TBC...

back at the planning full time - all consumed by TD thoughts and getting really, really excited/nervous!!
Talked with Eric from Revelate Designs today - awesome - and he is doing bags now for the 907 fatbikes that will fit the Misfit frame!! Yahoo to a full frame bag and the ability to carry some extra H2O and stash!! Things are looking up. I have been pouring over the maps lately and doing a lot of research on routes, and barring any unforeseen incidents (which always DO happen...) I might be able to be through in 21 days...
This weekend I will put in some overnight time with the gear, and just ride ride ride. I figure on the Tour, I am going to want to average about 140 miles per day...or something like that, so I am working at getting my mind around a constant spin. I am going to try out some Pearl Izumi X-Alp WRX shoes to keep my toesies warm and dry, and feet happy for hike-a-bike sections through the snow and mud - I think they may be key.
Friday I will make the transition to 1x9 - goodbye SS for a little while - time to get geared up! Wow...it is really gonna happen...

TD Pre-amble number one...

This has been a long time coming, and for a long time, it seemed it wouldn't happen at all...I made a decision, a couple months ago, to put aside dreams of the Tour Divide until next year. It just wasn't looking like I could swing it - gear collecting was proving too pricey, the bike I was planning on riding fell through and was never produced, my body is having many issues that need attention, time off work was seeming a BAD idea, and I would really miss my dog, family, and friends...plus, a mounting fear of grizzlies, mountain lions, scorpions, rattlesnakes,  and drug runners had been snowballing to a near constant distraction. (I have been watching too much Breaking Bad...) Notes on the map to avoid riding at night through the desert due to said drug runners and to, at all costs, camp way away from the highways if needed to avoid a possible run in got me a little spooked. I decided maybe shooting for next year would be a better idea. (ya, cuz maybe the drug war would be over...ha...)
Then, a week after this big and somewhat crushing decision, I took it back. I had been working pretty steady on gathering, planning, preparing for this year, so I set about to do all I could to get closer to the start line.I have now decided that this year it will be. I am going ahead as planned, with a couple modifications.
I had originally hoped to do this ride in 20 days. I have adjusted this to no more than 26...I hope...but anything can happen. Where I was going to shoot for as light and fast as possible, I am now making peace with being a little heavier - light gear is not in the budget for a coffee house worker - the bike modifications, also, will be heavier. I have decided to ride my Misfit AL, with a Reba RL fork, and gearing it 1x9 - singlespeed was an option, but I would like a little more variety for those long mountain climbs, and descents - not feeling totally strong...I may try to put a second ring up front, with manual shift option, so that I have a bigger ring to push across the desert.
Original plans had me riding a carbon, geared  hardtail 29er - but no...and as that frame design would give me ample room for frame bags and storage space, the new ride requires a little thinking outside the box. I am going to go with a half frame bag, and carry a pack - plus seat bag, fuel tank, and bar bag - should be plenty 'o room. I am bringing a lightweight sleeping bag, bivy, and thermarest for camping out under the stars - all should fit in the handlebar bag - plus down jacket, booties, fleece pants and a toque; I should be all set! I have decide on a slightly heavier bivy that totally encloses with netting to keep out snakes looking for a warm place to sleep, and to ward off the mosquitos...
TBC>>>

Thank U K2 Milling!

So excited to use these at the cafe today! Awesome place - great grains :)
( The middle one is Spelt - soon I'll have Brown Rice, Quinoa, Millet and Morraine Multigrain too :)

Fair Warning...

As if the last post wasn't enough of a cautionary tale about improper fueling...maybe this will be also...it's 5 days later, and my gut is still a jumble of snakes 'n ladders. Muscles are slowly bouncing back, and my head is a little clearer, but my gut is wrenching. This happened after last years Solstice race as well - I couldn't eat properly for a week due to, probably, dehydration. So, with that in mind, I vow to do better next time - 1 gm of CHO per kg body weight per hour better...or else...
In the meantime, soup is my best friend - healing, soothing, nourishing soup. Here are two of my favorites to boost the body back to health - nom nom...

