Diabolical Double

Yes, this was the hardest event I have done yet (stay tuned for Top 10 Toughest Events 2008). The Diabolical Double had been previously described to me as: 125 miles and 15,000 feet of climbing. This ride will hurt you. Badly. Really. The ride was one 125 mile loop, also covering most of the Savageman course. I had done the Savageman Aquabike last year. It hurt me. Sooo I was pretty anxious leading up to this ride. The ride was to take place on Saturday morning and was the last part of Savage Camp.

Matias and I had not been able to attend the full Camp so left for Deep Creek Lake State Park on Friday evening and arrived at 12am...everyone was sleeping...so we found where we were sleeping, got situated, and were in bed by maybe 1am...up at 6am to prepare for the ride. yaaaaa

I went across the street to Kyle and Laura's cabin, where the other half of the group was staying. Walked in, recognized the faces of some of the stronger riders in our area...SHOOOOT...what had I gotten myself into...I was scared. I asked Kyle if there were cue sheets..."NO, here is this Garmin Forerunner...it has the route and will tell you where to go." Great, I thought, as I pictured myself hitching a ride from someone in the middle of Westernport, MD. I am not huge on the technology (bike computers, HRMs, GPS) that everyone uses....yes, and I called myself an Agency Technologist. Computers frusrtate me and HRMs take too much fiddling around with. I had no idea how to use this contraption.

We were on the road by 8am. The group (~15 people) hung together. Pace did not seem to bad. The legs were feeling pretty good...but hard to get too excited...it was going to be a long day...lots of time to feel awesome and lots of time to feel miserable. 1st real climb (1st of 10 categorized climbs) came at about 15 miles...a beater. I may have been the 1st to the top...after that I stayed ahead for a bit. Matias shortly caught me..."You are an animal," he said. "I am nervous...gotta pace myself." I was feeling maybe I should be taking it easier...but I did not feel I was pushing it to much at all. There was a rest stop at mile 30 and then mile 50...the group pretty much stayed together up to this point. The big hills were coming one after another...a few rollers in between. Then the hugest hill came right before lunch (mile 65). It was a killer...this ride was sick. I was still feeling good. Had been keeping up on my nutrition (eating ~150 calories/hour, drinking water, taking Endurolytes, and eating fireballs of course). At lunch I stuffed my face with gluten-free pretzels and mint candys. 130pm and we were on the road again and over half way done. I was feeling a bit fatigued...

I had taken half my clothes off and left them at the rest stop (we had passed on the drive in and would be able to get them on the drive out). I felt weird...maybe the temperatures changes (when we started it was in the low 50s and was now in the high 70s). Climbing and descending sometimes gets to me when I climb and get really hot and then descend and become really cold. blahhh. Things are a little foggy now. The course become flatter and some more downhills as we entered Westernport. I started dropping behind the group. Then I was dropped. A few more hills...but I did not have the same climbing effort as I usually have. A few others were near me. Tom Shinners, had stayed back and was rounding up the stragglers (me mainly). He pushed me up the hills. HAHA. We came into Westernport at about mile 95. I felt like POOP...not necessarily bonking...I had just had enough. We regrouped, went down into Westernport, and made a rest stop. There was an option to go back 20 miles, instead of 35 miles. I felt like maybe I could make the 35...I did not want to be a wuss. Tom said he would take me back...I accepted and went with him after crushing 2 popsickles. I was so glad with my decision...it was the most hurtful 20 miles I have experienced on my bike. We had to do 12,000 more feet of climbing in those last 20 miles. All I could say to Tom was how miserable I was and ask him how many more miles, how many more climbs? "DO NOT ASK AGAIN how much more, stick to my wheel, put it in the lowest gear, GRUNT if you are falling behind, he shouted." GUHH I was so miserable. "How much more?!" I mumbled, buhaha. With maybe 10 miles to go he made me stop and take a gel and drink half my water. My throat and esophagus hurt like heck...maybe from breathing so hard for so long. I felt a bit better. Then Tom asked me what my "ALMOST home distance" was. I said, about 5 miles WHY?! I was cranky. A few minutes later he said almost home. HOORAY! And finally we enetered back into the state park and then were back at the cabins. 9 hours, 110 miles, almost 15,000 feet of climbing...I was freakin delerious and so thankful to Tom for dragging me back.

The rest of the group returned about an hour later. Everyone was SPENT. We then went for eats and drinks at Unos. I was feeling OK except for my throat/esophagus was killing...I had either become sick from the ride or just worn out from breathing so heavily over a long time. I crashed pretty quickly that night...woke up the next morning feeling pretty similar. I decided to go for a 45 minute swim in the lake followed by a 30 minute run...throat hurt during the swim and strangely felt pretty good on the run. Matias and I hung out with the group a bit and were on the road home about 2pm. WHAT A BEATER!!!

Ready for hot yoga tonight :)

Up Next: General Smallwood International with Team LUNA Chix DC June 29, 2008

125-DiabolicalDouble

Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com

Eagleman...1st Half Ironman!

