My Christmas Confession

I’ve been lying to everyone and it’s time to make amends.  You see, when asked about Christmas, I always tell folks I “don’t do” Christmas.  And that’s true.  I don’t celebrate the holiday in a traditional way.  I don’t have family, so I don’t feel obligated to participate in any dreaded family get-togethers.  I haven’t purchased a single gift nor have I mailed even one card.  There are no candles in the window nor carols at the spinet.  And I’ve lived this way for close to two decades. 

But the reality is, I really do love Christmas.  Besides the stress that surrounds the holiday, I have some lovely memories of big family dinners, Christmas Eve midnight mass, our annual Christmas choir concert featuring “O Holy Night,” and Christmas morning with all the grandchildren.  I used to decorate a tree each year and I still have a box of ornaments (in storage) that I collected in the first 30 years of my life.  I used to send out hundreds of Christmas cards.  I used to bake dozens of cookies for family, friends, and co-workers.  I even used to host a Christmas caroling party at my home.  So, what happened?  How did I become the girl who didn’t “do Christmas?”

The transition happened gradually, shortly before I moved to California in 1998.  My grandmother, who had been the anchor of many of our family traditions, passed away.  My father picked up the reins and we started some new traditions without her.  And then my father died.  And then I moved to California.  The first winter I lived here, I travelled home to upstate New York for the holiday.  It was just me, my mother, and my sister (who also used to live in CA).   My other sister had estranged herself from the family, and, as the mother of the only grandchildren in the family, she deprived us of sharing the experience with children.  So we went from a two-day celebration filled with tons of family and friends to a depressing week where my mother didn’t get out of bed, my sister drank 2 bottles of wine each night, and I started to hate the holiday that I had always loved.  Although my mother lived another five years after this, that was my last Christmas in New York.

The following year, I started riding a bicycle.  I hooked up with three other riders (all training for the California AIDS Ride) and we rode together for 4 days over the Christmas holiday.  We called ourselves the “Christmas Orphans.”  We each had a different story, but what we shared was the fact that we were alone for the holidays and that we all rode a bike.  On Christmas morning 1999, we rode a 30-mile route in San Francisco.  We continued to be friends and this ride became a holiday tradition.  Over the years, the other three moved on to other traditions, I continued on, and today marked the 15^th Annual Christmas Orphans’ Tour of San Francisco.  In these 15 years, I’ve only missed twice:  once when we cancelled due to torrential rain and wind and once when I was recovering from surgery.

One year, there were only 2 of us on the ride (it was pouring rain).  One year, there were close to 100 riders (thanks to a calendar listing from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.  Everyone comes from a different place, many of them with connections to me, and they share the desire to participate in a fun, social ride on Christmas morning.  And, no matter what size the group, we bring smiles to the faces of all who see us, dressed in Santa hats, elf costumes, and riding decorated bikes. 

Alyson + Lorri at the Golden Gate Bridge

The Christmas Orphans’ Tour of San Francisco is a unique ride.  It’s not a long ride, totaling just 29 miles.  It’s not a hard ride, with less than 1,500’ of climbing.  It’s not a fast ride, since we keep the group together (no matter how slow the slowest rider is) and we stop to enjoy the view, take photos, and maybe even have a cup of hot chocolate.  It’s a social ride where old friends and new friends get to see the city in a new way.  On Christmas morning, when everyone else is sitting around their Christmas tree, you can see the random art in the city – the murals and mosaics, the sculpture and the architecture, and, on a clear day like today, the amazing views of the bay, the bridges, and the ocean.

It’s been fascinating for me to see how our beautiful city has changed in the past 15 years.  The infrastructure for bicycles has improved dramatically.  The ballpark was built and has changed names a couple of times.  Parts of the city have been developed while other parts have become less desirable.  I’ve noticed more folks are out and about running, bicycling, surfing, and walking (and today’s beautiful weather definitely contributed to this).  And I still see the homeless, the needy, and the hopeful on street corners and hidden in the nooks and crannies of the city. 

So, my reality is that I DO celebrate Christmas.  And I DO give gifts.  My gift is bringing together random strangers and friends to share in this amazing experience.  I give folks who might be alone the opportunity to spend time with others.  I give folks who don’t celebrate Christmas something to do on a day when many folks are busy with family.  I give myself the opportunity to continue a tradition that has been very meaningful for me.  And the other riders give me the opportunity to share this with them.

It’s amazing to me that I’ve continued this tradition for 15 years.  I don’t think I’ve ever done anything else in my entire life for 15 years.  But then again, I’ve never loved anything or anyone the way I love my bike.  And love is actually what traditions like Christmas are all about.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Christmas Orphans at Fisherman's Wharf

It Takes Two, Baby!

Our awesome little team of six for the Furnace Creek 508 awoke at dawn, grabbed some Starbuck's for breakfast, and chamoised up for a shake-out ride on the tandems.  In addition to the four of us racing, our two crew members, Max and Andy, saddled up on the spare tandem at our host house to join us for a short spin.  How often do you see three separate tandems out riding together?

I'm pretty impressed with our ability to get up and running smoothly.  My pilot, Jim Ryan, is a very experienced rider, and we were able to start, stop, shift to an optimal gear, and communicate really well together.  We dialed in our bike fit (as much as possible within the constraints of the bike) and I feel confident we've optimized our positions.

The best piece of advice I received this morning was from our other tandem pilot, Paul Kingsbury (owner of Kingsbury's Cyclery in Elmira, NY).  He said the biggest adjustment as a stoker is that I will feel the bike do things that weren't caused by MY input.  I thought about that several times during our 9-mile ride this morning.

