HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZOE!!!

Hello People

They extended the registration deadline. GET ON IT!!!

Struggle

I've struggled with this forever. Move up or not?
I told myself after Wausau that if I placed top 5 in an upcoming race I have to move up to Cat 1/Elite the next one. So that means the Border Battle I'll be moving up.
I want to but don't. I've witnessed so many gals move up to the elite level only to stop racing because they hated it. I don't want this to happen to me.
But I don't want to race sport anymore either. The only time I've really been out of the top 10 the past couple years was a mechanical. I almost feel guilty hanging around.
Not really sandbagger. If you look at all of our times, none of us are killing it.
But I so love sport. It's so fun. It still really challenges me. I'm not saying Elite won't be fun, because I really don't know, but it definitely has always been a different vibe.
I know I'll be struggling in the back; I just hope it's a fun struggling.

Nervous?

I haven't been nervous for a race in, well I don't even remember how long... I was nervous for the Alterra Coffee Bean Classic. I hate being nervous. I hadn't raced in so long, nor have I gotten much riding in. And the riding I have gotten in has been riding with slower people. So I had absolutely no idea what I was in for. Nerve-wracking.
Franklin's lead out suits me perfectly. Short climb up to the top and then fast around the cap and then drop right into the singletrack. It's not long enough to where I fade. Moriah led me and the pack around the cap into the singletrack. There aren't very many passing opportunities in the singletrack so I hoped we didn't get plugged too bad. Moriah let me by right away. I caught the men shortly after. I didn't expect to catch them so soon. I just stayed patient and asked if I could get by when they had a chance. We picked off a lot of riders. I wanted to get a gap if I could... I'm not the strongest out in the opens or climbs by far.
Riding up the switchbacks I could see the girls coming out. I saw Ashley and Meg right behind me. AHHHH! I led all the way around O'Malleys and then to the start/finish climb. I knew they'd pass me there. Ashley passed and Meg was right behind me. I didn't realize Katie had passed us until much later.
I knew I'd catch Ashley in the singletrack. I knew she'd catch up with the men to slow her down. Unfortunately Meg and I passed her after she took a corner too hot and ended up going down. Shortly after Meg and I caught up to Katie. We rode her fast wheel for a bit until she unfortunately, I think, caught a tree and went down.
I led Meg around the rest of the lap knowing she was going to take me on the climb into the finish. I wasn't strong enough to gap her enough in the singletrack. I so suck at climbing. I can't say that I was frustrated, but admit to being bummed knowing that I was going to lose it there. I tried my hardest but couldn't match Meg up that hill. However 2nd overall is fucking awesome and I had a great time to boot.


Hopefully we'll see everyone again at the Border Battle.
John didn't have such a great time. Migraine, spectacular crash and just wasn't feeling it. Glad he's okay though.

*pic by julie wolf

Palos Meltdown

Registration by mail and on-line ends Aug 7th.
You can register day of (which is a pain in the ass as it's off-site and the fee goes up).

So if you're going, get on it. Sport class will probably fill up soon.

Oh yeah

I forgot I had a blog.
Same old stuff really...
Wish I rode more.
Haven't raced in well over a month.
(So Franklin should go really well for me.)
My kids are awesome.
I smashed my foot and broke my shoe- it hurts to walk but doesn't riding.
Zoe still has hives.
My bike is still cool.
Wishing I had another (bike). Just for the fun of the build.
What else.... hmmmm....
Nothing I guess.

We need to plan a ride down here people. And speaking of just riding, who wants to go to Brown County?

meh

I don't want to be a hater but it's really tough not to be right now.
I'm looking at you Mother Nature.

Radar

This green blob has been stuck here for hours. Barely moving.
So cruel.

Here we go again...

Wednesday night rides are dirt rides out at Palos.
It never failed last year that it would rain on Wednesdays. Reading back on my blog from last year, it did quite often. The trails at Palos are finally open and guess what? It's raining. Looks to be an all-day-er too.
Meh.
If it's not raining after work I'll hit Waterfall Glen. Maybe.

missing eau claire

bummer.
It was a tough decision (not really), but in the end the kids won.
Our plan was to let the kids enjoy the 4th. Picnic, swimming, friends, cousins, fireworks. And then hope we could get someone to have them overnight and all day today (wishful thinking). It would've been worth driving a couple hours after the fireworks and then finish up the drive in the morning.
We had a sitter for today, but not last night. *shrugs*
Oh well. What to do next year?
Will they have the race on the 4th?
I know I'll be even more bummed when I hear how awesome it was later today and all day tomorrow. When I see the results and wonder where I might've finished...
I'm hoping later today John and I can ride somewhere together. Off-road is probably out as it rained all day yesterday.

Palos

I finally made it out there for the first time this year.
I'm worked. I can barely move. Thinking about moving is a bother.

annoyed

I forgot my brakes need to be bled. The front has a huge air bubble in it.
If you put the bike on its side and pick it up, no front brake. I was reminded of this on my mesa ride this evening. Put the bike down to fix my cleat, hopped on the bike on the fastest downhill there and no front brake. Need to bleed that. Well, actually beg my husband to. Luckily you can pump it back up (but still).
And what I thought was a bottom bracket creak was not. It's an eggbeater creak. I think I need a rebuild kit. Loud creaking noises on my bike annoy me. I can deal with rubbing or intermittent noises. Or even brake squeal. I absolutely hate creaking.
I was also reminded that I haven't found the ideal fork pressure for the new SID. I put too much in this evening and essentially ping ponged my ass all over the trail. It's not like I've never ridden rigid before, but for some reason having a fork with too much air isn't the same. It's more like unpredictable or something.
I put the cleat plates on my sidi shoes tonight. I also moved my cleats down a bit. After wearing my old shoes I realized that my cleats were too far forward. From the title of this blog post you know how well that worked out for me. Still though, at least I was out on my bike.
Meh. Hopefully tomorrow's ride will redeem this evening.
Which, crap, I should go to bed to wake up for...

random

I went to the mesa again last night. Only about 45 minute ride time, but I'm not complaining. I grabbed a lot of downed tree branches that of course fall right in the middle of the trail. We call them Stan sticks as our friend Stan is famous for grabbing those sticks in his derailleur and then breaking his derailleur. Never fails.
The trails ripped. I may have adapted to their rooty-ness I suppose just from the other night.
I love riding out there but it isn't as smooth as it used to be. There are so many more exposed roots. Which isn't horrible, it definitely makes you work on the bike, but some of the trails used to be wicked fast lean into the turns kinda smooth. Not so much anymore.
John changed my axle on my Industry Nine wheel last night. Yes I cracked it. Apparently I'm one of four people to have done so. The replacement axle is way lighter. Weird. I also finally changed my bottom bracket. It was creaking after last wash. And with ti I think it echoes so it was a major annoyance. I put a blackbox one in, oh so smooth. For now anyway. Now mount xdx tires on 190 wheelset, um... and what else? Meh, I don't remember. Oh, I have to change my chainring on my Eriksen. Damn penis rock.
Doc appointment today at 3:30. Boo.

