 24 -- a 24 hour mountain bike relay race that I'm doing with 3 friends. I will be a fun weekend and a very fitting way for me to celebrate my first year as a cancer survivor.

Happy riding!

Not checking it off my bucket list

2010-06-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

I was hoping I would be able to write and tell you that I finished but not today. I finished 2 laps - a total of 66 miles which took me 8 and a half hours. Am I content with that? Not really. Did I try my hardest? Yes. Did it hurt? Yes? Did I have fun? Yes!

The race was perfect in many ways - great singletrack, perfect weather, no mechanicals, and no injuries or wipeouts. The first lap was the funnest I've had on my bike in a long time. I felt like I was on a roller coaster much of the time. The 2nd lap was really hard and took all of my will to finish. Funny how so much could change from one lap to the other. After that lap I was pretty much done with endurance racing. Now I feel differently.

Today the"could haves, should haves" are going through my head. However, the reality is I just didn't have enough fitness built back up yet and that instead it was test of wills to just get through what I did. So, I'm chalking it up as a good training ride for all the other fun races ahead of me.

Happy trails!

A long and winding road

2010-06-18T06:31:00.004-05:00

.......and what a winding road it has been. I started this crazy love of endurance racing with my first attempt of the Lumberjack in 2006. Little did I know how that decision would change my life. Then I was going through periods of melancholy, struggling to find my way, trying figure out what kind of life I want to live and growing into person I want to be. Today, I feel like I've come full circle. That first Lumberjack led me down a path to figuring it out, and surviving cancer affirmed it. Now I am leading the life I want and have become the person I want to be. All this beginning and ending with the Lumberjack. I never planned on doing the Lumberjack until a month ago so I find it my thoughts today quite serendipitous.

Tomorrow is the Lumberjack. I have two goals - have fun and finish!

I'll post up how it went but please send me good your good karma, thoughts, and prayers tomorrow.

The Lumberjack

2010-05-21T19:50:00.002-05:00

This race has been on my bucket list for several years. I attempted it in 2006 but had 3 time-consuming mechanicals and didn't make the cutoff. It was my first attempt at an endurance mountain bike race (other than team 24 hour events). It was an experience and I'm very glad for it. Sure I was disappointed that I didn't finish the race but knew that I did what I could. And, I rode 60+ miles which was by far the most I've ever ridden on single-track. It was this race that fueled my interest in endurance races and since then that's been my focus. And, for the record, I finally hit the magic 100 mile target during a 12-hour race two years later.

Last summer, before I found out I had cancer, I had thought about trying the Lumberjack again in 2010. It's something I kept thinking about but in the end decided not to because I was so unsure of how I would recover from chemotherapy and radiation. I instead decided to focus on getting healthy while still doing some endurance races.

Having said all that, I am now doing the Lumberjack. It's a complete last minute decision but I'm really excited about it. Registration has been closed for some time but a friend, who was registered, is injured and can't do the race. I'm bummed for him, but excited for me.

I think it's totally insane that I'm doing the race with only a month out but what the heck, it will be fun and I will be doing something I love. Will it be hard? YES but cancer was harder.

Off to the races!

2010-05-02T21:40:00.004-05:00

Today I completed my first race of the season and was it ever fun. For my mountain biking friends who haven't done the WORS Iola Bump and Jump, I highly recommend it. It's a great early season race - short, fast, flowy singletrack with some good climbs and just a fun atmosphere/vibe. People are happy to be racing their bikes again and seeing each other after a winter hiatus. It was like old home week for many. And, it was a bluebird day, perfect for a ride in the woods.

I was unsure about how I would do and set some pretty simple goals for myself - have fun, finish, and no "could haves, should haves." I'm feeling stronger but didn't know what to expect with the first race of the year, especially the first race after cancer treatment last summer/fall. I exceeded my expectations and am very happy how it all went. First and foremost - I had a FUN!

I always hate the start but as I lined up I tried to focus on the good things I've learned from yoga - breath, focus, pay attention to what you need to be doing and not the other stuff around you. Also good lessons for life. I was nervous at first but then I kept reminding myself that I've done much harder/scarier things and not to worry.

The first lap was fun and fast. I even got into a pack on the single track and it was awesome to be actually chasing some ladies. The second lap was slower, no wagon train but I did trade places with several women. The third lap was slower yet but I rode all the long climbs (had to walk 2 short ones) and worked hard to keep my pace going and finishing strong. In the end - I gave it all I could, finished and had fun!

As I get stronger my thoughts of cancer push deeper into my memory (yeah!). However, this Tuesday, I have my second 3-month checkup with my oncologist (which I will have every 3 months for the next 2 years) so it's at the forefront of my mind these days. And, she said that I most likely will have to have another CT scan after this appointment. That should be confirmed on Tuesday. I'm nervous and anxious for Tuesday to be over and hope I hear the words "everything looks great." Please send good karma my way Tuesday!

Spring has sprung!

2010-04-11T14:10:00.002-05:00

Today is an amazingly beautiful spring day. Birds are chirping, woodpeckers are pecking and I'm able to sit on my patio typing this blog. And to make things even better, work has been amazingly cooperative. Usually this time of year, I'm stuck in the stuffy halls of the MN State Capitol but for various reasons, things are at a major lull. I just hope when it does get busy, things happen quickly and legislators go home, sooner rather than later.

Over the Easter holiday, Kevin and I went out to Fruita, CO for a few days of mountain biking. The first day was a complete bust because of rain but we were able to ride Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The best day was Friday by far - we did a 5 hour ride on CO singletrack without covering the same trail twice. It was fun, rocky singletrack with great views of the Colorado River.

The best part of the last two weeks is that I'm finally feeling like my fitness is back. I was able to do the 5 hour ride with no problem and I'm feeling stronger and faster. Today, I went for a mtb ride at Lebanon Hills and did by normal sequence of loops in the same time before cancer.

So, I'm really excited about training and focusing on racing this year. It seems that I have some good karma -- work is cooperating, my fitness level is greatly improved since finishing cancer treatment and my motivation level is very high. I can't wait!

What health care reform means to me

2010-03-26T08:05:00.006-05:00

Late summer and early fall was a complete blur to me because I was in the midst of a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment. As a result, I was not at all engaged in the health care fight in Congress. I should have been but to be honest, I was recovering from a radical hysterectomy, in a fog of depression, and exhausted and nauseous from chemotherapy and radiation.

However, it's been four and a half months since my last treatment. I had my first 3 month checkup and the doctors have given me a good prognosis. I finally feel like I'm back to myself and living a happy and full life. And now, I've been paying attention to the debate and am very happy the Democrats in Congress fought for this. It affects me personally but I also have a different lens to view the world with and passage of this bill, as Joe Biden so aptly stated, is a big F@!? deal! To see how it impacts me directly, read this article.

To me this video expresses a lot of what I've seen lately from the other side - a lot of anger and opposition without any real solutions. And, I don't consider allowing people to shop for health insurance from other states a real solution.

Feeling the love

2010-02-21T15:24:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I was able to do my training ride outside. It was the best ride I've had since I was diagnosed with cancer and completed treatment. I finally feel like I'm getting back to my former fitness level.

The best part of yesterday's training is that it helped me feel rejuvenated and focused on my efforts. Winter was getting me down, I was starting to wonder if I was going to get back to where I was before, and I was getting bored with the grind of training in the basement. Yesterday helped give me a new perspective and a little more patience to get through winter.

I've also started doing yoga which has been really good for me. I was having a lot of muscle and joint issues (as a result of the radiation) and was feeling like I was walking around like an old woman. Along with numerous visits to the chiropractor and massage therapist, I'm feeling stronger and more flexible. My favorite aspect of yoga is the mental strength and concentration it gives me -- I feel like I'm in a better place after an hour of yoga.

Spring is around the corner and I can't wait!

Ready, Set, Go

2010-01-17T17:07:00.005-06:00

My coach and I finalized my race schedule this week and I'm really looking forward to a fun race season (I've updated it on the sidebar). I have a lot of races on the calendar and am going to be able to race on some fun trails. I only got to do 1 endurance race last summer, because of the cancer diagnosis and treatment, so I'm hoping 2010 will afford me a lot more time on my bike. And, the last two race seasons I haven't performed as I would have liked and I wonder if the cancer was taking it's toll without me even knowing it. So, I'm also hoping for some good placing at these races.

I've been back with my coach and on the bike since December but all of my focus has been on recovering from cancer treatment and getting used to physical activity again. So, I've been riding but it has been without much focus. However, I feel good and rested so my coach will start focusing the training and I can focus again on what I love - the bike and endurance riding. Yeah!

That old familiar feeling....

2009-12-13T16:32:00.003-06:00

The last time I rode outside was the weekend after my last chemotherapy appointment. After three months of surgery recovery and cancer treatment I had no idea what to expect on that ride and got a real eye-opener....I was REALLY out of shape! Since then I've only exercised indoors on the bike trainer and have spent the last several weeks just getting used to exercising again.

Today I ventured outdoors instead of sitting on the bike trainer. It was warm (for this time of year) and sunny so I couldn't handle the thought of sitting on the trainer in Kevin's basement. I wanted sun and fresh air!

