Sodium Diet

On Thursday the doctor told me my sodium and chloride levels were well below normal, and I needed to eat mroe sodium.  His suggestion was to eat a burger and try to get more sodium in my diet and I would feel better.  Well, I ate the burger and some fries, but only felt a little bit better.  And as much as I loved eating the burger I cannot sustain a diet that requires me to eat a burger every day.   So I turned to salt pills, a lot fewer calories.

Now neither my cardiologist or my internist told me how much sodium I should take, they just told me I needed to up my sodium intake.  What I didn't know was by how much.  The daily recommended amount of sodium is approximately 1500 to 2400 mg of sodium a day.  I probably was only getting 1000 mg a day most days.  Which means I was low, and now that I am below low  in sodium and have a condition that requires me to have more sodium I probably need to increase my sodium more than I realized.

Of course at the onset of starting the increase of sodium I did not have all this information.  If I had then I would have probably taken much more than I did initially.  So, figuring out exactly how much sodium I needed to take, was a slow process.  Friday was the first day I started taking salt pills, but did not start taking them until in the afternoon.  I took a pill every hour, and began to feel better about 9 pm, by that time I had taken about 7 pills (each pill is 452 mg of sodium).  On Saturday I started my day off a little bit better, but it was not until 2 pm and intaking 5000 mg of sodium that I actually felt like I could function and had some strength.  Sunday I kept my intake steady and by noon was feeling better.  By the end of Sunday I had taken 5000 mg of sodium.  Today I have had 8 pills and 2 v8 (330mg sodium), and two snack size bags of pretzels.  Again almost 5000 mg of sodium.  It appears I need 4000 mg - 5000 mg of sodium.

I am actually amazed at the amount of salt I have to take to feel normal and like I can ride my bike again.  I guess if that is what it takes then that is what it takes.  Tomorrow will be my first time on the bike in a couple of weeks, and actually I have not been strong on the bike for quite some time.  I am looking forward to it, but I am guessing I may have to take more sodium because I will be sweating it all out.  Which means back to the drawing board.  I probably will do what I do for a race which is one bottle of Carbo Rocket before the race and one after.  Hopefully that is all I will need.  I wonder if I can convince Brad to make a diet Carbo Rocket.

On another bright side of things.  With all this salt intake, my water intake has increased.  I am now drinking about 1 gallon and 1 quart of water a day.  Nothing like staying well hydrated.

Compression Socks, Tights and other stuff

So with the offical diagnosis of Vasovegal Syncopy I need to buy compression tights, socks and tops.  At first glance there was nothing out there I would consider buying.  Everything the doctor showed me looked like a girdle your grandmother would wear, and not very functional.  But after a quick email to KC I was pointed in the right direction.

Using some of the information KC gave me I started my research looking at compression tights, socks and so forth, and what I found was a lot of non-information.  I actually need compression at a certain level, however not every company gives out this information.  In fact, very few companies give this information out.  Ugh what is a girl supposed to do.

What I did was research and research as many reviews as possible, but some of the reviews are tainted as they received the merchandise for free.  Also, most of the reviewers do not have a condition that requires the need of the compression apparel.  Most of the reviewers are using it for recovery and enhanced performance.  I have been reading all day trying to find the right info.  As I said some of it was helpful, some of it not, but I did find one blog that was very helpful http://kcwoodhead.blogspot.com/2009/03/compression-sock-update.html   You see, Kathleen also has a condition that requires her to take salt tablets and wear compression apparel.  Thanks to Kathleen I was able to narrow down my search.  And how big is the search?  Well here are just a few companies that sell compression apparel:  Skins - Zoot - SLS3 - Zensah - 2xu - Sugoi - Cep - Opedix just to name a few.  And what is the next step?

The next step is to take a somewhat educated purchase and order some compression apprael.  However those who provided information are the ones who will receive my purchase first, and also a public review.  The bad thing is this purchase is not cheap, and I need everyday apparel as well as cycling apparel.  I guess I will start with one and hopefully it will be the right choice.  I will let you know.

Tilting Table

Well the continuing saga of trying to figure out the cause of my low blood pressure has been 90% solved.  And how you may ask.  It was actually quite simple  of a test, it a "table tilt test".  Now hearing this term you think they put you on a table and tilt you all over the place, but that is not the case.  It is actually a very simple test.

The test begins like this you lay down on a table with heart monitor, blood pressure and other devices hooked up to you.  You lay on the table for 30 minutes, and then the table is tilted up to an almost upright position.  From here you stand for 30-45 minutes, if you do not produce the symptoms they are looking for the table is moved back down, and then you are administered a medication that produces an adrenaline affect.  You are then moved back to the upright position and spend another 30-45 minutes to see if you produce symptoms. Oh, and you are strapped to the table so you do not fall off the table, but not so tight you cannot move around.

And what are the symptoms, well, it is passing out.  Well, luckily or not luckily, I produced symptoms within less than 10 minutes.  I also produced more than fainting, which scared my husband and the nurse to death.  After I passed out apparently I had a seizure, and then my heart stopped.  Now I don't tell you this to worry that my heart stopped, this is something that can occur.  The reason I am telling you is because of what happened when all this occured.  You see, I don't remember anything after passing out.  I knew I was going out, and that was it.  After that I went to the best place ever, I was Mountain Biking, and it was the best ride ever!  I don't remember the whole scenario of the ride, but I was having so much fun, that when the nurse and others, woke me up I had no idea where I was.  I was very confused, because I actually thought I had been on my bike.  They told me where I was, and then I started to come back to reality.

Let me tell you reality has not been so great.  The test made me very sick and weak the first day, so much so I could only get up for bathroom breaks.  The next day I was supposed to be better, but was not.  Of course being the stubborn person I am I decided I could get through it.  This was very stupid as I almost passed out on the way to work.  Needless to say I returned home and stayed in bed for the rest of the day.  Which brings me to today.

