And you thought all I want to write about is cycling and triathlon.
You'd only be partially right.
When I dreamed up this insane Ironman goal, I also made up my mind that I would get a tattoo to commemorate the journey.
Now that were only 89 days away, I have not been inspired about what that tattoo should be. I'm about 98% sure it won't be the traditional M-Dot. I just don't think it is personal enough and let's be honest, it is a logo for a corporation. I don't want to feel branded. Now, if an M-Dot could be creatively included, I wouldn't rule out that scenario.
Maybe this whole conversation is premature and something will come to me on race day. That's fair.
It's just that a couple of tattoo artist recommendations have come my way and the good ones have a really long wait time. If I don't book my appointment until after the race, I might chicken out. Yep, probably will chicken out.
Here is the short list of ideas—which probably means I won't end up with any of these because I don't LOVE them. And, if I'm going to have a tattoo for the rest of my life, I better love it A LOT.
· bumble bee (they defy science!)
· dogwood
· footprints
· koi (symbol of perseverance)
The blog format is also going through an identity crisis. Please bear with me.
3.30.2010
3.28.2010
Breakthrough Week
So, big surprise, I have not spent much time blogging as I have been very busy swimming, biking and running. And, it's a good thing, too. I'm getting A LOT better.
Back in December, I blogged about my new attitude towards running. That slower was better. Well, slow is still better, but I'm not nearly as slow anymore. Back then, I was running about a 13-minute mile. Today? I ran 6.28 miles in the same heart rate zone in an hour! That is a 9:33 average mile! Now, you runners out there might be laughing at me, but this is a big deal. I have gone from being a snail to being a tortoise. And you know what they say about the tortoise ....
Also, I joined one pace group faster during my Tuesday-night track workout. That means that I did 800s at 7:20-7:40 pace. I think that is the fastest I have ever run in my life. Super pleased with myself.
Also, my swimming has improved quite a bit. At master's swim on Thursday, the coach had me do a set of 6 x 100 at the end of the session. 2 on the 1:55, 2 on the 1:50, and 2 on the 1:45. I am proud to say that I made all of the send-offs.
Then, there is my cycling ... not as impressive. I pushed myself at my indoor training session and 'saved' my legs for the race at Ravensdale Cumberland today, choosing to skip in the infamous IVRR.
About 23 women showed up for today's race. The weather man predicted unpredictable weather for the race so I packed everything—3 pairs of gloves, knee warmers, leg warmers, two base layers, arm warmers ... you get the idea. I ended up wearing the same attire that I've worn for the last few weeks except I traded my half gloves for the full ones. Thankfully, the weather held and we only had semi-wet roads to deal with.
The race started immediately after the neutral rollout. The course begins with a meandering uphill and the pack quickly went from 23 to 15. Then the real fun began—with a lot of attacks throughout until what I like to call the 'kicker hill.' And the 'kicker hill' was the beginning of the end for me. I should have put myself on the front so that I wouldn't be too far behind after everyone passed me. But, instead, I started the hill near the back and then had to chase back on. I wasn't able to catch the 7 girls ahead of me, but LB from Group Health and I worked to exhaustion trying.
So, long story short, LB and I spent the rest of the race chasing the front 7 and trying to stay away from the 6 behind us. We were successful in the latter endeavor and finished 8th and 9th.
No upgrade points for 8th (they go 7 deep) but I did get a top 10 finish.
Then, it poured on the afternoon races. I was really happy to be a cat 4.
Back in December, I blogged about my new attitude towards running. That slower was better. Well, slow is still better, but I'm not nearly as slow anymore. Back then, I was running about a 13-minute mile. Today? I ran 6.28 miles in the same heart rate zone in an hour! That is a 9:33 average mile! Now, you runners out there might be laughing at me, but this is a big deal. I have gone from being a snail to being a tortoise. And you know what they say about the tortoise ....
Also, I joined one pace group faster during my Tuesday-night track workout. That means that I did 800s at 7:20-7:40 pace. I think that is the fastest I have ever run in my life. Super pleased with myself.
Also, my swimming has improved quite a bit. At master's swim on Thursday, the coach had me do a set of 6 x 100 at the end of the session. 2 on the 1:55, 2 on the 1:50, and 2 on the 1:45. I am proud to say that I made all of the send-offs.
