DURANGO...here we come!

Will Kelsay and I will be heading down to D-town this afternoon for a few days of rockin' mountain biking and good times with Shonny, Mary, Blake and Lisa in their hometown. This is a great opportunity for me to really get my skills dialed in and start putting in some serious speed on the downhills and technical sections. If I can stay rubber side down, I'm hoping to come home with a big boost of confidence and a lot of things to practice back in Boulder! Oh, and we're bringing the video camera so there could be some ridiculous video footage coming...especially with two 6+hr drives!!!

On another note, good luck to those racing mtb in Winter Park today (Tom, Sasha, etc) and the boys racing in the USPRO Time Trial and Road Race in Greenville, SC today and tomorrow :)

'Yeeeaaahhh, Booooyyyyeeeee'

If you're gonna stay out until 2:30 in the morning, there better be a good reason for it! Last night was an exceptionally valid reason...Public Enemy was playing at the Boulder Theater in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention. After several mediocre performances, PE finally came on around midnight and played an absolutely amazing show. Since Tom had purchased our tickets before they announced it was being supported by the DNC and would be free, we got to be one of the first people through the door putting us front and center for the entire night!!! It was freakin' AWESOME! Check out the link below for more fun pics...I mean, seriously, how cool is it that I got to touch Flava Flav's and Chuck D's hands :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=27839&id=766329333&ref=mf

The foot and road biking

I'm pretty sure there isn't anything broken in the foot and as a matter of fact, it actually felt great until I tried running on it this morning...grrrr. I think it just needs some more TLC and a few more days off the pounding so it can fully heal. Maybe even some aqua jogging and ellipticaling!!!!

Since we haven't received our new road bikes this year, I have neglected to actually touch my old one since this winter as it needs some serious work done to it so it rides smoothly. However, Matt and I decided to take a little ride in the rain the other day which was actually quite enjoyable.

Flat within first 5min of ride

We were those idiots on the road taking pictures

A sad attempt at 'Blue Steel' and 'Magnum' :)

Birthdays, BBQs, Chipmunks & Foot Issues

This Friday was the big 24 for me and it was the perfect birthday weekend (minus the small foot debacle, but I'll get to that later). Changed the oil in the motorcycles with Shep, went for a little MTB ride, then hit up the Rio for a delicious mango margarita and some good company. After a lazy day and a ride with Andrew that ended in a torrential rain storm, Jon had a BBQ at our place that produced some good laughs, mostly from the fact that Mark caught a chipmunk in his garage that he named Chippy and brought him over in a cat cage to release him here.

There was also the eating of a giant DQ ice cream cake that was ohhhhh so good :)

Did a nice road ride early Sunday morning followed by the dreaded 10am masters that was actually quite pleasant! I also went to the mall for the first time in ummmm...a year, and got some tanks and jeans. Oh good times. Now I'm trying to organize my day around this silly bone scan I need to get on my foot - long story short - went running on Friday, 45min into run I have a giant shooting pain go through the bottom of my foot making it nearly impossible to walk. I go to the doc and he wants me to get an MRI that day, but my stubborn self is convinced that it will be fine by Monday so I just tell him I'll wait and see. Still hurts like hell so I guess I'm going to have to see what's wrong...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

XTERRA Mountain Championship Race Report

August 16th, 2008

Ogden, Utah
1st AG, 2nd Amateur

After the numerous issues leading up to the race (being sick for over a week, hospital visits to get stitched up from having sticks jammed through my leg, etc), I was ready to have a relaxed and stress free race that would be solely for training and FUN!!! When we woke up race morning, the weather was absolutely perfect, I felt as good as I could considering the situation and the fact that I was on antibiotics, but definitely ready to enjoy the day. The race was a set up as a 'point to point' so we headed to the top of the mountain to set up T2 first then back down to the reservoir to set up T1, warm up and get the show on the road.

The Swim - it was an usual situation as the water temp was just on the border for age groupers to wear wetsuits but not for the pros. Since the water was pretty warm, I wasn't really sure what to do. I didn't want to overheat, but at the same time, why not wear the wetsuit and just swim easier but go the same speed I would if I wasn't wearing it...so that's what I ended up doing. Not the best swim of my life, but I felt really good when I got out and although I had issues getting out my suit in transition, I'm happy with my decision to take it easier as it was going to be a long haul to the finish.

