I wish I could suck at my job as much as the weather man sucks at his and still collect a paycheck...so where exactly was it supposed to be 45 and partly cloudy yesterday?
Our plan was to ride the Pinhoti's up to Highway 52 then head over to Tatum Lead Road/and the adjacent ORV area. After climbing up to Hwy 52 and nearly wiping out on the pavement (black ice), we crunched through some fresh snow on Pinhoti 4 that really made for a lot of work on the climbs. We popped out on Tatum Lead Road, which was covered in a sheet of ice. Not so much fun when you need to go downhill. At that point, we decided we didn't want any broken bones for Christmas and we headed back down the mountain and just rode the Pinhoti Trails in reverse. At this point, my lack of cold weather gear (sleep depravation made me forget my jacket) came back to bite me in the arse and I was starting to get chilled. Considering it was 38 degrees at our car when we finished the ride, I'm assuming it was easily in the 20's up at the higher elevations.
Today I started training with my new coach, Mike Schultz. Today was a strength day, tomorrow is an intensity day to gain some data about how my HR responds to stress and how quickly it recovers. Thankfully (or not), Miss Jayden woke up at 5 am this morning, so I was able to get my strength workout in before work. Its nice to know that I can just relax (is that possible with a 4 month old??) when I get home tonight.
Family members will start arriving at our house tomorrow so we should have quite the crowd for Christmas...7 adults, 2 babies, and 4 cats. It should make for a nice chaotic holiday!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Specialized Gear Reviews
I had a chance to try out some new Specialized cycling gear that I wanted to comment on (since nothing else exciting is going on).
The first is the Women's Deflect Hybrid Jacket. I won this jacket as a door prize at OutSpokin's Customer Appreciation Night. I was pretty stoked...not that I really NEEDED another jacket, but I liked the cut and styling as well as the fact that the sleeves zip off and the jacket becomes a vest. I am sorry to say that after wearing this jacket 3 times in different conditions, I am quite disappointed. The biggest problem with it is it's lack of breathability. Even with the sleeves zipped open (similar to pit zips) and the front halfway unzipped, I still got a ton of condensation on the inside of the jacket. While the jacket is indeed windproof and hence, quite warm, once you start doing any aerobic activity you end up soaked from the inside. I found this even happened when I did a base level road ride where my heart rate was generally in the 140s. When I wore it on a misty road ride, it stopped raining for the last half hour of our ride, and when we finished, the jacket was dry on the outside and soaked on the inside. Something is wrong with that picture. Bottom line..looks better on the hanger than it performed out in the field. Some smarter fabric would do much to improve this product.
Next I tried the Women's BG Motodiva MTB Shoe. The sole was good and stiff although the tongue was also very stiff and was digging into my ankle. I'm hoping this issue will go away as the shoes break in..if not I will have to do some trimming. The toebox was nice and roomy, with plenty of room for my Merino Swiftwicks. I noticed the ratcheting mechanism did not seem to work as smoothly as on my Sidi's, so I'm anxious to see if I can actually get the shoes off after a bunch of mud buildup. I haven't spent a lot of time in these shoes, so will report back after they have been thoroughly abused. So far, they seem pretty decent, assuming the tongue softens up a bit.
The first is the Women's Deflect Hybrid Jacket. I won this jacket as a door prize at OutSpokin's Customer Appreciation Night. I was pretty stoked...not that I really NEEDED another jacket, but I liked the cut and styling as well as the fact that the sleeves zip off and the jacket becomes a vest. I am sorry to say that after wearing this jacket 3 times in different conditions, I am quite disappointed. The biggest problem with it is it's lack of breathability. Even with the sleeves zipped open (similar to pit zips) and the front halfway unzipped, I still got a ton of condensation on the inside of the jacket. While the jacket is indeed windproof and hence, quite warm, once you start doing any aerobic activity you end up soaked from the inside. I found this even happened when I did a base level road ride where my heart rate was generally in the 140s. When I wore it on a misty road ride, it stopped raining for the last half hour of our ride, and when we finished, the jacket was dry on the outside and soaked on the inside. Something is wrong with that picture. Bottom line..looks better on the hanger than it performed out in the field. Some smarter fabric would do much to improve this product.
Next I tried the Women's BG Motodiva MTB Shoe. The sole was good and stiff although the tongue was also very stiff and was digging into my ankle. I'm hoping this issue will go away as the shoes break in..if not I will have to do some trimming. The toebox was nice and roomy, with plenty of room for my Merino Swiftwicks. I noticed the ratcheting mechanism did not seem to work as smoothly as on my Sidi's, so I'm anxious to see if I can actually get the shoes off after a bunch of mud buildup. I haven't spent a lot of time in these shoes, so will report back after they have been thoroughly abused. So far, they seem pretty decent, assuming the tongue softens up a bit.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Cross Season Finale
Yesterday was the final race of the 2009 Georgia Cross Series. I have to say I'm sad that it is all over as I truly had fun racing this season. Perhaps it was that there were some stong ladies out there that never let me win easy, or perhaps I was motivated and well rested after a 9 month hiatus from interval training. And to think it all started with a "what the hell-lets give it a try" decision to go out and race a month after giving birth. Attending all the races was a constant struggle, as my entire family was sick with cold after cold during the entire month of November. I did quite a few races feeling like crap (of course against my better judgement) but it all worked out (and was somehow worth it) in the end, and I got to stand on the top block of the series podium.
I wasn't where I wanted to be fitness-wise, and the constant illness kept traning to a minimum. Any fitness gains were to be made through racing each weekend, which did not amount to much considering my body was already fighting off various germs and infection. So while I didn't pick up much speed over the course of the season, I did become more comfortable with the high intensity riding, so that the last races of the season seemed much easier physically than the first race, where I was gasping for air and running scared. While I didn't have the speed to match the top girls, I did enjoy playing cat and mouse with some others who were closer to me in terms of speed and that made the racing very enjoyable. There is nothing more satisfying than launching a successful attack.
