Upcoming Week of RAAM Pre-Race Events

RAAM kicks off tomorrow with a week full of festivities, meetings, and bike racing! Between RAAM required meetings and everything we need to do to get Team Ride Red ready to hit the road, it's going to be a busy week.

With a big thanks to friends and crew, all 8 bikes are already in California along with the leapfrog van, the follow car, and the RV. The team leaves for Oceanside starting tomorrow with Fred and Leary, followed by the rest of the team through Thursday. Here's what's on the team's agenda for next week:

Monday (6/13) - Leary and Fred fly to Los Angeles, pick up the minivan with 6 bikes.

Tuesday (6/14) - Leary and Fred drive to Longbeach, pick up the Xterra and me, drive to Oceanside, pick up the Gopher rental car and the second rental RV, and pick up our RAAM vehicle signage.

Wednesday (6/15) - Kevin (a crew member) starts RAW at noon! More team arrives. Crew prepares all vehicles and bikes for inspection on Thursday. Rider meeting and team meeting Wednesday evening.

Thursday (6/16) - More team arrives in Oceanside in the morning. RAAM required vehicle inspection at 11am. RAAM required Crew Chief meeting at 1pm. Crew spends most of day getting vehicles supplied and ready for race. More team arrives in the evening. Team meeting Thursday evening and massage for riders.

Friday (6/17) - Final bike equipment check-over, crew training on bike lights and wheels. Mandatory 4pm Team Photo and 5pm Team Racer meeting. Team pasta feast Friday night. Then sleep, sleep, sleep!

Saturday (6/18) - Team breakfast and get to start line by noon. RAAM teams start at 2pm! Here we go!

Follow Team Ride Red at: http://www.ridered.org/.

Perp Spray - For All Our Intruder Needs

During one of our team planning sessions, someone brought up the fact that most of the time there will only be women in one of our RVs (resting riders plus medical and massage crew) AND raised questions about safety. As much as I hated to admit it, they had a point. A small group of tired women in some RV park in the middle of who knows where? In my mind, this just screams, "WELCOME ALL AXE MURDERS AND PERVERTS!"

There was much discussion about how to handle the threat of intruders, including hand to hand combat techniques and what to do if you find yourself engaged in a knife fight. I can tell you right now that after riding many hours in the saddle and being hungry and sleep deprived, we riders are NOT going to be in the mood to deal with any perverts.

Since firearms are not allowed in RAAM (Texas teams should be granted an exception) and this probably holds true for flair guns as well, I thought the next best thing would be bear spray (see footnote at end*).

So my mom and I went into the local sporting goods shop, marched up to the firearms counter, and requested a canister of bear spray. The older gentleman behind the counter took one look at my mom and I and asked in a very helpful manner where and how we planned to use it. I said, "I'll be taking a cross country trip and we will be staying in some parks and you just never know." He knew my main target wasn't a bear. He responded with, "Well, if you have other intended uses, you may want to consider Hornet spray because it's just as effective on bears, critters, and perps." Perps? He was on to me! Perps (e.g. perpetrators) in the form of axe murderers, perverts, and robbers were indeed my target audience! He then proceeded to informed me that Hornet spray has a range of up to 20 feet and a very accurate spray but not to get the foaming kind because it has a much shorter and messier range. He said it also blends in with the camping decor so any unsuspecting perps wouldn't be alarmed.

I smiled, thanked him, handed back the $40 bear spray, and purchased a $4.00 can of RAID Hornet spray.

Perps - we are ready for you. Come and get it if you dare!

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*A few weeks ago I went to buy pepper spray at REI & the sales guy said all they sell is bear spray. I asked what the difference was & he said it was illegal to spray a human with bear spray. I informed him that if some guy is going to jump out of the woods and grab me, I don't care what the law says, he's getting sprayed!

RAAM Nutrition by the Numbers

They say it takes a village to accomplish great tasks. What I recently discovered is that it also takes an entire village's monthly food supply to fuel one RAAM rider for 8 days.

I put together my usual all-encompassing-race-nutrition-spreadsheet-from-hell and came up with my overall nutrition numbers for 8 days of racing based on my "typical" race requirements for cycling / per hour = 300 calories, 400mg sodium, 45 oz fluid.

Calories: 28,800 -- equivalent of putting on 8.2 pounds
Sodium (mg): 38,400 -- glad I have really low blood pressure
Hydration (oz): 4,320 -- 33 gallons

Did I mention this is only for WHILE I'M RIDING and doesn't include "off the bike" meals?

I laid out all my gels, bars, powders, chews, salt tablets and I stood back in awe of the massive pile on the kitchen counter top. I will be taking in 80% of my cycling calories in liquid form. To give another perspective, these calories include 115 scoops of powdered glucose (yum!) and 50 scoops of Hammer Perpetuem (both are essentially powdered calories added to water). And the Hammer Gels? Forget the individual packets. I bought multiple jugs.

At this point ultrarunner Dean Karnazes flashed through my mind and he may have had it right. When he would be on one of his epic training runs, he'd simply call a pizza place and tell them to deliver at an intersection that he would be running through. Then he'd simply take an entire pizza, roll it up burrito style, and enjoy. Maybe I need to rethink my nutrition strategy. Then again, do I really want to be tasting and re-tasting tomato sauce or cheese while I'm grinding my way up Wolf Creek Pass? Not so much.

Dad...Will You Fix This?

There is a frequently used saying in my family -- "Dad...will you fix this?"

My dad is an engineer by trade and he has a machine shop in the basement so anytime something needed fixing, he was THE go-to guy. It didn't matter what it was, from a broken Rubics cube or cracked prom shoe heel to overhauling a 454 Chevy big block engine or reroofing the house, if it needed fixing he could always "make a part".

I went home for a quick visit last week and brought "the van list" which included:
1. Reinforce the Thule bike rack so it won't wobble.
2. Figure out how to mount a light to the back window so it would provide light at night to riders/crew outside.
3. Create some type of table/tray for the center section between driver and passenger seats but it has to pivot so we can get to the race radios and outlets.
4. Figure out how I can simultaneously listen to music AND have a race radio plugged into one ear piece (RAAM rules require one ear to be open to traffic).

