2012

Well 2012 will get off to a slow start for biking.  Still in my splint, still have pins in my finger so I can't go riding.  Trainer is fine, but very boring and it hurts my finger to rest of my hand, so I have to sit up the entire time which is painful on the butt.  Yea I know probably more than you wanted to know, but hey I'll adjust the saddle in a little while.  I hope to run, and got in a good one before I got sick with a head cold.  I just can't seem to win right now.  I'm trying not to get discouraged and frustrated; but it's hard when all I seem to do is sleep, take showers, eat, work on my project for school and waste copious time on Facebook.

I have eyeballed many races, both bike and running that I'd like to do this year, but I hesitate to jump overboard and commit until I know when I can get back to serious riding/running.  I looked up my New Year's post from last year to see what goals I had. 

Here's what happened:

• Make it a point to ride long road rides to new and different places
• Well sort of. I did ride road some, but not nearly as much as I'd hoped for.  Add this to 2012.
• Find some new trails to explore on my bike
• I did finally get to ride at Pandapas this year, but still looking for new places.  Will hopefully realize this goal in '12 as we've got a good willing group of people now!
• Make each opportunity to ride fun
• OMG, yes the Wednesday Night Chicky ride has been the most fun I can remember.  We've got a good core group who just enjoy the trails so much.  I look forward to this every week and '12 will be even better.  I also enjoyed going for group rides on the weekends, hopefully we can continue this in '12.
• Ride the Metric Century @ the Storming of Thunder Ridge
• Nope, didn't happen.  I think this fell on the same weekend as one of the MTB races in Bedford.  For '12, I think I'm going to be on vacation (if I have enough PTO).
• Ride to Blacksburg by bike this year, take a picture of me and my bike at Virginia Tech, then have lunch then ride home
• Didn't happen - lack of road miles and time.  Maybe in '12, but more likely '13.
• Ride my bike(s) in more than one state (I did this in 2010)
• Yes indeedy!!!  I did two lengthy road rides while vacationing in Lancaster, PA.  This goal will stay with me for eternity.  '12 will see me and Punkin' racing the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek in NC in April and hopefully a MTB in the fall in Tennessee. 

There's a lot I want to do this year, just gotta get past this broken digit!!! 

Happy Holidays!!!

SPLINTY AND I WISH YOU ALL MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Long Live Splinty!!!

So of course, I'm crazy and named my broken finger Splinty.  It's been an awesome name on facebook and with my family.  Everyone loves Splinty.  I have 6 weeks to go in a splint.  Hopefully at my followup appointment in 4 weeks, the bone will be healed enough to have the pins removed otherwise I guess we wait even longer.  As far as work is concerned, if I'm in a splint and have restrictions, I can't work.  SIGH - my PTO will be gone soon and hopefully my FMLA kicks in to hold my job and my short term disability is approved to give me income.  From all indications I get, both will be approved, so I'm not too concerned with going back to work. 

My plan is to keep being kind of laid back until after Christmas then I plan to start running.  I can't get my hand on the handlebars otherwise I'd ride.  I can't bend my knuckle enough yet to clear the brake lever.  Running is fine with me anyway - may have to go get some "winter" shoes so my feet don't freeze.  Will likely stick to roads and greenways right now - too much of a risk of falling on the trail and breaking my finger again or the pins that hopefully speed the healing process.

Anyway, will be working on my final project for my Master's Degree while I'm off.  I was going to have to use PTO to do some of the work anyway, so it works out I suppose.  The more I get done now the better off I'll be in the end.  My program finishes in March, and I'm very happy about that. 

 

Anyway, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 

stuff that's hard to do with one hand...

• use q-tip in ear of affected side
• blow dry hair
• put toothpaste on toothbrush
• shave your legs
• shave the opposite side's armpit (tmi?)
• text message
• type
• answer phone and write message 
• cook
• open a pocketbook that has a zipper
• open a wallet that has a zipper
• button jeans/pants
• tie shoes

and you can forget riding a bike...  not only is it forbidden, but i can't get my hand on the bars.

oh i forgot,  opening pill bottles and ziploc bags...

i'm bad according to mr mackey!

drugs are interesting for sure. for someone who generally hates medications and about the only things i've had in the past have been antibiotics, prednisone and otc pain relievers. this week i've had narcotics and benzos. what a wild experience. no i didn't try drugs when i was growing up because nancy reagan said not to. call me a lightweight, i don't care, but i'm sure that's the drugs talking. it will probably hurt my feelings, but will i know if i care? who knows. seriously though, read on for the latest in my Guillotined Finger Saga.





so when last i left you, i had a fracture through the last bone in my finger, 7 stitches and a ton of pain. i met my MD thursday morning - very nice, liked her right away. due to where the fracture is, the best way to fix it was surgery, she had already scheduled this, so at 1p i had to be at the hospital for pre-op. mind you i've worked in healthcare a long time - this is when you wish you were ignorant. i was full of dread and anxiety; however i was fortunate to get some of the best caregivers i could ask for. and of course as was the case monday, a lot of people knew me.

i won't bore you with tons of details or this will get long... let's say - versed makes you really not give a hoot about anything, jackson juice (propofol) gives ya a good sleep, dilaudid is a great pain reliever, but caused me to drop o2 sats which got me some oxygen, and phenergan kicks nausea, but puts ya to sleep. glad the surgery is over, it took 45 minutes longer than planned because the wound was very dirty - i'd say so since we had ridden at the cove on sunday. from what i understand, the er repair was completely revised, two pins put into the bones and my fingernail is now glued to my finger. i have a giant, half plaster bulky cast wich restricts movement from wrist down. thumb is free. this splint goes away monday. my pain is much less. i think probably from not having moving parts inside. still throbs occassionally and stings every now and then; but it is tolerable. pain is prob 2/10 and increases to 6/10 at its worst now. will be glad to get rid of bulky splint, but totally understand the need.

will try to post a new update after appt monday - gonna have idle time as we're looking at 6-8 wks with restrictions. sigh.

on the injured reserve list

seems i had a little accident while trying to remount the backwheel on my mountainbike last night.  it got stuck while i was trying to get the axle in the dropouts.  i guess it freed itself and felt into the drops.  i spun the wheel using the pedal/chain etc.  i don't remember my next thought honestly, i remember severe pain in my left middle finger and blood splattering.  i grabbed my finger to hold pressure on it and ran upstairs yelling for help.  i made it to the sink where i attempted to wash out the cut.  i remember feeling lightheaded and lowering myself to the floor.  passing out really is an odd feeling especially coming to.  my 60-something parents who live with me were freaking out.  mom called 911 (embarassing), dad was trying to get my dog who thought i was playing with him and wanted his belly rubbed (per their story).


ems guys arrived and helped bandage my finger which i had done an excellent job of stopping the bleeding (direct pressure and holding it in the air above my supine body worked well).  the ems guys helped me to mom's car and she drove us to the ed.  of course, i work there so i knew 8 out of 10 people who wandered by.  everyone was super nice even the housekeeping guy i pick on each day got me a pillow and blanket.  the docs i knew all stopped by to ooh and aah.  ultimately i had a great md who i gained mucho respect for and lost all of my previous bad feelings towards.  hours of er involved: betadine soak which was chilling literally, a missed iv, a successful iv, iv antibiotics, xray then repair then another xray followed by bandaging and splinting plus 3 prescriptions..  i wasn't too happy about anything, but remained calm and pleasant, after all this was my fuck up.

the er md was awesome, numbed my finger well and put at least 7 sutures in.  the broken bone is messed up so i have to see hand surgeon thursday.  hopefully i will be able to grow a fingernail in the future.  it's there now, sewn in by the doc.  i'll try to post an update.  won't put the pics up b/c they are gross to some people meanwhile if i flip you off it's not intentional, it's my splint.

i have two theories - either i was tightening the skewer and finger got in hole in the brake rotor and caught it on the frame or somehow i managed to get finger in spoke vs frame.  i don't know and haven't studied the bike enough to figure it out.  there is dried blood all around my bike and it was splattered nearby and all over my shirt and jeans.

i will never work on mt bike again. flat?  forget it, i'll just pay someone.  this is going to be expensive.