Today I was still weak and dizzy, not as bad as day one or two, but still unable to drive a car safely.  So we went to see the doctor, and found out my body was now much lower in sodium and chloride which is why I was not recovering from the test.  So the doctor told me what I needed to do which is increase my salt intake.  He actually suggested I go to Apollo Burger and eat a burger and fries!  I did, and it was nice to have the doctor excuse to eat a burger and fries.

As for the table tilt test.  For now the diagnosis is Vasovegal Syncopy, which is why I pass out and have low blood pressure.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_episode; http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/754/main.html;
http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/arrhythmias/a/Syncope3_2.htm
What is the cure?  There are medications I can take, but first we take the more natural route.I must drink a lot of water, increase my salt inake, and wear a body compression suit.  They key is to drink a lot of water, but not too much to deplete my salt, and then I must eat a lot of salt to up my blood pressure and in order to prevent it from leaving my body I must wear a compressions suit.  If all goes well then my blood pressure will go up and I will quit trying to pass out.

The Dilemma

I have been riding my bike now for 2 years, and have come across a horrible problem.  The new bike of the year problem.  You see, when I first started riding I did not know if I would be riding for very long, or let alone like it, so we bought the most economic bike that would meet my needs--the Trek 3700 (bought mid-September, 2007).

This bike was the perfect bike to learn to ride on.  I would ride up the road and ride the Provo Trail many times, but it did not take long for me to want to ride on dirt.  So I then took the bike to Lambert Park, and that is where I began my first rides.  I loved riding the dirt and despite many falls, and mishaps I kept riding trying to get better.  It did not take long before I felt like I wanted to upgrade to a bike that was meant for the dirt. 

Not knowing much about bikes I put my trust in the local bike shop and was directed to a 2007 Trek WSD Fuel Ex (bought November, 2007).  This was the perfect bike for me.  It was a full suspension bike, that made riding all of the trails at Lambert Park that much easier.  I loved it and riding the trails became that much more fun, and I started to get better.

After only riding a bike for a couple of months I came to the next step in my riding and decided I wanted to ride.  This seemed like the natural course for me to go and I did.  In December of 2007 I joined one the of teams in the area, and spent 2008 racing and riding on my Fuel.  I loved this bike, there were no complaints.  But then my husband had to go and ruin it.  He had to go and buy me a Superfly.

Now of course I am not complaining one bit about this purchase, I love my Superfly.  Let me reiterate I absolutely love my Superfly.  However it has tainted me against my Fuel and 26 inch wheels.  I enjoy riding my fuel, but it is not the same and I much more love riding my Superfly.  So now my world is complete and I have the ultimate bike and would not think twice about riding anything different.....or would I.

Here is the dilemma...

The new ultimate of bikes, the Superfly 100.  I have known about this bike for quite some time, but was not worried.  I love my bike and do not need or want anything else.  But then I saw the bike at the store, and then I sat on the bike at the store, and then I rode the bike at the store.  The bike has a great full suspension, but is also very stiff.  I could have a light full suspension bike, with 29 inch wheels, but also a bike I could race.  I could have the best of both worlds, full suspension and almost hard tail.

So what do I do?  Do I sell my Fuel and Superfly and get this fabulous new bike, or do I keep what I have and ride the fuel occasionally?  This is the dilemma, or so it was until yesterday.

Merry Christmas!  Thanks honey!  I can't wait to ride my new bike!  My husband spoils me.  He tried to keep it a secret, but needed some details to order the bike.  By the way does anyone want to buy my Trek Fuel?

I Won!

I have been sick off and on now for a little over a month, so I haven't had much mountain bike riding to write about.  But fun things still happen.

Yesterday we had our Christmas party at work.  It was a fun lunch with a lot of prizes/gifts to draw for.  There were digital keychains, digital frames, poinsettas, gps systems and three more expensive gifts.  A Wii, Xbox 360 and a 26 inch flat, lcd hd tv. 

The lunch started with good food, and visiting with friends at work, and then it was time to draw for the prizes/gifts.  One by one the gifts were given away.  Eventually someone won the Xbox 360, then a little while later someone won the Wii, and then finally the last prize was up--the tv.

I watched gift after gift go, and when the tv came up, I knew it was up, either I won the tv, or went home with nothing but a full stomach.  I sat and held the ticket tightly cupped in the palms of both hands, and waited for the number to be called.  It was called, and I looked at my number and then asked what the number was again.  Yes!  It was my number!!!

Our family could definitely use a tv downstairs.  Right now we have a little 21 inch tv, and although it is nice it will be great to have something a bit better.  And although I do not believe in having  a tv in the bedroom, it will be nice to have one I can put in our bedrooms when someone is sick.
Haven't taken it out of the box yet, I need to buy a mounting system.

The Ride that Didn't Happen

Last night I did some maintenance to my bike.  I switched from spd's to eggbeaters, added super juice to my front tire, removed the tube from my back tire and set it back to tubeless.  The set up on the back did not go to well. Apparently the back tire had one spot right at the rim that would not set, but after some tipping of the tire and getting the tire just right it finally set.

My planned ride for today was up the road by the cemetary and then take the BST all the way past Dry Canyon.  I have been thinking about this ride all week and couldn't wait.  The ride to the start of the trail went fine, and then I hit dirt.  Riding dirt is the best feeling in the world.

Just as I was starting up the steep part of the BST I noticed my bike tire wobbling.  I stopped and saw the tire was low.  I got out a cartridge and filled it.  As soon as I filled the tire up air started to spurt out.  I tilted it for it to seal up and it did.  I then got back on and continued up the hill.  I went about  5 feet and air started to come out of the tire again.  I stopped tilted the bike, it sealed, and then I assessed the situation.

