Stage 1 of Willamette

Today's first stage of the Willamette Valley Classic went fairly well, though it was pretty uneventful. The 1/2 women's field is pretty small, but isn't lacking in strength. We have four of us here racing and we are the biggest team in the field. Today's course was a 15 mile loop that favored the sprinters, of which there were many. We worked well as a team and tried to partake in the sprints, but to no avail. We had some good leadouts and kept the pace high, but couldn't hang with the sprinters at the line. They have intermediate sprints here that give not only points, but also time bonuses.

Tomorrow starts with a long time trial in the morning, followed by a circuit race in the afternoon. Wind is going to be a factor again. I think the "climbs" will not be significant enough to break things up, but we'll see. Our team kits have not arrived yet, so we are sporting some very classy $15 blue jerseys. They kind of flare out at the bottom and ride up while riding. Maybe I'll get some photos to post.

Busy, busy

Lots of things are coming up in the next couple weeks. Ted and I are going to Eugene, Oregon tomorrow to do the "new" Tour of Willamette, which is now known as the Willamette Valley Classic. I did the old race several times in my past and it was always brutal. It is now a four stage race - a time trial and 3 road races. No crits - yay!

We get back late on Sunday night and I fly out first thing Monday morning (along with Mom and Dad) for a week in the Florida Keys. My cousin, Jimmy, is getting married, so we're all going down for the wedding. Ted is going to head down too, but not until later in the week. I am excited to be heading somewhere warm, as this has been one of the grayest, wettest springs here. It's supposedly in the 90s where we're heading, so it'll be a shock for sure. I'm taking my snorkeling mask, my new Ipod, and lots of sunscreen.

I'll try to be good about posting updates as the race progresses this weekend.

We're doing a great race this weekend that is often described as the closest thing to a European "classic" that we have in the Northwest. Here's a link to the site for it: http://broadmarkcycling.com/race_promotion/tst.php So far, there are about 40 women pre-registered, but hopefully there will be more. The forecast looks awful, with wind and a 90% chance of rain. Yuck.

I got an Ipod today. I think it will be very nice to have for warm-ups at races and for travel. I'm building my song library right now - slow going, but it's growing.

Elma

Ted and I went over to the west side of the state again this past weekend to do the Elma Road Race, and possibly the Boat Street crit. I felt much better in the road race than I had in my first weekend of racing this season, getting into a break with Gina Kavesh and Carrie Eller. The three of us worked well together, getting a three minute gap. On the final climb, I could tell Carrie and Gina were hurting and attacked, and had the legs to maintain it. Ted's luck wasn't so great, as he was in the winning break when his crank loosened up and he was unable to make it back in the race. To make his day even better, I managed to drive over his training wheels on my way to the feed zone. He had even told me he had put them against the back of the car, and I just forgot they were there... until I heard an awful sound. Still not sure if the front one is salvagable. Oops.

We ended up not doing the crit on Sunday since it was raining and it's a nasty course, even when dry. Sadly, a racer died while doing the 1/2 men's race there: http://www.bikecafe.net/newsmgt/bn/?a=696&z=7

Here's a link to a press release for the other team I'll be riding for this year (in addition to doing NW races for Emde Sports): http://www.bikecafe.net/newsmgt/bn/?a=652&z=7

Well, that's all for now.

Pazza relaxing in the sun.

Pazza and Shamus

Big Brother Wins

So, the sibling race up the hill took place yesterday. We chose the Anatone grade, which is about 3.5 miles long and really gradual. I decided that my best strategy would be to set a hard pace for me, with hopes that it would hurt Rusty. I ramped it up to a pace that was hard for me and he was still with me, so then I decided I needed to recover a bit, in case he attacked. I threw in an attack and he stayed with me, which brought us up to the top and a sprint, which he took. I think the problem was that I have never in my life been able to ride with Rusty and have him unable to drop me at any second, so I just kept expecting him to drop me. He said afterwards that I was stronger, but I didn't play my cards right. I didn't have enough confidence to attack him, but I should have tried it, and maybe it would have turned out differently. He did end up throwing up afterwards, which gave me a little satisfaction in knowing that I was able to hurt him.

Naomi, me, and Tammie

Dan, Naomi, Tammie, and Ted

Big brother versus little sister

I am well overdue to update this thing; things have just been busy for the past couple weeks.

The trip to Chicago was fun and truly was a vacation, including deep dish pizza, wine, and numerous Chicago-style hot dogs. We got there on Thursday, after our flight out of Pullman was cancelled because of poor visibility. Once there, we went into the city to meet up with Tammie and Naomi for dinner, and then to head to one of Tammie's favorite bars. The dinner place was fun - you could order flights of bruchetta with all different types of toppings, so we each picked some and then shared. Fortunately, Ted's friends were able to join us at the bar too, so it was a good group. We all sampled a variety of Belgian beers, some of which I really liked... and some of which I did not.

The next day, Tammie took us to a breakfast place she had told me about for years, called the Bongo Room. The place was packed, and I guess it normally has a huge wait on weekends. They make a great breakfast - I got some graham cracker-crusted pumpkin pancakes that came with a vanilla creme anglaise and cinnamon. Yummy. If you go to Chicago, this is a good breakfast place to try.

Things have been hectic since we got back here, with only a few days in town after our Chicago trip before heading to the Seattle area for the first bike races of the season. Yeah, uh, my first weekend of racing was pretty much a disaster. Let's just say I had not done enough intensity before the first races. So... now, I'm doing a few weeks of very intense training, with hopes that I'll be a little more prepared when the next races roll around in a couple weeks.

