Stalking the Weather Forecast

When the forecast is bad for a day with a ride after work, I am stalking the weather.com hourly forecast basically all day... refresh, refresh, refresh... you get the idea. Lucky me, today the forecast got better the closer it got to 5pm. It was still calling for some chilly temps, but at least the chance of rain went down continuously. SWEET!

Yes, that 47 degrees at the end of March in South Carolina. It's not unheard of, but it sure is unusual. On top of the temps, it was also pretty cloudy, so I tried out a little light combination to make myself visible to others, but also see better in the case, I don't make it make to the car on time.

This is my running headlamp, but with loosening the straps, I was able to pull it over the helmet.... It worked like a charm. I also had a red blinking light clipped in the back.

And since it was pretty cold and all my cycling capris were in the laundry, I used the Smartwool tube socks. This is no compression, the point was to stay warm.... And they are fun!

 I am fully aware that I look like a goof, but at least I was visible and since I was riding alone and didn't have any "safety in numbers" advantage, it's totally worth dressing up like this... Especially in those dreary conditions.

The ride itself was a lot of fun, I just had a couple of dogs chasing me this time around. I rode some of this loop the last two weeks, but every time I am out there, new dogs seem come out of the woodwork. I did quite some yelling.... I am sure it was fun to watch.

Mark Your Calendars! Vol VII/2011

4/2
Riding with Ronald
Where: Tigerville Elementary School, ready to roll at 9am
Ride options include 100k, 50k and a 10k family ride
For more information and registration, please click here.

4/2
7th Annual Tour de Lure
Leaves the Corpening YMCA in Marion NC at 9:30am.
The route is 65 miles with 5300 feet of total ascent. Great training for The Assaults.
Click here for more information including the route map and elevation profile.

4/2
3rd Annual Clemson Easter Bunny Run 5K & Half Marathon
For more information and registration, click here.

4/2
Training Run for Green Earth Day Half-Marathon @8am
Meet at: Municipal Building at Buncombe and Line Streets, near where the race finishes

4/3
The Great Escape presents: The TREK Factory Demo Tour
Location: Paris Mountain State Park, Time: 10am - 3pm

4/7
FREE Bike Maintenance Clinic hosted by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team & Carolina Triathlon
Where: Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville from 6.30pm to 8pm

4/9
12th Annual Assault on the Carolinas - Brevard, NC
Ready to roll at 9 a.m. and features three ride options (100k, 60k and 40k).
Register here. (Prices go up on April 1st)

4/9
GO DRIVE RUN 5K and Kid's Run
Register before April 1st and get $5 off!
Every runner and walker will receive entry to the net-downhill twilight 5K, a great shirt, a ticket to the Drive game, FREE food, and beverages at the after-race party sponsered by ULTRA.
For more information, click here.

4/10
Kids Triathlon Clinic @ the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan SC from 3:00pm to 4:30pm.

Triathlon Coach Katie Malone will conduct a clinic for children who are interested in participating in a youth triathlon. Swim, Bike and Run the course for the 2011 Healthy Kids Day Triathlon at the Middle Tyger YMCA (see below).

Cost = $3 members, $5 non-members, Register at the front desk at the Middle Tyger YMCA

4/16
HEALTHY KIDS DAY Triathlon @ the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan SC 9:00-10:00am

There will be a limit of 25 participants per category so please register early!  Race day check-in will be held from 8:00-9:00 for all participants.  Helmets and bicycles will be inspected.

3-5 years of age  (Swim = 25 yds, Bike and Run = Fun Course) @ 9:30 am  

6-8 years of age  (Swim = 50 yds, Bike = 1 mi, Run = .5 mi)  @ 9:15 am  

9-12 years of age  (Swim = 100 yds, Bike = 2 mi, Run = 1.0 mi)  @ 9:00 am

Registration Fees: $12 (members) and $24 (non-members), late fee after 4/15

4/16
10th Annual Safe Harbot Run, 9am at Fluor Field downtown Greenville
5K on new and improved race course and 2 mile Fun Run/Walk

4/17
Saluda Bakery Ride, Leave Tigerville Elementary School at 10am
Very scenic ride with a relaxed pace. Slow pace & no one left behind.
Beginners with enough fitness to handle 35 very hilly miles (2500 feet of climbing).
4/30
Palmetto Trail Race on USD Upstate's Campus
* 4 mile mountain bike race @ 9am
* 4 mile foot race @ 10am
Click here for registration.

5/6
3rd Annual Swamp Rabbit 5K
6.30pm (rain or shine), Gateway Park in Travelers Rest SC
For more information and to register, click here.

5/7
Bi-Lo Charity Ride starts at Bi-Lo (Howell and East North Street in Greenville)
The feature ride is 65 miles and 4900ft of climbing (great training for Mitchell). There will also be a 22, 35 and 50 mile ride.
For more information and registration, please click here.

5/14
5K Run 4 Dyslexia @ Furman
Camperdown Academy is hosting its 3rd Annual 5K4D - A "Run for Dyslexia”. Enjoy a scenic run on a certified course or slow down the pace and walk Furman University's beautiful campus in our 1 Mile Family Friendly Walk. This is an event the whole family will enjoy!

5/21
Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride
in Charlotte NC @ 9am
15, 25 and 50 mile routes available
Click here to register.