Drumstick Result

2011 -    30:30.75  (9:50/mile)  1916/3768
2010 -    35:42
2009 -    29:47

Drumstick Dash 2011

Third year in a row for me.  Was facing this one with a knee that has been acting up for about two weeks.  I decided to wait until this morning to decide whether to run it or walk.  Well I woke up feeling great, so running it was!!!  I can't wait to see the official result - I think the timer at the finish said 32:49 which my chip time should be better than as that timer starts with the start gun, but with the mass of people your chip doesn't start until you cross the timing mats.  This year there were about 14,000 people running and walking.  It is such a fun event especially to see the start and to look over as you're running to see people going down the next block.  I'll post my official time once they are posted, but it was too cool in the shade to wait for the results to be posted, plus the mass of people at the finish area was thick.  Happy Holidays!!! 

Race Reports

Hello Blog Fans!

I am here to pay a debt - I owed you a race report from last weekend, so I'll write that one and include at the end the race report from yesterday's Fired Up For a Cure 5k!


Montvale Mayhem - Saturday September 17th

This race marked the finale for the Bedford County Mountainbike Championships and the end of bike racing for me for 2011.  Strangely enough, I'm not even sad about that.  I guess it's been such a struggle for two years to prepare for bike racing with my schedule being so crammed with school work.  I went into this race with the attitude that I would make my two laps and just enjoy the day to ride.  The weather has been a fickle beast as well and last Saturday would be the coolest day we've had in a long time.  I even sported arm warmers and a base layer under my jersey.  I think the air temp played a role in me never feeling like my back and legs were warmed up enough to ride fast.  Not that I could have actually ridden fast anyway.

I started off last in the Sport class and carried that through to the end.  Alas it was a fun course with two COLD crossings of Goose Creek per lap.  The first creek crossing was easily 8 inches deep and soaked you through all layers of clothing as you went through.  By the second cross you had dried just enough to warm up, but whoosh right through again this time only soaking your feet - never to fear though after going around the finish line and the fields, it was back to the deep crossing again.  HA!  The trails in Montvale are fun in that you have to work for the climbs then get to do some zippy downhill.  There are plenty of trail obstacles - logs, roots, rocks etc to keep you on your toes.  I was careful about negotiating would I could.  I still can't ride the stupid bridge, but I at least made it up the huge hill 1.5 times.  I need to work on my skills, but that all comes with time on a bike of which I don't have nearly enough.  Oh well, school will be over soon enough and I can get back to it.  All in all it was a fun day - my new friend Kristen J went with me and raced single speed for her first race in VA.  She did excellent and seemed pleased with the trails and the race experience.  My teammates Ron, Todd and Doug all did very well.  We had a very successful series.  Ron, Todd and I all won our categories for the series and were awarded with race jerseys and a neat trophy - Kenny and Bedford Parks are to be commended for hosting a wonderfully fun series of events.  Thanks!

Fired Up For a Cure 5k - September 24th

Before cycling, I was a runner.  I ran a ton of 5ks and a couple of 8ks.  I've dabbled a bit in trail running this year and have done the Drumstick Dash 5k for a couple of years now.  Fired Up For a Cure was an event that some friends of mine organized with Roanoke City Parks and Rec, Roanoke Fire Department, Roanoke County Fire Department and Komen for a Cure in order to raise money to provide free mammograms in the Roanoke Valley.  I think that is a wonderful cause and combine with fire prevention month made a neat concept.  There was a 5k, 10k and a 5k walk.  The course was a brand new course for Roanoke.  It was flat for the most part and fast.  I nearly PR'd with a 29:32 which placed me 2nd in my age group, 9th overall for women and 38th overall for the race.  I was shocked to do that well honestly, but I did run the entire way other than walking up the MLK bridge as a recovery moment.  Glad I went - it was fun and it reassured me that I can actually enjoy running.  I plan to do the Into the Darkness 4 mile race at Explore Park in October along with the Drumstick Dash in November.  Who knows, I may lose my mind completely and do the Jingle Bell Run in December.  I do running, but it's a matter of deciding between riding and running.  I can't wait to not have school in the way, I may actually excel at something.

=)  Anyway, I know the blog post isn't that exciting, but just wanted to share!  Hope everyone is well.

Montvale Mayhem

It was cool (literally and figuratively) and wet.  It was fun.  I owe you a blog post, but I'm covered up in schoolwork.

Chestnut Ridge Loop – sigh.

This is a good article, Chestnut Ridge should allow bikes, but I'm so sick of the argument. I'll just go elsewhere where bikers are accepted and appreciated. Let's start with Bedford County - Here's a community who I doubt has a great deal of revenue by the very nature of its failed industry etc. They have dedicated money and resources to build two great mountain bike venues (Falling Creek and Montvale). There has been some work I think on a 3rd park in Moneta. They also regularly host events where I feel very comfortable and welcome; and that I make a point of supporting.

As for the BRP, I've enjoyed its scenery since I was a kid, but there is no money in the Park Service budget for anything. They really need to focus on what they want to do and be in the future. Do they want to be an overgrown, rutted up roadway that few people want to travel to because the once scenic vistas have now significantly grown less scenic due to overgrowth of trees? In this day and age of technology, do you see families taking a drive from Roanoke to say Mabry Mill? I wonder what percentage of the current local population even realizes where the parkway begins and ends. Does the park service think it wise to isolate current users? This has already be evident by the stakeout they had a few years ago to ticket people on the way to Floyd Fest. They ticket road cyclists for riding two abreast (granted this is not proper etiquette, but really?) They've been known to ticket people walking their bikes across the social trails that they so desperately want to close. So take away a large group of users in these categories and you can watch the population of users dwindle that much more.

I don't care one way or the other what they do with Chestnut Ridge Loop at this point because I do have other welcoming options, so during the time everyone is arguing about what to do, I'll just head on out to the Cove, Mill Mountain or Bedford to enjoy the opportunities I already have. I'm also tired of the statement "volunteers will take care of the trails." Um, yea stretch those people too far and watch what happens? I've been a volunteer in another area and when it came down to the same old people doing everything, less got done. Burnout was high and now that activity is suffering mightily. Without quality leadership this isn't going to work either – example, Roanoke's most recent attempt at the National Mountain Bike Patrol. I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to trail maintenance or trail work. I have the best of intentions to go out and work on trail days, but I also have a full time job and schoolwork; so again, when faced with work on the trail or ride, I tend to chose to ride. I am also opposed to workdays when it's sweltering out and the greenery is at its full growth due to allergies. I've tried to help the trailwork cause by continuing to watch over Mill Mountain's trails and by networking on various websites to bring attention to the trailwork days hosted by VAST. From my last conversation with Brian B., it has worked as the message board posters have shown up and have said that they found out about the workday because of the posts on the website.

Who knows what will become of Chestnut Ridge, I suspect that nothing will change. The Park Service has said there is little money to deal with any of the options that were presented at the Explore Park meeting. People will continue to run on the trail, horses will continue to use the trail and people will still continue to ride their bikes (illegally) on the trail. Meanwhile, I'll just sit back and watch!

Hey!!!

Hello Loyal Blog Readers!

Sorry I haven't been a good blogger while I've been on break from school, but I've tried to make the best out of my free time while I have it.  I have ridden quite a bit lately - a bunch on Mill Mountain and even some at the Cove.  I won't bore you with details of each ride.  Wednesdays have seen the Chicky ride grow in leaps and bounds.  Last week we had 8 riders which was an all time high.  What was also cool about this group is that every person is a strong rider!  We even have the escort of Gordon W. who I think is amused by the open, candid conversations we have.  While riding at the Cove last week before the group ride, I did get to see a black bear!  I just love them.  They are so pretty.  I've also made a few new friends on Wednesday nights.  We have hopes of keeping the ride going through the winter which will be the first time I've ever know a Chicky ride to survive cold temperatures and the darkness.  I hope it lasts, I look forward to this ride every week and I always leave feeling as if these friendships could span the test of time.

