Laziness

Okay, so my big plan for revamping is going much slower than I intended (perhaps even backwards). I seem to be lacking some inner motivation to complete the things I really want. I know I want them but I can't make myself do them. I want to get back to working out 5-6 days a week. I want to be riding to working 2-3 days a week. I want, I want, I want. I just can't seem to do. My usual excuse is it's cold, rainy, I feel like I'm getting sick. I have to just snap out of it. I made a small bit of progress yesterday.

Yesterday was a gorgeous. Sunny, a little breezy, a gorgeous February day. I went on a 2 mile walk with mom in the morning. I rode my bike to my hair appt (8 miles round trip). Yes, this is the first time I've ridden outside since November 29th. It was more painful than I'd like to admit. I've used my trainer a couple times but it's not the same. After my appt, I washed my Rav4 and mom's truck.

This isn't much compared to where I was 6 months ago but it's a step back in the right direction and I'm pleased.

I've also come to realize that I need a new mattress. Every morning I wake up hurting, stiff, sore. Considering I have been doing nothing, it's not right. I bought my mattress less than 3 years ago and I LOVED it when I first had it. It's a rather expensive futon style mattress which now has a giant canyon in the middle that my cat loves. So now I must hunt. The best mattress I have ever slept on was at the Marriott in Arlington. Wow - I could lay in that all day. With a $1300 price tag, I probably would! I am hoping once I find the right mattress, it will help in my motivation to wake up early for workouts.

Revamping

A new year is here and I thought it would be a good time to revamp this blog as well as myself. Since the century, I haven't been cycling nearly as much as I would like. Some of that was due to a short recovery time, a bout with sickness and sheer laziness. I've been on a couple short rides and one 25 miler but that's it. My butt and waist are showing it too.

I'm joining a girls riding group that my TNT coach is organizing. We'll be going out once a month for a 30-40 mile ride so I really need to get back to weekly riding and more.

In addition, I'm re-focusing on my health and starting to eat better and exercise more. I need to. We won't discuss how much weight I've gained back since starting my new desk job in April 2007. Even training for a marathon and then a century didn't help.

So follow along as I revamp my health and exercise routine. Today I intend to pull out my trainer and get at least 30 minutes in (something about buckets of rain and wind gusts of 30-45 mph is keeping me from heading out doors).

I did it.

I did it. I actually did it. I biked 102.5 miles and raised $2,445 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

My greatest joy is that I raised more than $600 over my minimum needed and I have all of you to thank for that. I know some truly generous people and I am so grateful to have you in my life.

The Peach of a Century team raised $50,000 to fund research to cure blood cancers. $50,000! As a team we rode 2,200 miles on the event day. Amazing accomplishments all around.

So event day. I won’t say race because it wasn’t. The ride was not timed (thank goodness!), there was no official start time, you just had to finish. I drove down to Salem on Saturday and stayed at a hotel with the rest of the team. We had the usual pasta party that night along with inspirational speeches from those personally affected by blood cancers. It’s a good reminder that what we might have to endure the following day is nothing in comparison to what cancer patients deal with on a daily basis.

Sunday morning I got up at 5:45, got dressed, finished organizing my stuff for the ride (packing snacks, gear, etc). At 6:30 I got some breakfast (bagel, banana and coffee) and then at 7 we all headed to the starting area. After picking up our packets we gathered as a group for some pictures at the Team In Training tent. Around then I really had to use the bathroom but there was a huge line. So me and another participant heard rumor that a few people snuck off into these nearby woods to go all natural. So we did. Yes, I really did. I would have been standing in line another 30 minutes if I didn’t! Check out the pics. You’ll understand.

So we take off around 8am. The first 22 miles were great albeit a little cool. A fog had come in and numbed the fingers quite quickly. It was definitely pretty though. We had done this portion of the route before during a training ride so it wasn’t anything new. At the 22 mile mark was the first rest stop. Again, HUGE lines for the bathroom. Luckily I didn’t have to go again. I rested up a little, chatted with some teammates, the coach and supporters before taking off. The next bit was also pretty comfy riding. There were some moderate rollers but it was up and down so pretty fun riding. I even hit my top speed of 37.1 mph! The second rest stop was at 55 miles. I ate my PB&J along with other snacks. The sun was finally peeking out from the fog and I could tell it was warming up. I checked in with mom (who couldn’t be there to cheer me on due to knee surgery) to let her know I was surviving. It was only 12:30 so I was making pretty good time.