I am looking forward to next year and hope that some smart training will help me get back the speed I once had, as it seems the Georgia Cross series gets tougher each year.
I wasn't where I wanted to be fitness-wise, and the constant illness kept traning to a minimum. Any fitness gains were to be made through racing each weekend, which did not amount to much considering my body was already fighting off various germs and infection. So while I didn't pick up much speed over the course of the season, I did become more comfortable with the high intensity riding, so that the last races of the season seemed much easier physically than the first race, where I was gasping for air and running scared. While I didn't have the speed to match the top girls, I did enjoy playing cat and mouse with some others who were closer to me in terms of speed and that made the racing very enjoyable. There is nothing more satisfying than launching a successful attack.
I am looking forward to next year and hope that some smart training will help me get back the speed I once had, as it seems the Georgia Cross series gets tougher each year.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Georgia Cross - Elks Aidmore
The second to last stop of the Georgia Cross Series was this past weekend. Of other notable news, our entire household has been sick for the entire month of November. I am keeping Kimberly Clark in business by buying more Kleenex every week!
Anyways, back to the race...it was a really fun course. Lots of high speed corners and fast downhills. Wish I had the opportunity to ride my SS there, as it would have been a great SS cross course.
I had a bad start as I pulled out of my pedal and couldn't get clipped back in quickly enough. I think I had to settle for 5th place going into the woods, which was not what I had planned. We immediately hit some off camber singletrack, and as the riders in front of me slowed, I could see the two leaders pulling away quickly. On a small climb I was able to pop back into 3rd but I botched riding through a ditch a little later, caused a bit of a pile up and lost even more time to second place. By the time I got back on my bike 2nd place was well out of sight. I tried to chase but guess I didn't have that "extra" gear, so I just rode steady. There were a couple of attacks from Becca and Elizabeth, but both riders slowed after attacking so I was able to maintain contact. I pretty much just waited for the others to get worn down a bit, then picked it up and rode off into 3rd place by myself, picking up time in the technical sections.
Next weekend is the final race, which I am thankful for as all these Sunday Cross races, while great fun, are a huge hinderance to my endurance training. I really wish the races were Saturday instead..
Hopefully by early December, Jayden and I can finally get rid of our colds and I can get back to some semblance of actual training. I'm looking into hiring a coach for 2010 so I can try to get back into XC racing shape. I'd like to build some power and improve my speed so that I don't have to use a "wait for the other riders to get tired" strategy in cross. It looks like I'll be focusing on shorter races next year, as well as some off-road duathlons.
Here's our podium..I'm trying to get Jayden comfortable with being up here for when she starts out-riding me!
Anyways, back to the race...it was a really fun course. Lots of high speed corners and fast downhills. Wish I had the opportunity to ride my SS there, as it would have been a great SS cross course.
I had a bad start as I pulled out of my pedal and couldn't get clipped back in quickly enough. I think I had to settle for 5th place going into the woods, which was not what I had planned. We immediately hit some off camber singletrack, and as the riders in front of me slowed, I could see the two leaders pulling away quickly. On a small climb I was able to pop back into 3rd but I botched riding through a ditch a little later, caused a bit of a pile up and lost even more time to second place. By the time I got back on my bike 2nd place was well out of sight. I tried to chase but guess I didn't have that "extra" gear, so I just rode steady. There were a couple of attacks from Becca and Elizabeth, but both riders slowed after attacking so I was able to maintain contact. I pretty much just waited for the others to get worn down a bit, then picked it up and rode off into 3rd place by myself, picking up time in the technical sections.
Next weekend is the final race, which I am thankful for as all these Sunday Cross races, while great fun, are a huge hinderance to my endurance training. I really wish the races were Saturday instead..
Hopefully by early December, Jayden and I can finally get rid of our colds and I can get back to some semblance of actual training. I'm looking into hiring a coach for 2010 so I can try to get back into XC racing shape. I'd like to build some power and improve my speed so that I don't have to use a "wait for the other riders to get tired" strategy in cross. It looks like I'll be focusing on shorter races next year, as well as some off-road duathlons.
Here's our podium..I'm trying to get Jayden comfortable with being up here for when she starts out-riding me!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Barnsley Gardens CX
One word...MUDFEST!
I don't think I have ever felt quite so retarded while doing a cross race...EVER! After being sick all week and not riding and then hearing that the course would be roadie style, I wasn't terribly motivated. I basically figured I'd show up, see what happened, hope I didn't go into a coughing fit during the race, and collect my series points.
My morning started early, as I went to help Chris set up for an Orienteering meet that we (well, really HE) were hosting at Sope Creek. My "help" consisted of dragging 50 lbs of water out into the woods in the tow-behind kid carrier on a saturated Sope Creek trail. It was raining hard when we got there and I figured I'd be going slow anyways, so I didn't feel like taking off my hood and putting on a helmet. I met some runners out on the trail and they must have thought I was the worst parent ever with helmet-less mom dragging the kid trailer around in the 40 degree rain and mud. If they only knew all I had in there were water jugs, and thankfully they didn't see when I flipped the whole damn thing over on my way back in. Ugh...my only pair of bike shoes were soaked and they would remain that way until I put them back on when I got to the cross race.