We rolled with my Cardo BK-1 bluetooth communication device.  It's a super-cool helmet-mount system that allows two riders to talk to each other.  I've been testing it out in training the past month or so and I'm sold that it's a really great system for two riders.  If our crew is really smart, we're also going to connect to one of their smart phones so we can communicate with the support van.

Communication will be key for this race.

Lorri, Jim, and crew member Max in the background

I've spent a lot of time in the past month thinking about the experience of riding a tandem and also being supported by a crew.  This is very different for me.  I'm an independent girl.  I live alone.  I run my own business.  I have no family.  I'm used to doing my own thing.  So, for the next couple of days I'm integrating into a six-person team and allowing others to advise me and take care of me.  It's a pretty neat experience.

There are so many funny soundbites about riding a tandem.  But here are my thoughts as I embark on a journey from the stoker's seat:

• Trust is key.  I need to trust in the bike.  The bike will do what it's meant to do if we don't screw it up.  I need to trust my pilot.  I couldn't pick a better pilot.  Jim is a super-experienced ultra-endurance rider with experience as a tandem pilot on this event.  He'll take good care of me.

• It's okay to let others lead.  I'm used to being a leader.  I'm not used to being a follower. Following can feel uncomfortable to me.  My role this weekend is not to be a leader.  But I can be the very best follower I can be.  

• I can be a contributor.  And that will be more valuable than being a leader in this situation.  I will pedal.  I'll cheer.  I'll help out whenever I can.  And I'll let others lead.

• Intuition is also very important.  A stoker can't be on auto-pilot.  I can use verbal and non-verbal cues to help guide me.  

We're all packed in the van now and transferring to the host hotel in Valencia.  We've got race check-in and safety checks on both the bikes and the support vehicle.  We've got the race meeting this afternoon, with all 700 riders and support crew.  And then it's off to the grocery store to stock up on 24-hours of food for riders and support staff.  We've been discussing nutrition options, ranging from all liquids to a variety of real food and sports nutrition products, to eccentric snacks like tootsie rolls stuffed with coffee beans.  

I won't likely update the blog until after the race is finished on Sunday, but you can follow our progress here:

If you'd like to follow along, you'll find the official FC508 webcast here:

http://www.the508.com/2013web/

You'll find time splits for our team (Northern Spring Peepers) here:

Northern Spring Peepers Race Page

And you can get live (well, every 20 minutes) updates here:

Northern Spring Peepers SPOT Tracker

Wish me luck!

********************************************************************************


Thank you again to Gary Brustin and Jan Medina for their sponsorship of my race.  I wouldn't be sitting in this 15-passenger van on the 5 in Los Angeles, discussing pickle juice and chamois creme if it wasn't for their support.

The Fastest Five Weeks In The History Of Time

This morning, I'm hopping on a jet plane (probably a prop plane, actually), bound for Los Angeles to meet up with my team for this weekend's Furnace Creek 508.  My journey leading up to this day followed a crazy, twisted road with a few bumps and potholes, but somehow I've arrived intact.

If you recall, five short weeks ago, I agreed to join the record-holding two-tandem 50-plus team, the Northern Spring Peepers, for this 508-mile race.  I knew it would be a challenge to ramp  up my volume to train for the event, but I was ready to take it on.  I had 4 weeks of available training time and then a week to recover and stay fresh for the event (what some folks might call a taper).

The first phase of my training was to increase both my duration and climbing.  I planned a series of three-day blocks with 10,000-15,000 combined feet of climbing with recovery between blocks.  My first two weeks were going as planned.  Well, maybe not quite as planned, as my teammate Pamela and I got a little carried away and rode 136 miles with 8,000' of climbing to start my second week of training.  But we survived, and I knew that I'd be able to complete my stages of FC508.  I totaled 24+ hours that week, with 321 miles and almost 15,000' of climbing.

The following week I planned another 20+ hours with 20,000' and was on track when tragedy struck -- I was hit by another cyclist while riding.  I was very fortunate that my injuries weren't too severe -- no broken bones, but lots of soft tissue damage and my right leg was deeply contused (and is still sore almost 3 weeks after the collision).  This basically destroyed my training plan.  I was conflicted:  I needed to train, but I needed to heal my injury.  I completed a few rides, feeling very slow and suffering with pain.  I cancelled my planned tandem training weekend with my partner, Jim Ryan, in Oregon.  I decided to be conservative, and let myself heal.

So, weeks 2 and 3 I only rode about 12 hours total (150 miles with 7,000' of climbing).  My 4th week, I climbed everything I could, knowing that would be the biggest bang for my training buck.  My leg still hurt, and I still felt slow, but I needed to do some damage control so I didn't completely lose fitness.  I was able to ride 17 hours, for a total of 200 miles and 17,000' of climbing.  My last long ride was a solid 75-miles with 7,000' of climbing.

This week my goal was to recover and then keep my legs fresh.  I'm feeling pretty good, so I guess I met my goal.  We'll see how I feel later today when I go for a spin with my tandem partner.

This year's Furnace Creek 508 has been a challenge for the race promoter, before we even hit the start line.  Apparently, two separate parts of the traditional course were washed out with flash floods, forcing a re-route of one section and a van shuttle of the other section.  Then, the federal government shut down.  Since the route goes through two different national parks (Mojave and Death Valley), the promoter hustled to find alternate routes (and obtain permits for those routes).  At this time, we don't know if we'll be permitted to ride the 508-mile course, or if the race will be shortened to 356 miles (an out + back route to Trona that skips all the really cool desert land).  While I'm certainly disappointed, I think we'll still have a great experience.