5/21
Krazy Cow 5K & Kowabunga Fun Run
Hertiage Park, Simpsonville SC
For more information and registration click here.
Enter promo code RETURNING_RUNNER when registering for $5 off.

6/4 (tentative date)
4th Annual 100 Miles of Nowhere organized by the FatCyclist

6/4
Safe Harbor Cycle Tour, 8.30am in Iva SC
25 and 65 mile ride options. $40 if registered by May 15.

9/10
Setting the Pace at Whitten Center 10K and 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.
Clinton, SC
Entry $25 before August 26th. Late entry is $30.

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

Greenville Track Club Paris Mountain Trail Run Series

5/28 - 11K
8/13 - 7K
11/5 - 15K


The Y Tri Series:

04/10 – Rock Hill, SC
05/07 – Rock Hill, SC
06/18 – Ft Mill, SC
07/16 – Columbia, SC
07/31 –Blacksburg, SC
08/27 – Toccoa, GA
09/10 – Surf City Beach, NC
09/17 – Hartsville, SC
For more information (pricing, distances, if duathlon event is available etc) check the website.

Other YMCA Tri/Du Events:

4/16 Greenwood YMCA
6/4 Middle Tyger YMCA
8/ 6 Union County YMCA
8/ 13 Laurens Family YMCA
9/ 24 Tri the Ridge Pickens County YMCA


2011 XTERRA South Carolina Trail Run Series

7/10 Harbison Half Marathon (Columbia)
8/? Table Rock 15K

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

ON THURSDAYS

"Girl's Morning Out" at Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville. Gather at 8:45am to pedal promptly at 9am. This is a 30-mile "C" ride hosted every Thursday by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team and Carolina Triathlon. Road bikes and helmets are required. Everyone is welcome and nobody is left behind.

Normally gets canceled, if rain is in the forecast.

Les Miserables OR Paris IV+V/2011

Let's start out with the good of last Sunday's ride: The weatherman has been proven wrong and it never did anything more than drizzle... So we were actually able to ride outside. The bad news:

We had a wintery throw-back (no snow, but pretty cold) and it certainly didn't feel like South Carolina in March. But we've been riding all winter in the cold, so no excuses.... Just a lot of choice words.

I also used this ride to fine-tune some nutrition and gear stuff.... On the nutrition side, I tried out coconut water for the first time. Pure coconut water was a no-go taste wise when trying it the night before and after I made a comment on Facebook about it, a friend recommended to just mix it in something I don't mind drinking! Thanks, Kelly. That was certainly the way to go.

I filled half of one bottle with coconut water, than added a quarter of organge juice and another quarter of tap water. I normally drink my orange juice half-half. Coconut water is one of those super foods and are supposed to be great for hydration. Lately, I heard from more and more people that tried it instead of sportsdrinks during exercise, so I thought I give it a shot. Normally, I drink only water on the bike, but with my mileage increasing and once it's getting warmer outside, I don't thing water is going to cut it in the long run.

 Also to prepare for increased temperatures in the near future (pretty please!), I added some "butt rockets" on the bike to carry two additional water bottles. This was my first ride out with them and I didn't have any issues... Other than adding two pounds to the bike and having to lift my leg up higher on the mount and dismount.

But now coming to the ride on Sunday... The title says is all.... It was pretty miserable out there. We did a 10 mile warm-up loop (on the Green Valley Road Race course pretty much) and then headed to Paris Mountain for some climbing. We went up and over Paris twice, which brought our total climbing miles to 12 (We were supposed to do a double Caesars Head climb, but decided to stay close to home due to the weather conditions). The rough thing of this ride was warming up on the climbs, than freeze back solid on the downhill, rinse repeat that four times. At the end, I never properly warmed back up again and my feet felt like ice blocks, despite the toasty toes and shoe covers. After the climbing was done, we got another two hours of riding in on a rolling course.

In the books for the day were 63 miles. 17 miles short of the goal for this ride, but those 17 miles are not going to make or break Mitchell... At least we got spared by the trainer this time.

On other news... I fell over again. My cleats are driving me CRAZY. I fell more times the last couple of months since I have the new pedals/cleats than I did the two years riding my other pedals. I am getting more and more annoyed. Clearly, it was also partially my fault, because I didn't lube them after the shoes got drenched last weekend during the Marquis de Sade ride, but even if they are freshly greased, it's hard to unclip. On top of that, the right cleat also came lose, which made it even harder to clip in and out. This was the hardest I went down yet. I have some nice road rash on the knee and a couple of bruises on the hip and the ellbow... For good measure, I also clonked my head into Stacy's wheel, which fortunately didn't make her go down.

I guess, I will need to keep on fine-tuning those issues, so that eventually everything is going to clip in and out click on the big day... At least in the nutrition and gear department... With everything else... We'll see.

Not bad for Week Nights

Tuesday:

23.7 miles with 2,759 feet of climbing
First time riding the Saluda Grade, did it in 24:40mins... Not too shabby.

Joined the "Tuesday Climbing Ride" from Landrum for this. This was my first time riding with this particular group and I will definitely be back. The more daylight we are going to have for this, the more climbing will be added. SWEET!

Wednesday:

29.46 miles with 20+ mph winds
Showed two co-workers around some backcountry roads right from work. They are new to road biking and did an excellent job out there, especially considering the brutal winds last night.

