Not CYOA but Chamois Butter CMA

CMA = "Covered My Arse"

After 5000 miles and 550 hours in the saddle this season is finally finished.  Mountain bike racing rates right up there with NASCAR as far as the length of the season.  It all began with the January Snake Creek Gap TT and ended with the Chainbuster Finale at Oak Mountain last weekend.

Through it all, Chamois Butt'r has had my back, err ... butt.  Only 1 saddle sore and 1 case of chamois chafe. The saddle sore was during the Pisgah 111, an 8 hour race  and the chafing was at the Chainbuster Jack Rabbit, a 6 hour race.  I am not sure why the saddle sore, but the reason for the "chamois brand" was my fault.  I failed to apply and reapply adequately. My shorts had gotten muddy during the first 2 hours of the race.  When the course finally dried out, so did the mud in my shorts.  As a result, it was like wearing sand paper.

Although I have used both types of Butt'r, I prefer the Eurostyle over the regular.  It contains menthol and witch hazel.  The menthol has anti bacterial properties as well as a cooling effect I like.  The witch hazel is an astringent and contains antioxidants.  I believe these added ingredients are what is important in warding off saddle sores.

It is non greasy and easily washes out of my shorts.  As a result, my shorts last several seasons.  One added benefit I did not realize initially is that it keeps my white saddles shiny clean!

Chamois Butt'r is made in the USA.

Over the course of the year I went through 12 tubs of Butt'r.  The tubs are now being used to house medicinal wipes and bike parts.

Most of all, a huge shout out to Steve Matthews, owner of Paceline Products.  He always had the time to talk to me.  Talk about looking out for the little gal!

I still have individual packets available.  If you see me out on the trail, just ask and I will be happy to share!

Early Christmas

With the " lube meister."

A couple weeks ago as I was headed north on I-75, I received a phone call from none other than Mr. Pro Gold himself, Bruce D.  He was headed south on I-75.  Since he was going past my home town, he wanted to drop off a care package for me.   Talk about bad timing.  However, we were both available the next day, so we chose to hook up at Enterprise South for the exchange and a little saddle time.

Bruce had never ridden these trails.  Although in his travels across the U.S. this past year, he has ridden far more spectacular single track than what we about to embark upon, he was still impressed.  He liked how they flowed and remarked on how well they were built.  Bruce chased me around for a couple hours, like a greyhound after the mechanical rabbit.  In between my leg opener intervals, we caught up on each other's busy lives.

Afterwards, I got a box of goodies including ProLink and Xtreme chain lube, Bike Shine, Pro Towels, and Blast Off.  Two "new-to-me"  products are the Bike Shine and Blast Off.  The Bike Shine is like Armor All for your bike.  This product is great for when you don't want to wash your bike, yet you feel it needs a little TLC after a day of riding the trail.

Bike spa supplies

The Pro Towels are great for getting the grime off your hands and non-carbon fiber bikes, yet they won't make your hands look like Death Valley.  This is a must have for me as I have a hard time keeping my skin lubricated in the winter.

I have yet to try the Blast Off, but will let you know how it goes when I do.

I am going to be a ProGold Ambassador for 2013.  If you see me out on the trail and want to try some product, especially the ProLink or Xtreme, I should have some on me.  I would be happy to give you a sample as I think you will really be turned on by how well these products perform.

Battle for Oak Mountain 6 Hour Race Report

Last SS race aboard Karma, my Niner A9C.

Kenny sure did save the best for last in this Chainbuster Series finale.  This course had a little bit of everything, from tight, twisty, and rooty Mr. Toad's to the short, grunty technical climbs of Johnson's Mountain to the long grind up to Blood Rock to the boulder fest of Jeckyll and finally the flowy descent of Hyde.  Gear choice was hard for me.  I made the decision to suffer with a cartoon-style spin on the descents and pavement so that I could more easily grind up the climbs.

Although the course was my favorite for the season, I HATED the start.  A never ending mile of road left had me going nowhere fast with a cadence > 120.  I watched as it seemed like the whole field passed me by.    The first lap was more of a group ride than a race.  Even though a mile of single track had been bypassed the first lap, this one was still  my slowest lap.  A lot of walking!  Luckily, my feet were quite happy in my custom orthotics.