The modified route for my tandem team would be 177 miles total (instead of 240 miles).  We would ride stage 1 (107 miles with 6,000' of climbing) and stage 3 (70 miles with 4,000' of climbing).    The other tandem team (Paul Kingsbury and Wanda Tocci) would ride stage 2 (70 miles with 3,000' of climbing) and stage 4 (107 miles with 5,000' of climbing).  Wait a minute!  How did my team get more climbing?  So while the overall race distance has been reduced, the impact for each of our teams is not that significant.  We've still got our work cut out for us.

Of course, the logistics of changing from a 508-mile point-to-point race that begins in Santa Clarita and ends in 29 Palms about 33 hours later to a 356-mile out-and-back race that begins and ends in Santa Clarita less than 24 hours later means changing lodging and such, but our awesome team has handled all this without blinking.

So now, we just wait and find out which course we ride.  We all packed for the long course.  We have flights and lodging based on the long course.  But I'm guessing we'll end up riding the short course.

Later today we build up the tandems (they were shipped out from New York), go grocery shopping, have a test ride, and prepare the support van.  Today's also the day we all get to know each other.  Actually, the other three riders and two crew members all know each other already, so I guess it's the day that I get to know everybody else.  On Friday, the bikes and the vehicle both have to pass safety checks and we have rider meetings and dinner and spend the night in Santa Clarita.  And then on Saturday, we roll out @ 9:30am.

I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't a bit nervous.  Of course I'm nervous.  I'm jumping back in, still injured, riding 177 miles and 10,000' of climbing in less than 24 hours.  On the back of a tandem.  With a man I've never met.  I'm nervous and excited and feeling surprisingly calm.  I guess the reality of what I'm about to undertake hasn't sunk in yet.

If you'd like to follow along, you'll find the official FC508 webcast here:

http://www.the508.com/2013web/

You'll find time splits for our team (Northern Spring Peepers) here:

Northern Spring Peepers Race Page

And you can get live (well, every 20 minutes) updates here:

Northern Spring Peepers SPOT Tracker

Wish me luck!

********************************************************************************

I want to take a minute to thank a bunch of folks who've helped me arrive here:

Gary Brustin and Jan Medina for their sponsorship of my race.

Pamela Levine for being the best training partner ever.

Winnie + Dan Brehmer for loaning me a wheelset when mine was destroyed in the crash.

Annie Gianakos for scraping my broken body off the pavement, taking me to the hospital, and nursing me on the day of my crash.

Jason Pierce who dragged my tired butt around on the bike and shared all his accumulated wisdom about FC508.

And all my friends and teammates who've shared rides with me, listened to my stories, calmed my fears about being injured, and supported me on this crazy, bumpy journey!

Furnace Creek 508 Study Guide

I always love the anticipation associated with participating in a new event.  The interwebs make it easy to while away the hours viewing photos and videos and reading race reports.  Yeah, it's great to read the official data (maps, GPS, rules, etc), but I like the real-life stories of folks who've experienced the event.

Now that the reality has set in that I'll be riding my inaugural Furnace Creek 508, I spent some time today clicking around and sharing other riders' experience.  I thought I'd share with my friends + fans.

2012 FC508 blog from Jim (my tandem captain).  I'm happy to report that Big Bertha has been retired:  http://pancake508.blogspot.com/

2012 FC508 blog from Paul and Wanda the other tandem on our team:  http://www.kingsburyscyclery.com/?p=191


Stunning photos and time-lapse from Scott MacDonald Photography:  http://www.scottmacdonaldphotography.com/2012/12/06/the-furnace-creek-508/


FC508 YouTube Collection, because a video speaks a million words:  http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=03027EAC14FC9819



I can't thank Gary Brustin and Jan Medina enough for supporting me in my Furnace Creek 508 quest.  Without their support this wouldn't be possible.  I'm really looking forward to this event.  I can't wait to add my blog and photos to the interwebs for eternity.

Wondering how this came to be?  Read my original Furnace Creek 508 post here:

http://velogirlscoaching.blogspot.com/2013/08/this-just-got-real.html

This Just Got Real!

I've done some incredibly crazy things in my riding career.  Some really impulsive things.  Some things that, if a coaching client asked my opinion, I'd say "no way, Jose!"  Like what, you ask?  How about riding from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the California AIDS Ride when I hadn't been on a bicycle in decades.  Or the time I agreed to race a 24-hour mountain bike race even though I could barely ride a mountain bike (and had never ridden one at night).  Or building up a touring bike and riding solo self-supported around New York for 3 weeks.  Or attempting the Death Ride when all I'd been doing that season was road racing (and no long endurance).  Yup, these might all be considered crazy.....or stupid.  And sometimes the result is less than magical.  Once in a while it's amazing.  Let's hope the latter is true for my next challenge.

Less than a week ago, one of my cycling friends from my hometown of Elmira, NY, contacted me about an opportunity to join the record-holding two-tandem relay team at this year's Furnace Creek 508 on October 5th - 6th.  My initial reaction was that I would be happy to help him find someone to fill the team.  Both the riding and funding to participate in this event were beyond my grasp right now.  But somehow, over the course of a few hours during our discussions on Facebook, I agreed to do it, assuming I could find personal sponsorship to cover the expense.

So, I contacted my personal angels, folks who have supported me in my crazy dreams for many years, and thanks to the generosity Gary Brustin and Jan Medina, I funded this latest endeavor.   Now I had no excuse not to participate.

