Like You Don't Even Know....

A TRIBUTE TO:

The things too convaluted to explain
The elation too intense to admit to
The angst that is assumed not to exist
And all other things that when truly thought about and delved into, all you can do is shake your head, and mutter, ever so softly "LIKE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW"

Today, I was supposed to report back to work. Instead, i sat at the Denver airport and waited for a flight back home. Is it bad to miss the first day back on the job after having the entire summer off to dilly dally?

But i think i am ready to face the masses once again, smile intact and energy level on the high side.

Between searching for homes for my dogs (DO YOU WANT ONE?? THEY CUDDLE...) to attempting to sell a car and knowing that i have to find a place to live and wondering just what inadimate object i will realize i have left behind, and trying to think just where i packed all my work polos away, racing and the community it brings has become my solace.

Not just racing. Its riding the bike. My most productive therapy sessions over the past few weeks have been in the saddle. Some off the back rolling solo. Others full throttle at STXC pace led by guys i never imagined i could hang with, and then you have the meandering roll with friends.

Knowing that i have the challenges of a race to endure and conquer and to suffer through and possibly miserably fail at has been awesome. my eyes and emotions (which do exist) have been open to an entirely different realm of existance. Some people have backed off, been intimidated by another persons pains, too consumed by their own daily battles or lack there of, or simply neglected to care about the status of my existance.

BUT...there have been others. The others, as they will remain nameless except for in the deepest portions of my soul, have shown me the unheard of levels of exceptance and understanding and support that goes beyond cliches and pats on the back. They have embraced whatever emotion i am that day and showed me in a way that words only cheapen, what friends are all about.

A RUN DOWN OF THE NEAR PAST: THIS COULD BE LONG, like you don't even know...


There is nothing like a race at 9,000+ Feet!



Jeremy and I pre-riding slacker style. We rode the course Thursday and Friday, giving me the feeling that if the race just sucked, my vacation would have been wonderful still!!



Chasing these guys around the Aspen made the rides much more entertaining and hard!! I think around this corner we found Heather Holmes from Kenda, she made me hurt real bad too!!



Mom was in attendance!! She was doing her work out on the deck, and i caught her! We also made her galavant all over the mountain, but not on a bike!


This little obstacle snuck out of nowhere! Pretty boring on race day, but friday was full of down hillers doing what they do...roll over stuff.


We realized that Aspen is Palm Springs at elevation, they cruise around with Uggs on while driving huge planet killers. With that in mind, they sure do set up a nice bike wash!!



They even made sure we knew what went where!


Saturday meant race day for MATT which left Jeremy and I with the dubious distinction of doing the feed. Well we sucked at it. If you look way down in the left corner, that is Jeremy RUNNING down the mountain to a trail to get to a road to get to Matt. I was not so hot on his heels in my KEENE flops, but we made it, and Matt got his snacks!!


While HIKING back to a spot to see Matt come through again, we decided to be good stewards of the trails and pick up wrappers. OK, the yogurt was mine, but this is what we found walking about four steps. Ever heard of Pack it In, Pack It Out?!


909 Dinner Crew - Boy's, should we make it a weekly event?? Eric and Adam from PossAbilities made the treck out to CO too, and that's Matt. It was NUTS how many CA people were out there! Always cool to have good friends out at the events!!

I HAD A BIT OF A RACE

This is about 20 minutes from the end!!


This MASSIVE abrassion made me almost DNF the event. Actually, i did have a stellar endo right infront of two junior girls. rad. What a great example i am!


8 seconds from the finish. There was a big bump that went from dirt/grass to pavement, i thought about dying there.


But in the end, i was able to pull out a podium. yeeea!


But i could not have done it without these guys! James, who asked me 12 minutes before the start if i needed anything. Well, my drive train is all out of whack. Whada ya got?? Done. Worked like butter. Then there was Matt, who dutifully did my feeds, even though he was shivering and had to borrow someones fuzzy fleece! I also threw my glasses at him and on the next lap James handed me Matt's glasses, quite complex actually!


Also, whats a girl to do with a dirty bike? Make the Brother clean it! Actually, he just hooked me up. He decided not to race because he is a slacker, i mean Cat 3 road racer so he would have had to buy an expert license, or be a sport sand bagger. It was so cool to ride the trails with him, get some tips, and have all the help i never even thought of. he made me eggs on race day. what a guy.


Although i did not win the race, i had accrued enough points to win the overall series title, which was pretty cool, especially since the family was there.

That concludes the national mountain bike series. I have one more Cal State race and some covert ops, but my Expert Career is almost coming to a close! I am so stoked with how my season went and extremely grateful for all the support and help and love from everyone!!

