TT, RR and Crit...with a bunch of REALLY good riders, like the Metromint and Simple Green Girls...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
JR and I drove 3 hours straight to get to the TT, out of the car and onto the bikes. I actually managed to warm up for about 20 min, then it was GO time for the 14 mile TT. I tried to go all out. Plan worked. I was really sore and tired that night. I ended up 4th place, which I was more then happy with. My new CEEPO likes to go FAST!!!
RR: 57 miles with 40 women. Pushing...not cool. I realized how much I love Triathlon during this race. There was a lot of "illegal" stuff going on, from crossing the yellow line to pushing. The entire field ended up staying together (maybe because we got neutralized 4 times!!!). Just like other girls I tried to attack but everything got chased down. Doing a Halfironman seems easier then this 57 mile ride. I was pooped!!!
Crit: Last stage. By this point everyone is (hopefully) tired. 40 min downtown Phoenix, the Crit was fast and scary but SUPER FUN!!! You could tell that this was a big race with really good competition. The race was sooooooooooo fast!!!
Nothing changed in the overall and I ended up 4th overall and best Cat 2 rider :-)
Now we are back in Flagstaff, working a lot and preparing for a trip up to North Dakota. If I think Flagstaff is cold, I can't wait to get to ND :-)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
McDowell Circuit race
As the weeks before, I escaped to Phoenix for some good training and racing. Saturday was an easy long run (which I think I should always do before races...seems to make me feel great for raceday :-), Sunday was the McDowell Circuit Race.
JR spend the weekend racing in California, so I got a ride from Pam-THANKS!!! We had a super nice homestay with our friend Janet and her husband Fin. Pam and I explored the Fountain Hills region during our run and came to the conclusion that there is NO flat spot, uphill, downhill...
Sunday was an early wake up day, Pam's race was at 7:30 am. We thought we had plenty of time, but off course we ended up being ready 15 min before her race :-(
My team, TRIBE/Allsports GPS, looked great out there!!! Our teammates are really nice and really support each other. The Cat 4 race was a big pack finish, with only a few people off the back. One brave TRIBE lady got away during the race and soloed for a few laps, but unfortunately the field caught her towards the end. She did a great job out there!!!
After the race I went for a 1 hr ride to loosen the legs with my teammates. Then Pam and I went back to the house to eat and shower (you always have to smell good when you race, right?).
Our race was at noon with the 1,2 and 3's combined. The majority was TRIBE ladies, which was a nice view at the start. My teammates had asked me if I wanted to sit in and they would do all the work and I would go at the end, but I was not sure if I had what it takes to win against the other AZ teams. So we agreed to all attack many times and whoever gets away gets away.
There were 4 primes in the race, I won the first one against another lady from AZ, and thought...mhhh...legs are feeling pretty good :-)...My teammate Megan went for the 2nd one and got it. Then, in lap 4 I went for the 3rd one, got it and opened up a gap. Now in Avondale I made the mistake and sat up and waited for the field. Not this time. I put my head down and tried to stay away. Coming around the next lap I saw the 3 to go sign. Oh oh...I kept looking back but it seemed like the gap didn't get smaller. I went and went...and ended up winning by what Pam said was about 45 sec. Approaching the finish line I took my hands off the handlebars to celebrate and was hoping that I wouldn't loose balance (hihihi, that would have been a finish)... It was great having teammates who were making sure that noone came after me. We have a very strong and powerful team for 2010 and I am very excited to see how the cycling season will develope.
Next week is the Valley of the Sun Stage Race where me and my team will do our best against riders from AZ but also from other states.
JR spend the weekend racing in California, so I got a ride from Pam-THANKS!!! We had a super nice homestay with our friend Janet and her husband Fin. Pam and I explored the Fountain Hills region during our run and came to the conclusion that there is NO flat spot, uphill, downhill...