I had one cartridge left and no air pump.  I could put the tube in I had, but the cartridge would not be able to fill it enough to ride.  I decided I would let some air out of the tire and see why the seal was not sealing at this particular spot.  When I did this a discovered a hole right by the rim on tire.  There was not way the hole could stay sealed.  I sat thinking what I could do so I could get home.

I decided if I put a patch on the outside, it would probably hold until I got home.  So for the first time in 2 years of owning a patch kit I put it to use.  Did you know the glue in a patch kit does not last for 2 years, even if you never open it???  So now the patch idea is out.  Next best idea.  Fill up the tire and cross my fingers I get home, and plan a dirt ride for another day.

It worked I filled it up and was able to get home.  The tire was fairly low, but I made it!  I guess it is time to buy new tire, the 3rd one this year!

Death by Intervals

So the title may lead you to believe that I am going to talk about how the intervals I did today killed me, and I am so out of shape, but nope that's not what I am going to talk about.  No, instead I am going to talk about the ghetto spin bike I got to do my intervals on.

About a month ago my Gold's Gym pass expired.  Now typically I would renew my pass, but I had a better idea instead.  I decided that I would get a family pass at the Orem Rec Center.  It was less than the Gold's Gym Pass, and the whole family could go and have fun.  I could take Mandy to the rec center with me, let her play and hang out there while I work out, and then go for a family swim after.  Not a bad idea in theory.  The pool is fun, the rec center has been remodeled and is in great condition, and there are a lot of different things the family can do together.  There is one glitch to this scenario--the spin bikes!

At Gold's Gym I can access the spin bikes in the spin room and use them any time.  I cannot at the rec center, you can only use them during class time.  That's okay though, because there are 2 spin bikes in the cardio area.  Well, these bikes are not so great.  Bike 1 does not have any tension on the wheel, so I guess it would be okay for a recovery day, but not a work out/interval day.  Bike 2 the tension works, but it does not have clipless pedals.  In fact, neither bike has clipless pedals!  Both bikes have toe cages.  Okay, not so bad, but not my preferance.  However, bike 2 has a problem bike 1 does not, it has only one toe cage, the other pedal is nothing but a flat pedal.  So what is a gal do to???

Well, since it was interval day it was bike 2 with only one toe cage.  Have you ever tried to do intervals with one shoe in a cage and one not.  Not fun, not easy and definitely a different kind of work out.  Let's just say I will think twice about doing intervals on either of these bikes.  Oh and guess what, none of the bikes at the rec center have clipless pedals!!!  So I could go to a class, ignore the instructor and do my own thing, but I would still be in toe cages.  Or maybe I could bring my pedal wrench, spd pedals and switch out the pedals every time I go to work out.  I wonder how the rec center would feel about that?  I guess it is back home to the trainer, and family fun time at the rec center will not include me riding the spin bike.

I Don't Care...

if I am sick. 

That is how I felt yesterday.  Last Sunday I woke upand felt like I was going to collapse.  I was very fatigued, sick to my stomach and extremely dizzy.  I slept most of the day away, woke the next day and then went to work the next day.  Eventually I ended up going home not feeling good at all.  For the rest of the week I have been sick.  So finally Saturday I couldn't take it anymore, and I went for a bike ride.

I probably shouldn't have gone for a ride, but it felt so good to be out.  The ride was nothing difficult mostly flat, and a nice easy pace.  It was great to feel the cold air on my face as I rode, and such a relief to be on my bike.  I am still feeling under the weather, but it was so worth it to get out and go for a ride.
Pictures of the lake and mountains.

Total Bummer

One of my favorite rides is in AF Canyon.  I have written about this particular trail before, and  I absolutely love it.  I have ridden other trails, but always have an aching to ride this trail.  Today I got to go ride the trail with Jolene.  We were very excited, because Jolene had heard from Steve the trail was in great condition, and we did not want to miss this great opportunity.

The gate in AF Canyon is closed, so we parked at Pine Hollow.  Our choice was to go up the road to Timpanooke or up Pine Hollow Trail.  We have never gone up Pine Hollow so we choose this route.  The first part of Pine Hollow is not so bad, but after the first little bit it then goes up and up and up, and not a little easy up the loose rock, over rocks and roots up.  I loved going up this way, it was hard, but better than going up the road.
A glimpse of Pine Hollow, however it doesn't do it justice.

As we went along the trail we discovered the trail was quit muddy in spots, luckily it was only spots, but there were times my tires were covered in mud.  The further up the trail twe went the cooler it seemed to get, by the time we got to the first overlook it was time to put on our jackets.  As we did so Jolene noticed the snow on the back side of the mountain.  I could not believe how much snow there was.

I would like to say the  rest of the ride went well, and for the most part it did except for the downhill part going towards four corners.  On the downhill I was having a blast, I came around a turn and realized I was heading right for this big bush/tree.  There wasn't much to do except go into the bush.  I fully expected to over and into the bush and down the hill, but instead there was a really big branch that caused me to richet off to the left backwards onto the trail and onto a very big rock.  And yes I hit my tail bone right on the rock!

Now after most of my crashes I usually get right up.  After this crash I felt a shock go up my spine, and I just stayed laying on the trail.  As I was laying there I was hoping the next rider would see me and not run me over, and he did.  Tim helped to get my bike off me, and then Jolene arrived.  I just stayed on the trail in the fetal postion waiting for the moment I could start to move again.  I don't know how long I was there, but it felt forever before I was able to get up.

Once I was up we took off.  After a time I eventually forgot about the pain in my back side and lost myself in the joy of riding the trail.  On our ride around the loop we decided to take Salamander Flats back instead of Pine Hollow, which made for a phenominal ride.