This was a super long post with a lot of photos. i hope you read it four times, at least, and leave me a comment, because i could have been asleep about two hours ago. and remember, i do have a job, and starts tomorrow....

Neglect

In approximately 2 hours, i will begin the voyage to Aspen CO for the last stop on the national circuit. This trip will be fantastic! The parents are there, Jeremy and Suzanne, and maybe cousin Kristen and her family. Plus a huge number of SoCal racers will be rolling in. Matt, Adam, Eric, maybe Lisa, and huge gaggle of backbone riders. So why don't we just race in Idylwild of something?!

Funny things of the past week:

1. Uncle Greg, where i stay, got sprayed by a skunk while running yesterday morning.

i guess there was only one, probably more, but i forgot!!

After blowing my fork on sunday and having to wacked out rear wheels fixed, hopefully the bike will pull through for one more thrashing at the hands of a very large, steep, wet, mountain!!

Sister Sister and the Return of Lupagus

For starters, here is a shot from NC. THis is funny, probably only to me, because i had just slid/ran/hucked and chucked down some one track to come face to face with Shelli's dad, who promptly yelled that he did not come all this way to see me run. I was going SO fast...that as i jumped onto the bike i actually fell onto it, then off and in some cirque du solei fashion ended up run and leaping on landing with both feet clipping in at the same time. See how parallel my legs are? promise i don't "ride" like that. I guess you had to be there...

SISTER SISTER


My Sister Julene and her husband Rouru are expecting another kid!! Cool, except the first one made her REALLY sick for about 7 months, and this one is well on the way to doing the same thing. Things are not looking pleasant or good for the next chunk of months for her, especially with this little ball of nudity running around wanting to play!! He did however, make a funny. While the family was looking at the ultra sound he said "Look Mum, a bunny!" And that Bunny, will one day be his sibling...



It bums me out that they live in New Zealand. I know it is a nice place and all, i have googled it a few times, but it is hard to help or play or be able to eat the really good island food!

LUPAGUS
although this is not the BEST picture of the Pet, it will have to do. Yesterday i was able to pick him up and he will spend the rest of forever with me! This was in fact, a huge ray of excitement because he is by far one of my most favorite "People"! We have had some walks, cuddled, napped, and rides in the car. He has dropped some LB's due to the whole situation, so now the goal is to get him to EAT. i usually have to SIT WITH HIM to get him to eat and make him extravagent things like oatmeal with bacon, eggs, and part of a burrito. i am not of the school of thought that he should not get human food. He ate the whole bowl...well not the bowl...i would get in trouble for that one!!

Trading Spaces

NMBS Sugar Mountain, North Carolina where to begin.

This trip i did everything solo, sans all the homies, but appropriately littered with people from the past, people on parallel paths, and people that are just down right cool. Oh, and the REALLY weird ones too!! I had a challenge ahead of me so intense, i actually failed quite quickly, realizing that i am in fact, addicted to people. Phone contact does not do the trick. I need to be in your space, in your sphere, in your area. Is that weird? Thus the challenge began as i stepped into the first leg of the diverse adventure.

First Stop: Shelli's Dads House:


As i staggered into their home at 3 am, this is what greated me! A note of welcome, snacks for the morning, and a can of easy cheese (i found that myself) to put on some crackers. Since i came way too late to SEE anyone, i slept way too late too see anyone on the flip side. 24 hours of non-contact with ANYONE i knew...oy...Shelli wasn't there. So we traded spaces.

The VENUE
I headed to Sugar Mountain, a two hour drive, which ended up being the lucky number of all things that i needed to get too. I quickly found the familiar faces of Larry Longo and Sharon and i think i actually touched Larry's arm, to make me feel more normal and what not, then i went out for my preride. KILLER!! There is a HUGE mountain to climb, excellent, just what i always wanted. (For those of you who don't know me, i am being serious.) The down hill was, well chaos. Tightly woven trails with cobble stones of roots and rocks. There was a thick layer of mud covering them and then random rock drops and ledges. Insane. Not as steep or as long as those found in VT, but harrowing none the less. Then, there was RAIN i wasn't sure WHAT to do about this stuff, but i kinda liked it!

Unfortunately, it DID NOT rain on race day. I hoped it would, to spice things up a bit, but that was a no go.

After an excellent preride, i headed back to Ashville two hours of course, to meet with Haley and CO

This is Haley. She lived across the hall from me in high school, next to me and with me in college, and i lived on her couch when i first arrived in the IE. we have a lot of history...what she is holding is actually a cupcake made in a ice cream cone. Genious. We were both guests at her sister HEather and her husband Jeremy;s house
Now i know what this "Host Houseing" is all about. Dang. This was my bedroom...
One could get used to that, i also took a bath, nice...

