Vacation is over

I’m going to break one of my blogging rules and talk about work for just a second. After 6 months to the date I finally landed myself a job (sort-of). It’s contract for a couple weeks and then hopefully I get hired on fulltime. Think of it as a test run. It’s one of those dream jobs. Mine has always been to work for a big ad agency. You know the type where you see the commercials on national TV and say "I worked on that one." Although, I won't be working on any commercials. I'll be strictly an Interactive Project Manager (all things web related). Which now a days is where a lot of companies are putting their marketing budget.

The reason why I bring this up is because everything cycling and fitness related has been at a stand still. Since I'm not sponsored, shocking I know, all of my needs (i.e. new shoes, tires, shorts, bike) have been on hold. Now I can relax a bit and start chipping at that need list again.

After 24 hours on the job they moved me to the “Penthouse” (36th floor). I still can’t get over the view! I even stayed late one day to see the city in lights...AMAZING!

That's the metrodomn at night.

You got to love a job that has a sign that greets me each time you come into my cube that says: "Last Call Martini Bar" Along with 4 assorted bottles of liquor and a bottle opener.

The downside is getting back onto a schedule and missing the mid-day spin classes. The new gig is downtown so taking the bus has been an adventure alone. I'm taking the week off from the gym until I can recalibrate my body to this new schedule. Next week I'll be back to my morning spin classes and evening runs. Believe it or not, I'm excited to have a full schedule again. I feel like I have purpose.

I received my training marathon schedule the other day. There is only one word to describe it: Intense. There are no 2-3 miles runs twice a week. First day (Feb 2nd) says: "Training Day Starts Today! 6 miles w/ 5 min @ tempo pace" What the hell does that mean? 6 miles on the first training day? You should see April and May's schedule. I'm going to have to have a chat with my friend that put the schedule together...a girl has to be on her bike sometime! And when I mean “sometime” I mean at least 3-4 days a week!!

His comment to me before I saw the schedule was: "We’re going to make you a runner." My response: "That's like trying to make a miracle happen."

The Trainer

Yesterday I thought I would convince myself that this was going to be the season I start to like the trainer! I moved all the crap out of my second bedroom. Pulled in a TV and DVD player. Set up the trainer. Popped in a movie and…nope it didn’t work. After 15 minutes everything hurt and I was ready to get off. 30 minutes I thankfully got a phone call and got a break. I stuck it out for another 30 minutes but was frustrated that all I accomplished was a sore seat and only broke a 120 bpm heart rate. I went downstairs make myself popcorn and watched Oprah.

Why is it that I have no problem sitting on that same bike/saddle outside for several hours but I cannot do the same indoors? The only way I can get a true workout is to go to the gym for spin class. (Bill, if I too had a new Pugsley with 80 mm rims I would be outside also.)

Speaking of spin class, I missed Chris’s class today for what I hope will be well worth the skip—more on that next week, I hope—and ran hills for 40 minutes on the treadmill. I know, not the same as outdoors, but its -25 degrees outside and I would rather spend it indoors when it’s that cold.

Tomorrow I hope to get in two spin classes, Chris’s class on Saturday and Matt’s 2 hour on Sunday. Along with a couple more runs and lifting. Wow, I’m going to need a stiff drink after my crazy schedule. Feel free to join me!!

Oh Jody—you make me laugh!

I love this photo!

This is Jody. The spin instructor I talk about often. Someone who has a zest for life and will kick your butt with a smile. Jody is also an amazing Triathlete on the short course—tends to win often.

What I love best is her side of the story about this photo. She had no idea that her helmet was on backwards. As she tells the story she goes on and on about how excited she was to have so many people cheering her on—i.e. laughing and clapping. She didn't realize until after the race why she got so much cheering.

Jody, Your the best!

Six Weeks

Go to the gym after New Years and no matter the time of day there is a sea of people. How many times do we have to hear people say they are going to lose weight and get fit as their new years resolution only to break that promise. Ask any trainer or regular and they will say in six weeks it will be back to normal—and it always is. I’ve been going to the gym on a regular basis for about 10 years and it is the same deal. I say, if you need to make a change in your life why wait until January 1 to start the change?

I went to the gym today for spin class. Tina was subbing for Kristen—a good alternative. I went early to run 2-3 miles before class but wasn’t sure how I would feel—at 11am I had to fight to get one of the 20 treadmills that was already taken. Sunday I stayed in a low heart rate zone for spin and took Monday off. My run outside on Saturday really did a number on me. To my surprise I was feeling pretty good so I kept bumping up the speed. I’ve never ran that fast for that long!

Noon spin class was completely full—normally there are a number of bikes still open. Tina made sure we got our typical hour into a 45 minutes class—today we did some ridiculously long and steep hills. I opted out of some of the crazy moves I’ve discussed before and just did my own thing, but for the most part the class was good. With a bit of energy still left I lifted for about 30 minutes. I don’t make New Years resolutions but mixing in weights is something I think I’ll try to fit in. It’s hard to believe sometimes that at one time I was as obsessed with lifting heavy weights as I now am with cycling. Now 10 lbs can be a challenge.

Winter Running

I told myself once I got back from my week in North Dakota, where I spent most of the time indoors, that I would immediately start my marathon training. I had full intentions to run while I was there but a 2 day blizzard dropped 25 inches of blowing snow. Apparently people don’t run in subzero conditions up there because there is no need to remove the snow in the walk way intersections—which was chest high.

While most runners give themselves 16 weeks to train for a marathon—I, on the other hand, need a full 20 weeks (100 days) of training. Extra time for base training.

I did a few miles indoors, but yesterday I wanted to get out even though it was a high of -5. Once you’re moving it doesn’t matter how cold the temperature is, the trick is to have wick-away base layers and to never stop running until you get home. A good motivator.

