Fast Forward

You would think that Shelli and I never see eachother. Quite the contrary. She will literally run by the house and pop in, we talk almost every day at 7:28pm and we drop texts from time to time. And she lives around the corner.

We finally sat still long enough to photo document the progression so we could fast forward the past 6 years...

Have we changed a little?!?!?

I got to work early in order to post something so JT has something to read today

The day before the race in Costa Rica was rad. We met our International Cohorts! Jason from Florida, who is going to bang out La Ruta (Four day MTB stage race in Costa Rica...legends say the hardest in the world. Maybe....next year?!?!) in the fall showed up in the morning. Breakfast found us sitting next to Danny and Tami from Mexico City. These two have traveled the globe! Whether racing bikes, kayaks, or Adevnture races, they are all over the place! Later this year I will be following their progress as they race the BC Bike Race...a team MTB stage race in Canada! (7 days, 7 stages, you gotta stay with your homie...next year?!?! who wants to be my homie? I stop talking after like day 3...)

The 7 of us were the only racers staying at the host hotel. All our food, transportation to and from each race start, and ride logistics were included in our deal. I would have been LOST and probably still riding through random cow pastures had it not been for this set up!!

We had no idea where the stages were and frankly, did not want to climb a volcano the day before the race. We opted to ride around and check out the grade % of the area, the vegetation and local

set-up. Approximately 13 minutes from the hotel, Justin - left, sheered his rear derailleur hanger off. Yes, it takes four to convert the brand new Super Fly to a single speed. We rolled into Santa Barbara and went to the bike shop. Funny thing, they were at lunch, which turned into a Siesta...lucky!! The little green car housed a fellow racer, Costa Rican national Jose...He was AWESOME!! Perfect English, acted as our guide, translator, protector, and friend!! This guy was such a blessing!!!Maureen NO!!! No touchy-touchy of street dogs!!! Especially right before climbing the stairs to the Pizza Parlor!!The Po-Pos!!

This Pie saved our lives!! I don't think i have eaten pizza since...weird

Then the shop opened!! COOLEST Mechanics ever! The one on the right is an amazing racer as well, and made sure to point out the pictures of him in magazines and on the wall racing La Ruta!! They rolled out the red carpet, found a der hanger for Justin, and fixed everyone elses bikes!

The ride "home" fighting Scooter Traffic!

Amy, Justin and Maureen - scoping the sky for rain, and sizing themselves up to the Banana tree!

These kids were WAY amped to have us ride by! You would have thought we were part of the Giro...

At Home Base, prepping for the Unknown..check out my STACK of tupperware "supplies"! I Brought so many snacks and reinforcements! you never know...

It is time, yes?

COSTA RICA!!!!!

Before delving into the wonders of the Ventura County Stage Race...I am going to flip the pages back to Costa Rica! I have had to let the experience simmer for awhile, in order to fully soak it in. And let me tell you, it will remain and career and lifetime highlight for me!!

Henry and the crew from el Reto did an amazing job! They picked us up at the airport, with those placards that say your name on them...super cool! We would have been hosed! Neither Maureen nor I speak Spanish, although she tried much more valiantly than I to master the language. Most of the streets are not marked and it was super dark. The 30 minute drive would have taken me all night!

We are brilliant, so we arrived in town with a day to spare. This gave us just enough time to build the bikes, swim, spin around town, and take in the scenary. Amazing! and So beautiful!! Top picture is view from the hot tub under a "waterfall." Below was the view from the hotel deck looking out onto San Jose, coffee plantations, and volcanoes!

Justin and Amy Mace, from Tennessee, had arrived a few hours before us so were all amped out for breakfast on the porch!!

Classic Costa Rican fare! Rice, beans, toast, quesadilla....and of course AMAZING COFFEE...

24 hours into the trip and ready to spin the legs out...

That's all I got for now. It's time for a snack and some work! Stay tuned, I promise to cough up the good stuff!

Just a few weeks...

And I get to Meet my little niece Gwen!!


And I get to cause a mess of trouble with Griffyn!!!

I pretty much Can't stop Laughing...