The ride was great and I felt good. I'm still really out of shape but felt better than on the last outdoor ride. I can tell I'm getting my strength back. What I liked most was the tired, spent feeling my body felt afterwards. I ached to feel this during cancer treatment and it was good to have it back.

On the other side

2009-11-30T20:05:00.002-06:00

Exactly 4 months ago today I found out I had cervical cancer. It's hard to believe it was only 4 months ago because the last months of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation seemed to last forever.

Shortly after I found out about the cancer, my OBGYN talked to me a bit about what I was going through. I distinctly remember her saying that even though it's hard for me to see it, when it's all over I will breathe a huge sigh of relief and realize that I've made it to the other side. She was right -- it was hard for me to see that while going through everything but now that I'm here, I am breathing a huge sigh of relief for it to be all over. And, I have reached the other side and I believe that I am a stronger, better for it.

I tried to stay as active as I could the last 4 months but pretty much focused on getting through treatment. It got really difficult towards the end. Today I started training again and it felt great! I'm back working with my coach but we are taking it very slow in getting me back in to shape. However, I have my sights on a 12 hour race next June so I'm pretty focused on getting back into a routine. I can't wait!

Changes

2009-08-21T23:27:00.003-05:00

Many people know that old familiar tune by Davie Bowie but when your faced with it, CHANGE SUCKS!

On Thursday, July, 30th I went in for minor surgery and during the procedure the doctors saw that I had a cancerous mass in my cervix. On August 4th, it was confirmed that I have a form of cervical cancer called adenocarcinoma. This was very sudden and I showed no signs during a routine exam the end of May.

Since then I've had a radical hysterectomy and now may have to go through radiation because of the risk of it returning. I won't know until I see a radiation oncologist September 1st of what lies ahead of me but I can tell you this....cancer sucks and it has changed my life in oh so many ways.

I can't even begin to describe what I'm feeling. I feel fear because I don't know what's ahead of me. I feel frustration because my life has changed dramatically. I feel frustration because I think people believe now that I've had the hysterectomy, they think that the cancer is gone and my life is fine. I feel guilt because the cancer I face is nothing like other cancer patients face yet I'm still very afraid. I feel anxious because because I want to live a long and joyful life, ride my bike, work hard, thrive, but that all seems so very far away.

Despite all my fears, sadness and trepidation, I spend my days thinking about the next endurance race. First on my horizon is the Lumberjack 100 in June 2o10 and my hope remains that my life will be back to normal.

I've also spent a lot of time looking for resources and by far the best one has been the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I know that a lot of people are cynical about Lance but his organization has been the best resource for me. I especially like the Manifesto. It, among all the caring thoughts from family and friends, gives me strength.

Cancer may leave your body but it never leaves your life.

Valerie

The Northern Gravel Classic

2009-07-01T21:42:00.005-05:00

It's confirmed. I'm changing my race schedule and doing this race late September. It is 104 miles on mostly gravel roads in Northern MN. It seems like a really cool vibe/culture and an awesome adventure. No race fees, self-supported and I get to see part of MN I've never really seen before. And, the best part is that Kevin has decided to join me!

There are several other races like this in Southern MN - the Alamanzo 100 and the Raganarok 105 and I've been curious about them. I have wanted to try at least one but I've just never been able to because both are in the spring and I'm working.

I'm really excited about this new adventure!

Mixing It Up a Bit

2009-06-30T13:01:00.002-05:00

I leave this Thursday for a 2 week vacation in Wyoming. Kevin and I are going to hike in the Wind River Range for 7-8 days and attempt to climb Gannett Peak, the highest peak in WY. This will be the first vacation in years that hasn't involved 2 wheels and the first time since 2000 that I've taken 2 full weeks at once. It's strange to think that I won't be biking for two solid weeks but this trip will be amazing. The Wind River Range is the prettiest place I have been and I'm looking forward to seeing another part of this area. Physically I feel ready but I have to admit that I'm a bit scared about the summit attempt as there will be glaciers, crevasses, and exposure. However, I figure being scared is a good thing as it will make me be more careful and thoughtful every step of the way. And, Kevin and I have been planning this for 9 months and he's an Eagle Scout so he's prepared for anything.

We don't really have plans for the remainder of the vacation other than that we are going to visit Kevin's Aunt and Uncle in Sundance, WY and check out the Tetons.

I've also been thinking of changing my race schedule a bit but I first need to get some things figured out. This race sounds pretty amazing and I'm hoping to do it. After all, what would I do after the WY adventure but be sitting on the couch and eating a bag of Doritos!

See you all in a few weeks!

Wednesday Penn Women's Mountan Bike Rides

2009-06-23T08:36:00.003-05:00

I've been part of the Wednesday Penn Cycle Women's Rides for the last 11+ years - either as a ride leader or a rider. The rides started after I moved to MN because I wanted to try and meet some other women who were into the sport of mountain biking and Penn Cycle graciously agreed to be the host. Thanks Penn Cycle!

As I imagined, it was a great way for me to meet other riders and develop friendships. While many have come and gone, I still ride with lots of these women and every year I meet more women with the same love of biking. We have had a lot of fun times!

Fun. Fun. Fun. These rides are not training rides, no one gets dropped and we want everyone to have fun, enjoy the trail, learn something new and meet some friends. We want to help new riders feel more comfortable on their bike as well as allow more experienced riders the opportunity to challenge themselves and improve their skills.

Tomorrow the ride is at Terrace Oaks . We meet at the Eagan Penn Cycle at 6:00 and ride from there. Terrace is a great place for beginner riders because it lets your practice some basics --going around tight corners, how to maintain speed in some fun, windy, singletrack and learn some downhill skills. It's also good because it's short so you can go back again and practice the skills. Hope to see you all out there!

Valerie
"We all get 24 hours each day. We should spend that time living the life that makes sense to us."

Sisterhood of Dirt

2009-06-22T08:08:00.002-05:00

Sisterhood of Dirt is now up and running! Thanks to Janet for her creative ideas and to others who contributed to the content.

John Muir Race report

2009-06-16T14:49:00.002-05:00

Saturday was my first endurance race of the year. I did a 6 hour race at John Muir in the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest of WI. Going into it I was really nervous because of my race performance the last two weeks but things turned out much better than anticipated.

I didn't really know what to expect of the course because I've only ridden there once and couldn't really remember the trail. It was fun and fast with some good, short little hills and some fun windy, singletrack.

The best part of the race was how I felt. It all came together very nicely. I didn't let any weird mental garbage clog my brain and I was able to go at a consistent pace for each lap. I finished with 4 laps (44 miles) in 5 hours and 23 minutes. You have to be done before 6 hours is up otherwise I would have gone out for 1 more lap.

The next race is July 25th at the 24 Hours of 9 Mile in Wausau, WI. I'm doing the 12 hour solo event. Coach and I had another talk yesterday about training and we both agreed that the goal is to make me faster. I have the endurance so now I will spend my training working on speed. It should be fun!

Shout out

2009-06-09T19:42:00.004-05:00

I forgot to give a shout out for my friends Dana and Janet. They did awesome at the 9 Mile race this weekend. Nice job ladies!

Ready, Set, Go!

2009-06-09T14:44:00.003-05:00

The last two weekends I spent in WI doing short, cross country races which are part of the Wisconsin Off Road Series. This is a great series -- a lot of fun races, great vibe and fun people.

The first was the Crystal Lake Classic in Rhinelander and the second was the Big Ring Classic in Wausau. Both courses were really fun and I was happy to be back in Wausau which has some of the best singletrack in the Midwest!

But to be completely honest, I'm not really happy with how I performed in either race. I expected better results and pretty much spent the last two days whining. Well....that all changed after I talked to my coach this morning. She reminded me that I had a hellish last few weeks of session but that I needed to stop whining and kick it into full speed. It was a good kick in the pants.

After all, I didn't stay committed to my training all winter long, with the hellacious work schedule, with 4:45 am workouts and Saturday winter rides in the cold to just show up and go at a comfortable pace. From now on, I'm putting it all on the line - consistent training and showing up for races confident and ready -- physically and mentally. For those still wondering why I do this, click here.

This weekend I'm doing my first endurance race of the season and I CAN'T WAIT! I'm doing a 6 hour solo race as part of the 12 Hours of John Muir. I've only ridden here once but had a blast and am excited about riding some new trails and some fun singletrack. I'm also looking forward to this race because some friends and family (Kevin's parents) will be there. It's always nice to have a cheering section!

Happy racing!

Valerie

"We all get 24 hours each day. We should spend that time living the life that makes sense to us." -- author unknown

The 40th Hour

2009-05-15T08:32:00.003-05:00

Hopefully my life will get back to normal soon. The legislative session must adjourn on Monday as stipulated in the State Constitution. The Legislature and the Governor must pass a 2 year state budget and there were big questions about whether not that would happen because none of the parties could agree on how to solve our $4 billion budget deficit. Well, the Governor took the ball to his side of field yesterday by claiming that he would not call a special session if the Legislature did not agree to a budget solution and instead he would line item veto budget bills sent to him and use a process called unalottment which is available to him July 1st to balance the budget.