Speaking of Haley she did a bit of art work i thought you might enjoy. This is one of about 30, so perhaps more to come...Baking With Barbie, and Ken for that matter...



Ok, focus. I did go there to RACE in fact. I went to the venue saturday night to stay with Chrissy Bono and her family. they were awesome and right on the course! Super good idea!! (Thanx Cpop!!) I ended up only sleeping 3 hours the night before the race! Shout out to Paige for waking me up at midnight with a hangup call, then my over active head got infiltrated with my over active and overly stressed life, making me awake, forever.

Race day, yehaw! i was bugged and bothered for some reason or another. But in the end, the first place girl and i rode elbow to elbow for about 40 minutes until we came to the top of the climb (yes, it was that long) and she conducted a down hill clinic, just for me. I estimated that she weighed about 90 lbs, the size of my left leg. Super cool chick, was able to be only 6 minutes out, she beat me by 15 in VT. Whats up with that?! I was totally stoked for a 2nd place.

Next, i had to break down the bike and drive to Charlotte to catch a flight. To make the VERY long story super short, i had to get a hotel and eat at Cracker Barrell ALONE AGAIN because of weather issues in Dallas. Dang. More money, more time out of my LIFE!!! Good times were had for sure!!

Just For Kicks

I put Iced Coffee on my cereal because there was no milk.

I detailed the jeep, then left it by a curb that gets watered daily.

I bought a stack of magazines (not smutt ones)and two books in an attempt to broaden my mind on this trip. But then i just felt bad because they cost money.

I packed 1/3 as much as i do for most trips with the realization that i usually only wear cycling clothes and three other things: a surrong; sports bras; the occasionals tank top.

I quit watching the tour de france, partly because i wont be around a tv for about three weeks, but also i am creating a small protest. you are the only ones who know though.

I will promise...to take photos at this event...i really wish i had a camera on my cell phone...i would have had a fantastic update last time!

If you check my blog out from another country, please let us know. i can't tell on that teeny tiny map exactly where you hail from so i can;t figure out who you are and why you are on my blog. that stresses me out.

What is this thing, called Mud??

AS i fumbled through the sloppy mountains of Vermont, all i could do was laugh. THe MOutnain Biking National Championships were held this past weekend in West Dover Vermont. I traveled with the Usual Suspects: Matt, Christie, Greg and the extended Pleiss/Miller Family.

This weekend fell perfectly inline with my therapy outline and was by far, the most fun i have had at a traveling event. I didnt win, but i smiled the whole race - maybe just in my head, or i would have gotten a lot of mud in my mouth, then i could become ill - and once again i truly enjoyed the process of suffering. I have had my bike since April: I have not crashed it. I have not gotten mud on it. As of my latest bruise count - i crashed my bike 16 times. It was also covered and clogged with sticky mud for about three days. Now that is an initiation.

This One is For Maureen: To divert myself from the self-serving antics of a blog, i am giving a shout out to Maureen Kunz. She has been hittin up the nationals and doing an awesome job. i knew she would dominate on this course because she is an all round rider who can decend and climb and have fun. Well she did. She got THREE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP JERSEYS. Cross Country; Super D; and Down Hill. Ladies, watch out. I also had a great time chattin it up with her and all the other girls in the race. Totally worth the 15 hours of travel and tribulation to get there.

As far as food goes, i eat a lot. Christies family threw down in style, home made friday dinner, brought TO us. Lunch at the campsite on saturday and a swim in the river. for once we actually SAW where we were racing, drove beyond the gates of the event into the real world that was even more fantastic than we imagined.

I am a total loser because i have not a single photo. But thats ok. maybe next week.

Tonight i rebuilt the bike, tomorrow i take it the shop. Wednesday i break it down again, heading off on my second to last voyage of the season. this time i have to fly solo, but as we all know, i can do a pretty good job of entertaining myself. maybe i will actually TAKE a book this time, so at least there is the potential for reading.

Steppin it up

I figured that i needed to update my blog before i head out on my adventures. from the little blurb on the right, i can see more people check out this blog than i assumed, or the multiple times a day i check it out myself have been adding up. none the less, i owe the masses, or myself, a bit of trivia.

Tomorrow Matt Freeman and i head to Albany NY where we will meet up with the Pleiss Family in Vermont for the Mountain Biking National Championships. No big deal or anything. After a weekend of fun an tomfoolery, we head back to the IE. With a quick respit and time to clean the bike and the kits, i will exit to the east again, flying solo to North Carolina to race yet another National event. The day i arrive "home" i don't even repack or clean anything, maybe my hair, before i head across the rockies to Boulder CO.

I will do my best, which is actually pretty good, to keep everyone posted with results and happenings and entertained with photos and anecdotes on how you too, can take over the world.

