Draper - Laying it Down

I listened all night and into the early morning as the rain came down.  I wondered as many I am sure did whether the race would be delayed or post-poned.  Early in the morning the first tweet came in "Well, no snow out here.  Very light rain."  Then the next "No rain now. Clearing. Walked part of trail. No tracks. Sand drys quickly."   Eventually another tweet came letting us know the race was delayed an hour.  Hmmm... maybe the race course wouldn't be too bad, I was skeptical, but thought I may as well go and give it a try.  I liked this course and felt like I could do well.

Upon arriving to the race, I immediately realized the condition of the course was going to be the least of my worries.  It was cool and breezy--the cold part would not have been so bad but the breeze chilled you to the bones.  Just standing in line all of us in the women's sport division were chattering from the chill.  I could not wait for the start just so I could get going and get warm. 

My start went really well this time.  I went off the front, but this time I held it for at least a mile, and then somewhere just before we entered into the Equestrian area Ali passed me.  She was looking strong.  I had now worries about the pass, I was just thrilled I held the front that long.  As we entered into single track Jen soon came up on me and I let her know to let me know when she needed to pass (I figure you can pass and if I am fast enough I will pass you back).  She waited until we hit the double track and then up the hill she went.  My last words to her "see ya' at the finish".

I kept going strong and was surprised to not hear any other sport women come up on me.  In fact I didn't hear anyone until we hit the double track downhill.  I was able to hold the next rider off until we went into the switchback uphill climb--amazing!  And actually it was good she passed me here, because I definitely needed to pace myself in this part.  As I went up I could see Lyna behind me--I didn't know how long I could hold her off, but I sure was going to try.  Eventually she caught me on the down just before the half lap--snuck right by me, it was awesome.  Even better, I held with her.  My goal was to keep her in my sights for the rest of the race.

I was doing great at my goal, and then it happened.  I went into a downhill switchback that had a trench on the inside, a little percarious, but very easy as long as you hit it right.  I hit it right and then all of the sudden I was down, and I was down hard.  Not seconds after I hit I jumped up grabbed my bike and sent the two riders behind me on their way.  I went to get on my bike and saw my handle bars had turned around.  I went to turn them back and discovered they were stuck!  I tried and tried, but could not turn my bars around.  The course marshal came to help and he could not get them to turn.  They were stuck and they were stuck good.  It took some time, but eventually with some prying and jimming the course marshal and I were able to turn them back, but not without some damage to my bike.  During all of this I lost sight of Lyna and was passed by another rider in my division.  I took off and did all I could to catch everyone.

My poor bike.

I felt a lot of frustration welling inside of me as I rode.  I had wanted so badly to do well at this race and here, once again, I had crashed and had lost a significant amount of time.  There was a lot of encouragement from friends on the course and thanks to them I was able to stave off the frustrations here and there.  I tried hard, but never did catch the other riders.  I did see them, but just wasn't able to catch them--oh the frustrations.  I crossed the line in sixth place, and rode a good ride, but I felt a lot of frustration from the ride which I just could not seem to shake.  It was hard feeling so good and riding so strong and then to watch it all slide away due to a stupid crash. 

The reality is this is mountain bike racing and these things happen.  There are flat tires, chain suck, crashes and who knows what other mechanicals--all of these are a part of racing.  And although we don't like them and we wish they wouldn't happen they are part of what makes a race, and draws us to the next race.

As for me and my frustrations I should have remembered how much I accomplished this race instead of focusing on what I loss.  As I read through this I realized I stayed near the front for a really long time.  Not only that I kept with the front part of the group up until I crashed--that is huge.  I wished I had thought of this at the race.  Oh well.  For now I will celebrate my accomplishments and prepare to do it all over again.  Well, at least as soon as my sore muscles will let me.

Me with my trusty steed.

Proof mud was flipping everywhere!

My bike looks muddier than me!