In his usual form, Dad came through on all accounts and far surpassed expectation. I "supervised" (aka: I stood there and kept him company while staying out of the way or made the multiple trips to Radio Shack or Home Depot with him) and he worked his usual magic with the band saw, welding torches, metal cutters, and lathe.

This is one instance of all the help and support the team has received from friends and family in preparing for our race. The van is now on it's way to Oceanside and between all the work that Leary did to get it ready and with Dad's final touches, the "leapfrog" is set!


Thanks Dad!

Just plug it in!

Electricians of the world - I salute you.

Apparently it takes more than just a cigarette lighter to plug in 4 cell phones, 4 rider headlights and batteries, 2 race radios, a laptop, a GPS system, a coffee maker, a hair dryer, and yellow flashing safety lights.

Last fall we sat down and figured out all the things we wanted to have in the leapfrog vehicle (mini-van) and what the electrical requirements would be. Being a creature of comforts, I included things like a hair dryer (because when I ride, my hair is perpetually wet) and a coffee maker (7-9 day endurance event without coffee -I don't think so). And then there were the "necessary" items such as cell phones and GPS units that would actually help us get across the country.

After compiling the list, crunching some numbers, looking up the specs to the van alternator, calculating battery juice, and listening to my Dad and Leary have riveting conversations about "modified vs true sine wave patterns", we finally determined that we would have to get a 1600 watt inverter to ensure we could power all the devices we wanted. Correction - power all the devices we NEEDED (my coffee maker and hair dryer got booted from the list because they would suck too much power and pretty much ensure we would NOT make it out of California during RAAM).

We ordered a Whistler PRO-1600 watt power inverter. With specs like this, we thought we were set:

"Turn your vehicle into a mobile office with the Whistler PRO-1600W 1600-Watt Pro Power Inverter. The Whistler power inverter allows you to run AC appliances, with start up loads of 1600-watts or less, right from your vehicle, boat or RV. They're great for weekend use and life on the road. They're also great for power outages. "

I would like to point out to the Whistler people that you can't have a power OUTAGE if you can't get power TO BEGIN WITH!

Leary took the inverter in to have it professionally installed 5 days before our Kerrville training weekend. We wanted to test it out and make sure everything worked. During installation they ran the cables, hooked everything up, went to test it...and....NOTHING. They moved a few wires around, retested again...and...NOTHING. This went on for 4 hours with the final determination that the unit was shot. Leary called Radio Shack who informed us that even though we bought it from RS, we would have to work directly with Whistler. Leary called Whistler who said we would have to ship it back to them because it falls under warranty and no, they could not just send us a replacement. Needless to say we didn't have the unit set up for Kerrville.

3 weeks later, new Whistler unit in hand, Leary went back to have the installation finalized and it took them less than 20 min to put it in the van. Leary went to test it and long story short, it turns out that our original plan of running 3 extension cords and a multitude of devices off the inverter WON'T WORK and that everything has to be plugged directly into the unit itself.

Are you kidding me?

So Leary is at Home Depot right now buying a bunch of those multiple outlet units where you plug one end into an outlet and then you can plug multiple things into the other end. When I asked him what the difference was between that and an extension cord (other than the obvious "cord vs no cord") he said it has something to do with power traveling through a cord and now the inverter won't allow that.

Again, are you kidding me? This device sounds like something a guy would invent.

So I have no idea how this whole thing will work and I'm beginning to think that maybe we should just buy cases of batteries and run everything off the Energizer Bunny. It seems a lot more straight forward!

UPDATE: Leary is now back from Home Depot with a completely exasperated look on his face. Imagine if you will, Leary in the Home Depot parking lot, van doors flung open, power cord wrappers everywhere...three separate trips into Home Depot (with three returns), and finally finding the right combination of cords, plugs, and wires. We are up and running!

However he did mention that when the inverter is running, there is a slight "electrical smell" that is emitted from the floor compartment (where the inverter is being stored). As he was telling me about the possibility of punching a hole in the floor and installing wire mesh so the inverter could breathe, I couldn't help but start to giggle (which turned into full on crying laughter). After I finally recomposed myself, he smiled. I think we should rename our team to "Team Sanford and Son". Bwah bwah bwahhhda....

Going Commando

According to my mom, when I was a baby I did NOT like a wet diaper. I realize this is probably true of most babies, but in keeping with my usual "I'll just take care of the problem myself" approach, when my diaper was wet I would simply pull it off. Ahhh!!!!

41 years later and not much has changed. While I thoroughly enjoy going for a long ride or run in the Texas heat and sweating up a storm, when I'm done working out I want to air out and be dry. NOW!

With all the cycling I've done over the past several months in preparation for RAAM, I've reverted back to my baby ways and have started going commando again. I should clarify. I'm not running around without any bottoms on (although I have been known to streak in the house - who doesn't?) but let's just say that sometimes my "too much time in the saddle" pink parts are not in the mood to deal with women's underwear. And even the most soft, smooth, supple elastic is STILL ELASTIC! I've come to fully appreciate men's cotton boxer shorts or even light airy skirts and so have my pink parts. Because sometimes a girl just needs some air!

*I had to go buy my own since Leary doesn't wear boxers :-)

47 Days and 50 Bazillion Details

We are T minus 47 days to RAAM. Where has the time gone? I'll tell you. It has gone to 20 months of planning, preparation, training, more planning, trial runs, trial errors, meetings, e-mails, discussions, documentation, and more planning. At one point last year I remember thinking, "Oh, we can do that later. We have PLENTY of time." In the words of my Dad, "It's later than you think!"

Photo 1: Setting up the leapfrog and follow vehicles.
Photo 2: Testing out race radios.


As of last week, we are in the final throes of RAAM planning and the core team decided that the best approach is to meet weekly for a few hours to hammer out remaining details. At the end of our last meeting, Crew Chief Fred sent out this list of what's left to finalize - yikes!

