Breakaway Cycling Launch

My friend Deanne just launched this new site; http://breakawaycycling.blogspot.com/

Great rides for women--and guys too.

We can all use more opportunities to ride right?

See you there Jan 11th...

Here's a pic of Lady D at one of my Pink Train rides:)

Back to the Dark Side

The rain is not keeping me off my bike any longer.....Christmas Day mountain biking...


A few repairs....

What Champagne--it's drinking and driving that's bad right?

I love mud puddles!

No traffic

No noise

Nature

Just freedom to breathe fresh air

Think without distraction

Fall and not care

Get dirty and love it

Mountain biking has some really great things to offer--I'm going to do this more often

~rl

PIRU Time Trial

5 a.m. wake up alarm to get ready for Piru Time Trial today...really hard to motivate..it was cold, chance of rain, but I needed to do this so after a pancake, banana and some coffee I headed out.

Warm up was short and I was really trying to talk myself into not doing it...but I had put the aerobars on and was determined to give it a try, hopefully without crashing.

All in all it ended up good; I started early with a push off at 9:09. First mistake right out the gate--being in too big a gear, so I got out of the saddle and pushed out, then settled in a bit down the road, but my HR climbed pretty good.

I knew I had to get it back if I was going to keep enough gas in tank for the end, so I just remembered what the plan was..spin like a bee for 20 minutes. I hit the turn around mark at exactly 19:57...so that I was pleased with.

Unfortunately, I misjudged the distance and was crawling up the last hill...I looked for the last downhill and dug deep. I was happy to see that I came into the finish line doing 24 mph--I had nothing left and that's how it should be. I had taken 2 minutes of my last time on this course; happy with that.

As usual I learned a lot of what not to do and I was able to stay in the aero bars the whole time except uphills, so I'll take that as a small success.

~rl

Hidden Gems

Hidden gem...this is one of those precious places to ride a flat, smooth road without traffic (on weekend); short, but still a great spot to practice TT position/pedaling. I love the quiet, it makes for a nice break on my 50 miler local ride...especially since the end of this route makes me ride on the sidewalk like those who shall not be mentioned, then weave my way down LA ave. like a NY messenger!

Today was fabulous weather for riding and it felt great to work off that Thanksgiving feast:)
~rl

Lost without training

Forget Lance, let's talk about me--

I've been out of "training" mode now for three weeks and it's awful. I feel lost. I don't know which direction to turn. Don't get me wrong, the down time is great, lots of wine, chocolate and fine meals at my favorite places. Also I've enjoyed riding with friends I haven't seen for a while.

Now I'm not a racer (at least until next year), but I've had a hard time putting my thoughts into words about how I miss training until yesterday, when someone did it for me: I'm a big fan of Selene Yeager, Bicycling Magazine's "Fit Chick"; Ironman athlete, puts it like this:

http://fitchick.bicycling.com/2008/11/mad-season.html

For those of you unwilling or able to read the entire article here is the part I could relate to:

"So, some folks are just hitting their peak, while the rest of us are desperately trying to hang onto our fitness while our speed and power are hitting the skids. It's a cluster of confusion as we're alternately racing, riding, hitting the gym, recovering, watching football, getting ready for the holidays, and, of course, drinking at every opportunity. As one of my friends recently put it, "I'm gonna need a new liver if this keeps up...."It's not that we're lushes. We're just athletes. That means we're obsessive, intense, focused and disciplined to the point of being sacrificial--at least while we're in season. Once we cross the line of the last race of the year, it's straight off the rails until we find a new goal to get us on the straight and narrow again. It makes perfect sense really. Many of us fell into cycling as a way to stay sane. I'll be the first to admit that riding, training and racing helps keep me from spiraling into a mental abyss."

So there, I'm trying to stay out of the abyss...
~rl

RM160 SAG HAG

My friend at Road Bike Action Magazine; http://www.roadbikeaction.com/ puts on a annual ride called the RM160 and since I'm definitely not riding 160+ miles on my bicycle, I got to be the SAG HAG. Der- was smiling.

The crew, including one awesome woman, started from Thousand Oaks at o'dark thirty on Saturday morning. I soon learned that this isn't your ordinary club ride... pace was up there right from the start and didn't let up the entire ride. Der-was smiling.