I saw my foot specialist earlier in the week.  After 6 weeks in the orthotics, both she and I felt as if my nerves were finally beginning to heal.  Dr. Pesut said that I was probably looking at another 18 months before the healing was complete ... if that is possible.

My cooler of high octane fuel in the lower right corner

It was a warm feeling each and every lap to pull into the NWGA SORBA/Super Sport pit area.  A wonderful group of people who welcomed me with open arms.  Not having to secure a pit area, set up, and take down allowed me to save that energy for race day and for that I will be forever grateful.

Lap 2 was my hardest.  Even though I was faster my legs still felt sluggish and asleep.  I think it had something to do with "spinning my brains out" on the first lap.  Perhaps that is harder on the engine than I thought.

On lap 3 my body finally woke up and I was able to thoroughly enjoy the trail.  The funnest sections for me were the Johnson's Mountain descents where you could just let it go, minimal braking required, and the rock gardens of Jeckyll and Hyde.  Yes, there was a flow to this section, if you could find it.  And find it, I did.  The lines were not between the rocks, but rather over them.  I saw a lot of slow speed crashes here and fortunately I was able to keep the bike rubber side down.

On the middle portion of Hyde, I came upon Zeke and another person helping a fellow racer out of the woods.  Zeke always seems to be just in the right place at the right time.  I can't count the number of times he has helped out in these situations.  He is to be commended.  Secretly, I think he did not want to hurt the younger single speeders' egos.  Zeke is the ultimate "trail angel!"

On lap 4 I hooked up with Thomas Russell, TNGA finisher, and rising endurance star.  We were able to help each other push it just a little bit harder.  Having him to ride with as compared to being out there in "no man's land," kept me from getting lackadaisical.

Before heading out on lap 5, I had Jay hand me my "wings."  After chugging my Red Bull, I was off for another lap of happiness.   That is one thing I will remember about this race ... I was smilin' the whole way:  a testament to the beautiful day, awesome course, and finally feeling like a dedicated racer ought to.

My goal for lap 6 was to keep up my "cleaning" streak on the Johnson Mountain step ups and the Jekyll.  With no traffic, some groaning, and damned determination, I made it without a dab.  Of course, I thought my thigh muscles were going to be ripped off their bony attachments, and I had to ride at a turtle's pace until my breathing recovered, but I had achieved my goal.  And yep, the smile was still there.

I rolled across the finsh line in first with 6 laps in 5:37:29.  Even though each lap had a life of its own and felt different, I was pretty consistent.  Save for my fastest lap of 54:43, all the other laps were 56 minutes and some change.

With this win, I clinched the series win and a new mattress!  Perfect.  Last year, after 15 years of service mine had given up the ghost.  But just when I had decided to buy a new one, my HVAC died, so my lumpy mattress was put on the backburner.  Thank you Invigo for sponsoring this series!

Rest is just as important as fitness.

And so, my season ends on a good note.  2010 and 2011 did not have good endings.  My feet are on the mend and my GI tract is on a 4 month happy streak.  I look forward to what 2013 brings.

Charlie was disappointed it was empty :(

Fellow lady racers, just wanted to give you a head's up.  There is this little gal, probably 90 pounds soaking wet, who is young, yet full of talent and determination.  Be on the look out as she is a rising phenom.  Her name is Rachel Millsop ... you have been warned.

Menagerie

I wish I was able to somehow download my thoughts directly into my blog while I am riding.  It seems that is about the only time I have these days to think about things to write about.  I do enjoy my blogger time, but lately family time has eaten up a lot of my "blog" time.  Not that its a bad thing, I am just busy being a Mom and wife.

Below have been my thoughts over the last two weeks of training.

FEET:  I have been wearing my orthotics for about a month now and I do notice a decrease in foot pain. I still cannot walk bear foot on hard surfaces; if I could EVER get back to that point, I would be extremely happy.  Even though it is a bit of pain to constantly move my insoles from one pair of shoes to another, it must be done.  I am hoping that as time goes on, my feet will continue to improve.  My feet were quite happy at the last 6 hour race, on a single speed.  This coming weekend, I will be testing them out on the ORAMM course, single speed style.

RACES:  The final race of the season will be the Chainbuster 6 Hour at Oak Mountain.  This is going to be the most technical and difficult of the series.  Right now I am comtemplating gear choice, as I am going single.   Do I want to suffer on the climbs and the Jekyll portion of the Jeckyll and Hyde Trail or do I want to spin my legs off on the easier sections?  Right now I am going with the latter: spinning is better than cramping.  I really enjoyed this series, but I am going to move on to other adventures next year.

