The Infamous "Race Face"

The best part about taking pictures at the crit races is seeing what I end up with. Half the time the pictures are blurry or I've cut of the head of the rider I was trying to shoot. Every so often I manage to take an AMAZING picture, but my favorite ones are the infamous "Race Face" pictures. I get it, it's hard out there, you're giving it all you've got and that is clearly read across your face. 

Here's a few of my favorite Race Faces so far. If you're in any of these pictures, I mean no disrespect! Race Face is a badge of honor. Wear it proud! I can only imagine what I am going to look like when I start racing, but I am sure I will fall into one of the categories below.

POOP FACE.
He's either got to poop or Rob's let one loose. Either way, I feel for the guy.

AHHHH!!!! FACE.
Now there's a distraction technique.

CHEESE FACE.
This is my favorite. Whoever you are, keep it coming! 

WANANBE-A-WINNER FACE.
Eau de Final Sprint. These never disappoint. 

GRUMPY PANTS FACE.
Someone's realized he isn't winning.

BLOWFISH FACE.
Breathing not required.

50+ FACE
This just looks like it hurts!

LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD FACE.
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

That Dreaded Email...

Look Out! **Doesn't Matter What The Name Is You're Officially Now At War** just took your QOM!

Me: That bitch!

In my defense, halfway through this ride we stopped to talk plan of action with Coach BF Rob...
which was AT LEAST 10 minutes. Oh AJ, sorry for putting you on blast but... I'm coming for you.

I have a love-hate relationship with Strava. I act like it's "Strava? Whatever. No big deal. Seriously. I've got better things to do." (well those better things to do is really just one thing, ride my bike). Unless I get a QOM or did something rad like rode 60 miles. You better believe I'll be posting it up on facebook and sending an mass email. Heck... it'd be worthy of a blog post.

But when I do get that crown, all that sparkly gold, it's an uplifting mood moment that gives the feeling that I can walk on water. So, when I get that email saying that someone took my QOM... damn son, bring it on!

I act like I don't care but it's really because I am still not as fast as I was pre-crash (oh did I ever mention I was chasing a QOM when I crashed - Oopsy! Bitter, slightly). I cling to my few QOMs with all my might (even telling the Tam-Tam to back off and let me have at least one. She's just THAT GOOD).

When I upload my rides... it goes like this:

1. Put the bike down and run to the computer. Scrambling for the cable, all while still in my sweaty lycra.
2. I know I totally got that segment! Grins, grins grins.
3. Plug Garmin into computer.
4. Garmin not detected. #$%@! Unplug, replug, hit refresh a zillion times.
5. New (ride date, yadda-yadda). Click to upload. Why is it taking FOREVER...
6. Name ride something to make others jealous (Climb, Climb, Climb to the Sexy Firemen Ride) - anyone who posts this (my H&S ladies you know who you are) better know that I am coming after all the QOM's on every segment of this ride. I heart Firemen!
7. Open the ride and... NOTHING. Or maybe (x3) but they are all 2nd and 3rd best times that are no better than the last time you did that ride (yet you swore you kicked but but then you realized you forgot to turn your Garmin back on after you stopped or stopped in the wrong spot - oh Tam-Tam).
8. Create a new segment during the ride in a spot you are certain you killed it in, only to watch it go to your best friend/fierce competitor/amazing teammate.

So for now I am carrying on, pretending that it doesn't really matter and hoping that the less I focus on those QOM crowns and the more I just ride, ride, ride that those crowns will start appearing and ladies all over Southern California will be getting that dreaded email.  

Keep on pedaling!

I Wanna Race My Bicycle!

This past Sunday, H&S Ladies debuted in their first race of the season at the Roger Millikan Crit. I was very sad (and jealous) that I couldn't be a part of it, but SO SO SO proud of the ladies. I've been on the bike twice in the past month and am recovering from a nasty cold. Didn't want to risk an injury so I sat it out (insert pouty face here).

Warming up. Damn! It was cold!