I took off for the next leg of the ride. I instantly knew I was going to be in trouble. I was so sluggish – just on a flat spot! The sun was out in force, the food was settling in and I was tired. I had been fighting a cold and allergies all week and I could see it taking toll. Then we hit the hills. I had been told this was a relatively flat course with one lengthy hill around mile 74. Yeah, not even. The hills hit around mile 61. And they weren’t little. We’re talking STEEP. As steep as the horrid hill of the Eola Hills ride. Yes, I admit, I had to walk a hill. I tried, I really did. But my asthma failed me. Dang lungs anyway. At the top, a large group was waiting for me and another team mate. After a rest we headed down a fun slope only to be hit by more hills. And more. I swear it was never ending. That 22 mile segment took about 2 hrs. There were lots of friendly people on the road giving encouragement as they passed me on the hills. Slightly humiliating but it was okay. I was doing my best – who cares if I had to stop 5 times up a 300 foot hill.

I hit the 3^rd rest stop at mile 77. I kept my break short because I knew I had to keep going or I might just quit. I ate some pretzels, cheese and orange slices. Oh, and some macaroons. Those were tasty although quite sweet. I also checked in with mom again and started feeling the tired and pain set in. I was so tired. She reminded me that I’d done 84 miles before so at least I knew I could do that. That was true but it didn’t make me any less tired. So I set off for the last leg. It was only 24 miles. Right? Only 24. I can do that. I biked for awhile with a couple of people from my team but eventually had to let them go on ahead. They tried to wait for me but I was so low on energy I couldn’t keep up. But I pedaled. And pedaled. I hit that 84 mark and thought, I should call for the support vehicle. At least I’ve done what I did before. I’m not a failure. I’m doing my best. But I kept going. It wasn’t hilly – just long, flat, and hot. I was at 91 when a friend texted me asking how I was doing. I was so ready to quit. I told her I had about 10 miles left and she said “you got it girl”. So I kept pedaling. I could get it! It was the longest 10 miles ever. One of coaches drove by to check on people. I kept pedaling. I could have easily thrown my bike in her truck and gone back but I didn’t. Another cyclist was heading backwards on the course at about mile 99. He yelled to me “You’re almost there”. I yelled back “I sure hope so!”. It was hard not to swear at him – he was being encouraging after all.

I rolled in to the finish line around 5:45pm. Yes, I was on the road from 8am until 5:45. The first 55 miles took 4.5 hours and the last 47 miles took 5.25 hours. I was so happy to be done. I called mom and almost started crying. I was so, so tired. Weepy tired. I finished though. 102.5 miles. That was the official course length. My cyclometer only read 100.5 miles I’m sure all my stopping and starting and walking on the hills threw it off. I rested a bit, stretched, had a small bite to eat and then headed home. Mission accomplished. I hit my fundraising goal and then some. I biked 100+ miles. A day well spent.

For the pictures I took, check out my usual spot:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdxmichele/sets/72157607572751096/

Thank you

I want to start off by saying thank you. Without your support both financially and emotionally, this journey would have been so much more difficult. In the past several months I managed to raise $2,320 to help fight blood cancers.

This journey has been difficult, fun, challenging and rewarding. I've met many people who are now great inspirations and discovered that many of my friends have been impacted to leukemia and lymphoma.

This Sunday is my biggest challenge. The Peach of a Century. The course is approximately 102 miles long and we'll be starting around 8am. While I'm looking forward to getting my weekends back, it will be bittersweet as my journey ends. For so many inflicted with cancer, they aren't lucky to just "get their life back". It is truly a life long challenge for them and I will keep that in mind as I pedal my way to a cure.

Be on the look out for my final event report sometime in the next two weeks.

Again, I thank you so much for your support this season.

All my best,

Michele

84 miles!

Yesterday we hit our peak riding miles before starting to taper down for the big event. Here’s the story.