I have been laying low in Loma Linda for the past few weeks, opting not to race the Cal State Race at Rim Nordic this past weekend. Instead, i lay on the floor, droopy eyed, watching snippets of the Tour and THINKING about riding a bike, sorta fast. Lately, i prefer the simple three speeds of the Trek Lime it shifts for you and you just pedal back to slow it down!

I did branch out with some of the gals to get a pedicure. I asked Paige and Travis which color i should select, they said yellow in the spirit of the Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France and my forth coming racing endeavours. i look dead now. so if you see my pale toes, don't mock them. they could, potentially, bring me an ounce of good luck, if not just some good cheer.

Funky Friends

ARTIST PROFILE: KATIE BURLEY

I met Katie in the 6th grade. We were best pals all the way through high school and have done a moderately good job of keeping in touch ever since. Katie is crazy. In high school she was a cheerleader while her boyfriend, his best friend and myself all played on the basketball team. we publicly mocked her so much that she quit, never to cheer again. There were days that we were snowed in and we would take our snowboards off the roof, or go camping in her giant yard.

She has gone on to design school in Baltimore, MD, near where we grew up, where she became a Haberdasher. A maker of hats.



Check out her WEBSITE where you can buy a hat or have one custom made, just to your liking!!

On a bit of a darker note, you can check out her other work HERE!

I put it on this page because you can see an important element to our friendship. Back in probably 2000, we got the same tattoo on the top of our left foot. She designed and along with our friend Heidi, we were all maimed for life. But in the photo on the above link, you can see the tattoo in one of her portrayals of "Dead Girls"

Katie's art and talent is amazing and i am so excited that she is now hosting auctions, websites, and gallery shows!!

NEXT TO COME: BAKING WITH BARBIE by Haley Mann, like you don't even know!!

Disaster Averted, again

Hot, hot, hot. This is Shelli and i on the Santa Ana River Trail! look at the smog way off in the valley, sick.

I have never taken a camera on a mountain bike ride, so i am not sure what got into me today. Maybe the excitement of rising early and pedaling above the smog line, or the anticipation of taking a buddy and student with Uncle Greg on single track they have never explored before! Well not Greg, he informed us he has been riding that trail since 1985. Good to know.



Check out Shelli's new ride! Favorite part are the pink grips! We have a Specialized club, it's ok though, because i do have a Gary Fisher and a Lemond...


These purdy flowers are up above the big creek crossing on the glass road part of SART, if your not lookin, you'll miss them! Greg had to yell at us!

So, We rode up for quite some time, Greg and Spencer flipped a U before Glass road, and Shelli and i just kept going all the way to south fork. She felt pretty ill, probably the altitude, so we just sat at the camp ground and looked at our bikes for about 40 minutes. She went and asked a camper lady for some meds to cut the brain pain, which seemed to work! Then we started on the voyage back down.

Here is where the disaster was averted. I ride this trail a lot, and the last three times "bad things" have happened: Lost brake pads; broken seat post; broken seat. So i was ecstatic to actually ride the dang thing properly! We had just passed a group of riders going up then "BANG" and i felt a shot of cold air on my ankle. you GOT to be kidding me!! These tires are suspect, the second one i have blown. Its like the side wall just pulls away from the bead! This one was big too! I put two GU wrappers in it and a new tube, but that didn't really do the trick. I gingerly rode down to Glass Road where we had another encounter with helpful Strangers (thus dispelling the "STRANGER DANGER" theory).

Three guys were resting on the rocks and became very interested in our dilemma. (Who wouldn't, two chicks, you know the drill) They totally pulled through! One guy had DUCT TAPE in strips. He helped me tape the wrappers to the bead and side wall then on the outside. This made the tire totally rideable the next hour back to the car! It was a bit squishy though and i felt like i should lift my feet, like when you drive over the rail road tracks!



Needing maintenance



During Maintenance



Getting ready to load up

We were pooped. I think we were outside for like 5 hours! We still can't seem to figure out how the time flew by so quickly and why it took us to long!

Fantastic Four



I totally stole this from EMMA's Blog! This was from way back in April, at the Phoenix national race after the Super D podium. It was more like a really hard pedally time trial. ON the left is Maureen, the Vanderkitten racers who won at DV, far right Renee who won at Phoenix, and next to me a legend, Tammy House, who could be my mom (And that is a REALLY COOL THING) who won this event and i was elated and honored to be right behind her!! We just look cool, i think. like we are on a mission or something.

COMMENT OF THE DAY:
Spencer, 11th grade boy, first time on true one track, in the car to Greg on the way home, half way passed out.