So, let me tell you what's crazy about this event.  It's called the Furnace Creek 508 (as in 508 miles).  The route begins in Santa Clarita, CA and ends in Twentynine Palms, CA, via Mojave, Death Valley, Stovepipe Wells, Furnace Creek, Badwater, and a bunch of other similarly significant-sounding desert towns.  It's one of the premier ultra-cycling events in the world.  I've known many folks who've done it in the past and they're all serious endurance bad-asses.  I see the crazy rides they do and think "why would you want to ride a bike for 20 or 30 or 40 hours at a time in the dark and the extreme heat and the rain?"  Luckily, as part of a relay team, I'll only be riding 230 miles with 17,000' of climbing.  Since I completed the Death Ride in July (125 miles with 15,000' of climbing), I could see that the mileage and elevation were within reach......if I'd actually kept my endurance up the past 6 weeks.  And, since it's a relay, there are breaks when the other team is riding.  So really, it's only 4 segments of an average of 65 or so miles, right?  I can ride 4 65-mile rides over the course of a day and a half.  No problem!

But, to add to the fun, I'll be riding this event on the back of a tandem.  With a man I've never met.  Maybe he won't notice if I'm not actually pedaling?  Yup.  A tandem.  Now, I've tandemed exactly twice in my cycling career:  once in 2002 with a man I'd gone on one date with (and decided there would not be another date after that experience) and once in 2006 with a man who was riding a tandem solo from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to the Panama Canal.  The latter filmed his adventure which was later featured at the Banff Film Festival, so I got to see myself on the big screen.  But that's not exactly the resume of someone who's ready to undertake a serious (or seriously crazy) endurance event as stoker of a tandem.

So, all the stars aligned and I just got an email welcoming me to the team.  And it all makes sense now.  I've got my work cut out for me in the next month, but I'm in good hands.  My tandem partner is the legendary Jim Ryan of Seattle.  He's a 9-time Furnace Creek 508 finisher (solo, 4-man, and 2 tandem).  He's a FC508 Hall of Fame member.  He's a FC508 record holder.  He's ridden other crazy endurance events like Race Across the West (RAW).  And he seems like a really nice guy.  In last year's race, he met his tandem partner for the first time the day before the race and they survived.  Heck, they set the record for their division.  Joining us on the other tandem are Paul Kingsbury (owner of Kingsbury's Cyclery in Elmira, NY) and his fiance Wanda Tocci.  They were the other tandem on last year's record-winning team.  I've ridden with Paul once before (not on a tandem) and he assures me we'll have a great time.  Joining us will be our support crew, also veterans of the event.  What could go wrong, right?

So, for the next month, I'll be logging the big miles.  I'll be climbing the long climbs.  I may even meet up with Jim in Oregon for a training weekend.  And I'll make sure to update this blog with training updates as I prepare for what might be the craziest, most impulsive event I've ever ridden!

Yup.  This just got real!  (gulp)

Powered by Fritos.....CCCX Mountain Bike Single Speed Win

I don't write race reports very often but what the heck!  I don't win races every day, either.

On Saturday, Team Velo Girls mountain bikers headed down to Ft. Ord (Monterey, CA) to race the final in a season-long, 8-race cross-country mountain bike series.  This long-running series is put on by by Keith DeFiebre of CCCX, and I've been racing it on + off since 2005 (when I barely knew how to ride a mountain bike).

Last year, I decided to try my hand at single speed mountain bike racing.  It seemed like a good fit for me at the time, since I couldn't race the beginner category (I'm really not a beginner) but the sport category is filled with uber-serious mountain-biking chicks whose technical skills put this roadie-who-mountain-bikes to shame.  Short mountain bike races (about 90 minutes) fit well with my weight-loss goal at the time since I wasn't able to deficit calories and ride long durations.  In 2012, I raced the first 3 races of the series and then my roadie life of coaching, racing, and training for the Death Ride got in the way.

Honestly, I don't mountain bike nearly as much as I should.  If I dust off the bike (or dust up the bike) a dozen times a season that's good for me.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy mountain biking, but it doesn't alway fit into my coaching + training schedule.  But interestingly enough, when I pulled out my mountain bike this spring, I found my technical skills were pretty good this year.  I wasn't riding as conservatively as in the past.  I'm not sure why this is, but I wasn't fighting it.  And I was feeling fit and having fun, so I looked at the race calendar and realized the only race of the season that would fit into my schedule would be the series finale in August, so I committed to racing it with my teammates.

In preparation for Saturday's race, I pulled out my Sycip single speed and did a few rides.  As suspected, I was fitter and stronger than last year.  I was able to ride a harder gear and still manage all the climbing at Arastradero Open Space Preserve on the Dirty Velo Girls rides.  It felt easier than last year.  And, with the harder gear, I was riding faster, too.  All good.

Single speed mountain biking is fun.  It presents a new challenge for me as I have to think about optimizing my gearing (not too hard because you can't climb, but not too easy because you lose time on the flats).  I have to capitalize on momentum (you can't brake on the descents leading into the uphills or you suffer on the climbs).  I have to think about when to recover so I have the energy needed for the challenging bits.  So, for someone who's ridden Arastradero for 10 years, which can get kinda boring on a geared bike, it adds a whole new element of challenge and fun.

I was excited to get out and race with our four Team Velo Girls mountain bike team members:  Julie K. Cristina, Jessica U., and Simone.  These girls have been super-active this year, racing a bunch, leading beginner rides as well as our weekly Dirty Velo Girls rides.  They've been recruiting, encouraging and supporting women who are new to the sport.  And they've had a ton of fun doing it!