We started the ride at the beautiful Champoeg State Park. I bet the majority of you have no idea how to pronounce that. Sham-poo-ee. Yeah, not what you'd think The first 25 miles was a flat and fast. We had a great tailwind which kept my pace about 17mph with virtually no effort. The entire time I was trying to convince myself that the winds would reverse by the time we returned on that route and we'd also have a tailwind on the return. (foreshadowing here). Along this route I discovered that I left my memory card for the camera in my pc so I was limited to the 16mb (if that) on my internal card. I did see some pretty things so I took a few. There were tons of hop farms and trucks loaded down with hops which were then scattered about the roadway.

Around mile 22 we reached the Wheatland Ferry. It's this barge like boat that ferries cars and people across the Willamette all day. Free for bikes, we hop on and continue our ride.

Our ride continues through some gorgeous farmland. We hit a pretty long hill but with one stop to catch my breath, I make it to the top. I knew that was just minor to the hills to come. This is called the "Eola Hills" loop for a reason.

We reach Amity at mile 50 and break for lunch at a little park. Probably not the smartest stop since the "hill" was only 1.5 miles from there. Never ride up a monster hill on a full stomach. But I was feeling great after 50 miles and thought - dang, we only have 35 miles left to go! I don't remember what time it was but I want to say it was close to noon. At that point my average pace was about 14.5mph which is huge for me.

So then we head out to attack the hill. I immediately felt sluggish and tired. I was practically in my granny gear on the flat approaching the hill (there was a bit of a headwind at that point). Coach Becky had warned the hill was about 3.5 miles long and the first .1 of the hill was STEEP. Uh, you ain't kidding there Becky. I had to stop twice going up just that 10th of a mile (after stopping at the bottom before even starting!). After that, it was a bit less steep but still one heck of a hill. I can't even count how many times I stopped. Every time I hit some shade, stop. It probably took me an hour just to climb that 3.5 miles. However, as promised by Becky, there were some gorgeous views at the top.

I started the descent which was super steep but fun. I had to stop myself once because I was feeling out of control. Last thing I wanted to do was crash going 27 mph.

After the hill, it was basically heading back the way we came. Unfortunately that nice tailwind we had coming out had NOT reversed. It was horrible (like last week on Marine Drive) but still difficult. My pace slowed down significantly. I was also running out of steam so that probably had more to do with my slow down than the wind.

But I finished the ride, dang it! Here are the stats:

Miles: 83.8

Saddle time: 6:16:56

Average Speed: 13.1 mph

Max Speed: 32.2 mph

Calories burned: 3418

Total time out (including breaks): ~8hrs

For a few more pictures check out the usual place:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdxmichele/collections/72157606267073957/

Elevation of the Hill:

Views from the top:

We're almost there!

Hello my fellow followers of my infrequently updated blog.

So I missed training rides for two weekends in a row. Not only did I not ride on the weekends, I pretty much didn't ride AT ALL for two weeks. That last update when I said I was going to ride with my coach on Sunday? Yeah, I didn't go. I woke up with some gastrointestinal issues and that is something you do not want to be riding with. During that next week my mom was in the hospital for a knee replacement surgery so immediately after work I'd head to the hospital. Yeah, I could have ridden but when you have to get to work early and don't get home until 8 or 9, it makes for a long day. All whining aside... The next weekend mom got discharged on Saturday so I had to be here to make sure she was settled okay, etc. The next week was craziness at work and I just didn't have the energy.

So along comes Saturday the 30th. 80 miles scheduled. Starting on Marine Drive (at 33rd) out past Multnomah Falls and back. Epic. Here is my story.

I woke up tired and grumpy with a bit of a headache. It was a cloudy and cool morning which was perfect riding weather. We headed out on Marine Drive for a fast and flat first 14 miles. We hit Troutdale and then started our gradual climb up the Historic Columbia River Highway.



It was totally gorgeous of course and the climbing while a bit long was not too bad. This guy who was traveling by bike (4 panniers and looked rugged) was doing the route. I'd pass him then have to stop. He'd pass me. It was kind of funny. He was just plugging along. I told Ellen - he's going to make to the falls before me!

We get to the Portland Women's Forum for the first SAG vehicle stop.
I replenish water, whine a bit and eat something. My head wasn't feeling any better and I just felt crappy all over. Yet it was nice to be on the bike again.