A few of us got together on Tuesday nights to ride as well.  Last Tuesday ended in a flat tire for me and very frustrating hike back up Mill Mtn.  I also flatted the same tire on Saturday and have now decided to go back to running tubeless tires.  I am awaiting the arrival of my tires on Friday so that hopefully I can do the installation myself.  It doesn't look very hard, just requires attention to detail and persistence of which I possess both.  With the 29er on the shelf for a bit, I rode my 26" full squish bike on Sunday.  I left from home with the goal of riding down to Mill Mtn and riding the trails a bit before riding home.  The trip to downtown is about 6 miles from my house, so when I got to the far reaches of Crystal Spring, I was pushing 7 miles.  I noticed my front tire was soft and thought no f*&#ing way do I have another f*&#ing flat.  So I stopped under a tree, added some air with my hand pump and sure enough, FLAT.  I hung my head and debated options.  I elected to ride up to Fern Park where it's very shadey.  I removed the front tire and searched the tube for the hole.  Found and soon found something sticking through the tire.  Ignitors grip great, but are thin!!!  So I got the foreign object out the tire, but there were some threads that still were sticking inward rather abruptly.  I knew as soon as I put a tube in there it would get popped again.  I debated my options - call my Dad for a ride home, walk back to the hospital where I work and get some tape or...  use a dollar bill to line the inside of the tire where the hole is.  The dollar was the answer.  I got the tube in and inflated it to keep the dollar in its spot and that's where it remains as I type.

So I thought I'd be back on the trail pretty soon after... wrong.  In my ever graceful skill, I knocked the brake pad out of the caliper trying to put the tire back.  F*&#!  Frustration was setting in, but soon I was able to manipulate the spring enough to get it out and reinstall the brakepads.  Finally I got to ride!  I ended up riding 21.25 miles.  ~12 were roads and greenways, but any mileage helps at this point!  I have a race on Sept 17th that I hope to do fairly well in.  I did so poorly in the last race I did way back in the beginning of summer that I feel like I have something to prove.  Why I don't know, I guess I put to much pressure on myself.

Anyway, readers - thanks for stopping by.  I hope to one day share more adventurous stories with you!  Meanwhile, school starts back again next week.  Next to the last Module.  Got some information on the last Module today and it's got me scared silly.  YIKES!

Mill Mountain Review

Most of you recognize Mill Mountain as the place where the neon star shines over the city every night or as the location of the zoo.  Some of you may have fond memories of a rendezvous on the mountain for all I know.  HA!  I want to give you a perspective of the variety of trails you will find there.  Let's start off with asphalt first.


1. The "Old Road" (TOR) - Officially known as Sylvan Road or Prospect Road,  the old road was the original road up Mill Mountain.  It is a steep, narrow and twisting road.  It is lined on one side by old rock walls and on the other by more modern, but rusting guardrail.  There is a "Toll Booth" towards the bottom where at one time, users had to pay a fee to drive up the mountain.  The "Toll Booth" was redone in anticipation of the inaugural Blue Ridge Marathon.  Towards the top of the road, there is a bridge where the road actually loops back over itself.  Right next to the bridge you will find a beautiful home.  The home belongs to a local physician and his wife.  Some nights you will find that they are entertaining guests with a live band, and occasionally you will run across a special event such as a wedding reception. The view from the property is amazing.  The road is often in good shape, but littered with broken twigs and random debris from the wind.  In the fall, you may even find the road to be knee deep in leaves in certain parts.  TOR ends near the Wildflower Garden and Discovery Center.  Technically it is open to cars as far up as the house, but I wouldn't venture that far up it as turning around can be tricky.

2. J.P. Fishburn Parkway aka The "New Road" (JPF) - This is the main two lane road that ferries traffic from Walnut Avenue to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It is a more gradual, but longer climb up the mountain from the downtown area.  Pretty routine as far as roads go.  It is always a good idea to pay attention and be on the look out for road cyclists and wildlife as both tend to frequent this road quite a bit.  There is a trail cross not far from the last houses.  This is the Star Trail and it is marked as a pedestrian crosswalk, so by law you should stop for hikers.

Those are the two asphalt ways up Mill Mountain, so let's move on to trails.  First let me tell you about the "vertical trails."

1. Monument (MUMT) - Monument trail is 1.5 miles long and climbs Mill Mountain from its trail head on Sylvan Rd. (TOR) to its terminus at the J.P. Fishburn Monument near the split in the roads.  The trail itself is mostly hard packed with an assortment of roots and rock gardens.  It is very narrow in places with little room for error.  Ascending Monument leaves a sharp drop off on your left in places.  There are a few places where the trail pitches up for short sections.  Nearly halfway up, you will cross the Star Trail where there is signage to keep you on the right path.  MUMT essentially curves you up the mountain above JPF.  Once you cross Star Trail, there is a brief section of rocky trail then it smooths out again.  You will cross a big rock then come to another short pitch up around a tree before heading left into a weedy-at times area.  Use caution here as sight lines are diminished when the greenery is abundant.  After this section, roll on.  Believe it or not, there is a downhill ahead!  You will zoom along pretty quickly, so be careful to share the trail and not clip a tree.  The trail ends at a sidewalk, so unless you can see that no one is there, slow down.  White blazes mark the way.

2. Woodthrush (WT) - Woodthrush is the 1.6 miles trail that runs from the Star Trail parking lot off of Riverland Road up to the JPF.  This trail is a shared use trail from the parking lot to the water tower (The Star Trail goes the right and is hiker only).  There is also 2/10 of a mile connector trail that is found on your right just after leaving the parking lot.  A fun, little trail that almost has a pump track feel to it when descending. Woodthrush is a steady climb that will work you to tears.  Like MUMT, there are sections where it pitches up.  WT is also home to two hand-built, wood bridges that were constructed by two local Eagle Scouts.  When descending WT, use caution on these bridges as they can be very slippery.  WT is also a hardpacked trail with sections of rocks (mostly at the bottom).  There are usually some muddy spots after rain storms.  It is a wide trail with lots of room for passing other trail users.  Towards the top you will come across a trailhead for Virginia Pine Trail, more on this later!  WT ends at the road, there is no sign at this end because it technically ends on National Park Property where we all know bike riding is forbidden.  (eyeroll)  Orange blazes mark the way.

3. Riser (R) - 0.3 mile, narrow, hardpack trail from Big Sunny to the intersection of the trails near the road.  Riser is blazed in pink.  Tricky left hand switchback about halfway up if you're climbing.  Coming downhill, I can say I've never ridden around the turn.  I don't know why, but I just can't do it.  Riser gets you were you're going.  I like the trail personally, I think because the trail was built by a friend of mine.  =)

4. Ridgeline (Rdg) - 1.3 miles long.  At the bottom where it meets Morrison Ave, it is fairly flat then it is very steep, very rutted and very hard to climb.  It's probably the most severe climb up Mill Mountain.  Again the bottom is near JPF and on National Park Service property so it's maintenance suffers accordingly.  Over the years, a rogue trail has formed that takes it over to JPF near Woodthrush.  Once you survive to the top of the climb, there is a swift downhill to the intersection of trails before you start climbing again.  The trail after the intersections has plenty of roots and rocks to navigate over and around.  A sharp right hand switchback awaits near the gravel access road for the zoo.  After crossing the gravel road the trail meanders up behind the zoo fence then beside it before dumping out into the grass below the sidewalk to the zoo.  Some of us call this upper part Zoo Poo because on certain days it reeks of animal poop.  Purple blazes.

5. Virginia Pine Trail (VP) - 1/2 mile from the origin on Hartsook Road up to Woodthrush.  VP is the newest trail on MM.  It is a steady climb with some challenging switchbacks.  There is also a log ride along VP.  I don't ride it enough to really give an opinion about it. 

6. Star Trail (S) - Hiker only, 1.4 miles.  All types of trail bed - smooth, rocks, roots, steep ups, very little flat.  Haven't been on it in a while.

7. Watchtower (W) - Hiker only, from the Star overlook, go past the Star walking away from the bathrooms, look on your left.  Red Blazed trail that shoots you down to the old road.  As I recall it is a fairly nice trail.  There are a set of rock steps at the bottom which were hand placed by the local trail gurus.

