Reporting back: Part 1. Battle Creek Cross

Dude. That was a great week-end. Epic, really.

But it started out normal. A Starbuck's Mocha (or Tall non-fat signature hot chocolate mocha w/ light whip). A little "light" reading in the form of a non-"Twilight" vampire novel called the Historian (I highly recommend it BTW). Afterward, I mosied on over to see a sightly disappointing Strands 5K (I won't go into it... but so much more could have been done to promote this had anyone really focused on the local running community... maybe that wasn't the point?).

Then it was off to the races!

I pulled up to the Battle Creek Cyclocross race with the dregs of my mocha and cheered in friends Matt and Matt and Brent as they completed competing in the Men's Cs. Then while watching the Juniors show us old fogies how it's done, I started the coals for a BBQ lunch. You see, I miss the Saturday tradition of tailgating at football games, and it being Mizzou's homecoming, the loss was particularly poignant and almost palpable. So, I loaded up on burgers, brats, apple-chicken sausage (it's a staple), condiments, and sauerkraut. It was perfect. Tailgating cyclocross is almost as good as a football. Almost.

Time to race.

All the ladies race categories are on the course at the same time in the Willamette series, and thankfully, my race was only 45 minutes long. At the line I had my game face and my game socks on.


The race went something like this: We all went out hard. Some harder than others. By the start of the second lap, I was 20 seconds down from 1st, 20 seconds up on 3rd, and that's pretty much how the race went.... with the exception of a few antics on my part. Ahem. To be fair, one of said antics was the direct result of egging and ribbing from my teammates, but I get ahead of myself.

The course was flat and fast (golf course), with off-camber twists and turns, a little weaving through the trees (and roots), two sets of barriers, two sand pits, and a nice, big 2 ft ledge that you could either ride up if you brought your cajones or dismount/remount on if you brought your preserve-personal-safety-non-cajones. I tackled most of this like a seasoned crosser... except the ledge. If I could have practiced it before hand, then maybe it would have been doable. But, every time I came around (7 laps total), I couldn't do it. Despite my teammates best cheering efforts (and I was super-psyched to have them there). But, what I could do on the second to last lap, was the bike wave:




Well, on the 7th and final lap, with a healthy cushion between me and third place, I decided to go for it... and by "it" I don't mean what actually happened:

Like I said. I went for it. Wouldn't it have been cool if.... Thanks to all my Pacific Power Blue Sky teammates for the various pictures and video and cheering and BAR-point mongering and grilling. You people rock.

Race week-end

Back from Switzerland and at it again.

Today, I'll be an athletic supporter at the Strands 5K in the morning. Later, I am the official "Dead Meat Chef" at the Willamette Valley Cyclcross race... orchestrating the post-race grillin' up of beast parts so's everyone on my Pacific Power/Blue Sky team (and others) can get their RDA of nitrates and other performance-decreasing substances. Sauerkraut anyone?

In the afternoon, it is my turn to tear up the golf course. The bike is race ready again, thanks to cycling buddy Denny. He used up his yearly quota of expletives while replacing my cables last week. He had to remove my old grimy bar tape that had congealed with the handle bar. It took hardcore paint stripper to get that stuff off.

After that I submerge the lower half of my body in an ice bath, watch OSU kick USC's a$$ in football, and continue to carbo load for Sunday's adventure: the sufferfest known as the Mac Forest 15K trail run. I'm trying to break 1:10, for the 9.whatever course if that gives you any indication of how hilly and hard it is. And, to make it even better.... It's been raining sinks and stoves every other day, and race day is supposed to be another wet one. Do you think I should put the spikes in my shoes or just hope the waffling on the Brooks Cascadia's (I've got the pink ones, of course) is enough to keep me from slipping to my death?

I'll report back.

Fuel

The 30-yr old metabolism is a slowin' down. And it turns out that what would have previously passed for a solid dinner the night before a key workout, is in fact a "work-out derailler" now.