By the time we got to Timpanooke parking lot the sun was dipping and we needed to put on the remainder of our warm clothes.  Luckily the ride to Pine Hollow parking lot is only a little over mile, so we did not get too cold--just cold enough to want to jump into the car and get warm.  It was as I jumped into the car I was given a cruel reminder of my crash.  And much to my shock I discovered my left butt check was swollen and hurt in the I don't want to sit down way.  However, as I write this I am sitting--on an ice pack!
Jolene coming down the hill .

Moab Part Duex

I thought I would be ready to write the next day after my blog, but I have been very sleepy all week long.  I think I need a full day of nothing but sleep.  Next year I am taking Monday off after the race so I can sleep all day long.

Lap 3
Lap 3 began for me shortly after I finished lap 2.  I went back to camp after my second lap and immediately ate a banana and a bagel.  I then tucked Mandy in for the night, visited with the others, and went to bed for a couple of hours.  Around 3 to 3:30 am I woke up to eat and get ready for my last and final lap.  I tried to eat the wonderful soup Abby had made for us, but I couldn't my body refused to take in any food.  I knew I needed food to do my next lap, but every time I swallowed I would gag.  For the next two hours while I waited for Jen to come in and for me to go out I sat in my chair feeling sickish.  Eventually I started to dry heave, now mind you there was food in my stomach, but I was doing my best to not let it come up.  I finally gave up on the eating idea, and decided whatever happened on my next lap would happen, and went down to the tent to wait for Jen to come in.

As I waited for Jen I visited with other racers to keep my mind off not feeling so good.  We shared stories and talked about how fun it would be to do the dawn ride.  This was the lap where the sun comes up.  I am not sure what time Jen came in, but we exchanged the baton, swiped our cards and I went to my bike.  I was crossing my fingers that as I rode I would feel better and the sickish feeling would leave.

This lap was much quieter than my first night lap.  People were now in their tents sleeping and if they were out by the campfires, they were quietly eating, drinking and visiting with other members of the camp.  You could see the toll of the long night beginning to take affect on not just the racers, but the spectators too.

As I rode I felt very sluggish.  My body was in a bit of a revolt and did not want to go.  I think it did not understand why I had been up riding my bike so much.  Mentally I was half and half up for it.  I wanted to ride, but the physical part made it so I did not want to ride hard, so I didn't.  Instead I rode with the goal in mind to complete the race.  I was also very determined to keep up in good spirits.  My laps prior I had talked and cheered everyone on as I rode by them, or as they rode by me.  This lap I did the same thing.  Funny thing, this lap others joined me in conversation.  On previous laps it was quick "good job", "having fun", or something like that.  This time people actually talked--at least those who were close to me.  I think they were feeling the fatigue and their goal also was to finish the lap. 

So I rode, but not very fast.  As I rode the sickish feeling I was having began to diminish.  This probably comes to as no surprise to those who have ridden with me.  Usually when I ride the sickish feeling diminishes--at least while I am riding.  With the sickish feeling leaving my legs picked up a little more speed, but I would say not a substantial amount.  Then it happened somwhere near the top of the first hill I noticed I could see the trail.  I could see the brush, the trees and some of the rocks.  It was still dusky, but light was beginning to show.  This was a good sign, because soon I would be able to see far down the trail.  As luck would have it by the time I reached the first triple xxx I could see the trail without any light.

Being able to see the trail was a good thing, but it did not take away my fatigue.  I was so tired that I was worried about riding the triple xxx's and making it down safely.  It took all of the energy I had to ride down those hills and keep my bike upright on the trail.  Now of course I could have walked the down hills, and I considered doing this, but I decided the only way I would walk them is if I crashed. 

I am amazed at how I ended up down some of the hills.  I would ride down take my line, and hope everything turned out okay, and lucky for me it did, and by lucky I do mean lucky.  There was one triple xxx I took and when I was done I was amazed I made it down all of the rocks without going over my handle bars.  They were huge, and I had not taken the best line.  Thank goodness I was too afraid, for once, to use my brakes and just let my bike roll.

I was very happy after I had finished the last triple xxx before prostitute bluff, and as I rode out towards prostitute something amazing happened, the sun came up.  I do not think I have been so happy to see the sun as I was at that moment.  I was so happy I wanted to cry tears of joy at seeing the sun.  It was as if a whole new day was about to begin, and for me it did.  At this point I began to pick up the pace in my riding and actually started riding fast again--I felt wonderful.

From this point forward the ride got better and my strength returned.  I rode and felt good.  I still was not riding as fast as I could which I am sure Tim could attest to as he rode by me on the final up hill climb.  He went by and it almost looked like I was standing still, but that's okay, because I was finally riding with strength, was passing people and was having a great time.  I was able to take the final two triple xxx's with confidence and speed.

When I hit the final down I let everything go and flew down the double track.  I rode past others, and skimmed through the sand.  I was having a blast.  And then it happened, I hit the final sand pit and for some reason this time I did not ride through, instead I ended up flying off my bike and face down in the dirt.  Thank goodness sand is soft.  The guy in front of me asked if I was okay, and I let him know I was doing great.  His reply "your being too cheerful, and I am grumpy".  Mine "the sun is out and it is a great day".  He laughed and we rode on.  As I rode past camp I hollered good morning to everyone, and then came into the tent to switch off with Dorothy.  Told everyone good morning and headed back to camp.  I was so happy, the sun was out and I had finished my last lap!  I had done it!

I went back to camp, to eat, and of course still could not get any food down.  Oh well, I was done and I knew eventually I would be able to eat again.  Our team took 2nd place.  The team that beat us, was dang fast.  They had lap times that beat several pro-women.  I believe they ended up being the first place women's team out of all of the women's teams.  What is so impressive about this is all of them range in age from 44 on up.  This gives me hope that I can get stronger and faster as I get older--at least I am sure going to try.