RAAM Route Review
Vehicle Power Requirements
GPS Navigation Equipment
Vehicle Role Definition
Gopher Vehicle- rent or borrow
Crew Rotation
Vehicle Supply Inventory
Bike Equipment
PA system for communication to riders and/or provide music
Bike Light Battery Charging
2-way Radio Battery Charging
Spare Bike Light Batteries
Vehicle Signs
Medical Supplies
Financial Mechanisms
Off-shift Activities/Procedures
Satellite Phones/Long-Range 2-way radios
Rider Tracking
Safety Emergency Procedures
Gopher Vehicle Implementation
Info sharing with riders
What to Pack
Improve vehicle logsheets
Improve Dashboard Checklists
Pre-Race Food Preparation
RV Practice Plan
Pre-Race Activities
Crew Photographer/Videographer
Crew T-shirts (round 2)
Agenda/Schedule for Kerrville
Maps for Kerrville

And of course a little extra training is built into these meetings because I get to ride 20 miles to them! Awesome!!!

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Photo 3: Got tires?
Photo 4: RAAM Planning meeting.

"Those are some big biking legs!"

I was standing in Starbucks ordering a mid afternoon tea when out of nowhere I hear a guy's voice behind me say, "Those are some big biking legs you got there!" I glanced side to side and saw there weren't that many customers in the place so I assumed he was talking to me. I turned around, reluctantly smiled, and said, "Thanks?" emphasizing the question mark. We briefly chatted and it turned out he was a cyclist too. I should have left him with this parting thought, "Dude. Unless you want a hot coffee dumped down the front of you, you DON'T tell a female she has 'big biking legs', or 'big' anything for that matter." Well, maybe if referencing boobs but even that's a turkey shoot.

I have recently realized that ultra endurance cycling may not be the best sport for women. Don't get me wrong, I think females are very well suited, both physiologically and mentally, for long distance sports. While I was training for my first 100K trail race, my leg muscles became long and lean and my abs and back solid felt strong. But with all the cycling I've done over the last 12 months in preparation for RAAM, my quads are bigger, my butt and hips are bigger, my gut has gotten somewhat flabby, my upper body muscles have shrunk, and my posture is taking on a permanent, hunched over, "aero position" shape. It seems that cycling enlarges everthing women typically work so hard to reduce. My thoughts were confirmed when my teammate Carol asked, "Have you gained weight during your training? My legs have gotten huge!" My other teammate Sue responded with, "I haven't gained weight but my butt is a lot bigger."



















Cartoon by Guy Junker -- http://www.junkertoons.com/ebmtb.htm

5 x 100 Miles

I know myself well. I don't like surprises. Correction. I like surprises if I know about them. This is both the beauty and the curse of being a control freak. My husband refers to it as my "neuroses". RAAM is 9 days for everything to go right...or to go wrong...and so in training for RAAM, my goal is to be as prepared as possible. (Photo of a card Leary gave me after the first day of riding.)


During RAAM, each rider on the team will cover approx 750 miles (assuming the total 3,000 mile distance divided by 4 riders). My plan is to get as close to that 750 mile mark as possible during training so I can experience what that type of mileage feels like and also learn what works well or may potentially fail (sore neck, sore butt, bike pants that work or don't work, etc.).

My RAAM training consists of a 3 week cycle/rotation which includes: 1 week of "quality" (speed work, hill repeats), 1 week of volume (pure mileage), and 1 week of recovery (go to my favorite spin and yoga classes, catch up on all the DVR recordings from the past 2 weeks, eat, and sleep).

The week of April 11th was my biggest volume week to date with 5 days of 100 miles each day. Here is a brief summary of how it went.

Mon (4/11) - 100: Here I Go!
I spent the prior weekend mentally ramping up for this week and Monday's ride kicked off what was surely to be a long week. I rode solo and headed out from home towards Creedmoor (south east of Austin). I hadn't ridden in the Creedmoor area for several years and was amazed at how some roads were completely unrecognizable thanks to the new toll road system. But then some of the familiar things were still in place like the smell from the Texas Waste Disposal and Landfill, the Creedmoor General Store which has been there since the time of the old wild west, and the area where every road is named "Turnersville Road" -- seriously! When I got home around 7:00pm, my husband immediately handed me an Odwalla Super Food juice mixed with a big dose of vitamin B liquid. No crabby "carby" moments here!
Lessons Learned:
-- Start doing more neck and upper back strengthening exercises.
-- Got chamois cream?
-- Don't be lazy with post-ride refueling. Eat, eat, EAT!

Tues (4/12) - 100: Fickle Fitzhugh
I intentionally put the Fitzhugh ride on the second day because this was going to be hilly, hilly, hilly. I love riding Fitzhugh because it's tough and I've had some of my most mentally and physically difficult workouts on this long stretch of road from Austin heading west to Johnson City. If Fitzhugh ever feels good, I am immediately suspicious. I was out there riding with what felt like very little effort after yesterday's 100 miles. The hills kept rolling towards me and I enjoyed every one of them. For the record, I much prefer hills to flats! I came up to Pedernales Park, rode the 3 miles in to the guard station and paid $2.00 for 16oz of water from a vending machine (talk about supply and demand), hit the 50 mile mark, and then turned around and headed back for home. HELLO HEADWIND! I knew the ride out was too easy! It was oddly comforting to struggle on the way back. That's what Fitzhugh is all about. I stopped to take a photo of the Texas Hill Country and sent it to my Dad. I had my GPS turned on on my phone so my Dad was literally tracking me from his laptop. It was nice to have the feeling that my Dad was with me even though he is in Minnesota. Home was a welcome sight on my return.
Lessons Learned:
-- Pool soaking feels FANTASTIC after a long, grimy day of riding.
-- Putting chamois cream in shorts at mile 70 really gives me something to look forward to. Hoo Ha Ride Glide brand is minty fresh and feels awesome!
-- Neck and upper back are starting to relax and the hills felt better than the flats yesterday.
-- Meat night ROCKS! Leary baked potatoes and grilled two small fillet mignons. My muscles appreciated the extra protein!

Photo: Texas Hill Country on Fitzhugh near Pedernales State Park.