Anyways, so proud of my ladies! Everyone Needs a Jenny (one day after riding a century no less) and the amazing Tammy both raced, as well as two ladies new to the group. They all pushed hard and finished with smiles on their faces.  It was a great race with a pack of about 21 ladies (2 of whom I question...?). Although there were no "wins" for H&S, all the ladies raced well, and most important, FINISHED!

All smiles all the time.

I have always been a little skeptical about racing. I am a competitive person and I want to win! Knowing I am not physically prepared to take on a race at this time, I probably would have been the one throwing my bike in the grass out of frustration after coming in dead last. I know, I know... lame, childish, call it what you will but how do you deal with that emotion? I want to be better than I am. As a single parent working full time in television, it can be hard to find the time to get on the bike. I'm motivated but I don't have the skill. I struggle to find the time to ride, and to ride without having to be heavily hopped up on caffeine. I made it a goal this year to make riding a priority but so far I have failed. That ends today!

Who's with me? Stopping with the excuses here and buying a Costco size pack of Sugar Free Rebull. Let's keep on pedaling and do this!

Power baby!

Powerhouse Jen making a comeback.

Clearly she needs a little Jenny in her life.

New Years Resolutions?

It's been awhile since I have posted. My apologizes for slacking! To be honest, I haven't been on the bike much in the last 2 weeks. I finally got to ride the other day, and put in a solid 30 miles. I got to ride with the man (which is always a bonus) but I am thinking I might have worked a little too hard that day just to keep up with him. Not that riding hard is a bad thing but after going 2 weeks without a ride, I ended up paying for it in the worst possible way. I woke up at 3am the next morning unable to move. Owww! I am not even exaggerating. I woke up in pain and couldn't even sit up, let alone turn my head. With some help, I was able to get up and make it to the couch, where I spent the next 15 hours laying on a heating blanket and watching back to back Lifetime Original movies. Oh Lifetime... how is it that you suck me in every time? From "Maternal Instincts" to "Lying Eyes" to "My Stepson, My Lover" (what is with these titles???), it's as addicting as a drug. once you watch one, you're sucked in for life (Hmm... now the network title "Lifetime" makes sense). 

Each time I tell myself, just one, yet 6 hours later I wonder where my day went. So my time off work, originally planned for lots and lots of rides didn't quite happen as planned. Aside from being over schedule and out of shape, I blame the cold. It doesn't make riding look as exciting as a warm comfy bed.

Did anyone make a New Year's Resolution this year? Every year I tell myself I am not going to make a generic resolution that I am going to fail at trying to achieve. This year I resolve to ride 2 centuries and up my overall mileage. Juggling a hectic work schedule, an overbooked 5 year old and a boyfriend who's trying to go Pro, doesn't leave me much time to get a ride in. I resolve to make time for myself and my bike.

Surely I am not the only one with this time management balancing act of a problem, so I went to my beloved friend Google for an answer. I came across an article posted on Bicycling.com, fittingly titled: "Can't Find Time To Ride?". There tips were short and precise. I like it!

1. Schedule your rides, and put them on your calendar like they are a doctors appointment.
2. Buddy System! Worked in kindergarten and still works now. If it weren't for my lovely, fellow Lady Pedalers, Jenny and Tammy, I probably wouldn't have done half the rides I did last year. Thanks ladies for your continued support and encouragement.
3. Give yourself a goal. Have something cycling related to work for, such as: complete a triathlon, enter a race, do a century, or ride 400 miles in one month. Odds are, if you are working towards something, you are going to reach it if the pressure to complete it is there.
4. Stay prepared. This one... oh this one is me. Sometimes I look for excuses not to ride, like I can't find my gloves or my Garmin is dead. Keep your gear organized, clean and charged and be race ready every time. The easier it is to get going the better chance you are going to jump on the bike and roll out.

So, tell me, Lady Pedalers... what's your bicycling New Years Resolution? What held you back in 2012 and what are you looking to change?

Tell me what keeps you moving and pedal on!

Shame On You Lactic Acid.

Shame Shame, Double Shame (I couldn't help myself)!

If you read my post about the Tour De Christmas Lights, they you will know how happy I was to ride my bike the other night. Well, what I didn't mention was what happened to me three-quarters into the ride.