Then, there is my cycling ... not as impressive. I pushed myself at my indoor training session and 'saved' my legs for the race at Ravensdale Cumberland today, choosing to skip in the infamous IVRR.
About 23 women showed up for today's race. The weather man predicted unpredictable weather for the race so I packed everything—3 pairs of gloves, knee warmers, leg warmers, two base layers, arm warmers ... you get the idea. I ended up wearing the same attire that I've worn for the last few weeks except I traded my half gloves for the full ones. Thankfully, the weather held and we only had semi-wet roads to deal with.
The race started immediately after the neutral rollout. The course begins with a meandering uphill and the pack quickly went from 23 to 15. Then the real fun began—with a lot of attacks throughout until what I like to call the 'kicker hill.' And the 'kicker hill' was the beginning of the end for me. I should have put myself on the front so that I wouldn't be too far behind after everyone passed me. But, instead, I started the hill near the back and then had to chase back on. I wasn't able to catch the 7 girls ahead of me, but LB from Group Health and I worked to exhaustion trying.
So, long story short, LB and I spent the rest of the race chasing the front 7 and trying to stay away from the 6 behind us. We were successful in the latter endeavor and finished 8th and 9th.
No upgrade points for 8th (they go 7 deep) but I did get a top 10 finish.
 | |
| Me, sprinting for fun-sies. |
3.16.2010
My First Upgrade Point!
Okay, so I spoiled the surprise, but I'm just too excited! I raced really hard this weekend and had my best placing ever at Tour de Dungeness #1 in Sequim, WA.
The weekend started Friday night as I tore through my house trying to pack for the weekend. I'm happy I brought extra jerseys, extra booties, extra ibuprofen, extra skewers ... because they all got used.
Note to self: Pack on Thursday. Driving on the peninsula in the dark is scary.
We stayed in Port Townsend in cottage #4 at the Swan Hotel, the same place we stayed last year. It is easy to unpack and pack the car there and they allow Wrigley to stay with us. Both are big bonuses.
It poured through the night, but I was thrilled to see clear skies when I woke up. The drive from Port Townsend to Sequim is beautiful. I can see why people choose to live out there. Not that I'd ever want to live out there, but I can see the attraction.
Because I'm super paranoid of full race fields, I was one of the first people to arrive. I was paranoid for a reason. There were 60 women registered for the race and our field is supposed to cap at 50. So what happens? They split the field! I've never seen it happen before. They split it by even and odd race numbers. Being #201, I raced with the odd numbers which included fellow teammates Lori, Eileen and Angelina. The even numbers wouldn't get to race until we were done so I felt bad that they had warmed up and would have to do it again.
I put myself in the front of the peloton and for the first time, led the roll-out. I wasn't sure when the actual race began so I just tried to stick to the lead car. Then people started to pass me. Then, I was pretty sure the race had started. This race was a 3-loop course for a total of 36 miles. For the first lap, I had taken a couple pulls and then hung out in the back. Towards the end of the lap, I wasn't quite sure why some of the racers were getting upset that not more people were pulling. And I thought, 'why would I do a bunch of pulling now? It's not like we are chasing a break.' Oh, but we were! I didn't know that a bikesale.com girl, Irena, had gone off the front and that a Group Health girl, Marsa, had joined her. Oops! Once I knew this, the whole plan changed.
The next lap was a Hagens and Cucina show. The two Hagens girls, Eileen and I did the majority of the pulling. I don't know if we gained on the breakaway at all, but we definitely tried. When the third lap started, I fell to the back up the first hill. Good thing, because ....
Crash! At the front of the pack, a bunch of girls went down. The crash hit my foot, which caused me to drop my chain, but I stayed upright! I kept spinning and prayed that my chain would catch back on. Meanwhile, the other 5 girls who made it out were pulling away from me. Ugh! Stupid chain! Get. Back. On! Finally! The chain took and I had to haul to catch back on. It was really windy so it took me awhile, but I finally caught them. It was so hard. I sat on for a few rotations before I started to pull again. Then, on the last sustained climb of the race, the Group Health girls in our group surged. It was a brilliant move because I had absolutely nothing left to keep up with them. Then, there were 3, and not long after, there were two—Kelly from Starbucks and me. We took turns pulling but couldn't catch the Group Health girls. I was taking stronger pulls so I thought I might be able to leave Kelly at the 1K mark.
