Good weekends

don't necessarily mean doing well in your races. Don't necessarily mean having that special date.

This weekend was a mixed bag as far as racing bikes goes. BUT I have to say that having Judi over to spend the night and race today was the best. She is so down to earth and good-hearted. I am fortunate to be blessed with such good friends.


more later...




peace to all

Bloomington is tomorrow

I make mistakes, I push too far, I have a dark side, I am too...

It's time to make peace with me. Not sure how to do it. But just like cyclocross and others aspects of my life, I Will Fall Down and I Will Pick Myself Back Up.

Tomorrow is Bloomington. I have a ride with someone I don't know very well. Another opportunity to grow my world a little bit and add a new friend. 

This morning I rode to RRCC, it was brisk. I rode a warm up lap and then did my openers. My toes went numb before I got there and it took a hot bath to thaw them out. The grass was damp with dew and since I was the only one on the course I could see my tracks from each previous time. The sand had the thinnest slimy film on top, which made it slickery. 

Took myself to Ramsi's for dinner. Good grief why did I order enough for two? gluttony  I am miserable but content and have enough for dinner tomorrow when I get home. 

Last night I slept better than I have in a long time. Sure would be nice to do that again.

peace to all

Endings

Change is fine, I accept it and embrace it. Endings, I hate them. COMPLETELY detest them. I love to read but I am so sad when I finish a good book.

I've had some endings recently that make me sad and want to grieve and morn. A friend has said no more. I don't understand, but so be it I guess. 

I happened upon a local establishment in the last year or so. The Swan Dive, owned and operated by a woman. She served a good selection of beer on tap as well as vegetarian food and all had a vegan option. Best vegan mac n cheese I ever ate. Tonight was the last night she would serve food. Next Friday will be the beer blowout. Her's was an eclectic clientele, but all so friendly and nice. I will miss this place to sup and chat with friends.

Lot's of other endings like friends moving away. Though I try not to be too sad about that as they deserve to be supported to achieve their greatness wherever they travel.

Tomorrow the sun will shine and I will wake (I hope) and get to ride my bike once again and race on Sunday. I found someone willing to share a ride with me. So I will grow my world a little more.

I will miss the weekends of last year, where I travelled to all of the races with team mates and cheered them on. There were 4-5 Rogue women racing cross last year in every race. This year there is me. (in the 502). Dynamics change. People move away or move on to new teams.

This is life, embrace it or be left behind......

peace to all

UCI3 weekend

We'll try this again. So after all of the transportation changes, I make it to Cincy races on Saturday and Sunday. I originally planned on racing all three days, but some life events happened early in the week that prevented my racing on Friday. Happy that I hadn't registered til I found this out. 

Like I said, I slept ok on Friday night. I was breathing well on Saturday. I got to pre-ride the course and while the temps were cool, I was very warm at the end of the pre-ride. So I was glad I hadn't worn a base-layer or arm-warmers. The course was fast for the most part and fun. I need more skill in the turns and more fitness for sprinting out of the turns, but also running the barriers and other areas for running. My heart just feels like it's in my throat and I have nothing for the running portions. Java Johnny's was a good time. I hung around and cheered on the Cat 3 Master's and saw the first of the Elite women, but needed to get home so I missed the end of the races. Arriving home around 6:30 I planned to do a few important things, but was worn out. In bed by 10, but didn't put more than 2 hours of sleep together and was awake at least 5 times before 5 am. 

Harbin Park was the Sunday race and it was pretty much all about power. I didn't get away until 7 so still not much prep time before the race. I did get one lap of pre-ride, which is important. Judi and Karen were there (two of my favorite competitors) along with a fellow Rogue from the 513.