It was a beautiful route through Filmore, Ojai and Santa Barbara and the group continued to smile and have fun the entire trip. Myself and cowboy Bruce drove along behind snapping photos, handing out bottles and gel paks and I wondered if I'll ever grow up and be able to ride like these folks. Der- was smiling.

Lunch in Santa Barbara was wonderfully sunny, so the crew had a nice picnic at the park before continuing on. Remarkably, the day was uneventful with only a few mechanical issues and most vehicles seemed to yield to the group. Der- was smiling.

As late afternoon approached I wondered if they would make it back before darkness, especially since the dreaded climb (dreaded only by me) was the last climb of the day...at this point the guys realized it might be more than 160 miles...Der- was still smiling.

I gave one rider a ride back to his car, grabbed an espresso, and drove back to the coast to see who was left. On the way I ran into a rider I hadn't seen since the start??--he was crazed with hunger and thirst, so I filled his water and hoped he wasn't going to chew off my arm if I gave him a ride. No ride for him--he was going to finish and he DID!

Back at the last pit stop on Lewis road, my friend was spinning to warm the legs before the climb. One by one the guys rolled in desperate for Red Bull and whatever caffinated, sugar loaded, carb, energy burst they could get. Der- was still smiling.

The climb up Portero was/is brutal, but the remaining 6 or 7 guys all made it up--Der- smiled the entire way up.

At the end of the day, the guys were worn out, needed showers and real food. RM treated everyone to dinner at BJs, which was great to recap the ride, but most of them looked like they were 2 seconds from being face down in the pillow. Der- wasn't there but I know he was smiling.

All in all a great experience to watch; not gonna rush out and do that, but maybe someday:)

rl

Fiesta Island

Fiesta Island Time Trial, San Diego

2nd time trial--had to beat previous time of 44:56 which I did by 2 minutes 39 seconds

It was brutally cold, I was shivering so bad at push off I almost couldn't stay steady

I found it impossible to warm up on a flat course--45 minutes and my legs were still cold

I took 5th place, same as last time trial, the other women in my category all had TT bikes

Gotta get me one of those....also would like to do this again in the summer.

The hubby beat me by 5 minutes; this was his first time trial. Good job.

rl

Wheels, wheels and more wheels

I went to the Carp Tri to cheer on some riders with a friend. It was cold, foggy and wet...did I mention cold! I could not warm up and my glasses kept fogging up--I was dreaming of a fireplace and big hot chocolate, maybe a baileys. After lagging behind up a hill my friend swapped my wheels for his tubulars and wow-- a monster was born.

Even though the wheels weren't matched quite well with my brake pads, I noticed a difference right away. It was like rolling on ice; really smooth.

Since then I've tried several other kinds and researched more...I definitely will be lighter and able to climb better with a new wheel set....of course they will be great on my new bike. Tha is if I can ever decide on one.

Last night I used zipp 404 which I will take with me to the Time Trial this weekend in San Diego. Don't know if it will make me faster but I will look cool.

Three days to go....wish me luck; I need to ride 20 K faster than 44:56 to be happy
RaeLynn

Yerba Buena

So after being deathly ill, I managed to pull off the biggest climb of the year: Yerba Buena. 10 miles of up and up and up. The road was brutally rough, with cracks that swallowed my skinny tires and bumps that made my bladder scream for help.

The view from the top was of course amazing, but there was no time to stop for a photo. The entourage was already at the top and I have no idea how long they had been waiting, but it must have been a while.

It took nearly 2 hours to complete the climb with the overall 45 mile ride time being 4 hrs 30 minutes. 4000 ft of climbing and I burned off 2200 calories.

The good news is that this ride completes my summer goals of coastal climbs;
Latigo
Decker
Fernwood
Topanga
Mulholland
Encinal
Yerba Buena
Stunt
Piuma
7 minute hill

My coach said no champagne--haha I'm definitely celebrating
rl

Down for the count..

Yesterday I encountered some kind of germ and today I'm down for the count, flat on my back in bed with the nastiest sinus headache, pressure you can imagine.

It sucks. I've always heard that an athlete's immune system is like a delicate flower but wow--one would think; and wrongly, that being healthy and fit would make for a strong system!

Spent the night suffering but went to the Dr. this morning 1st thing; x-rays, antibiotic and painkillers.