There are other trails that more or less run "horizontally."

1. Big Sunny (BS) - AKA Old Car Trail - This trail is 0.7 miles long and is a gravel trail with many tree roots.  The novelty of the trail is the old car that is off to the right hand side of the trail.  The trail runs from the Old Road to Robin Hood Road.  It is blazed in light blue.  There is a nice view of the helipad of Roanoke Memorial from the power line right-of-way.  If you're lucky you can watch one of the medical helicopters land.

2. Crystal Spring (CS) - 0.6 mile trail that runs from Woodcliff Road to Ivy Lane.  This gravel trail is home to the old Crystal Spring Reservoir, which in the fall and winter you can see the fence around to the left (downhill side).  This trail is a good connector trail when making loops (see next blog post).  It is essentially below Big Sunny in places and offers a similar view of the helipad at RMH. 

Nearby trails of interest include Fern Park (FP) which has a nice singletrack trail that leads from the neighborhood up to JPF.  You should walk the last section as it ends on NPS.  (eyeroll again).  It also connect to the Chestnut Ridge Loop which as a NPS trail prohibits mountainbikes.  If you're looking for a run, go here!  It is an awesome trail to hike and run on. 

Ok, now that I've given you a summary of the trails, I will try to post a separate blog about some ways to link the trails together into a ride or two!  I've enjoyed many miles on MM lately.  I hope that these hot, humid summer rides will help prepare me so that I can enjoy some nice crisp fall and winter rides.  I've always loved MM and now that I can ride so many trails so close to home, I have a deeper affection for it!  It's a good place to be and I usually feel very safe there!  I've even run into the Mayor of Roanoke several times as he lives nearby.  I saw him with his trusty canine today on Crystal Spring.  Such a nice man.  He always takes time to speak.  Knowing he uses the trails is a plus for all of us trail users!

Weekend Rides

This was the first weekend I was able to ride both mornings.  Last weekend, I just didn't do it.  The weather has been ridiculously hot for a long time now.  Yesterday I got up and was riding by 745a.  Today I waited a bit since "it will only be in the 80's."  I neglected to account for the humidity today!  Both days I rode on Mill Mountain.  I've become fond of riding there because it's close to home and I'm all about convenience right now.  It's nice now because someone has cut the weeds back and removed the last remaining tree.  Of course there is a new tree down now on Big Sunny not far from the old road.  I may toss the saw in the car and go cut it after work one evening.  We'll see.  The chicky ride is moving to the Cove for the month of August.  Hopefully the regulars will continue to come. If not then at least I tried to host a ride.  All I can do is toss out the idea.  Can't make people come. 

Well I'd better get back to schoolwork.  Sorry this isn't more exciting, but the rides are pretty routine right now.  Trying to get in better shape for the Montvale Mayhem in September.  I want to have a strong race and actually feel good about my effort there.

This Weekend Rides

Sometimes I just need time to do what I want to do.  Despite my obligations to RCO, I decided I needed to do my own thing this weekend.  I had some commitments at home that I needed to tend to and the earlier I got them done, the sooner I could go ride.  I had an assignment that was due Saturday night that I hadn't even started writing as well.  I've spent a lot of time lately do what other people need and want me to do; this weekend I happened to feel very selfish.  Maybe it was partly because I've been in a real rut lately because of school, work, the weather etc; but when I saw the forecast, I knew I had to ride.  So that's what I did. 

Saturday I got a lot of stuff done in the morning, so around 2pm, I decided to ride out to the Cove and take in some singletrack.  I haven't been out there in about a month, so I figured it would be as good as place as any to ride.  I didn't want to drive to the Bennett Springs side, and my pass has the wrong license tag listed on it.  I hate to listen to the water authority people bitch, so I just rode from home.  It is about 6 miles from my house to the fireroad at the gate at the boat dock.  They are not an easy 6 miles either as there are plenty of hills to climb and Reservoir Road is just evil in a couple of places.  None the less it took me about 28 minutes to get there.  Once on the property, I took the fireroad about 3 miles to Schoolhouse Trail.  The fireroad seems a bit smoother than in the past.  I guess the rain wears it down a bit, but still it has its rough spots.  The grass was also high in places, so I reckon those guardshack residents aren't driving around the road as they are supposed it.  Figures.  Anyway, Schoolhouse was as awesome as always except for the one water/mud hole cross that is just getting worse.  (There is a plan to fix it as I learned when I got home and read email today.)  After Schoolhouse, I rode Little Bell, Enchanted Forest then took Songbird back to the fireroad where I debated how I wanted to go home. I elected to do the logical thing and take the shortest way which basically retraced where I had come from.  I managed to get out of the Cove without too much suffering and I climbed Reservoir Road fairly well.  I began to suffer on Rt 11 on the way home.  I guess 23 miles in is a good time to start thinking you're stupid, but whatever.  I did get back home safely (obviously).  All total I rode 26.25 miles in 2 hours and 39 minutes which made my average speed 9.9mph.  I rarely ride that fast on singletrack so you know a lot of my ride was on fireroad and road (~19 miles).  Who knows, maybe I'm getting stronger and faster.  We'll see.  I just need to keep riding steadily to get better.

So Sunday, I woke up feeling kind of rough.  I had gone to bed with a headache and woke up with one.  This one felt like a sinus headache.  Oh well, I still decided I would go ride, but just not at Montvale as I originally planned for my "next Sunday ride."  Instead I headed out to Explore Park.  I have not been there to ride in a really, really long time.  It was nice, but way humid or so it felt (recall I said I didn't feel right).  My head was soaking wet and I really struggled at times.  Got frustrated from my lack of power then remembered that I bit off more than I could chew yesterday.  Satisfied enough with the ride and the trails were super.  I will definitely go back and ride there again.  Perhaps I will feel stronger the next time without the previous day's torture.  Saw some beautiful deer at Explore including a fawn that couldn't have been very old.  Just precious!

In the end I enjoyed both of my rides this weekend, I still want to ride longer and longer, but the weather is turning hell-like again.  Next weekend's rides will have to be done early!  And of course the Chicky Ride is Wednesday night.  I will have it as long as it's not 100 degrees.  I have no desire to have a heat stroke.  We've ridden before in 102 degree heat index, but not on Mill Mountain.  Just have to play it by ear I suppose.

Wednesday Night Chicky Ride

I decided to dedicated Wednesday to riding my bike.  No schoolwork, just me, my bike and a few friends.  Advertised as the Wednesday Night Chicky Ride, we've resurrected the ride on a new night and a new location (for now).  We've ridden several weeks now and have had a total of 8 different chickys come out!  I'm excited about this as I know of at least 4 or 5 more in the Roanoke area who may show up at some point.  For one more week, I plan to have the ride at Mill Mountain as we've done for the previous nights' rides.  We've explored and ridden everything MM has to offer.  I still love it due to its convenience to my work.

August may find me moving the ride to 6:30pm and to Carvins Cove for a few weeks.  I know that two friends ride there at that time, so moving the time will help people get off from work at commute to the parking lot, and it will hopefully let it be a tad cooler.  I also have hopes for moving the ride to the Explore Park in September or October.  Will have to be there or Mill Mountain once time gets short as those two venues allow night riding.  I don't think time changes until early November, but it does start getting darker sooner.

Meanwhile one more week on Mill Mountain then I miss the following week as I'll be driving home from Hampton that day and will need to catch up on schoolwork.  =)

Personally I need to get back to Montvale and ride some more before my race in September.  I like it there, but need to find the spots where I can utilize what skills I have to their advantage.

Frustration and aggravation

I'm tired of the heat, I'm tired of school.  It doesn't seem like much is going according to my plans.  I had to quit training with Lisa because of time constraints & the fact that Ohio U totally dropped the ball with financial aid.  I had hoped to pick up riding a bit more, but the heat, my schedule and schoolwork has messed that up.  I'm completely frustrated at this point trying to figure out what to do and when to do it.  I getting burned out with school because the material is boring and it takes forever to do the required reading.  My day today didn't go at all as I had hoped.  One of these days I will get to post about a wonderful, fun bike ride again. 