The Bike - up, up, up we go. The course was designed to climb from the bottom of the reservoir to the top of Snowbasin Ski Resort, then descend about 10min to the main lodge where T2 was located. On that note, there was A LOT of climbing...over 3000ft to give you a better idea. As soon as I got on the bike, I tried to stay with some of the faster girls that I knew would eventually drop me like I was standing still, but it was good for me to see where I need to be if I want to start riding like a rockstar. After a few minutes, I decided that it was not a smart thing for me to do since I was already starting to feel fatigued and just needed to go MY pace. I finished the bike going at what I felt was a solid, yet conservative pace, but knew I hadn't consumed hardly any fluids or food. My tummy just wasn't right and I just didn't want to deal with forcing anything down...I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN...

The Run - Even though the final 10min of riding were downhill, my legs were still pretty smashed from all the climbing and the first 1.5miles of the run were STRAIGHT uphill and the absolute last thing my poor legs wanted to battle. At this point, I knew I was the first amateur and all I needed to do was get through the run as efficiently as possible. From the lack of nutrition on the bike, I was starting to feel delirious and somewhat nauseated. I had a bottle of water in my hand but was so focused on just getting to the finish that I didn't even take a sip. About 3/4 through, I was feeling so smashed that I even tripped on my own foot and fell flat on my face. That's when I heard someone behind me asking me if I was okay. It was the second place female and she was running hard. I immediately got up and started running as fast as my depleted body would allow and until about 50 meters from the finish line I was on my way to another Championship win, but I was pipped at the line and ended up in second.

Lessons learned - after ending up in the med tent with severe dehydration and quite the traumatic experience (see previous post for more details), it finally dawned on me that I was a complete moron for even thinking about racing, much less putting my body through what I did in the race. I NEVER want to feel like I did when I crossed that finish line ever again. After a long chat with the coach and lots of reflection, I have a much better outlook on my health and have promised to be more honest with myself and make smarter decisions about races that are not as important as say Nationals, or Worlds. Learning is all part of the game and it's been quite the adventure this year, but I'm going to use it throughout my career as a staple for making wise decisions.

For a cool video of the race check out this link - http://www.xterra.tv/?video_id=2113

A trauma filled weekend…

Getting really sick last week was definitely a big shock to the system, but this weekend was by far the icing on the cake! While pre-riding the bike course with Will and Ryan Thursday afternoon, I crashed and fell off the trail straight into a whole bunch of rocks and branches. Once my bike and I stopped rolling down, I got up and saw a fairly large branch stuck in the side of my leg. I immediately yanked it out and it started profusely bleeding. I screamed for the boys to come help me out and we all agreed that we should head to the hospital. The worst part about the whole crash was that the course had been mismarked and we weren’t even on the actual race course! Grrrr. Below are some pictures Will took while I was getting the works done at the ER. He was so very intrigued by the numbing, cleaning, stitching, etc. It was pretty funny!

Friday was a pretty uneventful day, thank goodness, with the usual pre-race swim/bike/run, packet pick up, group dinner, and last minute bike issue routine. Since the doctor put me on antibiotics and gave me this skin tight tape-like stuff to put over my leg, I got the okay to race. However, I wasn’t going to make that decision until I knew I could run and bike. I fell pretty hard and was super sore, not to mention covered with bruises, so I wasn’t sure how it would go. After a quick jog in the morning with CJ and a loop of the upper section on the bike later on, there was only minor gushing of the puncture from opening the stitch, but nothing too terrible…SO GAME ON!!!

You’ll get the detailed race report later, but here’s the general gist. Had a decent swim, tried to stay with some of the super fast women on the bike, but just couldn’t hang (remember, I didn’t do ANYTHING last week so I was flat as hell), then got out sprinted to the finish for the overall amateur win. UGH. After that was ALL downhill L I got really dizzy so Ryan took me to the medical tent were I began blacking in and out and eventually started convulsing and going numb everywhere. My heart rate was through the roof and my blood pressure and temp were dropping like crazy. Luckily, Kate was there to get me through the worst part along with every medical personnel at the tent. I literally thought I was going to die as I couldn’t breathe, everything was shaking like crazy and I couldn’t feel anything in my body. They immediately flipped me upside down, got an IV started and wrapped me in that crazy foil blanket to keep me warm. After an hour or so of sheer hell, I finally started to calm down with the help of Kate, Ryan and Will and ended up going through 2 bags of fluid. That was probably one of the scariest things I have ever experienced and will definitely be on my mind the next time I’m not consuming enough fluids while racing.