First, a silky smooth energizing Sweet Potato Soup:

1Tb coconut oil
1/2 a diced onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced with
2" pc of fresh Ginger

Sweat the above to soften, then add:

2 cups chopped, peeled sweet potato
Sea salt and fresh pepper
1/4 tsp dried ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tb raw honey
2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk (full fat plz!)

Simmer all until potatoes are tender - purée in a blender until silky - correct seasoning and Nosh On...

Next, a really healing Chicken in a Pot Soup...so good, so easy - the broth can be used to make the sweet potato soup also :)

Chicken Soup:
In a large stock pot, place 1 organic chicken ( rinse out first). Cover with pure water. Add 2 leeks - chopped white an light green parts - 2 carrots diced - 2 celery sliced - 4 garlic cloves - 2" fresh Ginger sliced.
Add 2 big bay leaves and a bunch if fresh thyme or tarragon - whatevah you have...
Simmer 1 Hr. Pull out chicken, cool a bit, then dissect and keep only the meat. Add it back to the pot with some diced sweet potato if you like, and simmer 15 mins. Season with sea salt and pepper and let yourself be soothed... Nourishment to the max. The left over bones can be used a second time to make stock also; just add fresh veggies...

Here's to your health!! :)

It was a hot time in the old town that night...

Made it back to 24 Hour Town for a second ride on the course, and holy shizzle, it had quadrupled in size! There were about 3500 people camped out up in the desert - an amazing party gyrating it's way through the cactus. Met up with a great guy from California - John...hi John!...and we joined him for a ride of the course. I was determined to keep my HR down and have a really EZ spin, but the Rabbit took off, John followed, and my ego got angry and attempted to keep up...Fail...I had to try to chill it out, and did so by trying to hold John back with conversation. Ha! Remember the bit I mentioned about the cactus?...the narrow corridor, plentiful cactus, and how you really don't want to stop paying attention or they'll get you cactus? Unh-huh...right...so, I hit sand, I washed out, I sky rocketed into...you guessed it...a cactus - prickly pear to be exact. Armfull, legfull, of sharp spikes, pinky finger sprained - but as we all do when we crash in front of people, we jump up, laugh it off, claim to be OK, and carry on. So I did this, but was pretty gun shy from then on - it hurt A LOT to hold the handlebar, and my arm was on fire from all the barbs in my armwarmers, but, we made it through. At the end, I looked at my now purple, swollen finger, and felt a spike poking out of a bloody hole on the outside - I pulled out a 1 cm length of cactus - sa-weet. I guess it jammed into the knuckle and connected with the nerves, cuz I felt some relief when it came out. Carry on.
John was kind enough to bring me a bag of ice for the drive home, and it provided more relief. Of all the stupid things for me to do the day before the big day!! Sheesh...guess that's why they call me Crash...

So, back at the hotel, I got my bike cleaned up, got my kit packed, fretted, worried, peed a million times, chilled, paced, snoozed, packed, and planned everything that would be needed for the next day, and the trip home afterwards. I had picked up a big cactus needle in my rear tire - Stan's did the trick, but it was still losing air, so I beefed it up and prayed for it to hold... I had the happy diversion of meeting up with CJ for dinner, as she now lives and trains in Tucson - lucky girl - she was to race with a team also, but a shoulder injury derailed the plan :(  (Hope you recover quickly!!! ) Good to see her and her all the stories from the world of Xterra, which I do hope to get back to soon :)
Fell into bed for, of course, a very restless sleep as always the night before, and waited for 5 AM to arrive.
Sure as shootin' it did..ok, that was corny, but it did, and I got up, dressed, ate, drank coffee, etc...yes, I said etc...I was nervous!!! Capital N.

We drove out to 24 Hour Town and I was really anxious to get going. Arriving early to beat the rush meant that I had a lot of time to pace, plan and get my feed zone set up. Picked a patch of turf along the race course, and placed chair, coolers, tools and spare bits there for refuel pits. I knew the night would be below freezing, so I also prepared extra clothes to hop into when the sun went down - I may be Cdn., but I still freeze in the desert...