This has been an exceptionally long session for me with a lot more hours put in than I expected. I feel like I'm in the 40th hour of a 48 hour bike race. I think it's hard for most of my family and friends to understand what this time of year is like for me. in case you were wondering.....I work all the time. I looked at my calendar and I've worked every Saturday for the last 4 weeks and for the last 3 weeks I haven't really had a day off. And, the crazy thing about this I never know from one hour to the next what my schedule is like. Last Saturday I went to the Capitol at 9:30 am and left on Sunday at 6:00 am and the last several weeks I've been at the Capitol until 1:00 am a lot. To my friends and family who ask me to do things this time of year, thanks for putting up with my common refrain "I can't, I'm working."

Session is a lot like an endurance bike race, only the stakes are much higher -- you have a chance to do good things for people. You prepare for months, your work hard and tough out the rough spots, become very weary at the end and can't imagine how you will be able to finish. Afterwards your swear you'll never do it again. A few days later, when you are rested, you look back at what was accomplished and think to yourself "that was worth it."

Was it worth it?

2009-05-06T17:47:00.003-05:00

Today is the last day of my detox/cleanse. Was it worth it? Totally! I feel so much better and can see the positive benefits. I lost 6 pounds, got rid of some bad cravings and began the first steps on kicking some bad habits. The biggest benefit was that it has really made me think about what I eat and drink and the impact that it has on my well-being and performance.

Look out world!

Spring Clean Up

2009-05-02T14:11:00.002-05:00

Last week I decided to do a detox and cleansing diet. I've read about this before and was curious about the benefits. So, I looked into it, talked to my friend Janet who's done it before and decided to make the leap. Janet's is doing it with me. She's committed for 14 days...I'm in for 7 because I don't want it to impact my training.

Why do it? I've want to get rid of a few bad habits and kick start some weight loss for race season (I've managed to not gain some weight during session but want to lose some more). Plus, I generally want to feel better about myself and make healthy choices.

I've chosen a plan that is based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains (not wheat), and lean meats. It also means no processed foods, sugar, caffeine, wheat, dairy or alcohol. It is not a liquid or fasting detox plans.

A few things I've learned so far:

I should have tried to wean myself off caffeine BEFORE trying this. I've had a raging headache for the last two days and am hoping that it goes away soon.

Plan meals before you start this. I decided to do it at a time that worked best for my training schedule but did not give myself enough time to plan meals accordingly. As a result, I was in some serious nutrition deficit yesterday by not having enough carbs from something other than fruit (i.e. rice, quinoa).

Find alternatives for breakfast. I often eat cereal or yogurt for breakfast and those are both off-limits this week. I've struggled to find the right fit. I've tried brown rice, which I normally like, but the texture first thing in the morning is hard for me to stomach. Today I had scrambled eggs and they were delish.

Yesterday I felt like crap - mostly because I was at work very late the night before, had little sleep and didn't give myself enough time to plan the food for today.

Today I feel great and am noticing the positives of the process, except for the headache!

Hiking we will go....

2009-04-28T08:52:00.002-05:00

Kevin and I have been planning a backpacking trip of a lifetime. The first two weeks in July we are going to Wyoming to climb Gannet Peak, the highest point in WY. We plan on taking 2 weeks off, but the actual hiking trip should only take about 7 days. I CAN"T WAIT!

In preparation for the trip, we have been hiking every weekend around the area- mostly within an 1-1.5 drive away from home. I'm really thankful we took the time to do this. First of all, Kevin and I got to spend some quality time outside together. Secondly, we experienced a lot of interesting parks and sights. I'm really looking forward to going back to these parks to see the impact of the change of seasons. We will have more trail options since we won't be competing with the skiers and I'm looking forward to how the parks change with the seasons.

Here's a list of where we hiked (in order favorite to least favorite):

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park: Nerstrand SP is located south of Northfield. This was a very interesting park with one of the last extensive stands of the "Big Woods." Very cool frozen waterfall in the winter. Not heavily visited.

Wild River State Park: Beautiful scenery along the St. Croix River Valley.

Lebanon Hills Regional Park: This very near my house so we hiked a lot here this winter. It's a great park to hike in the winter because there are 2 hours worth of hiking only trail and we didn't have to worry about getting in the way of the skiers.

Lake Maria State Park: A variety of scenery and trail selections.

Lake Elmo Regional Park: Very pretty park with wide open spaces. We also saw an interesting site - a partially hibernating raccoon - in the middle of our trail.

William O'Brien State Park: This would be a better park to hike in the summer and fall. We were here in the winter and there weren't a lot of hiking only trails.

Fort Snelling State Park: Very cool little loop around Pike Island

Afton State Park: Pretty park but I was expecting more climbs and views of the region.

Carver Park Preserve (Three Rivers Regional Park): This was a pretty park but not a lot of trails in the winter.

Frontenac State Park: This would be a better park to hike in the summer and fall. We were here in the winter and there weren't a lot of hiking only trails.

Willow River State Park (WI): Very pretty park but heavily used.

Happy hiking!

I'm OK, You're OK

2009-04-19T20:20:00.003-05:00

I had to work yesterday and I was totally crabby about that. However, once I left the Capitol and headed over to my local favorite mountain bike trail everything was right again. Then, I heard this song on my way home and it completely described what I've been thinking/feeling lately.

It has been ages since I wrote anything on this blog. It's mostly because work has been all consuming and I've had to let lot fall to the wayside. However, my work is a priority, it's important and it's worth it.

Here's what else I've been up to:

- Training! I am planning on doing a number of endurance mountain bike events this summer and I've been sticking to my plan. Plus, I feel much better when I exercise and it helps me relieve a lot of stress! (I'll post my race schedule very soon.)

- Planning for a trip of a lifetime to WY. Kevin and I are going to climb Gannet Peak this summer. To prepare, we have been hiking every weekend since October. I've been to a lot of cool hiking trails over the winter and I'm looking forward to experiencing them now that winter is over.

- Cooking and meal planning. I've been trying to cut back on spending, saving more and as result I've been doing a lot of cooking at home. It's been fun.

- Sleeping. I wake up at 4:15 am most mornings to train so I pretty much plan on trying to be in bed by 8:30 or 9:00. Plus, I nap on the weekends!

- Facebook is my new addiction. I've also just discovered Twitter.

Stay tuned for more as I plan on being better about sticking to this!

Every day I wake up I choose love, I chose light,....

2009-01-04T20:59:00.006-06:00

These are the words of the song I listen to often by the Submarines and it often makes me think of the New Year.

It's been a really long time since I last posted. It's been so long that I'm not even sure if anyone will read this! Not a lot has happened other than a lot of illness. I've been sick three times since the middle of November. I had the flu and missed work and then a nasty chest cold and finally a horrible stomach flu over the holidays. After all this, I decided to take a lot of time off to rest and get healthy.

Christmas came and went and I was so sick so I just slept a lot. New Years came and went and I slept a lot but I also had fun. Kevin and I went up to his family cabin in MI and snowshoed, skied and hiked. We saw a cool ice cave and ice formations and I will post pictures soon.

A lot folk on the blogs I read have either posted New Year's resolutions or looked back on 2008. I don't usually have a New Year's resolution but decided that it's probably a good idea to reflect on things so here you go:

- 2008 and 2007 were ok but 2006 and 2000 are the banner years in which I measure all things to.
- I'm a really lucky woman. I have great friends, family, a loving partner and lots of fun things with which to keep me occupied.
- I'm happy I learned how to snowboard this year.
- I want to have a variety of friendships.
- I want to read more.
- I want to mountain bike the entire Colorado Trail.
- I spent more time cooking this last year and have a new goal to only go out to eat when it's really important/exciting and not just because I don't feel like making dinner.
- I hope I do better in reaching my goals on endurance mountain bike events.
- I'm really excited but nervous about my backpacking trip to Gannet Peak, WY.
- I want to/need to learn more/experience more about meditation.
- I'm really afraid of losing my twin sister.
- I really want two tattoos ( designs already picked out) but am to0 chicken to do it,
- Turning 40 wasn't as bad as I thought and realized that a lot of people are surprised to learn that I'm 40.
-- My profession/career has very little to do with my overall happiness. Yes, it's important but it's not how I measure my success but it allows me to do the things I love and for that I'm very thankful.
- Having the nickname "the General" isn't all that bad. At least I can make a decision.
- Most importantly, I'm comfortable in my own skin.

Happy 2009!

The right to vote

2008-11-04T07:50:00.003-06:00

I was walking my sister's dogs (I'm dog/kid sitting while they are in Hawaii) this morning and thought about what this day meant to me.

The right to vote is something that a lot of us take for granted - especially people from my generation who have always had this opportunity. I thought about the fact that there are people all around the world today who don't have a right to vote and I thought about the 110 year old woman who remembers the first time she voted in 1920 and has voted for 9 decades.

Today is a big day and regardless of who you want to win, please go vote. It's a right we should never take for granted.

Since I've been a voter, I've never felt more proud and more hopeful. Most importantly, I have a deep sense of the profound influence that I, one person, might have on the outcome of an election.

I thought about writing about why I'm voting for Barack Obama but so many people do it much better so I'll leave it up to them. Check out this post by an average citizen and this post by Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic Monthly.

Conquering Demons

2008-11-01T14:55:00.005-05:00

I have a lot of demons to conquer but a particular one has been nagging me a lot lately.....especially since a few friends have been bugging me about it this summer.

