Tried and True

I have been using Chamois Butt'r since late June 2008. I made the switch from Assos immediately after the Cowbell when I branded myself with my chamois. After 12 hours or riding in dry conditions my chamois had cut into my buttocks. The scars are just now fading!

I started using Chamois Butt'r prior to my being sponsored by them. For me, I want to know that a product works before I ask for sponsorship. Nothing worse than to HAVE to use a product that sucks!

After using Chamois Butt'r Eurostyle for 6 months and in all sorts of weather, I must say that this product keeps the 'taint happy. You get the 8oz Eurostyle for $19.99, twice as much as Assos. I use much less due to the thickness and "stay-ability" of the product. I know this because my white saddle is much less polished and people have not asked me why my shorts are oozing a white substance.

My saddle sores have been minimized and I do not have to re-apply during a long training ride or a 12 hour race. And it is made in the good 'ol USA, very important these days.

I have samples, so if you want to give it a try, just ask and you shall receive.

Croom 50

Zeke and I treated this "ride" as a training race ... one where we would stay together as a team. Since we are going to race TransRockies in the 100+ category, we needed to see how we would work together and see where are strengths and weaknesses lie.

Zeke wanted to start off sooner than the official 8:30am start, but I made him wait. I needed time for my food to settle and I wanted to see how we would work around some of the slower riders.

The first 12 miles to aid station 1 Zeke was blazing trail. I was loving the tight, twisty, whoopty-do singletrack. My legs were happy today. Since this was not an official race, we tried to be very courteous when passing people. But in spots it was still a bit difficult not to rub some elbows as the trail was very tight. And there were times when we would be passed and I was happy to allow them by as I knew they had their own agendas.

I was doing just one bottle, which, by the way is SO NICE; no Camelbak today. We refilled at Aid Station 1 and I choked down a banana. We were off in no time and still feeling the love.

This trail is mentally taxing because a lot of it looks the same and your reaction time has to be quick or you might just end up in the briars, down the ravine, or kissing a tree. It is physically taxing because it is so flat (1675 feet gain in 50 miles) and you are always hammering.

As we neared Aid Station 2 (mile 29), we were met with bikini bottoms, pink flamingos, and Beach Boys tunes. These volunteers were having a great time and treating us riders to some good food. PB&J sandwiches, homemade cookies, pretzels, oranges, bananas, and so much more. I opted just to refill my bottle and grabbed another banana. No experimentation for me today.

After Aid Station 2, Zeke began to lose focus. I could tell that he was beginning to hurt as the pace slowed and a few expletives were directed at the sand pits. Knowing him, I think it was a combination of this type of flat, monotonous course and not getting enough calories in. Later, I learned, he was also having issues with hand numbness.

Heading towards Aid Station 3 (mile 39) I told Zeke that we need to stop for a few minutes and that he needed to get some more calories in. Bypassing the "swamp water", cheddar cheese cubes, and meatballs, I played it safe with a PB&J sandwich. Zeke had a banana and a couple cookies.

Then Jason rolled in upon us. Breathing a bit heavy, he had "raced" to catch up to us; he had started about 15-20 minutes after us. We all left together. Seeing as how he would not be able to keep us with Jason's pace, Zeke took the leash off me. I asked if he was sure and he said yes. I was like a beagle going after the rabbit.

For the last 12 miles I put it in the big ring and let 'er fly. It was a good TT effort for me, to stay on Jason's wheel. It was a good finish to a great day. However, just a few minutes after we had finished and grabbed some water, Zeke rolled in. Hmmm ... somebody else picked up the pace in the last few miles as well. I think next time I will lead the team! No sandbaggers at TR allowed.

What a wonderfully beautiful day! Great weather, good friends, dedicated volunteers, and a fun course. It was good to see Reenie and Tom; they looked very happy to be on their bikes ... and not having to ride on snow!

Zeke and I have a lot of work to do ... but today was a good start.

6 Days and Counting

The wait is agonizing ... especially since I have had and continue to have some hard efforts planned for the road in 20+ degree weather. Ughh!

Next week Zeke and I are heading to sun shiny Florida for some warm weather and a fun ride, the Croom 50. It will be so nice to have just ONE layer, and perhaps even sleeveless jerseys.