Sunday was an early wake up day, Pam's race was at 7:30 am. We thought we had plenty of time, but off course we ended up being ready 15 min before her race :-(
My team, TRIBE/Allsports GPS, looked great out there!!! Our teammates are really nice and really support each other. The Cat 4 race was a big pack finish, with only a few people off the back. One brave TRIBE lady got away during the race and soloed for a few laps, but unfortunately the field caught her towards the end. She did a great job out there!!!
After the race I went for a 1 hr ride to loosen the legs with my teammates. Then Pam and I went back to the house to eat and shower (you always have to smell good when you race, right?).
Our race was at noon with the 1,2 and 3's combined. The majority was TRIBE ladies, which was a nice view at the start. My teammates had asked me if I wanted to sit in and they would do all the work and I would go at the end, but I was not sure if I had what it takes to win against the other AZ teams. So we agreed to all attack many times and whoever gets away gets away.
There were 4 primes in the race, I won the first one against another lady from AZ, and thought...mhhh...legs are feeling pretty good :-)...My teammate Megan went for the 2nd one and got it. Then, in lap 4 I went for the 3rd one, got it and opened up a gap. Now in Avondale I made the mistake and sat up and waited for the field. Not this time. I put my head down and tried to stay away. Coming around the next lap I saw the 3 to go sign. Oh oh...I kept looking back but it seemed like the gap didn't get smaller. I went and went...and ended up winning by what Pam said was about 45 sec. Approaching the finish line I took my hands off the handlebars to celebrate and was hoping that I wouldn't loose balance (hihihi, that would have been a finish)... It was great having teammates who were making sure that noone came after me. We have a very strong and powerful team for 2010 and I am very excited to see how the cycling season will develope.
Next week is the Valley of the Sun Stage Race where me and my team will do our best against riders from AZ but also from other states.
Monday, February 1, 2010
My week and the Vulture Mine TT
I can handle the cold. I actually like the cold...and a little bit of snow...but NOT ice on the roads. Riding outside is impossible. I actually road my bike to work and ended up sliding through an intersection. Luckily there were no cars.
Running is 50/50. No running in the mornings or at night, possibly from 12-3 pm :-)
Now what did that mean for last week? A TON of swimming. And off course when I am attending every practice there is, it is IM week. Butterfly here, backstroke there. My arms were hurting. But I loved it.
Saturday JR and I went to Sedona for some warmer riding and running.
Sunday we drove to Wickenburg for a 20 k TT.
The TT was one big uphill, one bog downhill, turn around and back again. No flat spots. I went out hard and tried to maintain the pace. My arms were the only things really really hurting, and it was not from pulling on the handlebars. It was from all the swimming:-)
I won the TT on my sweet Ceepo bike!!! What a great bike!!!
Next week up:
Sedona 5 k
McDowell Crit
Running is 50/50. No running in the mornings or at night, possibly from 12-3 pm :-)
Now what did that mean for last week? A TON of swimming. And off course when I am attending every practice there is, it is IM week. Butterfly here, backstroke there. My arms were hurting. But I loved it.
Saturday JR and I went to Sedona for some warmer riding and running.
Sunday we drove to Wickenburg for a 20 k TT.
The TT was one big uphill, one bog downhill, turn around and back again. No flat spots. I went out hard and tried to maintain the pace. My arms were the only things really really hurting, and it was not from pulling on the handlebars. It was from all the swimming:-)
I won the TT on my sweet Ceepo bike!!! What a great bike!!!
Next week up:
Sedona 5 k
McDowell Crit
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Departure to better weather
Departure to better weather-this weekend was supposed to be the first training weekend, with a TT on Saturday and a Crit on Sunday...The TT got cancelled due to bad weather and JR and I would have been unable to escape the snow anyways because the Interstate was closed. Instead I did a long run, partially on the treadmill, partially on ice. Then we decided to drive to Phoenix in the afternoon when the streets were open and I ran another 5 miles and enjoyed the weather.
