The interesting thing about being out of my workout routine is that it not only makes me feel sluggish physically, but it makes me feel less energized in my personal business and I find my sleep is not as sound. I am using the next couple weeks to get it together. My goal is to get my routine back and therefore get my life back

I’m really looking forward to this mini camp that I’m creating for myself. It always feels good to get to basics and focus on taking it one day at a time. It’s baby steps, and I can’t wait to be at the level of how I was feeling a couple weeks ago.

My point to this whole deal is that I truly believe that sometimes the answer is to step back and get back to the basics. Get in your training, focus on your food intake, get enough sleep. Get a massage, get a facial, focus on yourself. It can almost seem like a mini cleanse or vacation. But the end result will be the same. As you focus on taking care of yourself, you will be better equipped to deal with the stresses of life.

Find your heal thy routine, and get to that balance! I’m definitely taking these next two weeks to get it back! Good luck!

Since so many recreational attend the event, Giant For Women decided to be a part of the huge registration EXPO. We had all the beautiful new bikes in the GFW 2009 line on exhibit. Needless to say we were a hit!

It was really nice for me to be in the GFW exhibit. I was excited about the general response to how great the bikes looked, but, one of the best parts was getting to meet so many women who were already riding our bikes, and to hear how much they loved them. It almost felt like a reunion!

So, back to the ride…. El Tour is 109 miles. It’s a long way to go, but the most challenging parts are the river crossings. They are dry, but can be very interesting when you combine having to try and ride through sand, and then run with your bike when you can’t ride anymore. Let me just ay that one of the reasons I love road riding so much is that I don’t like to walk or run! I especially don’t want to have to get off my bike and carry it from Point A to Point B! Call me a baby or whatever, but I am speaking the truth. Sometimes we have to know our limits

I got to the start super early, but I was shocked at how many thousands of people were already on the start line. The start is categorized by previous finish times or level of USA Cycling category. Luckily, because of my results in the past I got a coveted front line position. The biggest goal for non racers is to be in the Under 5 hour group from the previous year, and that pretty much guarantees a descent start position.

If you are planning on riding in an event like El Tour, and you are not a racer, you would be best suited to be riding a TCR or one of the new Avail road frames with endurance fit. Both of these will give you a great ride over the distance. In looking at how to approach the ride, try and find a group that you think that you can ride comfortably with, and try to all start together. Remember that your time is going to be dependent on the group that you are with, so try and match your abilities accordingly. You will always be faster if you work as a group and work towards a common goal. Also, having “teammates” will help you keep motivated during the day. It is inevitable that you will each go through a bad patch of time, and the camaraderie will definitely help to keep you going forward.

Most importantly, have a good time. The post ride chatter is always fun, and hanging out in the EXPO will be a big part of the day. Some of my favorite times are when my friends and I replay moments that happened during the day. Sometimes they were good moments, and often they were bad moments that become funny after the fact.

All in all I had a great ride, and met a lot GIANT owners… I’m already planning how to run the river crossings better next year!

The actual ride is from San Francisco to San Diego. It is a long way, so we offer a training program that runs for 20 weeks. Our goal is to have everyone make it down the coast comfortably by October.

We did our first big climbing ride the other day. They climbed over 5000 feet in 60 miles. It was a huge accomplishment for many of the riders who had just started riding 6 weeks ago!

I got together with my group leaders and they came up with some great tips for dealing with the heat and also with climbing in general. I’m going to pass along our tips because I think that they can help any new cyclist.

• Eat and Drink – On the car ride down to the ride start, begin your hydration; by drinking while on the way. Drink your preferred electrolyte “fuel”. Also make sure you eat while your on your way down to the ride start, to ensure that you plenty of fuel for the ride.
• Thin Base Layer – If you use a base layer t-shirt you might consider using a thinner version, or consider going without a base layer under your jersey.
• Unzip – Unzip your jersey on the climb let your body breathe, and let the air cool you as you go uphill.
• Electrolyte Replacement Tablets – Consider using some electrolyte tablets like Hammer Endurolytes, MotorTabs, or Thermolyte to augment your sports drink. Consider this if you are a prolific sweater (i.e. sweat a lot). This will help ward off cramps.
• Tires – a little less air in the tubes for hotter rides is smart to help reduce heat related flats. If you have black colored wheels / rims, keep your ride in the shade to keep the tires cool!
• Top off your fluids at SAG stops… Drink a full bottle or more while at the SAG in addition to filling your bottles for the next section of riding. The SAG is a great place to catch up on fluid replacement.
• Balance – as you climb steeper sections trust your balance, and work your balance. As the hill gets steep many of us tense up and resist the hill, work towards being relaxed and supple let the hill come to you. If you are relaxed you can pedal VERY slowly and still keep the bike upright.
• Rhythm – Find a rhythm or energy while you climb that is “yours”. Your rhythm is made up of your pedal stroke, breath and cadence the speed of your pedals.
• Breathe – Focus on your breathing when the climbing gets tough, allow your breathing to be deep and controlled, breathe from your tummy and not so much from your chest.
• Trust – Trust yourself as you climb especially on the steep stuff, trust you balance and your ability to make the bike move up hill. YOU CAN DO IT!
• Shift your weight – When climbing in the saddle you can make subtle adjustments that will help distribute the work load between your legs different muscle groups. This will help you rest one group while working the others. Also alternate sitting and standing. When you stand, downshift (into heavier gear) and then shift back to your easier gear when you sit again. This helps you keep the same speed when you stand.