"Duerksen was in front of me, just talking and talking. I hit a rock which made me stop and get off. She didn't even know. she just kept riding and talking until i couldn't hear her any more."

SOLO Ride

Things are not always as they appear.

The past few weeks have been tumultuous, at best. This past week i decided to part ways with Jason, the husband. i have landed in the flat lands of Loma Linda, with the mountains looming above, just a short drive away to some single track.

I am off track, being a PE teacher, so i don't have to go to work proper. So i may change some plane tickets and go to events early, or stay late. I will for sure head to Boulder early to see Jeremy and Suzanne before the Aspen national race in August, then its back to work.

My friends, travel buddies, sidekicks, and family are fantistic. if you ever wonder where you stand, have a crisis, and people really show you how they feel. i just hope that one day i can repay the kindess that has been shown to me. i have realized a lot, and i know i will definately continue to do that.

Yup

What a day to have a "DAY"

This could become quite convoluted and disconnected, so please bear with me! I had a bit of a race in Big Bear today, about a 40 minute drive from the good old FF. I have raced there many times and neither the trails nor altitude affect me, which is a good thing.

If the local Community College offered a course called "Listen to your inner self you retard" i would take it, twice. I could save a lot of many things by mastering that art.

GOOD NEWS: I did NOT DNF!!

Yesterday i started losing my voice, then the unwanted boogies came and my belly hurt, real BAD!! I went to bed at 9, to sleep at 12, and that is just how it goes.

This morning i had full use of 1/4 of one nostril, and could only talk softly (HUGE dilemma for me, some would welcome it though). My head was all squirly and was everything else about me.

I took Timber as my sidekick, with the idea that i would just do feed's, or pull out and take the dog for a walk. Christie and Matt told me not to race, but DUH, it was paid for, must get points.

I had a 7 minute warm up riding to the start line. My front brake was rubbing, i told myself fix it at the line. I didn't. it rubbed all day. At the line i told myself, ok, you have 300 yards. If you yak then, pull out. if you black out, quit. But beyond that, you are on your own. This was not a lap course, so no 6 miles and back to base camp. This was probably 20 something and if you quit, you still ride out.

The line boasted 5 solid pro women, 3 experts in my class, and about 5 experts in the other classes. at the start i immediately turned off my HR monitor because it was beeping the FAST beep, like you are on the LINE. I pedaled up the hill and just kept passing people. I passed all the experts, then all the pros, and thought that was weird. then i just kept climbing. The wild card pro caught me after about 15 minutes and we rode together, which was awesome! She told me i was killing it, which i told it was because i was very angry and upset.

Now here's the deal. Anger only lasts for so long. This past week or so i have dropped about 6 L-B's, (I have been trying to shed some girth for 15 months. Now that it is gone, i want it back) leaving me completely void of any sort of glycogen store. I was left with NOTHING. I had led the entire group, way out there, for about 1 hour 6 minutes. Then i didn't.

POINT of the DAY: Hold onto those fleeting things. Those glances, kittens playing in the grass, smell of fresh baked cookies. I could have totally flipped out, but just knowing that i had been THERE for that LONG will be remembered for months, and give me fuel for my next task.

The really cool thing about leading a race and then popping off the back like a reverse rocket is that you get to talk to everyone. Although i was in survival mode and my language sounded like this "Blgoadhw", it was cool to see people. AS i WALKED my bike up the second hill (i can't remember when i walked my bike out of exhaustion the last time. At least it is carbon, so it is svelte) some guys asked if i was ok. I said i just hit the wall, first time this year. They just told me i was due. Pretty straight forward. Then my friend from Sho Air caught me walking again, and he said i still looked cute, and that was the ticket.

I knew my body would shut down today, that is why i don't care. I also was glad it was a local Cal State race and that i did get points. The girl i was riding with for the first hour or so got a 2:10, i got a 2:43. I am not ashamed! As Matt F says "Suffering Builds Character" and you are given a choice to accept that, or dwell on the GINORMOUS time gap. But it's ok, pride should fall quickly, and for a bit i was riding with Chrissy Bono, who usually places first in pro, and she was way off the back because her legs were very upset. We just looked at each other, commented on the difference of scenery back there, and kept pedalling.

I was chatting with the pro winner at the awards. She said she was just killing a road race a few weeks back, then she dropped and cramped and came in 40 minutes back and as she crossed the line, the workers pulled it up off the ground!! They were taking down the finish chute when i came through today.

Like i have said many times: I will DNF if there is excessive blood; bones protruding; or a puppy that needs to be saved.

I just hope i dont STAY ill, i have things to take care of!

As usual, the people i race with are fantastic. The community that is build around mountain biking is one that is hard to find elsewhere.