Good prep for a crit? Probably not, but this is all training. Sunday was beautiful. I was at the crit ALL day and my race was, off course, the last. Only 3 girls showed up, so it was clear that noone would break away. I had a good gap after the first prime, but decided to wait for the other girls, which I think was a mistake because I had a good gap on them...oh well...that might be why I am not a cyclist... I won the second prime as well. The third one my teammate went for, so I ended up blocking the other girl (mhhh, I wasn't sure if that is the nice thing to do...but this is a race :-)
The final sprint was unfortunate. I switched into a bigger gear for sprinting...clong clong clong...thank you chain for NOT shifting and helping everyone get away...so I caught up, rode into second, looked over and saw that my teammate had first place covered. We went one-two and had a great workout.
Now please chain...work next time in the final sprint...please!!!
This week: lots of swimming...next weekend: running race, crit and TT if possible!!! I love racing, it gets you in great shape!!!
Good prep for a crit? Probably not, but this is all training. Sunday was beautiful. I was at the crit ALL day and my race was, off course, the last. Only 3 girls showed up, so it was clear that noone would break away. I had a good gap after the first prime, but decided to wait for the other girls, which I think was a mistake because I had a good gap on them...oh well...that might be why I am not a cyclist... I won the second prime as well. The third one my teammate went for, so I ended up blocking the other girl (mhhh, I wasn't sure if that is the nice thing to do...but this is a race :-)
The final sprint was unfortunate. I switched into a bigger gear for sprinting...clong clong clong...thank you chain for NOT shifting and helping everyone get away...so I caught up, rode into second, looked over and saw that my teammate had first place covered. We went one-two and had a great workout.
Now please chain...work next time in the final sprint...please!!!
This week: lots of swimming...next weekend: running race, crit and TT if possible!!! I love racing, it gets you in great shape!!!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Picture time
A few weeks ago I went to Phoenix for the awesome Women's Bike clinic that TRIBE put on. Two days of pack riding, TT, cornering, nutrition, strength, stretching, ... Off course it also included some good food in Scottsdale and some walking around looking at art. This was my favourite store:-)
Home again. Jack da puppy LOVES rice, corn, carrots...he wasn't sure about celery. My puppy might be more human then we think...
Yesterday it started snowing. Forecast:3-7 feet!!! Here is what came down yesterday and today. The fence is almost gone:
Running outside might be a challenge with snow up to my hip:
Jack loves it:
Here is a video of Jack making a trail for me:-)
Yesterday it started snowing. Forecast:3-7 feet!!! Here is what came down yesterday and today. The fence is almost gone:
Running outside might be a challenge with snow up to my hip:
Jack loves it:
Here is a video of Jack making a trail for me:-)
Oh, and: Never put Birkenstock shoes on a heater, even if it is set for 60isch degrees. They come out looking like this:
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
San Diego
Last week JR and I went to San Diego for a 5 day training camp. JR got to meet his new teammates for the 2010 season.
The weather was great - it rained before we came and now that we are gone it is raining again. Perfect timing.
We didn't get the chance to ride outside much (2 times :-) this year in Flagstaff, so it was nice to ride in shorts and short sleeve shirts. Day one was a 3 hr ride with the boys. They all talked a lot, therefore the pace was perfect for my first outdoor ride. In the 3 hours we never really left the city... after the ride I went running in Balboa Park, seeing a TON of other athletes. People in California LOVE to be active...it seems like...and they love to hang out at coffee shops :-)
On the program the next day was a STONE Brewery tour (JR's sponsor), followed by a 4 hr ride from Escondido up Palomar Mountain and back.
That day all the talking was done and the guys decided to go for it-oh oh- we went over the first 5 mile hill, which seemed really steep, and then back down to the valley were Palomar Mountain starts. I held on to the guys... CAN'T SHOW WEAKNESS...
I have heard a lot about Palomar Mountain...17 mile climb...nice grade...I heard a lot of people say that Mountain is a bit$h...turns out I really liked it. It is long, but since it is not super steep it is a really nice ride. We went really hard, and it was a great day going up the hill. Now girls always take a break and I thought that I could take pictures on the way down for sure. The views are just beautiful...but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. No break on top, no breaks EVER. We turned around, went downhill...then they decided to go a different way home.
