Ashley makes the Team!

Congrats to Ashley for making the West Lake Jr. High Girl's basketball team. The coach said "she doesn't have a lot of skill but she works really hard." (Sounds a lot like her Mother!) She has been working hard and has been up every morning at 5 am to get to practice by 6. I'm very proud of her.

Here is the schedule of her games:

All games are at 3:00 pm

2/4 Olympus @ Westlake
2/6 Westlake @ Churchhill
2/11 Bye
2/13 Westlake @ Bonneville
2/20 Evergreen @ Westlake
2/25 Westlake @ Wasatch
3/3 Eisenhower @ Westlake

Ashley will also be in the chorus for the school play Lil' Abner. I can't wait to come watch her in all of her activities.

Time to Toughen up

Hopefully this will help. It has been 3 days since the scary descent and my forearms are still a little sore. Two days ago I could hardly type. Diane recommended this little toy to help build up my grip strength. I hope it works. I have little bitty girl hands and since my crash they've been weaker than ever. Turns out just pedaling on the trainer or the spin bike does nothing for your grip because you never get to brake. I thought about adding a grip workout to my muscle class but I don't think the ladies at Gold's Gym are as worried about working their wrist extensors as I am.

Southern Nevada Stage Race Report

The Crit

The wet Road Race

The Time Trial

Stage one: Time Trial. We arrived at the TT start in the middle of nowhere, 20 miles North of Las Vegas. I met some of my teammates on the Ski Utah Cycling team and borrowed a jersey from Brandi. The TT started with a great tailwind and a down hill. I felt good and just kept my heart rate right at my LT of 174. I knew if I pushed harder I wouldn't be able maintain my speed. I got passed by 3 other women but I could still see that I was gaining on some that were ahead of me. My results weren't great 15th out of 16th, but I wasn't too disappointed. I was just so happy to actually be riding outside!

Stage Two: Criterium. I have to admit, I was so nervous. This was my first crit since my crash at RMR. I rode the first two laps hanging off the back and riding my hoods. The two things I knew I shouldn't be doing. Finally I relaxed enough to get in my drops and I started concentrating on how to do my turns. I managed to stay with the pack for the entire race although I kept drifting back every time we went through the gate. (I was scared of the stupid potholes after the fence.) I got dropped on the sprint finish. I felt like I should have been able to push harder but my nerves just wouldn't let me. I think the next crit will be better. I've at least made it over that mental hump.

Stage Three: Road Race. After a beautiful day for the crit we woke to pouring rain. At 8:20 we were off. My legs were instantly on fire as we started climbing and didn't stop for 9 miles. I got dropped pretty quickly and it took about 20 minutes for the burning in my legs to stop and for me to get into a groove. I rested a bit on Brandi's wheel and that seemed to help. We worked together for a little while but as we turned into the headwind Brandi seemed to lose her power. She had done a lot of extra riding that weekend and was into overload. The climb started to feel good as I found my rythm and listened to the raindrops tapping on my helmet. Then I was at the top. I started descending and quickly I lost what body heat I had generated on the climb. I was soaked to the bone and with the cold wind blowing on me it wasn't long before I could no longer feel my fingers or toes. The clouds were so thick I couldn't see where the road was going and I couldn't do much to scrub my speed. I seemed to just careen faster down the hill with each turn. It seemed that the descent would never end. I was so scared!! Mentally I broke down and let my imagination get the best of me. I could just imagine the damage the road would do to my body if I crashed at 45 mph. By the time I reached the bottom I was shaking. Partly from the cold and partly from being scared. I saw Sam's van and it was the out I needed. Part of me wanted to do the climb back up but I knew there was another long descent after that and I just couldn't bear it. So I abandoned. I beat myself up about it all day. Two DNFs in my last two road races. I just so want to be back to where I was.

Overall it was a good weekend. It was nice to get away and it was a good gauge of how far I need to go in the next couple of months, both physically and mentally. I am very excited about my new team. Everyone was very nice and welcoming and our team really looked top notch. Check out the great pics.

More cross photos

I know you thought you were done seeing cyclocross photos but I found some more. I just had to post this picture of me actually in front of Christy. (No, she is not lapping me- I am just getting better off the start line, as coach Sam has been trying to teach me.)