The story: Monday Night Football. Nachos and Beer. Or course. You've got your protein from the chicken and cheese, veggies from the salsa and jalapenos, and some simple sugars from the yeast. What could possibly go wrong. Let me tell you. I think I spent more time sprinting behind the bushes then actual sprinting at my Tuesday morning workout.

As I ramp up the training for my fall half-marathon and cyclocross awesomeness, I am seriously considering a foodie makeover. I have settled on a few rules that might help.

1. (obviously) No beer or nachos before hard running days (probably okay before hard cycling days).
2. Fruit and veggies at every meal.
3. Meat (mostly chicken) is best limited to small amounts and only three nights a week (sad... my midwest farmer ancestors are turning in their graves).
4. Ice cream... gotta have it. It is the reason I run! But, not to be had within an hour of bedtime and definitely not before hard run days.
5. Don't forget the vitamin.
6. ... And the water. I started up with the Nalgene again (bis-phenol-A be-damned), discovering that I have been consuming less than a liter a day of the clear stuff (not counting when on runs and rides and swims). This became really obvious when I was in Colorado last week-end... non-stop cotton mouth.
7. Cook... I have lots of good food at home. Less preservatives, more Vs and Ms.
8. And this one is really kinda important. Start some social eating.... i.e. I went out to lunch with Al on Friday to talk shop. We were heading toward the Monroe strip and I benignly asked what he wanted to eat... "Sandwhiches?" To which he goes, "ah, no... I want to sit down and eat. I don't want to walk while eating." WHAT? Apparently, I have a reputation for taking a walking-lunch (as opposed to a working lunch). Heading out the door with sandwich in hand, on my way to the gym, or to enjoy a few minutes of sunshine. But, walking (and sometimes riding my bike) while eating. I'm thinking I do this more often than not. As a triathlete, I am constantly eating while running or biking... it's part of the training. Apparently I have taken it to the next level with at least one or two meals a day "walking". In addition to my walking-lunch, I eat breakfast while standing on the slant board or walking/riding into work (this last is usually a Clif Bar). I often eat dinner standing at the kitchen sink or while driving on my way to somewhere. Snacks are on the go or while training. I DON'T SIT DOWN! So, in order to get myself to eat actual meals most of the time rather than on the special occasion I am going to engage in more social eating whenever I can, prefereably with good friends. Inviting people over for home-cooked food (or inviting myself over... sorry friends!). Actually sitting down at the coffee shop. Sometimes eating with strangers... like my recent experience at the airport.

Aside: I was sitting at a four-person table at the airport. One after another people kept coming to steal the chairs. When the last chair was about to be whisked away to another table by two gentleman, I politely suggested that they dine with me (it was more like a squeak and a frown and a long, drawn-out "we-e-elll"). They did and we had a very nice dinner as travelers meeting on route to stop and sit and eat and not walk.

Those are my new rules. I'm sure I'll break 'em and find exceptions as it goes. But I am thinking about this and trying to be food healthy and give my digestive track a break. If you have any ideas for me, let me know!

Race Report: Cross-Over Stage Race

A Cyclocross stage race... a 3K time trial, a 30-minute gravel and parking lot criterium, and a 1-hr long course race that wound around a 3-mile course. Of course!

Day one showcased the time trial and the criterium race. It was raining on and off and a litte on the cold side. Someone asked me how my time trial went... my response "I blinked and I missed it!" Or, more accurately, I was breathing too hard to notice I was riding a cyclocross course. 5 minutes of pain, a few "I didn't think it would be this hard" thoughts, a dismount/ bridge crossing, an uphill finish and I was done. Now, I know how 100m runners feel when they warm-up for an hour and a half for a 10 second race. Good thing there was more racing to be had!