Register!

Click here for details.

THE MESA

I headed out there today and it's

DRY!!!

Who wants to come ride?

It's Monday

I just had 3 Oreos and I feel like crap. They tasted good though. It is possible that I feel like crap from the 10 (big) swedish fish I ate prior. Who knows.
I still haven't been to Palos. I'm slowly going insane.
To ward off the insanity awhile longer I made sure John was up for alone time with the girls and I headed to the Mad FORCs dirt retreat.
I had no idea what to expect. I honestly didn't care. I just wanted to hang out with people with my mountain bike.
I left a bit after 5:30am. I pulled into the Blackhawk Ski Area at about 8:50am. There were some women I've met before and some I've seen before and well, some I've never seen before.
For most of the day we rode and worked on skills. In the last group I was in we were with Alison Dunlap. I love her. I've met her a couple times and I am just so impressed by her every day down-to-earth-ness. Anyway, it was pretty cool.
Saturday night I wasn't sure what my plan was. Camp? Go to Amelia's and risk full blown allergy asthma attack (she has 2 very long haired cats)? or go to Holly's?
When Amelia left earlier than I wanted to I knew that option was out (or maybe not, she was just a phone call away). Then it didn't seem like anyone was camping so I took Holly up on her offer to crash there. Which in turn made a lot of sense and worked out well as we decided instead of heading back to the ski area we were hitting Kettle.
The hour drive to Holly's house after a long day of being on the bike seemed like it took FOREVER! I was relieved when my clock in the car was close to the time on my gps. I was even more relieved when I turned the key off. I was so done driving.
Headed inside and got a quick shower in. Holly and I chatted for what was probably over an hour about the day.
Next thing I know I hear Holly's dog freaking out, fell asleep again and woke up about 2 hours later. Grabbed some pancakes and coffee and got ready for Kettle.
I didn't realize how worked I was from the day before until I started moving around. My arms were sore, my lower back and my thighs were aching.
At Kettle we all headed out to ride everything but Emma. Which ordinarily I might've whined about not doing Emma, but my legs were screaming. I knew it'd be rough making it back after doing the Emma climbs with my legs as tired as they were. Not to mention I wasn't prepared food-wise.
The ride was pretty uneventful but fun. I started hungry which never works out for me. We stopped after the climbing on the blue loop to have a bite and then headed out again.
I was seriously hungry the whole day. I just felt like I was on empty. Still though, I had a really good time. I'm happy to be bruised and scratched. Although I could really do without the bruise on my knee from endo-ing in that deep sand section after the pines. My glasses were too dark for that section and I didn't see where it went. By the time I realized it the sand had taken me too far left... I tried to correct (turning your wheel in sand to correct your position is a bad move, and I know this, but still.). Instead of correcting, my bike came to a dead stop and flipped me over into the woods. But not before I hit my knee on something. Good to get the crashes out of the way early in the season (Yes, this is early for me this year. Fucking rain.).
Eau Claire is this weekend. I don't even want to think about the drive.

*pic stolen from britt

Lately

it's been a yawn fest.

Tonight John is headed into the city with Casey and some of the neighbor kids just as I'm heading out. The Dew tour is happening (along with the Taste). It should be a great night of people watching.
I'm hoping I can get someone to watch Zoe for a few so I can get a ride in as well as pack for tomorrow.
I need to make a list of what to bring. Not to mention wash my mountain bike. And not forget to lube the chain.

I'd like to take a nap right about now. Not sure if it's the weather or what, I just feel so blah and exhausted.

meh

I've got nothing but complaints about not being off-road.
Meh.
I won't complain that it's hot as hell outside. Or that humidity is a bitch. What I really can't stand about the humidity right now is it's doing nothing to help the trails dry. 40% chance for thunderstorms on Thursday which definitely won't help.
Next week looks good if you believe the forecast that far in advance, which I do not. However I can't help but be hopeful.
Now to figure out my weekend. I'd like to get out of here as I'm 99% certain there will be no off road riding here.

blah... blah blah

Friday night we headed up to Kenosha for John's cousin Jack's wedding.
Meh, I have no desire to type up my whole weekend.
I had an awesome time with the girls is pretty much what happened. It was nice to not have anything to worry about. We ran around, swam and danced. Good times.



I haven't been to Palos since, I think, last October. It's depressing to say the least.

Seriously.

....

FUCK this weather.

Palos Meltdown

I'll probably be pimping this race for the next couple weeks or so.
It of course conflicts with a WORS race.
I'm all about WORS so it bums me when the local race conflicts with one of their races, because I'd love for new people to come check it out some time.
If you're itching to do something new, come check it out. The course will be rad. It will be a different and fun experience.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Not only is the rain fucking up riding it's messing with my commute. IT'S JUST RAIN PEOPLE!!!

the rain...

it sucks.

the wind...

Sometimes I forget about it even though I can't ride in a straight line or struggle to keep my speed at 15mph. And then when I'm so tired and thinking that I better not go any further (because I might not make it back) I turn around and am like "Oh, the wind."

sunday

After the shower today I suited up for a bike ride. Grabbed my road bike.
I felt awful. I feel like my bikes don't fit right now. It's so strange.
Taking the road bike out today I was super uncomfortable. I hated it. My left hip and quad hurt, my right knee hurt. I felt like I wasn't even on my bike. I have absolutely no power whatsoever.
I can't seem to even get comfortable on my mtb. At 9 mile I didn't feel at home on it. So the other day I played with height and fore/aft. I'm not sure if it'll work out until I get off-road.
I came back from an hour ride today and seriously feel like I'm going to pass out. My body is super tired. I don't know if I'm depressed or what? I mean, I know I'm pissy about the weather and trail conditions, but is it really affecting me that much?