This is the best problem to have.

Tuesday began my One 8 oz Cup of Coffee a day campaign. Each day I have succeeded, and had a ton more energy at the end of the day, and had a bit more *spark* weird, and a little bit liberating.

There are other things that make me laugh that are SOOOO blog worthy, yet completely un-bloggable....ah.....

I did this race in Idyllwild, where there are trees and rocks and stuff. Not the normal things we come across on Mountain bikes these days. So it was a bit techy for my newly developed apptitude for the pavement, but what a blast it was! I got to pull the sling shot for Allison and then promptly realize I had burned a few too many matches, or I had only brought the small book with me. The pin-ball effect of me descending rocky terrain is always hilarious especially when I had Shalyn in hot pursuit. I had her almost in stitches talking smack to the land, catching maaaaaad air off of rocks and roots and going all "Gnar Gnar" on the Cat 1 men!

The post race festivities landed smack in the middle of the block-o-sphere! The Mann's, Justin and Allison, were super cool and invited me to an awesome post race dinner with Dan and Stephanie, Luke and Charressa. These folks are pretty crazy and no matter how much we tried to divert the conversation from races, training, food, food for training, places to ride when are not training, we continued to fail miserably!

Carolyn back on the scene, Sarah back from killing it at Whiskey 50, Pua, Allison and myself. I think its rad to pay $45 to ride around in the woods with my friends!

More good times to come!

WackaWacka

So there was a race, I bridged some gaps so I didn't get beat as bad as the numbers show and I had a great time and delicious dinner at Ellen's Danish Pancakes. Ya, that's right, I eat breakfast for dinner.

Quote of the weekend: From 4 year old Ryder Freeman between squirting his eyes with a water bottle to get the dust out, to his mom Denise as I came through on lap 2: "Joy doesn't look good at all. How is she going to make it to the finish?!?!"

Oh the love of children. Thanks for thinking of me champ, and us racers never look like we will make it to the finish line.

Quote of the week: And yes, I know it is only Wednesday, but she has it in the bag: "Don't take this the wrong way, but I think it would be crazy to have you as my teacher." Well thank you, and yes it would be. Pua Sawiki pre Tuesday night National Championships.

Photo of the weekend, courtesy Leslie Hart...

No I was not racing alone, it just looks like it. And yes, the dead grass is the same color, and perhaps the same texture, as my hair.

I almost forgot.
Got a bit of a plug at Training Peaks! Woohoo!

Aw Shucks...

I may actually do a race report. But that would get Foist all bent. At least I don't have a cold or Poison Oak for that matter, and the only person I can logically blame for my ill-fated attempt at racing is myself. So, I think I am in the clear.

Sea Otter is like a black hole. It's like being in a vortex for three days. Nothing outside of the Otter exists and if it does, it really doesn't matter. It's just plain weird. I haven't been to The Void for about 3-4 years for reasons before mentioned and really, it just dredges up a lot of, shall we say, "memories."

The drive there was uneventful, although pulling into the venue, 4 bikes on the car, 4 people, and a LOAD of stuff, we were asked: "Are you carpooling??" Um....ok...

Shelli and Jesse kept me laughing with their "pronunciation" of Cannery vs Cannery Row...bird or can? Or Carmel By the Sea, but what about Caramel? It all comes down to semantics guys...

On Sunday I got hot. Bottom line. I was rollin' with my homies about mid-pack which i was stoked with considering...well life. We had a train going with Maureen and Sarah two chicks I have ridden with a lot and we were having a blast! Then I got the chilly bumps on my arms, shakes, blurry vision and I was cold. Weird. Because it was high 90's and sweltering.

I knew the day was going to be interesting when I saw my FAVORITE, all-time hero Wendy Simms pull to the side of the trail in full on vomit mode. I stopped for a brief moment to make sure she could get out ok and wished her the best...

I decided to "DNF" while riding through a forested single track. Usually these are places of refuge from the sun and heat. Not this one. All I wanted to do was get out of there! It felt like I was being suffocated by the oxygen from the plants. Heavy, HOT, thick air. It was disgusting.