Wed (4/13) - 40/60: Stops and Starts and Interviews
Today's ride had to be split because I had two mid-day interviews. So I rode 40 miles in the morning and enjoyed a beautiful sunrise over Mansfield Dam as I headed to the Arboretum area in the north central part of Austin. Legs are starting to feel consistently tired but no problem climbing up Steiner Hill. I got back home and then drove out to Decker Lake for a Team Ride Red interview with YNN News. I racked up a whopping 2 miles as they filmed us riding up and down the roads. I decided not to count that as part of my 100 miles for the day (smile). I ate in the car on the way back home, had a phone interview for a potential work contract (which I took while wearing my bike shorts and a spandex bra -- THIS is why I will never do video phone conferencing!), and finally got back on my bike around 3:30pm to finish up the 60 miles.
Lessons Learned:
--Keep up with the protein. I dumped a can of tuna into a baggie and took it up to the pool and ate it while I soaked. 30 grams of protein in one shot. It smelled bad but tasted good!
-- Stay on top of sore spots by stretching and rollering out kinks with a foam roller or tennis ball. Knots are starting to accumulate!
-- Don't think about what I'm doing. Just do it. It was a hard push to get BACK on the bike for the 60 mile ride so late in the day. I won't have a choice during RAAM.

Thurs (4/14) - Off (aka: Just In Case Day)
I build in this day as a "just in case" day in the event weather or life got in the way of the rides on Mon, Tues, or Wed. I took advantage of this day to sleep in (10 hours!), continue to eat, and do some much needed laundry!

Fri (4/15) - 100: Low Batteries and WIND!
Today was the toughest day of the week. I felt ready to go but the wind was really bad with sustained 15mph north winds, gusting to 25mph. My friends Julie and Jim offered to ride with me today (plus Dad was there via GPS). Thankfully!!! We met at CC Mason school in Cedar Park and headed north up to Leander, Liberty Hill, Mahomet, over to Florence, down to Andice and back to Cedar Park (aka: the "Cedar Park Fever" bike route). We had solid headwind for the first 30 miles and it was tough. Julie wasn't feeling all that great and turned around at Liberty Hill so it was just Jim and I for the remainder of the ride. I definitely felt leg fatigue on this day and didn't have my usual strong power climbing even the smaller hills. I was steady but didn't feel strong. After mind numbing long stretches and getting blown all over kindgom come, and trying to avoid buying a box of chicken at the Florence gas station (because the fat and salt just smelled so dang good!), we enjoyed a 30 mph "push" tail wind as we blew back to Cedar Park. Jim split off and rode home while I road back home as well to hit the 100 mile mark.

Throughout the ride my technical gear was complaining about the wind but in its own way. My cyclometer flashed "low battery" about 20 miles into the ride. I just swapped out the battery a week ago! Luckily it hung in there for the rest of the ride but the display would start to fade until I banged on it with my hand. Then around the 3 hour mark, a digital voice in my iPod started intermittently saying, "Battery low". It kept this up for about 2 hours before finally dying during Barry Manilow's "Copa Cabana". I rode the remaining hour listening to the wind howl.
Lessons Learned:
-- No matter wind, hills, plague of locusts, or dust storm, just keep moving nice and steady.
-- Again, Hoo Ha chamois cream at mile 70 ROCKS!
-- Dealing with the wind is more mental than physical.
-- Turning up my iPod and listening to disco music helps take my mind off of the wind.
-- In order to remove layers of sunscreen and dirt requires a serious loofah scrubbing in the shower! Photo of dirt, sunscreen, and sexy bike tan lines after Friday's ride.
-- This was a tough training day but one of those benchmark days when I can say, "Well at least it's not as bad as the time we rode in Cedar Park!"

Photo: Happy Easter from the Texas Hill Country! Taken in Cedar Park.

Sat(4/16) - 100: Red Poppies and Cookies with Friends
I intentionally picked an organized ride to finish out the last of the 100 mile rides for three reasons: 1) the likelihood of bailing now was slim to none because I actually paid money to ride, 2) aid station support and route provided, 3) Leary and friends would be there for company.

The Red Poppy Ride started in Georgetown and by 8am we were off. Fred, John, and Lori kept me company and before too long we were split from our larger group of friends including Leary, Danny, Kim, Marc, Laura, Richelle, Barrett, Tammy, and others. The wind was light coming out of the south and while temps started out pretty cool where arm warmers were definitely required (and numb hands were an issue), it warmed up nicely by 9am. Aid stations were about every 15 miles so we enjoyed home made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, and water refills. Usually I don't have a strong urge for cookies but Fred wore his Cookie Monster bike jersey and I think I was getting subliminal messages. Each time we stopped I ate 3-4 cookies plus I'd stick a couple in my jersey pocket. This came in handy when we were in the middle of nowhere and Lori said she could really go for a cookie. I reached into my pocket and VOILA - cookie! She was very happy. Despite getting a little turned around in the last 9 miles, we finished around 2:30pm. Leary and Danny were already done and enjoying some post ride festivities which included an announcer greeting riders as they finished and large bin of grilled hot dogs for riders to enjoy. The thought of a hot dog at mile 10 sounded terrible. At mile 50, maybe. By mile 102, heck yeah! So with a Mexican Coke in one hand (thanks Danny!) and a hot dog in the other, we celebrated our 100 mile ride and my 500 mile mark. That evening Leary took me out for some great TexMex at Maudies and a nice cold Shiner beer. Sore, tired, and happy -- what a great way to end the week! Lessons Learned:
--After 500 miles I still want to ride and don't hate my bike -- a good sign!
--Recovery food and fuel is critical to keep going, keep going, keep going.
--Good friends are awesome!

Photo: Lori, John, and I at the end of the "100" mile Red Poppy Ride.

Sun(4/17) - I Miss My Bike
Each day this week I would put my helmet and bike shoes next to the front door since I would be riding again within 12-18 hours. But when we got home from riding on Saturday, I felt a little sad as I put my helmet and bike shoes in the closet knowing I wasn't going to ride on Sunday. I could have ridden more, but the plan was 5 x 100 and I ended on a really great note with yesterday's ride. I'll have another long mileage week before RAAM but for now, I will enjoy my accomplishment and not tempt the fates.

Commuting with Eggs, Milk, and Bike Parts

I started commuting by bike last May as part of National Bike Commuter's Month. Prior to this, the only time I got on my bike was to do a workout. I wanted to get back to riding my bike just for the enjoyment of it (not just to do hill repeats or 5x15 min intervals at race pace). I also wanted to become one of those bicycling road warriors who took their bikes everywhere. And I wanted to find a way to get in some serious base miles as part of my training for Race Across America.