Randomness...

Weird chores. I'm so unorganized right now.
Casey took a header on a skateboard yesterday. Her nose and upper lip are all scraped up.
We saw UP. Very cute. I laughed, I cried.
I went for about a 45 minute ride last night as it seemed to be the only time to squeeze it in (it rained most of the day). I felt slow and wasn't even having fun.
It's mid-June and I haven't been to Palos ONCE. I've been to the mesa for real twice. Both times it was slick n muddy.
Zoe is a riot. At the moment she's on the toilet singing a song about her dad.
Casey is still in bed.
The forecast is 75 and sunny today. I need to get ready for a wedding shower in a few.
Ugh. Then when I get home I really really need to go for a ride longer than 45 minutes.
Just to stay sane really.
It's so weird to be mid-June and the only bike rides with people I've been on really were my two early Kettle trips. It totally sucks. To not have been to Palos yet this year is hard to accept. I'm crossing my fingers that the rain and cold are over.

oh sweet

No rides. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow. Sunday I have a wedding shower.
My weekend is shaping up to be kick ass already.
meh.
I'm all pissy about it now, but we'll make the best of it. We'll see UP at some point. That should be fun. Perhaps find some time to hit Waterfall Glen.

ETA: So far so good. Slightly after midnight I went to move Zoe off our bed. She had peed. First time in weeks and no, she wasn't wearing a pull up. And then just as I'm cleaning up the bed, the dog pukes on the floor.

Some people...

There are seriously some people on the interweb that make me want to vomit. That or I ate way too many redvines.
And did I bitch about the weather yet today? Well, it's long overdue. It's June 11th and it's not even 60 degrees, not to mention it's been pouring outside all day. I'm so annoyed, it's totally unacceptable.
*WARNING... fangirl moment ahead
Happy 50th Birthday to the dude in my icon.

And Casey just ate 4 pieces of toast. How'd she fit it? I don't think she's wider than 4 pieces of toast.

Hmm

I'm so tired of no sun and RAIN. It's making me crabby. I'm trying not to think about it, but we can't even go outside with the kids. If it were warm and rainy we could. If it were cold and dry we could. Sucks.
Not sure what's in store for the weekend. I'd like to hit the WEMS race Saturday since I'm sure it'll rain down here (even though it says chance- it will). However, I'd like to stay home a weekend. Next weekend we'll be gone for a wedding. What to do...

I &hearts 9-Mile

I love riding at 9-Mile. The rocky singletrack is the bomb. So is the twisty rooty stuff. So I was a little bummed that I woke up feeling not so hot. Every time I stood up I felt naceous. Not to mention that it was cold and very wet outside.
I knew I'd regret not racing so I suited up and headed to warm up.
I was rocking the Medusas. First time ever.
Don said Gooo and I didn't feel too horrible. And then I did. I felt like I was going backwards. I didn't worry too much about it considering I didn't feel good and I was happy to be out there. Still though it was a race and you can't help but want to do your best.
I passed a few peeps right before the first singletrack and then passed a few in the singletrack. Headed out on the multi-track I felt unusually slow. I was thinking how the hell could these tires be that slow? First high speed turn I realized I was riding a flat. DUH. Of course I didn't have my CO2. Last year that was on my bike every time I rode. This year, I keep forgetting. I won't next race. Anyway I had to nurse myself through the open sections and the singletrack. The tire just kept getting lower and lower. I couldn't even sit down. Meh. I pretty much figured I'd pull out at the end of the first lap.
I was sort of bummed as I love riding there. And then someone gave me a CO2. Sweet. So I filled it up and went out for lap 2.
The tire kept losing air the whole ride, but it held up for the most part. Much better than the 1st lap anyway.



I think I was 8th age and 19th or something overall.
I did have a good time regardless, however when I think back on results there is a part of me that can't help but be a little bummed. I have to quickly remind myself I had a lot of fun.
Switching gears, I can't walk right now. I don't know if it was from standing the 1st lap or what. Like I strained my muscle? The cold temps I'm sure didn't help it. My left leg keeps giving out on me when I bend it to step forward.
There were some other mishaps going on for me this weekend which just add up and make it just not my day. But they are things that, well, aren't appropriate for the public to read. Believe me, you'll thank me for not sharing.
No Mt. Morris for us. John's cousin Jack is getting married on the Saturday of our one and only Saturday race. So next up is Eau Claire. Hopefully I'll get some riding in between...

*pic taken from mg

For real?

First off the Rhinelander event was top notch. Toilets everywhere, camping on-site, concessions, everything well marked, etc. However, I hated the course. I appreciate that there are courses that I'm not going to like because they don't "cater" to my strong points, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.
Pre-ride on Saturday started with me following Jay and John. John ditched us and Jay and I rode to the split. I was absolutely bummed about how long the lead out was. I suck in the opens. SUCK. The fact I hadn't ridden in 2 weeks made it suck more.
I didn't even like really like the singletrack. I was so anaerobic and it was so bumpy I just could care less. I seriously felt like it was 10% singletrack and 90% open. I know this probably wasn't the case, but I can't remember one part of the course I enjoyed or looked forward to. Okay, maybe the bridges and the plywood, that was cool.
Sunday morning I suited up in my METAL kit and went on the longest pre-ride I think I've ever done. I then went and chit chatted with anyone I could find.
After Don said Goooo I was sitting in 4th position which really surprised the crap out of me. I didn't think I could hold it til the singletrack but I was sure going to try. And then somebody hit the nice hole or dip or whatever on the dirt road climb and lost all momentum causing a few of us to get "caught up". I don't think anybody went down, but having to stop going balls out during the lead out is not a good thing. Everyone went by us like they were shot out of a gun. Getting started again with my heart in my throat was brutal and then actually moving again with my heart in my mouth was even more brutal.
I honestly don't remember much except for Ann telling me to go ahead in the singletrack. Thanks ANN! But she was rocking it as well. She wanted to pull me in the open, but I seriously was drooling on my top tube and there was no way.
I don't remember anything else on that lap except all the open. I was annoyed, but tried not to be. I decided to just go for a bike ride and make the most of it. I saw Ann once in awhile and a couple of us girls were going back n forth.
Heading out on my second lap I was almost like fuck it. I wasn't going to quit or anything, but just drop down a couple of gears so I could breath and maybe sing to myself. I had a Pink song in my head (shut up) and really wanted to hear it.
And then Megan cruised on up behind me. WTF, I thought she was way ahead? Anyway, Megan pushed me back into race mode and I wanted to ride with her. She stuck with me pretty much the whole way back. I ended up seeing Ann on one of the long roads just as we were going to enter the boardwalk singletrack. I caught her but knew I'd have nothing left to stay with her in the open. Catching her almost was a victory in itself. I even smiled.
The weekend wasn't awful though. Saturday when we got there we hung out at the beach with the girls. They rode their bikes a little bit and ended up playing with Jeff while John and I rode.
After pre-riding we took them to the hotel, grabbed some food and went swimming at the hotel. It was a pretty big pool and we had it and the hot tub all to ourselves! So that was awesome! Probably the highlight of the weekend. There's nothing like seeing your kids smile for so long there cheeks probably ache, not to mention the infectious giggles.
Sunday being race day I'm not going to win mom of the year, but after racing and meeting up with Barb it was fun being water girls and cheering everyone on while the girls decorated the small cabin or whatever was being built out there. Even if it had a bit of a blair witch vibe.
Big thanks to everyone who helps out with the girls. I can't thank all of them enough. These weekends wouldn't be near as fun if it weren't for them.
Next weekend Wausau!!! I'm never consistent at 9-mile but I always have a blast no matter what.