It was also in this Void within the Vortex that I started thinking about 8am Monday morning and facing a freshman class of Health students and having to admit to them I had succumbed to Heat Exhaustion. What a hypocrite! I preach to them daily about hydration, heat safety, taking care of your body and being able to LISTEN TO WHAT IT IS SAYING!! So I bucked up and listened. The body said NO!

One small caveat on this course. If you DNF, you might as well ride your bike out, if you aren't too broken to do so. On my pilgrimage back to the raceway, I found a casualty. So odd. A bike on the side of the road. I got closer. Two feet laying prostrate on the ground. It seemed as if the racer had been caught under the house that squished the Wicked Witch of the West. I stopped and saw Sarah Piccolo completely down for the count. She was talking wacky talk, covered with sweet and salt and dirt. I quickly told her to take her helmet and gloves off and I pilfered as much water and fluids from nearby water bottles. While I did that she took the opportunity to continue puking and dry heaving into the weeds. Help arrived after about 10 minutes, just in time for Danae York to ride through.

I jumped at the opportunity to have someone to pedal home with. We talked about heat, the rancid water I had put in my bottle from random bottle on the trail, poison oak, college boys, life at CU Boulder where she is at school, and the balance of life. Super cool girl. I was glad to ride with her!

Hopefully Wendy, Sarah, Krista, the 52 men that abandoned their race, and all the racers that probably should have abandoned the race, are recovering well. The sun can be quite the life-sucker.

Mr. Freeman made an excellent post about the weekend, just the way things go sometimes!!

Sunny Days!!

Sea Otter - working on our infamous "farmers tans" as my students call them!! Hot, hot hot!!!

Highlight of the weekend: Showing Jude and a side kick from Magura my rotor brand. They were VERY impressed.

Oh, let's have another highlight: Seeing the Lombard family by the bouce house!!! It has been over 5 years!!

And, well, there were a lot of highlights!! Reports in some semblance to come...

but this is what i was doing at 10 pm the night before heading to the Otter:

Kickin' it crazy style with Paige, my wanna-be-step-sister at the spring formal thingy...check out the chocolate fountain behind us...

Oh, and some of you may not have known (or cared) that i changed my fabulous hair color!!

Next steps...

Baby steps never hurt anyone! But this weekend Shelli and I and half of the rest of the cycling world are heading to Sea Otter...we are trying to shed to cobwebs of sadness...to ride another day...

Yesterdays Memorial was really cool. All were requested to wear cycling jerseys in remembrance of Thom. Some were skeptical, but when we rolled into the lot and saw it littered with variations of orange, i knew i just had to wear mine!!

It was amazing to reconnect with people I havent seen in a chunk of years and to see what a common bond we all have!!!

This picture just makes me LAUGH!!! Very descriptive of the road that has been traveled, oh so much as changed since this Fontana National...Thom was always ready at the finish. Even has a spare TIRE...and man, that was a lot of hair!!!

Happy trails this weekend! Good luck to all...

NOT what I wanted to post about today...

The stories of Costa Rica and the Jungle will have to wait. Maybe even wait long enough to become legands...

Early Saturday morning, we lost a great friend. Thom Blaine, leader/manager/racer/deal maker for Team Jose Ole passed away in a horrible accident.

Thom is talking to Bev from Rim Nordic behind Eli...

If you race in Southern California, you have seen Thom. Probably because he wore bright orange or yellow and was everywhere! He may have even give you some Chimichangas or coupons for free Mexi-Melts. But he was more likely to have handed you a flawless bottle feed in even the most remote of feed zones. He was a friend of every racer. A supporter of each and every athlete.

Ben, Ed, me, Jan, and Thom...Big Bear Fall Classic...

Although I had stepped away from Jose Ole, Thom remained a "family member" to me, an Uncle. At Fontana he helped me get some stuff lined out before the start and stuck around to give me my bottle feeds.

