Lake Tahoe is absolutely stunning. I love it and I'm incredibly happy to have made the trip.
I was a little worried about the trip, not about Tahoe, but about being there for America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride. This was the 100 mile bike ride that I decided not to do. Honestly, I was
more than a little worried that I'd be heartbroken and petulant all weekend. It's not my nature to sulk, but then it's also not my nature to be a quitter either.
In fact, I had an absolutely fabulous time the day of the race. My job was to help with SAG - that's either "Support and Gear" or "Sympathy and Gear" depending on your day. First, I met the team at Inspiration Vista above Emerald Bay. It's beautiful there as you can clearly see in the photo. At Vista I took the cold weather gear they needed to ditch. I also snapped team photos and did whatever the riders needed. Then I had a few hours off so I went for a run. (Oh, I ran three times in Tahoe. Chi Running is awesome.) Finally, I wrapped up my day cheering on the cyclists at Spooner Summit. This was toward the end of the ride and after the cyclists had finished a 9 mile climb.
In total, I spent about 7 hours and it was great to be able to help people succeed. I had never done SAG at an event, but I've always always appreciated it. There have been plenty of events where some TNT person called out "GO TEAM" and it gave me the push I needed to reach the finish. Last night at the victory celebration someone said that seeing me at Spooner was like a "Ray of sunlight. All the cheering is great, but when it's someone you know cheering for you it's a big lift." Her taking time to say that made my weekend.
It is a huge lift to see a familiar face along the course. I'll always remember seeing Coach Ellen at mile 19 of my first marathon and seeing Steve cheering at Nike Women's Marathon. I hope I was able to provide some joy to the riders along the course.
Lake Tahoe, AMBBR and SAG
The Trip Keeps Going
Despite a canceled flight, I am finally on a plane en route to Pacific Northwest. Before I left San Diego, I was sitting on my porch in a tank top. The pilot just announced that it's snowing in Portland. Ugh!
Let's see. Now that I have a few minutes to write what can I tell you? I dropped out of the Century Ride. It broke my heart to do it, but there was a point when it became obvious that it was the right choice.
We were riding along the coast on Saturday and it was incredibly windy which was making the ocean a wild, choppy mess. Of course, that makes the ocean deliciously tempting to surfers and daredevils. As we were riding along the shoreline and we heard people shouting for help. We stopped and scanned the water for the people shouting. There were two people being pulled out by the riptide. They were pretty far out there and there was no way to help them. I'm a very strong swimmer, but not strong enough to pull two people back from that ocean. For all I knew, they were stronger swimmers than I am. There wasn't anything to help either - no rescue buoys or even driftwood. In your heart, you want to run into that water like Pam Anderson. In your head, you know that adding a third stranded swimmer to the mix is not helpful at all.
The police were called and we waited and hoped. We waited so that we could point out the swimmers to the rescue team. It was frustrating to watch; sometimes the swimmers would get closer to the shore. At one point, we almost thought that they were goofing off. Then they got pulled out by the undertow again and we knew that they were in trouble. Finally, the police got there and the ambulance and the coast guard chopper and everyone else who does these types of rescues. In this case, "finally" means about 5 minutes but it felt like forever. The swimmers got pulled to the shore and we got back on our bikes to continued our ride. As we rode off I thought, "Missed opportunity! If I'd have jumped in the ocean I bet I wouldn't have to finish this @$*#ing ride."
Something about watching those people struggle made me realize it was time to quit the Century Ride for now. With the help of the incredible TNT mentors and coaches I came very far in 6 weeks, but it made me so unhappy to have to ride on Saturdays. This was supposed to be fun and instead I dreaded it. I'm not a crybaby but I was constantly, secretly crying because I was so worried about falling in front of a car. That said, I haven't given up on the idea of the Century Ride forever. Having conquered big hills, clipless pedals, and many of my riding fears I just need to give myself some time to remember how to enjoy riding. Even a few years ago, I loved my bike. I'm going to ride on my own for awhile and relax. I think it'll all come together. I'll try it again another season.