After the Race
I didn't stay for awards since I was so tired and still had to drive home, but Jen picked up our medals, and apparently we also got some type of cool sports drink too.  When I arrived home I was exhausted and my legs were so swollen I could barley bend them.  I tried to put both of my hands around my calf and the thumbs were 5 inches apart.  I should have measured them, but I was too tired to care. It took 3 days for the swelling to go completely down.  I also gained 7.5 pounds from the race.  Which I have almost lost--it seems my body loves to retain water.  It was not until Wednesday that I was finally hungry again, and boy was I hungry.  I ended up eating a Wendy's bacon cheeseburger and fries, boy did it taste good.

Would I do this race again, you bet.  I am hoping to go again next year, and this time I hope I can get in 4 laps instead of just 3.

24 Hours of Moab

Mad Dog #3/The Great Dames

There was a lot of anticipation for this race, for an entire week all I could think about was the race and how great it was going to be.  By the time Friday came I could hardly contain myself I was so excited.  We left early Friday to pre-ride the course and help set up some of the camp.  We had a fabulous camp set up.  Scott's wife Abby cooked fabulous meals for us, that kept us going for each lap.  We had a place to eat and stay warm in between laps, we had a tent to change in (my contribution) and a trailer to sleep/rest in when we were not racing (Dorothy's contribution).  Best of all we got to hang out with other Mad Dog team mates, and some from other teams that had joined us, and listen to their stories about their race laps. Oh, and get lots of good advice on how to ride the course.

Pre-Ride
Jen took me to pre-ride the course, thank goodness.  Thanks to her all I had to do was follow, she showed me the lines to take and I rode them.  If it hadn't been for her it probably would have taken a while to figure out what would be the right line.  The first of the course is single track on sand and then some climbing on rocks.  Nothing big just a lot of medium size rocks that look like a rock path going up a hill.  Sometimes you had to do little ups, but for the most part you just ride along somewhat bumpily.  Eventually you come to a part that takes you on huge sandy down hills.  This part scared me--sand and me have not had good experiences in the past, and I tend to crash a lot due to my lack of skills.  Jen felt pretty comfortable on this and was way ahead of me, so much so I never saw her go down.  Luckily there was a guy behind me coaching me how to take the berms.  He also kept telling me to stay off my brakes.  Easy for him to say, but I did not want to go too fast where I could not control my bike.  At the end of the berms is a downhill descent then a quick up a sand hill back on to some rocks.  As I was going down the hill the guy was telling me to go to my left, Jen told me to go to my right (she was waiting on the top of the sandhill), I ended up going in the center and flying over my handle bars into the soft sand.  I was pleasantly surprised, because it did not hurt.  I got back on my bike and off Jen and I went.

We continued on until we got to our first triple xxx--a triple xxx means dangerous, be careful.  Jen explained to me that all of the triple xxx's were best taken on the left.  We did this on the first triple xxx downhill, however when you go down sometimes you must immediately go up, and this was the case for this down.  As I went up I quickly began to shift down so I could keep up my momentum and get over the rocks.  As soon as I shifted my chain sucked right in between the chain ring and guard.  I pulled and manuvered the chain around, but could not get it out.  As luck would have it three guys came by and offered to help.  They were able to get the chain out, and then helped fix the shifting as best as they could--apparently when I endoed I bent my derailur hanger and it had to be fixed.  This meant my shifting was going to be off for the rest of the ride, and it was, my bike ghost shifted the rest of the course, but lucky for me it was nothing major and I was able to make it back to camp.

For the rest of the ride I made mental notes of where to ride and where to go.  There is one part of the course that is all smoothish rock at this part of the course I was worried about getting lost, but Jen told me to follow the white marks from the tires and I would be able to find my way.  I was just hoping there would be riders around I could follow and not have to worry about it.  The last part of the course is a wonderful fast double track that switches from hard ground, to sand.  It was here I got a lot of practice trying to float/surf on the sand.  It was also here I always had a blast.

After our pre-ride I had the team wrench, Brian, fix my bike--thank goodness for Brian, or I could have been stuck with yucky shifting all of the race.

The Start
The start of the race is a Lemans start.  I volunteered Jen for this--she is fast, a tri-athelte, and a dang good rider.  It only made sense for her to go first.  I hope she didn't mind too much.  The start of the race is hard to describe.  You see people running to you, you people dressed up, you see a huge cloud of dust and you see people eating dust.  It is an amazing start that should be experienced in person.

The start of the race with bikini/gladitor man out front.

Jen eating a lot of dust.

First Lap

I was the second leg of the race.  After Jen took off I went and got ready for my lap.  I quickly ate a sandwich, got dressed and then got a case of the nerves.  I know I probably shouldn't have been so nervous, but I was.  The first part of the course is sandy single track and I was worried how I would do.  There is a sand drop onto a mat, and a lot of people had endoed here taking the wrong line.  Thinking about this part of the course made me nervous.  Eventually it was time for me to meet Jen in the tent, so off I went.  Once I got to the tent my nerves calmed down some, and then I started to wait for her to come in.  Jen came in, handed off the baton, swiped her card, I swiped my card, and I was off.

The first part of the single track I hit into a rhythm not too fast, and not too slow.  Then I came to the sand drop.  I made it with out any problems!  This gave me the confidence I needed.  As I rode the trail my confidence in riding began to grow.  I was clearing the rock drops, making it up the hills and passing riders the entire time.  I felt good about how I was doing, and then the motorcycles showed up. 

For some reason a group of motorcycles decided they needed to ride all around while we were riding.  I don't know if they were there to be rude or out for fun, but it came across as rude.  They would ride and leave exhaust fumes in my face as they went by.  I coughed and choked and hoped they would disappear.  Then to make matters worse I was coming down a technical section and a rider went down and stopped right at the bottom where I needed to go.  I ended up yelling for him to move, but it was to late and I ended up off my bike having to walk.  I was so mad and wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but decided it was not worth it and instead told the camera man how mad I was.