Finally, noon arrived, and it was go time! The start of the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo is a 400m LeMans run up to the bikes. I stood in the middle of the pack, the gun went off, and I ran. With hundreds of other yahoos in bike shoes, in the desert - crazy awesome sight! The dust kicked up, but I got to the bikes, hopped on, and peddled away on my first lap. I wanted to break into this EZ style, so I tried to be mellow, but the adrenaline was pumping and I pushed a bit too hard,,,but just for awhile, then the smart kicked in and I relaxed again.  I was only there to race me; hadn't seen a start list; didn't know who to look for; just wanted to ride - Just happy to be riding on dirt without studded tires, and NOT on a trainer...
So I rode, and then I flatted...fixed it...rode to the feed zone, filled up, hopped back on...crashed - like a flying enchilada into the rocks (at least no cactus here) - of course, jumped up and professed to be OK (and was, really) and finished my first lap. Wow...
And so I rode three more laps, with my tire loosing air on all of them, so the C02 got a good workout...damn cactus...
I had a really hard time sticking to my nutrition plan in these laps - such a full on course meant little time to fuel, and you had to really consciously tell yourself to do so - I made the number one mistake in these laps, by neglecting my need for calories and hydration. With a 24Hr. race, this is so important early on - I knew it - I planned for it - and then I effed it up...yup, I said eff...royally. My head ached and my energy zapped and I was only 4 hours in...s**t. Of course

As I rode on, it became increasingly hard to motivate myself to get going. Everything hurt, and my mood tanked. At the 5th lap I figured I was done, but the night was setting in and I felt a little renewed with the cold air coming in. This turned very cold quickly, and the ache piled on. I zoned out and kept peddling - happy to have some pretty serious help from my pit boss - awesome support for sure. I had moved into first, but really hurt too much to think about it. By the 12th lap, I was done. I sat down, I may have cried, I couldn't talk, eat, think - total raging white hot mess. I managed to eat some cheese, and tried hard to rally myself to get on the bike, and at least finish the lap, and tell them I was done. I cruised toward the finish ready to call it off, but then, I got angry. What the eff  was I thinking?? Quitting?? While I am ahead (by only a narrow margin)???? After driving 38 hours to be there??? WTF??? So, I got really pissed off, swiped the baton, hopped back on, and somehow managed to have one of my better lap times. I have no idea where it came from. Of course, it sucked all the life from me, and I hadn't filled up my bottles or food supply cuz I thought I was done, but it was enough to push me to do another one after that, putting me just past noon, and the end of the race, and in first. So cooked...
Not a pretty sight, but the job was done, and despite appearances, I was elated! And as seen below, I passed out immediately...not pretty, but pretty pleased :)

Very cool trophy from Rosemont Copper  - complete with Barbed Wire to signify the ranch life at Willow Springs Ranch - home of the event. Amazing property, and I thank them for allowing this race to take place. Epic Rides puts on a fantastic show down there in the wild Southwest - a must-do race for anyone contemplating the drive down south!! It was top notch all around and one wild ride fo' sho'...

I hopped on a plane first thing the next morning and stumbled home, passed out, woke up, and managed to get to work for 6 this morning. I am in huge debt on all fronts, but really, really happy to have been lucky enough to have had this experience! I am grateful...very grateful -and I hope there's more to come! After all, life is for livin' ;)

Damn...that stings...

One more sleep to race day down here in Tucson - awaiting the fiesta that is the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo...Got my first taste of true desert riding yesterday with a pre ride on the 16.1mi course (thats about 25.76K for us Canucks...) and it is full on! Driving into 24 Hour Town takes about 30 mins give or take, once you head off the highway - up a dirt ranch road, deep into the cactus filled badlads - not a tree in sight over 6 ft. tall, and even they are rare. What is there, is a tonne of amazing cactus, and tiny spiky plants, and turtles, javelina, cows, mountain lions, and gilla monsters - way too cool.
By tomorrow, the patch of desert that was once vacant, will be a full on, raging, spinning, drooling, cheering mass of 24 hour devotees and their band of merry hooligans - 24 Hour Town has arrived! It was amazing to see, in the time it took to do a lap, how many RV's, dogs, kids, tents and riders were piling in - and still with two days to go - this is serious party...
This year, the course is fast, fast , fast - desert hardpack, some sand, flowing climbs and a little rock. Not a lot of technical, but enough that if you are sleepy at 3AM, and I will be, you can get tossed - the technical edge here will be to not lean too hard in the corners, as the course is a narrow...and I mean narrow...pathway between masses of very sharp cactus. Get switching too fast, and you are bound to get a legfull!! Yeehaw and ouch...that stings...My biggest worry is that the course is so fast, it's tempting to want to push it, and my legs are definitely not there yet!! This could be mentally taxing for sure - better pull out the deep thoughts to mull over for the wee hours cuz I'm gonna need the diversion...
Off to try another spin out there, then back to pack, arrange stuff, sort out fuel, and rest...tomorrow will come quickly :)