Nope. I took off and she stayed with me, and in my attempt to shake her, I got tired and she was able to inch me out at the line. My final place was 7th.
How can I be disappointed? I finally cracked the top 10 and got my first upgrade point! Woo hoo!
The downside? I raced at Mason Lake the next day and had absolutely nothing left in the tank. I was even dropped by the pack in the last couple of kilometers. But! My teammates had a pretty good race. Tara was 7th and got her first upgrade point too! Woo hoo!
Once I start feeling rested, I'm sure I'll be excited to do it all again next weekend!!
The weekend started Friday night as I tore through my house trying to pack for the weekend. I'm happy I brought extra jerseys, extra booties, extra ibuprofen, extra skewers ... because they all got used.
Note to self: Pack on Thursday. Driving on the peninsula in the dark is scary.
We stayed in Port Townsend in cottage #4 at the Swan Hotel, the same place we stayed last year. It is easy to unpack and pack the car there and they allow Wrigley to stay with us. Both are big bonuses.
It poured through the night, but I was thrilled to see clear skies when I woke up. The drive from Port Townsend to Sequim is beautiful. I can see why people choose to live out there. Not that I'd ever want to live out there, but I can see the attraction.
Because I'm super paranoid of full race fields, I was one of the first people to arrive. I was paranoid for a reason. There were 60 women registered for the race and our field is supposed to cap at 50. So what happens? They split the field! I've never seen it happen before. They split it by even and odd race numbers. Being #201, I raced with the odd numbers which included fellow teammates Lori, Eileen and Angelina. The even numbers wouldn't get to race until we were done so I felt bad that they had warmed up and would have to do it again.
I put myself in the front of the peloton and for the first time, led the roll-out. I wasn't sure when the actual race began so I just tried to stick to the lead car. Then people started to pass me. Then, I was pretty sure the race had started. This race was a 3-loop course for a total of 36 miles. For the first lap, I had taken a couple pulls and then hung out in the back. Towards the end of the lap, I wasn't quite sure why some of the racers were getting upset that not more people were pulling. And I thought, 'why would I do a bunch of pulling now? It's not like we are chasing a break.' Oh, but we were! I didn't know that a bikesale.com girl, Irena, had gone off the front and that a Group Health girl, Marsa, had joined her. Oops! Once I knew this, the whole plan changed.
The next lap was a Hagens and Cucina show. The two Hagens girls, Eileen and I did the majority of the pulling. I don't know if we gained on the breakaway at all, but we definitely tried. When the third lap started, I fell to the back up the first hill. Good thing, because ....
Crash! At the front of the pack, a bunch of girls went down. The crash hit my foot, which caused me to drop my chain, but I stayed upright! I kept spinning and prayed that my chain would catch back on. Meanwhile, the other 5 girls who made it out were pulling away from me. Ugh! Stupid chain! Get. Back. On! Finally! The chain took and I had to haul to catch back on. It was really windy so it took me awhile, but I finally caught them. It was so hard. I sat on for a few rotations before I started to pull again. Then, on the last sustained climb of the race, the Group Health girls in our group surged. It was a brilliant move because I had absolutely nothing left to keep up with them. Then, there were 3, and not long after, there were two—Kelly from Starbucks and me. We took turns pulling but couldn't catch the Group Health girls. I was taking stronger pulls so I thought I might be able to leave Kelly at the 1K mark.
Nope. I took off and she stayed with me, and in my attempt to shake her, I got tired and she was able to inch me out at the line. My final place was 7th.
How can I be disappointed? I finally cracked the top 10 and got my first upgrade point! Woo hoo!
The downside? I raced at Mason Lake the next day and had absolutely nothing left in the tank. I was even dropped by the pack in the last couple of kilometers. But! My teammates had a pretty good race. Tara was 7th and got her first upgrade point too! Woo hoo!
Once I start feeling rested, I'm sure I'll be excited to do it all again next weekend!!
3.06.2010
And, back up again! Icebreaker TT
It has been a crazy couple of weeks. I was out with bronchitis (101-degree fever, awful congestion) a little over a week ago and couldn't train or race at all. I got back to Ironman training this week, trying to pay particularly close attention to what my body was telling me.
Then, I did my first TT of the season today and improved my time by 2:23 from last year. Awesome!
