Lake Ahquabi

I couldn’t decide how I felt about going back to race at Ahquabi this year. Part of me was stoked to have the chance to ride this course again. After all, this was where I made my mountain bike racing debut just last year. On the other hand, I found it really hard to believe that a whole year had passed me by. Man, time does certainly fly! And a lot has changed since then.

A year ago, Cam and I weren’t even (officially, whatever that means) dating, he was busy making fun of the 300lbs. bike I was planning to race, and I was scared to death of actually trying to go “fast” on a mountain bike trail. Rolling up this year, I had to laugh a little about the changes from last year.

Last year, it took some convincing me that I would survive the race, let alone doing it without crashing into something or someone. This time around, I was recruiting any and every female who I knew owned a mountain bike. Last year, I thought I would die from the effort it would take to ride one lap at Ahquabi. This year, I was a little disappointed that we were only doing three laps – I thought seriously about heading back out for another lap or two in an effort to get a little more training for Chequamegon. A year ago, I was the one asking all the questions at the starting line, while this time I was one of the ones answering the newbie’s questions. Needless to say, I was much happier this year!

The one thing that didn’t change, however, was that I didn’t want to get beat in the race! Hopefully I won’t ever lose that drive! Actually, I think last year’s goal was to not get lapped by Cam. I figured this year, it would probably happen no matter what, so I just set a goal of not letting that happen until my third lap…

With increased recruitment efforts this year, we brought the Women’s Cat 2 field size up to four – All Nine Yards’ Kristin Reece, Rassmussen’s Sally Logan, Punk Rock Cycling’s Keely Shannon, and me. Keely is a complete stud on the bike, and probably has more experience that the other three of us combined despite her young age of 19. She used to race mountain bikes in her earlier years and now races Cat 3 on the road. Sally, Kristin, and I placed within about a minute of each other last week at Ingawanis, so I knew that I would have some good competition when the gun went off.

Temps were back into the 90s, but combined with the mostly shaded nature of this course, it felt maybe ten to fifteen degrees cooler than the sun-baked blast-furnace-like conditions of the race the day before. The skies (and the forecast) threatened big-time thunderstorms and hail, so we were all keeping an eye to the sky throughout our warm-ups leading up to the start.

Race director Bruce Brown put together an awesome course – 7+ challenging miles of Chequamegon-like trails. With 90% doubletrack and a fair amount of climbing, the conditions are perfect for beginner and experienced riders alike. Even the Dee and Dave Mable broke out the tandem for the day.

Bruce started the whole group of 60+ racers at the same time, with most of us pretty well self-seeded according to category. The start was pretty fast, even back where I started… I was just trying to keep Keely within my visual field, not let her get too far away! I was also pleasantly surprised to see Karolyn Zeller, newbie mountain bike studette, crank out some fast and furious first miles in her race. The crowds thinned out fairly quickly, and about midway through the first lap, I finally caught and passed Karolyn, then Keely. While Karolyn was only doing one lap, I knew I needed to keep the pace up to keep Keely from catching back up to me.

The course was fast, for the most part, and what surprised me the most was how much I was enjoying pushing myself through the tougher parts of the race, despite my fatigue from the previous day’s race, and despite the heat. I was feeling pretty fresh and my legs would go when I told them to. That is a great feeling.

I ended up riding the majority of the race by myself, but the two-way traffic sections meant I got to cheer on some of the other ladies and see Cam a couple times out there. It wasn’t until my final lap that he finally caught and lapped me. He had a big enough gap on second that we rode together for a couple of seconds before he took off.

The last few yards to the finish line was straight up a huge incline. Surprisingly, I still felt awesome by the time I got there, so I just dropped into an easy-ish gear and plugged my way to the top for the win!

This was one of the most fun races of the year so far. My favorite part was seeing so many newbies come out and try out the sport. At one point I walked away from Cam and told him, “I’m gonna go take advantage of having all these females here and go hang out with the girls!”

Hopefully, all these new ladies were bit by the bug that got me at Ahquabi last year, and they will be regulars on the Iowa MTB race circuit!

Tranquility Tire Tantrum

The forecast just sounded great: 100+ temps (never mind the heat index…) and 25mph winds, gusting to 45mph. Sounds like the makings of a pretty miserable day for a mountain bike race. I really don’t mind the heat nearly as much as I mind the cold, so I figured I’d do okay.