When we got back, I really didn’t have much of an appetite and felt pretty crappy, but once we got to the awards ceremony and met up with all our friends, things were starting to get better. We ended up going bowling until 1am which was a blast but woke up 3hrs later to get to the airport to catch a flight back home with CJ. Definitely feeling the effects of putting my body through absolute hell, but plan on taking some down time this week and really start focusing on my mountain biking!

Big props to everyone else who kicked butt in Ogden as well. Branden finished a stellar 6^th and just seconds from the podium, Ignatz was top 10, Will sneaked in to get a paycheck for the day in 12^th while Christine was 11^th in the women’s race. Also having great results were DeCook, Matt, Kate and Spencer!

As always, check out the 'My Pics' link on the right for all the fun pictures from the weekend!

On the mend and to Ogden I go

No West Nile, no Giardia, no crazy parasites eating me alive and nothing outrageously abnormal with me other than the obvious :) Although I would love to have known why in the world I felt like I did last week, I guess it's a good thing it wasn't something too serious.

I'm still feeling very tired and fatigued, but every day seems to be better and better so I have made the choice to head out to Ogden, Utah tomorrow morning in hopes of racing the XTERRA Mountain Championships on Saturday. I will pre-ride and run the course then make the decision to race on Friday depending on how I feel. Regardless, I will be out there to enjoy being with great friends and support everyone who has always been there for me. If I do race, I will try my darndest not to have ANY expectations other than have a good time...much harder said than done, but I'm always up for a good challenge!

To the Mormon capital of the world I go....WHOOOOAAAA!!!

Pulling the plug is never easy

At times, having a life where everything always runs smoothly and perfectly seems quite appealing. No stress, no worries, no issues, no pain, ever...seriously, who wouldn't want to live that like? When things aren't going my way and times are tough, the thought of living without any of that crap sounds amazing. However, it's the small and sometimes large bumps in life that build character and make you a stronger individual. It's the broken bones, the asshole boyfriends, the family tragedies, and all the other difficult adventures life takes us on that continually build strength in each and every one of us. Yeah, it sucks while its happening, and it may even bring back a tear or two in reflection, but in most cases the reward for the suffering is well worth it.

Why am I bringing this up you ask. Well, this past week was both a big challenge and quite an experience for me. Waking up for 5 consecutive days without the ability to get out of bed much less think or eat because my body was is in a world of hate is no fun. Not physically being able to do the things that make me smile on a daily basis (i.e. training, working, hanging out with friends) is even more frustrating. Pulling the plug on a race I was really looking forward to is even tougher. I live for experiences, both positive and negative. I feel that every experience teaches some sort of lesson and learning is part of life. This week was full of lessons on patience, listening to my body and managing stress. GOOD STUFF!!!

Seeing the doc again tomorrow to get more results back so hopefully we'll figure out what has been causing the fatigue, loss in appetite, headaches, stiff neck, etc. I am feeling much better than I have all week, so maybe my body kicked whatever got me itself! YES, I will take it easy and get back to things slowly. With the input from JZ and the docs, the decision to race in Ogden this Saturday will be made right before I have to leave on Thursday. This give me time to recharge and be confident about my physical abilities. Stay tuned :)

Keith Meyer is a ROCKSTAR!!!

Some of you already know, but I haven't really been feeling all that great recently. After the race on Saturday things took a sharp turn in the wrong direction and I have not been right ever since. I woke up with a severe headache, stomach ache, stiff neck, zero appetite and pretty much felt like death. I have done ZERO training since the race (yes, 5 whole days) and eaten very little due to the lack of appetite and feel like I'm withering away by the minute. I had blood work done the other day and still waiting for the remainder of the results. No, I'm not over trained as most people would immediately assume as I took most of last week off as well because of not feeling right. When I'm not hungry and can't physically get out of bed because my head hurts so bad, it's definitely a sign of something other than over training. I'll keep you all updated on the health front but in the meantime, I have to say thanks and give kudos to one of the coolest dude's I know!

As I was coming home yesterday, I see a giant unexpected package sitting at my front door. Hmmm...I open it up and BABAM...