Meanwhile, let me get back to this stupid reading... 

Busy Busy Busy

Sorry my dear blog followers, I've been terribly busy with this new module in school.  I haven't had much time for fun stuff, so I really don't have much to blog about.  We have restarted the Chicky ride at met for the first time this past Wednesday on Mill Mountain.  We had 6 chickys come, and we had a great time.  I hope this same group sticks together for the remainder of the summer.  I hope to also have some group rides on the weekend, but with school who knows!


Heading to Raleigh, NC tomorrow to see Keith Urban in concert at the RBC Center.  FUN FUN!!!  Back on Sunday to write another stupid paper.  SIGH!

Two Rides One Day!!!

Started off my day at Carvins Cove where I enjoyed wonderful weather.  Mid 60's, low humidity.  I felt great.  I took my time and still managed to have a 7.5mph average for 13 miles.  A vast improvement over the race Saturday.  Today's route was:  Four Gorges, Brushy Mtn Fireroad (explored looking for new trail), down BMF,; Songbird, EF, Little Bell, Schoolhouse, Happy Valley Fireroad, Arrowhead, HVF, Benett Springs Road.  Loved it today.

Got home and decided to clean both mountain bikes, so they would look spiffy. Then I got a text from P wondering if anyone wanted to ride on Mill Mountain tonight at 6pm.  Sure why not.  I'm sure it's going to be rough, but oh well.

So I met Paula at the Discovery Center and we headed out down Zoo Poo, Ridgeline, Monument, Crystal Spring, cut through the neighborhoods to Fern Park, climbed it to the Parkway, then went down WoodThrush, bushwhacked to JPFish took it back up the the intersection where we went back to my car.  All total this ride was 7.6 miles.  Good time, I climbed better than I thought I would have given the earlier ride today.  It was a blast just to be out and even more fun to see my long lost buddy!!!

We're hoping to fire up the Chicky Ride again soon - gotta figure out a day that's good for most.  I'll just work school around it.  I need my bike fix!!

Speaking of which, while I've been off from work I've ridden a total of 110.6 miles!!  That includes road and mountainbike!  That's probably a tad short of what I really road given some GPS gaffs!

Alright, gotta go! 

Fat Tire Frenzy = FRIED

Worst race I've had in a long time.  Poor preparation on my part equaled poor result.  This is one of the best race courses Kenny has ever designed (with the exception of the first mile).  It was supposed to be fast, but I couldn't make it that way.  I am disappointed in my result and am determined to do better.  I'm not even going to get into what all went wrong for me.  It's not productive to do so.  I'm off work tomorrow - my last day of vacation - and I plan to go ride.  Time to right the wrong.

Vacation Ride #2

So yesterday morning, I decided to go on a longer ride.  This one was called Pinetown Covered Bridge on Lancaster Bicycle Club's website.  I was looking forward to seeing another covered bridge; the ride I did earlier in the week took me to Belmont Covered Bridge as would this one.  I actually got a later start than I wanted, but that's ok.  Mother Nature waited until I was done to crank up the heat. 

 There is absolutely no way I can remember each road I was on, as I said in my other blog post this week; so much of the scenery looks the same here.  I get so twisted and turned around that I can't figure out where I'm at in relation to anything else.  As it turned out, I would get lost three times on this ride.  When I started off I forgot to have the GPS start the course file and when I started it a mile and a half into the ride, I picked the wrong one.  I turned the direction of the GPS which didn't match the cue sheet, so I had to turn around oops.  It wasn't a bad error though.  I got to Pinetown Covered Bridge around mile 12.5.  I decided this would be a good time to enjoy my banana.  I took several pictures (will post them once I get home).  Watched a farmer in his field and noticed that his dog had spotted me.  I hoped that she wouldn't chase me or try to bite.  As it turned out, she was friendly and soon ran back into the fields with her owner.

I could have sworn the cue sheet said turn right.  It was on the fold as I had it in my holder.  I rode for a good bit before realizing I wasn't seeing the next road to turn on.  I found a tree in the edge of someone's yard for some shade (not too many shade trees here).  I grabbed my phone, turned the GPS on and figured out my mistake and worked out a reroute to where I needed to be.  The roads again were awesome - mostly void of traffic.  I did see a lot of bikers out.  Once I was back on the cue sheet I felt more relaxed.  Soon I would find myself at the Sheetz gas station we had stopped at the day before for Diesel for the truck.  I locked my bike to the rack, grabbed the expensive items (I trust no one) ran inside for more water.  Flopped under a nearby tree to hydrate and eat a Honey Stinger wafer (YUM).  Rested there for a few minutes before continuing on my ride. 

Eventually I wound my way to Belmont covered bridge and crossed Rt 30 onto some other roads.  At this point I was off of the printed cue sheet and using directions I created from Google Maps.  Not too bad except I didn't have distances between turns, so I turned onto a road that was unmarked thinking it was what I needed - WRONG.  I stopped to ask some cows for directions - no not really, but they did have a shade tree.  Grabbed the phone again and voila!  I knew exactly where I needed to go.  What sucked is my legs had pretty much given up on me at mile 33.  I wasn't going to let it ruin my fun.  I kept going forward.  It was such an awesome ride.

I ended up riding 41.5 miles as best I could estimate.  I can remember some funny stuff about the ride.  1 - PHONAK Floyd - there was this one guy riding near some fancy houses in a full on Phonak team kit including helmet and yellow shoes.  I half wondered if this was Floyd Landis since he is from this area.  I pondered for a while, had it been him, would I want his autograph?  It was also funny on this one road, the vehicles were me on my Lemond, an Amish guy on his Raleigh, a horse and buggy, a tractor and a big delivery truck - I laughed at the variety.  And finally, the only time that I sweated really bad was when I had to stop and figure out how lost I was.  As long as I was moving I really didn't notice being too uncomfortable.  I did have my jersey unzipped for a bit then felt bad about it once I rode past a few Amish people.  OOPS, didn't mean to be offensive. 

The road riding scene seems to be fairly active here.  Their bike club has a ton of rides on their websites, cue sheets for tourists and from the markings on the roads, I'd say there's probably more to be discovered.  They do have an annual fundraiser ride in August called the Covered Bridge Metric Century.  I think this would be an awesome ride to do, but not so sure August would be too comfortable temperature wise.

Anyway, gotta wrap this up.  Traveling back home tomorrow - bike race Saturday!  YIKES!  =)  Will post pictures when I get home. 

Vacation Ride #1

My first ride of my vacation was Monday - it ended up being about 25 miles.  One thing to note, this the first time I've ever brought my bike to Lancaster.  I've ridden a bunch in Gettysburg and hence I know my way around pretty well.  I've only stayed in Lancaster 3 times prior to this trip.  The odd thing about riding here is the scenery pretty much all looks the same.  Farmlands, barns, houses, silos, windmills, poop, animals, etc.  At home we have natural landmarks which help you stay oriented to where you are. Gettysburg likewise has landmarks and things you can look up, see and have an idea of where you are, but here it is completely without landmarks.  I was not too far from the campground where we're staying, but had no idea which direction I was traveling in.  It will be funny to get home and hook the GPS back to the training center software to see where I was. 

Tomorrow, I am planning to go on a longer ride - 40 miles hopefully.  I will try to blog again soon.  I want to blog about navigating with Garmin and cue sheets, but I need to get to sleep.

Race day is on the horizon as well - Saturday!  Yee haw!

So... the early bird gets the worm?

Yesterday morning, I got up early to go ride.  I was on the bike and rolling by 715.  I wish I could do this everyday!  It was so peaceful that early, but I sure rendered a lot of spiders homeless.  I rode:

Bennett Springs Road > Songbird > Little Bell > Schoolhouse > Fireroad > Arrowhead > Eforest > Comet > BS Rd

A few observations: 1 - people have placed 1/2 - 1" sticks in some of the low points on the trails - if there is mud there and it bothers you, then perhaps you need to wait another day before riding.  These sticks are not going to help anything dry, but surely will get stuck in a wheel or derailleur.  Your 50 cent repair could cost someone a lot of money. 2 - there are way too many people riding wet trails - this has result in bad ruts in many places - deep ruts that again take longer to dry and when they do make the trail very rough.  3 - the water holes/streams have water in them still, despite the 90 degree spell we've had there is still water running at the Cove.  Good sign for us City residents and our water supply, but again trail erosion near them is bad.