Unless I'm heading to Java Dive, the local coffee shop (which is 6 miles round trip), every other commute is at least 15 miles one way. Commute to the health club? 19 miles. Meet someone in downtown Austin for lunch? 24 miles. Bike to the 360 access trail head and get in a quick trail run? 20 miles. When I started commuting I didn't realize that there was a difference between "conveniently commuting" (usually less than 10 miles one way) and "commuting on steroids" - which is what I was doing.

Fast forward to this month and I have fully embraced commuting. So much so that I look forward to coming up with creative ways to run errands and get in some good mileage. For example, today my goal was 50 miles. Ever the multi-tasker, I made a list of errands I had to run and then hopped on my bike and away I went.

I started by riding up to my friend Fred's house to drop off some bike parts (which I stored in my commuter pack strapped to my bike rack above my back wheel). On my way over to Fred's, I rode past Jim and Michelle's house. Lo and behold Jim was in his garage on his bike trainer doing a workout. So I swung in and we chatted for a few minutes. I made it up to Fred's, dropped off the stuff, and then assessed whether I needed to refill my water bottle. My two near by watering holes were either the health club OR the office building where I go for physical therapy (they have great bathrooms too!). I was good to go on both fronts so on to the next errand.

I headed up to Parmer Lane to check out a new route I had in mind for future commuting endeavors. I jotted the instructions down on a post-it before leaving home (left on Parmer, right on Avery Ranch, left on Riviera, etc.) and spent about an hour exploring a great new route that popped me back out near 620 and Great View. From here I rode over to pick up milk and eggs which are delivered every 2 weeks to a north Austin location from a farm in east Texas. I carefully packed the dozen eggs in my commuter pack and put the half gallon carton of milk alongside the eggs. I brought a towel to wrap around the eggs and milk and did my best to avoid every pothole, drain grate, and speed bump for the remaining 15 miles home.

As I neared my house, I checked my cyclometer and saw I was going to be 6 miles short. Crap. So I rode past my house, milk and eggs in tow, and headed out/back for another 6 miles. Meanwhile the voice of my mother came into my brain saying, "You better get that milk and those eggs in the refrigerator or you'll get salmonella, botulism, and the bubonic plague!!!" If it were mid-summer in Texas I would have reconsidered. But temps were in the mid 70's so I decided to take my chances.

As I pulled into the driveway, I looked down and saw my cyclometer just click over to 50.2. Perfect! As I unpacked everything from my commuter pack, and carefully opened the egg carton, it was the moment of truth. Whew. No cracks! I poured myself a tall glass of milk for a recovery drink and enjoyed every drop - even if it was still a little foamy!

Riding at Night with Disco Spiders

Several years ago I discovered the peace and tranquility that comes with training at night. It started in the form of trail running and aside from the occasional spider web in the face, strange homeless dude hiding behind a tree, or the sound of coyotes getting closer and closer, it can be a very relaxing experience. Since I began training for RAAM, I have ridden at night (or early in the morning) and discovered the same enjoyment -- except replace the homeless dude with barking farm dogs (I'd prefer the homeless dude).

There is something about the calm of the evening and only the sound of my breath and the glow of my headlamp to keep me company that is almost zen-like. Plus there's the disco spiders.

I first discovered the disco spiders while trail running. I'd catch glimpses of these moving flickers of dark blue/green/purple on the edge of the trail. At first I thought it was smashed remnants of a beer bottle or a mountain biker's broken reflector catching the light from my headlamp. But as I ran, those little shimmering lights continued along the trail. They looked like tiny little disco balls to me. I finally stopped running, bent down, and was simultaneously repulsed and amazed to discover they were small black spiders scurrying along the trail edge. Over time, I came to appreciate their company and as I ran listening to my music, I imagined the disco spiders doing the same as they jammed to "Get Down Tonight" or "The Hustle".

I rode my bike in to Java Dive this morning and it was still dark but I was not alone. There they were, those little disco spiders along the edge of the road. I was actually riding slow enough to see them, their flickering colors reflecting off my bike light. And while I am NOT a big fan of spiders, I've come to regard them as pleasant company.

4 Hours, 5 Hours, 6 Hours -- How Long is Too Long?

Every successful team enters an event with a race plan and strategy. Team Ride Red has been playing around with the concept of riding in shifts and trying to find that "sweet spot" which optimizes rider effort and shift duration.

So What does this actually mean?

Contrary to what most people think, we are not taking the 3,000 miles of RAAM, dividing by 4 riders and then telling each rider, "OK Carol - go ride the first 750 miles, then Sue - go ride the next 750 miles..." and so on. In order to add speed to a race of this length, the rider shifts have to be shorter which allows for greater intensity. But how short?

Right now we are looking at splitting the four riders into teams of 2. One team will be "on" for several hours while the other team gets shuttled up the road and then rests, eats, gets a massage, or whatever. The team that is "on" will then ride alternating in shorter, more intense shifts -- so when one rider is riding for anywhere from 15-30 minutes, the other rider gets shuttled up the road and waits. When the one rider approaches, an exchange takes place and then the second rider takes off up the road while the first rider and bike is loaded up into the leapfrog vehicle and then is driven up the road for the next exchange. These exchanges happen for several hours until their shift is done. Then the second team of 2 riders is "on" and the first two riders will get transported up the road to rest, eat, etc. until it's time for them to ride again. For RAAM, this process will literally be repeated 24 hours a day for 7-9 days as the team makes its way across the country.

So how long is an optimal shift? We tried 4 hour shifts during our team training event last Saturday and that seemed to work really well. It was long enough for us to put in a solid effort but short enough to feel reasonable. The downside is that when the two riders are "off" - 4 hours isn't much time to eat, sleep, stretch, and get ready for the next shift. So at this weekend's Hill Country 600K race, we are trying one shift of 5 hours and one shift of 6 hours. The advantage is longer down time. But will we be able to sustain a solid effort for another 1-2 hours? My quads are cringing at the thought. Time, literally, will tell!

Photo: Carol Pope on team training event in Fredericksburg. Photo courtesy of Jake North Photography.

Don't Fear 300!

I have recently been reminded that the mind is a very powerful thing and so is perception. And that it's very difficult to override either one.