Today's race was our team-sponsored 'Icebreaker TT' out in Green Valley outside of Auburn. The course is a curvy, yet relatively flat 10 miles. I distinctly remember this course from last year due to the horned 'wooly cows' and Christmas tree farms that line the course.
The weather was gorgeous—sunny, relatively warm for March, and most importantly, dry and not windy. Kevin and I parked the car next to my teammate Jess and got set up. I was a little distracted by the excitement of the first race. I did not warm up as well as I would have liked.
Before I knew it, it was time to race! 10:10 am was my start time. I love this race because all the support folks are my teammates and it feels so good to have all the great encouragement. It doesn't hurt that I am friends with a handful of the officials as well.
Go!! I take off like a bullet. I have a tendency to do this at every TT. Once I got into a rhythm, I settled down. However, I encountered a new challenge at this race—my speed sensor wasn't working. I always gauge how I'm doing by that so I felt pretty blind today. No matter, the cadence sensor still worked so I tried to keep that nice and high.
Not to soon after I start, I hear the whirring sound of a disc wheel. I freak out because I can't believe I'm getting passed by the person 30 seconds behind me. But, nobody comes. Around a corner, I take a quick peak behind me and no one is there. What the? I keep going. I hear the noise again. I'm getting paranoid. Not too much later, it dawns on me. That sound is myself!! That is my disc wheel making that sound! After an internal chuckle, I get back to business. Two guys passed me today, but I was okay with that. I was doing my own thing.
At this point, you may be wondering how the bronchitis is treating me. Well, my nose is a mess. With my hands on the aero bars, I'm wasn't anywhere near position to give a strong snot-rocket blow. I just tried to exhale as hard as I could through my nose blow and let the grossness run down my face. (Hey, it is better than blocking the oxygen.) Towards the end, I could feel the mucus build-up foaming at my mouth.
Super happy that no one got too close of a photo of that mess.
But, in less than 27 minutes from when I started, I was done! I cooled down, put on my running clothes, grabbed my iPod and did my 30-minute easy run through Flaming Geyser State Park.
Because it was so nice out, I did not mind waiting for the results. I had a chance to talk to my bike racing friends I haven't seen since the end of last season. To be honest, a good number of them were surprised at my current state of physical fitness.
Finally, I found that my official time was 26:51.3, good enough for 11th place from a field of 40 or so. I feel really good about this and am excited for the season ahead! I should also mention that my whole team had a great showing as well. That, and I think I'm beginning to like the new, fairly white kit.
P.S. Kevin is getting really good with his camera. Here's a link to the photos he took today.
http://tu.smugmug.com/Sports/2010-Icebreaker-TT/11434992_jVYiT#803900656_h6r95
Then, I did my first TT of the season today and improved my time by 2:23 from last year. Awesome!
Today's race was our team-sponsored 'Icebreaker TT' out in Green Valley outside of Auburn. The course is a curvy, yet relatively flat 10 miles. I distinctly remember this course from last year due to the horned 'wooly cows' and Christmas tree farms that line the course.
The weather was gorgeous—sunny, relatively warm for March, and most importantly, dry and not windy. Kevin and I parked the car next to my teammate Jess and got set up. I was a little distracted by the excitement of the first race. I did not warm up as well as I would have liked.
Before I knew it, it was time to race! 10:10 am was my start time. I love this race because all the support folks are my teammates and it feels so good to have all the great encouragement. It doesn't hurt that I am friends with a handful of the officials as well.
Go!! I take off like a bullet. I have a tendency to do this at every TT. Once I got into a rhythm, I settled down. However, I encountered a new challenge at this race—my speed sensor wasn't working. I always gauge how I'm doing by that so I felt pretty blind today. No matter, the cadence sensor still worked so I tried to keep that nice and high.
Not to soon after I start, I hear the whirring sound of a disc wheel. I freak out because I can't believe I'm getting passed by the person 30 seconds behind me. But, nobody comes. Around a corner, I take a quick peak behind me and no one is there. What the? I keep going. I hear the noise again. I'm getting paranoid. Not too much later, it dawns on me. That sound is myself!! That is my disc wheel making that sound! After an internal chuckle, I get back to business. Two guys passed me today, but I was okay with that. I was doing my own thing.
Super happy that no one got too close of a photo of that mess.