I was excited to race on Saturday because it would give me an interesting perspective on how my fitness had improved in the past year and a half (since my last single speed race).

And I was excited to race just because I love racing.  I also love my friends who race mountain bikes (and don't get to see them often enough).  And I love the fun, supportive vibe at mountain bike races.

I had planned to change my gearing to a smaller, harder cog for Saturday's race, but I didn't have time this week to change the gear and test it out, so I stuck to what I had on the bike (the gear I had raced with last year).

My alarm went off at 4:00am on Saturday and I was ready to go!  I ate my usual breakfast of hot quinoa with apples, raisins, cinnamon, coconut milk, chia seeds, and coconut.  My cooler was packed and I snacked during my drive to Monterey.  I drank a couple of bottles for good measure to stay hydrated during the race.  I downed some GU Chomps and GU energy gel during my pre-ride (and during the race).

I arrived in time to pre-ride the course once on my geared bike (to progressively warm up and save my climbing legs) and then finished my hour-long warm-up on the single speed, riding the opening climbs a few times to bolster my confidence.  As I age, my warm-up is more and more important, and I find that 45-60 minutes is just about perfect.  I really liked the course:  swoopy singletrack, lots of sand to keep you alert, the awesome berm section, and lots of climbing.  I knew I could climb faster than many of the girls due to my gearing.  I was concerned with the extended flat sections because I knew I would lose time there.

And then, the familiar, standing at the line waiting for the race to begin:   smiling, laughing, chatting with friends and other racers.  All the women, regardless of age group, start together in the race, which is great, because it increases the pool of women competitors.

The opening climb felt great, although I lost time on the lead group of girls because I didn't have the gearing to keep up with them.  Bummer, as one of my goals for the race was to stick with Simone, our rock-star climber, until the first descent.  Cristina and I climbed together and I realized she had a harder gear than me.  She was climbing really well, and I started to think she would dust me on the descents and I'd never see her again.  We stayed together for the first half of the first lap, until I was able to pass another racer and lost her.  But with her harder gearing and her ninja technical skills, I kept expecting to see her right behind me again in no time.

I saw teammate Jessica ahead and made her my next target.  I caught her on a climb and we stayed together for a while until I was able to out-climb her on an extended climb near the end of the first lap (thank you SS gearing), but she was never far behind and knowing she was there kept me motivated to ride hard.  I had to dismount and run part of one long, steep climb, as Jessica inched ever closer.  With Jessica looming, I railed the descent because I knew she was at an advantage with her gearing and skills.  I'm pretty conservative and was impressed that I went balls to the wall, and then promptly bit it.  Luckily, I landed pretty softly, jumped back on the bike and jammed to keep her out of sight.  There's definitely an "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" tactical advantage to mountain bike racing so my goal was not to let her see me again.

As I started my third lap, I saw teammate Julie at the top of that stupid-steep climb.  She was my new target now, and try as I might I just couldn't catch her, but she kept me motivated through the third lap.  I passed some guys and kept pushing hard.  I got sloppy a few times and reminded myself to stay focused.   I was able to finish 30 seconds behind Julie.

I rolled into the finish, first in single speed, and ahead of about half the field of geared girls.  I felt great.  I toyed with the idea of racing again on my geared bike with the sport girls, but my schedule was tight so I passed on the idea.

All in all, a super-fun day and I met all my goals (except for sticking with Simone):

#1 -- support my teammates

#2 -- have fun

#3 -- improve on my last single speed race a year and a half ago (my average time was more than 2mph faster)

#4 -- race smart but aggressively

#5 -- don't get lapped by the fast guys

#6 -- win (yup, that was my goal)

Team Velo Girls at CCCX #8

The team had a GREAT day at CCCX!  Simone, Julie, and I took the WINS in our respective races.  Cristina picked up 2nd and Jessica placed 4th.  Simone, Julie, and Cristina also WON the series and Jessica placed 3rd overall.  Congratulations to my super-amazing teammates on a GREAT season, and thanks for letting me come out and play in the dirt with you on Saturday.

Coach Lorri Lee Lown joins staff of Specialized Women Sports Camp

Velo Girls founder + president, Lorri Lee Lown, has signed on to coach the road cycling programs at this summer's Specialized Women Sports Camp.  Now in it's third year, this unique camp, set in beautiful Lake Tahoe, CA,  includes programs for road cyclists, mountain bikers, triathletes, and runners.  In addition to focused programs for each sport, all participants can also enjoy yoga, stand-up paddleboarding, clinics on bike fit, nutrition, stretching, and social time with other women athletes.

Joining Coach Lorri on staff this year are an all-star staff of sports superstars:  mountain bike legend Marla Streb, professional triathlete Jessi Stensland, Mermaid Series founder Heidi Boynton, Darcy Norman and Amanda Carlson-Phillips of Athlete's Performance, and Anik Demers-Wild.

The Specialized Women Sports Camp was founded by Inger Norman, who's spent the past 15 years managing women's teams and sporting events, including the Luna Chix program.  In Inger's words:  "We are a group of women who are passionate about the outdoors and all the fun that comes with it.    We've experienced intimidation through lack of confidence, lack of skill, lack in training and lack of knowledge in gear.  We know how paralyzing it can be to getting out there.   That's why we created the Women Sports Camp!  We've called up our friends and brought together the best resources we knew to create the most fun, non-intimidating, empowering environment and we invite YOU to join us!"

As a special incentive to Velo Girls members and friends, please use promotional code "VeloGirlsSpcl" to receive a 5% discount on registration.