That demon is Jan's Rock at Lebanon Hill's Regional Park. For some weird reason I always chickened out when we came up to this section and have only tried it once before. I always thought it was too steep and never had a good approach (lame excuses, I know). Well, riding Slickrock Trail in Moab completely changed my idea of what's too steep.

So, today when I was at Leb I told myself that I was going to do Jan's Rock. I got up to it, stared at it for a while and then road right down it. I even went back and did it again. I can't believe I let myself get freaked out by this for so long as it was like going down a slide.

On to the next demon - the teter totter.

The wild, wild west

2008-10-19T12:20:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago Kevin and I headed out on vacation. We planned our trip in three stages: biking in Fruita, CO; hiking and biking in Moab, UT; and hiking and biking in Salida, CO.

Here are the highlights from the trip:

- Mountain biking on some amazing trails with friends in Fruita.

- Having a bolt come out of my rear suspension and walking 5 miles out of the Slickrock trail.

- Kevin giving me an early birthday surprise by staying here and here. I thought we were camping the entire time.
- Climbing 2000 feet for 12 miles and 2 and 1/2 hours to riding parts of the Monarch Crest, Colorado Trails and Rainbow Trail.

- The amazing beauty of Arches National Park.

- The La Sal Mountains.

- The beautiful golden aspens in Colorado.

- Peace, quiet and serenity.

- Needing to send my bike in for warranty because the rear triangle was coming apart.

It was great week and I came back home totally decompressed and not stressed out. I also realized how lucky I am to be able to go on all these adventures!

Enjoy the pictures!

Janet and Nicole on Mary's loop - Fruita, CO

Justin walking down to Horsethief Bench trail - Fruita, CO

Nicole - Fruita, CO

Chicken Head, Arches National Park - Moab, UT

The Dark Angel, Arches National Park - Moab, UT

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park - Moab, UT

Marching Elephants, Arches National Park - Moab, UT

Double O arches, Arches National Park - Moab, UT

Marching Elephants, Arches National Park - Moab, UT

Big Hands, SlickRock Trail - Moab, UT

I've been a bad blogger

2008-10-16T14:16:00.004-05:00

The last few weeks have been very busy at work and then I left on vacation. I'll post a write up and pictures in a few days on the trip to CO and UT with Kevin. We had a lot of fun and he had lots of surprises for my birthday!

In the meantime, here are two videos on why I'm hopeful for Barack Obama.

Thankfulness

2008-09-24T22:37:00.003-05:00

Tonight was the last weekly ride of the Penn Cycle Women's Mountain Bike group. We had planned to mountain bike at Lebanon but was unable to because of heavy rains yesterday. We still got together at my place for some pizza, adult beverages and great discussions ranging from politics, mountain biking (riding and racing) and the female anatomy.

I was sad that the group ride was over for the season but it wasn't until a discussion at the party and a thank you note from a fellow rider that made me really realize that I won't see all these women every Wednesday night. It's a great group of independent, smart and strong women who have a lot to share - their lives, interests and opinions are really diverse. And although I sometimes get irritated with the opinions they choose to share with me, I wouldn't trade their friendship for anything and value it more than they probably know. Thanks ladies for a great summer of fun singletrack and friendship.

Now on to Wednesday ski nights, urban assault rides and game nights!

Hope

2008-09-24T09:59:00.004-05:00

"Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good." -- Vaclav Havel

We've been hearing a lot about hope lately and the quote above explains perfectly how I feel these days about the presidential election and the Democratic candidate, Barak Obama.

Here are some of the thoughts that I've had recently:

Sen. McCain says he cares about the little guy but how can someone who owns 13 cars, between 8-11 homes, and a wife who wore approximately $300,000 worth of clothing and jewelry on the last night of the Republican convention, have any idea what the average American is facing when they put gas in their cars and try and clothe and feed their family.

If you question Sarah Palin's experience you're called a sexist but I have seen nothing to indicate to me that she is prepared to be Vice President or President.

Sarah Palin has done very little to advance and protect women's rights.

I don't know that Barack Obama has all the answers and I know he will have difficult decisions to make should he win in November but I have hope in his values, belief system and his ideas about how to make this country better.

Note: I promise I won't inundate this blog with political debate but felt I needed to write about this presidential election because I believe a lot is at stake. If anyone wants to have a conversation about my comments, contact me at valeriejdosland@comcast.net.

Rocks and roots and flat tires! Oh my!

2008-09-22T09:08:00.005-05:00

This weekend I raced the 6 hour race at Blue Mounds, part of the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series. This race was originally scheduled in July but was postponed because of heavy rains making the trail unrideable. This is another favorite course - very technical singletrack with lots of roots and rocks.

The race started at 1:00 and I had a plan - I was just out to have fun and not worry about my lap times and viewed it more as a long training ride rather than a race. My first lap was one of the funnest of any race I've done. I felt great and despite taking my time, had one of my fastest laps ever at Blue Mounds. I went out for my second lap and after about 20 minutes I got a flat on my front tire. I quickly changed it and as I was about to get going again a young kid came up the trail walking his bike. He had a flat tire and no tools or tubes with him to fix it. I offered to help him and long story short it took forever to try and fix the flat which never happened because we couldn't even get the tire off the rim. Between my flat and helping him I lost about 20 minutes on that lap. Oh well, I was only out to have fun. I came through the start finish area and started on my 3rd lap and knew that I would still be able to get 4 laps in assuming no problems. I started on the long, rocky technical downhill and at the bottom got my 2nd flat. I was prepared, had all the tools and wasn't worried. I got my stuff out and realized that one of my spare tube was for my singlespeed which has 29 inch wheels and what I needed was a 26 inch tube. At that point I started to get frustrated and got out my second spare tube and realized it was also for my other bike. I had to walk back to the start finish area to where my pit area was set up. I got the tube replaced and luckily Kevin had some 26 inch tubes because I was all out. I was really frustrated now because I lost at least 20 minutes. I got going again and within 20 minutes I got two more flats. After that I had no more tubes and only 1 CO2 cartridge. I got to a water stop and figured I was done because if I got another flat, it would be a long walk back if I didn't turn back there. However, I decided that I would take the chance and keep going because I hadn't exhausted all my options. I still had a patch kit and 1 CO2 cartridge and that I would not be happy with only doing 2 laps. Luckily, no more flats after that and I finished with three laps.

I had gotten a flat a few weeks ago and knew the rim tape needed to be replaced so I definitely learned a good lesson -- check you gear and your bike before the race.

I'm all done racing for the year and am looking forward to some fun fall riding!

Whew!

2008-09-19T14:12:00.005-05:00

Boy life has been busy for me lately thus the lack of blog posts. While everyone was lamenting the end of summer, I was excited September was here so I could start my first of 3 vacations (2 down, 1 to go). Plus, working is getting busier and I just added a new client. I'm very happy about that but it definitely adds to my to do list!

The first vacation was spent with Kevin's family up in the UP over an extended Labor Day weekend. I managed to get a few road rides in and a mountain bike ride which was nice. The mtb ride was supposed to be a 5 hour training ride but I cut it short because it was extremely hot and humid that day which totally shocked my body and I really hate being hot.

The second vacation was this past weekend. I took a long-ago planned trip to Philadelphia to see two friends, who don't know each other but both happened to be named Becky and to do a bike race. The bike race was a total bust and I didn't have any fun but I'm not too gripped about it - you never know how a race is going to be, or what the trail will be like so I'm glad at least I tried.

Overall, it was good trip. The first day Becky 1 (a PHD student a Penn) took me an urban assault bike ride of Philadelphia which was very interesting. We started by riding down Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia. Some people think they have poverty but this area was nothing like I have ever seen before. We then toured the University of Pennsylvania campus and headed through downtown Philadelphia to Reading Terminal Market which was cool - lots of great shops and every kind of food imaginable. We then rode our bikes to a south Philadelphia institution, Geno's Steaks, for the quintessential Phillie cheese steak. It was tasty but I had an even better one at a strip mall in Exton, PA the next day.

I spent most of the rest of the weekend at Becky 2's house with her, her husband and her 5 year old daughter Ellie.

The best part of the trip was a mountain bike ride with Becky 2 at French Creek State Park. I love rooty, rocky, technical singletrack and this had it all.

I'm off to Madison, WI tomorrow for the 2nd to last race of the season - a 6 hour race at Blue Mounds State Park. I'm looking forward to the race and really love riding there. However, I have decided that I'm done training for a month or two and am now back to riding my bike for fun and exercise. I'm definitely feeling like I need a break!

I hope everyone is able to get out enjoy the nice weather!

I'm not that tech savy

2008-08-27T12:21:00.001-05:00

I tried to make some changes to my blog and lost my race schedule. I'll get that added soon since I still have three races left.

If there is anyone who can help me add some features, like pictures, and are willing to help, let me know.

Enjoy the weekend!

Living a life of luxury - very temporarily

2008-08-26T16:15:00.000-05:00

We spent this past weekend with my brother Mike and his family on their new houseboat. We had a great weekend spending time with his family, my sister Cathi and her family, and enjoying the Mississippi river. It was very beautiful and I think I found my new endurance sport.

