Focus

I watched Paris Roubaix last Sunday and was so impressed, as always, by the riders' determination and focus. Especially riders like Boonen and Chavenal, who despite multiple crashes remounted and tried and tried and tried. I know professional riders are human and have issues like a lot of us-financial worries, mental issues (as in Pantani), drug and alcohol problems, relationship concerns-just life stuff. They must be able to put those all aside in a race to be able to pound out 160 miles at high speeds over dusty and slippery and plain ol nasty cobbles. The last 7 months for me have been particularly challenging-finances especially. It is hard for me to get through a day without being bombarded by "downer" thoughts. My training rides and rides to work are often times to go over these concerns. But I can't afford to lose focus in a race. Otherwise I would be off the back in no time. Last night was my 2nd race of the year at Pacific. It was about a 2.5 mile course down the escape route and then up some rollers. A challenging but fun course. When I am trained and in shape. This year my training has not gone as expected though I have ridden almost every day. We raced for 43 minutes with 2 primes. There were about 30 riders in the 4/5s. I was able to ride with the group for the first 3 laps til the first prime at the top of the rollers. Then I got dropped with some others. All I thought about was bridging, catching a wheel. I put it all out there and was able to bridge. The rest of the race was fun as I focused only on the ride-holding my line, picking a good safe line down the escape, then hammering up the rollers. I was so lost in the race that I did not think once about my life issues. Until after the race. But that is okay.

I'm Golden

I work for a government entity, and every year we have to requalify for health benefits. There are 3 levels-bronze, silver and gold (the best of course). Everyone starts at bronze. You then have to complete a health assessment, about a 30 question questionnaire, to qualify for silver. There are no wrong or right answers-just completing the questionnaire qualifies one for silver. Everybody has 3 months to complete it, and it takes like 10 minutes to do. Honesty is not a factor:) Then, you have 3 different programs you can participate in to qualify for gold. You must complete the program by mid April. There is an eating program, smoking cessation, and exercise. I ALWAYS go with the exercise program. I had to complete 10 weeks in the span of 3 months to get gold. I qualified for gold 2 weeks ago but was just notified. I work with 8 others who are not athletic in any real sense. One or two go to the gym now and then and one runs every blue moon. But I am the athlete in our work group. I am irked that I have to requalify every year for gold, but at least I know it is a "no brainer." Side note-a buddy is overseas riding the cobbles and watching the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix. I am a bit jealous but grateful he got to go.

Start 'Em Young

Last Saturday evening my gf and I had friends over for dinner. They have a almost 2 year old daughter. In the middle of the visit she asked for water. I was going to go get it for her when my friends asked if I had any bike bottles in the kitchen. I actually have a shelve full of water bottles-many of them unused. Many are from races (my favorite being The Elkhorn Classic from 2007). I also have TDF commemorative bottles and some unused 53x11 bottles. I just had to break one of the team bottles out for her. She kept it all night and downed countless ounces of water. I know I got one new convert to the team:) Even at the cost of a diaper or two:):) Ty

No April Fool's Joke

Last Friday I received the best April Fool's joke of my life, courtesy of my girlfriend. One that made my heart stop for just a second. Then, a few hours later I received an email which I thought at first was another April Fool's. The Carnation TT set for Sunday April 3 was cancelled due to flooding! It turned out to be quite serious. We have had countless and endless days of rain, about 49 for the year and something like 12 straight. The roads for the course were quite flooded. I was so psyched to do it too as I was going to once again race my single speed on the 14 mile course. I must admit I am getting tired of all the wet but it doesn't look like it is ending anytime soon. I just hope my upcoming races are not cancelled due to flooding. Here's hoping! All the best to my teammates! Ty

PACIFIC

No other word in the English language holds greater meaning for me. I was born and raised and lived the first 33 years of my life in Southern California, not far from the Pacific Ocean. I spent a lot of my time at the beach and in the water. I have lived in the Seattle area for the last 8 years now, again not far from the Pacific Ocean. I lived in Virginia for 7 years, and been to South Carolina and Florida, and often visited the Atlantic, but that did not have the same feeling for me. I consider the Pacific as "my ocean." I feel like I have come home every time I step into that body of water.