Tooth Update

Way back when i lied about getting my teeth fixed. I had an appointment. I walked in, told the receptionist i was not mentally and emotionally up to it, and walked out. 2.5 months later, i decided it was go time. Last thursday i sped down the hill for the 5th face numbing experience.

The vineers needed to pulled off again, which required three shots that made my lip look all Hollywood with collagen, for free. My nose was numb, so i think it ran on the dentist's hand.

Since the product was completely bonded to what barely remains of my teeth, the amount of torque and force to get them off kept pulling my head off the chair and banging it back down. The taste of blood was all too familiar from my last mid-ride nose bleed.

Then the big fake uni-tooth got slapped on. One tooth that looks like three, that is awesome. They contain a slight yellow hue, and one of them has lost a corner to a spoon.

I decided that i like Juice it Up better than Jamba Juice because it is cheaper, the lines and shorter, the workers not so "I'm Cool" and the parking much easier to come by.

The teeth will stay put, hopefully, until August 1st. Then the real deal will be put on. They wanted me to do it the week between National Champs in Vermont and another National in North Carolina, but i said i could not bear the stress and the trauma.

So far, they feel ok. I can't feel the wind like usual, and cold drinks are ok. But, Timber gave me a solid head-butt at the precise location of the unitooth, making them feel loose, and super sore.

And that's that. Things could always be worse, that's is the truth.

For those of you SoCal mountain bikers, check out the "Fitness With Lupus" blog to the right. Bruce M has gone down hard and bad in Colorado. Send them some love.

Smack Talkers Beware...

We, the contingency of SoCal mountain bikers known as Jose O Therapy (Team Jose Ole combined with Pass Physical Therapy) have come up with an idea to fight the ever growing plague of hate talk via the internet.

A rundown of the board memebers is to follow, just be sure to know that i will be in sales, because i talk, a lot...

Fresh Memo From President and Founder Matt Freeman:
"I just thought of a brilliant financial opportunity for us. We start a business that teaches people Internet Tact. The internet has given everyone a forum that used to not exist. It used to be, if you wanted to say something to the world, you'd wear a sandwich board with your message and stand on a street corner or you'd stand in the town square and yell, "Here ye, here ye!" Now, anyone can say anything they want, uneditted, and somewhat annonomyously. We could call the company, "Web Tact-ics" or something gay (not that there's anything wrong with that) like that. Who's in?"

I have also been told that the Jeep will be the company vehicle, it is shiny and stands out.

Photos, for those who do not read, or who find me bland

Flying Pet




Is This White Trash???



Kid Implements



Giving Some Love to a Neglected Friend (and the "NEW" blue subaru behind it!!)



For Sale FOR REAL!! DO NOT talk to any perspective buyers and tell them what is REALLY under the hood!!


I am really hungry, but the oven/stove make the house really hot. Option one and only: Eat a 3 day old omlette. I think i will go for cereal.


Feeding Time, and i hold the prize!


It doesn't "look" that bad...



Doing some racing in Deer Valley, UT

Successfully Failing

First Day on The Job:

LOST: One sock
FOUND: Shoe
FORGOT: Goggles for swim lessons, swim trunks, flip flops

I feel as if i have worked an 8 hr day on the field chasing junior high kids. but in fact, it has just been me, two pets, and an eight year old. something odd happens when you add a human as big as one of my legs to the mix. Laundry somehow quadruples, dishes pile, and random items become missing or found for that matter.

With the extra laundry, my pinky hurts. This is because in order for the spin cycle to work, i have to open the lid, hold the spinner thing with one hand and stick my pinky into the hole that makes it actually spin. Then hold on for dear life, hoping that it wont knock over the Oxyclean again. (Sorry again Mr. Freeman, for filling my trainer with oxyclean, then putting it in the back of your non-van with suspect white powder.)

I feel like i haven't ridden a bike in about 8 days, but it has actually only been 36 hours. But, i need to retrieve a new seat and front wheel from two seperate locations that just seem too far away.

I found a camera, actually i found three. So on my next adventure, where ever that may be, i will be well equipped to add some photos.

Until then, laundry, dishes, sweeping, organizing and perhaps a brief cat nap on the futon are in order.

Order of Trim Spa, For One, Please

I never thought we would have to go to this spot. But Timber is jiggly and squishy. But i don't think this product is for him. There is a series of recent events that has caused me to examine my posterior from quite a few vantage points.

Being a house wife and all, who does the bare minimum in the house and who is expecting child, in the form of an 8 year old to arrive Sunday, precious time must not be wasted. Matt - New Trek Demo Boy, needed a tour guide on the SART this week. I jumped at the opportunity, and well, maybe i should have taken an older bike.