I train using a power meter which measures the amount of wattage (energy) I generate when I ride. What's great about riding with a power meter is that power doesn't lie. When I look down at my little yellow "dashboard", it's like riding with Goldilocks - it tells me if I'm not pushing hard enough, pushing way too hard, or if the effort is just right. The other great thing is that power is really independent of any external variables such as wind or hills. If my goal is to work at a certain level of effort, I can correlate that effort to a watt number and try to hold that number regardless of riding in 30mph head winds or sitting on my bike in the comfort of my living room while doing a spin workout on my trainer and watching the movie "The Notebook" (just an example ;-)

My watt numbers fluctuate depending on what cycling shape I'm in. When I'm in decent shape and I head out to do hill repeats or solid efforts, I know that if I keep my wattage at 225 or under (270 for climbing long hills), then I won't burn out and will have energy reserves to keep going. But if I see the number "300", I immediately back off. So 300 watts has become my benchmark, eliciting a, "holy crap I'm going to blow an artery and my quads will separate from my thigh bones!!!!" type of mental response. But in reality, it had become a roadblock. Until two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago I decided to take my own advice (what I tell my athletes) and I went out on a two hour interval/tempo/hills ride and just "left it all out there" - everything I had. I was blasting up long grinding hills, short steep hills, and keeping the tempo and effort high. The first time I saw 320 watts I immediately looked away from my dashboard, pushed the "holy crap" thoughts from creeping into my brain, and just kept hammering. 360 watts on the next hill? Who cares! Let 'er rip!

After that workout I dragged myself home and felt totally wiped and really great! When I downloaded my power data I was amazed to discover that my average watts for the entire ride (including warmup, cooldown, and recovery) was 209 and my 30 minute sustained effort was 246. I also discovered that my 1 minute efforts were 313 and above. And while one minute might not seem that long, it's long enough to get up a hill quickly or blast through a straightaway at pretty decent speed. And it's enough to reassure me that I won't blow an artery.

Sometimes we just have to get out of our own way to make progress. Fear 300? Not anymore!

RAAM on the Brain and in my Dining Room

My husband is currently on a business trip and I just got off the phone with him a few hours ago. After our usual, "How was your day" chit chat, out discussions these days always turn to one thing -- RAAM. I think he summed it up best when he said, "If I'm not thinking about it (RAAM), I'm talking about it, reading e-mails from people about it, writing e-mails to people about it, planning for it, or figuring out how to solve some logistical problem with it." He followed that sentiment up with, "Thank you Susan."

That's code for, "How in the world did you get me into another one of your hair brained ideas." And while I could hear the smile in his voice, I have to admit he has a point.

As I sit here writing this at 1:07am, with exercise TV infomercials playing in the background, I look around my office (aka: the dining room) and see piles of official RAAM documents, Team Ride Red folders and papers, and a few boxes from my newest technology acquisitions: a cell phone with video capability and a GPS window suction mount that I plan to use for live streaming video (not GPS). Go up into our workout room and you'll see a new bike helmet that needs to be properly fitted, four large poster signs stacked against the wall from our last sponsor fundraiser six days ago, our team banner rolled up, a pile of hardware and pvc pipe that is either on the way back to Home Depot or waiting to be affixed to something in the van to support a flag, flashing lights, emergency vehicle sign, or who knows what. That's next to the four foot stack of plastic drawers that WERE in the van but after last week's training session, have been replaced with two shorter stacks of plastic drawers because the van has since been rewamped for a better, more "efficient" configuration.

And I just came inside a few minutes ago from taking measurements on the side of the leapfrog vehicle (aka: our mini-van which we traded my camaro in for a more practical vehicle for RAAM...I know...I know...) so I can order magnetic signage for the van for our upcoming race in two weeks - the Hill Country 600K. Truth be told, I have never ordered magnetic signs before so quite honestly I have no idea what I'm doing. Is $68.50 for two 24x24 magnetic signs a good deal? Is that in four color print or just one color? Should I hold out for vinyl signs instead because the magnetic ones will look dorky? Good lord.

I have to admit a big part of me loves figuring out all the logistics of an event like RAAM. But there are some days when it's a bit too much. My friend, and team Crew Chief, Fred said last week that he thought he and I alone would exchange no less than 50 e-mails from Tues to Sun as we ramped up for the team's 18 hour training event on Saturday. We hit 48.

Perhaps when my husband returns we can have a meaningful conversation that doesn't include topics like, "How are we going to fasten the orange safety flags to the car" or, "Do you think we can find a coffee maker that is below the power rating for the 1600 watt/amp power inverter booster thingey". Or perhaps we could go out to dinner instead of Home Depot's plumbing department while we try to figure out how to take a drain pipe and turn it into a flag holder (been there, done that). I give us 5 minutes before one of us cracks.

What the Heck is a "Route Book"?!

It would be difficult to get from one place to another without directions or a map. Add to the equation: 14 crew members, 4 riders, and 4-5 vehicles and things can get pretty interesting.

RAAM provides each team with a "Route Book" - a 1.5 inch thick, spiral bound navigational bible that serves as THE definitive word on getting from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD. What about using GPS? That's fine but if there's a discrepancy between the Route Book and your GPS - paper wins.

On first glance, the Route Book is quite intimidating, with line by line instructions and directions traversing 3,000 miles across mountains, cities, corn fields, and rivers. So what better way to prepare Team Ride Red than to create our own route books for our training rides, patterned after the RAAM Route Book!

So for our first training event last November, Fred, MJ, Leary, and I drove the 100 mile loop we intended to use and as a result, our first team route book was born. Of course we had a few snafus along the way, like not realizing our odometer switched mid way though from miles to kilometers which goofed up our cumulative distance, or when we would miss a turn and have to back up and then subtract .75 miles from every distance calculation thereafter (or however far we overshot the turn). But by the end of it all, we had a nice route book complete with maps and line by line turns formatted in RAAM Route Book fashion. But did this prevent people from getting lost before we even got out of Old Settler's Park? Nope.

Our second training event is coming up this weekend and of course, we are fully prepared with another route book. This route covers 200 miles and even though the distance is double, the route book is actually smaller. We were a little smarter this time, choosing a route that had a lot fewer turns and "special features" (like a bazillion cattle guards, dry low water crossings, or a port-a-potty sitting in the middle of a corn field). Fingers crossed no one gets lost again!