Putting My Stamp On 2013

I've often felt that the way in which you start a new year is indicative of how that year will progress.  It's a way to set your intention for the year.  So, while others were waking up this morning hungover from their New Year's Eve festivities, I was racing my bicycle at the San Bruno Mountain Hill Climb.

Since I started racing in 2002, I've never raced San Bruno.  I've been to the race a number of times, supporting the team, bringing baked goods for the officials, coaching my athletes, but for one reason or another, even though I've wanted to race it and even though I've had good fitness some years, I never did.  So this year, with a goal of focusing on road racing, I put San Bruno on my list.  I wanted to put my stamp on the year.  It was my way to say "I'm back!"

The race is a 3.7 mile climb with 1,187' of climbing.  The average grade is 6% with a couple little sections up to 10%.  The first half of the climb is on Guadalupe Canyon Road, a smoothly-paved 4-lane road with a wide shoulder and lots of exposure (so wind can play a factor).  The second half of the climb is up Radio Road, a chopped-up, bumpy service road  through San Bruno Mountain State Park.  I've ridden the course a bunch of times so I was familiar with the unique challenges of a race like this.  The weather today was good -- cold (40s and 50s) and clear with no wind on the bay side and just a slight wind on the ocean side.

Lorri at the crossover through San Bruno Mountain State Park

Now, no one will ever accuse me of being a petite flower.  I'm not a skinny climber girl.  I'm tall and will never weigh 110 pounds.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to climb.  I've ridden the Death Ride five times.  I climb everything I can.  I like long and steep and painful climbs.  But I'm not a fast climber.  Even when I was younger and lighter I wasn't a fast climber.  But I still love it.  I knew from my pre-ride times that I would be nowhere near the race leaders.  But my goal was to get out there.  Actually, that was my secondary goal.  My primary goal was to get some of my new Team Velo Girls racers out there.

You see, we haven't had much going on in the road racing scene for a couple of years.  I've watched women's racing development decline in Northern California the past few years, too.  So, this season, I'm committed to changing that.  I've recruited an awesome team of 12 racers, ranging in age from 27 to 50 (and I'm not the oldest!) who are fun and excited to race together as a team.  It's the first time since our inaugural team in 2002 that I've got an entire team of new (or almost new) racers to coach.  They're all excited about learning a new sport.  We've had a great fall training together and the women are anxious to start racing together.

Unfortunately, I injured my back a month ago (in yin yoga of all places).  I rode through it with a 4-day climbfest at Thanksgiving (Hamilton, Diablo, Tam, and San Bruno) and then a 3-day training camp in San Luis Obispo.  But for most of December, I was off the bike, with the exception of two very short, very easy rides.  My back is now healed but my body has de-trained significantly in the past month.  And while I'm disappointed not to be in good fitness for the race, I put it in perspective -- today was more about participating than winning.  And I rode okay, coming in less than a minute over my time goal.

So today, Tiina, Oralia, and I raced San Bruno and Leslie and Winnie came out to support and cheer.  It was a super-fun day.  Everyone learned a lot and did really well.  Tiina finished just off the podium in her very first race ever (and she is a skinny little climber girl).  Oralia flew up the hill finishing strong, also in her first race.  And I rolled across the line with a great big smile and my hands in the air in my own personal victory salute.

Tiina, Lorri, and Oralia 

And then we toasted to the new year and the new team with some Martinelli's sparkling apple cider.  It's going to be an exciting year.  We're going to have a great team and I predict that we'll win a bunch of races, too.  We're going to have fun.  And we'll keep toasting to races raced, lessons learned, and opportunities for growth.

How did you put your stamp on 2013?  Did you do something today that's related to your goals for the year?

beauty + balance + intimacy

As a small business owner, I find myself (like other small business owners) sometimes doing more "business" than actual coaching. Year-end is always super-busy for me in this respect -- finalizing all the details for Velo Girls (the club + the team), membership renewal, securing sponsors, publishing my Savvy Bike coaching calendar, and (this year) trying to launch two new websites. I've spent an inordinate amount of time riding my desk instead of riding my bike.

Today I spent the day in my mobile office (aka Honda Element) with meetings that took me from San Jose to Carmel Valley to Santa Cruz. Along the way, I snapped a few images, the best of which I want to share with you.

While I would have rather been riding my bike today, the miles in the car reminded me of the many things I LOVE about riding. I love the people I've met, the places I've been, and the things I've seen. Today I was awestruck with the amazing beauty that is California. I saw winter hills, redwoods, Spanish moss, mistletoe, California live oak, eucalyptus, and madrones. I saw farmers' fields, a sandy beach, and country roads. I crossed the path of cows, horses, deer, peacocks, hawks, skunks, and a wild boar (still roaming Carmel Valley Road where I last saw him 3 or 4 years ago).

We're blessed to live here and experience this beautiful state in such an intimate way -- on the saddle of a bicycle.

do you know the way to Monterey?

If you've been around the bike world long enough, then you know all about Sea Otter Classic, the fabulously fun festival of all things bike, with racing, demos, a HUGE vendor expo, and lots of fun events, held annually each spring in Monterey, CA. Some folks plan their spring calendar around Sea Otter and attend year after year. It's definitely an event to add to your calendar if you've never been.

Last year I was contracted by Sea Otter to coordinate their first-ever Ladies Day. We filled the day with free rides, clinics, a panel discussion, and a yummy wine + chocolate reception. Industry companies large and small stepped up to support the event and the cast of presenters was pretty incredible, including women from throughout the bike industry -- athletes, product managers, coaches, and designers.