Mostly, I'm deeply and profoundly relieved that I quit this season. I miss the team and I miss-miss-miss the spin classes. Of course, it damn near kills me that I disappointed people. But overall, I'm relieved.
It's Pace Line Appreciation Day
Yesterday, I went riding by myself at the lake. When I ride alone I go very, very slowly. The lake trail has a few fairly sharp turns and some minor slopes. I still get a little nervous dodging people and other riders. At the lake I also need to avoid the ducks which can be more of a challenge. People move out of the way, ducks not so much.
I decided to ride at the lake because there's a portion of the trail that has fences on both sides. Whenever I have to ride in areas that are really enclosed I feel some panic. It gets better every week, but I still don't like it.
Last Saturday, we rode through a very enclosed area. I was really uncomfortable because I was afraid other riders would be coming the opposite way and there wouldn't be enough room. I'm absolutely positive this stems from a car accident I had years ago. The other driver was drugged up from the hospital and ran a stop sign. She forced my car into the concrete wall of an underpass. Luckily, I was driving my Mom's 1970's Pontiac Grand Prix, an enormous car/tank my parents saved so that I could learn to drive in it. (Thanks Mom and Dad! Sorry I totaled your car.)
Last Saturday, my mentor was riding behind me speaking very calmly to help me ride through the enclosed area. She said something that made me instantly more relaxed. She reminded me that no one was coming the other way, because the front of the pace line would have warned me. Ah.
Ahhhhhhhh.
Sweet bliss, I was not alone in that tunnel. It was the first time I felt real gratitude for the pack of riders. Normally, I'm so worried that I'm going to screw up, than I can barely ride with them. Instead of grudging acceptance of the pace line, I felt genuine gratitude.
Here's to the pace line which makes me ride faster and protects me from riders (real and imagined) coming in the opposite direction.
Fun
Last week during the bike ride I would occasionally wail "I'm not having fun." It was a wail comprised of near crying and absolute fear. The precise moment I was yelling, I was really, really upset. However, it would have been true at basically any moment during the ride. Taken in the gestalt I was not having fun on the bike.
Today, there were moments when it was truly fun when I was happy to be riding. There were even a few times where I wasn't afraid to go fast - not as fast as I can go, but faster than I would have allowed myself to go even a few days ago.
There were a few rough patches - I had to ride in a bit of an enclosed area and that gave me a panic. Also, after going down Torrey Pines hill and some other hills without too much trouble, a teeny tiny hill at the end of the ride was really tough for me. Traffic blocked my chi a few times.
On Wednesday, I rode with my mentor on Fiesta Island and I think it helped me a great deal. I felt much more in control of the bike today. I was able to relax my arms and shoulders instead of being incredibly stiff. Forty miles on the bike and my arms are the most tired part of me, but I feel as though I made a lot of improvement this week.
Please Release Me - Let Me Go
Saturday was a much better ride because I figured out how to make my pedal clips looser. It didn't occur to me that the clips to attach the pedals to my shoes might be adjustable. My pedals had been set to hold my shoe very tightly and I couldn't get out in time to prevent falling. Now that my pedals are looser, it's much easier.
As part of our training ride we climbed the hill at Torrey Pines. It's over a mile of steady climbing. That's when all those marathons become money in the bank; the climb was fun. It was challenging, but I didn't have any worries that I'd need to stop and rest. In fact, I was consistently gaining or passing other riders. It felt good to be good at something.
Then I realized that I would also need to ride DOWN that hill. That was pretty terrifying for me, because at that speed I wasn't sure I was in control of the bike. My poor coach had to listen to me screaming like a banshee all the way down the hill. He would remind me to let go of my brake so it wouldn't overheat. I'm continually impressed by the incredible patience of TNT coaches and mentors.