The route is rolling and the climbing (a total of 1,500 feet) is not too much over this distance, but there are some juicy hills in the mix. Now if you also throw in a 20+ mph headwind while climbing these juicy hills... That made for quite a training experience.

I LOVE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS! ;-)

Mark Your Calendars Vol VI/2011

3/25
Moonlight & Magnolias 5K Run/Walk
in Greer, 1020 Anderson Ridge Road (CESA's MESA Complex)
Click here to register and for more information.

3/26
Training Run for Green Earth Day Half-Marathon @8am
Meet at: Municipal Building at Buncombe and Line Streets, near where the race finishes

3/26
Group Run at 7am from ON ON TRI
45 to 60 minutes at a moderate pace

3/28
Amby Burfoot will present in the Furman University Center's Burgiss Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

4/2
Riding with Ronald
Where: Tigerville Elementary School, ready to roll at 9am
Ride options include 100k, 50k and a 10k family ride
For more information and registration, please click here.

4/2
3rd Annual Clemson Easter Bunny Run 5K & Half Marathon
For more information and registration, click here.

4/2
Training Run for Green Earth Day Half-Marathon @8am
Meet at: Municipal Building at Buncombe and Line Streets, near where the race finishes

4/3
The Great Escape presents: The TREK Factory Demo Tour
Location: Paris Mountain State Park, Time: 10am - 3pm

4/7
FREE Bike Maintenance Clinic hosted by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team & Carolina Triathlon
Where: Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville from 6.30pm to 8pm

4/9
12th Annual Assault on the Carolinas - Brevard, NC
Ready to roll at 9 a.m. and features three ride options (100k, 60k and 40k).
Register here. (Prices go up on April 1st)

4/9
GO DRIVE RUN 5K and Kid's Run
Register before April 1st and get $5 off!
Every runner and walker will receive entry to the net-downhill twilight 5K, a great shirt, a ticket to the Drive game, FREE food, and beverages at the after-race party sponsered by ULTRA.
For more information, click here.

4/10
Kids Triathlon Clinic @ the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan SC from 3:00pm to 4:30pm.

Triathlon Coach Katie Malone will conduct a clinic for children who are interested in participating in a youth triathlon. Swim, Bike and Run the course for the 2011 Healthy Kids Day Triathlon at the Middle Tyger YMCA (see below).

Cost = $3 members, $5 non-members, Register at the front desk at the Middle Tyger YMCA

4/16
HEALTHY KIDS DAY Triathlon @ the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan SC 9:00-10:00am

There will be a limit of 25 participants per category so please register early!  Race day check-in will be held from 8:00-9:00 for all participants.  Helmets and bicycles will be inspected.

3-5 years of age  (Swim = 25 yds, Bike and Run = Fun Course) @ 9:30 am  

6-8 years of age  (Swim = 50 yds, Bike = 1 mi, Run = .5 mi)  @ 9:15 am  

9-12 years of age  (Swim = 100 yds, Bike = 2 mi, Run = 1.0 mi)  @ 9:00 am

Registration Fees: $12 (members) and $24 (non-members), late fee after 4/15

5/7
Bi-Lo Charity Ride starts at Bi-Lo (Howell and East North Street in Greenville)
The feature ride is 65 miles and 4900ft of climbing (great training for Mitchell). There will also be a 22, 35 and 50 mile ride.
For more information and registration, please click here.

5/14
5K Run 4 Dyslexia @ Furman
Camperdown Academy is hosting its 3rd Annual 5K4D - A "Run for Dyslexia”. Enjoy a scenic run on a certified course or slow down the pace and walk Furman University's beautiful campus in our 1 Mile Family Friendly Walk. This is an event the whole family will enjoy!

5/21
Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride
in Charlotte NC @ 9am
15, 25 and 50 mile routes available
Click here to register.

6/4 (tentative date)
4th Annual 100 Miles of Nowhere organized by the FatCyclist

9/10
Setting the Pace at Whitten Center 10K and 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.
Clinton, SC
Entry $25 before August 26th. Late entry is $30.

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

Greenville Track Club Paris Mountain Trail Run Series

5/28 - 11K
8/13 - 7K
11/5 - 15K


The Y Tri Series:

04/10 – Rock Hill, SC
05/07 – Rock Hill, SC
06/18 – Ft Mill, SC
07/16 – Columbia, SC
07/31 –Blacksburg, SC
08/27 – Toccoa, GA
09/10 – Surf City Beach, NC
09/17 – Hartsville, SC
For more information (pricing, distances, if duathlon event is available etc) check the website.

Other YMCA Tri/Du Events:

4/16 Greenwood YMCA
6/4 Middle Tyger YMCA
8/ 6 Union County YMCA
8/ 13 Laurens Family YMCA
9/ 24 Tri the Ridge Pickens County YMCA


2011 XTERRA South Carolina Trail Run Series

7/10 Harbison Half Marathon (Columbia)
8/? Table Rock 15K

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

ON THURSDAYS

"Girl's Morning Out" at Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville. Gather at 8:45am to pedal promptly at 9am. This is a 30-mile "C" ride hosted every Thursday by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team and Carolina Triathlon. Road bikes and helmets are required. Everyone is welcome and nobody is left behind.

Normally gets canceled, if rain is in the forecast.