Right now the forcast for Tampa is sunny with highs in the 70's.

I am so over this Michigan-style weather. This is Tennessee ... for God's sake!

No Brag , Just Fact

Well , well my best friend turns forty Friday . Over the years I been around several hundred thousand people . Being a teacher , coach and high school principal plus working for the Richard Petty Driving Experience will do that to you . Carey Lowery is the most impressive human being I have known ! It is within that context and the framework of my believes that GOD had Carey in mind when HE inspired the author of Proverbs 31 to write " She is a woman of strength and dignity , and has no fear of old age . She is energetic and a hard worker . When she speaks , her words are wise , and kindness is the rule for everything she says . She watches her household carefully and is never lazy . Her child stands and blesses her as so does her husband . Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain , but a woman fears and reverences the Lord shall be praised . " Happy Birthday !

Southern Cross Race Report

First cross race is in the books. This was not your typical CX course, but rather two laps of a fantastic, technical cross course with 36 miles of gravel roads sandwiched in between. The gravel grinding section included a 12 mile climb.

While the weather was warm (50 degrees) and dry at my house when I left, by the time I arrived at Mulberry Gap, the temperature had dropped 10 degrees and it was raining. Pretty much par for this time of year. It did not bother me much, other than the fact that I did not get to warm-up.

90% of the racers were on cross bikes. Uh, oh! Not having a cross bike, I brought Indy. With all the freeze/thaw and rains, the gravel roads were extremely soft and muddy. Having never ridden a cross bike, I thought I might have an advantage. Duh!

During the pre-race meeting, Eddie informed us that there was a 7 mile paved section as well. Well, crap! I knew that was going to hurt.

I started out fast, as I wanted to be on the train once it hit the pavement. I definitely had the advantage on the descents and passed quite a few initially. I had put on a Planet Bike mud fender to try to keep the mud off my glasses. That was a waste of money as within the first 5 minutes I had to shed my glasses in order to see.

I was up with the lead group ... until the paved section. I popped off pretty quick. My 26 inch fat tires were just no match for the cross tires. I managed to hop on another train, not moving quite as fast and was able to hang with them for a few miles. I knew if I continued at there pace, I would blow early, so I let go and rode within myself.

It was a little frustrating seein the first place woman head off with the lead train, but I knew there was a loooong, steep climb to come and was hoping I could reel her back in. The Mill Creek climb was gradual (5-7%) and the crossers still had the advantage. I just played it smart and slowly reeled a few back in.

At the halfway point (junction of 630 and 17) I traded out CamelBaks and began the steep climb up to Potato Patch. With a grade of 12-17%, I passed a lot of crossers who were walking. Here I had an advantage as I had the better gear ratio. Hats off to Thad, who made the whole climb on his 26 inch singlespeed!

On the climb to Potato Patch, there was a bit of ice, but luckily the rains had melted most of it. Eddie had said that the day before it was a solid sheet of ice and impassable. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of 1st place, but no such luck.

I think I made up a little time on the 7 mile descent off Potato Patch. I pushed it a bit, but did not cook any of the corners. There were several cars on the course and I did not want to become a hood emblem. What were these people thinking, driving through the slush and mud! Times like these I think these roads need to be closed to vehicular traffic to save the roads from being completely trashed.

Once I hit the last few miles of rollers back to Mulberry Gap, I caught up with Farmer G and rode with him. He was not feeling the love, but we helped to drag each other to the finish. We passed the Applegates on their tandem amd Andy said (as I passed them) that he was "girled." I begged to differ as they definitely had the unfair advantage. I would have died pedalling that bike up the 12 mile climb!

Once I hit the CX course, I was back in my realm! The first part was a supersteep hike a bike straight up a ridge and it went on forever. It was TransRockies debris torrent steep! I loved it! I did not even feel Indy's weight as I carried her on my back. I thought I caught a glimpse of first place at the top, but was not quite sure.

Once at the top I remounted and went through some singletrack, down a steep paved road, hopped a couple ditches, rode up some gravel, through a creek and dismounted for a run up. On the run up, there SHE was! I went into stealth mode and dug deep. I passed her on the run up, hopped back on the bike and went hard and fast. She passed me on a short paved climb, but once we hit the dirt again, I had the advantage. I was able to negotiate the barriers better and run up one last steep muddy section. I heard her curse under her breath and knew that she just blew! I gunned it hard up the last paved bit to the finish!