My thought: THANK YOU GUYS. Then I don't have to ride that 5 mile hill again...yeah right...ends up we went over Cole Grade...a steep little sucker...only 15 min of pain, but holly $hit. The guys put down the hammer and my legs turned into jello...but I made it. It was great training...back at the brewery, out of enrgy and very pooped I decided a transition run was not going to happen. I am so glad I went with the guys, I am glad I held on and fought...there are not a lot of chances to ride with Cat 1 guys only.
Next day:
Long run in Balboa Park. Nothing special, just saw a lot of strange characters.
Sunday: Another day on the bike. This time we went along the coast with a coffee break at Pannikin's...one of the greatest coffee shops EVER.
I was so close to the coast and guess what...I didn't go to the beach once. I guess this is what happens when you are busy training :-)
It was great to try out my new CEEPO Mamba Roadbike. Uphill, downhill, corners, fast and slow...this bike is great. Light on the climbs, stiff on the downhills. I am very excited to try out both the CEEPO Roadbike and TT bike next week in the Vulture Mine TT and the Avondale Crit...LET THE SEASON BEGIN!!!
The weather was great - it rained before we came and now that we are gone it is raining again. Perfect timing.
We didn't get the chance to ride outside much (2 times :-) this year in Flagstaff, so it was nice to ride in shorts and short sleeve shirts. Day one was a 3 hr ride with the boys. They all talked a lot, therefore the pace was perfect for my first outdoor ride. In the 3 hours we never really left the city... after the ride I went running in Balboa Park, seeing a TON of other athletes. People in California LOVE to be active...it seems like...and they love to hang out at coffee shops :-)
On the program the next day was a STONE Brewery tour (JR's sponsor), followed by a 4 hr ride from Escondido up Palomar Mountain and back.
That day all the talking was done and the guys decided to go for it-oh oh- we went over the first 5 mile hill, which seemed really steep, and then back down to the valley were Palomar Mountain starts. I held on to the guys... CAN'T SHOW WEAKNESS...
I have heard a lot about Palomar Mountain...17 mile climb...nice grade...I heard a lot of people say that Mountain is a bit$h...turns out I really liked it. It is long, but since it is not super steep it is a really nice ride. We went really hard, and it was a great day going up the hill. Now girls always take a break and I thought that I could take pictures on the way down for sure. The views are just beautiful...but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. No break on top, no breaks EVER. We turned around, went downhill...then they decided to go a different way home.
My thought: THANK YOU GUYS. Then I don't have to ride that 5 mile hill again...yeah right...ends up we went over Cole Grade...a steep little sucker...only 15 min of pain, but holly $hit. The guys put down the hammer and my legs turned into jello...but I made it. It was great training...back at the brewery, out of enrgy and very pooped I decided a transition run was not going to happen. I am so glad I went with the guys, I am glad I held on and fought...there are not a lot of chances to ride with Cat 1 guys only.
Next day:
Long run in Balboa Park. Nothing special, just saw a lot of strange characters.
Sunday: Another day on the bike. This time we went along the coast with a coffee break at Pannikin's...one of the greatest coffee shops EVER.
I was so close to the coast and guess what...I didn't go to the beach once. I guess this is what happens when you are busy training :-)
It was great to try out my new CEEPO Mamba Roadbike. Uphill, downhill, corners, fast and slow...this bike is great. Light on the climbs, stiff on the downhills. I am very excited to try out both the CEEPO Roadbike and TT bike next week in the Vulture Mine TT and the Avondale Crit...LET THE SEASON BEGIN!!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
What have I been up to?
Mhhh, after getting back from Germany, I got to play in the snow in Flagstaff. My friend Pam took me Backcountry skiing. FUN. I am so glad she takes me on all those crazy adventures like hiking into the Grand Canyon for 4 days, going to swim behind a waterfall (Fossil Creek), or like this time hiking up a hill with skis and then skiing down. Sounds fun, right? Here is how it went-Pam putting on "skins" on the skis:
Then we started hiking up the hill on skis. It is so much fun, because you don't slide back a bit. Here I am with Sunset Crater in the back. By the way the thing sticking out under my shirt is an Avalache beeper-I also learned how to use that and let me tell you, it really makes you feel safer if you are in the middle of nowhere.