Ride Report: Marquis de Sade

Disclaimer: I was on my bike a long time on Saturday and the length of this ride report reflects the length of the ride itself... If you have ever read a 5K report from me, you know what you are getting into... Just sayin'! ;-)

Sometimes, you dream about getting too late to a race, because your sub-conscience wants you to know, that you forgot to set the alarm. Yep, that was me Saturday morning. Fortunately, my body is not used to sleep very long, so I woke up at 7.15am for the 8.30am start.... besides, this wasn't a race anyways. But still, I felt a little stressed... At least I fixed everything the night before, so all that was left for me to do was getting dressed and eat breakfast.... Is also helped that I live just 20 minutes away from Tigerville.

I made it there on time, but half of our little troop came up from Columbia and got lost, so we ended up having a late start... Oh well... It's a ride, not a race.... But this made for an isolated ride for the first 40 (?) miles, but being out there with three other ladies, it wasn't bad at all.

Elevation Profile for modified route - click on pic to enlarge

Before mile 40, we already did a ton of climbing. The ride starts out (not even five miles from the start) with climbing Pack Mountain... You know, as a little warm-up for the things to come. It sure looked intimidating, but went up and over, not a problem. Next next big climb was Callahan Mountain at around mile 13... That was my scary mountain... The one I pushed my bike up last year on a training ride and while it is very steep (but short), it was nothing compared to the monster I made up in my head over the past year... No getting off the bike required this time around! Score! Seriously, after that, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders and really, it was quite silly, that I was worried about it... But I just didn't know, what else this ride would have in store. After that, we were back in our regular stomping grounds: The climb up the watershed to Saluda, only that we didn't go all the way to Saluda, but turned off the road which added some climbing (how fun!). While this is a gradual climb for around 10 miles, it's really not that bad and quite enjoyable when you chit-chat the time away.

For the next 25 miles, we were riding a ton of rollers. On the elevation chart, it actually looks fairly flat, but no no no... It's a constant up and down and up and down which is going to just fry your legs over time. Also the wind was messing with us several times. But there have also been really nice flat sections or even slight downhills, where I was able to spend some time in aero and just grind away and a relax a little... And make up some time! ;-)

The next climb on the route was White Oak Mountain just around mile 40 (??). Coach Katie told us to skip this climb completely and ride the detour which would spare us the climb and around 7 miles of the ride. From what she says, the risks outweigh the benefits and not only is the climb very steep, but also the descent.... I sure didn't fight her on that. With cutting out this major climb, we were also finally back with other cyclists and felt like we are actually participating in a ride and not just ride on our own.

The next couple of miles were really fun riding, but at the end of this, our last big climb of the day was waiting: Green River Cove. A cyclist on the watershed (not part of the ride) told me, that the Green River Cove climb has 17 switch-backs and number 13 had a 23% grade. Pure awesomeness. I grinded up the switchbacks without major issues, but one of them just kicked my butt so bad, that I stopped for a couple of minutes, just to get my heart rate down again. After that it wasn't that bad anymore... I bet it was switchback number 13.... but there is no telling, because I forgot to count! ;-)

Once our little pack regrouped, we were on our way back to Saluda and the rest stop there didn't come a minute too early. I refilled my bottles and stuffed my fact with cookies, before we made our way back to Tigerville. As soon as we were on the descent, the heavenly gates opened and it was pouring. I have never been on a bike in these kinds of conditions and especially not on a descent, but fortunately, the watershed is just not that steep and so I made good time going down. Honestly, I just wanted to get out of the rain and I was hoping that I would be able to beat the rain clouds... Yay and nay... Once I was at the bottom, it stopped for a little while, but by the time we regrouped it started all over again. Originally, we didn't plan on skipping Callahan mountain on the way back, but the descent is really steep and ends with a stop sign at the bottom of the hill and with the road conditions at this point, I just didn't think it was a great idea... So we took another detour with less climbing, but around the same mileage.

When all was set an done, I ended up with close to 78 miles (another distance record for me!) at a 13.5 mph average.... I am thrilled with this ride.... For a number of reasons:

1. When I rolled into Tigerville, I felt strong... I felt like I could have easily tagged on several miles.
2. I really do enjoy training right now and just keep my fingers crossed that I won't get sick of my bike before this is all set and done.
3. I think, I have this nutrition thing on the bike figured out and the secret is: Stuff your face every possible moment.
4. I think, I am stronger than I think I am sometimes. I ended up pulling a guy back to a group... Given that he most likely did the White Oak climb, but he was at least 10 years younger (or just really looked young) than I am and was on a way better bike than mine.... and it was a dude....
5. Whenever I thought of the ride afterwards, it made me smile... What is going on with me???

I also met fellow bloggers Mike and Aaron and you should definitely check out there impressions from the ride as well. See you guys at the start line! ;-)

Recovery Ride

Yesterday, I did the Marquis de Sade (skipped White Oak Climb) training ride from the Freewheelers for Mount Mitchell. There will be a ride report, but I am just a little lazy today, so it's going to be a little while.

Sooooo... Today I had nothing on tap, unless I felt good and wanted to do something. And surprise surprise, I felt great today. Terry wanted to do little more, so he headed out first and gave me a call once he was close to the Swamp Rabbit trail. I rode from the house to the trail and together we then rode to Greenville and back for a total of 16 miles - not bad. I had ice cream on my mind, but the shop that we stopped at didn't really have ice cream, so I ended up with a smoothie... That was easier to carry on the bike anyways.