When I got to Barnsley Gardens, I noticed that the racers were completely covered in mud. Apparently the course had been changed back to its original format and was grassy and very muddy. I was horribly unprepared, as I had left my spiked bike shoes at home, which resulted in me slipping and sliding all over on the messy running sections. Running is usually a strength of mine, but you'd never know it with how I was flailing around out there. I then made the #1 stupid decision of the day and opted to ride my MTB after a quick pre-ride on the cyclocross bike. There were some corners that I couldn't ride well on my CX bike, but I figured I'd be fine on my MTB. WRONG! They were so chewed up by the time we raced that I was off my bike running anyways. I felt like I was just doing everything wrong...picking bad lines and sliding out and bogging down...falling into a creek up to mid-thigh and having to "seal" myself back out...cursing under my breath as my fat tires just bogged down in the peaunt butter mud...and generally just not wanting to push hard...argh!
I rode with two others for 2 laps and we swapped out the lead as each other would fall down or slide out. I think on the third lap we lost one girl and were down to two. I took the lead again as Becca slid out in tight corner. We hit a slippery singletrack section and then all of a sudden it was quiet behind me. When I made it to the long run up the spectators said I had a good 10 second gap. At that point I figured I needed to get my head on straight and ass in gear. I ran hard up that run to get out of sight and had finally gone around enough times to start picking the faster lines through the mud. Over the next 3 laps or so I built up a nice gap by finally starting to ride smarter and was conveniently caught my the men's leader right near the finish so I was done on that lap. I couldn't believe I pulled out a win with how things had shook out, but I guess the other girls were having issues as well. Next stop, Conyers!
I don't think I have ever felt quite so retarded while doing a cross race...EVER! After being sick all week and not riding and then hearing that the course would be roadie style, I wasn't terribly motivated. I basically figured I'd show up, see what happened, hope I didn't go into a coughing fit during the race, and collect my series points.
My morning started early, as I went to help Chris set up for an Orienteering meet that we (well, really HE) were hosting at Sope Creek. My "help" consisted of dragging 50 lbs of water out into the woods in the tow-behind kid carrier on a saturated Sope Creek trail. It was raining hard when we got there and I figured I'd be going slow anyways, so I didn't feel like taking off my hood and putting on a helmet. I met some runners out on the trail and they must have thought I was the worst parent ever with helmet-less mom dragging the kid trailer around in the 40 degree rain and mud. If they only knew all I had in there were water jugs, and thankfully they didn't see when I flipped the whole damn thing over on my way back in. Ugh...my only pair of bike shoes were soaked and they would remain that way until I put them back on when I got to the cross race.
When I got to Barnsley Gardens, I noticed that the racers were completely covered in mud. Apparently the course had been changed back to its original format and was grassy and very muddy. I was horribly unprepared, as I had left my spiked bike shoes at home, which resulted in me slipping and sliding all over on the messy running sections. Running is usually a strength of mine, but you'd never know it with how I was flailing around out there. I then made the #1 stupid decision of the day and opted to ride my MTB after a quick pre-ride on the cyclocross bike. There were some corners that I couldn't ride well on my CX bike, but I figured I'd be fine on my MTB. WRONG! They were so chewed up by the time we raced that I was off my bike running anyways. I felt like I was just doing everything wrong...picking bad lines and sliding out and bogging down...falling into a creek up to mid-thigh and having to "seal" myself back out...cursing under my breath as my fat tires just bogged down in the peaunt butter mud...and generally just not wanting to push hard...argh!
I rode with two others for 2 laps and we swapped out the lead as each other would fall down or slide out. I think on the third lap we lost one girl and were down to two. I took the lead again as Becca slid out in tight corner. We hit a slippery singletrack section and then all of a sudden it was quiet behind me. When I made it to the long run up the spectators said I had a good 10 second gap. At that point I figured I needed to get my head on straight and ass in gear. I ran hard up that run to get out of sight and had finally gone around enough times to start picking the faster lines through the mud. Over the next 3 laps or so I built up a nice gap by finally starting to ride smarter and was conveniently caught my the men's leader right near the finish so I was done on that lap. I couldn't believe I pulled out a win with how things had shook out, but I guess the other girls were having issues as well. Next stop, Conyers!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
On the mend?
So I finally went to the doctor yesterday and got some antibiotics. I SEEM to be feeling better, however, it is Thursday and this is usually the day where I come down with some new, miserable symptom...so we shall see.
Apparently with the forecasted rain this weekend, the Barnsley Gardens cross course went from "tight and technical" to a mixture of pea gravel and pavement...yuck! Sounds like a suffer fest to me or perhaps a recipe for some road rash - both of which I am not looking forward to. The thought of resting up all weekend to go ride 45 minutes on pea gravel is fairly unappealing to me, so I think I might just head up to do the Chili Dawg ride on Saturday (in the rain...yay!) and show up at the cross race with whatever I have left in my legs and collect my series points. It would be nice to win the series, but at the same time, its a real hassle to HAVE to show up when you're feeling crappy or have a better alternative. Grumble Grumble...
Apparently with the forecasted rain this weekend, the Barnsley Gardens cross course went from "tight and technical" to a mixture of pea gravel and pavement...yuck! Sounds like a suffer fest to me or perhaps a recipe for some road rash - both of which I am not looking forward to. The thought of resting up all weekend to go ride 45 minutes on pea gravel is fairly unappealing to me, so I think I might just head up to do the Chili Dawg ride on Saturday (in the rain...yay!) and show up at the cross race with whatever I have left in my legs and collect my series points. It would be nice to win the series, but at the same time, its a real hassle to HAVE to show up when you're feeling crappy or have a better alternative. Grumble Grumble...
Monday, November 16, 2009
Paulding Meadows Cyclocross
Another week of having a cold..now it has taken residence up in my lungs so I spent the greater part of last week coughing up crap. I've decided to go for the Series Overall in cross, so I have to make an appearance at the remaining races...hoping to be healthy by Barnsley Gardens next weekend.