I have embarked on some super secret covert training, so i can not divulge too much. The snowball affect of my mechanical in DV, coupled with a crack in the rim of my front wheel, tumbled me onto a borrowed bike for CovOp1. This was to be a 2.5 hour mountain bike ride. at minute 7, i snapped the seat tube. Makes one wonder. After pulling out broken piece, shoving post back in, i was looking at well over 2 hours in the saddle, BMX style. Oh, yea. I did feel real bad too. I thought i had slimmed down, and i didn't even take it off any sweet jumps.

Day two had much the same affect to the rear. I picked up my bike from the shop and headed straight for the trails. Approximate same distance to travel via mountain bike. 40 minutes in. Crack, crack, plink, ouch. There went both seat rails. Hmmm. The angle of the seat quickly went south, or the nose went quite north. I could not forgo the forthcoming events of single track drops, creeks, and oh dear, i may have said too much already, so i plodded along.

Now that i have compared the exact same route, with similarly, yet vastly different in the comfort, efficiency, and lame-looking department, bike "issues" as they say, i have concluded the following:

1. Trim Spa was good for Nicole

2. Riding with a too low seat takes a lot longer. No glutes or hamstring insertions are used, thus adding a lot to climb times.

3. Riding with a seat that is going the wrong direction in so many ways, has much longer lasting issues and should be avoided. Although travel time is quicker, the pay out is much smaller.

4.You are also forced to ride OUT of the saddle a lot which is a great training tool, for 30 seconds. Not 30 minutes. But you will sure find the dead spots in your pedal stroke and have the luxury of forgoing the gym for the upper body workout.

5. Descending without a seat post and saddle (i had to ride the single track and switch backs with it in my hand, since riding buddy was way ahead. then randomly he showed up behind me. i guess i am a bad tour guide, he took a wrong turn. Said, hmm, looks like you need a seat.)is quite invigorating and helps with balance and bike handling. Both hands on the bars a must.

6. Descending with a broken seat: tricky. It is good for balance, yet if choose the precisely incorrect moment to sit, this being a hard tail and all, you will realize that the bike is now a solid, immovable nor flexible object. Focus, and be careful.

Thanx to Mattfor his understanding and patience

I Have Nothing To Say

And the LIES continue...

I have logged onto my blog at least three times today without writing a single word. Now i will make a near futile attempt to cultivate interest in the reader to continue doing just that. Reading my blog.

WHY I MAY FAIL:

1. I have no photos. I can not find my camera, and i have no desire to search the net for things pertaining to my thoughts.

2. I am hungry. My interest is in only one spot...snacks

3. I think there may be other people with more interesting lives than mine

A Flit and a Flutter

About twice a week i scour my home for the loose change husband Jason has hidden, chucked on the floor, or sent through the washing machine. This is my coffee money, thus very important. Once it is found, i put it in a ziplock, then go to the coffee shop for an Iced Coffee. (You know you have "arrived" when you walk through the door and they say "Your iced coffee is ready, Slim B - that is an entire other story, the slim b part). ANYWAYS, if i LOOSE this loot or a single dollar bill, i flip out. i must find it and i will waste precious time looking for it.

Christie lost a $50 BILL. That was where i was going with that. we were packing the bikes in Deer Valley and a fidy was part of a payment for lodging. she placed it down on the ground next to her phone and that was that. About 20 minutes later, she wanted it, as did i, and it was GONE. Things got chaotic, sorta ugly you know. i started walking around, to look like i was doing something. Katerina Nash (a mountain biking wonder, who just won a race, and i told her she was "cool" - what is this, '85?) was dumping out a big barrel of water and it was running down towards our bike boxes. the allure of the stream pulled me closer, and there it was, with a flit and a flutter, it would have been gone. it was nessled in some tall grasses, blowing in the stiff wind. the bill was found. ANd that is about as exciting as it gets.

PRIZES

Shelli, is super cool. She is also now a Doctor of Physical Therapy (whats up with that?) and needed some gifts. i got her one HERE please check it out, it is REALLY Cool! (i got christie one for her bday too) But her Family got her one HERE. That is SOOO COOL!! There are some people who ride because they can, not because they are on fancy stuff. That is Shelli. Beware ladies, shelli's new bike is going to tear you apart. She has not gotten a new one in YEARS. the one she has been racing on is a HAND-ME-DOWN from a cousin as were the SHOES!! It may have even been a steel frame hardtail, but she shreds the down hill like a pro. I am afraid to see what she does to the trail on a dual suspension ride! If you can not tell, i am pretty stoked about this one!!