The rest of today was/is a blur and I don't know why the floors won't stop spinning...

Hoping for a better tomorrow.
rl

Rewards

I have a riding buddy that says it's all about pain and desire...I say it's about rewards---

Like not having cellulite on your thighs...

Being able to eat anything you want...

Feeling strong...

And this reward after a hard climb today...the view of the clouds and the Channel Islands as I crested the top of Stunt Rd...

Amazing!

35 miles 4156 ft climb to what looked like the top of the world

Ladies Ride Labor Day

So nobody knows labor better than women, so we scheduled a Labor Day Ladies Ride. Eight of us took off from Gelson's heading for 7-minute hill. Jan did a great job picking the route, leading us out and making stops at appropriate places.

For some of our riders it was a rest day/easy ride, others a chance for their longest ride, and for me a chance to test my hard training work against the real women of cycling. We all had one thing in common...PINK; we were definitely well dressed and I've never seen more happy male cyclists in all my rides:)

We had one person who showed up but didn't finish--I won't elaborate, but thanks to L's hubby she got in the car and got a ride home...probably saved all of our lives.

All in all it was really fun. I hope we can do it again.
RL
next time I'll take a photo:)

Morning beauty

Like I said Sunday I was exhausted, overtrained and had a migraine but somehow when my phone goes off at 6:30 a.m. with a text that says, "get your lazy ass out of bed and come ride" I can't resist....

Now, just to clarify Robb was away for the weekend at a paragliding comp or I would have never left my nice warm bed.....

Secondly, my bud who sent the text had set up a ride earlier in the week and I had to cancel on him--he's a really nice guy, but has an edgy side that doesn't take no for an answer, so off I went. Met up with him and several other riders, but of course in my condition I only rode a few miles then ventured back to the safety of my bed. Surely he'll make me suffer for that later:)

I hate to quit and was totally embarassed, but hey the guy gets one day to ride with the buds; I wasn't going to hold him back to my pace all day.

Silver lining of the day is that if I hadn't gotten out of bed I would have missed seeing this incredible spider web covered in dew.

RL

Catching up

It's been quite a while since I posted so here's the catch up...

I've ridden some 400 miles since the last posting. Needless to say I've been a bit busy. This includes the Cool Breeze Century ride (100 Miles). I took an hour off my previous century ride time and finished this one in 7 hours 17 minutes, with 2000 more feet of climbing.

I've been totally frustrated at GARMIN-they suck; my gps unit froze my computer, then "technical" support managed to delete all of my history--yes every bit of it and off my backup--f___ing idiots. Now the damn thing thinks it's 2013 and is recording god knows what....Losing all that history is heartbreaking--nothing to compare to; nothing to use to set new goals with or look at progress. UGGGUGUGHHH!

This week has been really hard. I need a rest and I need to have some fun.

RL

Masochist

Today was my first time going all the way to the coast and back...The route started in Westlake Village, out to Malibu lake, up Mulholland, up Rock Store (this is where I believe I turned into a masochist with 30/30s intervals--8 of them in a row) then past the vineyards down Mulholland to the PCH and back via the same route.

I was totally cooked at the end. I was an emotional wreck all weekend; then I performed really poorly today and that took an emotional toll on me--so my mind and body were a wasteland.

Came home, ate, took a bath, had a good cry and I feel so much better. I put in an order for some vitamens and supplements; maybe I'm just depleted from all the training.

Maybe it's a full moon. Oh yeah, and we saw the biggest snake--not sure but I think a king snake-yuck
RL
40 miles way too many ft

Easy day tomorrow.

Hill Intervals

Today was hill intervals training--7 (5) minute intervals up Encinal Canyon Rd from the coast at a cadence of 70+! Absolutely the first one was brutal...the second came a bit too soon, but the third felt really good--if you like pushing beyond your limits.

The others didn't matter I was so spent I couldn't do anything except keep going. Then a rest stop over some other little climb down Mulholland and up Mullholland again. WOW.

Perfect overcast day for this route but it didn't stop me from sweating;
I really smell bad after this one...time to hit the showers.

RL

Bloody Saturday

Okay, I've finally gotten to the point where I've learned enough to know that other riders can be very dangerous. Today's ride was a real troubling one; a woman fell from her clips (a constant problem), then a man passed out from the site of her blood, then the poor CHU who was helping me with my bike so I could help the wounded got a gash on her leg that looks like JAWS got her!