When I received the call yesterday I was crushed. Thom was a man who saw something in me and made it happen. His goal for the area was to bring mountain biking alive!! To give athletes like myself the Golden Ticket and to remove most if not all, obsticles that stood in our way. He introduced both Shelli and I to racing here in SoCal, a life-turn that otherwise, may have never taken place. He looked at me one day and said, I think you can become something and I want to help you realize your dreams. That happens like once in a lifetime.

Ben, Me, Carolyn and Thom...they went WAY out of their way to support and watch me race...in NORTH CAROLINA.....

This loss leaves me completely upset and angry and hurt. A man who would do anything for his wife and two daughters, who loved the sport of Mountain Biking soooo much that he began his own team and backed it with his heart and soul.

It seems like these things just keep coming. It makes me scrape the frosting off - all those lame emotions where you get offended my this or that, feel butt hurt about how someone treated or didn't treat you - and get down to the basics of solid relationships. I am forced to remember to surround myself with people of value and who value me. To guard my tongue and my emotions as I interact with any and everyone.

Costa Rica taught me Pura Vida - as Todd Park translated: Pure Life - Living the life yo!

Live EVERY DAY like you mean it...with a purpose...and with a ton of LOVE...

Shelli and I went out riding today in our OLDEST and ORANGEST Jose Ole clothes!! We started wearing them 5 years ago and they are still just as comfy! we even timed it right to be at Stell when the Old Guys finished their ride...funny thing, they all had their Jose Ole stuff on too...

And of course, go ride your bike.

Wait for it....wait for it....

Latent onset giardia that is.

We all drank the water whether we knew it or not. And we rode through cow pastures. And we have predicted that by the time the gun goes off at Sea Otter, Someone will have giardia.

But until then, we are all safe and sound and healthy!!!

it took a lot of this:

To slog through miles of this:

This is the hottest i have ever been on the bike, and in the most humid of conditions. Never mind the fog that cut visibility down to mere feet. I think my face tells it all...

It will be difficult to digest all that went down between Wednesday and Monday, and even more of a task to spit it out for the blog. But i do know that Pura Vida! Is the most genious country slogan I have ever come across and that cycling as I know it has taken on an entirely new meaning.

The trip and the experience were amazing!

If it were so, I would be on Zoloft...

I was recently asked, by a fellow bike racer, if my self-worth was based on my race results and test results. Of course I laughed and said, well, if that were the case, I would definately be on Zoloft...

But its all a big process. The races have come and gone and its just the beginning of an amazing season. Although i haven't even looked at the results from Sunday, I have been told I am either not on them, or I don't have a time. Thats because i got pulled. That's right. Bottom 20% of the racers. Solid.

But...its all good. I am above my fighting weight, and I know why.
I am behind the curve, and I know the answer to this too.
I suffered a collaboration of issues that caused my brain to be elsewhere. My bad...
I enduced three yard-sale crashes saturday that have left me with a bruised rib or two, a left knee that is half again as big as it should be, a bum wrist and a moderately bad attitude.

But...I love to race my bike. I love the community, and if i werent 3 hours out from "getting up" and going to the airport, I would tell you more and maybe even drop some pics and links up in here!!

To say the least, Steve Marshal saved my race. I was "not in a good place" and having suspect thoughts coming through the feed zone. Home boy was running beside me, cheering and yelling...in a speedo. I threw up a high five and went out on the next lap. That high five probably put me the 45 seconds back that cost me the last lap...But OH so worth it...

At the top of a nasty climb, i saw sponsor Leo from Pass PT standing at the top grinning. You gotta do the man proud...

I got to see my friends race and throw down and get dusty and do really bad and not feel good about the day or feel completely amped about their performance.

Now its time for all of us to collect, and go to the next step.
Mine is in Costa Rica, the others seem to be heading down to Sagebrush!
Happy trails my friends, and remember we ride because we love the process, and the people!

I am not sure if daily race updates will be posted, but if you are super bored and are wondering my fate in the jungle...check here...
http://www.retodelosvolcanes.com/english/index.cfm?subpage=abouttherace

Bullet Points, Because I am streamlining...

• The local gals: Tricia, Lisa, Wendy, and Cynthia did us all proud at San Dimas Stage Race...But Cynthia had a nasty crash. Booo.... The boys were there too - Jamie AKA Polly Pocket got business done in the Cat 4's and Mr. Freeman rolled out in the 35+ with the best of them and had a solid performance.