But, in less than 27 minutes from when I started, I was done! I cooled down, put on my running clothes, grabbed my iPod and did my 30-minute easy run through Flaming Geyser State Park.
Because it was so nice out, I did not mind waiting for the results. I had a chance to talk to my bike racing friends I haven't seen since the end of last season. To be honest, a good number of them were surprised at my current state of physical fitness.
Finally, I found that my official time was 26:51.3, good enough for 11th place from a field of 40 or so. I feel really good about this and am excited for the season ahead! I should also mention that my whole team had a great showing as well. That, and I think I'm beginning to like the new, fairly white kit.
P.S. Kevin is getting really good with his camera. Here's a link to the photos he took today.
http://tu.smugmug.com/Sports/2010-Icebreaker-TT/11434992_jVYiT#803900656_h6r95
2.22.2010
Down for the Count
I have been very fortunate to be in good health for the most part. I didn't miss any races last year due to illness.
So, this is very hard for me.
I went to the doctor today and he wasn't sure what I have. I don't have a fever—just severe chest congestion. Because I was hospitalized in high school with pneumonia, I thought this isn't something I should take lightly. He gave me a prescription for an inhaler, advised me to not exercise, and told me to come back if I developed a fever.
Great. No exercise? That is all I've doing. This week will definitely be an experience all its own. I hope I am not out for too long and don't lose too much fitness. The first TT of the season is Sunday!
So, this is very hard for me.
I went to the doctor today and he wasn't sure what I have. I don't have a fever—just severe chest congestion. Because I was hospitalized in high school with pneumonia, I thought this isn't something I should take lightly. He gave me a prescription for an inhaler, advised me to not exercise, and told me to come back if I developed a fever.
Great. No exercise? That is all I've doing. This week will definitely be an experience all its own. I hope I am not out for too long and don't lose too much fitness. The first TT of the season is Sunday!
2.21.2010
Me? An Inspiration?
I love the Olympics. I have been watching a wide variety of events this week—as long as I can stay awake. I find so many of the athletes' stories inspiring. When I was little, I really looked up to Olympians so I find it odd that I am now older than the majority of them.
So, in the spirit of inspiring, I answered my company's request for 'getting healthy' stories for our corporate-wide wellness initiative video. I got the email Wednesday morning and they wanted to have all of the stories lined up by Friday. A very quick turntime.
I carefully typed 1,500 words. It was my story—how an overweight workaholic became an Ironman hopeful in 4 years. Granted, most of the changes I've made are in my head; I submitted my word document anyway with a more courteous and condensed 'Cliff Notes' version in the email body.
I got a call later that day asking for an interview. (I actually missed the first call because I was out for a run.) I did the interview and I wasn't very confident in how it went. I didn't really have enough time to think through everything I wanted to share. It was a bit disorganized and I was worried that I wouldn't make the cut. That night and the next day, a bunch of ideas flooded my brain about what I could have said. Hindsight being 20/20 of course.
But! I got the call! They want to feature my 'road to health' story along with 5 others in this video! We start filming Thursday. I don't really know anything else right now but hope to soon. I'm excited to share how it goes. Please pray that my voice returns before then. I have been a little under the weather for the last few days and I sound a bit like a man. NOT the impression I want to make in my first film in 19 years.
My favorite part of the process (so far) was when Lindsay, the interviewer, told me (after telling me I got the spot) that she was inspired to go running at lunch after speaking with me. Then, she actually went and did it! This made my heart so happy!
So, now that I've had a little more time to think on it, there are 10 things I'd like to share in the video if given the opportunity.
And, because blogs without photos aren't very much fun, here is a picture of me at Volunteer Park. Danielle took the picture during our long run on Thursday. We had just ascended all of Capitol Hill and were rewarded with a beautiful view of the Space Needle and the mountains beyond.
So, in the spirit of inspiring, I answered my company's request for 'getting healthy' stories for our corporate-wide wellness initiative video. I got the email Wednesday morning and they wanted to have all of the stories lined up by Friday. A very quick turntime.
I carefully typed 1,500 words. It was my story—how an overweight workaholic became an Ironman hopeful in 4 years. Granted, most of the changes I've made are in my head; I submitted my word document anyway with a more courteous and condensed 'Cliff Notes' version in the email body.