In retrospect, I should have gotten a coffee or a tea, because it was might chilly out there, especially if you are taking it easy and not even break a sweat.

Everything, but the Kitchen Sink

On Thursday, I had a double training day (swimming in the am, bike ride in the pm) which is not very unusual (Tues and Thurs are normally doubles for me), but this was a little different because, I would not go home between work and my second workout. That means, I had to prepare everything the night before. It always feels like I have to pack everything but the kitchen sink for those days... In the picture you see all my luggage for the next day before I loaded it in the car:

1. Bike
2. Bag with all the bike stuff
3. Bag with all the swim toys, towels and hair dryer
4. Bag with toiletries and work clothes
5. Purse with breakfast... I tried out the "Bolthouse Vanilla Latte" the first time... This is good stuff taste-wise, but also the nutritional content is good... Maybe a little high on the sugar, but oh well.

I almost forgot the bike pump.... And I ended up forgetting water bottles. Fortunately, I still had one water bottle in the car from two days ago. Oh... save the best for last: I forgot the Garmin. After I spend a good chunk of time mapping a route and uploading it, I just left it on top of the laptop... But I did remember the heart rate strap... Awesome.

It's just too much crap to remember.

In the meantime, the doggy was observing my hectic back and forth and couldn't have been bothered less... Crazy humans hmmmmm? ;-)

Happy Friday!

Time to FREAK OUT!



Need some stress relieve? Click here and circle the cat.

Two months is a lot of time right? I know it is, it just doesn't feel like it right now.

Today in exactly two months, I will be attempting the Assault on Mount Mitchell and I am a little lot freaked out about this right about now. I scraped the surface a little, when I mentioned in my blog about the Caesar's Head climb, that this climb made me question Mitchell a lot. I know that doubts are normal at points in training and I know that the human body is a wonderful thing and it can adapt fairly quickly... Still, I wonder, if I bit off more than I can chew.

Looking up the route and the elevation profile of AOMM really didn't help to calm down my nerves. My coach's comment about Mitchell being 30 miles of the kind of climbs that we did last weekend on Caesar's Head pushed me even a little further into freak-out zone. Her response: "I need you to be freaked out, this way you are going to get your training in!" Oh yes... It certainly helps, otherwise, I would have most likely never pushed through the 4.5 hour trainer ride from two weeks ago.

On the other hand.... There are still two months left to get ready and then I also made the experience, that the first time I do a hard climb always sucks big time, but the next time, it's never quite as bad anymore. Either it's the body adapting or your mind just knowing what to expect and also when it's going to be over.

I guess, I can test this "second time you do a climb, it's not that bad anymore" theory this weekend. My training partner and I will ride "Marquis de Sade" (here for the climb info and here for where the name is coming from.... yes, not funny) this Saturday and part of the route is a climb up Callahan Mountain Road. The climb is short (around half a mile) and very steep. I did this climb in April (I think, but I can't find a blog about it) of last year and ended up getting off the bike and pushing it.... I really hope, that with all the climbing I have been doing in the last couple of weeks/months, that won't be necessary this time around.

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

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

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Mark Your Calendars! Vol V/2011

3/19
Ride for Haiti starts at 9am in Greer
25, 38 and metric century routes are available. After the ride, lunch is being served from 12-2pm.
For registration and details, click here.

3/19
Saturday Recurring Ride @ Ride On (Woodruff Road) 8am
This week they will have a special presentation from the Spinners race team called Racing 101. Meet for a forum on getting started in racing at 8am and after that a group ride focusing not on speed but pack skills and comfort. This is beginner oriented in that it's designed for someone who has never raced.

3/25
Moonlight & Magnolias 5K Run/Walk
in Greer, 1020 Anderson Ridge Road (CESA's MESA Complex)
Click here to register and for more information.

3/28
Amby Burfoot will present in the Furman University Center's Burgiss Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

4/2
Riding with Ronald
Where: Tigerville Elementary School, ready to roll at 9am
Ride options include 100k, 50k and a 10k family ride
For more information and registration, please click here.

4/3
The Great Escape presents: The TREK Factory Demo Tour
Location: Paris Mountain State Park, Time: 10am - 3pm

4/7
FREE Bike Maintenance Clinic hosted by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team & Carolina Triathlon
Where: Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville from 6.30pm to 8pm

4/9
12th Annual Assault on the Carolinas - Brevard, NC
Ready to roll at 9 a.m. and features three ride options (100k, 60k and 40k).
Register here. (Prices go up on April 1st)

4/9
GO DRIVE RUN 5K and Kid's Run
Every runner and walker will receive entry to the net-downhill twilight 5K, a great shirt, a ticket to the Drive game, FREE food, and beverages at the after-race party sponsered by ULTRA.
For more information, click here.

4/10
Kids Triathlon Clinic @ the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan SC from 3:00pm to 4:30pm.

Triathlon Coach Katie Malone will conduct a clinic for children who are interested in participating in a youth triathlon. Swim, Bike and Run the course for the 2011 Healthy Kids Day Triathlon at the Middle Tyger YMCA (see below).