Crit-style cyclocross racing is something I was wondering about. Would there be a barrier? How would that work out in a crowd? How much of a draft could I expect while going 13 mph on a gravel road, all the while, backing off in order to see and avoid big rocks and potholes? Answer: no need to worry! All that crit racing over the summer, and my tactics were honed. I made a move on the second lap that turned into a big move. I stayed off the front so successfully that I won a prime lap! Then, I melded myself back in with two of the women in my category. We hung around each other until two laps to go. I punched it on the uphill and used my advantage on a blind gravel corner to gap the two women. It was enough to stay away and get another 39-seconds in the "G.C." to my closest competitor.

Day two brought sunnier skies, warmer temps, and my first taste of what the rest of the season will fee like.

Aside: The powers that be have switched up the Women's A racing... pulling us out of the slot that had all female competitors (including beginners) on the same course at one time, and thrusting us in with the Men's A field. No need to rub your eyes. You read it right. I will now be on the course at the same time as the elite men. Excellent. This also means, our race is longer.... 1 hour now (up from the 45-minutes we competed at last year).

The long course was contested over a three-mile loop for 1 hr. Dismount/remount does not even begin to describe the amount of running and hopping on and off the bike that occurred during each lap. (see video below). Each lap had a slightly uphill asphalt section, followed by a mole-infested (think giant pot-holes and loose dirt) field and a log jump. Immediately after the log, there was a tiny bridge and a vicious run-up (carrying the bike, of course). Next came the undulating single track, the four log barriers spaced just far enough to make getting back on the bike in between futile. And lest you think for a moment that momentum was to be had on a downhill, there was a nice big log to break it up. After a stint on pavement, there came more barriers, a slippery bridge, and a ditch just deep and steep enough to make you think you could ride it... but no! I wound up and down sweet single-track, barely missed some berry pickers and their dog who weren't aware a race was going on (what?). Then came the sand/mulch bit with the water hose jump. And finally, the stair climb. I'm tired all over again just thinking about. It was epic.

Result: I won :-) And I need to practice my barrier dismounts.... I almost sent myself arse-over-applecart into a rasberry stand on a later lap. I also got a little overzealous when tossing my back onto my shoulder... knocking my pedal around and into my right kidney. Good thing there are two of those!




Are you ready for 'cross stage racing?

On the eve of CX...

What's happening? Big changes happening this week-end! Lot's of transitional stuff. Some welcome, some not so.

First thing: This is officially my fourth week of running. I am still doing everything my PT has laid out for me to do (takes 1 hr + a day!). This has been super hard as my gym closed for three weeks of cleaning! Three weeks. What kind of gym closes for three weeks? I'm forced to be creative (I hate that). I am using my front stoop for "box jumps". I incorporate my lunges and hops into my runs (what is that strange girl doing in the park???) I have converted my living room into a yoga/ plyometrics gym. And my torture collection that includes The Stick, the foam roller, the extra-long yoga mat, Trigger Point tools, and the slant board have become my living room furniture. I don't sit and watch TV any more. I foam-roll and watch TV. Stick me!

Thing 2: It rained this morning. First hard rain in a long time. I went running anyway. This is a "rest" week, so I dragged a slower, "shorter" runner into the Mac Forest for a training run (his first run in the forest). When I called him, it was pouring. He asks, "Do we run even though it is raining...." Um, yeah. You want to go running in the rain this time of year because it is warm. Acclimate yourself to the rain in warmer weather and you will be more likely to head out when it is just plain awful and all the sensible people are sleeping-in. If you don't run in the rain in Corvallis... you never run.

Third thing: Cyclocross is here! Tomorrow I ride in the first (and only, I think) Cyclocross stage race in the Pac Northwest. I have no idea what to expect, other than some typical craziness and debauchery following. The event is held over two days. There is a 3K time trial and a 1K-30 minute crit on the first day. Day two is a "cross country" style ride with a really long loop course that we will fly around for 1:30. Egads! That's not a typo. I'm hoping there is a feed zone of some sort. No place to put a water bottle on a cross bike!