***RESULTS***

Overall: 5:30:36
Swim: 29:14
Bike: 2:44:44
Run: 2:10:16

***PRERACE***

I hate tapering. All week I felt anxious and had trouble breathing...anticipating the race and slowing down the training was getting to me. Saturday morning Matias and I went for a quick swim with Reston Masters before heading to Cambridge where the Eagleman festivities would begin. We were on the road by 11am...no traffic/stopping...arrived at the Expo/packet pick-up by 1:30pm. Waaaa...this race is serious business and always makes me nervous from the start...all the fancy bikes, pros, serious faces, talk about crushing it, etc. cripes. Matias and I could sense each others nervousness and quickly busted outta there. We then dropped our stuff at the Victoria Gardens B&B (not sure how we ended up a block from transition...I highly recommend this place), got settled, and headed to drop our bikes off at transition. Headed back to the B&B, where Lynette, the Australian Innkeeper who shortly became our new mom, took care of us.

I think that was the best I have slept pre-race...when you wake-up and forget where you are at...always a good sign. Had some coffee, fruit, and rice cakes with jam (my new favorite GF thing). And we headed for the race. I was in transition and set up by 6:30am. My wave was to go off at 7:45am. I had time to wait in line 45min for the porta. My stomach was a mess...I went to the bathroom at least 6 times that morning. I felt pretty empty and was a little worried.

***RACE***

SWIM - I got my full sleeve wetsuit on. I had decided to go with this because 2 years ago when I had done the Aquavelo I had gotten attacked by jellyfish 3 times. I wanted to keep as much of my body covered as possible. I was HOT. But that was OK. I gathered with the rest of the dark green cappers and before long we were off. It was a big group and I struggled to break away for awhile. I kept locking arms with a girl to my right. Finally I broke off with another girl. And I could see a few others ahead but not too far. I began to pace with the girl...she was holing a good pace for me and I was able to settle into a good rhythm. At the turning back point I was feeling pretty hot and the water tasted bad making my stomach feel nauseated. Was passing a lot of the earlier waves so that made me feel better. Finally we were entering the finishing chute. I felt pretty sluggish with the heat coming out of the water.

T1 - Ran into T1 and quickly got going on Bananas.

BIKE - As soon as I started riding I had a gel...I was feeling hungry before even starting the race and the last thing I wanted was to bonk. My legs felt solid...it was going to be a good ride. My goal time was 2:45...which meant holding 20mph. I settled into this and felt like I could hold it the whole time. I actually think I ride stronger in the heat...it gives my legs a chance to warm up. In the cold I feel like I am just grinding. The bike was pretty uneventful/a snoozer...just stayed aero, came out of the saddle several times to stretch my legs. I had 3 more gels, a a Clif Nectar bar, a bottle of 2x LUNA Electrolyte drink, and some Endurolytes. The last 10 miles of this course are always rough..wind seems to always pick up. I was getting nervous for the run. Had I saved enough? too much maybe. I felt good.

T2 - Came into T2...there was maybe only one other bike back in my area at this point. This transition was abit slower so that I could grease up my feet...and I am not up on my T2 as much as T1 yet :)

RUN - So I have been running solid in the Newtons the last month or so. Took awhile for my calves/hips to be ready for them. And then I had been getting some serious blisters on my toes. I suspected that the shoes might be too small for my large feet. Matias, a blister veteran, had fixed me up with some moleskin in the bad spots pre-race. So I should be alright. I started out slow...the bike legs were not quite ready for busting it into a run yet. But I was moving and felt ok. It was freakin HOT. Good thing for Bikram yoga...the heat did not seem to bother me anymore...just gott go with the sweating. I came upon mile 1...there was a drink/food station every mile. I was still feeling pretty slow...hopefully I would feel better. Mile 2...my feet felt hot and squished and this was going to be rough. I was dreading what my feet were going to look like when I took my shoes off in the end. I felt blisters coming on the bottoms of my feet and toes were they were being squished together...maybe it would go away. yea right. Mile 3...not going away...only getting worse. I continued to run. 10 more miles...this was going to be absolutely miserable. Mile 4 and 5...serious hurt. The run was out and back...so it was keeping me going to see people I knew. I saw Shawn and shouted "How much longer...guhh I am hurtin"...he said, "Only about a mile or so." Yeah right...after 2 more miles at least was the turn around...turning HURT. It hurts to write this. Anyways, I was on the way back. Half of the race was walking...I kept running slowly...it hurt more to walk. I decided to take it 1 mile at a time...walk through the stations. The next few miles were absolutely miserable. I would walk through the station and dump the ice water on my head to get myself moving. The last 2 miles I kinda shuffled. My energy levels were good...so it was frustrating being in pain because my body wanted to go. I had 2 gels and water throughout the run. Finally, I could see the finish. I busted it to the end. I was SO happy I had chills all over. I had completed my 1st half ironman along with my 1st half marathon.

***POSTRACE***

I went straight to the hose and got a rinse and then took my shoes off...I could not even look at my feet. Matias then found me. I told him to check the feet out..."GEEEEEEZ." Ahh not good. And I am so sunburn. Matias had a GREAT race...1st amateur male...nice work. In the end it was a good day...despite the miserable run...I figure it is a long race and lots of room for error and improvement. I enjoyed the half distance and look forward to Savageman. AHAHAHA

***LESSONS LEARNED***

-Wear a hat on the run...and maybe apply some sunscreen in transition.
-Go through blister preparation (bigger Newtons, and been talking with Mary and Al on some good ideas to get my feet tougher)

Up Next: Savage Camp June 19-22, 2008, General Smallwood International with Team LUNA Chix DC June 29, 2008

Lake Placid Training

Long training weekend up in Lake Placid last weekend. Joe Coyne, had organized a training trip in preparation for s upcoming Ironman USA.