Notice I'm wearing red. Since it is now 2008 I decided to finally say good bye to the Porcupine Jersey and since I don't have my new Ski Utah kit yet, I'm wearing transitional red.

A little better

Okay. I sound much worse today but I'm feeling better. I think everything is draining and clearing out. I taught my spin class last night in South Jordan. It was a full house again, two people brought their Grandmas. Sweet! I was trying to take it easy but thanks to the Sudafed, which you now have to have a background check to buy, my heart rate was unusually high.

I called in sick today. I'm at home "resting", which includes finishing my school work and packing for Vegas. I'm sure I'll nap too!

My bike is ready to go. Sam tuned it up, lubed my cables, lowered my handlebars, and checked my cassette. The good news is I put my own cassette on and actually did it right!

Feeling like Crap!

Grrr. I could feel a cold coming on the past two days but I've been trying to ignore it in hopes it would go away. This morning I woke up feverish and stuffy and coughing. As if it is not bad enough that there are 8 inches of snow on the road, now I'm sick and only 3 days to the Southern Nevada Stage race.

Well, here is a cool video of our last cross season. I don't know how I managed to race all but one race and not have any pictures in it but there is a nice one of Sam leading out the pack at Ft. Bueneventura.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJc3N-hZwH0

20 years of racing.. .

Not my 20 years of racing- but I'm working on it. This is a picture of 2/3rds of Sam's race numbers collected over the years. Pretty impressive.

Strummin my way to Vegas Baby!

One week to Vegas! My beautiful dark blue Michelin race tires have yet to touch actual pavement this year. Scary to be racing on mostly indoor training. The good news is that I picked up my LeMond and realized how much lighter it is than the Moab I raced for cyclocross. I can't help but be fast on my sparkly blue carbon fiber baby! Sam has taken my bike with him so he can tune it up. I know he'll take great care of her and she'll ride like a dream.

I just checked the weather for Vegas next week. Looks like it is going to be a bit cooler there than it has been. Only in the 40s. Since it has been in the single digits here the 40s will seem toasty! I'm also excited to see Leni. She is my girliest- (total glam!) friend but always willing to put up with us crazy cyclists. Thanks for your hospitality Len!

Speaking of glam. My little Angel Ashley has made it all the way to the final try outs for the Westlake Girls Basketball team! I didn't even know she liked basketball, but like her Mother she throws herself into new things with reckless abandon. I hope she makes it. She'll be sure to bring a touch of beauty to the courts!

Happy Birthday Jay!

Just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my cool brother (in-law), Jason.

Things I like about Jason:
Always so good to my baby sister.
Great sense of humor.
Has a better sense of style than me.
Good with computers.
Always willing to help out (even when Ashley is having drama)

Love you Jay. Hope you have a great day tomorrow!

Great weekend!

Sunday I met friends from up North for a nice cross country ski. North Fork Park up near Eden, UT was amazing. Beautiful trails, gorgeous valley and mountain views and hardly any other people. It is worth the drive to avoid Millcreek, which is usually more crowded than Fashion Place mall. We even saw a cow moose! After a great 2 hour ski we went to a quaint little eatery in Ogden Canyon. It was great to sit a visit with other cyclists and talk about training and racing and riding. What a perfect day!

I hopeful that this weekend I will actually be able to take the LeMond out on the roads. So far it is not looking good. Snow projected for every day and colder than- well crap, colder than is comfortable for riding. I'm really going to appreciate riding in the 50s in Vegas. I guess in the mean time I'll just keep trying to kill my spin classes. I had 20 people last night at South Jordan. Lots of cyclists that were thrilled to work hard. I got in another great weight session too. I hope all of this indoor training translates into fast on the road!

2 Weeks!

Holy cow! I can't believe two weeks from now I'll have just finished my first stage of my first road race of the new year. Southern Nevada Stage race is only two weeks away and my LeMond has not touched pavement in a couple of months. That is a tad scary. Even scarier is the fact that we'll be racing against people from warmer climates like CA and NV. We'll be the pasty white team that has been working out on our indoor trainers.