Ride after ride after ride

I twisted my knee Wednesday as I was heading onto the trail to ride my bike.  It was kind of a silly thing.  I was riding to go on the trail and did not pay attention to the smashed pumpkin in the road--I probably should have.  Apparently I road over a tiny bit of it, and before I knew it I was on the hard cement.  Somehow while going down I twisted my knee.  I sat there, about 5 feet from my car, for a good 5 minutes not sure if I would be able to ride or not.  It actually hurt pretty bad.  Finally the pain subsided enough for me to stand up, so I decided to try and ride.  Much to my good luck it did not hurt to ride, so I rode.  However later that night I could hardly get up the stairs. 

The next day it was still hurting, but I really wanted to ride.  Can you blame me, the weather has been amazing.  Not wanting to put too much stress on my knee I went for a very flat and level road ride--at least as flat as you can get considering we live near mountains.  Knee seemed okay, but it was definitely irratated.
I decided to take pictures while I rode on my bike without stopping, but I did take one stopped.  Can you guess which one it is?

 

The next day I woke up and my knee was still bothering me.  I was having kind of a down in the dumps day.  Basically I was feeling sorry for myself.  I felt bad about not having a job and not having any responses yet to my apps.  I was discouraged with the knee hurting, because now I am finally getting better and low and behold one more thing.  Basically it was one of those days.  So my plans, despite the weather, was to take a couple of keyboarding tests, and sit around with ice on my knee all day long.  Oh I should mention it is not the top of the knee that is hurt, but underneath.  Which I know is technically not your knee, but it serves as my knee for me.  Anyway while I was sitting preparing my application and getting ready to go take a test, when I get a phone call from Heather.  She wants to know if I want to go for a mountain bike ride this afternoon.  I wanted to say no, because that was how miserable I was feeling, but I didn't, I said yes.  Boy am I glad I did. 

Heather and I met up about 1 pm and headed to Corner Canyon.  I don't think you could have asked for a more beautiful day to ride.  The temperature was nice and trail conditions were perfect.  We did have a few mishapes on the way.  One of the gals we were going to meet got in a car accident and couldn't make it.  I feel so bad for her, what an awful thing to happen on your way to having fun--actually what an awful thing to happen.  We met Gayle on Clarks and it turns out she was having brake problems and her back wheel wouldn't turn.  She ended up having to bail and not getting to ride.  With all of those things that happened we still had a great ride, and  b the time we finished I felt a bazillion times better.  I am so glad I have friends that like to ride otherwise I would have sat moping all day long.

Saturday the plan was for Sally and me to ride AF Canyon.  We met in the morning and headed up the canyon.  Since the gate is closed we decided to ride up the road to get on the trail.  About the time we came to the road at Timpanoke campground we noticed snow!  We became a little concerned about how the conditions of the trial were going to be, but decided to continue up the road to see.  Once we got to the trail it looked pretty muddy.  Knowing how the rest of the trail takes up the water we decided to turn around and ride corner canyon. 

Sally took me to Hogs Hollow to start the ride.  I have always wanted to ride there, but did not know where it was or the way to go.  Thanks Sally so much for showing me.  I loved the ride up and I loved the ride back.  We had a great time riding and since Sally knows those trails so well, I learned some new ways the trails connect up--way cool.  I had such a great time riding that I forgot to take pictures both days.  So you'll just have to believe me about how great it was.

Great Fall Riding

So I have been taking a few days off the bike, in fact, almost 2 weeks.  I have been dreaming about getting on my bike, but the couple of times I tried riding my road bike it really hurt.  Well, today was a girl's ride, and with the weather looking less than great for next week I decided to take a chance. 

The ride for today was corner canyon.  The ride up was great and didn't bother my finger a bit.  The ride coming down....not so much.  Was it worth it????

It was most defnitely worth it!

6 Months Down - 6 Months to Go

I can't believe it, but it has been 6 months since my heart surgery.  The hardest part of the surgery has not been the surgery, but the recovery.  You can read all you want about the surgerical procedure, but there is nothing on recovery.  Because of that, I figured I would rest the 6 - 8 weeks after the surgery like the doctor told me, and then get on my bike and only have short time before I was in tip, top shape.  As most of you know that was not the case.  Recovery has been slow, but steady, and as I later found out, it takes 6 months to a year for complete recovery.  However, with each day and each bike ride I am slowly getting better.