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

We (Christie, Matt and Joy) met up with (Romolo, Carolyn, Ely, Nigel and Sean) oy that is a full condo!!! In Park City UT for round 4 of the NMBS. This is the first race at elevation, where the mountain folk start to come out of the woods, so to speak. The venue is always great, although last year i was afraid, scared, intimdated, and inexperienced. This year the worked seemed to pay off. Lining up with the largest field ever, things were at a high level of expectation. I was able to push to the front with Maureen (the Sleeper from Phoenix who wore a Curious George Jersey, who know is sportin a nice team bike and wearing the Vanderkitten goods! Congrats on THAT) we were able to shake third, but faught the good hard fight to get away from each other!! I guestimate that i was holding a 48 second lead heading into the last 2 kilometers, then my drivetrain rebelled. i think we all know the sounds and the feelings and the emotions of begging and pleading with the machine to work for just a few more minutes!! As the the chain sucked itself up by the bottom bracket i had to STOP and pull it out. Then there she was, and there she wasn't! She ended up in first by 7 seconds. Almost as long as a Bull Ride at the Rodeo. Now I know how those cowboys feel. BUT, i was not disheartened! I have never raced that hard for so long and been pushed to that SPOT!! Maureen and i did our cool down together, chatted about sponsors and next year and how each of us were totally amazed at the other ability and our ability to stay with the other one! A truly rewarding day!!

Dude, i work here

I need to be brief. The lack of structured work has forced me to delve into projects i usually avoid and waste half my day away. my little mind has been churning for hours and a plethora of verbage could be dispelled onto this post. But i will stay strong, and just do a wee one!








GYM: The turnover of ill-qualified trainers at LA FITNESS where i work is astounding. I have been there over 4 years, many of them only 4 weeks. Today, as i was exiting post class, a trainer pulled me aside and the conversation went something like this: "I see you are very dedicated and just wanted to let you know if you ever need a trainer, some extra help, i am here. just ask." I just looked at him thinking: Dedicated to what? Sometimes showing up at 5:30am to teach spin? Or to working out? BUt i don't "work out" or even lift weights right now. What could he even offer me. I am a trained professional. Ok, so i just teach PE. So i replied, well, i am a competative mountain biker and my coach has me on a strict plan, so i think i will be fine. And, do you know i work here?

Someone reminds me of TUMNUS. Have you ever had the horrid feeling while someone is telling you something oh so important, that you are about to explode with laughter because you finally, after milliseconds of brain churning thought, realize who they remind you of? I had one of those today, and this is who they reminded me of:

This is a direct quote from the coach regarding my latest training update. I think i need a hobby.

"Yo Joy
always an entertaining read - your head must be fun to be in!!!"

This is How They Feel

While we pedal our little souls out, the spectators look a lot like this. My Grandparents and parents and in laws for that matter, came to watch me race at Firestone a few weeks back. It made me feel REAL bad because it was so hot, so late in the day, and SOOOO boring. But they were awesome and Jason did a stellar job at the feed zone. Except he looked like nature wearing brown and khaki, so my teammate Ed the single speeder almost missed him!

My Dad is a professional photographer, so i would come spinning around a corner and there his giant lens would be and my mom was doing half-jacks (cheater jumping jacks) beside him yelling "yippee Joy." (This is true) My dad recently got part of his luggage stolen in either Mozambique or South Africa the part that went missing were the dozens of cables and chargers for ALL his equipment and computers. Over $500 worth and many hours of searching in stores and online for the goods.

What else:

1.) I drive with the windows down. A GIANT bee slammed into my car door, ricochet directly into my nose where it took a 90 degree turn, landing in my lap. I had to scoop it up, fluttering wildly and throw it out the window.

2.) Today is the beginning of the rest of my life, er, summer. Free lunch at Mexican restaurant with coworkers, quick check of the office for snacks and clothes (i found my crocs too) and then off on a bike ride. This is why i get paid the small bucks.

3.) A few updates from Boulder and Blue Sky Velo and Jeremy...the brother

Jeremy raced the IronHorse Classic a few weeks back! On the big long ride that follows the train, he got 16th and $60, whats up with that?!! He also sprinted for 7th in the crit, and promptly ran DIRECTLY into the barrier of hay, taking some other guy out too because the rest of the pack was swooping around the corner he MISSED that he had just ridden about 45 times. oy.

Tour of Gila Pics: Back when in New MExico - This is Suzanne being the best sag wagon ever. I hope that is my brothers leg...who is to tell. Jeremy said she gave everyone on the team full leg rub downs after every race. Something to look into. I think Greg Pleiss, maybe? Or Marius, just keep an open mind.

Jeremy in center, with his homies.

Total Chick race here, i think their teammate is in this picture. But i simply posted it for the fact that there is a boy lodged in the stack of tires to the left. Awesome.

Suzanne killin' it on her cruiser bike, at night!