• I on the other hand, was stuck at Track and Field day officiating volleyball games, mile runs and mile relay and the 100 yard dash. The dashers pitched a fit because 100 was way too long. Look into these eyes! Do they look like they care?!


• I have banned myself from unneccessary blog reading and web searching. In the amount of time I have saved, I completed my taxes, smogged my car, went to the DMV, cleaned three bike, rode my bike and slept.


• Sponsor Mike McKovich hooked up the team bike fits. It is amazing how comfortable a bike can become!! I always get a smidge queamish when the carbon handle bars get cut down though....and he keeps telling me i pedal in squares. I should have been a Flintstone.


• My sister-in-law, Suzanne is in town for the Carnival. She gets people wheels and stuff.


• Here at the Carnival, lots of folks show up, like 400ish. But I only really wanted to watch these two:

Tara Llanes - World Cup downhiller, and my girl Erica Davis - she was in my undergrad program for PE. This is the first time i have seen Tara since she jumped into a Short Track race and destroyed half the XC girls. Gotta admit, I was a bit emotional...same with Erica, who is on track for the 2012 Paralympics. Us PowderPuff XC racers have no idea...

• Fontana US Cup is rolling out in full force this weekend. so many people are getting straight up frenetic about the course, which rock is where blah blah blah. Guess what. It is 5.2 mile laps. We get to do it 4 times. I think i can figure it out after the first one.
• Our community, meaning Redlands and Loma Linda and the SDA crew all across the country has been ROCKED by the Montana plane crash. The far reaching effects are staggering. The 6 degrees of separation are in full force. It is such a tragedy and so painful to know how affected so many of our close friends are due to losing their family members and loved ones. Once again, perspective has been handed to us in an extremely crude way.

Don't steal my Thunder!!

I put pictures up on Facebook, Matt Freemon stole them, I have nothing to add.

But since we all know that is a lie, I will put my two cents in.

What all started with an innocent "Do you think you would want to do a short track simulation on Thursday?" From Krista Park...was answered with "Heck yes! Me and ten of my friends!!!"

Matt calls us big mouths, But Adam and I are movers and shakers, we get stuff done, and we know "people."

Who wouldn't want to skip out on dinner with the family, or the Crit practice over way too close to San Bernardino?! Hit up our Dirt Crit, otherwise known as the late Short Track event!

20 minutes plus 3 laps or anaerobic fun! From my very humble opinion, our course rivals that of each national race last year, except the fact that we have a dicey figure 8! Winners get goodies, I snaked cones and soccer field paint from work for the course too.

Maybe one day we will throw a BBQ in the mix....

We had ALL levels out there, spectators, timers and lap cards!!

I think of times like these often

Like I wasn't busy enough...

Tricia is hosting a male cycling team for the Redlands Classic...thank goodness it is my spring break.

Tomorrow will be the trial run of Short Track/Dirt Crit *practice* at Hulda Crooks...Laying tracks, frothing with slobber, hittin' some knack-knacks off the jumps...full report to come on that one.

I picked up the hobby of Bowling on the Wii...I think it will help boost my stock. It was either that or Hip Hop dancing...

I freaked out (this is not a joke...fact on the freak out) on my diet and decided to Lock It UP! In anticipation of APRIL....dun dun dun.....

Directly following my week of vaction for spring break, I am going to Costa Rica!!!! Don't hate!! Remember, you get paid more than me...

Start of one of the stages last year!

What's the big deal down there? well, let me tell you! Check out the link to one of the COOLEST races in, um, Central America!?! I did the math. Costs me LESS TO GO THERE than to Vermont/NY for national races. Enough said!!

My Great friends from years ago, Justin and Amy Mace, did it last year and LOVED IT!!! They are going back again and only had to ask me half a time if I wanted to join!! I then convinced fellow fun-seeker Maureen Kunz - Team Lost Coast Brewery - to scrap the east coast Circus and head to the Jungle with me!!