At the end of the ride I wasn't physically tired, but mentally I was exhausted. Everything is still a conscious effort for me, and I need to focus all the time. Actually, my forearm was exhausted from clutching the brake. I asked Steve to drive home because my arm was tired.
On Sunday we went for a walk/hike at Iron Mountain. It's about 6 miles round trip. The first 3 miles are uphill with an ascent of about 1200 ft. Then you get to turn around and scamper down the mountain. Actually, the downhill had some little challenges where it was tough to get some traction.
On the way down Iron Mountain we ran into two teenagers hauling their bikes up the mountain. They weren't that far into the climb, but they were already dirty and sweaty. It's not a great ride for bikes because it's a lot of switchbacks and loose rocks. I'm not sure, but I think Torrey Pines was probably the better/safer downhill ride.
Quotes from the Weekend
You need to learn to fall on your left side. The right side of the bike is where all the expensive stuff is.
- Ride Mentor
You have very dainty scapula.
- Radiologist who read my x-ray.
I'm fine, if a bit bruised.
Goin' Nowhere and Lovin' It
I'm still loving the weekly TNT spin classes even though it's a tough workout. There are lots of cool TNT'ers there. Some of the people are training for the century ride, but others are training for a triathlon. (Note to the Lavaman Triathlon - I'm coming for you in 2009.)
Spin is fun because I'm not worried about falling or gear shifts or disappointing my teammates. Riding the bike on the road has to become fun too. The key is to stop pushing myself outside of my comfort zone on the Saturday rides. From now onward, spin class is to build my strength and endurance. On Saturdays, my only job is to feel safe on the bike.
This is hard for me because I don't back-off well. After the ride on Saturday my mentor said, "You're fighting too many battles." He's right; I'm trying to learn too much at once. It's self defeating to think that I can start a new activity and be at the same level as people who have been doing this for years.
The world will not end if I ride a bit slower for a few weeks.
I'd Like To Thank - My Mentor, My Teammates and My Helmet
Saturday's bike ride was, well, unfun. Cycling is one of those things that when things start to go wrong, the wrongness just keeps building on itself.
The short version is -
- My bike saddle was too far forward; therefore, my leg stroke was inefficient.
- Between my pedaling inefficiency, my poor shifting technique and riding with a faster pace group, I managed to exhaust myself after 20 miles with another 10 to ride.
- The bike saddle position put pressure on my knees and my right knee was super painful and cranky.
- Because my knee hurt, I couldn't quickly unclip my foot from the pedal on my right side which meant I was frightened that I was going to fall whenever we needed to stop.
To get around the cranky right knee/unclipping problem, I started unclipping my left foot. It worked until we got about 500 yards from the end of the ride. We stopped and I needed to unclip on the right side and get that foot to the ground. I couldn't do it fast enough and fell over. At that point, I just couldn't take it any more - the painful knee, being afraid for hours, being so close to the finish, the fall. It was simply too much for me and I started to cry and babble (humiliating, I know).
I have never appreciated a Team In Training mentor or group teammates more than I did on Saturday. I was ruining their ride - they couldn't go as far or fast as they should have been able to go and they were still so incredibly supportive to me. I'm not very comfortable needing help and I was incredibly frustrated. My teammates put my bike back together, pulled a clump of grass out of my helmet, wrapped an arm around my shoulders, cheered me on when I got back on the bike to ride to the finish.
The fall gave me a whippin', but at the time I didn't notice it. Now I'm sporting a very tender shoulder and swollen elbow and some nice bruises on my legs. That begs the question, why can't I just stop now? Last week, I got an email from one of my first Honored Teammates. Honored Teammates are people who are fighting blood cancers who agree to dedicate time to TNT teams. Each Honored Teammate is special to me and several are young children. Children fighting cancer is sad, but childhood Leukemias now have a high survival rate which is a direct result of money raised for research.