Fourth thing: Cash for Clunkers... I no longer have my clunker. But, I also no longer have any cash. Instead I have a sexy new Subaru Forester. It is ridiculously new. We are talking, 65 total miles on the odometer new (that was seven days ago....now there are slightly more because I can't stop driving it). It has been a major struggle to bike commute. I only managed it one time this week. Better start soon before it really starts raining or I'll never ride to work again (see previous advice for running in rain)!

Things that make you go... hmmm

Just now I tried to send a NYtimes article to a friend of mine through the on-line forwarding service. You know the one: Click the button that says "E-mail this". And instead of interfacing with your e-mail application and popping out a new message window, you get to laboriously cut and paste your friend's address into the little blank, type a short (limit 200-300 character usually) message to inspire your friend to go and read it, and then try and decipher some ghost-like wobbly mix of characters that make you cross-eyed just looking at them:

What does that say... is that an "x" or a "k" at the end of that word that I am hoping begins with an "R"? I failed this one, and the next one. But, on the third try I successfully convinced the computer that I am not a computer.

Now I just hope that my "e-mail" from the website isn't shuttled to junk mail, or worse, spam!

Portland Freshwater Triathlon: Ripping off the band-aid.

What better way to get back into triathlon than to do a triathlon? At least that is what I hoped. My first road triathlon since limping across the finish line at the Duck Bill Thrill. My second longest run since aforementioned limping (longest on pavement). The foot felt solid and I was comfortable enough in my swim/bike fitness to feel like I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. Cool.

Just to make sure, I rolled out my Splish business suit for the occasion. And I meant business! This time last year I hit the line of the Portland Tri during my most successful triathlon season as a professional, and arguably in my best 10K run shape ever. And I got second. By six seconds. So this year, my race plan went something like this: Win.

Not a good goal, or a super realistic one, but at least one guaranteed to motivate me beyond my current fitness level and ensure that I had a little fun along the way. Kids, don’t try this at home. You can NEVER control who is going to show up on race day (Portland Tri 2008 is a good example). And you should never hang your race goals on the performance of anyone else… that said. I wanted to win, still.

The 7am (gasp) start necessitated a sleep over at friend Matt’s house in Portland. I dragged fellow former OSU triathlete Brendan Tracy along with me from Corvallis (carpooling to the race was in keeping with the sustainable "green" theme). After a completely uneventful packet pick-up, we headed to Noodles & Company (my favorite) for some Pesto Cavatappi and giant rice krispie treat. It was still so early, and rather than go back and meditate at Matt’s apartment, Brendan and I went to see the new Tarantino Movie, Inglourious Basterds. Nothing like a little blood and gore and word-class dialogue (not to mention “killing Nat-zies”) to get us pumped up.

5:18 am found us both eating granola cereal and frozen blueberries that we scored at the local Portland Co-op, Food Front. I was afraid I would have to race caffeine-free, but an over-worked barista opened up the Starbuck’s kiosk in the Marriot for the race (thank you, woman-in-green-apron!)

Aside: And Happy 20th birthday to Starbucks... Pacific NW customers get free coffee tomorrow morning! That's Aug. 27....

And we're back: I set up my transition like I had been doing it all summer… and courtesy of the intrepid young-man next to me, a large baby-powder mark in the grass indicated where I was at when running down the lane (incidentally, when he made said mark, a gust of wind powdered my entire transition, towel, shoes, race skirt, and bike… I smelled nice the whole race!)

The Swim
We were starting off a dock in the downtown Willamette River… and also exiting out of the water without a ladder onto the same dock. At the pre-race meeting, the organizer had tried to describe the acrobatic exit to the swim that would involve planting a foot on a submerged 4x4 piece of wood, grasping rope webbing like you see on pirate’s ships, and hauling yourself over the railing. I was slightly suspicious that this heeve-ho wasn’t going to be as easy as she described. So, as soon as we were cleared to go out on the dock after the first wave of men went off, I jogged down the gang-plank, jumped in the water and promptly swam back to practice my pull-ups. It wasn’t bad, but it also wouldn’t be pretty if more than two-three people tried to get out at the same time.