DAY 1/Thursday: Thursday morning Matias and I started off at Turkey Thicket with a solid 5,000 yard swim. We then headed out...picked up Kelzie, and then headed to meet up with Joe and Laurel. Team Versa was on the road by 9:30am, only 30 minutes later than planned. The drive was pretty uneventful..a few rest stops...and then around 3pm a stop in Woodstock to ride a 30 mile loop Joe had found. WOW...Woodstock was just as I pictured it. My legs felt stale...this would be a rough ride. We got going and it did feel good to get moving. After about 20 miles though I was ready to be done and thought this could be a long few days if my legs did not feel better. Since Tour de Skyline they just had not been feeling it. Not much recovery and over-training is what I suspected. We missed a turn and ended up with about 36 miles and were back in the car. After a quick stop at Sunflower, a local health food store, and a run in with a very laid back yogi we were on the road again by 7pm. We made it to Placid by 10pm...I was beat.

DAY 2/Friday: After a look at the weather forecast the previous night and our late arrival, we decided to sleep in a bit until 8ish, hit the grocery store, and then head out to ride one 56 mile loop of the Placid course. At about 10am we were ready to roll out. I was glad we had waited a bit for the sun to come out and temps to go into the upper 50s. As we started to ride my legs still felt so strained. UGHH. BLAH. I wished I was swimming. The 1st part of the course was some serious downhills...dang...downhills are not my strength at all. So yea, maybe 6 miles of realy downhill. I wanted to turn around but now though that might not be such a hot idea as we plummeted into this valley...going back up might not be so fun. I was stuck. After about 14 miles the downhills ceased and we came into Keene and regrouped. I was definitely not feeling well. I decided I should turn around and find a pool. BUHAHA. I told the group I was not feeling it and going to head back...the reminded me I had to go back up what we had come down. I did not care...I love climbing. Sucka...the climb back up was rough...nuf said. After that I felt a bit better. Headed back into town...the group would not be back for maybe another hour so I decided to ride through town and check out the Lake Placid Fitness Center, which supposedly had a pool. Unfortunately their pool was closed. Major bummer. I headed back to the condo...for a total of about 40 miles. The group returned around 2pm. The afternoons workout was a swim in Mirror Lake. We headed for the lake at 430pm. I had heard the water was in the lows 50s and was a bit nervous but really wanted to swim. Got my wetsuit on and lingered around awhile. Matias busted right on off the dock...huh...he seemed ok. I went over to the shore and waded in and started swimming...it was freakin cold. Not the type where one would warm up. DANG. I swam maybe 15 minutes and started feeling dizzy...this can not be good. I decided I should be a wuss and turn around before I had a problem. I was done trying for the day. That night we crushed some food and watched a movie about a guy who somehow became blind in Mexico.

DAY 3/Saturday: After yesterdays bust...I decided to do my own thing today. The group was doing a lot of riding (at least 1 loop of the course each day). I decided that was not the best for me with how my legs had been hurting and with Eagleman coming the following weekend. I planned to do a long run and then try to find a pool. At 930am I headed out solo-mission in the Newtons to run around Mirror Lake (which I believe was about 3.5 miles round trip). I did one loop and was feeling pretty good, and no signs of blisters (At the end of my runs in the Newtons my toes would began to get sore and I was getting some good looking blisters). One more loop should put me at 8 miles. After the 2nd loop I was still feeling pretty good so decided to go for one more. Coming through the town that 3rd loop my feet/toes started to hurt. I could have done another if I cut my toes off. I headed back to the condo and ended with about 12 miles...m longest run to this date. I really wanted to swim so looked online and called some places to find a pool. No matter where I go I am always able to find something...NOTHING. geez. When Matias got back from riding he felt my frustration and decided we should try and bust into a hotel he had seen. We headed to the Adirondack Inn and were able to sneak into their 15 or so yard pool. It felt great to stretch out and then sit in the hot tub. After the swim we went to Pasta La Villa for a Starburst martini and $1 drafts. nice. Then headed back to the condo to catch the end of a movie about a he-she. That night we crushed some more eats and then headed to the American Legion for some karaoke. We sat in the corner and watched the professional karaokeeer's line dancing and singing. After about an hour we were all falling asleep and decided it was bedtime.

DAY 4/Sunday: Today I would attempt to ride 1 loop of the course with the group again. We decided to get an earlier 8am start as the weather looked like it would get worse throughout the day. The way to Keene my legs felt soso...the downhills began...really not fun. Mile 35 the legs started feeling very strained again. Well at least only 20 more miles. The next section was this out and back. The wind started to really pick up and at times I felt I was going backwards. I became sad and wanted to be done. Kelzie was ahead...Matias was ahead but kept slowing to wait up for me and make sure I had not blown away. Joe and Laurel were not far behind. At mile 44 the climb back into Placid began. It had started to rain and I got cold. The last section was Little Cherry, Big Cherry, Baby Bear (weak), Mama Bear, and Papa Bear hills. Not too bad...I do love climbing. And finally it was over and we were back at the condo. Matias and I headed to the crepe place and I had a sandwich with gluten-free bread! It was so yummy. Then we decided to check out the Swedish Hill Winery. They had some great wines and we bought 3 bottles. Everyone was pretty wiped from training at this point...that night we crushed the rest of the food and talked about what we would do our last morning in Placid.