This year, we'll be back with an expanded program of women's outreach activities, including group rides, brown bag lunches, hosted happy hours, and another amazing panel discussion (and, of course, a wine + chocolate reception). The schedule is set and I'm working on presenters, ride leaders, and other professionals to put together awesome events just for women!

In addition, I'll also be directing a really special women's camp in Monterey in March -- the Sea Otter Classic Women's Escape Weekend! We just broke the news about this program and registrations are already coming in. These lucky women, both mountain bikers and road cyclists, will have a weekend away in magical Monterey filled with rides, clinics, seminars and lots of "girl time."

You'll find more about the Sea Otter Classic Women's Escape Weekend here:

http://www.seaotterclassic.com/index.cfm/womens_clinic.htm

Won't you join us in March in Monterey?

if life had a dimmer switch

I don't typically write about personal stuff on my public blog, but I want to share this for a number of reasons.  First, if you've been wondering what makes me tick, this might help you understand me a bit better.  Second, I've shared this advice many times with my clients, yet I never considered it relevant for me until now.  I'm hoping these thoughts might speak to some of you as well.  Who knows, this could save you thousands of dollars in therapy!  And lastly, I'm sharing this because I'm owning it (which is HUGE for me).

*******************************************************

I experienced an epiphany yesterday.  To those who know me well, this is probably not a surprise.  To those who know only my "public" persona, you may or may not be surprised.  To me, the realization was life-changing.

My fatal flaw is that I've lived my life in a very ALL or NOTHING way.  I trace this back to my childhood.  It's a flaw of many over-achievers.  When we swing THAT HIGH, there's a complementary LOW swing to balance it out.  Some folks experience this daily, some less frequently.

I saw this trait in my mother.  She was very ALL or NOTHING.  And when she couldn't live her life at the ALL end of the spectrum, she checked out completely.  I don't want to let that happen to me.

So this begs the question, "why can't we be moderate, balanced, mediocre?"

I've been driven throughout my life to be first, best, only.  I didn't see the point in participating if you couldn't win.  I never understood how someone was happy with a B when there was an A possible.  I was the Girl Scout who wanted every single merit badge.  I was never drawn to a career where I would be just another body, just another number in the rank + file.  I've lived my life trying to be unique and special and outstanding.

So I struggle with this -- in my personal life, my athletic life, my business-owner life, in my ENTIRE life.  I've had no consistency.  I go great guns until something, some hurdle, presents itself, and then I swing to the opposite end of the spectrum and surrender.  This hurdle might be an injury or illness, it might be a change in relationship or friendship, it might be a particularly challenging business situation.  I let it get to me -- to stop me.

I'm sure some of you can empathize.  When there are 500 emails in my inbox, it's overwhelming and I don't know where to begin.  When I'm at a low with fitness (or a high with weight) what difference does it make if I have some ice cream or don't work out for one more day?  Unless I can throw myself at a project 100% (or more) why should I even participate?  So instead of living a moderate life, I operate on hyper-drive or I participate in destructive thoughts and actions.

So as I analyze this, I always thought that what I needed was a way to manage the hurdles -- to create a support system to help me through the challenging times.  But now, I'm starting to believe what I really need is the ability to manage my energy so that I can MODERATE myself.  I don't need to swing to both ends of the spectrum -- it's tiring and counter-productive.

Because as we age, as we continue to live life, the hurdles seem to increase in frequency, intensity, and duration.  And the resultant lows are lower.

For someone who was raised to over-achieve, to "shoot for the stars," this is a HUGE paradigm shift.  I've always wondered how some people can be so content in life with mediocrity - in job, family, sport, education.  But upon further examination, I realize that what they have is not mediocrity, but consistency and balance.  I'm starting to think that's not such a bad thing.  It's freeing.  I can't express the sense of relief I feel giving myself permission to JUST BE ME.

The good news is that I think I've been turning in this direction for the past few years.  I've experienced some significant change in my life and have been heading in this direction without quite knowing the destination.  And now, it's all become quite clear.

Life isn't simply BLACK or WHITE.  GRAY is okay.

It's not ALL or NOthing.  SOMEthing is just fine, too.

Maybe I'll print that eloquent quote on magnets and share it with my friends, clients, and teammates who suffer from the same over-achieving, self-destructive tendencies.

corner office with a view

This past weekend we premiered a new clinic: Bike Touring 101. The goal of this clinic is to introduce cyclists to all the opportunities available in cyclo-touring and then to support them on a short two-day excursion. The clinic included a two-hour pre-trip seminar that covered all the ins + outs of various types of touring, bikes, equipment, clothing, etc.

The weekend started Saturday morning in Woodside where we loaded all the bikes and headed out for the coast to our evening destination: Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel. Of course, this meant a trip up and over Skyline. With loaded bikes, no personal records were set on Old La Honda, but the extra weight on the bikes made for smooth sailing all the way down to San Gregorio. On Sunday, we returned to Woodside through farmlands and redwoods. In between, we feasted on local produce, specialities like Olallieberry pie, visited local highlights like the San Gregorio General Store, the Harley Goat Farm, and even had lunch at the world-famous Alice's Restaurant.

The weather was simply perfect: warm, sunny, and clear skies on both Saturday and Sunday. Sitting in the hot tub at the hostel during an amazing sunset on Saturday evening was a rare delight (no fog!). We cooked an amazing dinner on Saturday evening from local foods gathered in Pescadero and everybody slept well at the warm + cozy hostel.