Most importantly…. Enjoy the ride!

I am working with a wonderful woman named Becky and we ride together once a week. She has an amazing attitude and is willing to try anything, but had never been on a road bike with clip in pedals before. Her husband is a really good cyclist and wants her to get involved too. Let me just say that anytime you want to get your significant other to get involved in a sport that you like and are good at, it is always a better idea to have a neutral party do the teaching. This crosses all sporting lines, not just cycling!

Our first ride was in the parking lot at Del Mar Fairgrounds. We practiced getting in and out of the pedals, stopping and starting, and just basically getting comfortable on the bike. By the end of the first day she was looking much more at ease and I was confident that she was going to pick it up quickly.

The next couple weeks, we went on a few short rides and a lot of bike path riding. We have a great bike path that has a nice little climb, and when she made it to the top of the climb and attacked me on the descent; it was obvious to me that she was ready to venture out on the open road!
I mentioned the idea of tackling Torrey Pines. I could see the thoughts going through her mind. The wheels were turning….I knew she could do it. I knew she had heard more stories about intervals and times up the climb than most people, so I could tell that there was a nervous excitement to get it done.

We started out on a Saturday afternoon, and it just happened to be one of the most beautiful and hot days of the year so far. It was also one of the windiest, and when you are riding with new cyclists I am always concerned about gusting winds. I explained how to deal with the winds, and she had no issues with the wind gusts.

At the base of the climb, I reminded her about the gearing, and she was shifting like an expert. Then I explained that we needed to go almost what feels like too slow. We needed to make sure that we would still have enough energy at the top. Her next question surprised me although maybe it shouldn’t have. She wanted to make sure that we got the time started. As I said earlier, she has heard interval times over and over, and she knew exactly where the start and finish points were.

We kept it slow and steady, and Becky was picking off people as we got further up the climb. I was so proud of her, and when we crossed the interval finish line she had a time that was pretty impressive. It was her rite of passage into the San Diego cycling world. I was glad that I was there to share it with her. Now I just need to get her to loosen up her hold on the brakes on the way down All in due time!

One of the things I swore I would never do again is ride in cold, wet weather, but somehow I have done more of it this year than I had planned. This weekend was no exception. I was so bummed to wake up and see the rain pouring down. I had flown in to Boston the night before and it was a really late night. By the time I was checked in and in my bed it was almost one in the morning, and I had to leave the hotel for the ride at 6am. Luckily it takes a bit to stress me out, so I wasn’t too bummed until I saw the pouring rain. The thought of doing a 100 mile ride in cold and rain at 4am my time was not making me smile.

The Best Buddies organization is amazingly well organized. Luckily, I had a driver who got me to the start because I was half asleep. As we got close to the ride, we got held up in traffic caused by an Avon Walk for the Cure event. We were not going to be able to over for about 20 minutes because all the walkers had to go by. I was nervous because I still needed to get my bike built. So I jumped out in the rain and quickly got my bike bag out of the back. I got my bike built in record time. I think the cars behind me were pretty impressed, or shocked, or maybe a combination of both….
When we finally got to the start I ran into the auditorium and got a bagel and coffee. Let’s just say I am 100% better after a big cup of coffee. I lined up at the start, and was inspired by the stories that were being told about overcoming disabilities and having hope. Best Buddies is a group that helps developmentally disabled people integrate into normal activities. One of the best quotes of the weekend was from one of the Best Buddies who said that “I am a person with a disability but I am not my disability”. I might not have the exact wording, but what struck me was the power of his message. We all have disabilities, but we can’t let our shortcomings define who we are. We need to focus on what we can do to make ourselves the best possible people we can be.