The start was excellent… I pushed off the dock at the 3-2-1-GO! Lucky me, as I started the far-away buoy I realized it was positioned directly in front of a bridge pylon. Extra cool, since the buoy was white and so were the 150+ caps of the guys I was trying to catch. I latched on to the feet of two red capped women before I noticed they were veering off the chosen path, no probem. We were coming into swim furniture at that point (sorry slower guy-swimmers... you rock anyway) and I decided to "stay the course". Sure enough as I rounded the turn, I was in front of both red caps (not for long). The way back to the dock was a bit more difficult, with swirling eddies around the bridge pylons that we crossed under and a slight current... but I still managed to hit the dock in second... my exit wasn't pretty, but it was speedy. I figured that I had a pretty fast swim. Confirmed by the baby-powder guy who transitioned right along side me... his comment "wow, that was fast". :-)

The Bike

This course rocks! It has 500 ft. of climbing on each of three loops, technical descents, and a flat and fast (especially in aero) approach to the transition that was lined with spectators. And it goes right through the middle of downtown Portland! I love city triathlons (I've raced in Chicago and New York City, never in downtown Denver, what's up with that?)... you have a real opportunity to show off the sport! What can I say?... it was fun. And thanks to Gordie at Northwest Multisports, I was rockin' a pair of Zipp 808s... the sickest tires that my Orbea has ever had on it. Next to these things, my race wheels might as well have been made of wood. I don't think she (my bike is a she) will ever be the same unless I get her at least a pair of new 404s. Gosh, so demanding!

Anywho, I zipped (oh, so punny) around the course, leaning into the turns and trying not to pass too close to the racers that were obviously doing there first triathlon (the sprint race had a beginners only wave). I think I was a pretty considerate passer, except on one section that was on an open road. I apologize to this woman profusely. I thought you heard me say "on your left". I am so sorry if I freaked you out.... but must avoid cars!

The Run

At this point, I know I am in the lead (race plan is working!), but I have no knowledge about how far... and my most uncertain leg (I'm very punny tonight) was upon me. No where to go but on-ward. I pulled on my race belt and "poser triathlete" hat, slid my feet into my Brooks and eased into the run. First time for everything... the easing part. I decided to start off at a pace I know I could handle and build from there. The run was two loops with two bridge crossing per loop and long straight-aways along the riverside bikeway. There were two spots per loop were I could easily gauge if anyone was bearing down on me with me being to obvious. I took full advantage, but really I was just out there running my own race! I started with ~6:50/mile and gradually sped up until I was pulling in 6:25s with a very respectabe finishing sprint. Along the course I got a ton of comments on the suit, including "nice suit" "great tie" and "you look ready for the office". And thanks to the fact that I had my name on the front, people knew I was coming and could cheer as I passed.... I think I like that. Probably going to keep putting my name on the front in the future.

Afterward

The theme of this race was sustainable... participants could off-set the gas they used getting to the race with an optional purchase of clean energy. Everything was recyclable, compostable, post-consumer materials. My trophy for winning was a steel hull of a ship (cool?). The race shirts were made from bamboo. Even the finish line was "living". Finishers received those cool aluminum water bottles. And I know this doesn't count as "green", but the post-race BBQ was excellent. And for all the doubters... The Freshwater Trust is trying to develop the Willamette River as a recreational body of water. I'm sold! Woudn't it be cool to have regular swim competitions in the river as long as the bacteria levels are safe?

If you are in the area, come out and try it next year. The race seems as though it tripled in size from last year, to 580 people. That's classy. Here's you parting shot: 1-2 finish for Splish ladies as Courtney Brown hailed from Seattle and took a strong second place!

If you want to pics of the "business suit" in action click here until October 15, 2009.