Same goes for Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington. Every time I line up and click in with my fellow racers for the weekly Tuesday night series I feel as if I have come home. I know every turn, bump, rut, pothole, curve and climb on the course. I have been racing it since 2004, and every time is new experience. Yet at the same time an old and comfortable one.

The sponsors, Rory and Deanna Mueller, do an excellent job. The series has a very low key but professional feel. No USCF license required. All 5 courses are rider friendly, and it is an excellent place for riders to be introduced to racing, and for experienced riders to practice. Families often come out to watch, and the young ones ride on the sidelines on their lil bikes and trikes. I take great pride in being the sole rep for 53x11 Coffee. I know my alter ego kit is well known in the peloton. I am the sole alter ego kit in a field of Starbucks, First Ascent, Cycle U, 4 Corners, Wines of Washington, Garage, Cucina Fresca and other teams.

I had been waiting for last night since the 2010 series ended in August. The weather cooperated and I was so excited signing in. I was early enough to get a low number for the year (#10). I got ready and reconnected with some buddies who parked next to me. I then did some easy warm up laps, checking the 2 mile flat course out for any new "surprises" (ie cracks and potholes). Fortunately the surface was the same as last year, though the drag strip section on the back stretch did have some dirt along the wall.

The 4/5s raced for 30 mins and I started at the back as usual, chatting with another buddy. I played around in the pack, getting used to the feeling of riding in a tight bunch at speed. There were a couple of obvious "new racers," but they did great-no squirlly riding and no crashes.

I almost attacked halfway through but I got pinched off as I was riding along the wall on the home stretch. I ended up in 4th place for the lap and held it for another lap. I then somehow got dropped (no real racing legs yet) but worked my way back (thanks in part to the pack easing up). I then recovered and played around in the middle of the group, again catching up with a friend I had not seen since 2009. I had fun in the final sprint, finishing around 15th.

It felt so good to be back racing at Pacific-good friends-safe course and fun competition-real "soul food."

Ty

The First

Well, I finally "raced" my first race of the year yesterday, the 9 mile Skagit County TT along Padilla Bay, about 80 miles north of Seattle. I rode my single speed and boy what fun, and wind. The first half had a downhill with flat in wide open farm country that had an incredible headwind. The return was a lot of fun with a full blown tail wind. I thought I clocked 24:02 for the retro division, but finished offically in 23:58.7. I was 6th out of 8 entrants, but the only single speed:)

My warm up was a lot of fun as I sat on my trainer gazing at the Olympic Mountains and Padilla Bay, full of whitecaps from the wind. I even saw a bald eagle which was inspiring.

Getting to the race was fun as I took a wrong turn, but thanks to my gf's smart phone we arrived on time. I then had to scramble to sign in as I was confused over the registration location and barely made it to the start line.

We then hung out in the little hamlet of Edison where we had a great lunch and I picked up a new riding partner for my seatpost (Tigger).

Anyway, a real blast (no pun intended).

All the best to my teammates,

Ty

Riding Angry

Sometimes when I watch Paul and Phil commentate on bike racing they use the phrase-"the peloton is in an angry mood." Not that the riders are angry (maybe they are-who knows?), but that the pack is either bringing back a break or is putting the hammer down. I have been in both types of situations. I have also been in a third-not often but sometimes like today.
I did an anger ride-I was angry with 2 friends for messing up a text about riding today (I really needed some guy time but ended up riding solo), I was angry with my gf for a comment she made this morning while waiting for my friends about my buying habits (money is tight and I recently bought two new white team kits. But I had sold several pieces of bike clothing on ebay to finance those 2 transactions, plus currently I am the sole bread winner for us and our 5 cats so felt a bit self righteous about what I could and couldn't buy with "my own money"). I also was angry with myself for wimping out on yesterday's Icebreaker TT. It was a 10 mile flat course I had planned on racing my single speed on, but after last week's blizzard fiasco and our 31 days of rain/snow for the year I was in no mood to get wet. But lo and behold it turned into one of the nicest days of the year.
Anyway, I did 15 miles of effort and anger this morning in mostly cloudy and cool conditions. The only thing I wasn't angry with or at was the bike. I never am. No matter what my mental state, physical condition or the weather, my bikes are never to blame. They always carry my weight and burdens, and pedal stroke by pedal stroke those hurt and angry and self righteous feelings are shed.
I returned home tired and a lot less angry.
Now if I could only post a real race report:)