DAY 5/Monday: The group discussed a couple options for the morning training before leaving to go home. I was leaning towards NOT riding and just going for an hour run. They had wanted to do a mini-tri. This would mean getting in the freezing water around 7am. I was not up for that. Then someone mentioned this Whiteface Mountain ride. UGHH ride. Then the talk was of this mountain which consisted of 8 miles of climbing. OK I was in. Whiteface Mountain is 8 miles on a 8% Grade. The Climb is 3,500' up Scenic Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway. New York's 5th highest peak with 360° panoramic views of the Adirondacks, New England, Vermont and Montreal. Starting line is at the Junction of Routes 86 & 431 in Wilmington, New York. Team Versa headed out at 630am, arrived at the starting line at 7am and were rolling by 715am. The climb began. Is this the start I kept asking. I sure as heck hoped...we were already significantly (out of the saddle type) climbing. "Yes, but we have not entered the actual climb," they kept saying. nice. Mile markers started saying 3, 2, 1 miles until Toll Booth (that meant park entrance). After 3 miles we came upon the closed park gates and signs which said NO bikes. I was bustin on through. Matias and I had gotten there 1st..we waited for Laurel and Joe to make a decision. Laurel said "LETS GO"...so we were climbing. Yes, this was climbing...no relief whatsoever. We settled into our paces. Matias was about 50 feet ahead of me and Joe about 50 feet behind...I did not want to let Matias out of my site. We came up on a sign...ROUGH ROAD 5 miles...great 5 miles till the top. They were not kidding...this was crazy tough. After wat seemed like a loooong time I came to ROUGH ROAD 4 miles...GOOD GRIEF. I needed fireballs and a gel...I was going to bonk after riding 4 miles. The next 2 miles seemed long and it started to get colder...maybe a temp drop of 10 degrees from the base. And the visibility was becoming very low...maybe 50 feet...I could barely see Matias but knew he was only about 50 feet in front still. Then the wind picked up...I had to really fight to ride through it. Finally, I came upon ROUGH ROAD 1 mile. There were no longer trees as we were at the top of the mountain...I felt as if I were in a different country. And finally I was at the top at some castle. So strange. I found Matias and Joe shortly followed. We were SO cold. Temp had gone down to 40 degrees and the wind was very strong. Some guys who worked in the castle had drove up right as we were finishing and told us we should not be up there and better ride back down asap. We were waiting for Laurel and then were gonna head back down. I was NOT looking forward to the ride down. Laurel arrived and they let us warm up a few minutes in the castle. Then we headed down. I took it EZ...breaked the entire time. There were some serios small rough bumbs middle of the road that could have taken someone out if you had not been paying attention. My eyes were watering and I was SO cold. I gripped my breaks so hard that my hands went numb. Temp was rising...at mile 4 it was about 55 degrees and then at the base about 62 degrees. I did not see anyone ahead of me at the base...I felt delerious and was unsure of where to go. I called Matias and Joe...AH DUH. Then figured it out...made my way back to the car. I was proud of that accomplishment. Probably the hardest thing I have done on Bananas. We got back to the condo, packed up, and shipped out. The way home went quickly. Matias drank too much Rockstar and went psycho. He finally bonked about 8pm...there is a 1st time for everything.

Thanks Joe for putting this training trip together. I had a great time training and hanging with everyone! Go Team Versa!

Up Next: Eagleman June 8, 2008

Little Pepper...Back in the Game

***RESULTS***

Overall: 1:26:36 1st in age group, 5th overall
Swim: 10:49 1st in age group, 3rd overall
Bike: 49:25 1st in age group, 5th overall
Run: 23:02 1st in age group, 20th overall

***PRERACE***

After a late night and fun at my sister's GW graduation ceremony/dinner...I woke up and headed out to Culpeper, VA for Lil Pepper Sprint Triathlon about 5am on Sunday morning. The drive over was pretty uneventful..a coffee stop and 2 bathroom stops (yes, it was only a 90 minute drive). Mary and Steph caught me on the road and I tagged along behind them for the rest of the way. It was about 62 degrees...a bit on the chilly side. ehh. Got everything together and headed to packet/chip pick-up. I was asked if I was an Athena or something else. I was confused. Saw a lot of familiar faces...this was going to be fun. Then went to set up transition. I was ready by 715am..race was not to start until 8am...ughh too much idle time. I mingled with friends and started to get anxious. Mary could sense my nerves and came over for a pep talk. "KATIE...this is what we know...this is what we do best...and on a normal basis...this is FUN!" I smiled and said "I know, I just have not really done this whole deal in a long time...once I get this first one over with I am good." I love Mary D. :)

***RACE***

SWIM - Got my full sleeve wetsuit on and headed over to wait for the start. Found Justina and Jeff and hung with them till it was time to go. Justina and I were in the same wave (35 and under females...YES, pink caps). We waded in the water and positioned in front as the wave in front of us went. It was kinda deep and mushy...YUCK...and COLD. Cripes. Then it was GO. I swam fast to get away from the ladies behind me. I battled with a girl on my right for maybe 100 yards and then I was out in the lead and did not see anyone. I tried to settle into a rhythm. It was really cold. They said the water was 70...felt like low 60s to me. I was able to settle into a rhythm and felt pretty good. About half way I started catching up the the previous wave of 35 and under males. My face was feeling numb and cold...so I swam faster to get out of there. I rounded the last turn...swam to shore and ran into T1. Fun being the 1st in my wave out of the water!