I'm off Thursday for a long weekend at the Perala family cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I'm really excited because I'm taking 4 days of vacation which will be my first significant chunk of time off this summer. Plus, we've gotten to know a fellow mountain biker who lives up there and he's going to show us a new local trail. I'm was planning on doing a 5 hour training ride and wanted to be able to mountain bike. Our friend said we wouldn't have any problem putting together a 5 hour ride on some fun trails. I'm excited about exploring some new singletrack up there. Other than that I plan on reading books, resting, trying some new recipes and most importantly, enjoy some time with Kevin and his Mom and Dad.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Riding with the big girls

2008-08-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

This weekend Kevin and I got together with a group of friends and their families for an annual camping weekend in Wisconsin. This was our 4th annual event and it's always a fun time. Our plan was to go on a group ride with kids and families Saturday morning, a faster, longer ride in the afternoon and a leisurely canoe trip on Sunday.

We went for a great family ride in Saturday morning along the Elroy Sparta Trail. It was great morning and beautiful weather. If you haven't been there, it's a nice trip for kids.

That afternoon a group of us went out for another longer, faster ride. I was a little apprehensive because as we left I realized just who I was riding with -- all the guys and 1 woman were Ironman finishers and the other women was amazingly strong and a master swimmer. I was still recovering from my 12 hour race and wasn't sure if I would be able to keep up. I got dropped on the first climb but they waited and then the fun began. I was drafting behind one of the guys and my goal was to stay on his wheel as we crested a hill. To my surprise I was still on his wheel on the other side and off we went on a straight away with the wind at our back. I managed to stay on his wheel the entire time and when we got to a stopping point to regroup he commented that his speedometer clocked us at 29 miles per hour! I know I haven't been that fast on my bike in a long time.

We then broke up and the guys went to do a longer, hillier ride while we three women headed on a loop back to the campground. This part was even more fun. We rode in a paceline, helping each other and were going at a pretty good pace - much faster than I normally ride. I was so excited that I could keep up as well as really push my road riding to another level. It was one of the best road rides I've had. We drafted each other on flats, some climbs and some really fun downhills. I felt like I was on a roller coaster!

The next day was a leisurely canoe trip down the Kickapoo River for about 4 hours and it couldn't have been a better end to the weekend.

The next few weeks I will be busy with travelling for Labor Day. I also have 3 endurance races in a row in September and I'm really excited about those challenges.

Enjoy the rest of summer!

I've been tagged

2008-08-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by Janet awhile ago and forgot all about it.

If you could have any one — and only one — bike in the world, what would it be? I don’t have a “dream bike” but I have been very keen on the Superfly and other 29er geared bikes. I would also love to have bike for general commuting and a new road bike. Once I have both of those, my bike posse will be complete.

Do you already have that coveted dream bike? No. If not, are you working toward getting it? If you’re not working toward getting it, why not? Yes, I’m working to get it. Plans for both are in the works in the next three years.

If you had to choose one — and only one — bike route to do every day for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why? Part of being a well-rounded, thoughtful human being is to not limit your self. If I had to choose I would pick a trail at Michaux State Forest.

What kind of sick person would force another person to ride one and only one bike ride to do for the rest of her / his life? Someone who never has any fun.

Do you ride both road and mountain bikes? If both, which do you prefer and why? If only one or the other, why are you so narrow-minded? I ride both but would almost always choose to ride the mountain bike. It’s my first true love after all. Road riding is good in the spring when you can’t ride on the trails.

Have you ever ridden a recumbent? If so, why? I tried a double recumbent in a parking lot once because I was curious if it would work for my sister who can’t ride a bike because of disabilities.

Have you ever raced a triathlon? If so, have you also ever tried strangling yourself with dental floss? Yes and yes.

Suppose you were forced to either give up ice cream or bicycles for the rest of your life. Which would you give up, and why? That’s even more unfair than the question about riding one trail only. I wouldn't give up ice cream or biking because luckily I understand the concept of free will.

What is a question you think this questionnaire should have asked, but has not? Also, answer it........Did you have a kickstand and reflectors on the first mountain bike you owned? Yes but they came off very quickly.

You’re riding your bike in the wilderness (if you’re a roadie, you’re on a road, but otherwise the surroundings are quite wilderness-like) and you see a bear. The bear sees you. What do you do? That will never happen.

I'm supposed to tag three other people. I don’t know three other bloggers who read my blog so this could be interesting: Nicole, Lunatic Biker, Dana.

Yeah!

2008-08-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

This was my 4th time racing at the 24 Hours of 9 mile. My first race was on a 3 person relay team doing the 24 hour event. The second was a duo for the 12 hour event and the third and fourth were solo 12 hours events. This by far was my best race of the 4 and I'm really excited. I rode for 13 hours, completed 7 laps (99.4 miles) and got second place in the 12 hour women's solo category.

Even though I was worried going into the race because I hadn't been feeling good all week, I had a plan and was determined to stick to it. The plan included four goals: 1) pick a reasonable pace on the first and stick to it; 2) follow my nutrition plan; 3) only stop for water, food and bathroom breaks; and 4) maintain a good mental attitude. Goal number one was key because I tend to completely blow myself up on the first lap going as fast as I can making the rest of the race even harder than it is.

Here's a blow by blow of each lap:

Lap 1 (1 hour 33 minutes): It's a running start (about a 1/4 mile run) to the bike. I took my time because I HATE running. I got to my bike and got going. I had no idea how long it would take me to do my first lap but I had planned about 1:30 - 1:45. It was easy to keep this pace because I got stuck behind a string of riders in the tight singletrack. It was a fairly casual pace and I didn't try to pass anyone because it helped me keep goal #1 on track. I talked with some riders around me and enjoyed the trail. Before I knew it, I was back to the start/finish. I loaded up on energy drink and gels and talked with my friend who was helping me out. I felt great and definitely felt I could have done that lap a lot faster which was good because that meant I didn't tire myself out.

Lap 2(1 hour 39 minutes): I started drinking my energy drink and things went downhill after that. My stomach was feeling really icky and I thought I was going to throw up. I saw my friend Carrie at this point and she definitely was the highlight of that lap with her support and cheers. I rode for about an hour and things got much better after getting the energy drink through my system. (I stopped the energy drink after that and realized a lot of my stomach problem during races was that). I even continued my good karma by stopping to help another racer fix his flat tire.

Laps 3-5 (approximately 6 hours): These laps were great even though I was getting slower. I felt really good and had a great mental attitude. There were some ups and downs of feeling crappy but overall I ate consistently and really enjoyed the course. This definitely prepared me for my last two laps.

Lap 6 (2 hours 7 minutes): It was now time to put on my headlights and I figured I would have about 45 minutes of daylight and 45 minutes of darkness on this lap. I was definitely getting tired and I really wanted to be done. I kept thinking about how I wish I hadn't told my friend who was helping me that I wanted to get 7 laps in and how I really just wanted to sit down and be done. I turned my headlights on and after about 15 minutes they went completely dead which totally sucked. I was really tired and having to ride in the darkness (I had a small backup light but it helped only marginally) was not any fun. This is when the mental games started. I wanted to quit so badly but a couple of things motivated me - I wanted to stay in third place, I wanted to ride 100 miles, and I had planned on getting in as many laps as possible and I still had time for a seventh lap. Plus, just as I was finishing my sixth lap, I saw my friend Kim who asked if I was going out again which I replied "yes." Way too many reasons not to go out so I did.

Lap 7 (2 hours 16 minutes): Worst lap of the seven. I was unbelievably tired and completely freaked out that my other lighting system would die and I would be out in the woods for two+ hours with no lights. It was on this lap that I almost started to cry because I was smelly, incredibly sore and tired and could barely keep going. However, I stayed on track and finished that lap. When I got done, my friend announced that I got second which made the last lap worth it.

For my non-biking friend and family who might read this I'm sure you're wondering why I do this to myself. There are lots of reasons but to put it simply, I get to ride on some great trails and be outside, challenge myself like I've never challenged myself before and in the end I feel stronger, more confident about myself, and more at peace with my world.

I had a bunch of friends racing and they all rocked. Janet, Nicole, Kim and Dana got 2nd place in the 12 hour women's relay category. Lynn, Josh, Carrie, and Barry got 1st place in the 24 hour coed relay category. Thanks to all of you who cheered me on. It definitely kept me motivated!

I don't have many pictures but here's a few.

2008-08-01T07:43:00.000-05:00

I leave today for Wausau, WI for the 24 Hours of 9 Mile. I will be doing the 12 hour solo option. I'm really excited about this race because it's one of my favorite courses - not a lot of climing and really fun singletrack. Plus, my last several races have been short ones and I much prefer the long ones. I have to admit that I'm a bit nervous because I haven't been feeling so hot all week. I don't seem to have too much snap in my legs and they have felt tired every day since Sunday. I'm working really hard maintain a good mental attitude and not worry too much but it's getting more difficult now that the race is fast approaching. Today I plan on drinking as much water as I can, eat as much healthy food throughout the day and try to get a good night's sleep. Hopefully it will all come together tomorrow.

I definitely should have some good karma coming may way. The last two weeks, when out riding my bike at some local trails, I found some car keys. Luckily both owners were in the parking lot when I returned from each ride and I was able to return the keys directly to them. It feels great to do good deeds. Maybe that will help this weekend!