Oh My Hips! (or the importance of cross training)

With all the riding, riding, riding I've been doing these days, my other training activities (run, swim, yoga, weights) have taken a hit. I suppose I could blame "not enough hours in the day" but in reality, there is time for a 30 min run here or a 45 min yoga session there.

I was reminded of my other beloved but neglected activities today when I went for a trail run with my trail buddy, Richelle. She had a 3 hr run and so I tagged along on the last 1.5 hrs to keep her company. You have to understand just how much time Richelle and I have spent together on the trail over the past few years -- add up all the time and it could easily be counted in weeks. But because she is run focused and I am bike focused these days, our paths don't cross as frequently as I'd like. But what fun today to hit the trails, cross streams, and slosh-slosh-slosh down the rocky terrain while catching up on what's new!

While my brain was happy to be out there with her, my body was confused. After 20 minutes I distinctly heard my quads say, "Um...what are you doing?" I ignored them. Then five minutes later I heard my rear-end say, "Hey! If you're breathing hard then shouldn't I be sitting on a bike seat?!" Again, I ignored. Then my hips spoke up at the 60 minute mark. "OK!! ENOUGH of whatever THIS is that you are doing that is NOT cycling!!" When the hips speak, I listen.

All the smooth motion and non-pounding action of cycling has given my hips (and feet, and knees, and low back) a wonderful respite from the brutal mileage of my trail running over the past year. I think my hips were nervous that we were starting things back up. As Richelle and I climbed the last few switchbacks leading up to the 360 Access parking lot, I was glad to be done running. As we stretched in the parking lot, I quietly thanked my hips for their participation and promised that I would get back to more cross training so they would be reminded of other activities. I also promised to keep the duration low, at least until after Race Across America in June. But shhhhh...don't tell my hips.

What "Recovery Week" Means to Me

After 12 years of endurance sports and training, I have FINALLY come up with what I call the "perfect recovery week". For me, recovery not only provides a physical rest, it also provides a mental break. So for two out of every three weeks, a recovery week is a hard earned block of unstructured time.

I have certain things I like to include in a recovery week such as extra sleep, yoga, running, and swimming but other than that, I do what I feel like doing (physical) when I feel like doing it (mental). And if I feel like taking a day or two off, I do -- guilt and conscience free.

Recovery week also means allowing my body to heal. In the case of coming off a 400 mile ride week, I have come to appreciate wearing boxer shorts (my own, not my husbands ;-) I haven't really had to deal with saddle sores (chafing or tender bumps on the skin from friction or pressure) until the three I acquired last week but let me say, wearing boxers provides that extra "ventilation" to let my pink parts air out, breathe, and heal!

Food plays an integral part of recovery as well, including smoothies and juices that pack a nutritional wallop. This morning I made "Sweet Garlic Juice" -- a combination of carrots, avocado, green apple, ginger, garlic, mango, kale, and cucumber, all pressed through my juicer to create a beautiful green beverage. I am enjoying the juice right now and I should be pretty safe from any vampires for the rest of the day!

I still have five recovery days left until I get back into my structured training regiment and I plan to enjoy each and every minute. And if I do a recovery week right, I start to get antsy near the end and I am rearing to get back to training!

400 Miles: Sunday (Done and DONE)

Daily Goal: 10 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 400 miles

A long week of riding was wrapped up today with a wonderful (and short) 10 mile bike ride from home into Lakeway and back. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing warm, and I felt pretty darn good as did my legs (tired but good). I am very much looking forward to a day off tomorrow and a recovery week next week. Plus tomorrow is Valentines Day -- just the excuse I need to go out and enjoy a TexMex dinner at Maudie's Cafe and maybe even a little dessert! I think my legs would appreciate it.

Can't wait to keep blogging as I continue towards June 18th and the start of RAAM. But I will miss "unique" trainer workout opportunities like riding in Macy's Department store. I'm off to do more laundry...again.

400 Miles: Saturday (Riding Inside and OUT)

Daily Goal: 70 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 390 miles

Finally...FINALLY I got to ride outside today! But that was towards the end of my ride. I started out today's "ride" at the health club for a 1 hour warmup base ride. Then we headed over to Fred's house for the Saturday "Fred Ride" which took place in his garage on trainers given the 40 degree temps outside. But Fred used our Minnesota kerosene heater to warm up the garage (35,000 BTUs baby!) and it was nice and toasty in a hurry! It was a great 2 hour interval set consisting of 5x5 miles strong effort with 1 mile high cadence easy recovery. Leary and I headed to Newks for lunch and then I rode home -- OUTSIDE! It was a gloriously warm day with a sligh breeze. I finished up the last ~30 miles of my 70 mile goal while feeling the wonderful sun in my face and the rolling hills of 620 under my wheels.

Only 10 miles to go tomorrow before I hit my 400 mile goal week. But not before I enjoy sleeping in for a change! And with the warm weather well on its way and highs tomorrow in the 70's, I am certain I WON'T be at the health club or on my trainer. My rear wheel will also appreciate being on the road for a change - it's developing a lovely shiny, flat spot from rolling against the trainer this past week!

400 Miles: Friday (Riding in Macy's)

Daily Goal: 70 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 320 miles

Today was finally a BEAUTIFUL day to ride outside, or so I was told. Given my schedule and timeframe for things today, it was another day of 70 miles on some form of "inside bike". I took in a spin class at 8:30am, preceeded by an hour's worth of spinning on one of the health club's stationary bikes. The remaining mileage I cranked out in a place I never thought I'd ride my bike -- the women's clothing department at Macy's in the Domain.

True, we were on trainers as it was part of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Day of Red event. But before we locked our rear wheels into our trainers, Vicki had a brilliant idea. She kicked things off by actually riding her bike down one of the short aisles between women's apparel and the perfume counter. It was brilliant! So of course I had to follow suit! After that we got down to slightly more serious business (only slightly) and hopped on our trainers and pedalled for a little over 3 hours.