We raced at Paulding Meadows park, which is the site of the very first cross race I ever did back in 2000 or 2001...before all the cool kids were racing cross. The course this past weeknd was the best I've raced on at that park. Very twisty and some super fun, fast, swoopy downhill sections. The sand on the backside was interesting, but it was pretty packed down by the time we raced so it was fairly benign. There were some muddy sections too, mostly on downhills, so I opted to ride my mountain bike again. I knew I'd lose a bit of time on the paved climbs and straightaways, but I'd gain some time in the mud and have a heck of a lot more fun on the downhill sections.
I got a good start, either that or the other girls LET me have a good start, as I kind of have a target on my back after finishing pretty consistent at the last few races. I popped into the grass in the lead and was able to maintain it the entire race. I'd gain a few seconds in the muddy sections, which forced the other girls to have to work harder on the paved climbs to catch back up. I think this took a lot out of them, because after the first lap, I started to open up a sizable gap.
Riding the mountain bike made the course just seem more fun, as even with the fork locked out, it was a much smoother ride than on my cross bike. By my last lap, I had a 1.5+ minute gap, and I could hear the men's race leaders charging up behind me on the course. I only got passed by one guy, but it meant I was done on that lap so I eased up a bit on the final half mile, as my throat was starting to hurt pretty bad...that and my legs were just a wee bit tired.
When I finished, I was very pleased with the victory, but I felt pretty crappy. My throat was dry and irritated, so coughing was pretty unpleasant. The hot 75 degree weather wasn't helping either! After about 10 minutes of drinking fluids, my body settled back down so that I could retrieve my bikes and feed Jayden. I was so dirty that little chunks of mud kept falling out of my hair onto her while she was nursing. Thankfully she didn't notice and was just happy enough to be back in mommy's (dirty yet loving) arms.
We raced at Paulding Meadows park, which is the site of the very first cross race I ever did back in 2000 or 2001...before all the cool kids were racing cross. The course this past weeknd was the best I've raced on at that park. Very twisty and some super fun, fast, swoopy downhill sections. The sand on the backside was interesting, but it was pretty packed down by the time we raced so it was fairly benign. There were some muddy sections too, mostly on downhills, so I opted to ride my mountain bike again. I knew I'd lose a bit of time on the paved climbs and straightaways, but I'd gain some time in the mud and have a heck of a lot more fun on the downhill sections.
I got a good start, either that or the other girls LET me have a good start, as I kind of have a target on my back after finishing pretty consistent at the last few races. I popped into the grass in the lead and was able to maintain it the entire race. I'd gain a few seconds in the muddy sections, which forced the other girls to have to work harder on the paved climbs to catch back up. I think this took a lot out of them, because after the first lap, I started to open up a sizable gap.
Riding the mountain bike made the course just seem more fun, as even with the fork locked out, it was a much smoother ride than on my cross bike. By my last lap, I had a 1.5+ minute gap, and I could hear the men's race leaders charging up behind me on the course. I only got passed by one guy, but it meant I was done on that lap so I eased up a bit on the final half mile, as my throat was starting to hurt pretty bad...that and my legs were just a wee bit tired.
When I finished, I was very pleased with the victory, but I felt pretty crappy. My throat was dry and irritated, so coughing was pretty unpleasant. The hot 75 degree weather wasn't helping either! After about 10 minutes of drinking fluids, my body settled back down so that I could retrieve my bikes and feed Jayden. I was so dirty that little chunks of mud kept falling out of my hair onto her while she was nursing. Thankfully she didn't notice and was just happy enough to be back in mommy's (dirty yet loving) arms.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Georgia State Cyclocross Championships
After coming down with a nasty fever and sore throat on Thursday night, I thought my hopes of bringing the Georgia CX State Champion Jersey back to the Randall household were all but gone. Thankfully my fever subsided Friday afternoon and with the help of some extra strength Tylenol, we packed up the car Saturday morning and made the long drive to Savannah. Jayden slept the entire 4+ hour drive, even when we stopped to eat lunch. I actually had to wake her up to feed her when we were half way, for fear she'd wake when we were on the road again and turn into a ravenous, screaming velociraptor. She was so conked, we had to do everything short of dumping water on her to get her eyes to open.
When we got to the venue at the Savannah Speedway - a dirt stock car track - I found that the course was flat and extremely sandy. There were a lot of sandy corners and if you overcooked any of them, you'd be on the ground and likely out of contention. There was also a short section of the course that had some BMX style humps that were pretty fun, although I wasn't going to try to jump anything on my cross bike. I was a little worried about Sunday's race because the course didn't seem like one that favored any of my strengths...it was fast, flat, and only had two short off-the-bike sections.
Only 6 girls lined up at the start (as opposed to the 12 we had at the previous race I did), 5 from Georgia and Kim F. from Tennessee. Only the Georgia residents were eligible for the jersey, and we knew Kim would likely just ride away from all of us, so it was a race for second place in the race AND the State Champion Jersey.
Becca went out hard after Kim and I could tell she meant business. I hopped on her wheel to save some energy and see what she had going on. After she lost her momentum in the first corner, I passed her and took the lead. We went back and forth with her coming around me on the straights and me passing in the corners for much of the first lap.
After she came around for one last attack, I let her burn some energy and then counter attacked right before a twisty section. I was accelerating faster out of the corners so I built up a few second gap.
Once I hit the back side of the course where the BMX humps were, I gunned it again, gaining a few more seconds.
I repeated this process each lap, and gained a couple precious seconds in each corner. I was suprised that I actually felt decent, and while I couldn't power away and come close to catching Kim, I was able to ride pretty steady the entire race.
When I had two laps to go, I rode hard, thinking I'd be passed the men's leaders and would be done with my race on that same lap. Funny enough, I was about 10 seconds too fast and had to ride another lap - which I complained about as I rode by Chris...
It turned out that Becca had been caught by the guys, so she couldn't chase anymore and I could have rode that last lap as a cool down and the outcome would have been the same. However, I was nervous and wasn't 100% certain she had been caught so I still kept pushing...no getting pipped at the line for me this time!