The team is planning on using this race weekend more as a training camp than actually worrying about pulling in some wins. We'll be doing a couple of extra rides before and after races. I think it will be a good kick start to the season and I am looking forward meeting and riding with my new team. I'm already seeing huge difference in organization and motivation of my new team compared with my old team. Really with my old team we all wore the same jerseys and if we were lucky we saw each other at races. It is nice to be on a team with some priorities.

I am trying a new training log on Eyebike. We'll see how it goes. I was hoping to be able to sonic link my Polar HR monitor to my PC but none of the Walmart microphones I've purchased have worked. I considered trying to download at work but I thought if I were sitting on the floor playing with my HR monitor my employees might catch onto the fact that I wasn't really working.

2 weeks to warmer climate and hopefully dry roads!

Train, train, train

Well off to the gym for workout two of the day. Although, I'm not sure workout one really counts. 5:30 am step/kickbox burns barely enough calories to justify getting a latte on my way to work. Tonight is one of my favorite classes. I love Monday and Wednesday night spin. I usually have great people that like to work hard. It is that frustrating time of the year though when all of the New Year's Resolution people come in. They always manage to come in 10 minutes late wearing jeans and then I have to interupt my workout to set up their bike. Their buns usually hurt by the end of class and their heart rates are higher than they've been since they were 10. Most will never come back and the resolutions will be broken before January is over. However, a few every year somehow manage to find a little joy, or challenge or something in the spin workout that keeps them coming back.

Quit Whining Shanna!!

A nice person named Tricia commented on my blog. So I went and checked hers out (see the link on the right). She is suffering from brain cancer and is riding her bike and trying to live life to its fullest while waiting for a cure. Since I haven't worked in oncology for a few years I seemed to have forgotten how many amazing people live (and die) with this truly horrific disease. Thanks Tricia for reminding me how lucky I am to have my health! Sloggy streets, gray skies and the family and life stresses of every day life are nothing to whine about. I am blessed to have the health to get on my spin bike and work hard for 2 hours. I have a good job that allows me time off to play and very supportive family and friends that are there to cheer me on. Like Tricia, I want to live mindfully- cancer or not.

Uuuugh!

With only a few weeks until my first road race of the season I thought I'd better get in some serious training. Obviously the roads are not cooperating today so I hit the gym for my own private ride. For the first hour I did hill repeats with Chris Carmichael and for my second hour I did my own private spin class. As I watched the snow fall outside the spin room window, I realized how much I'd rather be outside riding on the snow with my tires slipping around and my heart rate high from pure adrenaline than riding indoors.

I'm trying to see the weather as a good thing. I makes me appreciate when I can throw on some lycra and head out my front door for a nice ride up Rose Canyon. Can't wait for spring!

Blast From the Past!

No, this isn't a really old picture. It was 80's night at the Cross party. Good thing I still remember how to do "Big Hair"!

Yesterday was our last cross race and party. Congrats to Ashley for her Silver Medal in the State Championships. Sam finished the season 3rd overall in the Men's 35+ A field and I was pretty happy finishing 5th in the women's B. I can't wait to do it again next year.

Looking ahead. . .

I'm so excited for 2008! I posted my races on the right. (I totally stole that from Black Chick on a Bike but what can I say? She's pretty cool!) Besides, I think it helps if I have my season planned out. It gives me something to work for in spin class.

So, things to look forward to in 2008. . .

*A new team- Go Ski Utah!

*Having other Women Cat 4 on my team! (I got my friend Kara to sign up for Ski Utah Cycling too. She's never raced but she is so athletic and fearless that I know she'll kick butt!)

*Racing all of those races instead of officiating them. (Although everyone that races should have their turn at officiating because it is dang hard work! Thanks Missy, Holly, and Richard and all the other officials for your tireless efforts so we can race bikes!)

*Trying some mountain bike racing even though I suck. (Sucking at things doesn't usually stop me, after all I did cyclocross and did all right!) Although, my road races may win out over MTB races- sorry Sam.

*Riding hard, having fun, seeing the world and making new friends . . . ahhhhh, bike love!

Happy New Year!!

Pipeline trail overlook.

Sam running down Pipeline trail.

We rang in the New Year with a nice snowshoe hike up Rattlesnake Gulch and along pipeline to the overlook. My new snowshoes that Sam got me are awesome. What a beautiful day!