Anyone interested in looking at how I'm doing, click this link for real time results.

Wish me luck!

Blah

2008-07-28T09:04:00.000-05:00

Sunday I headed up to Duluth to race the MN State Championship Series race at Spirit Mountain. This is a really fun course and I was excited to ride on the fun singletrack trails. This was a great course so a big thanks to the organizers!

Nothing turned out as I had thought it would which was really strange. For last week's race I did nothing right leading up to the race. I stayed up too late, had a few drinks, didn't drink enough water, didn't watch what I was eating and didn't warm up before the race but I had a great race. Leading up to yesterday's race, I did everything I was supposed to - drank lots of water, got a good night's rest, good nutrition, no alcohol and I even warmed up before the race. Despite all that, I felt horrible for most of the race. The first lap was great but I quickly went downhill after that. Each lap my legs felt numb and I had very little gas to keep going. On my second lap I went into endurance race pace (which is much slower) and the last lap became a very casual Sunday ride. I thought long and hard about quitting but I mustered up enough energy to finish but barely.

Great job to all the racers yesterday!

I'm going to gripe for a minute and my intended audience will never read this but I need to get it off my chest so please bear with me. Apparently there were some spectators at the race yesterday who felt I yelled at another rider at last week's race and it became a topic of discussion as they were watching me go by.

I didn't yell but I will admit that I was frustrated. The standard protocol during races is that racers riding bicycles have the right of way over racers pushing bicycles. Last week, I announced "rider back" and this rider, who was pushing her bike, just kept on walking right over the technical feature and blocked my ability to ride the feature. This happened more than once. I'm sure there was frustration in my voice and I should have just talked to her about it then rather than having her go back and complain about it to others for them to gossip about at the another race. Lessons learned.

Words to live by

2008-07-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

"We all get 24 hours each day. We should spend that time living the life that makes sense to us."

Compliments from this blog post - http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/

Happy weekend!

Pay It Forward

2008-07-21T21:08:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Kevin and I were out for a bike ride on a very popular local trail. We met up with 2 women who were on the side of the trail trying to figure out how to change a flat tire on one of their bikes. We stopped to see if they needed help, which they did. We showed them how to change the tube. They both had pumps but they were ridiculously small and it would take them forever to pump up the tire. Instead of a tire pump, I carry one of these which pumps up the tire in seconds. I decided to let them use it and sacrificed a CO2 cartridge. They were reluctant because they didn't want me to have to use something that I paid for and I said "don't worry, this is my pay it forward." We finished up, they thanked us and we went off our merry ways.

Well, I definitely got some good karma from that good deed. I went for a road ride last week and stuck my driver's license in my back jersey pocket. When I got home, it was gone and I figured it slipped out as I grabbed for other things in my pocket. I got a phone call today and someone found my driver's licence and was trying to get it back to me. Definitely the power of pay it forward working in my favor.

The 6 Hours of Blue Mound was cancelled because of weather so I had a nice weekend at home. I raced yesterday in the MNSCS Memorial Classic in Red Wing, MN. It was great race with some fun singletrack. I felt great, had a lot of fun and definitely felt like I was improving this season. I even made it up a nasty climb! I finished 6th and realized that I can and should push myself harder on these shorter races. Thanks to Nicole for the great race support and congrats to everyone who did the race.

Sunday was a another fun night. Kevin and I got together with our friend Bill to make pesto. Bill has a plot in a community garden and grew a ton of basil this summer. Bill knows how much I love basil and he graciously invited us over to make home-made pesto using his fresh home-grown stash. It was a long night of mixing basil, pine nuts, parmesean cheese and olive oil but definitely well worth it for home-made pesto.

Happy eating!

Ho hum....

2008-07-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

I haven't had too much to post about lately. The last two weeks have been spent recovering from Levis Trow, fun bike rides with friends, celebrating the 4th of July, and most importantly, helping my niece celebrate her wedding. It's been a quiet, relaxing two weeks.

This weekend I'm heading to Madison, WI to do a 6 hour race at Blue Mounds State Park. I'm really excited to do this race for lots of reasons: 1) it's only a training race; 2) 6 hours can't possibly be as bad as the 8 hours it took at Levis Trow; 3) I will see friends who live in Madison and friends from MN will be at the race; and 4) the trail is a favorite with lots of rocks, roots, and technical singletrack.

Hoping for good karma on Saturday!

Levis Trow Race Report

2008-06-30T21:08:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday had me standing in line for my first endurance race of the year – the 50 mile race at Levis Trow. I was really excited to get going. This was originally one of my “A” races and I had planned to do the 100 mile race. I hadn’t been feeling good and fresh leading up to this race so I downgraded the race priority and distance. Thank god for small blessings and rational thinking. I never would have finished the 100 miler.

The race was brutal. I had only ridden here once so I didn’t really know what to expect. The race website described the course as “more challenging than ever with technical singletrack and a few punishing climbs.” There is no better way to describe the course. Although it was hard, it was really fun with a lot of fast, windy trails with some great technical, rocky, rooty sections. If it hadn’t been for all the climbing, the course was perfect for my style of riding.

I had a number of goals: 1) finish; 2) work on keeping a positive mental attitude; 3) dial in race nutrition; and 4) only stop to fill up on water and food with no prolonged rests. I was very happy to accomplish all these goals. I also had reinforcements with me to hold me to this. My friend Nicole joined in the race and my friend Kim came as support for both of us.

I felt pretty good the first lap and tried to maintain a consistent and steady pace. I watched my heart rate and never felt like I was struggling. However, when I finished the first lap I felt like I was gong to throw up which meant I probably went at a harder pace than I thought. I stopped to refuel, chatted with my friend Kim (she said I was crabby), and was off for the second lap. That lap went pretty good but I realized I was getting slower. I kept reminding myself that my goal was to finish and not to worry about anything else. I had a few periods of silent whining but reminded myself that no one was making me do this and that of course an endurance race is going to be hard.

I came through the pit area again, filled up on water and food and was off for lap #3. I felt pretty crappy the entire lap and it seemed to take me forever. I had to work very hard to maintain a positive mental attitude. The race was taking me much longer than I thought it would, I was getting very tired and really just wanted to be done. But, I also did not want to quit and I was getting worried I wouldn’t be able to finish before dark. I also wasn’t sure if there was a time cut off to start my last lap. I asked the time keepers when I came through and they said I was fine. I chatted with Kim and Nicole and decided to go out again. I pushed it as hard as I could and was never happier to see the finish line knowing I accomplished my goals. I finished in 7 hours and 54 minutes and got third place with second place only about 15 minutes ahead of me.

I thought that I would try and describe why I do these crazy races but I’m not that good of a writer so I found a substitute. I read a blog written by an Alaskan endurance racer and she wrote an entry entitled “Why I like Endurance.” She describes it perfectly so enjoy and hopefully you’ll have a better understanding of what motivates me.

A big thanks to Kim and Nicole for being there. It was a long day for all of us and really appreciated having you there!

Superior Bike Fest photos

2008-06-26T15:26:00.000-05:00

Superfun

2008-06-25T15:53:00.000-05:00

Kevin and I headed up to Michigan on Friday to spend some time at the camp (cabin for Minnesotans)and to check out a local bike weekend called Superior Bike Fest in Marquette, MI. I was doing the cross country race on Sunday.

We were hoping to check out the downhill races but for various reasons only caught the tail end. Instead we pre-rode the cross country race course. It was really freaking fun and I got very excited for the race. It was a perfect course for me - fun, rocky technical sections; long, fast downhills. There was a lot of climbing but nothing terrible. I was really looking forward to the race on Sunday.

Even after doing so many races I still get nervous for the start. Like before the Afton race, I got sick again. But, I felt great after that and wasn't nervous anymore but a little worried that I hadn't warmed up at all. Oh well, I thought to myself. I had three goals for the race: 1) Have fun; 2) Finish; and 3) Don't finish last. I managed to accomplish all three goals.

The race started and reminded myself to just go at a comfortable pace and not worry about what was happening with the other women. The race started with a long, gradual fire road climb (a perfect climb for me) and then headed into some sweet, rocky singletrack. I was surprised at how good I felt at the start. I passed two women on the climb and was right behind two others going into the singletrack. I rode behind one woman on the first section of singletrack and passed her as soon as I got a chance. I then caught up to the other woman and passed her as soon as there was a break in the trail. I felt great so I decided to put as big of a gap I could in the singletrack I could because I figured she would catch up to me on the long climb. After this the course had some fun, fast downhills and one long climb that went on forever but it was never really bad. The entire time, the other racer was just behind me and I kept assuming she would pass me on the climb. I managed to stay in front and went into the last section of singletrack - a sweet, downhill with some tight switchbacks. I didn't ride this entire section the day before but again figured this would be where I could put another gap. I went as hard as I could for the second lap. I finished 4th overall and 1st in my age category. It was a super fun race and I was giddy at how good I felt.

Saturday is the 50 mile race at Levis Trow and I'm really looking forward to a long day of racing.

I have some pictures but I will post them later - blogger takes forever to load pictures and I'm running out of time. Off for another ride!

