Riding through 2010

This was the year that I went from riding a bike to becoming a cyclist. My little idea of trying something new, quickly became a challenge to train & participate in endurance events and now has become my sanity and new passion. I'm so thankful for my little partner in this adventure, my bike "B". This old retired bike that I was able to dust off and give a second chance to (had been stored in many pieces in a shed for years) has been an amazing gift to help me on my journey. This bike had seen better days and took a lot of work to become my constant and reliable (most of the time) companion this last year.


With the limited abilities of this bike (est. 1998 Bianchi) and my body, I was amazed of what we have been able to accomplish together! I believe tenacity is our main ingredient for success. I have ridden well over 2000 miles this last year between events and training. Having had the opportunity to ride all around the bay area and see the most amazing places has been wonderful! This year I traveled to Solvang, Moab Utah, and Lakeport California to ride in their endurance events as part of Team in Training (TNT). Each event was amazing and special to me for different reasons.

Outside of TNT I entered and rode The Cinderella Classic, Diablo Century and The Tour de Asti with friends. All beautiful and fun rides that I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing with my cycling buddies. It was a great year and I felt very accomplished with my cycling goals. I definitively exceeded my personal expectations for year one of riding.




So now what...tomorrow is 2011 and the start of a new year and cycling season? Well, I continue to ride at least once a week and more if weather and my schedule allows. I've also begun to formulate my goals and rides for 2011. Part of my criteria involves riding with friends. So far, I have not actually entered any rides but plan on riding The Cinderella Classic, Tahoe/AMBR, The Konocti Challenge and The Tour de Asti. I'm positive that the list will grow as the weather and my motivation improves. I want to ride in some different events and expand on my current ride list...I'm sure new opportunities will present themselves.


Happy New Year and ride safe in 2011~

Kick-off #1 of 2

It's that time already?!? I can't believe that we had our Moab kickoff last Saturday...where did this summer go? It was a beautiful day in Novato for our send-off ride and a fun celebration. However, now the real work begins as I'm standing ankle deep in luggage, clothes, equipment, cycling gear, supplements, lots of sunscreen and instructions for this trip!

I've never had to ship my bike anywhere before...its a bit overwhelming at the moment. What to take off the bike, where to pack things, how much to bring...its making my head spin! This is a process that begins tomorrow with shipping my bike and sending my ride gear with my coach (who's driving to the event).



I plan on an early morning last ride before I need to send "B" and my gear onto Moab. Then I need to organize and pack everything else to leave on Thursday morning...it will be here quickly! I'm also in process of pre-hydrating for riding in the altitude. Actually I should have just bought a camel pack, not for riding with but to walk around with all week to continue to drink enough...haha!


This ride is more intimidating than my past century, due to not only the altitude but the heat and more intensive climbing! We have a succession of climbs with names like "The Launch Pad", "The Big Nasty", "Stairway to Heaven" and many other nasty friends! I've been told we will climb for 20 miles!!! Of course, everyone who's done the ride, tries to soften the blow with talking about how wonderful the descent will be...that is if I make it up there without passing out from lack of oxygen or dehydration...haha!

It just another obstacle for me to overcome, I just need to trust my coaches and the process at this point. I also need to remember how good I felt after our 75 mile last week and control my breathing by not talking...which my coach will appreciate:) I truly am looking forward to sharing this adventure and experience with my teammates!




I understand the scenery will be spectacular as we ride through the canyon lands and archways of southern Utah. I will do my best to document the event, as much as possible! I was hoping to get a helmet-cam in time for the ride to take some video and scenery shots but unfortunately it looks like I ran out of time on making that happen. Hopefully I can get one before our second team event in Konocti in two weeks...stay tuned!




I added in this last photo of the hotel where our team will be staying at and the location of the start of the ride.

We will be nestled in paradise!

My new perspective...

We are now past the halfway point of the summer season. The goals are clearer, the time is tickling closer to the events and the training is gearing up...for the participants. This season, as a mentor for the team the experience has been focused on my mentee's and ride group's goals. My appreciation for last season's staff has grown as I continue to discovered everything it takes to keep a group riding safely as a team. I have been experiencing this season through the participants eyes. It's been wonderful watching and listening to their personal accomplishments and working as a team to help them achieve their goals! There is nothing like the feeling of completing your first century, and I am excited for them to experience that!

