NPR and Coffee

Yep, that pretty much sums up my morning! I didn't get sh*t done this weekend, other than ride, since I was pretty much pooped when I got home from my long rides. Yep, I'm basetraining in November. For a race in . . . May? Jeez, what a dork.

So I'm skipping my morning class (bummer, since it's pretty much my favorite class!) to do laundry and try to bring some order to my life/house/self.

And I spent so much time on my bike this weekend because I bit the bullet and hired a coach! Lisa Hunt at Whole Athlete. I'm going down there in a couple of weeks to get all set-up and meet her and chit chat and whatever else it is they do there. I'm currently giving plasma to be able to afford it. Haha, no, not yet, but we'll see! I am selling a bike - my first road bike, too! Sniff sniff, ah, the centuries I've ridden on that bike . . . Wildflower, Death Ride . . . uhh, a couple others, too. But seriously, this coaching thing? I'm super stoked on it and feeling like it's probably the best thing I've ever done for myself. So yay!

Lazy Saturday Morning.

I have teammates at the USGP in New Jersey, at Hellyer, and tonight racing night 'cross at Sierra Point. Uhhh, I'm not doing any of that. Woke up, went out to breakfast with my mom, did a little shopping, and now I think I'm going to go take a nap. So, I feel kinda lame, but at the same time just soooo happy to have a day off from life. Anyways, between the kitties and the doggy and the bed-hog that sleeps next to me I didn't get enough sleep last night. Later maybe a nice bike ride on this beautiful sunny Saturday in November, I'm thinking maybe a nice climb up Geigar Grade. Tomorrow I have a super duper ladies' group ride with some of Reno's finest, so that's fun. Uhhh, I think that's all. Maybe a little bike maintence, a little homework, and I'm seriously thinking of cooking a quiche for dinner. Either that or sushi, since I haven't been out for sushi for like, 2 years, and I've been getting a craving for it.

I'm throwing this picture up because I just found it on my camara from Cross Vegas and I think it's actually kind of cool, even though it's just got some random dude in it.

Racey reports

Whew. My legs still hurt from this weekend.

Saturday was a local Sagebrush series race, although it was a lot different than usual because it was an NCNCA cup race. What that meant for me was that I wouldn't be the only women's A, and we wouldn't be racing with the boys. Of course, it takes a pretty die-hard 'crosser to drive over to Reno for a race (in the snow and what not) so the five women who showed up to race A's were pretty much hella fast. Stella Carey, Kathleen and Mary Ann (who ride for Hunter) and Sarah Piccolo. I raced with Sarah last year at the first Sagebrush race of the year held up at North Star, and I actually beat her by like, 6". This time I was lucky to be hanging to her wheel for the first 4 laps. Stella pretty much rode away from everyone immediately, the Hunter girls were together and just a little ways ahead of me and Sarah, who kept dropping me over the barriers and on the gnar run-up. Like, I've been running lately, why do I suck so much at it in races??? Maybe I'm just not suffering enough. Right. Anyway, I was actually pretty stoked with the race because: A. It was a hellla fun course, and B. I actually had those Hunter girls in my sights for the first couple of laps, plus I hung with Sarah for quite a while. So I was DFL, but okay with that, because I beat all the masters and B's. Haha, yeah, way to go, Mare. Anyway, aftewards I actually set up my trainer to cool down while watching the guys race. I'm not usually that diciplined. Weird.

Warming up. Happy, before the pain.

Sweet panoramic shot, courtesy of Nicholas Connolly.

Me, hanging on for dear life.

After the race on Saturday I drove down to my dad's house in Grass Valley to minimize my driving on Sunday for the Sacramento CX race - also an NCNCA cup race. Anyway, me and my doggie arrived at Discovery park with plenty of time for warm-up and reg and preriding the course (well, the dog didn't do that stuff, I guess). The course was hard. Like, Cross Vegas hard, with lots and lots of flat grass. Yeah, so, long story short, today I wasn't DFL, but I sure did suck a lot. I was super tired from Saturday, and was just happy I didn't get caught by the master's and B's who started after us. Well, one B pretty much caught me at the end, but it was teammate Beth coming in for a big win!!! So that was cool, and I didn't mind being caught by her. So, second to last for me. Blah. Next time. It was fun, and I didn't fall in the mud under the bridge where it smelled like people peed all the time. Haha, yeah, that was my goal for the day (to not fall in that stinky mud) and I managed to pull it off, so yay me! Anyway, Bella Katie came down to watch and cheer, and it was nice seeing her and Beth.

Now I'm off to work. Yes, work on Veteren's Day. Wish I worked for the Post Office or something... :)

Pay rent or race my bike?

Maybe it's not so simple as that, but I'm currently thinking about hiring a coach. See, I have a great deal of trouble making decisions for myself, especially when it comes to training. So I'm looking around for a coach. Seems like it's going to end up costing me about as much as I pay for rent (which is ridiculously low for rent, yet seems like a lot of money for someone telling me when and how to ride my bike.) Hmmm. . .

Yay Obama!

Here's to democracy!!!

Belated comments on a rad weekend.

Wacky weekend. Totally devoid of bike racing, but still pretty radical. (yes, I said radical)

Uh, so, Friday was Nevada Day! Oddly enough Nevada Day falls on Halloween. I'm sure they weren't thinking of that when they admitted Nevada to the Union in 18whatever-year-that-was but it works out pretty conveniently, wouldn'tcha say? People who grew up here all say that they thought Halloween was a federal holiday 'cause they didn't have to go to school. Anyway, no school, but sadly Sinclair Imports doesn't place the importance on Nevada Day that UNR does, so I still had to work. Got home and got all dressed up in my Dorothy costume. Cody was the Scarecrow. It was pretty cute. Went to a couple of parties and then took a cab home (hell, it's pretty much a once-a-year sort of event that we both drink too much to drive). A friend of ours put on a pretty radical (there it is again!) haunted house.

Awww . . . Toto's licking himself . . .

Anyway, next day Cody had to work so I cleaned up the hay (Scarecrow tracked hay everywhere he went) and went for a ride in some lousy weather. It was kinda wet (not pourint, but the roads were wet and it was raining off and on) and suuuper windy - I almost got taken out by a tumble weed, and was engulfed in blowing leaves and debris a number of times. I only saw 3 other people out and about - 2 pros and one of my favorite local old guys. :) I think most people were sitting Saturday out. Anyway, we had a couple of friends from Bend and my pops coming over on Saturday night 'cause I had bought us all tickets to Neil Young and Death Cab for Cutie! Wooeey! Long story short, Death Cab was great, and then Neil came on, and I pretty much forgot about DeathCab. He played for 2 1/2 hrs and, with such a repertoire as he has it's pretty much impossible to not play something great. So, yeah, totally amazing. Best. Concert. Ever.

Tried, and failed, to capture just how windy it was on Saturday.

On Sunday we were pretty pooped, and it had poured all night on Saturday, but we dragged our butts out of bed and drove down to ride Thomas Creek Trail. This is pretty much the best ride in Reno w/out driving to Tahoe. It was in killer shape after all the rain. Suuuper tacky and fun and gorgeous up there, too. Ran the dog (and ourselves) for 3 hours - it suuure was nice to be on the mountain bike again.

Pretty fall colors, pretty fall puppy.

Yeah, anyway, I guess that's it. Next weekend's a full weekend of 'cross! Hopefully it isn't snowing!!!