Cam and I loaded up and headed to Omaha, and tried to keep the Jeep from getting blown off the Interstate. Unfortunately, we did come across a motorcyclist who wasn’t able to keep it shiny side up. That image will be with me for a long time…

We arrived with enough time to do a recon lap and get a little acclimated to the heat. My legs didn’t feel the best on the recon lap, so I cut it a little short. I got enough of a feel for what I was going to be up against: switchback city and a little bit of climbing. Though it had rained pretty well on Friday, the majority of the course was pretty dry and dusty with just a couple of soggy spots. I also learned that the shade felt great, but the sun would bake you in a hurry! I hid out in the shade and dumped Gatorade down my throat until the race was ready to start.

As usual, there was a small turnout in the women’s fields: two of us in Cat 2 and no one showed for the Cat 1 race. Nebraska regular, Rox, was out with a wicked injury. Rhonda (the other female) and I lined up at the back of the men’s fields. I usually have a pretty slow start, so I’d just as soon not have any dudes breathing down my back right from the start.

After about 10 minutes of delay at the start for some interesting paperwork issues, we were finally off. I was even slower than usual coming off the line but saw no real reason to be pushing it at all right at the start. It was going to be a long, hot, brutal day no matter what, so I figured I’d just let all the rabbits tire themselves out; I would try to come on strong later in the race.

My only rabbit, Rhonda, hit the dirt about 3-4 minutes into the race, so I didn’t really have to work too hard to overtake her! Lap one was good. I got into the swing of things pretty quickly, and enjoyed chasing down some of the guys ahead of me. Apparently, this course uses some BMX trails, too, so I had some fun testing out my mad skills on those!

By the time I hit lap 2, I was starting to feel the heat. There were lots of other racers who were feeling it, too, evidenced by the carnage along the trail – lots of DNFs today! Since speed was no longer a huge worry, I tried to work on getting a few more fluids into my system. I could feel myself slowing down, and I knew I could be in a world of hurt in a hurry if I didn’t start to focus on hydration.

I passed a few more guys on the last half of the lap and was able to finish strong for the win. Not a really exciting race or win, but a win is a win, and I will take it. Cam was feeling the heat, put it in cruise control about halfway through the race for a second place finish.

Recovery was the next order of business. We threw down a huge smoothie and about a half gallon of water each. Tomorrow is another hot, humid race at Lake Ahquabi State Park in the Iowa Series.

Ingawanis

I get a little excited every time we go racing in Iowa. Not only do I know it’s gonna be a great course and full of fun people, but perhaps the best part is knowing that it’s gonna be a short drive! We can eat breakfast and dinner at home with some great racing between.

Ingawanis is a Boy Scout camp outside of Waverly. Cam told me that the course was pretty fun, but he wasn’t sure what to expect since part of the trail was shut down for logging (of all things…). He wondered if the best part wasn’t the part that was closed.

We arrived with plenty of time to get registered and get a practice lap done before go-time. I ran into Kristin Reece right when we arrived. She was a good person to lead me on a recon lap as she’d raced the time trial there the day before. The course was in great shape and a blast to ride.

Like most Iowa races, there were only three of us in the Cat 2 race, but there was another 3-4 women toeing the line for the Cat 1 cash! Cat 1 and 2 started in separate waves, but all men and women of the same class started together. Kristin, Sally Logan, and I hung out near the back of the Cat 2 field and shot the breeze waiting for the gun to sound. Having cool chicks around me at the start really helps me keep my heart from jumping out of my throat before any racing has occurred.

We took off with Kristin in the lead, followed by me, then Sally. I stayed on Kristin’s wheel for the first 4-5 minutes while I settled into a groove. We worked our way around some of the slower guys, then when I was nearing full-steam, Kristin let me by. She stayed close for a while, but by the end of lap one I was riding alone.

The course was fast and fun. There were a couple of tricky climbs, but without anyone breathing down my neck or slower traffic to contend with, I was able to get through them with little difficulty. The laps were going by well. I caught a few more guys, but the closer we got to the end, the more I started to see the tail end of the Cat 1 women’s field. I ran out of real estate just before I caught her, but it was good to know that I had made up the 2-3 minute start differential.

I came across the line first, and about a minute after me was Kristin, then barely another minute until Sally who nearly flatted and had to stop for air. Though we rarely saw each other on the course, we were a lot closer in the final standings.

I took a good cool-down spin with the Logans and others; they shared some Chequamegon tips with me. I’m really looking forward to the time we’ll all be spending in Hayward the weekend of the race! Good peeps!