However, this weekend as our ride group was split and I was put with the lesser mile ride group, it dawned on me...what about my goals? This season they are lofty...I have signed up for both century's! I am planning on doing "the big nasty" in Moab and some extreme climbing in Konocti...yikes! To my knowledge, I'm only one of a handful on the staff participating in both events. I'm a bit concerned because many of the participants I'm riding with are training at a metric century level.



My team will continue to be my focus on Saturday's, but now I need to commit to my own training and personal goals. Last season my mid-week training was focused on one event...not two! My tenacity with the miles and the climbs are present, but my speed is not...so unfortunately, moving up to level 1 on the team isn't an option for me at this time. Its likely most of my additional training will be on my own, since my regular riding buddies have lesser goals this season. Therefore, this self-proclaimed tortoise will start venturing out to challenge myself and add to my training.



Since our team schedule had some recent changes, I'm planning road trips to experience altitude training and different climb options. I also plan on getting the advice of my coaches and cycling friends to help me put together the best plan to accomplish this without burning myself out. Knowing that between the two events (2 weeks apart) that I need to ride over 200 miles and climb approximately 10,000 ft...it has me more than a little worried at my current training level.




My goals aren't completely selfish. I know I'm my toughest critic and I definitely don't want to be the weak link for my team at either event. I need to prepare myself mentally and physically but also remember during the ride my teammates will also have my focus. This new perspective will mean I will need to work twice as hard to prepare to be the best I can.

Go team!

In Search of Southern Comfort

I decided this season to finally change out my saddle (aka...bike seat) that I rode on, all the way to the Solvang Century. I knew the saddle that came with "B" was not comfortable but I waited too far into my winter season to make such a drastic change.
The search began...I read, I researched, I talk to teammates, coaches and my bike shop but ultimately my southern region had to have the final say:) So I began the process of ride testing a wide variety of saddles. Some were too hard, too soft, too narrow, too wide, too uncomfortable to be believed! Anyway, you get the picture...I was the Goldilocks of cyclists. I rode many makes and models, multiple times to give them all a fair assessment.



I took pictures (big surprise) of a lot of the saddles that I tested...except a particularly hideous lime green one that was one of the most violating and cruel of the group! Ironically, it was a specially design woman's saddle that was suppose to be..."the one"! I couldn't get it off my bike fast enough...yikes!




After several saddle selections...my shop even resorted to taking the owner's saddle off his road bike to try...since they thought it might work for me based on my previous feedback. It was the closest to comfortable that I had ridden but just not quite right:( Part of my problem was I was getting advice from a shop full of guys!




I asked them about Selle Italia (SMP)...the maker of my original 16 year old saddle. Upon my suggestion, they pulled out the ugliest, most perverse looking saddle I had seen...I was skeptical but at this point...I was willing to try just about anything! The design was much different than anything I had ridden...open center channel, drop nose and narrow. It looked like a torture device!




Once I got used to the new saddle during the first ride...I was pleasantly surprised how unobtrusive it was on my female anatomy. I also researched the seat to find that in spite of it being a man's saddle...articles were touting it to be the "holy Grail" for women! I continued to ride the test version for another 2 weeks on a variety of rides and determined that this would be the winner!


Of course, I discovered that my derriere has expensive taste, when I found out how much the saddle cost...ugh! This was an investment in my comfort and thankfully the shop made it a little more palatable purchase. I was so relieved to finally be done with the saddle search...whew!


The maiden voyage occurred, last Saturday on our 40 mile ride in San Rafael...not my best plan! Another lesson learned the hard way...haha! Approaching about mile 23, I began to discover that the saddle wasn't seemingly as comfortable as I remembered...damn! I knew that this saddle isn't as broken in as the tester...but wow...I think I bruised a new part of my anatomy! Fortunately, my second ride this week was much better:) However, I think another bike fit might be needed because my discomfort is only on my left sit bone? Since my jacked up body is not completely symmetrical...this might be the next step. Possibly with a little tweaking, adjusting and riding it will all fit together...only time will tell!