I got a call later that day asking for an interview. (I actually missed the first call because I was out for a run.) I did the interview and I wasn't very confident in how it went. I didn't really have enough time to think through everything I wanted to share. It was a bit disorganized and I was worried that I wouldn't make the cut. That night and the next day, a bunch of ideas flooded my brain about what I could have said. Hindsight being 20/20 of course.
But! I got the call! They want to feature my 'road to health' story along with 5 others in this video! We start filming Thursday. I don't really know anything else right now but hope to soon. I'm excited to share how it goes. Please pray that my voice returns before then. I have been a little under the weather for the last few days and I sound a bit like a man. NOT the impression I want to make in my first film in 19 years.
My favorite part of the process (so far) was when Lindsay, the interviewer, told me (after telling me I got the spot) that she was inspired to go running at lunch after speaking with me. Then, she actually went and did it! This made my heart so happy!
So, now that I've had a little more time to think on it, there are 10 things I'd like to share in the video if given the opportunity.
- I really believe that Albert Einstein was on to something when he said, "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
- Try something new! I never would have found my love for bike riding and racing had I not tried my first triathlon.
- And if you don't love something and you've given it an honest shot, move on to something else. Life is too short to not enjoy what you're doing.
- Make goals and tell people about them. This keeps you accountable. Accountability is super important.
- Track your progress. It is very empowering to see how far you've come.
- It is okay to make mistakes. It is okay to fail. Do your best to correct them, learn from them, and move on. Do NOT dwell on them.
- Make friends how do what you like to do. You'd be surprised at the community you can create.
- Encourage others. Share what you know. But, do not push either encouragement or knowledge on people who are not ready.
- Be open to learning new things every day. We all have things we can improve.
- Don't try to be the best. You'll drive yourself crazy. Just strive to be your best self.
And, because blogs without photos aren't very much fun, here is a picture of me at Volunteer Park. Danielle took the picture during our long run on Thursday. We had just ascended all of Capitol Hill and were rewarded with a beautiful view of the Space Needle and the mountains beyond.
2.15.2010
Zoo Hill (L'Alp d'Issaquah)
I'll be honest. I had every intention of not going on my team's ride this weekend. Most of my teammates are in great shape so it is hard for me to stay with them, especially on any hills. So when, the route was announced, I made up my mind to not go. 60 miles with climbs up Zoo Hill and Tiger Mountain.
Gross.
Enter Matt. Matt is my teammate who manages to know just how to get me on my bike. He sent out an email saying that he was only going to do half of the ride due to other commitments and that anyone was welcome to join him on the truncated route. This would mean the ride would still go over Zoo Hill but then start back towards Mercer Island, the starting spot. I really didn't have an excuse anymore and decided that I would go on the shortened version and then ride back to Seattle from Mercer Island on my own. Oh! And our team's Clif order was available for pick up and I'll pretty much do anything for a Mojo Bar. (Apparently, I had one of the largest orders. I love my Shot Bloks!)
It was raining so naturally, I had to bring my rain bike. It has a compact crank on it, but I was worried about my ability to push the aluminum frame up Zoo Hill.
What is all this fuss about Zoo Hill? Let me paint a picture for you. I had to pull some information off the internet to share with you. Here is a snapshot of what I found:
It doesn't take long for me to see the 'Cougar Mountain Zoological Park' sign, and the gigantic hill next to it. It is so steep! I start to climb. A bunch of riders go around me. I am in awe of their ability to just dance up the hill.
I should also mention that I'm an 'in-the-saddle' climber. I don't like to stand because I feel like I'm going to fall over.
We go around the corner and, look! more hill. This goes on and on and on and on. The people up the road from me no longer look like they are dancing. My heart is pounding, my breathing is labored and I'm wondering, 'when the hell is this going to end!!?' My internal dialouge bounced between, 'I can't do this! I'm going to fall off my bike and I'm going to have to walk up this hill;' and 'No, you can't quit, you can do this! Channel your inner mountain goat, or at least your inner Lance Armstrong!'
At one point, there is a steep hairpin turn and I thought I that was going to be the end of me. There is a dip in the side of the road and I fell in it, making it even harder to climb. But I got out of it, and kept going. The tree density started to thin out and I thought I was almost done. Wrong.