A little more faith in humanity and in myself

2008-06-20T08:27:00.000-05:00

A little more faith in humanity and in myself

Last night, as I was driving home on a fairly busy road near my house, I noticed a car on the side of the road and something big in the middle of the road. As I got closer I could see that it was a pretty big snapping turtle. Someone had stopped to try and move it but for obvious reasons wasn’t going to touch it. I drove by thinking I couldn’t do anything about it because I was in a hurry and a long list of other excuses. But, I kept thinking about it and decided that I at least needed to try and do something so I turned around. I thought that I could at least stop at the county park visitors’ center (which was just down the road) and see if someone there could move it. Well, as I arrived back at the spot, there was another vehicle parked on the side of the road and the turtle was gone. I stopped to chat with the man and asked about the turtle. With a huge smile on his face he said that he took care of it and pointed to it in the weeds, safely heading in the other direction.

I know it’s just a turtle but I felt better knowing that my neighbors would place enough value in that animal to stop and help and comforted that I at least tried. It was a good reminder to me to take a minute to think about things, be kind to others and to try and do the right thing.

Random ride thoughts

2008-06-15T17:37:00.000-05:00

I spent the better part of today’s ride thinking about two things. My twin sister and idiots.

I have a twin sister, Joanne, who is a complete goofball and I’m very lucky to have her in my life. She loves Cheetos, bowling, Valley Fair, her family, and I can never forget her love of animals because usually the first thing she asks me about is how my cats are doing. When we were born Joanne couldn’t breathe on her own and went some time without oxygen. As a result, she has cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities. Because of this there’s not a lot she can do physically. I have the Chinese characters for twin taped to the stem of my handlebars to remind me that no matter how hard my life gets, Joanne has had to overcome so much more than I will ever be faced with. No matter how hard a ride might be, I at least have the option of riding my bike and to quit my whining.

Secondly, Kevin and I ran into every yoo-hoo today and it was very frustrating. I know there are a lot of cyclists out there who make it a challenge for non-cyclists -- idiots who run stop lights and stop signs, who take up too much of the road etc…but that doesn’t mean all of us are like that. Today non bicyclists were running in the bike only lanes on designated bike trails, someone was running in the bike lane on the road on Summit Avenue, and a complete idiot (with no helmet) was riding the wrong direction on a designated bike lane on the road. The worst was the woman in the Dodge Caravan. Kevin and I were riding, in the bike lane, following the law, and this complete idiot wasn’t paying attention and started to make a left turn directly into us. She wasn’t even looking. Kevin slammed on his brakes, I ran into him, crashed and landed on the road. It was a complete blur but I do remember thinking “that women is going to hit us” and next thing I knew I was on the ground. I feel really bad because some poor guy stopped to try and help me and all I could manage was a string of obscenities I didn’t even know I knew. I wish I could apologize to that poor man but he ran away before I composed myself. After 15 years of biking, today’s ride was the most frustrating and the closest I ever came to getting seriously hurt by a vehicle.

So, for my non-biking friends and family who read this, I’m very sorry for the idiot bikers out there who make it difficult for all of us. But please remember, that we are not all idiots and that cyclists have a legal right to ride on our city streets so please pay attention. Thanks!

Spent

2008-06-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

Today was an awesome day. Summer has finally arrived, I had a good long bike ride with Kevin on a fun route and finished the ride completely spent. We rode for 5 hours and Kevin joined me in for my prescribed workout - hill repeats. I'm pretty tired right now but was very glad how I felt during the ride. I finally didn’t feel as slow as a sloth. Even the hill repeats weren't that bad. We started in Eagan and decided to go to the 35E bridge, which has a great bike path and about a 3-4 minute climb (not quite a mile long). I had to do 12 of them. After that we rode along Shepard Road to downtown St. Paul and checked out the Bruce Vento Trail which then brought us to the Gateway State Trail. We took that back to St. Paul, down scenic Summit Avenue (see next post), to East River road and then wound our way back to Eagan. With one exception (see other post) today’s ride reminded me of how lucky we are in MN with a great system of trails and bike lanes, of which we took great advantage of today.

I regret not bringing my camera because today would have been a great day for some photos.
I hope everyone has enjoyed the nice day!

Pukefest (also known as a bike race) at Afton Alps

2008-06-09T15:32:00.001-05:00

Am I glad I did the race? Definitely. Was it hard? Extremely.

Sunday was the MNSCS race at Afton Alps. The last time I rode here was about 7 years ago and I somehow managed to forget how hard this course is. I knew it was going to be a tough race with a lot of climbing but I forgot exactly how much climbing there was to be had. The course did have some short, sections of fun singletrack mixed throughout but you had to climb to get to it. I can’t believe I did the 24 Hours of Afton 4 times and still forget how tough this course is.

I woke up about 6:30 Sunday morning to the sound of pouring rain and really hoped the rain would continue. It didn’t so I didn’t have a good excuse to not show up. I wasn’t nervous and my only goal was to finish. I never do good at starts (that’s why I like endurance races) and this one was no different. Gun went off and all the women went speeding on ahead. I managed to pass a few of them and was able to settle into a pace, uncomfortable as it was. I felt pretty good the first lap and was able to ride most everything and finished in 50 minutes.

Second lap not so good. I went through the start area, grabbed a fresh water bottle from Janet (thanks!) and started climbing. It was time to get some energy so I grabbed a PowerGel and ate it quickly at the top of a climb. My stomach completely revolted on me and I proceeded to throw up. The very weird thing is that I had already done that in the morning – I think it was a bad reaction to taking my vitamins on an empty stomach. I felt totally fine before that and really had no idea where the stomach upset came from. After that I was just hoping to finish and not get passed by the women behind me (I accomplished both goals).
I ended up walking a lot more this lap – mostly on the short steep stuff. I just didn’t have the energy to power up them. There was one technical section that I didn’t try the first lap, tried on the second, got stuck on a rock and flown off my bike but luckily I was going to slow to get hurt. I finished at 1 hour, 51 minutes, 7th overall (out of 10), and 2nd in my age category.

This race was very good and not just because it was good hill training. I maintained a good mental attitude and it provided me 2 hours for some uninterrupted reflection. I haven’t felt right the last several weeks (physically and mentally) and really think I need to start over with the training – kind of like the ctrl-alt-del I talked about earlier. I know these races are tough but I really want to find the balance between the physical challenge, the mental challenge and the fun aspect. This time allowed me to really think about why I want to do these crazy endurance events, what about it that makes me happy and what motivates me to push myself. I really don’t want to lose sight all this and this time helped me get back to thinking about it.

So, I’ve decided to make one change to my race schedule – I am not going to do the 100 mile race at Levis Trow. I don’t feel ready and think I need some more training to tackle a 100 miler and will be doing the 50 miler instead. This will allow me to concentrate on my 12 hour solo race at the 24 Hours of 9 mile, a race course I dream about!

Thanks to Janet and Kim for cheering Sunday!

2008-06-02T14:44:00.000-05:00

This past week was a great week of rides and my first mountain bike race of the season.

Tuesday I rode with Kevin and he helped me do a planned training ride which included a mix of flat threshold and maximum effort. The purpose of this ride is to get me used to having my heart rate at a fairly high level, have it spike up even higher and then go back to a fairly high level. I basically spent the entire time chasing him at an extremely high heart rate. I felt like I was going to throw up and I’m sure he barely had his heart rate elevated! It was good and I definitely needed this workout to get ready for some races.

I was not able to join my regular Wednesday women’s ride because of an evening work obligation so I rode my mountain bike at Lebanon by myself in the morning. It was really nice but I would definitely prefer riding with the ladies.

I took Friday morning off and went for a planned 4 hour road ride. I was originally going to mountain bike, but because of the weather and the wet trails, I stuck to the road but on my mountain bike instead of my road bike. I rode one of my favorite routes - through Eagan/Mendota Heights area, across the Mendota bridge, through Minnehaha Park, up River Road, across the Midtown Greenway through Minneapolis and out to Hopkins, back to Minneapolis, through the Lakes area, east on Minnehaha Parkway and back to the Mendota bridge. It was a nice long ride but I came to the conclusion that I’m tired of riding by myself. Because of work etc…I’ve had to fit in rides whenever I can which lately has meant going before work in the morning. I’m definitely happy to have a normal work schedule now and am looking forward to some more rides with friends.

The best part of Friday’s ride was that I discovered a new energy food - Mel O Glaze donuts. In the numerous times I’ve ridden past this donut shop, I’ve never stopped. I can guarantee you that will never happen again. I’m not a donut fanatic but I do love regular glazed donuts and I’ve heard these were good. They are amazing. I think the woman behind the counter was amazed at how quickly I ate the donut as it only took me 2 seconds. I can’t wait to go back!

Saturday, my friend Kim and I headed out to Wausau, WI for the Big Ring Classic. We met up with some other friends and pre-road the race course This area has amazing bike trails and I was really looking forward to riding on some sweet singletrack. The race organizers did not disappoint. I had to keep reminding myself that I'm doing these short races to train for endurance races but I still get nervous everytime. The race was 16 miles, it was fast and there were lots of women racing which is great. Congrats to Dana for winning Kim’s dinner cup challenge and congrats to Kim, Janet and Nicole for doing so well yesterday. You rock!