I wish there was a way to make the idiots stop riding wet trails, but there is no way to keep people out other than trusting their good judgement, which obviously they are lacking.  Sheesh.

Meanwhile, as I'm riding back to my car after my 10.5 mile ride, I feel something splatter on my face from my front tire which loves to shed mud in my face...  I reach up thinking it's mud, nooooo  it was a small worm!  ICK!  So see, the early bird does catch the worm. 

Leaving for vacation in PA tomorrow - I have a few road rides planned.  Will try to blog about them ASAP.  Hope to include pictures as well!

Fitness Test

So tonight my most excellent trainer/friend Lisa decided it was time to do a fitness test. Here's what resulted.

TEST	RESULT
1-mile run on flat treadmill	8:29
1 minute of body-weight squats	62
1 minute of push ups	47
1 minute of situps	27 oops!
Plank Hold	1:38 (my foot started to hurt)
1 minute of pull ups (diagonal, not traditional)	30
1 minute of bench dips	51

 
I am not sure I've ever run a mile in 8:29, not sure it will happen again. And to think no one was chasing me. It's obvious that my strength is in my legs. Cardio may not be as poor as I think. I am good at pushups and dips, but pull-ups suck. I was disappointed with the 1:38 for the plank hold, but my foot started to hurt. And situps, not sure what happened there. I like to have my feet braced and she didn't let us do that, so it was too hard to keep feet down and do sit-ups quickly.

We have to repeat this in 6 weeks, so it will be interesting to see what happens. I'll be sure to post an update.


 

Anyone see Spring leave??

Someone forgot to invite spring to stick around for a while.  95 already?  Give me a break.  I hate this weather.  I needed to be getting ready for my race in two weeks, but I can barely stand walking outside much less riding or running.  I'm really bummed out about it too.  =(

Bedford County MTB Time Trial and Dual Slalom

Had an absolute blast yesterday at Falling Creek Park in Bedford.  It was the first event in the Bedford County Mountainbike Championship Series.  The morning was a 6.8 mile time trial where the goal is to get through the course as quickly as you can.  I was the only Sport Chicky to show up, so I won before I ever started.  I decided to ride as quickly as I could to see if I could beat any of the men.  Might as well not be last.  =)  The course itself was challenging at times.  I found myself walking a few of the hills (gotta work on that).  The trails were awesome.  Mostly dry, a few slick spots but very rideable.  It was odd as the course layout took me backwards on the trails that I've ridden or run on.  During my ride I saw a skunk, two deer and a snake.  I told Kenny afterwards that that is the advantage of being slow.  =)   I managed to finish in 53:02, which was good enough to beat 3 other people.  =)

Borrowed from Ron G (fastest overall/expert). Also pictured Doug Falls and Todd Gilley (1st Clydesdale)

The second event was a dual-slalom race where I raced head to head against my friend Kelly Hazelgrove from Lynchburg.  The object here was the ride downhill through a designed course with bermed turns, box jumps, rollers and drops.  You are timed on the runs. After the first run, you switch lanes and do it again.  I had never done something like this in my life, so I did one practice run which quickly reminded me how much I like riding downhill.  The deceptive part is that you have to pedal hard between the obstacles and you wind up out of breath at the bottom.

Photo by Chris Overstreet

First the first trip down vs Kelly I was in the Blue Lane.  We started off on a trailer and had to go off down these ramps that weren't that wide.  Once I got over the freakout factor and got clipped in Kelly was already ahead of me.  I got rolling as quickly as I could and nearly caught her at the bottom.  For the second lap I was in the red lane which I had ridden before the race.  There is a section of 4 "rollers" which I totally missed on my practice run; same thing happened during my 2nd race.  I came out of the bermed turn was was too wide to get back to them so I went between the white line and obstacle.  As I understood the rules before the race, this would be ok.  "If you can't get to something, don't do it"  Well I didn't think that I could get back over to them and keep a safe line during the race.  Eh whatever.  It was funny because Kelly and I were close together at the top after the first turn, I heard her slip/slide so I dropped a few more gears to accelerate and actually beat her to the bottom.  I was happy with that.  Kelly is a super strong racer and does crazy downhill stuff so I had to smile all the while wondering if I'd get DQd for missing the stupid bumps.  Eh whatever!   The results are posted and show her winning by 0.3 seconds.  HAHAHA.  I want to go back and ride that stuff some more!  It's fun!!!

So I guess the Bedford County Mountainbike Championship is off to a good start.  I have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time to get ready for the Fat Tire Frenzy XC race on June 11.  The catch there is I will be out of town until the 10th. I will be doing a few road rides while on vacation so hopefully between now and the 5th when I leave to go out of town I can get some MTB miles in!

It's all about having fun, and I'm having a blast.

Bipolar Sunshine

Here is VA, we have strange weather.  I was born and raised here, but I think it's gotten a lot weirder over the years.  I don't remember it being windy or rainy this much.  Thunderstorms seem more violent than the used to be too!  So yesterday I got up and decided that the weather was nice enough to go for a mountain bike ride.  Here's the catch - my Jeep, my good bike rack (carries bikes by their wheels, not the frame), my helmet and gloves are all in Christiansburg being held captive by the Shelor Motor Mile Service Department.  No big deal.  I have a spare bike rack which I wouldn't put Punkin on for fear of scratching the paint, I have Ritchey and I have a spare helmet which I hate and of course many pairs of gloves.

So I stuck the bike rack on the lovely 4Runner that I've been fostering for a week and off we went to Mill Mountain. Decided to park in the Star Tail Parking Lot as I wanted to climb the new part of Woodthrush and wanted to get the 4Runner dirty, ahem.  I went up Woodthrush through the fog, clouds and rain to JPFish Parkway, up the road to Ridgeline where I climbed to the Star - absolutely no view to be had Saturday.  Rode back down Ridgeline to Riser to the Car Trail.  Took the old road down to Monument, up Monument which wasn't too horrible.  From Monument I went to the "rogue" trail that I call Two Tree (for the twin crooked trees).  Took it back down to Woodthrush back to the car.  Total ride distance was 8.85 miles with almost 1600ft of climbing.  It took me 1.5 hours.  I enjoyed it a great deal!  It was fun to ride full-suspension again as it had been a while since I had taken Ritchey on a real ride.  For some reason it seemed harder to climb on the 26" wheels?!?!?!

The weather wasn't looking promising today either.  Sunshine to start the rain storm.  I decided to work on stuff around the house.  Upon heading to the grocery store the sun burst through again, so I decided to come home and go straight out on the road bike.  I got in 26.2 miles in a nice meander around the valley - it took 1 hour and 48 minutes.  I'd blog more about it, but I need to get back to my group project.

Starting week 8 (of 10) in Module 5, my week's break comes soon and I will be spending it in Lancaster, PA where I've got a few bike rides in the works.  =)  Road rides through flat farmland sounds just fine to me!

Bike adventure coming up Saturday - Time Trial which equals me vs the clock on about an 8 mile trail loop and Dual Slalom which I'm not so sure about.  Anyway, it's all about having fun right???

=D

Stop raining, please.

Please?

Trail Nut 10k

So yesterday I went and ran my first ever 10k race.  I had never done one on the road much less the trail.  MountainJunkies aka Josh and Gina Gilbert are friends of mine and put on this fun series of trail races.  I had previously volunteered to help them at a few of their races and the runners looked like they had a blast!  Earlier this year I ran their Explore Your Limits 5k, finished 3rd in my age group and felt like I had some energy left in the tank.  So in order to see what I could really do I decided to sign up for the 10k at Falling Creek Park.