The rest of the lap went well aside from the motorcycles being around up to mile 10.  I did not get lost on the rocks and I felt really good about clearing all of the rocks and down hills.  The best was the last where I just pounded the pedals and coasted through the sand.  It was so much fun I had to whoop and holler.

Lap 2

My second lap was a night ride.  This was the lap I was looking forward to.  I love riding in the dark and felt pretty confident that I would have a good lap.  A couple of hours before this lap I went out to eat some food to make sure I had enough fuel for my lap.  I was feeling a little sickish about eating, but as soon as I got the food in my body I felt good, and the sickish feeling went away.  I sat around and listened to all of the advice about how to spot the sand in the dark, and ride the trail, and then took off to the tent.  Once again Jen came in, passed the baton, swiped her card, I swiped my card and took off down the dark trail.  Riding in the dark was ominous there was no light other than the lights from our bikes, and since riders did not stay together there were many times I was riding by myself in the dark.

At 3.5 miles into my lap I heard a big blllrp and felt my tire quickly deflat.  I guess as I went over the rocks the tire rolled perfect and came unsealed.  Oh well I have changed a flat and know how to do this, so I took my rear tire off and went to work.  Well I discovered I did not have 2 tire levers, I only had one.  I got the tire off and put in the tube.  As I tried to pump it up a little bit I had some problems and realized the tube was all twisted up.  I took the tube out untwisted it and put it back in.  I then pumped it up just a little bit so I could put the tire back on the rim.  However, without a 2nd lever this was becoming almost impossible.  I tried and tried and turned down many offers of help.  Finally I gave up and asked the next rider if he had a tire lever.  As luck would have it he did and he helped me get the tire back on the rim.  It actually took both of us it was so hard.  I then used my cartridge to fill it up.  The first cartridge was not enough, so I grabbed the second cartridge, but for some reason as soon as I put it in the seal broke and I lost all of the air.  Luckily the guy that helped me had a pump, so he grabbed his pump so we could pump up the tire.  Guess what the pump had the wrong type of valve for my stem.  It was now time to see if someone else had a pump.  A few riders later someone else stopped and helped pump up my tire.  He then left and I was left to put my wheel on my bike.  Normallly this is no big deal, but for some reason I was really struggling.  I guess it was pretty obvious and another guy stopped and helped me get my wheel on and then we had to pump up the tire again, because it was not enough.  Finally I was able to get on my bike and ride.  All in all it took somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes to change the tire--way too long.

The ride in the dark was much different than I expected.  I could see well, but in Moab you need to not only see well, but far away to make sure you are going the right direction and taking the right line.  There were many parts of the trail I ended up walking when in the day I had ridden the same section without any problems.  I got lost 3 times on the trail.  Nothing major I just went a few feet in the wrong direction and realized there were no tires tracks the direction I was going.  I would then wait for a rider to come by so I could figure out what direction I was supposed to go.  I never had to wait more than 30 seconds before I knew what direction to go.  Thank goodness for other riders otherwise I would probably have been on the trail lost all night long.

The end of the course has a lot of sand.  This part I was a little nervous about.  I wasn't sure if I would see the sand, and I didn't want to brake accidently which would cause me to end up on the ground.  Luckily I followed Robin's advice and could tell most of the time where the sand was.  If it wasn't by feel, it was my the tire markings in the sand.  Seeing the tire marks let me know where I did not want to go.  I finished the lap clearing all of the sandy parts and having a great time.

I am tired for now and will continue the rest of the story tomorrow.

We Have Some Competition

I am off to Moab tomorrow to race in the Women's Veteren Division.  I can't believe all of the stuff I am taking.  I have a bag for my bike clothes, a bag for my hanging out clothes, sleeping bags, mattress, tent, food, water, lights, snacks, food, carbo rocket, and extra everything for the bike.  My car is stuffed to the hilt, and I am only going to be gone for 2 days--amazing.

We also have some competition in our dvision.  Until this week I thought I was going to have to compare my times to the sport women (which of course I probably will still do), but now we have some competition in our division.  This definitely ups my game--I can't wait.  There is only one thing I am not sure about....how do I know who I am racing against? 

Getting Ready for Moab

I really don't know how to get ready for Moab, but I like the ideas I have come up with to get ready, and by no means do I think they are good training, but they are a lot of fun.  One is riding my bike multiple times a day, so my legs will get used to stopping and starting again.  This has been very difficult, it just breaks my heart having to ride my bike multiple times a day, especially when I have to tell my husband I am training, so I need to be out riding.  Another is going on night rides with my team mates and others gals who will be riding in Moab.   This has been a lot of fun, because usually I go on night rides in the early morning with the guys--so technically it is not night, but it is dark.

Riding with the guys is fun, but it is not the same as riding with girls.  For example when I ride with the guys if I want to get a picture I need go ahead of them  (very difficult they are faster than me), and set up to take the picture, because they do not stop and pose for a picture.  With the girls we stop and take pictures, we point out different scenic views, and we tend to stay together in a group--guys do not generally do this.  Tonight, something else was thrown into the mix, tonight is was cold.

Now for me getting used to the cold is not so bad.  For those who have read my blog in the past you know I ride in the cold, and my cut off is 20 degrees.  However,  I have never gotten the girls to go out with me.  Well, today I did.  Since we are getting ready for Moab we are doing a night ride, and since it will be cold why not give it a try.  So Jolene and Jen came along to give it a try, and it was cold.

We arrived at Big Spring Hollow, and my car said it was 39 degrees and Jen's said is was 37 degrees--either way it was cold.  The good news we were dressed for the cold ready, and I was excited to show them it was not so bad riding in the cold and it doesn't take long before you get warm.
Jolene dancing in the cold.

Jen bundled and ready to go.