T1 - Got the wetsuit off fast but then could not get my shirt on. Finally was all set and off on my bike. Went without arm warmers or leg warmers. Slow transition.

BIKE - The bike course happened to be somewhat hilly...it was good. My legs felt somewhat stale and I had a hard time staying warm and settling into a good pace. I passed some more guys. I was still in my groups lead and started to get worried about ladies coming up from behind....felt like I was weaving all over the place...it was windy. There were no mile markers in site anywhere and my computer is busted...I had no idea how fast/how much longer and I had not worn a watch. Finally asked someone and he said 1/2 more mile! Great...I busted it to the end. 1st in my group into T2...but I cold see someone behind me. Now the run.

RUN - So I had decided to wear the Newtons. I got them in February..wore them for the 1st time then and had a hard time walking for about a week after. They really force you into forefoot running, which puts a lot of pressure onto your calves. However, they were FAST and once I got more accustomed to forefoot running...the best way to go for me as forefoot running seems to cause less pounding and pressure into my hips. Since I had worn them I knew what it felt like to forefoot run and have been slowly transitioning to running that way in my Asics. I was maybe 80% forefoot running lately. So I decided to wear them. As I started off I noticed my right toes were totally numb...weird. Maybe my shoes were too tight. I stopped for a second to loosen the laces. I was off to VERY slow start..this might be ugly. A girl passed me. Boo. Then I started to feel really good...like I was prancing...the Newtons are AWESOME. Then I even passed some people and picked up speed. On the way back I felt like I had too much energy and pushed it all the way to the finish. I had finished somewhere between maybe 3rd and 5th. After I finished the girl who had passed me, Alex, came up to say Congrats. She was really cool...hopefully our paths cross again. She thought I was endurance runner. :) Hopefully soon.

***POSTRACE***

After the race hung out and talked to everyone. Julie Clark completed her 1st race...she was smiling...I am really proud of her. She did AWESOME. Only good things to come. Then I started to feel nauseated. I sat down...then my eyes started feeling strange...oh wow...maybe a migraine coming on. I went to the car to get my sunglasses (even though it was very overcast) and as I was walking yes for sure a migraine. Julie was coming back and I told her I was going to leave. UGHH hopefully I would be OK driving home. I just wanted to get home and shower and lay down. I had my prescription with me...took one and hoped the spots would go away. The did shortly...but my vision was still off and then another one came on. GEEZ...this was the worst. Somehow I managed to get home. I felt like a mess but I was so happy with my race.

***LESSONS LEARNED***

-Start working on heart rate training and be more aware of my times.
-Start out a bit faster on the run...I always seem to have to much steam left at the end.
-Work on the mental state. Migraine during/after a race...2nd time this has happened. They always seem to happen as a stress relief. I do think I can relax now that I have got that 1st race BACK IN THE GAME over with...

Up Next: Lake Placid training/fun trip May 29, 2008, Eagleman June 8, 2008

Julie's first triathlon--Little Pepper race report

Racer:	Julie Clark
Race:	Little Pepper
Date:	Sunday, May 18, 2008
Location:	Culpepper, VA
Race Type:	Triathlon - Sprint
Group:	Athena
Time:	1:53:42
Overall Place:	88 / 157
Age Group Place:	7 / 14
Comment:	my first triathlon, AND a PR :)

---

Race Report:

Pre-race:
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The night before the race, we stayed with a friend just a few miles from the lake, which was great. We also had steak, and while it was very yummy, it's not exactly what I had in mind for my pre-race dinner! Oh well, at least I drank more water than wine, and was in bed early. Up early too, but felt like I should be sociable, making me at least 15 minutes later to the race site than planned. This made for quite a rush, since there was a decent packet pick up line at this point, and it was my firs time doing any of this tri race business. But, it all got done...

Swim 22:03(138/157)
----------------------
Boy do I hate swimming, and this was no exception. The start was fine, my friend Moe and I stuck off to the rear of the group and waited for the speedsters (Katie D) to get going first. Getting through the first few buoys was manageable, but then the next waves starting passing me. First I saw the first wave behind, then even some from two waves behind! Oh well, just get through this. Then, SMACK, into my left eyesocket. It was almost in slow motion, which somehow allowed me to grab my goggles before they were sent off into oblivion, which was good, since they are prescription and would have made for a blind swim! I was pissed and treaded for a bit, thinking, I could stop. I hate this. Then, of course you're not stopping, you haven't even gotten to the parts you enjoy. Onward, and inward, SLOWLY.

T1 2:50 (76/157)
-----------------
I remembered my number easily (369!) and found my spot quickly. I got the wetsuit off with very few problems, and into the bike shoes and helmet. My glasses were easy to find, which worked well! Only complaint was who put that lovely hill right before the mount?? That was no fun.

Bike: 58:09 (59/157)
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Onto the bike, yay!! There was a bit of a hill getting started on the course, oh wait, there were hills everywhere. But, some great downhills to use my athena-ness to fly past quite a few riders. I did notice that I passed mostly mountain bike riders, with a few road bikes, while expensive tri bikes were passing me like crazy! I was fine with that, and pushed myself the whole ride. Only issue was the gel I taped to my bike fell off in the first third of the ride. Oh well, I just made an effort to drink more Accelerade!