This course had everything except mud. There's one down-hill from a grassy hillside into single=track through woods and back up the other side on a grassy knoll that scared me bad. I almost went all out the last time down it, but held back just a little. There was one place many had trouble with early on, it was a short, uphill turn to the left over tree roots and dusty dirt. I decided to ride it and almost made it when at the apex I lost it and went down. This cost me at least 6 places. The straight away to the finish was an uphill effort on thick grass that was at least 3 inches tall. I heard one person say it was like riding sponges and magnets. As you approached the finish line there was a short (2 ft or so) steep incline. Once over that hump you proceeded uphill into a long straight deep fluffy sand pit. I saw a few people ride this. By the time I got to it my legs were screaming. I had no fuel left to ride or run, so I slogged through the sand. Can't really call it walking either. The rest of the course was fun, hard but fun. I rode the second sand pit each lap with no problems.

I am not aggressive enough I've decided. These last races I've been too tentative and allowed others to pass. Just didn't feel like duking it out, because I didn't want to fall down again. But it seems I'm gonna fall anyway. So looking where I am in the OVCX points standings and USGP in 10/11 days from now I need to HTFU, suck it up and ride the Bloomington race as hard as my legs will allow.

After driving solo 2 days (10 hours) in a row to Cincy and the fatigue that set in and prevented a good night's sleep, I've sent out emails to find someone to carpool with. Bloomington will be at least 4.5 hour round trip. It gets lonely in the car and after a race I get sleepy. I've rec'd no responses except from people not going. I'm sure it will be a fun race, no matter. The temps should be much better, too.

peace to all

Waited too long

and can't remember much, but here goes. I posted up on purplerides about hitching a ride with someone. I get responses from two people who weren't going. Go figure. I asked a friend about a ride who said we could work it out. Another friend contacted me about riding together, which was very cool. Then on Thursday #2 had projects come up and couldn't go. No worries, so I talk to #1 who says he'd call Friday night about logistics. I talked to my youngest about lots of stuff and her husband offered me his car. They brought it over to me. Which was a very good things since #1 never called.

So, after packing the car Friday night and sleeping ok I drive to cincy. I didn't leave as early as I intended. I like to have 2 hours before race start, I had an hour. I signed in and started getting ready. Decided I wasn't going to be all nervous about this race, there were large numbers of women in this race and I just wanted to finish midpack. Java Johnny's was technical, with a lot of twists and turns around trees and over acorns, but then also some fast straight stretches. There were a few short steep hills thrown in as well as a few places where you rode across a paved road riding down a curb and up the other side. I thought I did well with the hole-shot start, but lost some places on the twisty turns. I passed a few people on a straight away and even rode the steep hills. The sand pits killed me. And then on the last lap as I was twisting around a tight third tree in a row I fell. It was slow motion. And I couldn't do anything but laugh a huge belly laugh. I lost ground but got up and finished the race. 28 women in the 35+ cat 3/4 started, 24 finished and I was 20. Good enough. I stayed to watch and cheer on others. I was sad at the beginning of my race as there were no Rogues to be seen. However, there were some hometown folks (adults and youths) that cheered me on as I raced. This was good stuff.

It's late and my memory is fading. We'll see about Sunday's race another day.

peace to all

Weekend race report - delayed

I want to write something, especially before I forget what to write. But this old lady is worn out. I can't imagine how those cyclists feel that raced all three days. My legs were tight driving home and my hips got stiff in the car. 

Maybe tomorrow. For now I'm drinking some Tulsi Jasmine tea, hoping this helps me sleep all night. Lot's of work to do this week

peace to all

So many things I could post

so many things that happened over the last 36 hours. No matter what I thought happened "to" me or I experienced do not concern me so much at this time. My girls, my blood are of top most concern. When they ache, I ache. When they bleed, I bleed. No matter the age this does not end until the last breath is taken. Some things are out of my realm of control and power. I can not ease the heart ache. I can only be there. I am grateful for the friends that have rallied around her at this time. She is truly blessed and loved as am I. We may not always know it, but we are rich

Tour de Louisville

I knew it was going to be a tough race. I attended a CX clinic out there on Tuesday and pre-rode much of the course, sans tape obviously. I'm glad I did as they gave us several pointers throughout the course. It was terrifically challenging for both the uphill climbs as well as the downhill descents that were mainly off camber. Also, we really didn't want to land in the lake (though technically they are ponds IMO).