This clinic is definitely a keeper, and I've already started planning more advanced options for 2012.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the weekend:

holiday decorations in La Honda

unique signage at Harley Goat Farms

Jan, happy that the climbing is over and the goat cheese is beginning!

lovely goat cheese

the historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse

post-ride zen

the perfect ending to a perfect day

*************************************************************************

Next up is a late addition to the coaching calendar:  co-ed Bike Skills 301 (pacelines + group riding) on Sunday, November 6th.  There's still time to register so come learn how to play nice with others on the bike!

unless you're riding in a bubble

YOU need this! You NEED this! You need THIS! what IS this? THIS is group riding skills and who better to teach you how to play nice with others than the expert coaches of Velo Girls Coaching Services!

Just this weekend at our Bike Skills 101 clinic, I was having a conversation with a number of participants about our upcoming co-ed Bike Skills 301 (pacelines + group riding) clinic. One of them stated that she would never ride in a paceline, even though she rides on her husband's wheel all the time. Another stated that he loves riding centuries and would love to ride them faster but doesn't like riding in close proximity to other riders. And yet another stated that he pacelines all the time but doesn't always trust the riders he rides with.

Bike Skills 301 (pacelines + group riding skills) is the PERFECT clinic for all three of these cyclists (and probably for you, too)! Why? Because whether or not you ever race your bike, you'll have the opportunity to ride with other riders at some point in your cycling career. Group riding is FUN! Group riding will help you ride longer and faster. And if you learn the skills, you'll be a safer rider and can share your knowledge with your friends and other folks with whom you ride.

First, we teach you the science behind pacelining -- draft theory. We teach you about energy savings and how to find the ideal position in relationship to other riders. We teach you how to find the wind (and how to protect yourself from it).

Then, we teach you how to be safe when pacelining -- communication skills, how to safely position yourself and how to modulate your speed without having a negative impact on other riders.

And then we take it all out on the road and work on group riding skills, starting with two-rider partner drills and progressing to various types of pacelines and echelons.

So, unless you're riding in a bubble, you'll have lots of opportunities to ride with other riders, which means lots of opportunities to ride faster, longer, and safer by utilizing group riding skills.

Our last co-ed Bike Skills 301 clinic of 2011 will be held on November 6th in Woodside. I would highly encourage you to come and add some skills to your cycling toolbox. Bring your teammates, friends, or significant other so you can learn together and reinforce your learning. Register by October 30th and save $20!

Click here for NOW: Bike Skills 301 Registration

cycling symphonic

Little-known fact: I was a pretty darn good musician in a former life. I attended Ithaca College on a full music scholarship. My major was the oboe, but I played all the woodwinds, French horn, mallets, keyboards, and sang. Music was my life -- my everything. I had planned to be a professional oboist with a symphony orchestra. It was a crazy-risky career choice for a girl from a poor, working-class family. But somehow, my parents were very supportive of this goal.

By an odd twist of fate, coupled with a healthy dose of performance anxiety and a case of cold feet, I changed my degree program a couple of times and graduated with a BFA in Theatre Management. That was career #1 for me and I managed professional theatres for the first 13 years of my career. That was also the career that brought me to California back in 1997.

Music is still a HUGE part of my life. I have more than 12,000 songs of all genres in my iTunes library and that doesn't include all the cassette tapes I've never converted or replaced. I listen to music from the moment I awake until the moment I go to sleep. I listen in my home, in my car, in my office, and while I'm sitting on my roof-top deck. It's the soundtrack of my life. But the one place I DON'T listen to music is while I'm riding my bicycle.

When I ride my bike, I want to connect fully with my environment. I want to see, hear, and smell the world around me. I want to unplug from the technology that pervades every waking moment of my life. I want to take myself off the grid, without distractions of phone, text, email, or facebook. I want to immerse myself into the sensory experience of riding my bicycle in the great big wide open world.

The debate of whether or not cyclists should listen to music while riding is in the same league as the Campy/Shimano debate, the Hatfields and the McCoys, or Democrat versus Republican. Cyclists get pretty emotional and passionate in their opinion about this. I'll just suffice to say that in California, the vehicle code (which also governs bicycles) states that you can wear one earbud when riding a bicycle.

When I listen to music, I listen with every part of my brain.....with every part of my being. It actually makes it challenging to focus on certain types of work (like reading and writing) so I have to be very careful how loudly I'm listening to my music and what types of music I listen to. I have a mix called "mindless music" that is comprised of jazz, classical, and other types of music that I won't find myself really listening to (or trying to sing along with). But even then, I realize that I'm easily distracted by the music in the background.

I was listening to a new download tonight -- Peter Gabriel's New Blood (Special Edition) which is superb and you should check it out. I allowed myself the luxury (and distraction) of playing it on my Apple TV through the sound bar on my television (which has phenomenal sound quality). I felt myself being transported into a place of familiarity (with lyrics I remember from 20 years ago) and emotion (with the orchestral + operatic qualities). It was an all-encompassing experience and I wasn't able to keep working.

And, in that moment, I realized that because I get so focused and involved with the music I listen to, it wouldn't be prudent of me to ride while I listen. I can lose myself in music. When I ride I need to focus 100% of my attention on my environment. I need to think about other road users, the terrain, and my own state of physical being. When listening to music, using every bit of gray matter I've got, there's nothing left to be alert and aware when I'm riding.

So yeah, I've always thought I just wanted to escape technology (and that's true), but the reality is that music is such a complete sensory experience for me that there would be nothing left to pedal my bicycle safely.

How about you? Do you listen to music while you ride?

ps -- this image has nothing to do with this blog post but I was searching for related images about music and cycling and the brain and happened upon this happy guy and wanted to share it!