ERGON:  My hands are so in love with these grips.  I am currently running the GS2's on my Niner AC9 SS and Jett 9 RDO and the GX2's on my Air 9 RDO.  I love the extra leverage the bar ends give me.  There have only been a couple occasions where I went "bar end-less" this year due to the tightness of the trees.  The only difference I have noticed over this year as opposed to the last 5 is that I have had to run the grips in a more horizontal position.  I used to run them with the wings in a slightly up position, but I began to have some ulnar pain, so I adjusted them down a bit and the pain went away.

WHOLE 30:  Even though I am still a little over a month away from starting my "cleansing," I have already begun to wean myself of the "junk" foods.  I have made my own mayo and salad dressings, cut my dairy intake by 75%, and am only using stevia and honey as sweeteners.  What I have noticed by doing this is that I am sleeping better and my energy levels are up.  The flavors of the foods I do eat have intensified!  I don't need as much sweetener to make things sweet.  I need very little of my home made salad dressings as compared to the store bought. I LOVE sardines straight out of the can for a snack.  I am anxiously awaiting November 26.  My only concern is that I might just freeze to death this winter as I have lost most of my natural insulation.

LW COACHING:  Lynda Wallenfels is a wonderful coach.  This year, I had to take a step down from her premium coaching package to her basic due to financial constraints.  But I have not been let down in the least.  I did miss talking to her on a weekly basis, but she is so awesome about answering e-mails that I did not feel sleighted.  She even answered one of my e-mails while in the middle of racing the Cococino 250!  I plan on continuing to be coached by her in 2013.

GRAVEL GRINDERS:  I am really liking this type of racing and am gonna try to do a few next year.  I finally have the right bike, which makes all the difference in the world.

19.2 pounds with a 1 x 10 drive train

JackRabbit 6 Hour Race Report

I was looking forward to this race, as I would be back on my single speed after a 4 month hiatus, nursing painful feet.  This would also be my first race using my $$$$ custom orthotic inserts.  I had been wearing them at work and had done a few short rides; my feet were digging them!

I was long overdue for a mudfest.  Sure enough, it rained the night before and then the skies opened up again just 1 hour before the start.  It was still drizzling at the start line, so I was all geeked up in my shower cap and 16 gallon Glad trash bag.  This was a tip I had picked up at La Ruta.  My Niner was sportin' a mud fender, too.  With this "get up," the plan was to stay warm and dry for the first lap.  Even though the temperature was about 60 degrees, I was shivering.

I would be coming down this, watching oodles of geared riders pass me by!

The start was 1/2 mile of pavement, with a 2% downhill grade, a SS'rs worst nightmare!  And so, as I was spinning a cadence of 140, I watched about 50-60 racers blow right by me.  I was sooo looking forward to "choo-choo" time on the single track.

With the muddy conditions on the first lap, at least being stuck behind some slower racers kept me from doing anything stupid.  And it also allowed my legs to warm up as I sure did not have a proper warm up prior.  On this first lap, I watched at least 5 racers hit the deck.  Luckily they all bounced back up, only their egos bruised.

The rain stopped about midway through Lap 1 and I managed to keep the rubber side down.  As I pulled into the Northwest Georgia SORBA pit (they were kind enough to allow me to set up with them), Norma helped me to to get out of my garbage bag, Hulk-style!  I decided to leave the mud fender on until the course dried out ... my eyes thanked me.

Running through the Start/Finish area ... no need to remount as my pit area was just 10 yards away.

The second lap was slicker than the first.  I got "squirrely" a couple times.  About halfway through the second lap, I was finally able to get in my own little bubble and enjoy the ride.  I had Specialized Renegade Controls (550 grams each) on the bike.  Initially I was worried how they would hook up as I generally like more tread, but I am happy to report that they worked well in the mud.  Luckily this was not a rooty course; I don't believe the Renegades would have worked at all on slick roots.

The third lap was still a little slick, but by the fourth lap, the course was dry and fast again.  It was during this lap that I realized I had chosen the wrong gear ... a first for me.  I was too spinny.  I was wishing I had an 18 on the back.  Oh, well, better to be under geared than over geared.