The Trail Nut 10k/Half-Marathon stepped off on a beautiful Spring morning.  The temperature was probably in the 50s to start.  I was a tad cool so I had chosen to wear a base layer shirt, under my lime green tshirt and to use my arm warmers that I bike in.  It didn't take long at all before I rolled the arm warmers down.  I had no idea about race tactics during runs anymore especially on trails, but I got behind a group of people who were chatting up a storm and poking down the trails.  Now in case, you can't tell I have long legs which equals long strides.  I can't go blazing down trails for obvious reasons (sticks, roots, rocks, etc) but unless I want my legs to cramp up for ever I can't do baby steps.  The people blah blah blah'd for awhile, the lead chatty Cathy finally stepped out of the way, and we all went by.  Kenny was at the top of the rocky hill and was like, "Go Jen, you know the trails better than the rest."  I thought yes I do and this is going to drive me nuts.  I knew exactly where we were and I was hoping not to get stuck behind these people for long.  Well I did pass one guy in a switchback, then passed four more by ducking under tree branches.  Of course, I went too hard after passing them and they all had the satisfaction of passing me back.  BAH!  Oh well, once they got by we hit the road and it spread us out more which was fine with me.  I'd rather run alone at my own pace and I did for the longest time.  I know there was one guy in a white shirt who passed me back and forth a few times, same for a gal in a green skort.

People stopped at the water stop, I kept going - I carry a bottle, plus I wasn't that thirsty.  I really was enjoying the trails.  I had to walk of course, but that's ok, I'm not really a runner.  I kept getting a cramp in my side and both of my shoulders.  I eventually worked that all out.  I kept looking forward to seeing Gina as I knew she was at the 5.4mile mark and that would get me to the end.  I remember seeing the sign for 4 miles and the 5th mile felt like it took for freaking ever.

There is one section at Falling Creek where the trails meander back and forth and you can see people all over the place but it's hard to place where you are as compared to them.  It almost makes you think you're off course.  I felt really good at one point and tried to pick up my stride, I soon found myself stumbling over a tree root and nearly face planting, fortunately I caught myself and didn't fall.

I finally found Gina where she was cheering and then was like, where's your shirt?  I had taken my green shirt off during Mile 3 and handed it to a friend.  He kindly carried it to the finish line for me, meanwhile I was running in a black, sleeveless base layer which was quite comfortable.  As I got to the last hill - the dreaded Deer Trail (see previous blogs about Falling Creek Park races) I knew I was in for it.  I started walking it very aggressively, I passed Read (my sherpa) who was like, you know this hill, go!  My teammate Doug came down the trail to meet and encourage me.  I was like please tell me the clock doesn't say 1:30?  He was like you're getting close, at that point, I started walking faster then finally broke into a run again.  I was so glad to finish!  The clock said 1:20 which was the 1/2 marathon clock so my time was 1:10!!!!  I couldn't believe that.  My goal had been to finish in 1:30!  I'm so happy with my effort.

I am hoping to run the Fab 5k in August and the Into the Darkness 5k in October.  I am hoping to continue to run trail races - it really is fun.  I ended up 3rd out of 5 in my age group, 72nd out of 96 overall.  Teammate Doug was 2nd in his age group in the 10k and Ron, another teammate won 1st in his age group in the Half-marathon.  Great job!!!

Bike racing starts soon - my only planned races are in Bedford, and there aren't that many.  I plan to ride my bike to work some this week as the $75.50 I paid for my full tank last week finally reached the point where I said no more.  Besides people are irritating me on the roads lately!  Ok enough blogging!  Time to do schoolwork!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

Yiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Tomorrow I embark on another adventure...  What now???

10k Trail Race...  on foot

I'm going to have fun!  Excited about it for some odd reason! 

I have a goal to finish in under 1hour 30min. 

Cool new hobby...

Hey, so I found this cool new hobby today - mountainbiking!!!  You are probably saying, "what Jen?  You've lost your mind.  You already go mountainbiking." You would be correct, but I felt very new to it today!  I don't know what my deal is lately - every time I go out I feel like I have no cardio.  Maybe it's the pollen, maybe it's the weather, maybe I'm just getting fat and lazy?  No strike that, I'm neither fat nor lazy.  I guess I'm just too busy and cardio is suffering from the desk chair/schoolwork disease that I've been battling for what seems like too long. Entering Week 5 of Module 5 and it seems like Module 8 will never get here!  I know it will, but I'm frustrated because I want to be better at riding and better at running; but never seem to have enough time in the day.  I have to get over being frustrated!  I also have to get past the fear of having a migraine headache every time I ride.  I rode casually and cautiously today - not that I could have gone much harder in some places, but there were plenty of opportunities where I needed to be hammering.  I didn't though.

Two Sundays ago, I rode my road bike on a 30 mile ride, felt the headache coming on at the end.  By 830p that night I was violently ill.  I threw up at least 4 times in two hours.  MISERABLE!!!  This is what I fear now.  I really don't want to have to suffer after each bike ride.  I went to the MD back in October and that was a joke - he had every excuse in the book to explain it - everything from SportLegs, dehydration, TMJ, sinus, etc.  The stupid thing is all he could recommend was drink more, don't take SportLegs and relax.  Never offered a med to treat the headaches when they occur - I guess I'll try Excedrin Migraine next time.  I didn't take SportLegs two weeks ago and haven't for sometime.  I have a bottle of them sitting here for nothing.  I guess I could try them again or give them away.  Who knows.  Meanwhile, I want to get back to riding as I have bike races coming up over the summer.  I'm focused on trying to train for a 10k trail race on May 7th and when that's over, it's time to ramp up the riding.

Today though was cruiser day at the Cove.  I did get filthy and I did wind up keeping a 7mph pace which isn't too terrible.  It was fun and that's really all I was after today.  I look forward to getting back out there again soon.  =)

HAPPY EASTER!!!

It's all about me!

I found this over at Blue Country Magic and thought I'd play along. I'm bored after running/walking 4.27 miles on Mill Mountain.  I don't want to do schoolwork again...  So I'll do this alphabet meme.

A. Age: 37

B. Bed: Queen

C. Chore you dislike: ironing

D. Dogs: Sergei, my Jack Russell Terrier

E. Essential start of your day: Sweet tea and toast

F. Favorite color: orange

G. Gold or silver: either

H. Height: 5'10"

I. Instruments you play: the radio and the iPod

J. Job title: CT Technologist

K. Kids: None

L. Live: In Da'Noke

M. Mom's name: MOHMY!  Jill.

N. Nicknames: Jen

O. Overnight hospital stays: Unless you count the nights I've spent working or on call, none.

P. Pet peeves: Laziness

Q. Quote from a movie: Nobody puts Baby in the corner.  ??? 

R. Righty or lefty: Righty

S. Siblings: One brother

T. Time you wake up: Depends on the day of the week and work schedule anywhere from 430-930

U. Underwear: Yes unless in bike shorts...

V. Vegetables you don't like: tomatoes, brocolli, green beans, peas...there's prob more

W. What makes you run late: Oversleep.

X. X-rays you've had: All sorts - I dish them out too!

Y. Yummy food you make: mashed potatoes...  and fried chicken

Z. Zoo animal favorites: haven't been to zoo in a long time unless you count work...

Blue Ridge Marathon

Picture courtesy of Hank Ebert.  =)

I got up very early.  It rained.  The wind blew.  It rained.  I rode in a Mini Cooper with Warren.  It rained.  We drove up Mill Mtn and we drove down Mill Mtn.  It rained.  We drove up Roanoke Mtn and we drove down Roanoke Mtn.  It rained.  I got out of the Mini Cooper.  It rained.  I rode 7 miles of the 1/2 marathon course.  It rained.  I turned around near the finish line to ride back to the last marathoner.  It rained.  Hell broke loose.  It rained harder, thundered and lightning.  The race ended.  It rained.  Skippy picked me up.  It rained.  We drove around checking on vounteers and runners.  It rained.  We went back to the Start/Finish.  It stopped raining and the sun came out.  Repacked cases of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Water.  Had a great time.  Will definitely do it again - April 21, 2012. 

Did I mention it rained?

Blue Ridge Marathon.... the night before

Tomorrow is the 2nd Blue Ridge Marathon and just as usual, it's going to pour down rain!  What in the world is it about events that I want to go to?  I helped last year at the Inaugural race and had a blast.  Opportunity knocked and I volunteered to ride "sweep" for the 1/2 Marathon which means I ride my bike behind the last 1/2 marathon participant.  I might just need a mop or squeegee for this duty tomorrow.