Fundraising with Pegasus Bicycle Works

I was fortunate enough to team up with Pegasus Bicycle Works in Danville, my bike shop...to host a series of bike maintenance clinic as a fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). I decided to continue to fund-raise for Team in Training's cycle team...therefore, I needed some fresh ideas! Fortunately the guys at Pegasus are community and service minded and helped me formulate the concept. They also agreed in donating all the class fees back to my charity!




We were also able to secure getting pizza donated by Extreme Pizza! It was a great perk to offer food, beverage and a store discount in conjunction with the evening class out on the patio. I was excited to offer a useful service to the cycle community in exchange for a donation to LLS. The first clinic covered emergency roadside repairs with hands-on instruction and bike knowledge that everyone who owns a bike should know. I participated in the class and learned some new tips and tricks that will definitely help me on future rides. I wish I had found these classes last year!




The first class was very well received and we are in process of signing up people for the next one! The second class will take us on the next steps in(cleaning, adjusting & tuning)keeping our bikes rolling...phase two of bike maintenance. It's a fun and informative class that is for a great cause and I thank the guys at Pegasus for making this happen!

2010 Summer Season Kickoff

Here I go again...season 2! I am back with Team in Training (TNT) as a mentor for the summer cycle season. I am very excited to learn, train and mentor the new cycling participants for this season. It will be very challenging for me to not only take on this new role with TNT, but to also learn how to train in the heat and altitude...as I am taking on 2 century rides this season...one in Moab, UT and the other in Konocti, CA.

Kickoff was an interesting perspective for me this year...as an observer and guide to the beginning of these people's journey into a TNT cycle season. I completely understand their fears and feeling...6 months ago I was sitting where they were, taking it all in and feeding off the energy.


I still consider myself a student of cycling, but now I am also a teacher in the process of fundraising, motivating and being part of a team. Currently I have been assigned 7 mentees of varied cycling backgrounds and personalities. I hope I can become the mentor they need to reach their goals this season:)

I am looking forward to getting to know all the new teammates this season...it is looking like a fun group! The summer season staff is comprised of many of the girls from the Solvang season...so it is comforting going through this new experience with friends. This season the guys are happily being outnumbered by the plethora of women on this team!



Looking forward to a great season...GO TEAM!!!

Diablo Century

This was the second ride that Sally & I participated in since the end of our winter season...the first was the Cinderella Ride two weeks ago with some of our TNT teammates. We have been lucky to have each other as ride partners, since our riding style, humor, commitment and tenacity are similar...we have fun!



I needed to post the caution tape picture, since it was upgraded with the white paper for my benefit. In classic Lisa style, I came very close to clothes-lining myself while riding in to registration on my bike...haha! I was busy looking around for friends in the parking lot...as Sally just watched as I rolled up on it quickly...yikes...thanks Sally! I slowed and ducked under but it was almost an embarrassing & funny way to start the day:)


The first part of the ride was moderate and relaxed,into the first SAG stop. Heading out towards Morgan Territory was where our challenges began. This was Sally's first ride through the area...and she had her reservations about the decent. We paced ourselves since it was becoming warmer than we were used to riding in...us winter team riders aren't used to heat yet...haha!



By the last hill on Morgan Territory...I dropped my chain and Sally's was throwing up (a bonk/heat exhaustion combo was hitting her)! However, we corrected our problems and kept riding without hesitation into the second SAG...it was less than a quarter mile further. We took our time at that SAG to get Sally feeling better. I am so proud of her...at no time did she consider quitting...her mental game has improved! This was a good learning experience for both of us...for me getting her through the situation and for her, the understanding of what it feels like to go through something like this...its another experience to help us be more effective in our roles this summer season with TNT.
















Sally did well on her decent, although she hated it...not a surprise! Heading through the Highland area, we were feeling the heat...big time! It was reported that it had hit 90 degrees! Big difference from the 40 and 50 degree weather we trained in through the winter. It was a struggle for my already re-bounding ride partner...but we took it easy.





It was a beautiful ride in spite of the early challenges. We meant a lot of really nice cyclist along the way. I was the GPS for us and eventually a few other riders...one lady joined us after getting lost and riding an additional 10 miles! It was a longer day than we planned but we had a good ride and would definitely do the ride again next year.

Solvang

After 19 weeks of training...Solvang finally arrived! It seemed surreal...that these strangers that I met, on that Saturday morning in Berkeley at winter kickoff were now my friends and teammates. Together we had learned, laughed, struggled and supported one another through our fears, injuries and tough training schedule all winter season.