We took off up the trail, but unfortunately we did not go far before we had a problem.  Jen's light mount had come apart and the piece that held it together was somewhere on the trail.  We looked and looked, and we were thinking we could find it in the dark, because it was silver and should reflect off our lights, but no such luck.  Well Jen decided without her light it was probably better not to continue, so she turned around and Jolene and I continued on.

The ride was beautiful, and unfortunatly the pictures do not capture the beauty of the ride.  The trail was carpeted in red and yellow leaves and with our the lights the colors danced and were brighter than ever.  There was frost on the ground that looked like jewels on top of the ground and leaves and added an extra sparkle.

I think for the most part Jolene stayed warm, at least until we went downhill, and then well, her hands got cold, but I think the rest of her stayed pretty warm.  Perhaps in the future I will be able to convince her to go on more rides in the cold.
The trail ahead carpeted in leaves.

The leaves right below my feet.

Mother-Daughter Fall Ride

Saturday, Mandy and I went to Big Spring Hollow to take pictures of the trees and ride the trail.  Mandy was funny she walked her bike on the not so steep and more easy part of the trail, and then when we got to the part that was steep and up hill she rode the rest of the way with frequent stops.  I think me telling her I expected her to walk her bike made her decide she wasn't goingt to--wish I had thought of that at the first of the ride.
Start of the ride.

Mandy on the trail.

Time for a picture break.

Mom and Mandy having fun.

Sunny Days

Went with Jolene to get a guided tour from Patty of the Onion days race course and some other fun single tracks in Payson.  When we left it was very cool outside, so I took arm warmers and two jackets just in case.  By the time we got to Payson it was warm and I only needed my arm warmers for a short period of time.

We parked somewhere near the bottom of the canyon and rode up the rode toward the single track.  On the way up we passed by some cows.  The first set thought nothing of us, the second one looked and me, paniced and ran up the bank, then saw Jolene and ran across the road and up a steep embankment.  Then we scared another group of cows that ended up running up the road, across the road and up a very steep embankment.  I guess we looked pretty scarey.

It wasnt' long before we got to the single track, and started having even more fun.  However, we did not get very far before Patty's front brake broke of her handlebar.  Normally I have electric tape, and slip ties, but I of course just changed bike bags and did not put these things back in.  Jolene started to search through her camel back to see what she could find.  She looked and looked, and after she had pulled almost everything out I came up with a great idea.  Check it out--we used my ponytail holder to hold it in place.

This left Patty with only her back brake to use, and we had just gotten started.  Luckily most of the trail can be done with a back brake, and Patty has skills, so she did great without the front brake.  As we rode more we saw some goregous views.

And of course we had to get pictures of each other while looking at the views.

Jolene working with her camera.

Patty and me hanging out on the trail.

The ride got better and better and of course I forgot to take more pictures.  We ended with a fun downhill to the car, where off to the right were a bunch of wild turkeys (no pics).  Now I just need to convince Patty to show me more trails up there.

This is why I started to....

ride my bike. A little or not so little screw that was put in my foot a little over two years ago.

Two years ago I had surgery that required this screw to be placed in my foot. The surgery kept me from walking or running, so I decided to buy a bike, and the rest is history. Since then I ride as much as I can and absolutely love it.

This screw is also the reason I am not riding right now, but that will only be for a couple of more days. See ya' on the trails!
It may not look that big, but it was a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

The Weather Man was Wrong

Normally the Monday after a race I ride real easy and use it as a recovery ride. But this Monday was different. I knew I was having surgery Tuesday (getting a screw out of my foot), and I knew I would be off my bike for a few days. So knowing this I called up Jolene and Wendy and convinced them it was not going to rain and the ride would be great.

We rode the loop in AF Canyon, and the ride was great. The weather was perfect, the trails were tacky from recent rain, and of course great friends to ride with. As we hit the Cascade side of the loop dark clouds started to roll in, a breeze picked up and there was thunder announcing an imminent storm. I kept saying the weather man had said it would not rain until 3 pm, and it was not even noon yet, so we should be okay. I had to put those positive vibes out there. We rode up to the Summit parking lot, and just as we got there the clouds opened up and the rain came pouring down. And by pouring, I mean drench you immediately rain shower.

Not knowing how long the rain would last we took off, although I don't think it would have mattered, how fast or quickly we went because we were drenched within minutes. The funny thing we noticed as we rode back, the rain was on part of the trail, but not others, and by the time we got to the parking lot the only indication you would have known it had rain was the mud that covered our bodies.
Snagging a picture of Jolene as we ride.
Wendy coming to the top of the look out.

Part of the downhill on Deer Creek South Fork.

You can't see the rain, but my flash went off due to the dark clouds and reflected off of Jolene's bike.

Wendy riding down hill. I got water on the lens from the rain.

Ride is over and we are the only proof that it rained.

12 Hours of Sundance

The race was amazing. I have never done an endurance race or been to one, so I did not quite know what to expect. What I got was more than my expectations and one of the best race experiences ever.

The race started at 7 am while it was still dark out, but light enough to see the trail and the road. The racers left the start line and a few seconds later Reed Abbott goes up the road, then a few more seconds later Chad Gibson comes up the road saying "nothing like starting a race in last place." I guess when you are riding solo for 12 hours, 30 seconds is not going to make or break you.

With the sun still not over the horizon it was chilly. To bide the time and take our minds off the chill we visited with other racers and got set for when our turn would come to ride. The waiting was not long as the first riders Chris Holley and Josh Wolfe came burning down the hill. It was phenomenal watching them come down the hill and around the perimeter to the finish line. I love watching the pros ride.