I went to Gander Mtn this afternoon in search of waterproof gloves and came up empty handed for those, however I did find a rain suit that is "100% waterproof, 100% windproof, super breathable, ultra lightweight."  It's called froggtoggs Pro Action rainsuit.  I plan to put this on over my biking gear.  I'll have to add some velcro straps around the legs to keep the pants legs out of my chain ring, but I hope to stay fairly dry and warm.  I'll be sure to report back!  I have all sorts of extra goodies crammed away in my camelback.  JOY!

The wind has picked up and ended what was a fairly nice Friday - we'll see when the rain begins to fall.  The prediction for Roanoke includes a flash flood watch and this:

Overnight: Showers, mainly after 2am. Low around 53. East wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 5pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. High near 66. South wind between 13 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Saturday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then a slight chance of showers between 8pm and 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. West wind between 14 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. 

Oh well, I'm going to have as much fun as possible because I want to go to the Starlight Criterium Races that begin at 5pm...  Busy day for sure!!!

Hilarious!!!! Love Angry Birds!

April Fool???

So yesterday I felt like an April Fool.  I know that I haven't been riding all that much, and running has been semi-successful.  Yesterday proved that my cardio is way off base.  I drove to Lynchburg after being invited to ride with a group from Blackwater Bike Shop.  The destination was Candlers Mountain which has never been an easy place to ride.  It has always been full of various adventures for me: playing EMT, getting lost and crashing for example.  It does however pose a challenge.  The trails are not as smooth as what I'm used to.  It is full of roots, rocks and bridges (yikes).  I sincerely believe the entire place is uphill, but that's not possible huh?

I'm making it sound like I was miserable, this is far from the truth.  I had an absolute blast, albeit painful at times.  I enjoyed the company of Kelly H, Tim D, Jacob, Cliff and Mary.  Cliff unfortunately injured his knee during the ride and had to walk out; Mary being an outstanding friend made sure he got out ok.  By reports, he is better today!  (PHEW!!!  I'd feel bad if the Jen Jinx bit him).  I can't remember the trail names, but we started off on a fun, downhill/flat trail where I felt like I did ok.  I had to walk up an incline after it freaked me out seeing Kelly walking it.  We arrived at a trail that I remembered as it is one switchback after another with uphill trail in between them (I've hated it everytime.)  I did manage to ride a few of them before having a slight heart attack (kidding!)  Let's see, I remember getting to a creek crossing that I should have tried, but I chickened out.  I know that I rode most of the constructed bridges.  The one in the 90degree turn - NOT.  I rode across the timbers that cross over some creekbeds - worried each time that my front wheel was going to get stuck in the gap between them.  We rode up a trail called Psychopathe - been here before but maybe a different part of it.  I rode a good ways up before losing my oomph and balance.  Walked a short ways then finished it!  I was happy with that.  I did manage to ride fairly well although slow.  I hated feeling like I was holding people up.  Of course the others were nice and didn't seem to be upset.  I was so happy that I went.  I'd like to go back again if schoolwork will allow.  I think it's going to take me many more trips to feel like I can ride Candlers Mountain without being totally whipped.

View from 4-mile loop overlooking Roanoke.  Mill Mountain is the right.

Today (Sunday) is absolutely beautiful.  I got this pitiful look from Sergei when I was leaving yesterday, so I made sure to plan to spend time with him.  We went exploring on some trails near the parkway - I think the one we were on for the most part is part of the Roanoke Horse Trail.  It is wide, gravel and fairly decent.  I like taking Sergei to non-busy trails because it allows him to explore.  I'm always worried he will be hateful to another dog because he is NOT very sociable when I have him on a leash.  I guess he's protecting me, but it does make for awkward interactions.  After we walked about 2 miles there, we drove up Roanoke Mountain to see the view which was outstanding today.  You could see for miles!!!  I took a few pictures.  We then walked the summit trail there which is about 3/10 mile.  More pictures.  It was just an awesome day and I'm glad I spent it with my little buddy!  He seemed very happy!

View from the top of Roanoke Moutain

Not sure why this rock is so sad to be in such a pretty place!

Sergei getting it done on the steps!

Great day with my "son."

More running than riding...

Something is terribly skewed. I've run twice now since my last post and the only action my bikes have seen was for Punkin to get a bath and new tires.  Started classes again this week, so hopefully I can remedy the bike drought this weekend....  Those tires look too clean.  =)

Thinking

Made it to the gym one day this week, otherwise I haven't felt like doing much of anything.  We were extremely busy at work Monday and Tuesday.  The rest of the week I've worked until 5p, so by the time I get home it's getting to be dinner time and then I get lazy and don't want to go back out.  I should have run tonight, but it was chilly and it got dark.  Excuses excuses!  I need to stop it!  Classes start back on Monday, so it is important that I get into a routine fast.  I need to run and ride as much as I can - I'm planning to run my first ever 10k (road or trail and 2nd ever trail race) on May 7th at my favorite park - Falling Creek in Bedford.  Shortly thereafter, I will need to be getting it into gear for the Bedford County Mountain Bike Championships which mostly take place at...  Falling Creek.  =)  I am super psyched about the trail race and like I said it is important that I run.  The race will be 6.2miles long.  I ran 4.4 last week although I did have to walk some.  I'd love to be able to get to the point where I can run 5 miles comfortably! 

I need to start thinking now about when I can work all that I want to do in!!!  At least I have things to look forward to, but man I don't want to struggle through any of these events!  I want them to be fun. 

Now, can I please have the warmer weather back?

Thanks!

ACK!

Today's ride was fun, but I was cold then hot then freezing cold.  The weather is blah so that didn't help.  I must have sweated a ton under my jacket, then when I wanted to ride without I nearly froze - the wicking was working.  HA!  As part of my ride today, I decided to park in the garage at work.  I rode through Riversedge to the alley next to Valley Bank.  Took the alley up a ways then road to another alley.  Got to Fern Park and ascended the trail.  Once up to the CRL, I debated riding it, but decided against it once I saw two or three runners.  It would be my luck that someone would call the ranger and I'd get a ticket. 

Instead,  I rode up the road to Woodthrush which I of course, I rode down.  I wanted to see what the deal was with the new trail I spotted last week.  I had heard that they built a new one from the Star Trail Parking lot up to the intersection of Star and Woodthrush.  It's a short, but sweet downhill.  The return trip back up it wasn't that difficult - I felt like it was easier than the gravel road.  I took my jacket off because I was sweating profusely from the climbing.  I started up Woodthrush and quickly realized that my moisture wicking baselayer had indeed wicked the sweat to the outside of my jersey which was wet; so this meant COLD.  I put my jacket back on and continued up Woodthrush.  I rode up the entire way without walking, but I did stop a few times to catch my breath.  My cardio just isn't up to par yet. 

At the top of Woodthrush, I took a right and headed toward the top of Mill Mtn.  I took a left at the intersection of the roads and climbed Ridgeline to the top.  Had a granola bar there then back down Ridgeline to Riser to Big Sunny (Car Trail).  I decided if I felt decent I'd try to climb Monument.  Once I got to that trailhead, I decided to give it a try.  UGH!  I did manage to ride quite a bit of it, but I did have to stop and I did walk a short section.  Otherwise, I did alright on it I suppose.  From there I took a left and went down the road to CRL.  Took a right there where I could head down to Fern Park.  Again, debated riding CRL, but I was cold by now and it had started to rain. 

I did enjoy my ride.  Got in 13.81 miles by the time I wound my way back to the car.  It took me 1:57 today.  Not bad, kept a 7.1mph average which is decent for me, but it counts the downhills along with the slow, agonizing climbs.  Yet again, I enjoyed my Sunday ride.  This is definitely my day to ride.  One more left without the hassle of schoolwork.  YAY.  I may try to go somewhere different next week.  Mill Mountain is fine, but I'd like to go somewhere and ride with other people.  If not then I'll be solo-ing somewhere.  =)