p.s. Hopefully I'll be able to steal photos from someone (at this point later today).

Packing for what might as well be Canada

I'm so not looking forward to work tomorrow. I'm so behind. I just want to go in, get as much done as possible and then get the eff out (early).
Okay, back to packing.

I'm so jinxing myself

Looks like I may be able to ride tonight.

I'm avoiding work right now. My inbox is not a fun place to hang out at the moment. My CC box neither. My to do list is kinda sucky too. Even facebook lexulous is quiet.
And why am I not listening to music?

THIS WEATHER CAN SUCK IT

I'm so pissed off it's raining right now. And it's not just raining... it's RAINING! Like my street is a river. I know there's nothing I can do about it (except move), but it still irritates me. I just want to play outside. ::pouts::
Maybe I should take this opportunity to work on my bikes. Both my road bike and mouNtain bike wheels have freehub issues. Like one needs to be replaced and the other, who knows.
I'm annoyed. I hope to be less so tomorrow.

Dude

My forearms feel huge from raking. My back is still aching. I can't even laugh.
Crossing my fingers the rain holds off and I can get a ride in today. I haven't been for like a week now. This no riding crap puts me in a super foul mood.
I didn't even have any desire to play on the internet last night. Flickr, blogger, twitter and facebook were all filled with updates of everyone RIDING.
I hope to get out soon so I can stop feeling sorry for myself.
Switching gears, John, the girls and I will be heading up to Rhinelander this weekend. It will be their longest trip in a car. Wish us luck. We'll need it to keep our sanity that's for sure.
And then Wausau the following weekend. But then nothing til possibly Eau Claire. I do like that course, so hopefully it'll be in our cards. It has already been a super expensive start to the summer.
I might try to fit 12 Hours of Muir in there. If only to hang out and ride the trails. Maybe John and I can do a 6 hour duo.

raking

HUGE thanks to Jeremey, Destiny, Gage, Zoe, John S., Ryan and Mark.
3.5 hours raking so that miles and miles of singletrack are ready to be ridden.
Thick leaves and reroutes made up the day.
We have a short loop on the mesa to go and then, if we're up for it, make garden grove a trail again.
My back is awful today. Not to mention my forearms. I expect to look like Popeye soon.
I'd really like to go for a ride today but OMG am I sore. My left hand barely wants to move.
I'm getting old.

the mesa...

Hm. I went out there last night.
It was muddy. And leafy. I wasn't surprised really, but still bummed.
It needs a lot of work to be fun ride-able.
Lots of raking, reroutes etc and I didn't even get through half the mesa or any of the outer loops. I'm sort of depressed about it.
It sucks not having anybody to help. It's a lot of trail for John and me to take care of, especially so with 2 kids. Garden Grove wasn't even raked last year. If we even get to that this year, it'll essentially be making new trail. I don't remember where the fuck that trail went.
Hopefully there will be time this weekend to get out there and take care of things.
Work to play.

Iola

I had plans of writing a kick ass blog post all day. That was when I thought I'd be home before 7pm. Unfortunately there was a horrible accident on I-57 and the expressway was shut down. As frustrated as I was at least I was going home safe tonight.
Anyway, Iola has always been a must do race for us. It's the first WORS race of the year. It's a good time even if you only get to see the people you haven't seen since October of the previous year.
The plan was to leave on Saturday per usual. The kids were spending the weekend with John's parents. It was kind of nice to not have to worry about them, and even though I think I won't miss them, I do miss them terribly. I don't realize how much until I see their faces when we get back.
We hit the road around 11am on Saturday. Nothing eventful on the ride up. Unless you want to count me fucking around with the FM transmitter for the iPod. New toy ya know.
About 4 hours later we were in the Iola Winter Sports parking lot. Right away we saw a handful of friends we hadn't seen since last year. It's such a good feeling.
We registered, chatted and eventually suited up for the pre-ride. More talking, especially about how we'll all suck come Sunday, and then actual ride.
The course has been the same for the most part for as many years as I can remember. This doesn't bother me. I enjoy the familiarity for the first race.
Tons of climbing to start and the last half of the course pine-filled twisty singletrack. Fucking awesome.
I rode two laps with Amelia and one with both Amelia and Christine. I dreaded race day climbing those hills at race pace. Ouch.
After pre-riding we took our cold selves to the hotel to clean up so we could grab some food. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant a stone's throw away from the hotel. John ended up having to wear my jeans since I didn't pack him any. Yes, he looked way better in them than I do. Not to mention way sexy (more so than usual).
After dinner we headed back to get some rest. The 4th Harry Potter movie was on (hell yeah), so we watched that until we all fell asleep shortly after 9pm.
I woke up around 5:20am ready to go. Unfortunately race time isn't til 11:30. So I went back to sleep only to wake up a bit after 7am way over rested. Need coffee.
Breakfast was good and coffee, um, powerful. I don't know if it was from not having coffee in awhile, but man, I was wired.
This is way long already isn't it?
At the event Jeremey had a spot saved for us (as usual), thanks dude! We pulled in, caught up with some friends (made fun of them really) and I started getting ready.
Warmed up and rode up to the line. Some familiar faces and some new.
I ended up sort of in the back to start being the non-aggressive person I am.
Before I knew it Don was saying Gooo and we were off. At first it seemed easy. I passed a bunch of people and then we hit the sand pit and my heart exploded. I think people passed me. I have no idea what position I was in. We hit the downhill into the bowl and I passed a couple people there and then, OMG... HILLS! Oh man did they hurt. I don't know what spot I was in, who I was with or anything. I just remember after hitting that back climb thinking now relax and try to recover a bit.
Ouch. I forgot how much this racing thing hurt.
Next thing I remember is trying to open my clif shot (which I did) and heading up the climbs. People cheering all over the course. It was great. And then I remember Barb and McKenzie, of course someone I knew. I was gross. I had snot all over and was drooling on that steeper climb coming out of the bowl.
This one:



Except I think that pic was my 3rd lap. I was out of drool.
I remember getting someone's handlbar into my hip after the downhill into the climb, I kept my momentum, she didn't and bam.
Last lap in one of the switchbacks in the singletrack I had a tree like fall onto/into me. I had to stop and help the dude who knocked it over get it off the trail. Weird.
I ended up 6th overall and 2nd age. Good times.
After I cleaned up I went to the bowl to watch John and others. So many people to cheer for!



I fucking love this shit. Can you tell?

*photos by mountaingoat and singletrackslowpoke

The only thing I don't like about these weekends is the long drive home. At least we had some killer recovery food.



Who is going to Rhinelander? I am so in, maybe.

bloggin'

I'm such a slacker.
The blogging bug hasn't bitten me yet this year. Perhaps after next weekend.
Part of me is like, well shit, Iola is next weekend! And then another part of me is like, well Iola was usually this past weekend.
Either way I'll be racing my way into shape like every other year... which is fine by me. Well, until I hit those climbs at Iola and wanna puke.

Is this thing on?

Nothing much going on here.
John went to Sea Otter to hang out and just ride. He's all tan. I'm so jealous.
I've gotten a few rides in here and there. Nothing worth writing about.
The weather has been great which helps if you're allergic to the trainer. Even this weekend turned out to be decent when the weather peeps predicted rain all weekend.
Friday night I played running bases with the neighbor kids. All while throwing I thought, "damn, my arm is gonna kill tomorrow". It didn't. But today, OMG. I wanted to saw it off.
Saturday it poured in the morning. I looked at the weather (not that I trust it) and saw a window from about noon to 3pm. So I headed out.
I only rode for two hours on Saturday; but still, I think my body went into shock.
Later that night I had blind spots in my vision not to mention a gnarly headache. And everything hurt. Dehydration me thinks. Not sure why, I did ride in a thunderstorm with some pretty heavy rain. I passed out on the couch around 9pm or so.
I even slept in this morning til after 8am. w00t!
Fort Custer is this weekend. Don't think I'll make it. Total bummer, but whatever.
Perhaps it's for the best; I'm in no shape anyway. Although that's never stopped me before...
And House is on tomorrow, so I'm in super fangirl mode. Three more left and my Monday nights will be free again. Kind of bittersweet.

Kettle

I ended up going to Kettle yesterday. So glad I did.
I met up with Amelia and Renee.
It takes me about 2 hours to get there and they wanted to ride at 11 or so. It was nice not to rush or have any obligations to get back to.
Anyway, figuring out what to wear turned out to be the biggest decision of the day. Getting out of the car at the trail head was fucking brrrr.
Of course I was overdressed (even after taking clothing off while still at the car).
OMG! I forgot how awesome mountain biking is! I mean, I remember it was awesome but forgot just how awesome. The road riding must've dulled my memory.
I was a little timid in the corners, but first ride and all not too bad.
We ran into a few peeps we knew. Chatted with Christine and Regina for a few.
I was really out of shape and hurting bad. However I had a blast. We rode out to Emma and back. Surprisingly I didn't bonk. I had some issues with my left hamstring (I think) that forced me off on 2 climbs but whatever, I don't even care.
When I came home I grabbed some advil and just hung out on the couch. Today I'm tired, but my bod and legs (except for my left hamstring) feel fine. I thought my legs would be dead tired.

white horizontal accessories

I showed my neglected road bike some much needed love today (well John mostly). I finally put the white stem on (and Red). Thanks to John (and Jesse) it was finished today.
I changed the bar too... I went to a 38 (which has always been what I've measured out for), so I'm looking forward to trying that out.
Check out this bad ass hallway pic... nice huh?

*doesn't the big ring look fucking huge!?

I can't decide if I like the grey perforated tape better that I had on before or the stitched tape on there now... I do like the feel of this tape however. And I dislike the Red finish on the brakes compared to the Force finish (with my bike anyway). Maybe I'll splurge on some Zero Gravity brakes. Or, maybe not.
I haven't decided if I like the Red on my bike yet. For a number of reasons... the aforementioned brake finish, the fact that before my bike was all 3k weave if it was made of carbon, now it's a mix. The Force finish almost kind of matched the 1090 cassette. The red chainrings don't match anything. I kinda liked the stealthiness of the Force. I may be picky to some, but it all adds up to the bike looking "clean". However, I will put performance over aesthetic anyday. The Red shifts WAY better. I almost LOL'd when I shifted it while riding. New Force may be coveted by me.
I also busted the mountain bike out of the corner. I decided I'm ditching Easter dinner and heading to Kettle after all. I'll deal with the fall out (my mom) later.
So anyway, I had to re-Stan's all my tires. Well the Bontragers were still holding air, but I'm sure it needed to be refreshed. The crossmarks on the other hand, those were losing air since Sheboygan.
The mtb will have no changes really. Looks the same as last year. Orange I9's or DT190 wheels?
I need a silver lower decal and some new medical tape on my bar ends and that bike'll be like new.

Rant-tastic day.