The best part of winter running is that you get to dress-up as a Ninja!

The worst part is fracturing in 30 minutes just to get dressed. Two layers on the bottom, three on the top, two on the head, two pairs of gloves (remove one once your warm), a pair of glasses if your running during the day and the thickest pair of socks you own.

I purchased a pair of YakTrax snow grips for my shoes and tried them out on my run yesterday. Next to my super thick Smartwool socks the YakTrax is the best improvement to my winter running gear! 90% of my run was on snow/ice. Not once did I have to change my footing or slow down!!

I got a call from my friend who is putting together my marathon training program wondering what type of cycling obstacles does he need to be aware of while he puts together my plan. I thought with a smile, “Well, ANY day that is remotely nice I’ll be on my bike—will that be an issue?” My real answer was a bit longer then it should’ve been, but I agreed to make it work and not miss a mile of his program. He didn’t give me much to go on yet other then “You'll start in Febuary. You will be doing one ½ marathon in April and I’ve got you down for 3-20 milers (to be exact one of those 20 milers is 23 miles).” My response, “THREE 20 milers! That’s like you doing 3 centuries on the bike.” His response, “That’s true. I’ve never done a century.” My response, “I’ve never ran 20 miles.” That ½ marathon falls on the same day as the Durand Road Race—I guess I’ll be running.

If this is wrong...

...then I don't want to be right.

2009—A Year In Review

To continue my end of the near tradition, here is a recap of my best and worst list:

• Best road race course: Sibley RR—I came close to winning my first road race
• Worst road race course: Durand—I got dropped before the first turn and had to TT the entire race solo.
• Best road race moment: Being the only person in my category in a 3 person breakaway with Teresa from Flanders. AND doing a solo breaking away from the pack on the final hill during the Ken Woods RR getting 3rd place overall. Jay said I was laughing up the hill—trust me it wasn't laughter it was pure pain.
• Worst road race moment: Getting dropped during the Lakewood Road Race (Duluth Classic) on the hill twice and had to catch up with the group—took everything I had for over 2 miles both times to get back to the group.
  
• Best Crit course: Mankato and Northfield—I really started to feel good about my handling skills.
• Worst Crit course: Pinehurst (Duluth Classic)—it was pure torture the entire time.
• Best Crit moment: Mankato—I found confidence in my corning without touching the breaks
• Worst Crit moment: Northfield—just when I felt good about the course and my handling skills it started to rain on the downtown streets—amost went down three times.
  
• Best TT course: Charity TT—won my first race by a 10th of a second
• Worst TT course: St. Peter—48 degrees and raining for a 40k race. I couldn’t feel anything at the 20k mark.
• Best TT moment: When I passed a guy that went off at the Blackdog a minute before me—he was pissed that I passed him on my stock bike.
• Worst TT moment: Missing my start time at the MN State TT—I think I would have gotten a higher placing if I was on time. Lessen learned, I’m now 10-15 minutes early for my start time.
  
• Best non-racing moment: Everything about RAAM—ok that’s racing but I wasn’t on the bike. Supporting our friends during the WI Ironman—it should have been illegal on how much fun we had. Along with getting my picture taken with Kristen Armstrong and Floyd Landis.
• Worst non-racing moment: Being in the car when Jason from Surfing USA was hit during RAAM.
  
• Best REGBRAI moment: Roadside party on the first riding day and meeting up with Holly, John, Carol, Belinda and Neil during the Johnny Holms concert.
• Worst REGBRAI moment: When a girl from the Bud team touched wheels and went down at 40 mph.
  
• Best Group Ride: Tour of Timmer—not sure where we went since there were so many turns but it was some where in Excelsior.
• Best Group Ride moment: Realizing how strong Carol had gotten over the season while climbing the hills in Preston—she was able to have a full conversation the entire time while I was riding on my limit a quarter of a mile behind her and Neil.
  
• Best Solo Ride route: Candy Shop Ride
• Best Solo Ride moment: Stopping at the Minnetonka pier on the first day of Fall—it was a great day!
• Worst Solo Ride moment: Riding back home from Champlin after a relentless 40 mile headwind ride.
  
• WTF moment: While running my own half-marathon course, after the city of St. Paul cut the course in half due to extreme weather, my face mask was frozen to my neck I thought “Up until this exact moment it was important to me to finish this goal, but now I’m rethinking my sanity.”
  
  *Note: the worst course list does not reflect against the promoter, it's purely based on my crappy performance that day.
  

Total Miles: 4,021

2009 Races and Places

• April 18 - Durand (women’s open)—16th place
• April 25 - Ken Woods—3rd place
• May 02 - Marty Place—5th place
• May 06 - BlackDog #1—4th place
• May 09 - Sibley RR—2th place
• May 16 - Synergy TT—3rd place
• May 17 - Charity TT—1st place
• May 20 - BlackDog #2—1st place
• May 22 - Wrenshall Time Trial—4th place
• May 23 - South Range Road Race—3rd place
• May 24 - Lakewood Road Race—7th place
• May 25 - Pinehurst Criterium—11th place
• May 30 - East Union Circuit Race—5th place
• June 03 - BlackDog #3—2nd place
• June 06 - St. Peter TT—4th place
• June 13 - Mankato Crit—4th place
• June 17 - BlackDog #4—4th place
• July 01 - BlackDog #5—5th place
• July 04 - Northfield—6th place
• July 05 - Spam Jam—2nd place
• July 28 - Summit/Hollywood Criterium—6th place
• August 18 - Birchwood Road Race—6th place
• August 28 - BlackDog #9—3rd place
  
  * this year the fields were much larger.