By the fifth lap, I started doing the math.  I was feeling really good, but I wasn't sure if I would have enough time to get in that 7th lap before the 4 pm cut-off.  (In this series, if you come across the line at 1 second past 4pm, that lap does not count.)  So I really put forth an effort on the 5th and 6th laps.

As I ran across the timing mat finishing up my 6th lap, the clock's cumulative time was 5 hours 14 minutes.  That left me 46 minutes for the 7th lap.  Not having a bike computer, I was only able to guesstimate my lap times; I was thinking about 49-53 minutes per lap.  There was no way I could crank out a 46 minute lap.  So I handed my timing chip to Kenny and went out for a 7th lap anyway.  Why?  Because I was feeling good and this course was fun!

I also wanted to see how my feet would hold up for a solid 6 hours of racing.  I was ecstatic that they were happy for the first 5 hours:  no pain, burning, numbness, or jolts of electricity.  The orthotics were working!  I only had a bit of pain along the outside of my right arch and I attributed that to my arches not used to bearing a majority of the weight; something that will just take a bit more time, I hope.

I finished up my 7th lap at 4:06:  a 52 minute lap and just 6 minutes after the cut off.  The real funny thing was when I took a look at my lap times.  They were ALL 52 minutes and some change!  Talk about consistency!  Danielle would be proud!

6 laps in 5:14 earned me a top spot on the podium.  My feet were a non-issue.  I had a great NWGA SORBA pit crew.  My Niner SS was perfect.  The sun came out on lap 5.  I could not have had a better day!

A great bunch of people.

2012 Monster Cross Race Report

The first and last (until now) ultra cross race I did was the 2009 inaugural Southern Cross.  I did it on this bike:

22.3 pounds

After that race, I swore I would never do another "gravel grinder" until I had the right bike.  It took me 3 1/2 years to get that "right" bike, courtesy of Zeke who bought it first, tried to like it, but just could not fit his head around the idea of "gears."

19.3 pounds

This green machine was built up with a Cannondale crank, carbon Lefty, 1 x 10 (34T chain ring), Stan's Crest wheels, Specialized 1.8 Renegades, and Ergon's GX2 grips with carbon bar ends.  Right now I am using a Dura Ace front derailleur as a chain retentioner, but I am hoping that the Paul's Chain Keeper with extension will work.  This is my first ever "rent to own" and I rather like it!

160+ racers on a wide variety of bikes started out rather "hot" at 8 am.  I chose to not go out as fast as I did at Fool's Gold, but rather let the race come to me.  I just set my own tempo up the FS477 gravel climb, flew down the descent passing several on CX bikes and 3 cross bikes that succumbed to flats.  I rolled along FS1206 and this is where I felt my overdrive finally kick in.

At the first aid station, I was met by the volunteers in "NASCAR-like" fashion.  Awesome!  In and out in less than 10 seconds.  I was feeling great and motored up FS5000.  So far I felt I was equal with the cross bikes on the gravel climbs and at an advantage on the gravel descents.

And then came the 10 mile grind up the Blue Ridge Parkway.  2700 feet of climbing on pavement. It was here that I was wishing for skinnier tires.  However, I did not focus on the negative, but rather took in the spectacular views that the Parkway has to offer.  That is one aspect of this type of racing I enjoy.  I have time to take in the beauty.  As Jonathan Davis so aptly put it, "I felt like I was riding into a painting."

courtesy of Eric Weaver

I was by myself along this section until the second aid station.  Unbeknownst to me Mark was 200 yards behind me grinding on his 36 x 17 SS mountain bike.   Had I known this I might have sat up a bit, allowing him to catch, and then work together.  But no matter how much the head wind sucked, I had to keep moving.  Somewhere behind me was Brenda, Cissy, and others.

It was good to see Troy on the parkway; he was going in the opposite direction, doing an over nighter, and hooking up with his girlfriend who was riding the northern half of the BRP.

I rolled into aid station #2, was treated like a queen, and rolled out once again in less than 10 seconds.  It was here I was able to catch onto a wheel, but he pretty much left me standing still on the first gradual  descent.  I just did not have the gearing to stay in contact.  And my legs were barking a bit.

The remaining 10 miles of BRP was a mix of small climbs (1-3 miles), some false flats, and a few descents.  Mark was finally able to catch me, we chatted a bit (gear choices, tire choices and TNGA), and then I was finally able to tuck into his draft on a couple desents.  That helps, as little ole me can only go so fast ... I was definitely under geared here and my terminal velocity sucks.