Cost = $3 members, $5 non-members, Register at the front desk at the Middle Tyger YMCA

4/16
HEALTHY KIDS DAY Triathlon @ the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan SC 9:00-10:00am

There will be a limit of 25 participants per category so please register early!  Race day check-in will be held from 8:00-9:00 for all participants.  Helmets and bicycles will be inspected.

3-5 years of age  (Swim = 25 yds, Bike and Run = Fun Course) @ 9:30 am  

6-8 years of age  (Swim = 50 yds, Bike = 1 mi, Run = .5 mi)  @ 9:15 am  

9-12 years of age  (Swim = 100 yds, Bike = 2 mi, Run = 1.0 mi)  @ 9:00 am

Registration Fees: $12 (members) and $24 (non-members), late fee after 4/15

5/14
5K Run 4 Dyslexia @ Furman
Camperdown Academy is hosting its 3rd Annual 5K4D - A "Run for Dyslexia”. Enjoy a scenic run on a certified course or slow down the pace and walk Furman University's beautiful campus in our 1 Mile Family Friendly Walk. This is an event the whole family will enjoy!

5/21
Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride
in Charlotte NC @ 9am
15, 25 and 50 mile routes available
Click here to register.

6/4 (tentative date)
4th Annual 100 Miles of Nowhere organized by the FatCyclist

9/10
Setting the Pace at Whitten Center 10K and 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.
Clinton, SC
Entry $25 before August 26th. Late entry is $30.

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

The Green Screen Film Series
A collaborative documentary series with a focus on environmental issues and healthy lifestyles.
Wednesdays @ 7PM
Feb 2nd to Mar 23rd - Admission is Free
Location: The Showroom (Gallery & Performance Hall) in Downtown Spartanburg
For more information about the films shown each week, please click here.


The Y Tri Series:

04/10 – Rock Hill, SC
05/07 – Rock Hill, SC
06/18 – Ft Mill, SC
07/16 – Columbia, SC
07/31 –Blacksburg, SC
08/27 – Toccoa, GA
09/10 – Surf City Beach, NC
09/17 – Hartsville, SC
For more information (pricing, distances, if duathlon event is available etc) check the website.

Other YMCA Tri/Du Events:

4/16 Greenwood YMCA
6/4 Middle Tyger YMCA
8/ 6 Union County YMCA
8/ 13 Laurens Family YMCA
9/ 24 Tri the Ridge Pickens County YMCA


2011 XTERRA South Carolina Trail Run Series

7/10 Harbison Half Marathon (Columbia)
8/? Table Rock 15K

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

ON THURSDAYS

"Girl's Morning Out" at Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville. Gather at 8:45am to pedal promptly at 9am. This is a 30-mile "C" ride hosted every Thursday by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team and Carolina Triathlon. Road bikes and helmets are required. Everyone is welcome and nobody is left behind.

You know it's getting warm....

.... when the dog is too tired to yank off your arm, when going for a walk. And on top of it, she even let me stop every now and then to snap a picture or two:

I didn't get out for my run until 5pm, but that turned out to be pretty good timing, because some clouds came rolling in and it certainly felt much better, without the sun burning down.

The run was so so... I certainly felt the distance from yesterday in my legs. But it's all about getting it done.

Paris III/2011 and Caesar's Head

Sooooooo.... Yesterday, I did my longest ride yet.... A little over 70 miles.... And a couple of thousand feet of climbing.

I started things off with a ride up Paris Mountain. All the way up to the antennas. Up there I snapped a couple of pictures and then zoomed down the mountain again, to meet up my training partner for Mitchell at Furman. This was the 3rd climb up Paris this year, but now that it's finally daylight savings time, I am hoping to get that climb in during the week sometimes as well.

The second portion of the ride was with my training partner and we had our eyes set on an out and back from Furman up Caesar's Head. Most of the ride was on roads that I have never cycled on before and that's always fun and makes time pass so fast, because there is always something to discover... Like this, for example:

That's an old church (I assume) flooded in a lake.

The climb up Caesar's Head is six miles. The first 3 miles were decent, mile 4 was a little of a flat and gave you a little breather and the last two miles, I felt like I have to hurl any second. It made me question doing Mitchell... Quite a lot. When I got to the Caesar's Head State Parking Lot, I sat down in the shade for a little while before refilling my bottles. And then I got me a coke and a bag of Cheetos... After having SportsBeans and GU Chomps for the ride so far, I just needed something salty. My stomach was seriously peed off at me when I got up there, but the coke and chips really worked like a charm. The climb took me around 55 minutes and it took us 17 minutes to get back down... I am such a chicken on downhills, but it seems like I am also getting better at that.

The way back to Furman was uneventful, the miles just ticked away like nothing and when it was all said and done and I was back home, I felt like I could have a gone a while longer. I definitely think, that my nutrition helped a lot with how I felt this time around. I had more calories for breakfast and ate constantly during the first half. If anything, I might ate a little too much before the Caesar's Head climb... Therefore the upset stomach stuff. But, I think I am on the right way with this eating while on the bike, so I have enough juice in the end.

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

This morning, we spend several hours cleaning the house, so when we were finally done, Terry headed out for a ride and I got myself a little frozen yogurt treat. When I was done, I gave the itsy bitsy leftovers to the dog.... That kept her entertained for over 10 minutes! ;-)

Now some time for yoga!

I Need An Intervention

Yes... For my chocolate habit as well.... It was either this or heading out for frozen yogurt. That candy box was in the pantry and I am lazy, so here we go.