The road does flatten out—a bit. Not really flat, but it feels almost like a downhill after what you've just experienced. This doesn't last long and you go almost immediately into a relentless set of rollers. One right after another. And when I say rollers, I mean a very steep incline followed by a less steep incline. There is only one slight decline and it feels amazing, but you kind of want to push it as hard as you can so you can use your momentum up the next hill.
Then, you are done! My teammates were waiting for me and were really proud of me. I was really proud of myself. I wasn't even last! There were 3 whole people behind me!!
I managed to finish out my ride in 2.5 hours. Did I mention it was raining? That means that I had to descend from the top of Cougar Mountain on wet roads. I think I did a pretty good job. My confidence is definitely coming back after my crash on Hollywood Hill.
I also made Kevin drive up the climb yesterday so I could show him exactly what I did.
Gross.
Enter Matt. Matt is my teammate who manages to know just how to get me on my bike. He sent out an email saying that he was only going to do half of the ride due to other commitments and that anyone was welcome to join him on the truncated route. This would mean the ride would still go over Zoo Hill but then start back towards Mercer Island, the starting spot. I really didn't have an excuse anymore and decided that I would go on the shortened version and then ride back to Seattle from Mercer Island on my own. Oh! And our team's Clif order was available for pick up and I'll pretty much do anything for a Mojo Bar. (Apparently, I had one of the largest orders. I love my Shot Bloks!)
It was raining so naturally, I had to bring my rain bike. It has a compact crank on it, but I was worried about my ability to push the aluminum frame up Zoo Hill.
What is all this fuss about Zoo Hill? Let me paint a picture for you. I had to pull some information off the internet to share with you. Here is a snapshot of what I found:
"Zoo Hill—named after the small zoo at the start, is arguably one of the toughest climbs in the Seattle area. Ascending 1,200 feet over 2.5 miles, it has an average grade of about 10%, with common gradients in 15% and some sections approaching 20%. This is not a climb to be approached lightly.
Or, as one rider noted, "Zoo Hill is the puke-inducing lactate-producing gasp-fest that I avoid unless taunted."
So, we started the ride and I was fine. It was great to see a lot of people turn out for the ride and it was nice to catch up with people I hadn't seen in awhile. We did one short catch-up wait before heading out on Newport Way to get to the hill. Since I wasn't going to do the whole ride, I said that it would be fine for the main group to head out without me if I wasn't done with the climb yet. (Normally, I'm the last one up any hill.)Or, as one rider noted, "Zoo Hill is the puke-inducing lactate-producing gasp-fest that I avoid unless taunted."
It doesn't take long for me to see the 'Cougar Mountain Zoological Park' sign, and the gigantic hill next to it. It is so steep! I start to climb. A bunch of riders go around me. I am in awe of their ability to just dance up the hill.
I should also mention that I'm an 'in-the-saddle' climber. I don't like to stand because I feel like I'm going to fall over.
We go around the corner and, look! more hill. This goes on and on and on and on. The people up the road from me no longer look like they are dancing. My heart is pounding, my breathing is labored and I'm wondering, 'when the hell is this going to end!!?' My internal dialouge bounced between, 'I can't do this! I'm going to fall off my bike and I'm going to have to walk up this hill;' and 'No, you can't quit, you can do this! Channel your inner mountain goat, or at least your inner Lance Armstrong!'
At one point, there is a steep hairpin turn and I thought I that was going to be the end of me. There is a dip in the side of the road and I fell in it, making it even harder to climb. But I got out of it, and kept going. The tree density started to thin out and I thought I was almost done. Wrong.
The road does flatten out—a bit. Not really flat, but it feels almost like a downhill after what you've just experienced. This doesn't last long and you go almost immediately into a relentless set of rollers. One right after another. And when I say rollers, I mean a very steep incline followed by a less steep incline. There is only one slight decline and it feels amazing, but you kind of want to push it as hard as you can so you can use your momentum up the next hill.
Then, you are done! My teammates were waiting for me and were really proud of me. I was really proud of myself. I wasn't even last! There were 3 whole people behind me!!
I managed to finish out my ride in 2.5 hours. Did I mention it was raining? That means that I had to descend from the top of Cougar Mountain on wet roads. I think I did a pretty good job. My confidence is definitely coming back after my crash on Hollywood Hill.
I also made Kevin drive up the climb yesterday so I could show him exactly what I did.
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