Cam had a good race and even some good competition during the early laps. By the final lap he was riding alone in the lead. One downfall of the Iowa and Nebraska series is that we race at the same time, so I don’t get to watch his race progress any more than what I can see from the saddle of my bike! Still, it was yet another great day of racing for us! We are blessed!

RAGBRAI XXXVII - The Best Yet!

I know I say this every year, but again this year was the best ever! It just keeps getting better! If I had to put a title of this year's ride, it would be Family Ties. Riding with Team Satisfied this year was Sparkle, Sparkle's mom (Snake), Sparkle's cousin (Saucy) and Saucy's husband (The Shaman), plus my uncle (The Sjeff), and me (Sugar). I was so glad to have Jeff along this year. I've been very fortunate to be able to spend more and more time with my extended family over the last 8 years or so, and the more time we spend together, the more fun we have!

I knew that Jeff would like RAGBRAI for the people and for the riding. The way we did RAGBRAI in the early years was growing old for me (or am I that one that is getting old??), and I've begun to realize what I like most about the Ride is the riding! Jeff and I set a pre-ride goal of riding the whole thing. Honestly, I've never done that before, so I was excited about doing it!

Jeff had an adventurous trip to Iowa, including hitting a deer at 2am (in someone else's car), and met us in Council Bluffs on Saturday. I was without, for the first time, my traditional RAGBRAI bike. A day or two before Cam and I left for Colorado, I found a crack in the frame, so Cam let me borrow one of his bikes to take on RAGBRAI.

Some highlights of the trip:

1. We made a stop at Sid's on the way west, plus the traditional stop in Marne.

2. It was a very mild week, temperature-wise. I wore arm warmers for at least parts of 3 days.

3. Jeff and I did the century loop. This was also a first for any member of Team Satisfied.

4. I ate a lot of Pastafari. Whoa, the food is so good and the salmon is so worth the extra cha-ching!

5. I only ran into Team Emerson once the whole week. It was very strange not to see them as much this year.

6. I don't think we ever went to a single beer garden. Oh, I take that back. However, the only one we went to was off-route at the Cumming Tap.

7. Beer and Casey's pizza is always a good dinner at the end of a long day of riding bikes.

8. Snake is an awesome sag-driver. I learned from her that it is easier to ask forgiveness than ask permission.

9. This year's traditional thunderstorm took place the first night that we didn't have a house to stay housing us for the night.

10. I'm already looking forward to next year. Any other family up for the challenge?

Colorado Training Camp - Durango Report

After our rides on Tuesday, we left Vail and headed to Durango. The drive varies between dull and fairly flat terrain to some of the most amazing views and roads I've ever seen! Aside from the bit of motion sickness I encountered on the last half of the drive, we really enjoyed the trip and found a few other places we'd like to check out on a bike next time we are in Colorado.

We had one night to spend in Durango before Cam's dad showed up with our accommodations for the rest of the week, a sweet motorhome. As soon as I could get out of the car, I hit the hay. Cam found some BBQ, and that was all she wrote for the first night in Durango.

During the drive over, I realized I was half-way through with my Colorado trip, and I hadn't even set the tires of the 'Goose on any dirt! That needed to be fixed ASAP. Bright and early (sort of...) on Wednesday morning, we left the Jeep at the hotel and rode a couple miles to the Telegraph trails. Cam gave me a few warnings about rattlesnakes, trails to be careful on, and encouragement to drink often, then he headed out to abuse his body and amuse his mind for a few hours.

Thankfully there are some pretty nice trail maps at every intersection, so I couldn't get too lost. I tried out a couple trails and came across some other riders who were impressed that I had tackled one of the trails. They told me they usually rested up a day or two before trying that one! I was pretty glad to hear that because I had used up most of my allotted energy for the day on that one trail! That and I was feeling the hurt of the altitude. I stopped to rest at one point and seriously thought I was gonna toss my cookies. I tanked a bunch of water and a few calories and headed for flatter terrain.

Instead of sticking to the trail map, I just went exploring. I rode up Horse Gulch Road until I found some random unmarked trails and just followed them til they either ran out or turned into something too gnarly for my meager abilities. It turned out to be a pretty fun adventure, and I rode quite a bit of stuff I was sure I'd never attempt!