So I was actually second in the race, but was the first Georgia resident so I got to take home the Jersey. Here's the Georgia State Champs Podium - finally I'm on the tall block!
This is what it feels like when you do a cross race with a head cold...
So I'm wondering how many more colds there are at Jayden's school that we are going to get before we can all be healthy again. I'm tired of being up to my elbows in snot!
When we got to the venue at the Savannah Speedway - a dirt stock car track - I found that the course was flat and extremely sandy. There were a lot of sandy corners and if you overcooked any of them, you'd be on the ground and likely out of contention. There was also a short section of the course that had some BMX style humps that were pretty fun, although I wasn't going to try to jump anything on my cross bike. I was a little worried about Sunday's race because the course didn't seem like one that favored any of my strengths...it was fast, flat, and only had two short off-the-bike sections.
Only 6 girls lined up at the start (as opposed to the 12 we had at the previous race I did), 5 from Georgia and Kim F. from Tennessee. Only the Georgia residents were eligible for the jersey, and we knew Kim would likely just ride away from all of us, so it was a race for second place in the race AND the State Champion Jersey.
Becca went out hard after Kim and I could tell she meant business. I hopped on her wheel to save some energy and see what she had going on. After she lost her momentum in the first corner, I passed her and took the lead. We went back and forth with her coming around me on the straights and me passing in the corners for much of the first lap.
After she came around for one last attack, I let her burn some energy and then counter attacked right before a twisty section. I was accelerating faster out of the corners so I built up a few second gap.
Once I hit the back side of the course where the BMX humps were, I gunned it again, gaining a few more seconds.
I repeated this process each lap, and gained a couple precious seconds in each corner. I was suprised that I actually felt decent, and while I couldn't power away and come close to catching Kim, I was able to ride pretty steady the entire race.
When I had two laps to go, I rode hard, thinking I'd be passed the men's leaders and would be done with my race on that same lap. Funny enough, I was about 10 seconds too fast and had to ride another lap - which I complained about as I rode by Chris...
It turned out that Becca had been caught by the guys, so she couldn't chase anymore and I could have rode that last lap as a cool down and the outcome would have been the same. However, I was nervous and wasn't 100% certain she had been caught so I still kept pushing...no getting pipped at the line for me this time!
So I was actually second in the race, but was the first Georgia resident so I got to take home the Jersey. Here's the Georgia State Champs Podium - finally I'm on the tall block!
This is what it feels like when you do a cross race with a head cold...
So I'm wondering how many more colds there are at Jayden's school that we are going to get before we can all be healthy again. I'm tired of being up to my elbows in snot!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Weekend Update
Friday - OutSpokin' light demo and night ride cancelled due to rain. I went and rode anyways but came home so filthy that I had to get in the shower with my riding clothes still on. Got in trouble because of the mess I left in the shower.
Saturday - Took Jayden and Chris shopping in the morning then Chris and Jayden carved a pumpkin.
For some reason, this photo reminds me of mini-me from Austin Powers...
We went to the GAOC Night-O in the evening...still raining. Chris killed everyone using a strategy that involved hitting all the easy to find, closer in, and lower point value controls. He found a ton of them though in an hour. I, on the other hand, chose to go for the far out, hard to find, high point value controls which did not work out so well. Spent close to a half hour running around in circles in a series of ditches trying to locate one of them. Missed the time cutoff by 16 seconds, so was penalized on top of my already crappy run. Did not feel like I even got a good workout in since I was spending so much time looking at my map going WTF...
Sunday - My mom went back to Illinois and later in the morning I went for a ride at Pine Log.
The leaves are really pretty on the trees but I sure hate them on the ground! I'm waiting to get the stick of death in my spokes...getting faster though and forcing myself to work hard on the climbs...gotta put in a good showing this coming weekend at the Cyclocross State Championships if I'm healthy. Jayden got her first cold yesterday and infected both Mommy and Daddy. Despite having a low grade fever and some sinus congestion, she slept ok and was in a good mood, so we are thankful of that.
Today I'm back at work, but am only staying until around noon so I can go home and take care of my little pumpkin.
Saturday - Took Jayden and Chris shopping in the morning then Chris and Jayden carved a pumpkin.
For some reason, this photo reminds me of mini-me from Austin Powers...
We went to the GAOC Night-O in the evening...still raining. Chris killed everyone using a strategy that involved hitting all the easy to find, closer in, and lower point value controls. He found a ton of them though in an hour. I, on the other hand, chose to go for the far out, hard to find, high point value controls which did not work out so well. Spent close to a half hour running around in circles in a series of ditches trying to locate one of them. Missed the time cutoff by 16 seconds, so was penalized on top of my already crappy run. Did not feel like I even got a good workout in since I was spending so much time looking at my map going WTF...
Sunday - My mom went back to Illinois and later in the morning I went for a ride at Pine Log.
The leaves are really pretty on the trees but I sure hate them on the ground! I'm waiting to get the stick of death in my spokes...getting faster though and forcing myself to work hard on the climbs...gotta put in a good showing this coming weekend at the Cyclocross State Championships if I'm healthy. Jayden got her first cold yesterday and infected both Mommy and Daddy. Despite having a low grade fever and some sinus congestion, she slept ok and was in a good mood, so we are thankful of that.
Today I'm back at work, but am only staying until around noon so I can go home and take care of my little pumpkin.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Halloween Festivities
This Friday, OutSpokin' is hosting a light demo at Blankets Creek, which of course includes a night ride. Costumes are highly encouraged, so Chris and I will be out there. I hope it isn't cold, as my costume will lose its appeal if I have to put on several layers underneath it...