T2: 1:43 (74/157)
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Found my stuff easily after running down that same hill between the dismount and my transition spot. Yay for yanks, shoes went on very easily.

Run: 28:59 (91/157)
--------------------
I got to do most of the run with my friend Moe, which was fun. We had to convince each other at a couple points that we CHOSE to do this and boy would it be nice to be done! The first few uphills killed me, I walked at least twice :(. But, I finally got into a rhythm half way through and picked it up a bit to the (downhill, yay!) finish.

Lessons learned
---------------
1- be much more early to the race site, esp with race-day packet pick up
2- swim more, even if I hate it
3- don't use scotch tape to tape gel to bike.
4- more bricks! more hills!

Overall:
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I'm finally a triathlete! Or a newbie one, at least. Thank goodness the first one is done. Now on to the next 5...including races with LUNA chix!

LUNA Mountain Bike Team Dominates UCI World Cups

From the backyard patio of Alison Dunlap. I've decided to change the format of our team race reports. I want to make them more interesting and exciting to read, instead of the usual play by play you get in Velo News. I will share the stories of my teammates from my window on the mountain bike world, complete with expert commentary of course. (Sorry for the typos) Enjoy!

World Cup #2: Offenberg, Germany
After a successful first round World Cup race in Houffalize, the team was on the road again, travelling to Offenberg, Germany, a small town situated between the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland. This was the fourth year of hosting the World Cup and the first year it didn't rain. Many of the riders complained about the course last year, but when the crowds are over 30,000 strong, the race organizer isn't inclined to listen. In 2007 the course was dry and fast only to be wrecked the day before with rain. The technical drops that were once sort of rideable became terrifying. It can be incredibly stressful to ride up to the top of a drop that is so steep it looks vertical and you wonder how in the world you're going to get down. And that's when it is dry. Now throw in heavy rains and mud that is as slick as peanut butter covered ice and that's when things become a real challenge. You literally lay awake at night thinking of those sections, feeling your heart rate start to climb and the anxiety building. (One of the many reasons I retired!) That's what the course became known for. Now in 2008, it was time to go back. This year the course stayed dry and everything was rideable, albeit still quite challenging. The girls finished the event ranked #1 in the women's team World Cup rankings and continue to be the #1 ranked UCI team in the world.

Georgia had this to say:
"Europe has been great- with the exception of my sucky race in Offenburg! Oh well, sometimes you just don't have it. Pretty frustrating. I was hoping to redeem myself after last year's rainy, muddy fiasco. I had a great start and was in the top three heading into the 1st lap, but I never managed to find a rhythm (or go very fast). As the race went on I lost more and more places, eventually finishing 13th- not the worst race I've ever had, but not what I was hoping for either. It was a frustrating race for sure, but sometimes you need a bad race to get you fired up for the next race. We still managed to win the team competition (and A LOT of beer). I'm looking forward to better things in Madrid!

Three time Olympian Katerina Hanusova has been struggling at these first World Cups due to a nasty injury she acquired in the National Mountain Bike Race in Phoenix, AZ the first weekend of April. Going into the first turn of the Arizona race she slid out and put a large gash into her knee. After spending 5hrs at the emergency room she came back with 4-6 stitches in her knee. After a few days rest she resumed training, hoping to maintain her stellar form. Adding to the stress was the fact that the Czech Olympic Team was being decided after the first three World Cups. There was only one other woman Katerina had to worry about. If Katerina could finish higher than the other rider in two of the three World Cups she'd be going to Beijing. But it was not to be.

Here's what Katerina had to say:
"Sorry for not getting back to you but I haven't been online much and really did not feel like communicating with the world the last couple of days. I did not make the Olympic team and you know how much it sucks. My leg hasn't been hurting but has not been super strong either. I felt like things were getting better before last weekend but I sort of rode the same lifeless pace. I hope to ride better soon just to prove to myself that I can. I have not found my optimum form yet, but trust me, I am still looking and will be back soon. My teammates are doing a great job at the front of the field, which helped us to win the team competition again and that was great."

In only her second World Cup with the LUNA Team, Catharine Pendrel finished eighth. For a rider so new to the sport and the European racing scene, finishing in the top ten is a HUGE result, especially when each rider out there is trying to make her country's respective Olympic Team. It is scary to think of what she'll do in the next few years as her experience and confidence grow.

And Catharine said:
"After last weekend in Houffalize, I tried for a more conservative race and the pacing paid off. After getting up into the top 8 on lap one, I settled in until the 4th of six laps and then stepped it up. I was able to finish the race feeling strong and capable of more - a welcome change from last weekend. The course in Offenburg was exciting and there were thousands of people lining the entire course creating an amazing atmosphere."

World Cup #3: Madrid, Spain
And then it was off to Madrid for the third World Cup. The trip down south is usually a welcome change from the cold wet weather of Germany and a chance to eat food that isn't drowning in a dark gravy. Of course both years I raced in Madrid it was sunny in Germany and pouring rain in Madrid. Travelling around Europe can be an exhausting challenge. Usually on Monday after the race, the team packs up and drops the girls off at the airport. The drive to Madrid is huge and most of the teams will either send their riders home for a few days, (only the Europeans) or fly them down, to be met by the team truck a few days later. Finding the hotel and places to eat in the chaotic city of Madrid can take hours. Katerina has been studying Spanish in her spare time so I'm sure that helped.