So now, here we stand all together in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel...geared up, fueled up and ready to ride! Our ride groups hit the road before dawn, spread out in 15 minute increments. We rolled out to the cheers of our coaches and teammates. The support and encouragement we received all season was one of the keys to us making it here.



As we rolled out of Buellton towards parts unknown, the group found their legs and our pace. We also discovered that the wind was beginning to pick up. Our best defense again the windy conditions would be to have the team pace-line as much as possible to preserve our energy. The idea was for each person to rotate to the lead position about every five minutes. This way we all got a bit of a break.


About 17 miles into the ride after we had cleared the first SAG...the winds began to get vicious. The head winds we were encountering made it feel like we were riding uphill the entire time. Combine that with the occasional gusts...now we were fighting to keep your front tire straight and your bike on the road...yikes!

The team was working together great and by this time we were surrounded by pelotons of cyclists. As we were heading up Highway 1, I was beginning to feel sluggish and out of it...I began to struggle to hold pace with the rest of my team. My coach identified that I was "bonking"! It is a term in cycling letting me know that I was hitting a wall...not a fun experience! I could not believe that today of all days I would have an off ride and experience my first bonk (!@#$)! I was pissed and frustrated with myself! Not enough calories at breakfast and fighting the wind had also attributed to my energy plummeting. I kept going as my coach & teammates slowed the pace and tried to fuel me up until the next SAG.

The second SAG was a rough one for me...I felt drained and defeated. I forced as much food, gels, supplements and water into me as possible in a short amount of time. I wasn't going to let my team down or give-up but I was still feeling weak & dazed as I hopped onto my bike. My saving grace was I knew the next SAG was only 10 miles out...so I focused on that...I could make 10 miles!


My team was awesome, they kept me in the middle of the pack to preserve my energy until we reached the lunch SAG. I was still drained but starting to improve. I was feeling sick from the amount of food I was trying to consume to get my body to recover. I was determined as ever to get through this ride!

By about mile 50 I was beginning to equalize. As the day warmed up and we were hitting tougher climbs...I was amazed to see the amount of people cramping and struggling up the hills. I never felt 100% after the bonk, but I was able to regain my pace and strength enough to not have problems with the climbs. In the later part of the ride most of our issues were other cyclists, traffic and the very rough roads! At times, it felt like we were riding on cobblestone surfaces!


About 3 miles out when we crested the last hill...I finally spotted Solvang! I spent the entire day fighting mentally, physically and emotionally through this ride that seeing Solvang, completely caught me off guard. I tried to be present and take it all in as we rolled into town. Then the emotional realization finally hit me..."Holy Crap...I just rode 100 miles"!

As a team we rode across the finish line to the cheers and cow bells of friends, families, honorees and teammates lining the streets! It was a complete blur of activity and excitement! After we signed in and re-grouped, the team shared their stories and celebrated on the sidelines with shots of tequila!




The ride was one of the toughest and most amazing experiences of my life! In the process, it tested who I was as a person...and I was very pleased with the results:) The feeling of being part Team in Training and completing my first century cannot be explained...only experienced!



Thank you to the LLS staff, Coaches, Mentors, Captains, Honorees, teammates and friends, for making my first season with TNT a success!


Stay tuned...this cyclist adventures have just begun;)

Novato Send Off

The team gathered in Novato on Saturday for the send off ride and gathering. I thought it was a great place to have a final team ride since this area was where we rode with our coaches for the first time very early in the season. It was a wonderful gauge to feel how far we have all progressed through the season. This time I knew my gears, my bike and myself as I effortlessly rode over that first hill that caused me so much anguished and concern early in my training. It was a fun ride to enjoy the scenery and reflect a little. My ride group also had a interesting experience by having our pace line joined by a local Norweigen fisherman...with all his fishing gear attached to his bike! We were laughing at how this guy made what we had trained for all season look so easy!



After the ride we all gathered at the school for our official send off...to the Solvang Century! Some of our honorees where there to talk, support and inspire us to our goals. This was the day where it became very real, that I was about to complete our first century! We received our ride packet and new jerseys. The talks, the awards and the team atmosphere was very encouraging. We laughed and had fun but it was also bittersweet to know that my season was coming to a close with my wonderful team that has become like family for me. This was the beginning of the build to our one last challenge as a team...The Solvang Century!



