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!