As the ride rolled away, I got a chance to talk to a lot of people in the group. I am always nervous to go to a place where I don’t know anyone, but I always end up meeting the most interesting people and end up with a whole new group of friends by the end. This ride was no exception. I got the local tour of the AEROSMITH houses, a reconnaissance of the local training races, and also some great rest stops along the way. Who else can roll into town and have all the gossip in a few short hours .

Anyway, the ride was wet and cold to start, but by the time we had our lunch stop the sun was out shining brightly. Since my body felt like it was finally time to wake up, I felt like it was a whole new day. Even though it got beautiful out, I still wanted to get straight to my hotel and take a shower. I passed on the celebrity crit even though I could have been racing with Tom Brady. But let’s just say that racing a bunch of football players when they are just arriving, and I have dried mud all over me from riding 100 miles is not my idea of a good time.

So after a nice long hot shower I went back to where the ride finished and listened to the B-52’s play. It was so fun. I loved the B-52’s when I was in junior high.

So now I’m on my way home. Tired, but inspired.

I’ve never had a “Birthday Ride” before and there was definitely a lot of hype leading up to it. I was on email chains that had all kinds of interesting banter going on in an attempt to convince people to ride. It wasn’t me that was scaring away the troops (I hope) but mainly our route, from Rancho Santa Fe to the top of Palomar and back. It’s about a 95 mile round trip. The other issue is that there are a couple of really strong guys, and it is always painful to ride with one in particular (you know who you are ). Anyway, those of us who wanted to more relaxed pace decided that we would leave a half hour earlier and leave from Del Mar. I chose to go with this group because I decided that on my birthday I really wanted to be social, and was not so interested in hurting all day. And trust me, it would have been all day…

So, as I woke at 5am on my birthday, I was wondering just how insane I must be. I love to sleep in and relax. Getting ready to ride before the sun comes up is not my idea of a sane way to start the day. None the less, I’m out the door and get a Sausage McMuffin with Egg on my way to the start point in Del Mar. I know, not super healthy, but it was my day and I’m was going to enjoy it!

It was definitely sprinkling in Del Mar. I got all bundled up and after everyone was loaded up on Vigil’s espresso we were off. Luckily, we had a follow car (thanks to Super Wife Becky) and had been able to put more clothing in the car.

We kept the pace really nice. We were able to talk and even laugh I had ribbons in my hair, and was feeling very birthday-ish. We crested the first climb, and the sprinkling was actually becoming rain. We hadn’t been caught by the fast group yet and we were shocked. I was wondering if they had taken a different route and somehow got ahead of us. We were on the second major climb of the ride and then the skies just let loose. I’m not kidding when I say I thought we might get hail or something. It was cold and miserable. By this point we were losing steam, and went down a long descent to Harrah’s casino. This was the rendezvous point for the follow car (Becky was the smart one who slept in). Since we beat the car, and we were freezing, Deb and I ran into the casino to get warm. What a bizarre scene we created! We were soaking wet and frozen, sitting on the big leather couches inside a casino in the middle of nowhere. The place was spotless, and we definitely looked strange, but it was like no one even noticed. Deb got the great idea to get a room to take showers and take a taxi home. I think that we would have done it except that when my soaking wet friend tried to get a room they informed us that there were no vacancies! I couldn’t believe that someplace like that in the middle of nowhere, could be completely booked!

So, we headed back out into the cold and by this time the car had arrived, so we got inside to warm up again. I had decided that I didn’t need to be this miserable on my b-day so I was going to drive home in the car and get in the hot tub. The two faster guys decided that they were going to venture on to the top of Palomar. They had somehow missed the rainstorm that we had gotten. Super Dave from my group decided he was going to ride home. I finally relented and decided to join him. It would still be a 70+ mile day, and it just meant not going up into the mountain and chancing more freezing weather.

After the birthday girl decided to go, all the troops rallied and we all decided to get it done. JJ and Bruno took the over achiever awards for doing the whole ride, but I was super proud of our group to get the ride done. Scott Kaplan really impressed me since this was his first big ride of the year.
We got back to Del Mar, had birthday cake and enjoyed the hot tub at Dave’s house. It turned out to be an amazing day, and I was happy that I got in a good ride, and an adventure with friends!

I have been riding a bit, but I have just started to do some longer rides. This was far and away the longest ride that I have done since last year. It was even more difficult because of all the climbing.