I've been on a rant all morning, for a couple of reasons.
My biggest rant, and this has been going on for like a week, is I can't take a day off next week. I've been with SRAM for 9 years and we've never had mandatory you better be at work days. I do next week. The week my husband has the whole week off and my kid is on spring break. I'm bitter. Pissed. I'm also bitter at the reasons we have to come in. It's going to suck (at least I'm planning on it sucking and it sounds like it's sucky, I however am hoping I'll be pleasantly suprised). Not to mention that we are down one guy in our department and no plans on hiring another person (when we actually before he left were hoping to hire a fourth). So work sucks (I have no business blogging right now, but whatever). I also never take vacation days. I actually lost vacation last year and this year because of this. My own fault I know. And just as I'm trying to rectify that I can't take it. AAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I'll add that John doesn't get as much vacation time as me, so him taking a whole week and me not being able to get a day off while he's off sucks.
So then I hear Kettle is open... Sweet. I'm gonna go. But not so fast Not to offend anybody, but I'm not a religious person at all. I dislike Easter, mostly because I feel obligated to spend time with my family (whom I see practically every week, if not every day). And actually I don't even really feel obligated, guilty is more like it. My mom asked if I was going and I said I'm not sure. She about had a shit attack. And I'm sure my grandma, aunts and sis will too. As a kid I did enjoy Easter. We got candy, played with our cousins, etc. I don't want my kids to not have fun and my mom will probably bring them over.
I know I need to get over what my mom thinks. I do enjoy spending time with my family, I just have a dozen other things I'd rather do Sunday (but really just one- ride at Kettle). And again, it's not like I don't see them. Even if Kettle didn't work out, I'd probably do a long road ride and not have to worry about going over there. It is really BORING.
Right now I'm thinking on ditching dinner and heading out to Kettle on Sunday to ride. I'll spend time with my kids that morning giving them their candy and egg hunting (yes, I feel like a hypocrite).
Hopefully Sunday I'll be blogging I made it to Kettle, but I haven't even looked at the weather. Perhaps Mother Nature has other plans.
I could rant all day. I'm just in the mood. I'm surly today.

my deer homies

Hit the golf course path today (still pissed it's flooded). Those deer are so use to people I expected them to wave at me as I rode by. They didn't even flinch.
I ended up on the roads tonight with no light or flasher. I was only in the neighborhood and didn't plan on it, but still, what an idiot. Tonight I'll be putting those on. I was almost hit 3 times and doored once.

I'm deer paranoid

Rode the path last night. Ran into Beth. Haven't seen her in forever.
The deer were out to get me. They're evil.

for seriously

Do I win for lamest blog? I should. It's been a long time. What's sad is I really haven't done anything even remotely interesting. Well,okay, for this crowd I guess I have kinda- I changed the tape on my road bike, different color and everything. Very exciting stuff.
I've been sick for about a week now. I'm finally starting to feel like part of the living today, but still not 100%. Not well enough to ride outside, but maybe I'll give the (gasp) trainer a go.
It's less than a month til Ft. Custer. I want to go. Really want to go. But I know we won't be going. I still can't believe mountain bike racing will be starting soon. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm excited, but I've got that how-do-I-get-over-a-log-feeling again. It plagues me every March.

How bout this weather?!?!

Effin' A.

I'm a superhero... Arrgghh

But like you didn't know that already. I wished they had a raygun option as I would've been all over that one. You can make your own here. This is my first attempt. I plan on making another because I'll do anything to avoid work.
I may have to do the bow-staff next or nunchucks in honor of Napoleon Dynamite.
Nothing new over here. Still trying to motivate myself to ride. Still unsuccessful. Getting the WORS book almost made me want to get on my bike, but it didn't push me over the edge. My expanding gut just might though. I hate when tees start to feel snug at the waist.

bitches

Yeah, that's right. I went for a ride outside tonight. 13 miles outside. Fear me. And get this shit I was hit by a deer. I didn't go down though... I have mad skillz, yo. I felt so good I almost did 16 miles, maybe next time.
I really hate riding outside by myself through the woods at night. There's this one section of trail the way the wind blows... you know like in scary movies when the wind picks up and you just know the shit's gonna go down, yeah that kind of wind. I'm always waiting for some dude with a hatchet or some demon dog to jump out at me in that section.

huh...

I think I'm done spazzing. I'm a bit more relaxed at work today. I need more coffee though.
For the past few days (or weeks) I've stayed up near midnight internetting (duh). I've been waking up (not wanting to wake up) and been fine for the most part all day. Why is it that when I decide to hit the sack early I wake up the next morning exhausted and can't seem to wake up the entire day (even with tons of caffeine)? Yesterday and today I have been really tired. Like falling asleep on the way to work. Yet I've had the most sleep the past couple of days.

it's Monday

Yes it does. No House tonight. Work is out of control. I'm bitter. Still have a day or two of spazzing before I probably get it together. I shouldn't even be posting. I have so much to do. But whatever.
Went to the North American Handmade Bike Show this weekend. It was awesome. Good to see friends again. I think I enjoyed that more than the show... that's saying a lot. My favorite was probably the Ellis.

Okay... deep breaths.

My inbox has flames shooting everywhere. I'm a bit frazzled at the moment.
I haven't felt like this in awhile. I know what needs to be done... take one email at a time and ignore the others, but I almost feel like it's necessary to spazz out for a couple days before I take control. Why is this? Spazzing is not fun or necessary. Why can't I skip this step?

it's Monday... again

<----- this was my Friday night.
After that, all was good. Saturday I took Reese and Casey to see Coraline. I loved it, they loved it. Good times. Reese ended up spending the night. I pretty much internetted all Saturday evening. Sunday some friends were over. Ate way too much take out but whatever. It's Monday. Fangirl day. This day hopefully hurries.

it's Friday

KILL ME NOW.
I need a drink.

it's thursday

I've got nothing. However I hope this amuses you as much as it does me. If it's not at the beginning wait for it.

it's Wednesday

And Lost is on. LOST! Nothing else matters. Not even my kids beating up on each other. Or Zoe having a temper tantrum. And OMG... the commercials are over.

it's Tuesday

Casey's birthday was good. I think she had a nice day. Master Chief was there blowing balloons for her. John had the neighbor across the street call and pretend he was MC. John decorated with balloons and streamers, so I think she was quite surprised when she came in. Smiles all around that's for sure.
John bought me some new headphones for Valentine's Day (kinda, we could care less about VD, but it's an excuse to get neat stuff). Anyway, the sound is amazing. I haven't heard my music sound this good in so long. The only negative is I can totally tell a shitter quality mp3 now. My mind has been blown listening to music I listen to all the time and picking out sounds I've never heard before. Music rocks more than it ever did.
I'm so thankful it isn't frowned upon to wear headphones here at SRAM. Not sure how I'd get through the day.
On a related note, I bought John headphones for VD too. XBox 360 surround sound with mic (nerd). He found it ironic that we both bought each other noise cancelling headphones.
I may ride the trainer tonight. I'm giving it serious thought. Serious thoughts come easy while sitting at my desk at work.

it's Monday.