Speaking of races, I have committed to doing several big ones this year. I'll be doing Mt. Hood in Oregon in May, the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, along Nature Valley in Minnesota in June, and the Tour de Toona in Pennsylvania in July. I may do a few others too. We'll see. I had committed to doing the races before actually showing my boss the schedule, so I was a little worried about what his reaction would be when I showed it to him this past week. Basically, I decided that the job is just a job, while the races are a fantastic opportunity worth taking, even if the job didn't work out as a result. Surprisingly (because my boss can sometimes be a bit difficult to deal with), he said he doesn't have a problem with it and we'll make it work.

My brother is coming home for a visit on Tuesday. He and his girlfriend are currently on a cruise to the Bahamas - I can't help but be envious. You may have actually seen their ship on the news yesterday, as their departure was delayed by 7 hours because of a failed safety inspection. Rusty called and said it was a miserable wait - 2000+ angry people holed up together, while their luggage all sat in the rain outside. I guess fights were breaking out, so the police had to come in. It just sounded like a mess. They should be on their way now, though, so hopefully it'll be smooth sailing now (that was a cheesy line, I know).

Rusty may bring his bike home with him, and if he does, he and I are going to have a little race up one of the grades in this area. See, he doesn't ride much anymore, aside from short little things here or there, so I think I can beat him now (which would be a definite first, especially up a hill). He, of course, thinks he can still beat me down, so it should be very interesting. Big brother versus little sister... who will win?

Tammie, Naomi, and me in 2003, on our way back from Collegiate Nationals in Berkeley.

Relaxation

So, I got my facial done today and it was wonderful. I had no idea what to expect... and ended up falling asleep from the relaxation. Lying in a heated bed certainly helped with that. The only problem was that I was so relaxed afterward that it was very hard to be motivated to go and work out! Here's a description of what I had done:
"...a paraffin hand treatment, hand and foot massage, scalp and facial massage, two-part cleansing, exfoliation or bio-lift mask, sheet or glacial mask, toner, additives and accelerators customized for your skin, steam, necessary extractions, finished with gel and moisturizers."

Gentlemen, this is a good gift for your ladies. Thanks Ted.

I am, thankfully, feeling better, so hopefully I'll be able to get some hard riding in this weekend. Ted and I are heading to Chicago on Wednesday for his brother's wedding. While there, we'll visit his family and meet up with my friend, Tammie. Coincidentally, another friend of mine from collegiate racing, Naomi, will be visiting Tammie at the same time. Naomi, Tammie, and I had a lot of fun together when we all lived in the Pullman area. I haven't seen Naomi since her wedding, which was over 1.5 years ago. It'll be very fun to see them both; there is sure to be some comedy.

Another one in the new kit.

Me in my new team kit.

Home sick

I'm home sick today. I started getting a sore throat yesterday, which got progressively worse as the day went on. I went to bed early and just slept horribly. Finally, at 4:30 am I decided I would not go to work (have to leave for work at 5:30), so I called my boss and said I wouldn't be in. I ended up sleeping in until noon, which gave me about 13 hours of sleep. Guess I needed it. Hopefully this is just a short thing. I hate being sick.

Bowling and shopping

Ted and I went bowling last night. We invited other people from the area, but no one else showed up, which was kind of a bummer. We still had fun, though. I bombed my first game, only getting a 74. Even the little kid next to me, who was consistently dropping his ball onto the lane, scored higher than I did. Thankfully, I rebounded a bit on my 2nd game, getting a 116. We followed that up with a visit to the local wine bar, which is a place we should really go to more often.

I am not a shopper in any way, and never have been, so I really only go when I have a specific need. With two weddings coming up in the next few months, I found myself needing a dress, so I dragged myself to the mall today and finally found a couple that will work. I bought both, deciding to return whichever one I end up liking less. At one point today, I was wandering around Macy's, browsing and talking on the phone, when I realized I was looking at dresses in the plus-sized section. Oops. My mom (on the other end of the line) proceeded to tell me that I should not be allowed to go shopping by myself.

I committed to doing Nature Valley (http://naturevalleygrandprix.com/) again this season. It's not really my type of race because it doesn't have many climbs, but it was a really good experience last year. I will again be going with Eric Lynch's group. I just need to make sure that I ride more near the front of the pack, rather than way at the pack like I usually do. I'm way too wussy.

I'm off to finish my martini.

Pazza's newest habit.

weekend update

Ted and I had a good trip to Seattle last weekend, getting to hang out with Ted's sister, Corrina, and her two kids, Teagan and Cooper. Corrina's husband, Tait, has been out of town for work, so I think she was glad to have some adult conversation.

We did a group ride with the Broadmark team on Saturday, which just made me realize how nice the riding in the Pullman area is. We are spoiled here with the open roads, lack of traffic, and variety of terrain. There are some things about Pullman I will not miss when I leave, but I will miss the riding for sure.

We also managed to meet up with Tammie. She was staying with Dan and Denise, who lived in Pullman a few years ago too. Tammie, Dan, Ted, and I all raced collegiately together, so it was fun to see everyone.

I'll be riding for a team out of Spokane this year. It's really more of a club than a team, but it should work out pretty well. The site is here: www.emdesports.com

Gretel attacking me.

Valentine's cake for Ted.