CA XC Race Course

Today Chris and I went up to the 96 degree weather in the Santa Ynez Valley to pre-ride the NMBS XC course. Amazing how different the weather is on the water in Santa Barbara when compared to a 40 minute drive up and over and on the other side of the mountains. About 20 degrees difference.

What was weird is that Chris and I had unknowingly trained on the road that leads right to the venue and course back in 2003. It looked so familiar today as we were driving in and we couldn't figure it out. But as it turns out, in 03 we were on our way down the 101 heading towards the next NMBS in Big Bear and I had to get some training in so we pulled off at just a random exit, got the bikes out of the car and rode. Yep, same exit and same road. Life is so weird sometimes.

So for those of you that are interested, here are the course details:

Think Sonoma without the bumps, pavement, or dirt roads and a hand full of shade to go around. Then think Sea Otter with nothing technical and you have the race course almost in mind. Longest climb is not more than 5-10 minutes and its just fast and fun. Nothing loose and nothing crazy. There you have it.

Alright, tomorrow in the AM is the STXC!

Life Can Be a Beach

...if you drive 751 miles to it.

My Morning Started Like This..........

Yep, that is my beloved French Coffee Press that I don't leave home without.
Me not happy. Must go pedal to make self happy again.

Pain Management

You may think that this is going to be a paragraph about training but I am about to talk about the highly recommended Massage Therapist..........oh I mean Massage Masochist that I just came back from. Oh my god are you stinking kidding me? I have NEVER EVER endured such immeasurable pain and suffering in my life. I have never had a deep tissue massage and I will NEVER get one again. I don't care that you are NEVER supposed to say NEVER because I stinking mean it. The bike is enough suffering for me thank you. And yes I did tell the guy that it feels like the movie Backdraft up and down my arms and legs and he would proceed to convince me that I needed it while he continued to detach the rest of my limbs from my body. I think I may have even grown an inch during the horrendous process.

Why didn't I jet? I guess being that I am some sort of athlete, I must enjoy the mental and physical challenges of putting myself through pain intentionally for training and racing. And when you have that personality you can't give in, give up, quit, leave, not finish. So I didn't.

I have never been so happy to see a massage end in my life. Pure and utter delight and relief.

Joke Is On You

Kristin and Eric have the coolest back yard full of neat trees, plants, flowers, fire pit, hot tub, fountain, a trellis, patio, and all kinds of birds (hence my nutty thoughts on the birds the other day). But they also have this cheesy topiary that was shaped into a heart by the former home owners that sits at about 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide up against their fence. Chris decided to do this to it as a joke since it faces their kitchen table and now stares right at you while you are eating your cereal:

Don't Let This Happen To You

Dang it........I mistimed the closing of the Platinum Fitness Performance gym so I ended up improvising my routine at "home" with full paint cans (of which there are plenty of at the new place).

I Don't Want to Be a Bird

Today in Santa Barbara it rained buckets especially in the morning and it was chilly willy. Remember that little guy? He was cute.

Speaking of the bird species, today while it was raining I decided I wouldn't want to be a bird. It would be so boring to sit around in a nest waiting for the rain to stop. Or I guess the other option would be to try and have fun and dodge the rain pellets but I think the rain would win. Tough living on those nasty days. See the kind of thinking my poor husband Chris has to put up with?!

Pain Cave

Kristin and Eric my friends who just moved bought their new place on one of the bigger climbs out of Santa Barbara. How sweet is that? So instead of being a pack mule on my rides, I get to keep a line up of H2O bottles at their front door along with other supplies while I head up and down the climb 10,000 times. It is always just those small things in life isn't it?

The San Marcos Road that they are on connects to the Painted Cave Raod and all I have to say that there is no need for the "ted" on "Painted" Cave Road . Wow this certainly is CA riding at its best. This is where I went yesterday and was definitely in the Pain Cave.

Training in the Dark?

I asked myself how I got to this point today of having to end my training in the dark. How did I let the day go? Was it that I got so obsessed with finding internet or was it moving and feeling a bit out of sorts. Maybe it was all the above as this is how the day went:

-Get up groggily at 9am at new house.
-Find mug for coffee in box.

-Settle for (plastic) spoon for oatmeal after looking for normal spoon.
-Take and make phone calls.
-Freak out that there is no wireless to poach in the area.
-Freak out some more that my back up Verizon wireless card won't work because cell phone reception is too spotty at the new place.

-Pack everything up and let my nose lead me to the land of wireless at a Starbucks that I saw last year here but never went to.
-Drove right to it with no directions, just sense.
-Set up camp in Starbucks and get really perturbed that my (now) stupid so called "free" wireless card defaults to the "have to pay" T-Mobile service.

-What the heck?!!

-I am out of there but get an Americano because I really think am going to need it today.

-Drive across town.
-Go to my buddies vacant old house where I know I have cell phone reception and some wireless poaching capabilities.
-Get there and no poaching wireless band available. Where did that band go?????
-Get on the ever so slow Verizon wireless card and get some stuff done but everything is taking 10 years.

-Make some more calls.

-Need to train.
-IDEA! Buddies have their own wireless at old house still connected but I don't have code.
-Try to find code on my currently slow network.

-Takes forever and then code doesn't work.
-Ready to throw the computer.
-I probably should just go train.
-And behold the arrival of the homeowner and computer goo-roo at his lunchtime to pack and oh great.....help Kathy with the code issue. Darn visitors. :)
-Saved!!! and on the computer for HOURS and HOURS.
-Hungry...need food but at vacant house sitting on an upside garbage can as a make shift seat.