I took the day off Friday to take care of some things. Important things like haircuts, bike rides and internetting without guilt. My bike ride was 15 miles but felt like 30. I'm really out of shape. But whatever.
Last night I went to check my SRAM email for the first time since Thursday and I couldn't log on. I was hoping to do some damage control before Monday morning. Delete all the fluff ya know. I was finally able to get into my email through my mac. Today no go. Apparently there was a server failure and it's rebuilding now. So I'm internetting without guilt at the moment. The tps reports will have to wait.

It's Casey's birthday today. She's 7. SEVEN!!! OMG!

yeah. icons make me laugh.

I did something completely out of the ordinary today. I chose to embrace today as a gift and not complain about how it was only one day of beautiful. It was a great tease and I was happy to have it. There is something pretty sweet about short sleeves outside in February.
My awesome mom agreed to watch the kids for a bit. So John and I headed out to the bike path and rode through the trees. The moon was full, the air was perfect and there was barely any ice. I felt so out of shape, but didn't even care. I didn't even care that the saddle was a painful wedge.

hmmm...

I thought maybe I've been bummed lately because I've been missing my Wisco peeps.
If that's the case I shall shed no more tears as we'll be up to our eyeballs in cheese this weekend. Bubba, Meghan, possibly Rick, Jeremey and Destiny will be coming down to hopefully cure what ails me. The thought alone must be helping, I wasn't too lazy to link their blogs.

dude, OMG

Guess what?



I hate winter.

meh

At least I don't feel like yesterday. And I'm going to feel even better in a few minutes. I'm going down to the vending machine.

shitter

I'm having a total shitter day.
I don't know why so I have no idea how to make it better.
I feel out of sorts. I'm usually easily amused and today I'm not.

so far...

Tired. Shower. Donut. Traffic. Sunshine delay. Traffic. Huge inbox. Coffee.

don't get caught with your pants down

GET SOME TWIN SIX


you know the season is a total creeper.

Where to begin?

So much riding has not happened this weekend.
It was pretty uneventful but I did venture past my front stoop.
Saturday afternoon Casey and I headed to The Disney Store for a birthday gift she had to get for a party later that day. Headed to the party. Chaos ensued. Jumpy things, pizza, a Little Mermaid cake, cupcakes and pop. I love cake.
Pretty much as soon as Casey and I walked in the door at home, the whole family was back in the car to pick up John's sis. She's in from California. We ended up staying at his P's for some pizza. I'm beginning to think that the only things I eat are pizza and donuts. For real. Amelia will probably confirm this.
Today I lazed around for a good part of the morning. Read the paper, downloaded a bunch of crap, actually showered. Casey spent the night at John's P's; so John, Zoe and I headed out to run some errands. It was weird, we were out n about but really didn't get done what we set out to do. We did have a battery failure in the Best Buy parking lot. That was fun waiting for a neighboring car to finally come out of the store. After waiting for about 15 minutes we decided to push it out and then ask a passerby to give us a jump. Some nice Jeep couple helped us out.
Came home bathed some kids and watched Hugh Laurie win best actor at the SAG awards. And then chatted about it with my House friends.
And now I'm typing this lame blog.

butt crack cold

Yeah, that cold. Ya know like when you go outside for even a minute and you come back in, your butt seems to take forever to warm up. Well, that happens to me anyway.
Nothing amazing going on today but I do have things to do. First time in weeks me thinks. Brad's making an appearance with the boys to talk bikes. Then the Disney store for a birthday gift. Then Jump Zone (or whatever) for the birthday party. Then pick up Julie and the kids from Midway. Then, IDK. Whatever happens I hope it involves good food.
I really want to ride my mountain bike. I should find my goggles.

Entenmanns

Yeah. The donuts again.
They put something in that chocolate to addict us. It’s an Entenmanns' conspiracy I tell ya. We will all have boxes of them at our desk. And Jewel is in on it… this week it’s buy one get one free. Fuckers.

tv saved my life once

I'm an obsessive person. Duh, right? This is not a new flaw thing.
I sometimes become obsessed with new things (or moreso with old things) when I'm in a funk. Some might think it's unhealthy (it can be at times), but I really don't care. Okay, maybe I do a little, I am dedicating a blog post to it.
The thing is when I get obsessed with something it makes me happy. The other things in my life seem brighter. I seem to enjoy everything else more. People don't pick up on that. They just see the obsession. And that you're a dork/geek/loser (because they don't get it). And maybe you don't see what you do as an obsession, it's just something you really really like to do or just like a lot (for this post, that's my def of obsessed).
Some friends who don't ride bikes think I'm weird because I'm so into it. Some people who don't enjoy the same tv shows I do think I'm insane because I'm really into it (okay, really really into it). Everyone has their thing. If you take a step back and look at your thing- you're probably weird too. Who the fuck cares!?
My dad used to be critical of the money I spent on bikes and parts. Hmmm, how much were those golf clubs dad? Didn't you just get a new set last year? He says "that's true, very true, you're right."
John plays video games with a mini keyboard attached to his controller while wearing a headset and having a laptop open while chatting and IM'ing other gamers (PRO-gamers). Multi-tasking at its finest. I don't wanna do that, but I get it. It makes me smile.
We all have our things. Just because it's not your thing doesn't make someone a loser. And if you're gonna imply that I am, don't be ignorant about it, get your facts straight.

ETA that I'm really not bitter and this makes me laugh:












*.gif stolen from lj

asleep on the couch

Fell asleep on the couch earlier trying to put Zoe down (took forever). And now I'm awake.
Trying to do laundry. That might bore me to sleep.
Heat wave Thursday. 36 degrees. Good thing I work from home already... saves me the guilt of having to ditch.
And dog puke is disgusting, not as gross as cheeto puke, but still.

why talk anymore?

I said something to someone today and they were like, "I know, I read your facebook."







*stab icon stolen from lj

I ate the donut

so...