It was a pretty warm day and the stuff I was riding was in no way sheltered from the sun, so after about 2.5 hours of fun on the dirt, I headed back to the hotel. There I sat under an overhang and "borrowed" the wireless connection while waiting for Cam to return. He rolled up a little later and it wasn't until he got off the bike that I could tell something was wrong. He looked a little dazed, then turned around to show me his back. The raw meat that was where his shoulders used to be looked pretty bad. The bike wasn't much better with a cracked stem and partially taco'd front wheel. We got him cleaned off and then went in search of his father and some dinner - and we found it in the form of a cold beer and awesome meal at the local micro brewery.

Durango Day Two, Cam went out for a long road ride. His mountain bike was not yet rideable and the road would be a little more forgiving to the aches from the crash. So, Larry and I went in search of some singletrack. We found some good trail that eventually meets up with the Colorado Trail. We rode for about an hour before Larry started to feel like I did the day before. I, on the other hand, was feeling great! I sent Larry back to a junction in the road, and I went on up to find the Colorado. It took some climbing to get there, but I can't tell you how fun the trip down was! Again, throughout the day I found myself riding stuff that was so intimidating before. For some reason, being in Colorado gave me the extra little boost of confidence I needed to just charge through rocks and down trail that might have been a hike-a-bike for me in Iowa.

I met back up with Larry at the bottom - he looked much better - and we headed back to the RV. We hit a great little Italian place for dinner (and some great wine). We also procured a new stem for Cam's bike, so we could go ride some dirt together on Friday, my last full day in Durango.

Larry opted for a road ride on Friday, so Cam replaced his stem and wheel, then we drove into town to start the ride. We rode out to the same trailhead that Larry and I had driven to the day before. We followed the same sweet singletrack as the day before and chased each other down the Colorado Trail. Instead of turning off to go back to the trailhead, we continued on the Colorado to Gudy's Rest for a little snack and some photos. The rest of the Colorado was really fun and a little challenging. The views were amazing, so it took a little bit of concentration to remember to keep my eyes on the trail and not on the vistas!

I was both perfectly tired and perfectly satisfied when we rolled up to the Jeep three hours after we'd left it. It was the perfect ending to my trip.

Early the next morning, I boarded a plane home. It was pretty hard to leave, but I'm already looking forward to next year!

Colorado Training Camp - Day Five

For our last day in Vail, Cam wanted to go for a long road ride, so I sent him out the door early. I relaxed around the house, did a little work, then decided I wanted to go for one final ride. Steve was off of work and going to take the girls to the park in Vail, so I opted to ride to the park and meet them for a little fun. It was about a 45 minute ride wach way, with a very fun break in between!

The blondie is Sophie and the one in green in Lauren, both age 3 1/2. Awesome kiddos!

Colorado Training Camp - Day Four

Every time I drive to Vail on I-70, I see the bike path that runs from Frisco to Vail, weaving back and forth under the interstate and over Vail Pass, and I think to myself, what kind of crazy person would ride their bike on that?? Well, today I found out that I am that kind of crazy person.

The sign at the trailhead

The view looking back towards Vail

The view at the top of Vail Pass (elev. 10,600 ft)

Heading back down the mountain

A VERY steep section near the Interstate - with the Runaway Truck Ramp in the background

The sign I was most looking forward to seeing on the ride home - the turn-off to Steve and Tina's house!

The Stats (at least the best that I can figure):

Distance: 60 miles

Time: 5 hours (!!)

Elevation Gain: 5500 ft.

Times I Got Lost: 2-3-ish...

Many thanks to my sister-in-law for letting me ride her road bike for the day. I'm thinking this wouldn't have been so much fun on a mountain bike!

Cam and my brother went out to hit some local trails and try to rip the legs off of each other. I'm not sure who "won," but each came home with evidence of a crash!

Colorado Training Camp - Day Three

We awoke to another beautiful day; chilly, but beautiful. Since Cam was still feeling a little like he'd been run over by a bus, we decided to just do an easy recovery ride to Vail. Sunday is also the day of the Farmers' Market in the Village, so it was a good day to go.

We hopped on the mountain bikes and headed down the road out of the neighborhood. The trip down the hillside took about 8 minutes. Being that the road is 3.3 miles long, that meant we were flying at nearly 25mph without ever taking a single pedal stroke. Fun on the way down, but that meant it was going to be a looooong ride home at the end of the day.

Right at the bottom of the hill, we were able to jump on a bike path that took us straight into Vail. The Farmers' Market was packed with people, and we had trouble even walking through with our bikes. Once we survived that melee, we found a little outdoor patio to have some lunch.


