Hello, stranger!

Back by popular demand.  No, not really.  But, you could sort of call it that.  When I can't run, my motivation leaps out of the window.  Taking with it my good intentions, my creative thinking skills, and my touch typing abilities.  Lately, I've been nose-to-touch-screen with the iPhone texting and tweeting (my tweetID is run4funner if you are at all interested), working on the inevitable iArthritis that doctors will start diagnosing for patients whose iHands have frozen in the shape of their iGadgets.

I am back to running almost normal distances at this point.  Just in the nick of time, too.  Wildflower Tri is this week-end!  I didn't want to admit that I was worried I wouldn't be able to finish the run leg.  But, I was worried I wouldn't be able to finish the run leg.  Now I know at least I'll keep running.  (Competitors be warned: I can still drop a 5:45 mile with limited warm-up, off-road, no less... did it last Tuesday... don't ask).

So, it's been a while since I packed for a triathlon.  And, it has also been a while since I pulled out the old tri-bag.  As the ancient clif shot blox in the side pocket can attest to (now replaced with a new package of Clif Shot Blox (if you haven't tried out the new packaging yet... I can tell you that it is much faster to open while climbing Mary's Peak with no hands than it used to be... and no teeth tearing maneuvers!).  I also popped in some extra sunscreen, my "Poser Triathlete" visor, and my new Brooks Racer ST4s that actually have gold detailing on them!  I'm making a switch with the shoes this year.  I've always raced in Mizuno or Asics, but I've been running in Brooks for about 7 years, ever since Kathy at Fleet Feet Boulder put me in them.  And I thought, "Why not?"  Why not, indeedy.

That's about it.  I figured with the recession and all that I would take a page from the current home-owners... don't sell the abode, remodel it.  So, the Orbea has been tuned, lubed, and tubed by Gordie at Northwest Multisports.  I'm rockin' a new saddle this year, but the same old shoes and trusty helmet.  But, I will be riding the wave (literally... you'll see) with a new Splish suit that was designed by my very talented artist sister, Katie.

Shout-outs:  To Team Lovato racing at St. Croix next week-end.  To my mom and dad for training to ride their bikes across Missouri again this year.  To my BFFs-Corvallis, Heather and Erika, for keepin' a girl sane.  And also to Amber, hang in there chica!

Race Report: Kings Valley Road Race

Heather straining for the finish line and taking the win!

Over the week-end, I had my first cycling road race of the season... the race season is upon me late this year because of the weather (bah!), the injury (darn you, Plantar), and — I'll admit — I'm working a lot because I care about my job.  That's all I have to say about that.  So...

The race.  Kings Valley, situated just West and North of Corvallis, normally makes for a fun long ride in the "flats".  It is flat by my definition (a definition forged in the Rocky Mountains), but it is not flat.  More rolling (the longest climb is about 1.5K), with some quick and fun descents and a small number of quad busting ascents.  But, when you are constantly covering breaks, chasing down surges, and clenching from the effort of riding so close in proximity with your guard up... It can be brutal.

About 60 women (the entire field of beginner to advanced) rolled out second to last among the starts.  And as soon as the first climb appeared, the attacks started.  All through the next few miles, single riders or groups of two went to the front.  They weren't serious about a break-away, but they were treated seriously.  On a course like this one, even the slightest go with four or five riders might be able to say bye-bye to the pack.

But the wind proved brutal as we rode out into the grass fields and the snaking line on the front of the peloton waved from side-to-side on the road forcing a endless braking and maneuvering at the front of the pack that reverberated through the peloton.  Tempers were begining to flair when the screech of brakes and the sickening sound of bikes crashing off to my front and right signaled the beginning of a major pile-up.  Tina, a rider I knew well from cyclocross who's wheel I had been on, immediately locked up the rear wheel and veered left as I followed.  We both came to a complete stop, she recovering before me and racing to the rear of the lead group off the front.  I steered clear and looked back trying to discern that my teammates weren't in the fray before hammering to catch on.  Thank god for the bright green and blue of the Pacific Power/ Blue Sky jerseys as I was able to see noone on the ground in that color and Heather furiously pedaling to catch up.

I would have thought the women on the front would have chosen that moment to surge ahead, but most seemed to have at least one teammate that they were hoping would catch back on to the lead group.  Heather caught on just after the first turn and I hung near her until I could see that she was recovered.  As we approached the most serious climb of the loop (and the one that marked the finish on the third loop), the pace was pedestrian and my though was that the whole entire race, save for the poor souls who's bikes or bodies weren't able to continue, would catch on again, creating the same circumstance that may have caused the crash in the first place.  So, I did what every good climber would do... I went to the front and set the pace for the uphill.  I wasn't a real threat, but enough that I pulled every one along with me, and sealed the deal on those who hadn't caught the pack yet.