Last week was my 6 month follow up appointment with my cardiologist.  I had a transdoppler test and an echo cardiogram with bubble test.  The results were very positive.  The hole in my heart is not healed yet, but is getting closer.  Prior to my heart surgery I had 500+ bubbles going through my heart, at rest, with little stress and with a lot.  Now I have 70 bubbles going through my heart only when there is a lot of stress!  Great improvement.

What does this mean?  It means I have reduced my risk for a stroke significantly.  It also means the hole is almost closed up--I am very excited about this. 

With the healing a new issue has popped up.  As I said under stress bubbles go through the hole.  Well, when you mountain bike a hill climb is stress.  Even if it doesn't feel like it, it is.  So, what has been happening is when I push it hard riding, even only for a moment such as a short steep up, or when I ride at high altitude I am getting a migraine.  It only started happening recently, which is due to the hole getting smaller and I am no longer taking plavix, only aspirin.  This is not good.  You see when I get a migraine, I get an aura.  Aura's prevent you from seeing in one or both eyes.  Lately I have been getting these while riding--not always, but more than I would like.  Try going down hill blind with one eye--not fun.  The good news there is a solution.

When I get an aura I need to immediately chew an apirin--oh, and wash it down with water of course.  The purpose of chewing the aspirin is to get it in the blood stream immediately.  If the migraine is caused by a blood clot going through the hole in my heart then it will thin the blood, stop the aura's and potentially stop the migraine.  Does it work?  Well, I got to test it out a week ago, and worked.

Jolene and I were riding in AF Canyon (sadly it will be her last ride for a while), we had just finished going down Deer Creek South Fork, when all of the sudden I started to get an aura.  Luckily I had remembered to pack some aspirin, and took one immediately--yuck!  It is very difficult to swallow chewed up aspirin when you have been riding a bike.  I was worried one wouldn't work, so I took another for good measure.  We pedaled and pedaled, and I was getting worried the aura was not going away.  I knew if it didn't there was no way I could negotiate the downhill after the summit--too many things to look out for.  Just as we got to the summit the aura quit, and I did not get a migraine.  I am so glad it work. 

Now all I need to do is remember to take aspirin on every ride.  Today I forgot and I paid for it.  I was going down Rush and low and behold an aura.  I just kept riding hoping I would make it down before the aura got worse and before the mirgraine hit.  It didn't work.  The aura kept getting worse and trying to see became very difficult.  Luckily for me I ran into Karl, Dot, Joey and Johnny and was able to follow them down.  They got me to the road safely and I took off to the car to get some aspirin, and hopefully stop the aura and on-coming mirgraine.  I didn't make it in time.  The aura quit just as I hit the parking lot and now my head is killing me.  Lesson learned aspirin in the car does not do any good.

As for everyting else.  I am looking forward to the next 6 months and seeing more improvement.  Although the last 6 months the recovery has been slow I am looking forward to the continued recovery over the next 6 months of getting stronger and better.

What a RUSH

Last night was ladies night for a night ride, and what a great turn out there was.  I forgot to count how many came, but there was 12 to 14 chicks out for a ride in the dark.  Whitney led the ride--I think she could ride those trails blind folded, she know them so well.  She took us up Clarks, down Rush, and on a bunch of other trails that led us eventually down to the parking lot, but I don't know the names of any of them. 

All I have to say is awesome!!!  The ride was awesome, the trails were awesome and I absolutely loved riding down RUSH.  This trail has great bermed switchbacks, lots of good ups and downs and jumps, and is a fun downhill trail.  I didn't do any jumps, first time on the trail and in the dark--yeah I don't think so.  The trail was so much fun, I can't wait to go back and ride it in the day.  Unfortunately it will have to wait until next week, because 12 Hours of Sundance is this Saturday.  That's okay, because I am counting the days.

On a final note.  For several of the ladies it was their first time riding at night and everyone did great, some close calls with birds and flat tire, but all was well.  I hope they all had a good time and I hope that want to do more.  See ya' next week!

Only photo of the night, unfortunately it does not show everyone that came.

Draper Pics

Draper race was delayed by a few hours. I let Mandy have the camera before I raced, while I raced and after I raced. I left the camera with her with specific instructions to take pictures of the team and of us racing. Here is what you get when leave the camera with a 9 year old.

Gotta' love it.