The ride back toward Avon was great. It was great at least until we got back to the entrance of the neighborhood. The skies had been darkening throughout the day, and we were wondering if we could make it back to Steve and Tina's before we got wet. It turns out that we didn't make it. After hiding out under the awning of a condo for about 20 minutes during the downpour, we resumed our the slow slog up the hill. It took us a full 30 minutes to cover those last 3.3 miles home (a breakneck pace of 6-7 mph).

Besides the visit to the coffee shop and the grocery store, we relaxed the rest of the day with my nieces and put ourselves to bed relatively early.

Colorado Training Camp - Day Two

I was riding along a nice bike path just outside Breckenridge and couldn't help but reflect on just how fortunate I am. It's July 4th, and I am out enjoying a beautiful day in the Colorado mountains on my bike. Between the wildflowers growing along the trail, the bright blue sky and light breeze, and the fact that I just love to be on my bike, I couldn't possible come up with anything that I would do to make the day any better. Or at least I'd better not try to come up with anything... I am so blessed to get to do what I do.

I started off the year with 10 days on Maui, riding my bike. In April, I scored another trip to Phoenix for 5 days of riding with some great women. Now, here I am in Colorado getting to spend another 8 days of riding. Later in the month I'll add another week with RAGBRAI. It truly doesn't get any better than this!

The reflection came about because I was out riding while Cam raced in the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge. His race started at 11am, so I watched the start (literally a parade lap - the racers lead the Fourth of July parade down Main Street in downtown Breck.

I had roughly 2 hours to kill until I would see Cam again and he would need a hand-up. I changed clothes and went in search of the bike path we'd seen on our drive into town. I made it as far as Summit High School before it was time to turn back. I was pleased to see a high ropes challenge course similar to what we use at the ALC. I had to take a few pictures, as there were a few elements that we don't have.

Once I rode back and gave Cam some more to drink, I was free for almost another two hours before he'd finish. I headed back out along the same path, but made it all the way to Frisco this time before needing to double back. This time, I spotted another one of my favorite sports being played: rugby! That warranted another stop for some photos.

As I was snapping some shots of the scrum, moisture began to fall from the sky. It was very light, but was rain nonetheless. So as not to be caught out in a downpour, I high-tailed it back to the race site. As I watched the winners and other finishers come through the chute, the heavens opened. If I were to see Cam's finish, I had no choice but to hang out in the rain. When the breeze also picked up, I found shelter under an EZ-Up of some team. I just pretended like I was supposed to be there...

Dave Weins had a great finish. I took his picture because his aunt takes one of the exercise classes I teach in Ames. That and he's just a stud... The women's champion came across the line and was doing all her post-race interviews right in front of me. She was stoked to earn a national title - her first!

Soon I saw the familiar black and white of Rassy's heading down the hill towards me. Cam crossed the finishline, and before I could even say a single word, he looked me straight in the eye and said, "I am NOT doing this again next year! That sucked!"

I just smiled, knowing it would only be a matter of time before he ate those words...

We did a quick cool-down, changed into some warm clothes, shivered at the finish for a while, ate some of the best post-race food I've ever seen, had a beer, then headed back to Vail where a great Fourth of July meal awaited us. We stayed up late enough to watch some fireworks out on the deck with the girls. A great day!

Colorado Training Camp - Day One

2:59am (Iowa time): Wake up!

3:50am: On the road, my idea. I remembered our family trips to Colorado when I was a kid - we would be on the road VERY early and although that kinda sucked, it was great to be well into Nebraska when the sun was just coming up and crossing into Colorado before noon.

12:10pm (Colorado time): Join every resident of Denver on I-70 West. Traffic moves between 5-15mph for the next hour. It's a good thing the scenery was so great, otherwise it would have really been annoying. Drive through a torrential downpour in Summit County.

2:40pm: Arrive at Steve and Tina's house and get to spend a little time with Lauren and Sophie. It pours again.

4:30pm: Finally get a break in the weather. We head out for a little ride to stretch the legs and make me feel like a human again. We rode around Steve and Tina's neighborhood which is fun, but we are always either tearing down some hill or climbing back up some hill. Did I mention that Steve and Tina live on the side of a mountain??

7:45pm: Bathe and feed ourselves and get to bed early. Cam races 50 miles in Breckenridge tomorrow!