I always forget about those first few hard rides of the season. They are always more painful than you remembered from the year before, and it’s not only physically, but mentally challenging. I was suffering so badly on the way up the final climb that I actually thought a couple times that I might have to stop and pretend like I was checking out the view! Fortunately, it was so cold that even stopping lost its appeal, and I kept moving forward.

My point to all this is that even when it seems pointless and hard, you have to just keep moving forward. I’m not saying you can’t take a break, but it’s those miles that you just have to get through on your way to fitness. It doesn’t matter how you get through it, it’s not pretty, but you need to do it. I can’t remember the last time I felt like I was going to bonk like that. The problem was even when I got to the top, I knew that I had to ride all the way back home, and it was mentally exhausting.

I was lucky enough to be riding with a small group and we had a support vehicle, so I had plenty of food and clothing, but it was still a challenge to turn the pedals. We all go through it, and its something that we can share as cyclists. No matter how fast or slow you are, we have all gone through the ups and downs, and its part of what makes arriving at your form even better.

So, Spring is here! Get out and Ride!

Ps. I want to give a shout out to the guys I met up at the store at the top of Palomar. Thanks for worrying about me having enough warm clothing! I had a big bag in the car, and was comfortable on the way down

Anyway, for all my worry, I actually had a blast driving. I have never gone through so many red lights and passed so many smiling waving policemen. It got to the point where I had to actually remind myself after the races that I needed to change my attitude so I wouldn’t be arrested or something!.

My other job was as a field reporter. I have to say that while it looks easy on TV, it is really difficult. I was lucky that they assigned a wonderful woman to help me and coach me. She eased me in and I never felt overwhelmed although sometimes it came very close. I was so glad she was there because I was very nervous, and I trusted her to make sure I didn’t look like a fool.

The most interesting thing to me was that I experienced a huge level of stress that I haven’t felt since I was racing well. The last few years of my career I didn’t ever really feel that nervous stress of having to prove something to myself. When I was riding well in the 90’s and early 2000’s, I raced a lot of times out of fear of failing. I haven’t felt that scared or fear in five or six years. But, I felt it at the Tour of California this year in a totally different context. I felt like I had a big opportunity to try some new things and I really wanted to do well. I had a self induced pressure that had me in bed by 8pm almost every night, and fighting a cold. I was terrified to fail, and ironically it made me feel alive. I have spent the last few years trying to find a life that makes me feel comfortable, and to realize that I’m at my best when I feel huge pressure was an interesting revelation. The balancing act of find a happy medium is going to have to be what I come to terms with in this new phase. I guess my attempt at advice today is that it’s important to realize what it is that drives us. What makes us passionate to move forward. Sometimes being scared is a good motivator, but the most important thing is to use whatever it is that drives you and pursue it because at the end of the day feeling alive is what makes life worth living.

So that’s my two cents for today

It is almost 85 degrees here in sunny San Diego, but I know that the weather is supposed to change a bit over the next few days. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be beautiful, but riding on the coast can sometimes be tricky. As they say, layering is the key to success.

Typically, I will ride with an undershirt, arm warmers and a vest in the morning. That way as the day heats up I can pull off the arm warmers and vest. I almost always wear a light undershirt unless it is super hot. I like that I have a barrier between myself and the jersey.

Since the weather could get rainy, which I think might be a bit optimistic for Southern California… I will bring along a clear rain jacket. I like plastic type rain gear because it really keeps the weather off you, and if it’s cold, the plastic help keeps the wind off you too. The only problem is that sometime they make you sweat too much, so if I’m racing or going hard, I really have to weigh the options. I hate to be too hot when I’m going hard.

I will also pack knee warmers and leg warmers. I don’t think that they will be necessary, but it’s always good to be prepared. When I was racing, they would say that you should always keep your knees covered if it’s under 70 degrees. I think that might be pushing it a little, but old school ways always die hard.

I have long fingered gloves etc., but I will most like likely stick to short fingered racing type gloves. If I were going to Colorado, then I would make sure I had winter gloves and shoe covers, but I am only heading to Northern California.
For those of you in really cold climates, I think that one of the most important things you can do is keep your head warm. I always had a larger helmet in the winter that I could fit a ski cap under. We lose so much heat through our heads. Also, the trick is to keep your body dry. Good base layers are incredibly important, and thermal gear is necessary if you are riding in freezing conditions.

Well, I’m off to finish my packing… Don’t let the winter weather intimidate you. Just be prepared and plan. I always felt so good after finishing rides in bad conditions. There is nothing like a cup of hot chocolate while you are warming up after a good winter ride. Have fun and dress for success!