The course was in downtown Madrid at a giant city park called Casa de Campo. It is a beautiful park with lots of paved roads as well as bike paths and great trails. It is also quite seedy. There are hookers all over the place. And we're not talking women sneaking around in the bushes. The women, in groups of five to six, were "advertising", very minimally clothed, on the main roads through the park, even as the race was going on. The year I raced in Madrid there were used condoms hanging from the bushes and the occasional naked couple fooling around in the more secluded areas of the course. Some of the mechanics even found used condoms under the awnings of their team trucks. By race day you don't see any of this because the 40,000 very enthusiastic, and very drunk Spanish fans screaming "Venga venga venga" (Spanish for go, go, go!) make it difficult to solicit for sex. Haha!

The race course is super fast with lots of short steep power climbs. Not much technical riding, but that doesn't mean the course is easy. You could have a World Cup race in a parking lot and it could be the hardest thing you've ever done. The riders definitely make the race, not the course. Start position is crucial because it is almost impossible to move up when the fields are large and the speeds super fast. The riders do multiple loops of the course which means getting to fly through the start/finish line as well as suffer up the "wall"; a short climb with a 25% grade, between 4-6 times. At the end of the day, the LUNA women had achieved a remarkable first. All three riders finished in the top ten of the Madrid race and maintained their #1 ranking in the team competition. First time in the history of the LUNA team!

"World Cup #3 in Madrid was a tough one," said Catharine. "The course was very fast which meant time gaps were tight and a rider was always there to take your place if you went wide on a high speed corner. I rode consistently in the top 10 with only a minute separating 6-12th position at the finish. Having three LUNA riders in the top ten all day was pretty incredible." Catharine's 8th place finish is a career best.

And Katerina had this to say about her much improved race. "Yes, my legs are back and it feels great. The injury is off my mind and is history. I had a super good start, moving from 3rd row to 6th place by the end of the first lap. The course here in Madrid was fast and had several steep hills. I felt like I was racing cyclocross at times." Katerina's 10th place finish is one of her best World Cup results.

Team on podium in Madrid Georgia found her mojo and rode to an outstanding 5th place finish. "I had a good start and was riding in the top 4 for most of the first 2 laps, " remarked Georgia. "During the second lap I was a little bit sloppy on a couple of the downhills, and I got dropped from the front group. A few riders passed me, but I was able to move back up to 5th by the finish. My legs felt good (the pre-race espresso Waldek brewed for me didn't hurt either), and I am happy with another solid result at the World Cup. It was great to see the whole team riding at the front of the race. Three LUNA riders in the top-10: hopefully this is just a taste of what is to come!" Georgia's 5th place finish in Madrid and Houffalize make her the leader in the Olympic points chase.

What's next for LUNA:
After a much needed rest week at home, the girls will join forces again this coming weekend in Santa Ynez, CA for the third round of the National Mountain Bike Series. Then it is back to Europe for two more World Cup races and the prestigious World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy. With the conclusion of Worlds, the Canadian and US Olympic Teams will be officially announced, so stay tuned.

That's all for now. Have a great weekend and happy trails!

Alison

5th Annual Tour de Skyline

Hurtin. Home last night from the RATS 5th annual Tour de Skyline.

What is the Tour de Skyline?

The Tour de Skyline (TdS) is two-day ride from Front Royal to Waynesboro (day one) and back (day two) along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Said another way, TdS is two days, 220-miles, 20,000 feet of climbing, and too much fun. Even though TdS has a nice three-letter acronym, it's much more casual than you would think. Roads are not closed, there are no aid stations, and there are certainly no t-shirts.

This year was a big year for TdS...with 50 or so people signed up to go. Kona Kev did an excellent job in organizing the whole event. We were going to have 2 SAGS (Kevin's truck with Peter, the massage guy, and the Bonzai van driven by Andy and later Frank). And also a few cars.

The weather was not looking good (rain and only about 60 for a high...where it would be at least 10 degrees colder in the mountains). I had been checking the weather all week and looked like it should clear up around 12 on the 1st day. Then when I looked at the radar that morning it looked like we were going to be rained on the entire 1st day and now also a chance on the way home. Ughhh...I don't do well in cold but tried to stay positive. Matias, Andrea, and I headed out from Reston about 6am to be at Dickey Ridge Ranger station ready to go at 8am.

We arrived at the Ranger Station where everyone was getting ready and seeming quite positive for the crummy conditions. We took some pics and were rolling. I had put on as much clothes as possible and felt pretty comfortable. It was raining and very very foggy (visibility of maybe only 100 feet in some spots). The ride starts out climbing so I quickly became hot. People started to settle into groups. I stayed toward to front with about 6 others. My legs were feeling solid...a very good thing for the start of a 110 mile ride today. Only thing not so great was the conditions which seemed to be getting worse. We hit a few downhills, which were pretty scary in the rain and fog. I got cold. At about mile 20 Andy drove up and told us the police were kicking us off and the ride was being canceled. WHAT?! Hmm Part of me was sad...and the other part was thinking yea this is going to get pretty miserable. We turned around. Some pretty steep downhills...I got really cold...cold in my bones and was so glad we were turning around. A mile or so later another group flew by and yelled "Its OK we can keep going, turn back around!" WHAT?! Andrea and I looked at each other pained. We were both so cold. We turned around not sure what was going on...caught up to this group and they said we were riding to the 1st rest station at mile 24 and would then be shuttled to the halfway point and then try and ride the rest into Waynesboro. EEhh. During the ride to mile 24 I became FREEZING. We arrived at Elk Wallow (mile 24) and there was the Bonzai van ready to shuttle some to Big Meadows (mile 50). We threw our bikes in back and about 8 of us jammed in. Andrea and I huddled in the front near the heater. We were both cold and miserable and unsure of what was going on and unsure about how we could continue at all with cold and wet clothes.