Saturday night is the annual Georgia Orienteering Club Night-O. This year it will be at Dauset Trails, which is certain to be a disaster if my HID light doesn't work. It didn't work at Midnight Rush but seemed to be functional again once I got home and tried it in my living room..grrrr. The event also includes a pot-luck cook out and I'll be bringing my banana pudding, so that in itself should give you reason to attend.
Saturday night is the annual Georgia Orienteering Club Night-O. This year it will be at Dauset Trails, which is certain to be a disaster if my HID light doesn't work. It didn't work at Midnight Rush but seemed to be functional again once I got home and tried it in my living room..grrrr. The event also includes a pot-luck cook out and I'll be bringing my banana pudding, so that in itself should give you reason to attend.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Midnight Rush
...its an adventure race, not one of Jayden's night time feeding frenzies! This past Saturday, after weeks of diligent pumping to build up a hefty milk surplus in the freezer, I got to have a day away to do a 12 hour race up near Cornelia, GA at the Lake Russell WMA. I was originally going to race with Kim, but she got sick a couple of days before the race, so I was adopted by Julia and Thomas, who were on a second OutSpokin' Bikes team.
The race started with a "prologue" trail run section that took about an hour and a half. I set a moderate to fast pace at the start and was surprised when Thomas (a pro mountain biker/all-around-badass who doesn't ever run) was right there next to me, and Julia (a seasoned xterra/dualthlon/XC/AR/all-around-fast-chick) was falling a little behind. Apparently, Thomas is good at everything he tries... We walked a little bit towards the end, but were still within the first couple of teams back to the TA. We picked up our bikes and after realizing that we weren't coming back to our TA at our campsite until the race finish, I tossed my manual breast pump in my pack for later use...fun eh?
The next bike section was all gravel or paved roads. Thomas was on his singlespeed, so he set a nice fast pace up the climbs that kept us working. The nav was straightforward so we were able to move through that section pretty quickly and made our way to Currahee Mountain for our next transition.
Once at Currahee Mountain we got another map for a trekking section that was mostly on trails with a little bit of bushwhacking. Again, the nav was pretty straightforward and there was, of course, the obligatory bushwhack up Currahee Mtn. My "girls" were getting pretty swollen, so I had to pump about halfway through this section. I went off into the woods a bit and sat down to get pumpin'. Thankfully only one team came by, but they did ask if I was ok...I'm not quite sure they realized what I was doing.
Once we cleaned that section, we were back on our bikes for an even longer ride back to the start/finish. When I strapped on my Niterider, I found that it didn't work, so I was relegated to wearing my headlamp. No worries though, as both Thomas and Julia had good lights. The nav was still pretty easy, although I did blow by one CP that we had to backtrack for because I wasn't watching the map and distance close enough. Once we hit the paved road back to the campground, Julia's light totally went out, but we were almost home so it didn't matter.
We finished about 11 pm and had obtained all the checkpoints. Julia and Thomas stayed up and made a campfire and pasta...me - well I just crawled into my sleeping bag and went to bed. A fine end to my "day at the spa".
The race started with a "prologue" trail run section that took about an hour and a half. I set a moderate to fast pace at the start and was surprised when Thomas (a pro mountain biker/all-around-badass who doesn't ever run) was right there next to me, and Julia (a seasoned xterra/dualthlon/XC/AR/all-around-fast-chick) was falling a little behind. Apparently, Thomas is good at everything he tries... We walked a little bit towards the end, but were still within the first couple of teams back to the TA. We picked up our bikes and after realizing that we weren't coming back to our TA at our campsite until the race finish, I tossed my manual breast pump in my pack for later use...fun eh?
The next bike section was all gravel or paved roads. Thomas was on his singlespeed, so he set a nice fast pace up the climbs that kept us working. The nav was straightforward so we were able to move through that section pretty quickly and made our way to Currahee Mountain for our next transition.
Once at Currahee Mountain we got another map for a trekking section that was mostly on trails with a little bit of bushwhacking. Again, the nav was pretty straightforward and there was, of course, the obligatory bushwhack up Currahee Mtn. My "girls" were getting pretty swollen, so I had to pump about halfway through this section. I went off into the woods a bit and sat down to get pumpin'. Thankfully only one team came by, but they did ask if I was ok...I'm not quite sure they realized what I was doing.
Once we cleaned that section, we were back on our bikes for an even longer ride back to the start/finish. When I strapped on my Niterider, I found that it didn't work, so I was relegated to wearing my headlamp. No worries though, as both Thomas and Julia had good lights. The nav was still pretty easy, although I did blow by one CP that we had to backtrack for because I wasn't watching the map and distance close enough. Once we hit the paved road back to the campground, Julia's light totally went out, but we were almost home so it didn't matter.
We finished about 11 pm and had obtained all the checkpoints. Julia and Thomas stayed up and made a campfire and pasta...me - well I just crawled into my sleeping bag and went to bed. A fine end to my "day at the spa".
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Georgia Cross #2
After a week of feeling pretty crappy from mastitis, we headed up to the cyclocross race at Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega. I wasn't sure how it would go and I was a bit worried since I didn't really get to work in any intervals after the last race...I had hoped to be faster. I heard the course was "straight up and straight down" and after a quick pre-ride, I decided my weapon of choice would be my mountain bike.
I think I made the right decision for me, because my legs were a bit heavy and I needed the easier gearing on the climbs. I was also able to ride the downhill section much faster, which let me save some energy for the second half of the course. I ended up third again, which I was happy with considering we had a field of around 12 racers this time, but I just didn't feel strong and quick. I felt like I was on the defensive the entire race, rather than the offensive.
Nice weather is rolling in this week, so I hope to get some workouts in and then will head to Lake Russell WMA for Midnight Rush this weekend for a long walk in the woods.
Chris got a fancy new camera and took a ton of pictures. Here's just a sampling...