No, I need an intervention for my active wear habit:

And this is not even all of it. Oh my.

With getting an air conditioning this week (yes, we lived in SC w/o an air conditioning, but now we also officially arrived in the modern world ;-), there was a lot of chaos going on. Several of the closets had to be emptied in the process and I took this as an opportunity, to organize the stuff before putting it back in.

Well, now that it's more organized in the closet as well, I probably have a chance of actually finding stuff in the future. We'll see how long the organized state remains and when chaos is going to take over again.

Time to hit the hay... Tomorrow, I'll have a big ride on tap.

Mark Your Calendars! Vol IV/2011

3/12 and 3/13:
RUN FOR CHRISTCHURCH, Virtual Worldwide 5K
To participate:
• Make a donation of as little as $5 at the fundraising page.
• Follow them on twitter.
• On the 12th or 13th of March, pop your red and black on, and run!

3/12
BIKE DEMO DAY @ On On Tri from 11am to 4pm

Your chance to ride that bike you've had your eyes on- and get the best deal of the year. They'll have road bikes, triathlon bikes, and city bikes available by Cervelo, Felt, and Scott - ready for you to ride. They'll supply the helmet - you bring your shorts and shoes and be ready to ride.

3/12
Group Run @ On On Tri at 7am
45 to 60 minutes of steady pacing around the park and the city.

3/12
Zebras Do Exist Charity 5K Run/Walk
Where: Dorman High School
For more information and registration click here.

3/12
Peacock Strides for Babies 5K Run/Walk and 1 mile Family Fun Walk
in Mauldin SC
Race benefits CJ Foundation for SIDS in memory of Emily Ware
Click here to register and for more information.

3/14
Rachel Toor will present at Furman University Physical Activities Center at 7 p.m.

3/25
Moonlight & Magnolias 5K Run/Walk
in Greer, 1020 Anderson Ridge Road (CESA's MESA Complex)
Click here to register and for more information.

3/28
Amby Burfoot will present in the Furman University Center's Burgiss Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

4/2
Riding with Ronald
Where: Tigerville Elementary School, ready to roll at 9am
Ride options include 100k, 50k and a 10k family ride
For more information and registration, please click here.

4/7
FREE Bike Maintenance Clinic hosted by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team & Carolina Triathlon
Where: Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville from 6.30pm to 8pm

4/9
12th Annual Assault on the Carolinas - Brevard, NC
Ready to roll at 9 a.m. and features three ride options (100k, 60k and 40k).
Register here. (Prices go up on April 1st)

4/9
GO DRIVE RUN 5K and Kid's Run
Every runner and walker will receive entry to the net-downhill twilight 5K, a great shirt, a ticket to the Drive game, FREE food, and beverages at the after-race party sponsered by ULTRA.
For more information, click here.

4/10
Kids Triathlon Clinic @ the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan SC from 3:00pm to 4:30pm.

Triathlon Coach Katie Malone will conduct a clinic for children who are interested in participating in a youth triathlon. Swim, Bike and Run the course for the 2011 Healthy Kids Day Triathlon at the Middle Tyger YMCA (see below).

Cost = $3 members, $5 non-members, Register at the front desk at the Middle Tyger YMCA

4/16
HEALTHY KIDS DAY Triathlon @ the Middle Tyger YMCA in Duncan SC 9:00-10:00am

There will be a limit of 25 participants per category so please register early!  Race day check-in will be held from 8:00-9:00 for all participants.  Helmets and bicycles will be inspected.

3-5 years of age  (Swim = 25 yds, Bike and Run = Fun Course) @ 9:30 am  

6-8 years of age  (Swim = 50 yds, Bike = 1 mi, Run = .5 mi)  @ 9:15 am  

9-12 years of age  (Swim = 100 yds, Bike = 2 mi, Run = 1.0 mi)  @ 9:00 am

Registration Fees: $12 (members) and $24 (non-members), late fee after 4/15

5/21
Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride
in Charlotte NC @ 9am
15, 25 and 50 mile routes available
Click here to register.

6/4 (tentative date)
4th Annual 100 Miles of Nowhere organized by the FatCyclist

9/10
Setting the Pace at Whitten Center 10K and 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.
Clinton, SC
Entry $25 before August 26th. Late entry is $30.

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

The Green Screen Film Series
A collaborative documentary series with a focus on environmental issues and healthy lifestyles.
Wednesdays @ 7PM
Feb 2nd to Mar 23rd - Admission is Free
Location: The Showroom (Gallery & Performance Hall) in Downtown Spartanburg
For more information about the films shown each week, please click here.


The Y Tri Series:

04/10 – Rock Hill, SC
05/07 – Rock Hill, SC
06/18 – Ft Mill, SC
07/16 – Columbia, SC
07/31 –Blacksburg, SC
08/27 – Toccoa, GA
09/10 – Surf City Beach, NC
09/17 – Hartsville, SC
For more information (pricing, distances, if duathlon event is available etc) check the website.