We were set up right next to the Heart Hospital's booth and while women received free blood pressure screening, we talked about the importance of women's heart health, Race Across America, and fitness. We were also interviewed by the local news station and the Go Red for Women casting call folks. This sure beats watching bad Kung-Fu movies on TV in my livingroom! And by the way, it is possible to sustain 200 watts and conduct an interview ;-)

BIG thanks to everyone who came out to Macy's Day of Red event and press conference, including Team Ride Red crew - Leary, Fred, Julie, Sharon, and Lesli as well as camera men Kelly and Malcolm and the women from Go Red for Central Texas as well as the Richard, Hillary and the other folks from the Heart Hospital of Austin. Plus all the women who stopped by to learn more about how they can take action to prevent the number one killer of women - Heart Disease (or as Vicki would say, "The number one killer of heart disease - women" -- love ya Vicki!!).

400 Miles: Thursday (Laundry Day...Again)

Daily Goal: 50 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 250 miles

I felt pretty good today as I packed another 50 miles under my belt, or rather, under my legs. My plan was to split the mileage up into two pieces given commitments I had on my calendar for today. So I got in 30 miles in the morning, thanks in part to a spin class, and then finished the other 20 miles late in the day. I planned to ride outside but a few projects took longer than expected so I hopped back on my trainer to knock out the last 20 miles starting at 5:30pm. I was pretty happy with my effort - 170-190 watts sustained in 5 mile increments with 1 mile "active recovery". My legs also feel like they are coming around again. They were feeling tired after yesterday's epic trainer ride, but today I can feel my second wind.

With all the riding comes laundry. I just threw in the second load of laundry this week, primarily consisting of my bike shorts. Apparently 8 pair of bike shorts are not enough when you go through 2-3 pair a day.

But now I'm showered, supper is almost ready, and my foam roller and tennis ball await to dig into my muscles after we eat. Ah yes. Another good day.

400 Miles: Wednesday (Trainer PR)

Daily Goal: 60 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles
Distance Completed After Today: 200 miles

Well I set a new PR on my trainer today, thanks to the crappy Austin weather which consisted of all day below freezing temps, 20mph+ winds, and a dash of sleet and snow in the morning. I was bound and determined to ride 60 miles today so I could stick to my mileage goals for the week. That only meant one thing - get on the trainer.

My new trainer PR? 4 hrs, 58 minutes, and 16 seconds.

Here are the pros and cons with riding a trainer. It requires non-stop pedaling (no coasting) so your legs never really get a break if you want the odometer to keep moving forward. But at the same time, there are no external forces working against you (wind, road, etc.) so it should be "easier" to ride on a trainer than be on the road. I have to admit that being just a few steps away from the kitchen or bathroom make it pretty convenent!

So what did I do for 4 hrs and 58 minutes other than practice my singular cycling focus and mental toughness? I strategically positioned my trainer in front of the television and, with the TV remote resting on my aerobars, I watched:
2 mediocre movies:
"DragonBall Evolution"
"Whiteout"

2 sit-coms (2 of each):
"Who's Line Is It Anyway?"
"Seinfeld"

I also went through 6 bandanas, 2 complete wardrobe changes, 2 beach towels, 4 water bottles (3 filled with water, 1 with apple juice), and some additional caloric-filled snacks. Not to mention multiple trips to the bathroom!

My husband, Leary, came home around 6pm and I was still pedaling. He couldn't figure out why it was so cold in the house. I told him I shut the heat off around 2pm. Why have the heat on when I'm sweating bullets?

But I did it. I got today's mileage under my belt and I'm looking forward to getting back on the road tomorrow (fingers crossed)!

400 Miles: Tuesday

Daily Goal: 70 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles

Today was a great day to be on a trainer! At least that's how it turned out. I went to my usual two spin classes at 24 Hr Fitness - one at 9:30am and the other at noon. I worked to about 80% of effort in both classes so as not to fry my legs. I also rode on a bike in between the classes just to get in a few more miles. By the time I left the club, I had approx 45 miles under my belt. And I was HUNGRY!

After a huge lunch of a home made veggie burger, carrots and celery sticks, squash soup, rice crackers with fresh avocado, and 2 gluten free snickerdoodle cookies, I took a quick 20 min nap. I planned to add the remaining 25 miles on the road that afternoon but as I looked outside, clouds were rolling in and temps were starting to drop...again. The impending cold front was getting closer. So back on my trainer for the remaining 25 miles. I alternated every 5 miles - high cadence (95-100 cadence with 140-160 watts) and big gear (60-70 cadence with 180-210 watts). Even though I spent all my riding today on some form of stationary bike, I felt like I had a good workout and my legs are starting to feel fatigued. Yeay!

400 Miles: Monday

Daily Goal: 70 miles
Weekly Goal: 400 miles

Today was a great day to bike! The weather was in the upper 50's but the sun made it feel warmer. I tried a new route - Lakeway up 620 to Anderson Mill and through neighborhood roads out to Parmer for an "out and back". Aside from the half mile "death sprint" on Anderson Mill due to single lanes and construction, it was a good route.

A few comments along the way:

• I left home twice - I turned around after 2 miles to go put on warmer clothes and to get some gloves. Glad I did as it got cold when the sun was setting upon my return home!
• My powertap quit working after 43 miles.
• I'd like to say "thank you" to the other cyclist on Parmer who offered assistance as I just stood there on the shoulder. I was actually waiting for him to pass so I could go to the bathroom in the ditch!
• A hand gesture right back at the dude driving the brown pickup truck. Hey man...I turned into the driveway because I was just trying to get out of YOUR way so don't you honk at ME!
• Disco and dance music always make a good bike ride even better.

400 Mile Bike Week

Welcome to my RAAM "distance" training week! I'm shooting for 400 miles on the bike and my plan is as follows:
Mon = 7o miles
Tues = 70 miles
Wed = 60 miles
Thurs = 50 miles
Fri = 70 miles
Sat = 70 miles
Sun = 10 miles

Let's see how things go and fingers crossed that the Austin weather cooperates!

New Year - Time to Get Busy

Happy 2011! After a long holiday break filled with Mom's home cooking, I feel rested, restored, and rejuvinated (not to mention about 6lbs heavier). I'm excited to start building on my base cycling fitness from the past 6 months and turn all my training attention to RAAM. I did manage to get in a little cross training while in Minnesota in the form of shoveling snow off the roof of two houses but my legs miss the 'round and 'round motion of cycling. So after capping off a 350 mile week just before Christmas, it's time to get busy!