The next few riders began to come in and there was cheering for them as they rode past. The rider I remember the most and would continue to love to watch throughout the day was Dan. Dan was wearing argyle socks and when he came down the hill he let out a loud holler--I can't remember what he said but he was obviously happy to be there riding. Each time he came around he was cheerful. He was riding solo, and I don't think there was a time I really saw him off his bike. He ate and drank while he rode, as well as chatted and cheered for other riders.

As riders came in and went out I began to get ready for my first time out. Like other races I had a case of the nerves and had to go to the bathroom several times. It's amazing how nerves can affect the bladder. My first time out I was a little nerve racked waiting because I did not know what to expect. Eric pulled in and I went out, the wrong direction! I couldn't figure out how to get to the road. With a little laughter and a shake of the head I turned around and got out to road. I felt good on my first lap and rode hard. My goal was to get in under an hour and hopefully have a time that would be close to my team mates.

The downhill for my first lap was not so good. I went much slower than I was used to and kept braking around every switchback. It felt jerky and unnatural. I knew I lost some time as I went down the hill. As I hit the road to go down the final hill I looked back and saw Chris. I yelled he needed to hurry up to pass me and took off. I then took off and turned on the first turn I came to me and rode hard up the road. As I was riding I heard a yell from Chris and realized I had made a wrong turn! I quickly turned around and rode back in the right direction. Thank goodness Chris was there to keep me from going all the way up. I got to the bottom and across the line in 56:14. I was happy this was under an hour.

Coming off the course I went and found someone to fix my bike. It had done some skipping in the gears while on the trail, and I was worried it would get worse. Tim helped and while he worked on my bike I forced myself to eat a sandwich. Eating was pretty difficult as I was not hungry, but I knew I would need to eat if I wanted to ride well my next lap. I also drank two water bottles of Carborocket to get me well hydrated and ready for my next lap. The drinking was not so hard, but the eating almost made me sick.

It wasn't long before my turn came again and I was ready to go out hard. My second lap I felt great. There was more downshifting than the first lap, but everything was smooth and flowing. I passed a few people this time, but I have to say there is no accomplishment in passing people that are doing duo or solos. And then about the time I hit the top of the course my gears started to skip and I couldn't get into the right gear. I pedaled gently and did some shifting back and forth until it finally went in. As I head down Speed Trap I crossed my fingers there would be no further problems. It was on Speed trap I got a little beat up and bounced around. I did not realize until I got to the bottom of Speed trap my fork had been locked out. I quickly unlocked my fork and from here everything was smooth. It's amazing what how well you can ride when you have been riding rigid.

For my second lap the downhill went great and I was much faster and smoother the whole way. I had more skipping issues along the way, but was able to hold everything together with a time of 56:23. A few seconds slower than my first lap, but I was happy with the time. I had stayed consistent and all went well.

Eating the second time was not too bad, but still difficult. While waiting my turn I debated whether I should have someone look at my bike or if I should leave it and hope for the best. I left it and hoped for the best--not a good decision. It seemed my third lap came a lot quicker than I expected. I went off feeling a little tired, but still good. I rode up the hill hard and fast, but this time in a smaller gear, as soon as I hit the single track I switched to a larger gear and started going hard and fast. I only went a short distance before my gears in the back started to skip. I flipped around and tried to figure out which gears would stay, and discovered while in my middle I could not go down, but had to stay in my upper gears. This would be fine if it was my first lap, but it was not and my legs need to be in the lower gears. My only choice was to go into my small cog and ride.

Riding in my small cog I stayed smooth, but I could not get the power I wanted to go fast, especially on the flats like Archie's. I rode as hard as I could, but my speed was not what I wanted or was capable of, there was no heavy breathing involved--a sign I can definitely go harder. As I rode around Scott's pound and out towards the next hill climb you could hear my chain creaking and groaning, and I discovered my gears would not stay in when I tried to go into my 3 to the last chain rings. I was fine in granny, granny, but the three next rings I could not use. This left me without a lot of options when it came to climbing hills. I ended up in my granny, granny gear for every hill climb and I was spinning as fast as I could while at the same time trying not to put too much pressure on my pedals so my gears would not skip. I was very frustrated, because I knew I could go faster and I felt like I was letting my team down. I didn't want to be so slow that we couldn't get in at least two more laps. The down was good and I was able to keep my speed smooth and consistent which helped. I ended up coming in at 1:01:??. Off the course I immediately had Joseph look at my bike. He got it in working condition, but I need new cables and probably a new chain. I guess with that knowledge it could have been a lot worse, and as someone reminded me at least I did not end up walking. I just hate to be the one to let the team down.

The good news is we ended up getting in two more laps and winning the Masters Coed Division. I am now hooked on endurance races. Although I am not quite ready for duo and probably never for solo, so 4 man/woman teams will have to do for now.

The winners-Stephen Washburn, Kendra Clark, Eric Johnson, Eric Johnson

Practice for Moab

So I am doing the 24 hours of Moab race October 10th with a bunch of great ladies. I am very excited and have started training/riding for this race. Of course part of getting ready is doing night rides. I happen to like riding in the dark, so going out for a night ride was great. For our first night ride Wendy, Jen, Jolene, Dorothy and I rode Big Spring Hollow--for some reason they didn't believe me the BST would be a great ride. Eventually I will get them there.

The ride was a blast. We laughed and visited the whole time, and the gals realized riding was fun. I think the pictures say it all.

Dorothy & Jolene getting lights ready for the ride.

The trail at night.

The lights do funny things when you take pictures.

Wendy on the trail with the others behind her.

Using the lights to make shadows on the trees.

Best one of the bunch

Jen on the trail with all of us lighting her up.

Jolene-love the light affects.

Jen & Wendy

Time for a group picture - take one-too many lights.

Take 2 - Jen didn't make it in time.

Take 3 - Ooops Jen forgot to block her light.

Take 4 - ooops camera went off on it's own.

Take 5 - Jolene got cut out of the picture

Take 6 - Great group picture.