I am stoked beyond belief to have this option!!! If you are really ambitious, check out the site and look at the course profiles...i should have done that before I mailed the check...but if not, just chew on this:

Stage 1: Parque del Este-Cabeza de Vaca-Parque del Este Time and departure place: Parque del Este 9:00 AM

Finish: Parque del Este

Total Distance: 40 miles

Estimated for the best time: 3 hours

Maximum time allowed: 7:30 hours

Irazú is Costa Rica’s highest volcano at over eleven thousand feet. Located just south of San José, the slopes of Irazú climb steadily to over eleven thousand feet above sea-level. The ride starts northeast of San Jose and climbs steadily from about 3500 feet to about 9000 feet over 30 KM until racers reach Cabeza de Vaca hill, names for the famous Spanish Conquistador that settled this area.

Stage 2: Hotel Montecampana-Volcán Barva-Finca La Paz, Poasito

Time and departure place: 8:00 Hotel Montecampana, Birri de Heredia

Finish: Finca La Paz, Poasito

Distance: 40 miles

Estimated for the best time: 3 hours

Maximum time allowed: 8 hours

This volcano’s pristine rainforest provides the stage for the second day of the race. After a 10 mile climb, racers enter the Barva Volcano National Park for a taste of primary rainforest and technical singletrack down to the foothills of Poás Volcano. The surrounding forest is home to the Resplandescent Quetzal bird, Tapirs and several species of wild cats.

This area was affected by the strong tremor in early January so part of the race proceeds will fund community reconstruction projects.

Stage 3: Finca La Paz Poasito-Volcan Poas-Finca La Paz Poasito

Time and departure place: 8:00 Finca La Paz

Finish: Finca la Paz Poasito

Total Distance: 40 miles

Estimated for the best time: 3 hours


Maximum time allowed: 8 hours

The last stage, with total distance of about 40 miles, will begin in the Finca La Paz near to the towm of Poasito, climbing to the Poas Volcano (world´s second widest crater). Once we reach the Poas National Park we will begin an small uphill and later we enter to a technical single track downhill, passing forest and pastures before finishing climbing up to Poasito Town.


Maybe it was the Villarica Volcano in Chile, or the freedom I felt traveling and experiencing life in such a different way, but I think I am hooked.

On that note, I have to go climb some mountains on my bike!!

I need to re-evaluate...nah...

The night before a race usually finds me with my feet up on the couch eating something delicious. Last Saturday night the scenario was much different.

This picture explains a lot.
1.) I have a better tan than most due to riding a bike and being outside all day
2.) The bilateral iliac crest bruises occured at this precise moment
3.) I have no problem taking kids down
4.) My boss/athletic directore, #4 sets the bar high for fitness

Would I have opted out of the game to prep mentally, physically and emotionally for the race Sunday? maybe last year. But not now. It has been hilarious all week hearing the students laugh about how bad the teachers were (even though we beat them) how we must have cheated, and how funny we looked. They were so stoked to be able to guard me, block my shot, or laugh with us on the court.

And at the end of the day, that is probably more important. Or so i believe today!

The life of a Socialite

I tend to gravitate towards chaos, or it to me. One way or the other though, we collided fantastically in such a cacophony that left me counting the hours until next weekend.

There were awards banquets to attend, high heels to wear, dresses to iron, birthdays to celebrate, basketball games to be played, oh, and a bike race.

1. Dad and Mom came to town for Dad to speak and to be an honored alumnis of the year! Banquets and plaques and...heels...

2. Paige turned 18!!! I stuck around and whipped up a delightful bfast Saturday morning, ironed a dress and headed to church!! i opted out of the heels on this occasion, my calfs were destroyed friday night! Here are, well, a bunch of Duerksens!3. When i got home after lunch with the fam, there was another lunch to attend! the house was packed with about 30 people for Paige's big 1-8, so more festivities and snacks were had!

4. Then i rode a bike.

5. Then i showered just so i could fix my hair again.

6. Life and death. Student vs. Faculty basketball game. The senior class raised over $2000!! It was a pretty important night, and no way in the world to get out of it!