Somehow everyone managed to get to Big Meadows (mile 50). I changed into normal dry clothes but was still chilled inside. The weather report was that the bad conditions continued to the end. A lot of guys decided to chance it and continue. I was done...so was Andrea. We decided to SAG it and start fresh on day 2. SAGing was somewhat fun but I was disappointed to not continue. Once we were past about mile 60 things really cleared up and warmed up a bit. Oh well. Everyone made it to the hotel in Waynesboro safely around 6pm. We showered, dryed our clothes, and all headed to Scotto's for dinner. I really hoped for good weather the next day. They were calling for a 30% chance of rain and highs in the upper 50s.

Woke up the next morning to clear skies! I was feeling really sore and a bit drained of energy from being so cold the previous day. Leave time was on one's own...but a pretty big group of us (Matias, Andrea, some other strong riders, and I left at 8am. Five miles of climbing to do before we even entered Shenandoah National Park...huh. I was feeling pretty good and actually almost overheating. Once we got into the park I started feeling a bit tired (great feeling at the start of a 110 mile ride...shoot). My whole body just felt wiped and sore. The previous day had completely drained me. It was going to be a long day and I was probably going to be sick after this. I was keeping with the group but felt the pace might be a bit fast and not sure I would be able to hang. Why do I always think I can ride with the big boys? Some days I can...but this was a long and difficult freakin ride. About mile 90 a rather large climb started and I got dropped. Beep. The mental battles were to begin. I told myself...you have 90 miles to go..if you don't think positively this is NOT going to happen. A few miles later on a downhill something fell off of me and Bananas and busted into a million pieces. hmm hope I did not need that...I went back...it was just a light. Doug Steele (man of mystery) came around the corner and we rode together for awhile. We caught up with the group at the next rest station (mile 80). They were heading out. Doug and I left shortly after. Then Doug decides to drop me non a downhill. I am not much of a riding partner (passing on the uphill and dropping on the downhills). Alone again. A few miles later came up on the Bonzai van...people were putting on more clothes...so I was back with the group again. Mile 70...dropped again. Damnit. A few miles later, Andrea caught up...she had been left behind at the van. We were both tired and decided to stick it out together. We then came up on Dave, Marty, and John. We all rode together then. I was seriously hurting. My legs were past sore and now just hurt to touch. And my upperbody was a mess (from the stress of being so cold). It hurt to keep my head up. And I was cold. I decided around mile 60 I would be done at Big Meadows (mile 50).

We rolled into Big Meadows and met up with the guys we had started with and found Matias...he looked cold and like he was hurting too...looked like his eyelashes might be frozen. Poor guy...everyone was looking rough...I decided to get some food and see how I felt. I got some vegetarian chili, gluten-free pretzels, coffee, diet pepsi, and felt a little better and decided I would continue...if it came down to it I would get in the SAG. Andrea and I headed out on our own...Matias was a little behind, but he would catch up. I was feeling a bit refreshed...musta been that chili. I was a little nervous...on the drive the day before we saw lots of construction from about mile 45 to mile 35. Some off-roading might be going on. Matias quickly came up to us and passed us. Then we were on our own. Came up to lots of construction...which watching and dodging made this part of the ride go more quickly. Then the tunnel around mile 35...tunnel vision on a bike...makes me nauseas. I got hungry again...had a new gel (Clif Vanilla)...this was the best gel I have ever had. We were nearing Elk Wallows (mile 24)...I started preparing myself for the 3 mile climb out of there. My legs were in pain but my spirits were lifting as we only had about 20 more miles! We stopped for a quick bathroom break at Elk Wallows and were off and climbing. We hit mile 23...still climbing...mile 22...still climbing...I was going to fall over and I did not care. My legs hurt. I did not look up. We rode with our heads down. Each bend we rounded I thought it would be over...no...kept on climbing. Finally it was over and we were coasting downhill. I was so happy. Now only about 14 miles to go. I started to feel nauseas and was seeing spots...I slowed a bit and told Andrea I was not feeling to great. But then the real downhills started and I could just coast...and tried to think positively and snap out of it. We were both so happy the last 5 miles. Then we were done. My legs were beyond done. Hope I did not do any serious damage. Well...what does not kill me only makes me stronger.

Day 1: ~30 miles and pulled out
Day 2: 110 miles

Andrea, thanks for riding with me...would have been ugly without you. Kevin, thanks for organizing. Matias, thanks for the motivation and the laughs. Bonzai, thanks for the SAG. Riding on Skyline is one of the most gratifying feelings. A lot of times I was thinking this is crazy and why am I doing this...I am never doing this again. But each time I say these things I always come back for more :) Each time I ride on Skyline I realize that so much of the sport we do is all about mental toughness. I am going to make an effort to work on my mental toughness in my future training and racing...I think this could be a huge factor in ones performance. Especially mastering pain and fatigue by keeping focused and controlling negative thoughts.

Up Next: missing Jim McDonnell this year, Lake Placid training/fun trip May 29, 2008