The email last week was from an Honored Teammate, Michele, who has always touched my heart. She's just a bit younger than I am and from a similar background. She's me, only she's fought back cancer 4 times. The cancer has returned and this time things look bleak. Chemo isn't an option this time and she's looking to alternative treatments - an alkalizing thing, an oxygen thing. Before they talked about a cure, now they're talking about quality of life.
That helps to keep things in context. I had a bad couple of hours training, but I'm healthy enough to train for an endurance event. It's hard to quit knowing that my Honoree won't have that chance. If I just wanted some training partners for every Saturday, then I could join a running club or a bike club. I picked TNT, because I wanted to raise money to fight blood cancers.
Michele is going to be featured on TV program about understanding cancer which does a great job explaining her story.
Truer Words Were Never Spoken
Trips to the bike shop have become all too frequent for me. All the employees know me. Today I stopped in because I needed some advice on my saddle, but ended up chatting to the store manager for awhile.
He gave me some really good advice on several topics, but mostly we talked about my legs being much stronger than my cycling skills. Coming off the marathons, my legs are pretty tough. Because my legs are tough, I never switch gears.
He correctly predicted that I almost always run in too hard of a gear which allows me to pedal at a much slower cadence. I replied that I thought it was because I didn't like trying to figure out the gears (which is true, I don't like fiddling with the gears). Then he said something so accurate that I had to concede the point.
"It has nothing to do with the gears. You'd rather burn in your legs, than burn in your lungs. Cranking in the heavy gears is way to avoid doing what's hard for you."Ouch. The truth in that stings a bit. Bring on the interval training. Read More......
Spinnin' it - TNT Style
Tonight was the first spin class of the Team In Training season. The team has spin training sessions every Tuesday and Thursday. I've been to plenty of spin classes in my time, but none like this one.
First, you spin on your own bike. You lock the rear wheel on a bike trainer and the front wheel on a block. So you're spinning on your road bike. Second, spin class is held outside in the parking lot of a bike shop. San Diego cooperates by having lovely, slightly cool evenings.
It was a really fun way to spin. The class was tough, but I could have challenged myself more than I did. Fresh off the (16 mile) half marathon this weekend, it seemed like a good idea to go easy.
Update to Bad Service
Update - I went back and got fitted for the bike. The guy who fit me for the bike was awesome! Fantastic! Super duper! All those explanation points were earned.
As annoyed as I was when I wrote this entry, I'm absolutely thrilled now. I feel as though I lucked out, because the person who fitted the bike to me was super patient. He spent nearly two hours making sure I was comfortable. I had no idea how detailed and precise bike fitting could be. He changed the pedals, the seat, the stem that holds the handle bars, the height of nearly every component. He measured me, used a plumb bob to make sure my knees aligned correctly. When he changed one thing, he'd have to go back and re-adjust every other component. It's all so interwoven. Quite a shock to a girl who bought her last bike at Target - fitting the bike meant making sure I could clear the bike frame when I stood.
After all the hullabaloo, my new bike is perfect for me. I rode 10 miles on Saturday and 5 on Sunday. I love the bike, even though I fell this weekend and scraped my knee. I wasn't even riding the bike when I fell; I was getting on the bike. Those darn clip-on pedals. My feet were trapped onto the pedal and I couldn't put my foot on the ground. Next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground with a bloody knee. And with several worried people trying to pick up me and my bike.
Bad Service
I don't have a bike. We were supposed to get fitted for bikes yesterday. A combination of a late meeting, having to go to Carlsbad to pick up race packets, and horrendous traffic meant that we were super late and super frustrated when we finally got to the bike shop.
When we got there, they could only fit one of us - actually that's complete BS. There were 6 people working and no other customers for an hour. They could have easily fit both of us, but the chose not to do so. Fine. We were late. My fault, I accept accountability. However, watching 4 "salesmen" stand at the counter chatting was a drag. Particularly because I'm trying to buy gear too. Even if they refused to fit me for the bike, it wouldn't have killed them to get my helmet, pedals, cleats and shoes together. Hey buddy, how about you go into the stockroom and find these bike shoes in my size.
