Bumbles and Waddles

In the middle of my four night shifts, I got the hair-brained idea to go do a climbing ride. I went from my house out to Discovery Park then up to the Hilltop Cafe, a 1000 ft ascent up Hwy 21. Back down and then I went down the Hwy towards Federal Way, where there are two more smaller hills to climb. Then back home. Felt great–but i was pooped. Plus, I almost got hit by an idiotic car!

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/23/2008
• Time: 15:00:00
• Total Time: 2:45:00.00
• Distance: 40 miles
• Average Speed: 14.55 mph
• Ascent: 1,000 ft
• Descent: 1,000 ft

I took Laci into the Camelsback Hills for her first MTB ride on her new bike. It was my first ride of the season since my bike needed some doctoring. It was 101 degrees, and we didn’t go very far coincidentally. But I remember why I love mountain biking so much! I can’t wait to go again.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/21/2008
• Time: 14:00:00
• Total Time: 1:00:00.00
• Average Speed: 4.5 mph

Today I met Liz at my place and we biked out (against a headwind) to the EMI meeting spot. Wyatt and Ryan were supposed to meet me there–whoops, they changed their minds and didn’t bother to tell me. Boys!!! So, I packed up and biked down to the fairgrounds for the first FCA Endurance Criterium Series Race. Dum dum dum!!! My first race of any kind on a biike!!! Yippee! I got schooled, but I did enjoy myself. Its fun having a community of peeps that think like you do (kind of ) and enjoy the same thing that you do. Ryan did well, placing 7th. He is such a good racer; he looks like a pro to me. He is so patient with me. He did scold me yesterday, and I deserved it. I have a hard time taking criticism–I always have. My dad and I battled for years, and it took me a long time to just shut up and listen, instead of objecting to everything. I was able to get over that, but I have fallen on old habits now that I’m back into the habit of competing. I’m really, really going to try to be a better student!! After the race, me and Ryan stretched out our legs, going for an easy ride down the Greenbelt followed by some sprinting practice. Good day. And then, after all that, I got to go play Frisbee in the park!!!

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/18/2008
• Time: 16:30:00
• Total Time: 4:00:00.00
• Distance: 30 miles
• Average Speed: 7.5 mph

I met Carter Ryan and Wyatt for an “easy” morning ride after getting off the nightshift.  Bad for me, I stopped at my parent’s house on the way to drop off the reflective vests I’d borrow for the Relay.  While there, I PIGGGGED out on junk food.  I almost puked it back up.  Needless to say, I wasn’t my normal chipper self for the start of the ride.  After biking out to Eagle so Carter could branch off and go home, we went down to the Fairgrounds to practice turning, criterium style.  Ryan is an amazing teacher.  He is mine and Wyatt’s little guru.  He is so patient and kind, but quick to laugh his butt off when you mess up:).  He showed how we should stay as wide as possible and then dive in tight, avoiding overcorrecting and changing your flight path around the curve.  He pointed out that if you overcorrect in a peleton that is speeding by you, you’re bound to cause a pile-up.  I will do ANYTHING to keep from being the one that they all chase after threatening to dismember!  Inadvertently, i also got to work on my sprints too.  This crit will definitely humble me.  I barely survived today; I’m not sure how i will be able to keep up Wedsnesday.  Guess there’s no way to find out, except to try!!!

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/16/2008
• Time: 08:30:00
• Total Time: 3:00:00.00

For Ryan’s pre-race ride, we went out off Warm Springs and did sprint repeats to blow off the lactic acid. FUUUNNN!!! That was a blast. My legs felt great. Then I biked into Shu’s for my run.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/12/2008
• Time: 15:00:00
• Total Time: 00:45:00.00
• Average Heart rate: 126
• Max Heart rate: 176
• Calories: 436
• Distance: 7 miles
• Average Speed: 9.33 mph
• Max Speed: 25 mph

Today was my EMI group ride…So to start it off I biked down to Luke’s to meet with Wyatt. We biked from there to Ryan’s house and picked up him and Petey. Then on to where we meet EMI. Jeb, Don, and Kurt were there. Woohoo! Good odds being a girl, 6:1! It didn’t help that my bike shorts sported the words “On demand” either. At my suggestion, we rode back into Boise to try to meet up with Lost River and go on their Wednesday ride. Because we had time to kill, we went and did the Warm Springs/Boise Ave loop around Lucky 13’s. Don, Ryan and Kurt’s pace had me pedalling my little brains out. And that was their “We’re going slow because we have a girl whining in the back” pace. Well, with our detour we were 1 minute late and missed Lost River. Sad face. So at that point we all just branched off and went home. Except for me! I kept going back out to Eagle, determined to keep going. The only way I’m going to get better is to push myself when I am tired. Ryan suggested climbing Seaman’s Gulch. Good idea. Halfway there, Liz calls on my cell phone–she wants to do Seaman’s with me! So I double back and meet up with her. At the top of Seaman’s, I took a picture of the Hidden Springs tower to prove to all those doubter boys now popping open cans of beer that we did do it, then we went to my house. My tummy was queazy when I finally unclipped from my bike. But I did it and I felt GREAT!!

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/11/2008
• Time: 16:00:00
• Total Time: 4:00:00.00
• Distance: 56 miles
• Average Speed: 14 mph

Today’s the first day of my new “training schedule”.  I’m supposed to do a 25 minute swim followed by a 35 minute cycle, mimicking part of the tri.  I got 20 mins of swim time in, and a longer bike ride.  I met Ryan and Wyatt at Java in Hyde Park and we went up Bogus Basin Road.  Another new ride for me…I’ve been getting introduced to so many new trails and rides…I love it!!!  Today was just a 1500 ft ascent up the road over approx. 8 miles.  Tough, but I managed it fairly well without stopping and I stayed out of my granny ring.  I wasn’t even in my granny gear of the middle ring.  Woot woot!!! 

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/09/2008
• Time: 09:00:00
• Total Time: 1:00:00.00
• Distance: 16 miles
• Average Speed: 16 mph
• Ascent: 1,200 ft
• Descent: 1,200 ft

I joined up with Lost River Cycling for their Sunday ride.  I intended to ride with the “pro group” but ended up on the Tourista ride.  They were a blast.  Their pace was definitely hard for me to keep (too slow) but it was a nice change from me trying frantically to keep up with my EMI teammates.  We did Hilltop, a 5 mile 1000 foot ascent up Hwy 55.  My leg’s felt amazing!  I kept a steady pace and really impressed myself with how good I felt and did. 

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/08/2008
• Time: 11:00:00
• Total Time: 3:00:00.00
• Distance: 32 miles
• Average Speed: 10.67 mph
• Ascent: 1,000 ft
• Descent: 1,000 ft

I moved to the North End for the specific purpose of biking to work.  Today was the first.  It was fun!  I’m definitely gonna keep it up!

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/06/2008
• Time: 19:00:00
• Total Time: 00:10:00.00
• Distance: 1.5 miles
• Average Speed: 9 mph

Today was just me, Wyatt, and Bryan riding.  s/p the Ironman, Bryan wasn’t feeling up to doing anything too intense and it was Wyatt’s first day back on the bike.  Soooo, we took it slow.  Rather, I pedalled my buns off and they coasted….grrr, what I wouldn’t give for longer legs or stronger muscles sometimes…My “speedy” mode is their cake ride…oh well, guess that gives me something to shoot for…

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 06/04/2008
• Time: 17:00:00
• Total Time: 1:00:00.00