Road Weary

Checking in from Moriarty, New Mexico!
Itching to ride my bike after two lazy long days on the road - have made it as far as New Mexico,and pulled the plug for the night. It was cool to see the red earth kick in and the temperatures rise as soon as we hit Oklahoma - a sure sign of the south - but as we left the Panhandle of Texas, the temp. dropped again, and a snowstorm set in! From 16 deg. to zero and snow...harrumph. Ah well, tomorrow we head further south after Albuquerque and the temps. will rise again! Will make it to Tucson pretty early in the afternoon, haul out the rig, and go fer a spin - can't wait!! Working on the drawl; tripping down memory lane; having a blast, and trying hard to quell the onset of race-nerves ...or maybe it's excitement...or fear of how my body feels after two days of sitting...or, ah heck, whatevah it is, it'll pass...ride on

On the Road Again...

The 2012 race season is officially starting!! Heading down to AZ this weekend for  24 Hours in the Old Pueblo and getting pretty stoked to see where the fitness is at after our crazy winter - looking forward to some sand, cactus, red rocks and dirt!( Not to mention good Mexican food...mmmm)....After years of living in Texas, I am also looking forward to finding out if the drawl I had buried away might resurface... I think it's unavoidable :) Hopefully gonna do some riding on the way down - there's a bike park in Tulsa that's just begging for a visit!!! 

Chat at ya'll from the road ;)

Amazing!!

Found this the other day, and thought it was an amazing piece of work - too cool...

THE MAN WHO LIVED ON HIS BIKE from Guillaume Blanchet 
Makes my quest for a mere 24 Hours in a couple weeks pale by comparison! (Read: getting nervous for AZ :)

Join Me!

Here's a new one for the fall - who's in?

Allegheny Mountains Loop

Love that Liver! ( But only if it's grassfed...)

Some interesting info. in the world of nutrition and high performance sport in this, the year of the Olympics. Thanks to Sarah of The Healthy Home Economist for the following...


With the 2012 London Olympics just around the corner, the spotlight turns once again to the diet of the hundreds of elite athletes preparing to arrive in Europe to complete their training before the Summer Games begin.

The latest warning from the United Kingdom Anti-Doping Association is to avoid liver which can increase the odds of an athlete testing positive via urine test for the anabolic steroid clenbuterol.

Clenbuterol has caused grief for top athletes before.  Alberto Contador blamed a steak dinner for his positive test during the 2010 Tour de France.   This case is currently under appeal.

Olympic gold medalist weightlifter Tong Wen cited her love affair with pork chops as the reason when she tested positive for the same agent and was banned from the sport for two years.  Clenbuterol is frequently added to steroid laced pig feed in China.

Clenbuterol Use in Animal Feed Illegal

Clenbuterol is indeed a problem in the conventional meat industry where it is illegally used in animal feed to increase the leanness and protein content of meat.  People who consume meat from animals fed this steroid can experience headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations and gastic irritation.  Some people need to be hospitalized after exposure.

Demand for this anabolic agent for use in animal feed is apparently quite widespread on the black market.  Why else the formal warning for Olympians to avoid eating liver, which can concentrate the clenbuterol, prior to drug tested competition?

Not All Liver a Risk for Clenbuterol

What is curious is that the UK Anti-Doping Association did not distinguish between liver produced via Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) and liver from grassfed cattle and pastured poultry produced from small local farms.

Animals raised on their natural diets and maintained on pasture pose little to no risk for clenbuterol contamination.

Therefore, athletes can easily find healthy, grassfed liver from small local farms in the UK and surrounding European nations to obtain that special nutrient density only liver and other traditionally sacred foods can provide to prepare for their Olympic competition!