After viewing the lights at a leisurely place, we headed over to Glendale to step up our game just a tad. I thought I would be in for an easy ride, and for the most part it was, but wow did that one climb at the half way point catch me off guard. Apparently this whole "only riding once a week" thing has taken its toll. I know what my new year's resolution should be: Commit to more "ME TIME" and get more time on the bike! After reaching the top of the long and steady climb, I saw relief in the rolling hills... but my calf disagreed. Mid pedal stroke I was struck with a nasty, debilitating pain in my right calf (insert a slow motion N-OOOOOOOOO here). This has only happened to me once before. I didn't know what to think about what was happening. I've been told on more than one occasion that this was a result of lactic acid build-up in my muscles. HUH?

So that's what the culprit looks like. Hmm...

Having heard about Lactic Acid and it's relation to cycling before, prompted me to do a little more research.  This article from Active.com explained it well: "Every Cyclist's Enemy: Exploring Lactic Acid".

Our bodies need energy to function (duh) and glucose is the primary source of fuel during exercise. As our bodies perform strenuous exercise, we start to breath faster and hard as we attempt to move more oxygen into our muscles that are doing all the work. Sometimes the muscles need this energy production faster than our bodies can deliver the oxygen. In these instances, the muscles doing all the work (in my case my quads and calves) start to generate energy anaerobically and the muscles respond by breaking down carbohydrates for energy. The effect of this is the now presence of lactic acid (accompanied by a burning sensation).

After reading this article, I have a better understanding what happened and everything that they mentioned rang true. 

1. I cramped up shortly after completing a fast (by my standards) climb.
2. Although my heart rate monitor wasn't recording (!#&@#$%), I could tell that based on my breathing (in comparison to past experiences) I was working around 80% of my aerobic capacity with a heart rate somewhere in the high 160s to high 170s. Hence, lactic acid production increased and became constant.

So what do I do to prevent it? Keep riding of course! Well, more than just that. My plan is to:

1. Rest and recover
2. Stay hydrated (always a good idea)
3. Change your eating habits (See below for some recommendations)
4. Gradually increase the intensity of my workouts over time (ease into those harder rides)
5. Stretch before and after
6. Keep on pedaling

If you want to take some further preventative measure, consider alternating your eating habits. Eat more foods that are rich in the mineral magnesium. Some examples would be whole grain products, tofu and nuts/seeds. Eat more cold water fish, such as salmon (this is an easy one for me as I was raised in the Pacific Northwest and grew up on salmon). Salmon is high in essential fatty acids and will also help reduce inflammation post-ride. Lastly, eat more foods rich in vitamin B (meats, vegetables, whole grain products, eggs, etc).

So LACTIC ACID... just another hiccup, a learning experience if you may. It was bound to happen and now I'm a little wiser because of it. So, maybe it's not a shame-shame after all.

Pedal on, Lady Pedalers!

Tour De Christmas Lights, A Quick Thought

One of the lovely ladies of the Tuesday Night ride had a great idea of doing a Christmas Lights Bike Tour. BRILLIANT! I L-O-V-E Christmas!! Normally this time of year I get in the car, drive aimlessly around town, looking for the best spots to see the lights.  What a great way to get up off the couch and do something I was going to do anyways?!?! So off we went from the bike shop, zig zagging our way through the residential streets of Burbank. We stopped to enjoy, appreciate and snap a few pictures of the sights that we encountered along the way. Now if it weren't for my encounter with a dose of lactic acid (stay tuned for tomorrow's post), perhaps we would have stopped for hot cocoa at the end of the ride. Damn you lactic acid. Damn you.

A common theme was the giant Santa and hot air balloons. What do hot air balloons have to do with Christmas? I tried to figure this one out and have come up with nothing. If there's something that you know that I don't about it, let me know. I have to make sense of this madness! Am I missing something?

One of our first stops. I love this time of year!

Shane, getting in the spirit.

If you missed our ride, or are too far away to join us, you know what I' thinking, right? Do your own Tour De Christmas Lights and share your pictures with us!