So around and around the race went... up the same hills again, with numerous speed changes and surges, until my quads would burn at the thought of rising out of the saddle and all I could do was cover the surges and try to hang on to the wheel in front of me.  Lots of times, that wheel was Heather's.  It was so obvious that she felt like a rockstar!

As we approached the last straightaway before the finish line, no one wanted to be in the lead and the pace slowed to about 12 mph.  We were going so slow that our follow car honked at us.  And in retribution for our snail pace, we were neutralized within 3K as the Cat IV/V men passed (nearly causing a head-on collision with traffic coming in the opposite direction — scary moment).  With the finish in sight, I jumped to the front and put every ounce of energy in my surge, even though I knew it wouldn't carry me to the finish line... It was enough though to lead out Heather, securing a 1-2 finish for us in the Cat IVs and also giving us highly respectable finishes in among the Cat I/II/III women whom we had been racing.

Oh, and the weather... gorgeously dry.  Excellent!

What do you do when....

your plantar fascia is so twisted in knots that you can't run or race?

1) You ride.  Or if you happen to be in the Pacific Northwest during April showers... you ride the trainer while watching Paris-Nice.  Then on the gorgeous week-end, you ride two days in a row.  Including a pre-ride of the Kings Valley course for next week-end's race.  I have a bone to pick with this race.  Last year I was hanging with the lead pack in the final lap when I made the biggest rookie move, dropping my chain on an uphill while trying to shift.  I was forced to time-trial my way to the finish line... Nevermore!

I think Heather is winning our trainer race.  I was pulling a bit of a Contador.

2) You volunteer.  I had been planning to run a half marathon in Portland with members of the HOTV runner's club.  But, the no-running-especially-on-concrete problem put the kabash on my plans.  Instead, I threw myself into volunteering at the Beaver Freezer.  I set-up the door-prize give-aways that all of the race sponsors had generously donated to.  Someone gave me a megaphone (oh baby), and I made periodic announcements in the transition area.  I also got to do the awards ceremony... announcing all the winners, winning times, thank-yous. It was one of my most favorite volunteer jobs ever!

3) You torture yourself.  Besides going through two rounds of foot/calf only massage from Meghan (one more on the way), I've rigorously attacked that stubborn ligament with Aleve, ice, stretching (check out my homemade slant board made from $2.50 worth of materials from Home Depot), and self-massage (both the highly marketed... The Stick... and the not... two golf balls taped together to roll my foot over).  You know I actually met The Stick Guy at Pacific Crest last year... he's very good with his stick ;-).

And it's working.  I'll be running by this week-end, and I got in a few good karma points for the volunteering!

Partly cloudy

Back from California, and the weather is typical: cold, rain, what did I expect?  Well, I did expect to haul in two of my last hard weeks before starting my mini taper for Wildflower Triathlon.  Bike miles, check.  Strong swimming, check.  No running: WTF?  I went for a great easy run on Monday night around Bald Hill.  Good run, plantar on left foot a little sore, but nothing to write home about (or blog).

Ahem.

Tuesday morning... a little painful taking that first step out of bed.  45 minutes later... I'm running a good long tempo workout with Meghan.  1st hard effort goes fine.  2nd hard effort, I get half way through and I have to stop because my heal feels like it is hitting a giant rock ever step!  OMG.  I finished off the workout, sort of.  But the jog, that eventually deteriorated into a walk, was awful and by the time I got to work, I was limping.  And I don't limp.

Meghan helped me out big time last night with some deep tissue massage and a flexi-tape job.  I can actual put pressure on it today, but the Run for the Roses Half Marathon this week-end is out.  Along with my second, shorter, hard workout tomorrow and possible my easy run in the forest on Friday.  Bollocks!

On a side note:  Colbert was on a role a few nights ago.  Are we all narcissists?  Updating our status on Facebook to say that we are updating our status on Facebook.  Tweeting that we are updating our status on Facebook.  And adding details of the status update on our blog.  Maybe a little.  But I prefer to say that we are connecting with our people on an even higher level (or junking up the electric waves).  Ah the bygone days when we wrote letters, only told personal stories to close friends, and had to put a quarter in the slot to make a phone call on the road.  I must be getting older.  Hmmmm....  I'm updating my status on Facebook to say that I am blogging about the days when I didn't blog :-)