We then started a descent down towards Multnomah Falls for MILES. It was so much fun. I topped out on speed at 29.2 but it was pretty curvy so you didn't want to get going too fast. Of course the entire time I was descending I was thinking "uh, there is no way in hell I'm riding back up this!!"



I make it to Multnomah Falls, break for a bit, whine some more and take two Tylenol Noreen offered. We then had to head out a little further (mostly flat) past Horsetail Falls and then back to Multnomah for lunch. We're riding along and we get to signs for I-84. Reading the directions it sounded like where we were supposed to turn around but the mileage didn't match up. So we turned around anyway. Apparently we were supposed to keep going for about 4 more miles. Whoops. We eat lunch at Multnomah and I whine some more about the upcoming hills. Everyone was calling it "a hill". No, the appropriate description is "one long ass mother fucking hill"



So we take off pedaling. It was sort of up and down for a bit then we started the climb. Slow and steady. There was 3 of us riding together. Heidi took off a head of us and Erin was hot on our trail. We probably averaged 5-6 mph going up that long climb but we did it. Stopped a couple times but not every 100 ft as I thought I might. But dang, was that long. After we hit the Women's Forum again, it was some great descents back into Troutdale.

Then it was Marine Drive again. THAT is when the ride sucked even more. MD is always great riding up but sucks ass going back because there is always that headwind going up the Columbia River. It was only 14 miles but the longest 14 miles ever. We did some pace lining to give breaks to people facing the headwind. Eventually it was just Heidi and I and she was a doll who did much of the pulling because I just couldn't. When we finally saw our stopping point we both got this burst of energy and went from battling the wind at 11-12 mph to 16mph because we just wanted to be done!

Our final mileage was 70.7 and my total ride time was 5:53. Yes, my ass was on that saddle for almost 6 freaking hours. It was such a long ride and the going was so slow. I thought the fast descents would make up the slow ascents as far as time went but apparently not. We left that morning at 8:30 and didn't get back to the cars until 4:30. oy.

When i did get back to the car and got off my bike, my entire body HURT. I sat down on the car seat. My butt hurt. I leaned back into the seat and every muscle that touched the seat back HURT. I've never been so pained from a ride before. I'm sure a lot of it was from the tensing up during the headwinds and ascents. I took a couple of mom's arthritis strength Tylenol last night and two more this morning. Seems okay when that's working. I just need to make sure I keep moving today so I don't stiffen up that much.

As always, to see more picture check out my Flickr collection:

Michele Cycling Pics

These are the elevation changes. Unfortunately you can't see the mileages on here:

I had to paste in the elevation scale on the first one since it was only on the end so it looks a little funky. These two pics only display the ride from Troutdale to Horsetail falls. The rest of it was relatively flat.

Click on the graph to see the full length. We took the HCRH so follow the purple line.






If you want to see the document about riding the Columbia River Gorge (most of you probably don't) it's here:

http://www.skamania.com/pdf/biking-guide.pdf


Next weekend is 85 miles which is where we stop increasing mileage. Then it's 80 and 50 as we taper to get ready for the big event on Sept 28th!

Quickie update

Hot, hot, hot!! We are currently working on our THIRD 100+ day in a row here in Portland. It's freaking ridiculous. I decided to think of my health and skip our 68 mile ride today. I know me and I know my body - it shuts down in heat. Yes, it would have "only" been about 91 degrees by the time I finished but that's too hot for me. I would have ended up with heat stroke. Afterall, on our last 100+ day of riding I couldn't even finish 45. You think I could last for 68? No.

But don't worry by dear supporters... I'll still get my ride in this weekend. Tomorrow should top out around 92. Still hot, but more doable for me. My coach gave us the option of riding with her tomorrow when she scopes out our ride for next weekend - a 70 miler which will include our 50 miles up to Estacada with a 20 mile extension along the way. According to the hour-by-hour forecast it will only be 78 at 1pm tomorrow vs the 91 at 1pm today.

Since my last update we had another 50 mile ride around the Hagg Lake area and a 62 miler last weekend down in Salem. Each week my average speed is increasing and I'm feeling stronger and stronger. I really think I can do this!! I've had time when I had my doubts but lately those have been dwindling.

If you want to see some pics from the last two rides check them out on Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdxmichele/collections/72157606267073957/