I called today to see about getting a fitting. Turns out - no fitting Saturday or Sunday. Only fittings Monday, Wednesday or Friday during the business day. I have to take time off from work to go spend bucket loads of cash with these people.
That's is spellbindingly crappy customer service. I'll buy the bike there, if I can't find it in another shop. However, it's the last dollar I'll spend there. I'll hit another bike shop today to buy my shoes, gloves and helmet.
Sold
After researching and riding tons of bikes, I'm now the proud owner of a LeMond Buenos Aires Triple. Actually, I'm not an owner, but a layer-awayer. I put a deposit on the bike and will pick it up on Friday after it's fitted for me.
It's all carbon and has Shimano Ultegra stuff. I don't know what any of that stuff means, but it's a really good and comfortable bike. It even has Bontrager BzzzKill Vibration Dampers. Normally, I'm against a buzzkill, but in this instance I think it's a good thing.
Onto topics I understand. Isn't it pretty?
Spin, Spin Sugar
Went to spin class today. It's not the cardio that's a problem; it's the butt hurting. I did hang in for the entire 45 minutes of class which made me proud. And sore. Then I managed to hit the weight room.
If you need me I'll be over here. Standing.
Easy Rider
The century ride continues to become more likely. We went to look at bikes yesterday.
I had no idea how complex and precise performance bikes have become. Let me explain - if you asked me to describe a bike, I'd be telling you about a basket on the front, tassels on the handle bars and a banana seat with flowers on it. That's the bike I owned as a child. I've certainly ridden and owned bikes since then, but nothing fancy. My last bike was bought at Target. And trust me, it didn't have carbon anything or Shimano gears or whatever else.
So I showed up at Cal Coast Bicycles like the village idiot and asked a ton of questions. Luckily, we had George, the world's most patient salesperson, help us. He put me on the right size bike and gave me some advice on how to balance myself better on the saddle. Viola! It wasn't uncomfortable like the bike in Ireland. In fact, I road tested the bike for so long that I got lost and George had to come out and fetch me.
During the ride back to the bike shop he gave me a few more tips. And then I almost took out a guy who stopped dead in front of me while crossing the street. How typical for me. I don't have a single problem riding on my own. As soon as someone is available to see me be uncoordinated my doofus gene makes a spectacular appearance.
In other news: On Thanksgiving Day I did the Run for the Hungry 10K and averaged 13:30 minutes per mile. That's a vast improvement from the 13:52 minutes per mile I did in the Iron Girl 10K in late July.
I'll Take This Under Advisement
Steve has been advocating skipping the Spring Marathon season and training for a Century Ride instead.
A century ride is -
100 miles.
On a bike.
That I would need to pedal.
Actually, the pedaling is fine. I like pedaling the bike. On the other hand, I have a rather delicate tush. Steve and I rented bikes to explore the Aran Islands in Ireland. After about 90 minutes on the bike I had a tender bruise on my butt bone. Do you see how happy Steve looks in the photo? That's because he doesn't have a sore bottom. A day later we flew home to San Diego. The 12 hour flight was an adventure of fidgeting trying to find a sitting position that was both comfortable and not putting weight on my bruise.
Today was the Team In Training Alumni Celebration. It was great to see everyone again, especially since everyone did really great in their marathons. Over the course of the party several folks came over to tell me that me ride in the Aran Islands should not deter me from the Century ride. Amicus briefs were filed to point out that my problems in Ireland were the result of a poorly fitted bike, a saddle designed for men, and lack of appropriate cycling shorts, etc..
Personally, I think it's that I have a super sensitive "Princess and the Pea" tush. Unless I can find some sort of super soft, Lazy-Boy recliner bike saddle I'm not sure this Century ride idea is going to work.
However, I'm willing to listen to arguments to participate in the Century. Potentially, I will be riding in "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" in Lake Tahoe on June 1, 2008. Just be sure you understand that I have not committed to this.