Julia Radmann rounds a corner
Julia just loves the barriers and is all smiles
Kevin "Roofus" Adams on the gradual climb
Thomas Turner gettin' it done
Thomas's mom can add professional waterbottle hander offer to her resume after all these years of racing
Julia and Trish watching Thomas take the win in the Men's A Race
Women's A podium...love my little pink bunny!
I think I made the right decision for me, because my legs were a bit heavy and I needed the easier gearing on the climbs. I was also able to ride the downhill section much faster, which let me save some energy for the second half of the course. I ended up third again, which I was happy with considering we had a field of around 12 racers this time, but I just didn't feel strong and quick. I felt like I was on the defensive the entire race, rather than the offensive.
Nice weather is rolling in this week, so I hope to get some workouts in and then will head to Lake Russell WMA for Midnight Rush this weekend for a long walk in the woods.
Chris got a fancy new camera and took a ton of pictures. Here's just a sampling...
Julia Radmann rounds a corner
Julia just loves the barriers and is all smiles
Kevin "Roofus" Adams on the gradual climb
Thomas Turner gettin' it done
Thomas's mom can add professional waterbottle hander offer to her resume after all these years of racing
Julia and Trish watching Thomas take the win in the Men's A Race
Women's A podium...love my little pink bunny!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Frogtown 10 Mile Trail Challenge
Part run, part obstacle course - the Frogtown Trail Challenge was one of the most fun events I've done in a long time. The trails were of the unmaintained ATV type with lots of logs to hurdle and ditches to climb through.
The first mile had us running through the woods with three ditches to climb through, which caused mass chaos right off the line. I was glad that I took off fast and was just behind the college cross country runners to avoid any bottlenecks. The next major challenge was a straight up, off-camber 200' vertical climb up a big hill that left me and everyone else gasping for air. I held the women's lead for about 5k but was passed somewhere between mile 3 and 4. We had to go through a culvert under the road which was waist deep on me. Mile 4 to 5 was probably the toughest for me...just felt slow...but then I started to feel better. Between mile 5 and 6 was a long section that we had to run in the creek bed which was pretty fun and tiring at the same time. I managed to not trip over any submerged rocks or logs, so yay for me!
At mile 6 I grabbed a couple shots of gel from my drop bag and the next two miles went by quickly and I felt fast again. We had to cross a creek on a log - thankfully no bottleneck there, but I did slip and slide down the embankment on my way down to the log. I'm sure there was a photographer there too to catch it all.
When I got to mile 8, I was thinking whoo hoo...only 2.3 more miles! It was the longest 2.3 miles ever, as the distance seemed to really be dragging on. There were a couple of big hills that I probably took it just a bit too easy on, as a second woman came charging by on the flat coming into the finish. I didn't even see her, and I thought I had a large gap behind me so I wasn't pushing super hard on the last mile. I wish I would have known she was coming, as I would have picked it up to keep her from bridging up to me. I felt good, but I didn't have any sprint left in my legs after all the log hurdling and high knee running through the creek.
I ended up finishing in an hour and forty minutes. I was the third overall female and won my age group. I ended up in the top 20-25 of 180 or so racers, so I was pleased with that considering I haven't run ten miles since my last long adventure race...and certainly not at that type of pace.
It was a really fun event that I'd definitely do again!
The first mile had us running through the woods with three ditches to climb through, which caused mass chaos right off the line. I was glad that I took off fast and was just behind the college cross country runners to avoid any bottlenecks. The next major challenge was a straight up, off-camber 200' vertical climb up a big hill that left me and everyone else gasping for air. I held the women's lead for about 5k but was passed somewhere between mile 3 and 4. We had to go through a culvert under the road which was waist deep on me. Mile 4 to 5 was probably the toughest for me...just felt slow...but then I started to feel better. Between mile 5 and 6 was a long section that we had to run in the creek bed which was pretty fun and tiring at the same time. I managed to not trip over any submerged rocks or logs, so yay for me!
At mile 6 I grabbed a couple shots of gel from my drop bag and the next two miles went by quickly and I felt fast again. We had to cross a creek on a log - thankfully no bottleneck there, but I did slip and slide down the embankment on my way down to the log. I'm sure there was a photographer there too to catch it all.
When I got to mile 8, I was thinking whoo hoo...only 2.3 more miles! It was the longest 2.3 miles ever, as the distance seemed to really be dragging on. There were a couple of big hills that I probably took it just a bit too easy on, as a second woman came charging by on the flat coming into the finish. I didn't even see her, and I thought I had a large gap behind me so I wasn't pushing super hard on the last mile. I wish I would have known she was coming, as I would have picked it up to keep her from bridging up to me. I felt good, but I didn't have any sprint left in my legs after all the log hurdling and high knee running through the creek.
I ended up finishing in an hour and forty minutes. I was the third overall female and won my age group. I ended up in the top 20-25 of 180 or so racers, so I was pleased with that considering I haven't run ten miles since my last long adventure race...and certainly not at that type of pace.
It was a really fun event that I'd definitely do again!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Georgia Cross #1
Against my better judgement (ha), I headed down to Macon for the first race of the Georgia Cross Series. I had raced at the venue before and felt that the course didn't suit me very well, but was pleasantly surprised when I saw that this year's course had a couple of forced dismounts through the sand. The Women's A field was pretty stacked with a Pro XC racer and a handful of roadies. My start was bad, as expected, as I just didn't have the horsepower to go out that fast. As we hit the transitions, I started picking off the girls in front of me and eventually made it up to third. I held the girl in front of me to the same gap for a couple of laps, but just never could catch her. The intensity HURT, in a good way, and the running sections were pretty brutal - especially since they all seemed to be at the end of the lap.
It was great to get out there and it reminded me of some things I need to do to perhaps improve my placing next time...