I have been fighting a cold since last Wednesday and I think yesterday’s effort put me over the top. I am home resting today with a sore throat, headache and congestion. However, I’m enjoying the needed rest and my cats are happy!

2008-05-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

Say Ya To Da U.P.

This Memorial Weekend I decided to head up the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to spend the weekend with Kevin and his Mom and Dad. Kevin’s parents, Irv and Gerry, have a place on Little Shag Lake, near Gwinn, MI . To Minnesotans, their place would be called a “cabin” but to people in Upper Michigan, it’s called “camp.” The Perala camp is definitely one of my favorite places – it’s a log cabin built by Kevin’s grandpa in the mid 1930’s. It’s very rustic but beautiful. I’m always happy when we get out of the car and feel the familiar breezes and smells of Upper Michigan.

Irv and Gerry -- they've been married over 50 years!

The Perala Camp. The new roof was added last year.

The Boat House.

The outhouse. The camp has electricity and running water but no shower or a bathroom. I can tolerate this but it's usually the first thing I'm happy about leaving.

We left Thursday afternoon and arrived at camp around 11:00. We unpacked, which for those of you who know Kevin, it’s like unpacking for a safari expedition. We then visited with Irv and Gerry for a bit and then hit the sack.

Some of my sleeping companions.

Memorial Day weekend is traditionally a work weekend getting the camp ready for summer and there’s a lot of work to do on the family’s three properties around the lake. I, however, needed to get in some long rides so my end the bargain was that I would prep and cook all the meals.

I headed out Friday morning for a three hour ride. After the crazy hours of the legislative session and being around people all the time, it felt great to be out on my own in the peace and quiet with the sound of bike tires on paved roads. I headed north into a headwind to the abandoned KI Sawyer Air Force Base. I then headed east from there for a 10 mile stretch on rolling paved roads. The best part was when I turned south and had 10 miles of tailwind. I crisscrossed back to camp on a beautiful country road.

The last little climb to camp. It looks deceptive but I dread it every time.

Saturday, I had a planned 4 hour ride with a series of hill intervals. I decided to head to Marquette Mountain and do the road climb there which was over a mile long. I rode from camp which took me over an hour into a headwind. I did the climb 5 times but took an involuntary break in between -- I got two flats, used all my tubes and ran out of patches to repair the next flat. Kevin came to the rescue, driving the 25 minutes from camp with some extra tubes. I originally planned on going home with him in the van but knew I would regret that decision. So, I finished the hill repeats and headed home. The bike ride home was awesome as I had a tail wind most of the way!

I had planned on mountain biking on Sunday but Irv said they were predicting huge thunderstorms, hail, and damaging winds so I decided to not take a chance. Turns out, I could have ridden as the rain did not arrive until dinnertime. Instead, I had a nice day helping out at camp and even got dirty helping plant the vegetable garden. I'm looking forward to eating radishes, onions, and lettuce on our next visit and carrots, cucumbers, zucchini and beets on our visit later summer!

We got home last night and now I have my sights set on a good, hard week of training. My coach gave me some tough short rides and one long ride to do before my first race on Sunday.

Have a great week!

Ctrl-Alt-Del

2008-05-15T06:38:00.000-05:00

My schedule has been a bit sporadic lately because of work and weather. Work primarily takes all my energy right now, mostly because of the uncertainty of things at the State Legislature. We are in the final days and legislative leaders and the Governor are trying to work together to solve a $935 million budget deficit. This means a lot of waiting and long hours at the Capitol but a weird need to be there for it all. Which means it's been hard for me to focus on training and good nutrition. For the most part, I bring all my food with me for the day but when I'm tired, and just want it all to be over, that's the last thing I want so I've been giving into a lot of unhealthy temptations lately. Oh well, life will get back to normal by Monday and I can get really serious about training. My first endurance race (a 100 mile mountain bike race) is the end of June and I’m getting nervous!

Although my training hasn't been as much as I want, I have been able to get out on the bike for some fun bike rides. Last Sunday, Nicole and I rode to a local bike race to cheer our friend Janet on in the Sport class. It was fun and made me even more excited to start racing.

I should have played the lottery last night. Usually this time of year, I am always working, but by an act of god, I didn't have to be at the Capitol last night. So, I went for a bike ride with Kevin, Janet, and Nicole. It was a great night and I had a blast mountain biking at Lebanon.

It’s amazing how intense my need is for fresh air and physical activity and how frustrated/depressed I get when I can’t get out for a bike ride. Between work and weather it’s been hard to get outside but after last night’s ride, all my frustration and sense of being in a rut is wiped away. It’s as if I hit ctrl-alt-del on my mental button and am reset. I’m happy, in a good a mood and feel great. Funny what an hour and half bike ride in the woods can do for me to make me feel that all is right with the world again.

Looking forward to sine die!

The sun finally came out!

2008-05-05T07:56:00.000-05:00

What a great weekend we had. Luckily the weather forecasters were wrong about Saturday's forecast. We ended up with a sunny and warm weather all weekend.

I ended up not riding on Saturday for a whole host of reasons - mostly because I thought I would have to work at the Capitol on Sunday so I wanted to get errands/chores out of the way. Saturday night was spent with Kevin’s neighbor’s who were celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary.

Sunday was a great day. Kevin and I decided to do a combination road/mountain bike ride. We got on our full suspension mountain bikes and hit two of the local parks. We road the 10 or so miles to Harmon Park in Inver Grove Heights and met my friend, Janet, and did a lap with her. She rocked!

We then road the 10 or so miles to Lebanon Hills and did a loop there. It was very nice to ride on a single track trail in the woods. However, when we got to Lebanon, I was getting pretty tired. I even thought to myself “I definitely have more work to do to get ready for my first endurance race!” We were out for a total of 4 hours and I had that wonderful spent feeling when I got home.
The Legislative session will be done in two weeks and then my life becomes my own again. Then I can focus on training, can ride as much as possible, and spend time with my family.

I meant to take a few more pictures but I was having to much fun mountain biking.

My riding partner for the day.

The first leg of our trip.

Janet in her Peace Coffee team kit.

Despite the winter-like weather, a good weekend....

2008-04-27T20:41:00.000-05:00

Despite the weather, it turned out to be a good weekend for riding and a good weekend overall. I managed to run errands, spend time helping my grand-nephew celebrate his birthday and relax after a long, dreary work week. (Please note, I love my job but right now is a very frustrating, unpredictable, period in the legislative session.)

I had every intention of riding outside on Saturday and even woke up in the morning and thought “it won’t be that bad outside when I’m ready to ride in the afternoon.” Silly, silly me.

I had a chiropractor appointment at 11:30 and when I got done, there were straight-lying winds and snow. I had planned on doing a three hour ride and really did not want to do it indoors. However, the wind scared me so I decided to opt for the rollers. I had a really hard time staying motivated. Kevin joined me and we watched a really boring movie, which made it worse. He gave up after an hour and I kept going. However, I was ready to quit too but then I had a little reality check/conversation with myself. I decided that if I couldn’t do three hours on the rollers, what makes me think I could do a 12 hour race or a 100 mile endurance event. So, I sucked it up, put the Ipod in my ears and kept at it. I told myself - listen to 10 songs and then rest. Before I new it, it was over. It was hard mentally but I felt great afterwards.

Sunday was a great day. I met my friend Kim and her friend Karen for the Iron Crotch Bike Ride. We opted for the 43 mile ride through the Wisconsin countryside. It was a great ride -- a route with “gently rolling hills” according to Kim. It took about 10 miles to get to the “gently rolling hills” but once we did, it was nice. There was a nasty climb in the first 5 miles. It takes me a long time to warm up and I was definitely not warmed up when we got to that climb. The half-way point of the ride brought us to Osceola, WI where we stopped for a rest and a beverage. We then made our way back to Somerset and onward to Kim’s for some post-ride fuel and beverages. It was good day, spending time outside with friends, riding my bike and having good conversation.

Sunday night Kevin and I went to help my nephew’s house to help his son (believe it or not, I am old enough to have a nephew who has children) celebrate his 8th birthday. It was a lot of fun seeing Damien enjoy his special day.

I hope everyone had a good weekend!

A chilly start to the ride but it ended up being quite pleasant.

Kim tried to make me laugh but this was the best I could give.

What more could you ask for?

One of our travelling companions.

A long grinder up.....

Post ride fueling and rehydration.

Just like old times

2008-04-21T19:25:00.000-05:00

I didn't have to work late tonight so I decided to go for a quick ride at Harmon Park/Salem Hills. It's a short but fun mountain bike trail in Inver Grove Heights and this was my first time on a mountain bike trail since late November. I was supposed to ride with my friends, Janet and Nicole, but the weather proved to be problematic so I was on my own.

It was a great ride. I was in a hurry because I was trying to beat a looming thunderstorm so I went at a pretty good pace. The course is really fast with some fun turns. I felt great and thought to myself "I forgot how good this feels."

Now, I'm waiting for Kevin to cook dinner (steak on the grill!) and enjoying a night at home when I thought I would be stuck at the capitol.

What am I doing?

2008-04-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

I read so many blogs and enjoy them so I thought I would create one of my own. More entries to follow as soon as I get the hang of this!