Other YMCA Tri/Du Events:

4/16 Greenwood YMCA
6/4 Middle Tyger YMCA
8/ 6 Union County YMCA
8/ 13 Laurens Family YMCA
9/ 24 Tri the Ridge Pickens County YMCA


2011 XTERRA South Carolina Trail Run Series

3/12 Doug Harris Memorial 10K/5K (Clemson Issaqueena Forest)
7/10 Harbison Half Marathon (Columbia)
8/? Table Rock 15K

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

ON THURSDAYS

"Girl's Morning Out" at Carolina Triathlon in downtown Greenville. Gather at 8:45am to pedal promptly at 9am. This is a 30-mile "C" ride hosted every Thursday by GHS EveryWoman Cycling Team and Carolina Triathlon. Road bikes and helmets are required. Everyone is welcome and nobody is left behind.

How In The World....

1. ... is the cheapest flight to Germany in July or September over 1,400 USD?? And that is with TWO stopovers!
2. ... did I not notice it when I hurt my wrist over a week ago? And why is that stupid thing not getting better faster?

3. ... do I expect to magically get down to my "I am a lean mean cycling machine" weight, if I keep doing this ^^^^?
4. ... is the house still looking like a construction site? Even though they were supposed to be done with the air conditioning installation last Friday.... Monday the latest! PAH!!!

5. ... do people train for Ironmans, when I look like this ^^^ on my current training plan for Mitchell?
6. ... did Charlie Sheen get so crazy? Oh I know that.... I read a joke this morning on Twitter: "How much coke does Sheen do? Enough to kill 2.5 men!" This seriously made my morning... I was on my way to the track at 5am... It's the little things that keep you going! ;-)

While I am still wondering, I hope you are having a FANTASTIC hump day.

Over and out.

That's a Wash!

It's Monday and sunny outside... You need me to say this again... It's MONDAY and it's SUNNY outside... While over the weekend (the time when a lot of people don't have to go to work) it poured down buckets... BUCKETS!!!!!

Let's rewind....

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

So there was Saturday... The rain dance sure worked... Just the stopping of the rain dance was a complete desaster and very unsuccessful.

I was determined to ride these 70 miles, that were on plan for that day. D.E.T.E.R.M.I.N.E.D! I bullied Terry into joining me for this ride, because... Well, just because. We packed up the car while it drizzled off and on. When we finally left the house at around 9am it started pouring down. We drove for 10 minutes in the pouring rain and then decided that this whole trip was pretty pointless. So we stopped at BiLo for some grocery shopping and then turned around and headed back home.

After being lazy for a couple of hours, I finally got on the trainer... 4.5 hours on the trainer are just not appealing, but I had way too many snacks... I was eventually carb-ed up (read: guilted) enough to muster up the courage to get on the trainer.

The 1st  hour was a warm-up and with the "Fashion Police" on, the time actually passed pretty fast. The next hour was intervals and the StyleNetwork which also passed really fast, but not because of the TV show, but because of those nasty little interval buggers. Then 30 minutes easy spinning, followed by 20 minutes of more intervals, 20 minutes of spinning and then the last 20 minutes of intervals.... By the end of all that, my quads were yelling at me... Begging for mercy! But if you kept tally, then you will notice, that I was still missing one hour.... With yelling quads, a hurting butt and a sore spot on my right foot, I was so ready to call it a day.... And there were still 60 minutes left to kill. If it wasn't for a documentary about the XTERRA Off-Road Tri World Championships, I don't think I would have made it. I was going back and forth in my head to quit or not to quit.... And et voila:

Sorry for the upside down thing... I tried to fix it... Really!

For the evening, I had grand plans of cooking, but between yelling quads, hurting butt and a throbbing foot (really, I do this by choice... nobody makes me do this!)... the only thing I was able to say: "Can we go to the Mexican place? It's going to take me 5 minutes to grab a shower!"

So we went to eat Mexican... At 5pm on a Saturday... I so wanted to have the early bird senior special! After that, the grand evening plans continued with passing out on the couch - early!

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

Before passing out, I checked the weather forecast for Sunday every five minutes. According to that, I should have been golden for a 1pm ride with a friend. By the time I got up the next morning, the dry conditions were not supposed to come in before 3pm. I spent the next couple of hours being grumpy and irritable and kept on muttering: "I don't want to go on the trainer again.... I really don't want to go on the trainer again!"

After we got back from church, Terry said to get on the trainer soon, since the sooner I get on there, the sooner I'll be done with it. But I wasn't done with being grumpy yet and had lunch snacks. And then I realized the grand cooking plans (at least the prep work for it) from the night before. While I was standing in the kitchen being grumpy and getting grumpier by the minute, something magical happened: It stopped raining and the sun came out!

I think we broke a new record with getting ready and out of the house.

At 3pm we were ready to roll at the intersection Hwy 25 and Hwy 414. The plan was to ride out for 20 miles towards Table Rock and ride back. 10 miles of the way out would be a time trial for me. It was beautiful and sunny out there, but the wind was pretty wicked at times. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures.

The time trial was going fairly well. I was hoping for a flatter route at that point, but once we were past Pumpkintown, things became rolling... Still, in the end, this was a good effort for me.

On the way back we took it easy for the most part. The last 5 miles or so, sucked all the life out of me though. The wind was getting worse and worse and while I struggled to ride up a hill and was just able to produce a 9 point something speed, I started yelling at the wind to just shut up!!! Not one of my proudest moments. Eventually, we made it back to the car and once my feet defrosted I was one happy camper, that we were able to be outside at all that weekend. ;-)

Let's keep our fingers crossed, that next weekend, the planned 70 miles will happen on the road outside!