-Find food in really scary places because I can't leave now.......I have a FAST wireless connection.
-Should really think about training.
-Stomach grumbles for the millionth time.
-Why didn't I bring any food with me?
-Ok time to go even though still have tons to do.
-Pack the rest of my stuff out of the old house.
-Pack some of their stuff too because its the least I can do.
-Ok, off to Trader Joes to get a sandwich.
-Well........while I am there I should think about recovery food for after my ride, yah, and maybe dinner too and, yah, for that matter breakfast tomorrow. Good god women!!
-Great, a one minute grab a sandwich turns into a $30 spree and too much time at TJ.
-Deal with SB traffic because now its like almost rush hour. Lovely.
-Get to their new place and fumble bumble with keys and locks.

-I am a fumble bumble.

-Unload fully packed car.

-Fill water bottles....getting closer to that training ride.

-Ready to go but.......

-Decide I need warmer gear because sun is going down.

-Get out FINALLY at about 5:15ish for a 2.5 hour ride.
-What a moron, dealing with traffic on my bike and then having to deal with the dark.

NOTE TO SELF: You are not in Heber where you can ride freely for hours upon hours without stopping. There are such things as stoplights and since I stop my timer every time I hit a stoplight its going to take LONGER to ride 2.5. Try 3.
And that my friends is how I ended up riding in the dark.
Because I was in the dark ALL DAY.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Yep, not only my favorite movie but also my life. As if enough wasn't going on with the move from South SB to North SB, Chris had to catch a flight back to Utah so he could finish up some work details. Then I was on my way to the gym and for a ride which was great. First, the gym.........let me tell you those guys at Platinum Fitness Performance here in Santa Barbara are wonderful. They let me in to do my thing and were very understanding as to what life is like on the road with trying to maintain your hard earned fitness. It was cool too because most of the people in there had just gotten done doing a Marathon or was a Pro this or a Pro that. Great place and real good people. After the gym was some cycling where I actually saw more than one cyclist like I would in Heber. Nice to see that cycling is huge here. After cycling there was some of this (see pic):

Settled (or maybe not..) in Santa B.

We got settled for the time being in Santa Barbara at our buddies place where they have been renting for years. But after being permanent fixtures in the community of Santa Barbara, they have decided to buy a home that they will be moving into this week. Buying in SB isn’t easy……after having it sink in that one million dollars is where you START looking to invest in a home, they found this steal of a deal home that we will all get into in the next few days. Lucky them and lucky us too as this is where we will be "pitting" from for the next few weeks. Thanks for letting us tag along on your journey guys!

In Style eh?

I picked up some swag from the Sram tent because I was freezing while at the Otter. Is this really the in style these days? Wow. Although its made super nice.....its HUGE.

Sea Otter XC - Total Turnaround

After my Short Track race yesterday I felt like a weight was sitting on me. For that matter, I felt like that during the Short Track Race too. I spent most of the late after noon and evening yesterday laying in bed thinking I was getting sick. I was so tired and fatigued that it even took me hours to get out of bed to finally turn on hot water to make pasta. I even felt slightly guilty eating all that I did yesterday in preparation for today's race because I really thought I may wake up ill and wouldn't be racing today. And if that was the case I would have an extra pound of weight on me that wouldn't be coming off in a race. Oh no!!

As it turned out, I woke up and wasn't sick but I will say I didn't feel like myself. I didn't even feel like there was race that was about to happen. For the 38 mile Cross Country race today the sun came out and so did the winds. Here is the synopsis: 3 hours of pain, 3100 calories burned, no crashes, no mechanicals and a hot first lap had me up in 9th place. But unfortunately halfway through the second lap got the best of me and I grudgingly surrendered 3 spots coming in 12th. Not bad considering all the ripping gals that were here to contest this semi international event. I am happy with the effort but never completely satisfied because I always want better.

When I crossed the line I thought I was going to barf. And actually now that I am writing about it I do remember barfing during the race. Don't worry all you squeamish folk out there, its not like it was pizza or lasagna coming up it. Just pure liquid since that is the only thing in your system along with tons of energy gels. But because my mouth was open, the wind was whipping and it came on soooo fast I didn't have to deal with it at all. Hmmmm....maybe that is how I got the gap on the gal behind me. Just kidding.

My system has been out of sorts up until this very moment (race ended at 3:30pm). Stomach ache, nausea, cold chills, achey everything and flat out fatigue were just some of the ways my body was choosing to ask me what the heck I did that to it for? My answer- I did it because it was fun!

We our heading down 101 South right now. Destination is Santa Barbara where we will be surfing and riding for the next few weeks waiting for the next NMBS race to take place. Life is rough sometimes but someone has to do it. Actually....life WAS rough today. Owe.

Sea Otter STXC - Check Engine Light

Well, today it rained as expected. They cancelled tons of races due to the sleet that was coming down but they didn't cancel the Pro races. After getting the venue 2 hours early, being greeted at the Titus tent with a mud floor that was like quick sand, changing tires to a smaller very spaced out knobby, getting the Magura brakes realigned to fit the new disc wheel set, setting up my trainer IN the actual Titus trailer to shield myself from the wind and cold and then putting on more layers of clothing..... I was ready to warm up. Whew....finally hugh?

I got a good warm up in but wasn't feeling the love. At the start line I was battling the evil thoughts that were going around in my head which can be one of the worst things you have to deal with. The short track course was Mud-EE. But nothing like last year. I guess I am trying to say that there was none of this (see pic) from me this year so all of you can just put this lovely picture that you have posted on walls, screen savers and all the rest (you KNOW who you are) TO REST! Ha ha!

Unfortunately I just wasn't fast and feeling the snap today during the race. It was simply the engine -my check engine light had come on and was flashing by the end of the race. I slopped it in for a 20th place which 2 years ago I would have been elated with. Now, not so much but I have to move on get ready for the Cross Country race tomorrow. It is supposed to get sunny again and have high winds.