Few foods provide the same balance of fat soluble vitamins and minerals as liver and wise Olympians who know their history will be consuming it several times a week as they prepare for the 2012 Summer Games. Ancient Olympians ate a mostly meat based diet and it wasn’t lean meat either!

Midsguided Olympians will be following standard lowfat diet recommendations such as what coach Fabio Capello required of his seeded English football team prior to and during the 2010 World Cup.  He foolishly banned his players from eating any butter, only to find his team quickly and shockingly booted from competition!

Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist

Source: Olympians Warned:  Don’t Eat Liver

Harrumph...

As I stare out the window today into the cold drizzle, contemplating 3 hrs. Of Coach Troy and Tough Love, I am reminded of how amazing this past weekend was for riding - right up to last night the trails were open and rocking - please tell me it's not over...
Well, I hope you all got out to enjoy...go stoke ur fires...time to hunker down?

:D

2011 Redux...

Excuse me while I barf this up...

ski days at blue and snowshoes in the valleys.serving jury duty and a heinous murder trial of which the photos I daily try to forget.spinning my legs off before the spring's welcome thaw.a building permit finally granted and the comfort of home.the loss of great friends and the gain of new ones.16 scotches in one glorious Burn's eve.plus the haggis to end all haggi.cakes shaped like groundhogs, faeries and friends.joyfully Joyriding with the ladies.racing the Frostbike snow and slush.a new coffee house and a new spot at the stove.too much Guinness on St.Pat's Day.an Homage to Ice.building trail, fixing trail, playing on trail.my first Super D and a basket of eggs.racing 24 hrs. in the Nova Scotia damp and my awesome Cap'n Bash.Victoria's 100 in for the long haul.Epic 8 hrs. and getting my ass whooped.some trail run racing and duathloning.realizing I can still run if chased by a flock of angry birds.24 Hours on a bike and loving every minute.seriously.Grace Potter and a near miss.finding new trails to the east and realizing the best things in life are free...almost.John Butler 'nuff said.the gig to end all gigs right in my own back yard.wine soaked days in the sun on the dock but far too far between.nephews flung afar to play Provincial rugby and Korean tae kwon do whoop-ass.a niece who became fascinated by fascinators.Leadville 100 and racing like a turtle.Wein's tips and a good cup of Joe. shiny buckle earned.Hot August Nights and victorious Angry Peckers.Paul's Dirty 100 and the dirty effects therein.Lab Rats kickin' it for 6hrs. solid and the fall's first snow.Thanksgiving family and an episode of House finally solved. Leafs in real life a few times over and a love of the game renewed.the hole in the head that won't go away but damnit I'll keep trying.christmas cookie insanity and riding 'till the new year. 9 hrs. on a saturday and the realization that training for a feb. 24hr in Canadian winter is hard.to say the least.looking forward to 2012 with all the trepidation I can fit in my brain. 24Hr. in OP, TourD, w24c. holy shit.

Happy New Year one and all.Cheers to 2012.bonus points if you can place this quote..."For tomorrow, we generate the courage today."

Now, go be awesome...

Challenge over but the Raw remains...

But not completely...I finished out the Raw Challenge a couple days early - not that I wasn't enjoying all the leaves, nuts and seeds, but the weekend was hitting, I am a half-miler, and I was craving something hot to warm me up. That being said, remnants of my raw experiment remain. I love the way I feel with a bunch of fresh, crunchy, live food in my life. If anything, the challenge has enforced how important it is to have a really good amount of clean, whole foods in our diet. So, I am going to remain, 75%, approx., raw...is that possible? I dunno, but whatever - I just know I'll keep the greens and fruits around...often :)
Last night I had an almost uninterrupted-by-searing-pain sleep, and I am going to thank the fresh food in my life. This is very good news, as my weekly mileage is creeping up, and momma needs her rest!!! Let's keep that ball rolling! (Thanks to Glenda the Magic Woman at Mobility Plus :) She's a godsend!!!)

So...now I can apologize for the completely uninteresting posts as of late - just trying to keep track for my own records...
Now, on to more exciting ramblings in the future...