We played 12 minute quarters, one against each class. Here we are playing the freshman. I am their teacher-sponsor, so i was key in helping them choose their color: Lilac. We are also studying the Excritory System in Health, so i gave Jordan a bit of Kidney shot...

7. Got home and tried to decompress. The senior boys must have been hitting the weights lately. One run in with one of them left me with whiplash and a pulled glute. By midnight I had everything under control...

8. Then I got to race my bike!!!

Things are getting wacky around here! Some excitement for the spectators...

Then the lead out for the pro men! Check out Sid Taberlay, left side Team Sho-Air! Totally busting out the wheelie, for a WIN!

Doing some "team" work with Cpop!! My team is very large...oh, and that is ME!! just because i am not in yellow or blue or whatever!!! So many people just WALKED by me! unacceptable...Krista, Heather and me...rollin' SoCal style....As soon as Krista won, she headed off to teach a clinic! Solid. Some podium love! It was super cool to have Melanie McQuaid here in town! This chick is an amazing athlete and seemed really nice, wished i had chatted it up with her a bit more!

Also Christie was out doing our feeds in the HOT sun! She did a phenomenal job!

9.Little Gwen turned 1 on Sunday!!!!

10. My original sponsors, Mom and Dad, took me to a post race dinner! I have been hooked up so far this season! Jeremy and Mom and Dad have both been able to see a race! The New Zealand crew just *might* be able to make one this summer! I am very grateful for all their support and love...

I am pretty sure...

Greg Johnson rocks this jersey too.... and he was at ToC that day.....

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...................

My Back is WACK!!

I found the missing link. I "get" nutrition, I flog myself with intervals, I will myself to sleep at early hours. But I have missed proper recovery.

Look no further! Jason Ravel from Ravel Therapy here in Redlands has given me a new lease on training. The best way I can describe it is that my legs feel OPEN and can endure much more during training and sooner after training, than prior years this time of year.

Basically, this therapy can make you cry (if you are weak of mind) or yell (if you are agro), or vomit. I think I yelled at him "are you SERIOUS?!?!" once, but the rest I kept to myself. He refered to my spine as an S and my back as a Rubik's Cube.

This is Massage at a whole new level. Soft tissue, muscle therapy, I am not sure exactly what to call it. But, There is nothing relaxing or pleasant about it except that the days and weeks following: YOUR LEGS WILL FEEL DIALED, TUNED, AND STRONG. I'm just saying...

Plus, he clocks in at $65 an HOUR...you can get one of those Sissy-Lala Swedish massages for maybe that price, for 30 minutes. (sign up online, $45 the first hour!)

I think any of us that spends large chunks of the day in the saddle, at a desk, or in a car have some serious back issues. I thought mine were just because i rode my bikes a lot and maybe didn't stretch enough and certainly had not consumed enough recovery drinks.

Oh contrare!

Come to find out I have some serious....real serious, Lordosis and Kyphosis. Do not fret, I won't get all techno on you, but I believe a TON of cyclists suffer one if not both of these!

It probably does not help that I spent a large amount of my younger years standing like this. No wonder my booty appears large, and my belly a bit round!

But seriously, for Lordosis, most of us have heard of it as swayback. Over the years it has put my pelvis way out of line because of excessive curvature of the lumbar spine, which in turn makes my muscle utilization sub-par and inefficiant. Basically a percent of the muscles become dormant and unused while over-taxing others such as my quads.

Kyphosis, when very pronounced, greats that hump on the upper back, one you may see a Grandma with. A lot of us tend to develop this curve of the back due to the relaxed upper body posture while in the saddle.

The cross section to the left is normal, the right has Lordosis, and is pretty much exactly what mine looked like! That's a lot of pressure on the lower spine!

After four weeks of intensive work, i am WAY better! Perhaps i will post some before and after pictures!!!

My suggestion to you is this: Before you go buy the newest energy drink, recovery potion, light bike part or what have you, figure out how to take care of the one part of your equipment you can not replace: YOUR BODY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love IT!

And my female cycling friends - read this and the link she has. Especially during base mile time, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!