The view towards the Grand Canyon on the way up:
The view towards the San Francisco Peaks. I asked multiple times where all the animals are and I had to find out that Mountain Lions don't sleep through the winter. I wonder if they are hungry...
We made it. 2.5 hrs of hiking up, let me tell you, it is exhausting but GREAT!!! Lunchbreak in the snow. Once we unclipped from the skis and took our first step we realized that the snow was VERY deep...My leg disappeared...and then I fell over...:-)
The way down was awesome but went by way too fast. It took 2.5 hrs to go up and 20 min to go down. If you have the chance to try it out go for it. What a great feeling to go somewhere on skis where noone has been before you that day!!!
See his cool looking tape? Blue army tape:-) 
Then we started hiking up the hill on skis. It is so much fun, because you don't slide back a bit. Here I am with Sunset Crater in the back. By the way the thing sticking out under my shirt is an Avalache beeper-I also learned how to use that and let me tell you, it really makes you feel safer if you are in the middle of nowhere.
The view towards the Grand Canyon on the way up:
The view towards the San Francisco Peaks. I asked multiple times where all the animals are and I had to find out that Mountain Lions don't sleep through the winter. I wonder if they are hungry...
We made it. 2.5 hrs of hiking up, let me tell you, it is exhausting but GREAT!!! Lunchbreak in the snow. Once we unclipped from the skis and took our first step we realized that the snow was VERY deep...My leg disappeared...and then I fell over...:-)
The way down was awesome but went by way too fast. It took 2.5 hrs to go up and 20 min to go down. If you have the chance to try it out go for it. What a great feeling to go somewhere on skis where noone has been before you that day!!!
After we got home we got ready to celebrate the end of 2009 and the start 2010. We went downtown to watch the "Pinecone drop" (it actually just lowers and it also went down a minute too early)-and before we knew it it was 2010!!!
2010 so far:
I went down to Phoenix to pick up my sweet new ride, my new CEEPO TT Bike, which got put together at Tribe. I also got to see my CEEPO Roadbike which I will be picking up this Saturday!!! Yippie!!! While I was at Tribe, JR called to tell me Jack, our puppy is not doing too good. He had thrown up. We thought maybe he ate something wrong. I left Tribe with my bike, received some gear from CEEPO and Sailfish, and I was on my way home. On the 2 hr drive JR called to tell me they went to the vet. Result: Jack has parvovirus, which can be deadly for puppies. Jack has all his immunizations, even the ones for parvo, but I guess he still got it somehow.
Day 2: Jack doesn't feel too hot. Throwing up, no food, no water, antibiotics and IV's.
Day 3: Jack is doing better in the morning. We go to the animal hospital twice a day for IV's. He didn't throw up for 8 hrs now!!! Yippie. If he makes 24 hrs, he is probably winning the fight. A little bit over 8 hrs...Jack throws up. He spends the rest of the day on the couch, can barely walk, because he is weak. We decided to put him in the hospital over night, so he can get the IV every second.
Day 4: We visit the little one...man he looks so sad in the isolation parvo room. Noone to play, but his tail goes crazy when he sees us.
Day 5: Jack is back!!! We took him back last night an he is now doing great. Here is Jack jumping on JR at home, he is so happy:
See his cool looking tape? Blue army tape:-)
He kept his "special-diet food down" which is great!!! Parvo is very hard to kill so we had to bleach our entire house and even our garden!!!
We are so happy that Jack made it, but it will take a while before he can run with me again :-(
Friday is my birthday, but I will be spending half of it going down to Phoenix. I am attending a 2 day bike clinic in Phoenix, put on by TRIBE!!! It will be a great clinic with lots of riding, testing and learning!!!
I can't believe I might be riding in shorts!!!
Oh, this is Jack right now...stretching and sleeping at the same time...smart puppy!!!
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