Anyway, Friday on the way to work I just didn't feel right. Misery at its finest til Saturday evening. Lots of porcelain visits and laundry later I feel close to normal today. I'll be 100% no doubt just in time for work on Monday.
At least House is back on though, I haven't looked forward to a Monday in so long. Hopefully the fandom will lose its bitterness.

home, again.

Oh the horror. To work from home again. Actually it's great, but it is a little harder. Self-disciplined is not what I would call myself. I also have access to snacks (donuts) which isn't good.
It's still snowing and blowing like crazy. Pretty darn cold too.
Today seems to be flying by. I have lots to do for work, stuff that is easily done at home which is good (not that I can't do everything here, but some things are definitely easier than others).
Other than that, I've got nothing going on.

sunday sucked

I was never dressed yet changed my p.j.s three times yesterday. Zoe was sick. Pukey sick. The first round was cheetos. Absolutely disgusting. The smell was beyond awful. Processed cheese upchucked... imagine. It almost made me vomit. It was creamy orange, like an orange julius or melted creamscicle. I still get grossed out thinking about the smell. *shudders* Later there were noodles which wasn't so bad. They look pretty much the same and weren't wafting. Then later after she puked her guts out, she launched mostly water til about 2 am. She seems fine today.
Speaking of Zoe. She managed to bust another laptop. The screen on the HP = DEAD. Bummer.
No House tonight. Sadface. Another week and it's ON. Bless my fangirl heart. And then Lost starts up again on that Wednesday.

scanners

Anyone else find scanning pics tedious? Ugghhh... I scanned like 10 pics and was like eff this.
ETA: I thought I posted some of the pics from my *yawn* ordeal today. Apparently not. Some are up at my flickr account. Clicky on the flickr thingee on the right.
I also wanted to add that I'm still awake at 12:47a.m. with a puking Zoe.

hmmm

I need a new header. I need to find pics.

Entenmans Anonymous

I clearly have a problem. There hasn't been a day that has gone by in the last two months where I haven't had an Entenmans' donut. Sad really. I even think about them at times. Should I have another? Nah, you already had two. But that was at breakfast. Hmmm. *grabs another donut.
Today I've admitted that I have a problem and will address it. I haven't had one all day. But it is only 1pm. I have to take it one minute at a time. I know I'll fall off the wagon once... or twice or more (nobody's perfect), but hopefully it's not within the same day. I'd like my underwear to be comfortable again. I'm okay with "fat jeans", but I refuse to buy "fat underwear".
So to help with the underwear ordeal I rode the trainer. Again. Twice in one week.
The iPod touch rules for the trainer. You can listen to music while tweeting and surf the web, you can also watch a movie or a tv show.
I was also reminded of some things while riding... I'm out of shape (duh), at about the 30 minute mark my hoo hoo gets numb, at about the 50 minute mark my legs are like wtf- STOP! and at about 1hr and 10, my body: FAILS. And also, carbon soled road shoes with cleats do not go well with painted basement floors.

Even forecasts lie!

Lies. Yep, the forecast lied. Imagine that. This morning was awful, but shortly after I would have left for work, no snow. Still no snow. And now they're only predicting 1-3 inches into tomorrow morning. Maybe. Big whoop. If it's gonna snow, fucking snow already so we can at least go play in it like all those people in Wisconsin.

ewhhh!!!

Have you seen the latest weather forecast? Fuck. It better be all lies.
And OMG. Effin' Entenmans' donuts. I just can't stop!

motivation

Motivation is creeping up on me slowly (I hope that's what it is). I actually rode the trainer last night for a whole hour (and contrary to my belief, I didn't die. Brittany did think the world was going to end, it didn't, but I wasn't so sure it wouldn't).
I had every intention of doing something today, like ride or not sit on the couch. But getting in later than usual, dinner, House, House, House, the internet and kids' bedtime I just wasn't up for it. I need to get back on the morning workout schedule, and if I make time for something after work, total bonus.
I had plans for a longer post but facebook, livejournal, twitter, flickr, message boards and whatever else are completely distracting me.
*reminder- no caffeine after lunch. this staying up til midnight on weeknights bullshit is wearing.

huh

i didn't realize my "game face" profile pic was linked to photobucket (just reorganized there).
guess i'll have to fix that.

that pothole ate a T Rex

Winter in Chicago is dangerous. Snow, sleet, ice, rain and potholes.
My steering alignment hopes for survival.
Back to work today. I was thinking about how I hated being here. Monster spreadsheets. Obscene reports. It's overwhelming at times. My commute sucks worse than the invention of voicemail- but then I looked to my right and this is what I saw:


My environment is what I think most people wish they had. I get to wear headphones, share everyone's itunes, watch movies at lunch, twitter, update my blog, have toys and cool bike parts on my desk and talk about bikes all day.

rain?

It rained last night. Weird. Totally unexpected.
My case of bed head today is much worse than yesterday. Hopefully it's at its peak.
Real life starts back up tomorrow. Lounge pants will be for the evenings only (and Thursdays). *sigh*
Both girls have nasty coughs. I woke up to Casey coughing in my face. Zoe has an ear infection. It's obvious when the motrin wears off, she gets mean and nasty.
Today we'll finish putting the christmas decorations away (need more bins) and some other boring things like vacuuming, eating, stuff like that. Maybe I'll make a date with the trainer- watch a movie. I'd prefer outside, but the wind is howling.

bed head

I seem to have a case of it lately. It goes well with lounge pants and slippers while lying on the couch with a laptop. Why does the internet hafta have so much to look at? I mean people have books up in pdf. I can read a book!
Right now I'm trying to educate myself on computers. Get back in touch. I feel so like my mom lately. I mean I'm not typing my email username in my address bar wondering where to put my password, but still.
I also want to take a photoshop class or something. I want to make rad headers and other stuff.
Hopefully I'll get the rest of the holiday decorations in bins today as well as get the kid's tv/playroom started. Monday will come quick.

A New Year

I don't do resolutions. Probably because I have no self-discipline.
Bringing in the new year was pretty uneventful at this house. This was the first year I haven't done anything. I've always felt New Year's Eve was way overrated anyway. Maybe because I don't really drink? I dunno.
Things I'd like to do this year are be happier, ride more, take care of the mesa, drink coffee without sugar, change my header, listen to more music, read more books... Probably other things I can't think of right now. Live for the moment I guess (or whatever).
Today it looks like lounge pants and bed head. Maybe I'll try to motivate myself for a ride around the block.