Shortly thereafter, Mark set out to reel in the CX SS'r who was just ahead of us.  I let Mark go as it was too much of an effort.  I settled once again and soon caught back up to the cross rider who left me in his wake earlier.  Charlie was his name and he was beginning to have a moment on the climbs.  I came around and paced him up the climbs and he was kind enough to let me hitch a ride on the descents.  This time I was feeling better and able to hang on.  And hang on I did, especially on the 7 mile Hwy 215 descent.  That was just stupid fast!  I did not know how fast I was going (probably a  good thing), but my tires were making a high pitches whhrrr all the way down.

I did not need to stop at aid station #3, but did an empty bottle hand off to one of the volunteers.  Smelling the barn with 13 miles left to go, I reeled in Mark.  He had been successful in passing the SS'r just ahead (I had passed him as well as he was spinning his brains on the final BRP section).  We worked together on the climb up to Gloucester Gap and then on the final paved descent back to the finish, I spun my brains out to help him.  We came across the barriers together, in 4:48 and some change.  I won and he was 3rd in his field.

Another spectacular Pisgah day!

I was tired, but not thrashed like I had been at the Pisgah 111.  Eric, you did not crush my soul.  Surely you are not getting soft.  I saw a couple opportunities where you could have made this really brutal.

There were a lot of park rangers and sheriff's deputies out on the course and directing traffic, making it really safe for us racers.  I made sure to thank each and every one of them.  It wasn't until I talked to Eric later about them that I found out that they were not volunteering.  Eric was paying them anywhere from $25-60 per hour.  I saw at least 6.  They were out there for 8 hours.  You do the math.  One of the many hidden costs of putting on an epic adventure.  So I don't wanna hear any more fussing about how much endurance racing costs.  Pay up or shut up.

Dare I say I am beginning to like this gravel grinding?  Looking forward to signing up for Southern Cross.

Any Takers?

I made my weekly journey to Bare Necessities today.  This is a little store in my home town that sells damaged and out of date groceries at a deep discount.  As gluten free goods are at a premium, I am ecstatic when I find pasta, flours, cereals, and cookie/brownie mixes.  I have been known to clean the whole shelf off on occasion.  Hell yeah!  The discounts are anywhere from 50-75% off!

Today look what I found.

Which leads me into this whole Whole 30 thing.  A few months back, a friend of mine posted on FB that she was doing this new diet (I call it a lifestyle).  Well, I looked up the website and gave a brief perusal.   Basically a Paleo diet devoid of sugar.  I put it on the back burner.

And then this website began popping up on everyone's wall, it seemed like.  And this time, I took a real hard look.  I wasn't about to let anybody get a competitive edge over me.  In my 44th year, I am no spring chicken; I don't bounce back like I used to.  I need any "legal" assistance I could get to keep my fitness and health at its highest.  So I bought the book.

I have wore out a high lighter on this book!

Being celiac, I had already dumped the gluten.  Just recently I had stopped eating legumes after experiencing some milder gluten-like symptoms when eating them.  That is 2 of the 5 "food groups" that the plan has you cut out.  Seed oils is another group that will be easy to let go; olive oil is my "go to oil" anyway.  So I am over half way there.  Easy peasy, right?

Sugars and sweeteners (which includes chocolate) are my Kryptonite.  I enjoy my creamer less coffee with a good dollop of honey.  And my bite of dark chocolate every now and then.  This could get very interesting.  Which will win out:  black coffee or no coffee?

I do love dairy, but lately have drastically cut down on the amount, no more protein powder, ice cream, or cheese (meh).  I suspect that the milk protein, casein, is causing some less than desirable GI symptoms as well.  I will miss my Greek yogurt, though.

I am planning on going Whole 30 Monday, November 26.  My Mom is on board, but wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving since she is hosting.  I have pleaded to some of my fellow Athenians to hop on the train, but so far no takers.  Come on, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!  And I promise this way of eating will not kill you, at least in the biological sense.  It would be cool to share recipes.  I've made a killer frittata and salmon burger!  And I am looking forward to creating a salad dressing that doesn't have a gazillion ingredients.

The hardest part is going to be drinking unsweet coffee ...