Can I get a GO TEAM!!!

Morgan Territory & Mt. Diablo Ride

This was the last tough ride of the season, combining long miles and longer climbs! It was also messing with me mentally since all week I would look up at Mt. Diablo and wonder if I would be able to make that climb? I was in awe of the cyclists that seemed to scale the mountain like it was riding any other road.



All season I knew Diablo would eventually be part of one of our training rides and the day finally came...however, it also brought rain, wind and higher elevation fog! This ride and day was doing everything possible to scare me. I decided I would ride as far as I could and feel accomplished with whatever the outcome of the day would be...my first victory was just getting myself loaded up and to the ride in spite of the weather during the pre-dawn hours.



Thankfully, as we rolled out towards Clayton the rain began to let up. I was feeling good and encouraged to see patches of blue sky as we began the portion of the route that was completely unknown to me...Morgan Territory. I went into this ride using the "ignorance is bliss" theory...the less I knew the less I would worry;)



I had heard horror stories about the difficulty level of riding Morgan Territory road but as I rode out away from my group I found it to be milder climbs than I had anticipated. Most of it was rolling and traffic was non-existent this early on a Saturday morning.



I was feeling good and the bike was shifting beautifully, so I was completely lost in the scenery and freedom of riding. As I was riding deeper into Morgan Territory and the dense tree covered roads...it became very silent...not even birds singing. It occurred to me that I had not seen or heard my team in awhile. I had a Little Red Riding Hood meets Deliverance moment in my head and thought a girl alone in the woods of redneck country is probably not a great idea...haha! I found a place to stop and re-group with my team, they were at this point spread out into 3 segments.



Of course the last couple of climbs out of Morgan Territory were the worst but they led us our first SAG stop...yeah! Matt was also thrilled that his wish to have "More Cow Bell" was granted and we were greeted with its robust sound at the SAG. The cow bell is what Team in Training uses to encourage us along the ride.



Our first big decent down Higgins was steep and curvy...I was conservative and still hit 36 MPH! It was a favorite of a lot of the thrill seekers on the team. It was also nice to be out from under the tree and knowing one of the big tests of the day was behind us.



I got my first taste of wind as we rode through the open ranch areas of Highland Rd. and Camino Tassajara. My ride group had our own personal support crew...Coach Steve,is out for the season but continues to coach and support us from his vehicle. Today my mentor and ride support was also in the car due to a very bad cold...each week our ride group continues to shrink. We did get to ride with Coach Jim's group on and off throughout this ride..." The Harem" (his group's name) is always a lot of fun!



Out of the second SAG stop was the trip up the mountain! This is where some people opted to go around instead of up Mt. Diablo...I was not one of them. I needed to test myself and try to see how far I could go...this was my chance and I was not going to let it pass me by. The residential road going up south gate is horrible...some of the potholes are bigger than my bike! Therefore, it gave us no chance to gain any momentum before climbing...just slow and steady all the way up.



I chugged up the mountain...peering around each corner to see what degree of climb was next. Physically my body was doing well but I needed to not mentally get defeated. I took each section as it came and self-talked my way through. I was never so happy to see a flag sticking up through the trees...the Junction Ranger Station! This was our stopping point to re-group...it felt great to know that I had made it up the hill! Coach Jim's group was there to cheer me in! The fog, wind and cold really started to hit us at this point. In spite of already riding over 45 miles and tackling a tough climb...I was feeling good. The worst was over! On the decent, it was extremely chilly and at one point a wind gust hit me so hard, that it moved me and my bike over a couple of feet...scary!



Once we were all down the hill safely and heading toward the finish, I got my second wind. This was our cooling down phase but my body wanted to continue. Since I knew the route and was feeling energized, the group elected me to lead us back to the finish. It was great to discover that my body still felt so strong this late in the ride...after all, just hours earlier I questioned I had what it took to complete this ride.

Today, I felt that TNT's promise of turning me into an endurance athlete was accomplished...as well as relearning some life lessons. This experience has helped me move through my fears and regain my inner-strength and self-belief. It feels great to have the confidence and know that I am ready for my first Century ride in Solvang!