I thought about taking the trainer,  but left it at home. I was bumming a ride with a friend and she doesn't even race! The back of her SUV was full of my gear, wheels and bike. We arrived about 2 hours before my scheduled race start. Plenty of time to pick up number, pre-ride with tape up, cheer on the 4s and warm-up. It was chilly when the clouds hid the sun and very breezy. I slipped on my capris and long sleeved jersey for the pre-ride and had on my windvest. I felt overdressed by the end of one lap.

Unfortunately, one of the cat 4s fell and broke a leg. This put our race a full half-hour behind schedule. Made it difficult to stay warm. They started the juniors in front of us and then all of the women together, elders in back. I was doing well passing on the hole-shot and of course everyone started bunching up at the first and second turn. I was much too tentative and passive in the turns and several passed me. Once on the straightwaways and second set of turns I got more confidence and even on the big downhill at the lake I was feeling really good and passed several women along the pump track that followed. I goofed on the first lap at the run-up and was in the wrong gear and "ran" it.  I rode that sucker the rest of the race. Early into the 3rd lap I took a sharp left turn and my rear wheel slid out to my right. I thought I was sliding ok, then my head bounced off the ground and I heard a crack. Once I stopped, I was at the tape and I sat up and took off my helmet for inspection. I couldn't see anything, but those stars were in the way!

I put the helmet back on and got back on the bike and finished the race. Everyone had passed me by then and I was in the back. As I rode up the last hill towards the finish line at the end of the third lap I started thinking I'd pull out of the race. My heart and neck were hurting. But then I said, "Sherri you might be many things but you are not a quitter". I had cotton mouth and a few other distractions, but I put them all aside and finished the race. I tried very hard to finish strong, though I think I probably just looked a little pathetic out there.Someone has to be DFL, I just don't want to be anymore, if I can help it.  I also need to get over this fear of falling, I think it's inevitable.

I want to say that I was very happy to see so many women in the 3/4s race today. I'm not sure of the total number but there were 22 pre-registered.

I got to meet some of the 513 Rogues today, but hopefully will get to spend a little more time with them next weekend in Cincy. That is if I can figure out how I"m gonna get there.

Here's to a good week ahead
peace to all

Two wheels and two feet are ok for now

but they won't be enough to get me to Cincy next weekend or even enough to get me to Tour de Louisville tomorrow.  Correction, I could ride to the race tomorrow. But I doubt I'd have enough energy to ride home after riding there and racing.

I had a nasty tummy ache last night. Went to bed before 9. Slept almost all night except for waking briefly twice. I was still miserable this morning. But needed to get somethings done, 1) get a new copy of my driver's license that I lost on a bike ride and 2) go to the eye doctor and get new contacts, since I've been wearing my last pair for at least 3 weeks. (procrastinate much?)

It took me a while to get moving. Oatmeal wasn't going to work. I scrambled an egg. I kept walking out on the deck. It was cool. I didn't want to do the errands in my spandex kit. Just didn't seem appropriate. so, I got out my stretchy jeans that are too big and a long sleeved shirt with my wind vest and headed out. Man! it was very cool in the park with the wind chill on the bike.

Anyway, I did my stuff and by the time I got back to my neighborhood I was feeling almost normal. Riding a bike does that for me. After soaking some beans and doing laundry and praying it would rain and then watching the rain fall and stop I walked to the store. It's always fun to walk down Bardstown Rd and watch all of the people. There is such a wide variety of souls out and about.


My tummy is still not right. I didn't get my openers in for tomorrow's race. It's gonna hurt very badly, I just know it. I'm thinking that all this stuff with the car wreck and settling with the insurance company has just got me stressed. I don't want to shop for a car. I don't want a car payment. So, I think I'll find something older. It's not like I need a car for every day. Just weekend races mostly.

peace to all