1. Arrive early enough to do more than one lap of a pre-ride and do it at race pace. I misjudged how long the drive there was and we got there late. I didn't do a lap at near race pace, so I didn't have all the corners dialed in and lost a good bit of time on the first lap.
2. Shift to an easy gear before the transition so that you can ride out the hill instead of running the entire way up it...had I done this, I may have been able to catch 2nd place.
3. Do some freaking intervals that involve running up a hill, then jump on your bike and push so hard your eyeballs bleed.
No pics this time...hopefully I can get Chris to go to the next one and take some photos with his snazzy new camera.
It was great to get out there and it reminded me of some things I need to do to perhaps improve my placing next time...
1. Arrive early enough to do more than one lap of a pre-ride and do it at race pace. I misjudged how long the drive there was and we got there late. I didn't do a lap at near race pace, so I didn't have all the corners dialed in and lost a good bit of time on the first lap.
2. Shift to an easy gear before the transition so that you can ride out the hill instead of running the entire way up it...had I done this, I may have been able to catch 2nd place.
3. Do some freaking intervals that involve running up a hill, then jump on your bike and push so hard your eyeballs bleed.
No pics this time...hopefully I can get Chris to go to the next one and take some photos with his snazzy new camera.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Outing with Jayden
Some pics from Boling Park. We also went to Kennesaw Mtn on Tuesday, but she didn't get to go to the top of the mountain. Next week...
Before we took these pics at the bridge, Mom ran a 21 minute 5k (uh...not with the Baby Bjorn), so she is getting back into running shape.
Before we took these pics at the bridge, Mom ran a 21 minute 5k (uh...not with the Baby Bjorn), so she is getting back into running shape.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Red Top Bubba Goat
Seeing as we've have nothing but downpours this past week, I guess I didn't expect today to be any different. We packed up the car - which it takes twice as long because we seem to have twice as much stuff we have to pack, including our little munchkin. At the last minute, I decided to run the short Bubba Goat course (8K) while Chris did the long course (12K). After completing the "short" course, I'm really glad I didn't do the longer one because the short was plenty long and I got a mother of a blister on my heel that tore open and was shooting fire up my leg every time I had to run up a steep hill. I ran pretty clean - a few less than optimal routes since I was getting annoyed at having to whack through vines, ivy, and small pine trees and one entanglement with a nasty thorn vine, which left me with holes in my tights, shirt, legs and torso. I did make the mistake of NOT skipping one control (which you were supposed to do - I'm blaming it on sleep deprivation) so I ended up being out there a few minutes longer than I really needed to be. Still came in right behind Goble and made him work for the last 50m as I tried to run him down. Felt good...could keep up with Chris, Anna, and the other fast people until our two courses split.
More rain forecasted for tomorrow, so it may be another day on the trainer unless we get a break in the weather that coincides with one of Jayden's naps. I hate to say it but I wish I could at least ride at Blankets, but it has been closed all week due to the massive amounts of rain we've been having. Hopefully the sun will shine again soon!
More rain forecasted for tomorrow, so it may be another day on the trainer unless we get a break in the weather that coincides with one of Jayden's naps. I hate to say it but I wish I could at least ride at Blankets, but it has been closed all week due to the massive amounts of rain we've been having. Hopefully the sun will shine again soon!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
National Orienteering Day
Yesterday Chris and I took Jayden to her first orienteering meet. Sure, she slept most of the time, but we're confident she'll be running the white course by the time she's two. It was good to get out and run around in the woods, even if we were a little bit sleep deprived. I felt pretty good jogging without the extra 17 lbs of baby, and it was certainly nice to make it an hour and twenty minutes without having to go to the bathroom.
The next National Orienteering Champion!
Sunday I got out for a short ride at Blankets...that's pretty much as far as I can go in between feedings at this point. I definitely felt lighter and faster, and it was nice not having to worry about crashing. Oh, and no more pedaling with my knees out and my jerseys fit again. Ah, all is right with the world again!
The next National Orienteering Champion!
Sunday I got out for a short ride at Blankets...that's pretty much as far as I can go in between feedings at this point. I definitely felt lighter and faster, and it was nice not having to worry about crashing. Oh, and no more pedaling with my knees out and my jerseys fit again. Ah, all is right with the world again!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Welcome Jayden Corinne Randall!
Our new little bundle of joy, Jayden Corinne Randall
Born September 2, 2009 at 1:44 pm
6 lbs 10 oz, 19.75 inches
Mom, Dad and baby are doing very well. Chris and I are getting 6 or more hours of sleep per night, although mine is in small chunks as I have to get up often to feed her. The delivery went without any complications and I am recovering very quickly. I feel good and do not have any soreness or swelling, so I should be able to start doing some easy riding soon.
In the meantime, Chris and I have been going for walks at night to keep the blood flowing to the legs. Jayden has been very good so far, with fairly minimal fussing and lots of sleeping. It has been fun hanging out at home with Chris and doing the mommy and daddy thing. I can't wait to get her out in the Baby Bjorn - maybe at National Orienteering Day next weekend.
Born September 2, 2009 at 1:44 pm
6 lbs 10 oz, 19.75 inches
Mom, Dad and baby are doing very well. Chris and I are getting 6 or more hours of sleep per night, although mine is in small chunks as I have to get up often to feed her. The delivery went without any complications and I am recovering very quickly. I feel good and do not have any soreness or swelling, so I should be able to start doing some easy riding soon.
In the meantime, Chris and I have been going for walks at night to keep the blood flowing to the legs. Jayden has been very good so far, with fairly minimal fussing and lots of sleeping. It has been fun hanging out at home with Chris and doing the mommy and daddy thing. I can't wait to get her out in the Baby Bjorn - maybe at National Orienteering Day next weekend.
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