The best goody box from Trader Joe's EVER!!! WOW...I was completely speechless. It had just about everything I would have hand picked myself. Probably one of my ultimate favorite stores, TJ is an amazing grocer that they refuse to build out here in Colorado. I am 100% in love with where I live and so fortunate for the giant playground in my backyard, but if there was one thing I could change, it would definitely be having a Trader Joe's within driving distance. Unfortunately I don't think it's going to happen so I'll just have to keep stocking up when I'm out of state and begging for care packages from friends and family :) Haha...just kidding! Anyway, THANK YOU so much Keith. That honestly turned my day completely around. Can't wait to see you in September when you're killin' it in Wisconsin!!!

XTERRA Indian Peaks Race Report

1K Swim, 18K Bike, 6.3K Run
Eldora Ski Resort, Colorado - 9500ft
1st Amateur, 2nd Overalll

Ahhh...sleeping in my own bed, eating my usual breakfast, driving only 40min up a beautiful canyon...it's kinda nice racing close to home :)

Everything started off smoothly with the packing of the moto and meeting Sasha at the court house at 6:30am. We drove up to the Eldora Ski Resort with no troubles and arrived in plenty of time to set up, warm up and watch the La Sportiva 10K run begin and end. I was already feeling a bit off and not having much of an appetite so I wasn't able to get much down before the race...it was going to be less than 2hrs so I really wasn't worried. Was it the altitude again?

Swim - BRRRRRRRRRRR...at 9500ft, no matter how big or small the body of water, it's gonna be cold...and it was. I guess the faster you go, the faster you can get out of it, right? After all limbs went numb, I was finding a good rhythm and sighting the best course I think I've ever swam. After getting pulled out of the slick exit, I found my shoes in the giant pile outside the lake, ripped off my wetsuit and began the 650m dash to transition. It's pretty hard running straight uphill on rocky terrain carrying your wetsuit but I loved it...true XTERRA style!

Bike - I geared up and headed out on the course as quickly as possible. After not training hardly at all the week leading up to the race I was unsure how I would feel out there. I planned on starting off easy and gradually building into race pace throughout. Unfortunately, the course was poorly marked and right off the bat I made a wrong turn with some other people and after realizing it, turned right around and tried to get back on course immediately...this wrong turn and one other early in the ride definitely spiked my heart rate and I ended up getting frustrated and going harder than I wanted for the first half. Luckily most of the final sections were all super fun downhill trails so I was able to relax a bit before heading on the run. With a better marked course, this is definitely going to be one of the best bike courses on the XTERRA circuit for sure :)

Run - Had a very quick transition and was out on the run course in no time. Because it was a time trial start, I wasn't quite sure my exact standing in the race, but I didn't know that of the few girls who got in the water before me, I had passed 3 of them on the bike and was certain that at least 1 or two were still behind me on the run. After hitting the short out and back section, I saw a few girls who I had passed on the bike in front of me on the run...hmmmm...I got a little frazzled and just pushed harder. Then, like last weekend in Crested Butte, I began to get another slosh in my belly. I had not taken but 3 sips from my bottle on the entire bike and hadn't consumed anything on the run that far. What in the world? Since it was only 6.3K, I really didn't think about it, just tried to ignore it as much as possible and get to the finish line. After making a sharp turn out of some tall grass, I could see the finish and the never-ending run was finally over.

The Madness - Turns out there was one section on the bike that a lot of people went straight instead of right at making the course about 15min faster. They issued penalties to those whose times were 'obviously' wrong, but for others, it was up to them to fess up or have others who know their ability say something. It was definitely not a pretty end to a race but things happen and not everything can always go perfectly.

The Outcome - After all the penalties were issued, I ended up being the first amateur and 2nd overall to Melanie McQuaid. I was also the 20-24 Triple X Champ for having the fastest combined time for Buffalo Creek, Crested Butte and Indian Peaks! WHHOOAAAAA :)

10.5 and 12

That is how many hours of sleep I got Saturday and Sunday night, respectively. Thinking I needed some sleep, what do think?

After feeling tired, crabby, unmotivated and somewhat burnt out last week, I regrouped myself and drove the motorcycle (and the bike) up to Eldora to partake in an Xterra event. I'll post a formal race report with pics and such later, but in summary, it went alright...1st amateur, 2nd overall, made a little moola.

As for right now, I'm really hoping that whatever nastiness that went through my body yesterday is gone and I am able to be fully functional today. I woke up with the most awful headache and stomach ache ever and didn't do anything all day except attempt a yoga class that only made things worse. Following the class, I neglected to eat dinner (not that I had eaten anything all day anyway) and went right to bed around 7pm...I didn't wake up til 7am this morning...