Holy cow! These sprint finishes maybe exciting for the spectators, but are extremely hard on my legs and heart. A whole new, albeit short, level of suffering. But it does feel good to come out on top.

I wonder if the race would have been any different had I been on a cross bike. I definitely would NOT have liked the climb up FS 17 on a cross bike, but for the flatter sections, it might have been easier. A bit of give and take, no matter what kind of bike I had ridden.

I later learned from Andrea (2nd place) that she had drug her CX bike up the steep hike-a-bike by its front wheel. I was very thankful for the cross lap as there I definitely had the advantage.

Thanks to Eddie and Namrita for a wonderful event full of suffering. And thanks to Ginny and Dianne for hosting the event and serving some great post-race food.

Buck Bald

I arrived at the "Dead Goat" parking lot today full of energy. Two days off and I was ready for a little heart-pumping action. This parking lot at the base of a forest service road is more of an illegal dumping ground than an actual lot. A couple of years ago it got its name when a bloated, decaying goat carcass was smelled then found.

After changing into my riding gear, I got out of my truck and immediately stepped right into a pile of human feces! Ahh, jeez! On my shoe and my neoprene bootie! I should have seen this as a bad omen and quit even before I got started.

Zeke arrived and we started off on a 6 mile climb. The woods were beautiful today, what with the 2 inches of snowfall Mother Nature had provided for us. I was up ahead and about 10 minutes into the climb, I heard a "thud" behind me and then some mumbling and grumbling. Seems Zeke had another one of his slow-speed falls when he hit a patch of ice. I told him to quit showing off and come on!

The climb took us about 45 minutes and we were rewarded with a spectacular view of the mountains. We headed back down off the bald to hook into some singletrack and it was then I knew I had made the wrong glove choice. Brrrr!

We started in on the singletrack and only made it about 1/4 mile when I told Zeke this was not a good idea. This was too technical of a trail to be playing on it in 2 inches of snow/ice. All I could think of was one of us breaking a collarbone.

We still had some ride time left so we opted to go back down the climb and do a repeat on it. I had good intentions, but by halfway down, my hands were so cold and the pain so intense, I could barely get them to grab the brakes. All I could focus on was getting to the truck and warming my hands around a cup of hot coffee!

All in all, it was an o.k. day. Got a bit of tempo in, saw some spectacular scenery, and learned to look before I step ... in Polk County!

Ride Me Fast and Hard

That is what she kept telling me today on her first ride. Who is that, you might ask? Her name is Indy and she is my Specialized S-Works Era. Man, oh, man, she is quick! She is like a cheetah, lightweight and small, but she packs a punch. She accelerates fast and can turn on a dime.

Torque the cranks and all that energy goes straight to the rear wheel; "Bob" is not on this bike! The shock is only squishy when you want it to be. The fork compresses a bit when I stand and hammer, but I am still dialing it in. However, steering is precise. Just point her where you want to go and she does, even over the most punishing terrain.

And she can climb! I was not sure if I would be able to tell a 2 pound difference, but believe me, I could. This week has been a hard training week for me and on today's climbs I was happy to be riding Indy vs. Crash (24.5 pounds).

She is hot-blooded! On today's descent of ThunderRock, she called me a Cat 2 rider and told me to get my flippin' hands off the brakes. And on one of the first climbs, she asked if I was still self-coached, because I was pedalling like an overtrained, burnt out racer. I hastily reminded her that I was at the end of a hard week and that my Coach would not appreciate her comments. I also told her that I had not yet decided who was getting the call-up for TransRockies and that she had better be on her best behavior. (Shhh ... don't say anything, but Indy IS going to Canada ... she is freakin' awesome!)

The second half of the 4 hour ride was definitely better as we began to bond. I was feeling her flow and together we rocked the singletrack! Poor Zeke. He was "pooped after Indy and I drug him all over the Cohutta's. I cannot wait until this Wednesday when I can ride her again.

Now, it seems, I have no excuse not to win. I have a wonderful family, an awesome training partner, a great Coach, and an amazing bike. No, wait ... I have one excuse left. I am about to turn 40!!!!