Such a bad day...I knew I should have taken that rest day. Should have gone with my gut instincts.

RL

Lovely Latigo

Today I climbed Latigo from the PCH. What an amazing view. I've been warned about this climb so much I thought I might never try it. What I found out is that it's a great climb:) Yes it's long, but not as steep a grade as some others...I'm sure it would be a bear to race up, but I'm enjoying the journey.

I kept my heart rate under max and trained at a lower instensity, which is supposed to help me gain speed. It's counter-intuitive, but I have this knowledge from someone who knows, so I'm sticking to it.

The PCH part definitely sucks and that short section definitely raised my adrenalin levels because of the traffic; it's a wide bike lane, but the vehicles just whiz by so fast....uggh

Here's a couple of views looking down at the road I climbed up from.
RL

The Gang

Faiz

Bad Brad & Robb

R&R&R

Carlos and The Chu

Ron & Riss

My Birthday

Saturday was our last day in Oregon and my birthday, so I got a wild idea to take a rest day (Ron was ordering up a hammerfest for today). Naturally rest days are just days to get into some other sort of trouble--which I had no problem doing.

Soo.....I got inked! Yup, my first tattoo. Three bike chain links with the middle link pink placed on my lower back. Okay yes I wanted to be able to cover it up; call me chicken...

The place was called Epic Ink in Medford and after checking them out for safety etc. I went for it. The whole thing took less than an hour...then I had to meet the gang at headquarters. And of course, tell Robb what I had done. It was a nervous morning, as I wasn't sure what he would think.

Robb just laughed and perhaps he thought I had a moment of insanity. It was definitely not premeditated.

But now I have it- - forever.
RL

Paddle, Paddle

Friday's adventure was kayaking. We loaded up the biobeast and headed back to the lake for a day of paddling. It was the perfect day for it. The wind was low, temps over 100 again. Glennie and Jen had put aside a few kayaks for us, so we stowed the cooler with lunch and a bottle of wine and shoved off to explore.
Paddling a plastic, open kayak was a bit different then the ocean fiberglass ones I've been used to in the past. It didn't take long and we were in the zone. We explored all the coves and inlets and at some spots the quiet was amazing.
We made it to the end of the lake, pulled up on shore where there was a bit of shade and enjoyed a bottle of pinot noir, some lunch and power bars. It was so peaceful. We swam and relaxed while checking the air for our pilot friends; contemplating where they might have flown for today's task.
Time past and the wind came up strong; we should have left a half hour earlier. Going back was brutal. The first hour we made little to no progress against the wind. Finally we made it to a sheltered inlet and Ron had a plan.
We tied the kayaked tail to nose and tandem paddled into the wind. This was far more effective and we made much more progress.
It was really hard for me to keep pace with his paddling, but a great workout. Finally we could see the campground and Faiz on a standing paddleboard with Robb in the lake. Yipee! We were home again after yet another 5 hour adventure. 18-20 miles of paddling; that's a real back and arm workout. I looked like Arnold afterward; my biceps were hard as rock and SORE!
What a great multi-sport vacation this has been....and I made a new friend for life.
RL

Ride on the Dark Side

After a day of rest my riding buddy and I decided to take on a new challenge--a mountain bike ride. Well, it's nothing new for him, so of course I felt it would be fine for me--haha

We rented Giant Trance 2s and set off for Glenny's campground in the biobeast (base camp for the day). It wasn't quite as hot today and we were fired up...at least I was until I started.

The first 1/8 of a mile was on the ledge, all shale and all up hill. Geez I was scared to death to wind up over the edge and into the lake. It got a bit better but it was definitely not a beginner trail. The entire way on on the edge of this 30-50 foot drop to the water. It was narrow enough for just a tire and at times it was difficult to walk forget ride the trail. Perhaps this was the reason we didn't see any others on the trail?

The scenery was glorious and midway we hit fire road and I had a chance to relax a bit. My buddy is directionally challenged so like our other rides we got lost. Our first challenge was a STEEP hill in which you had to climb one hand on the cable to get up; the other arm carrying your 30+ pound bike...not going to work.

So we doubled back, refound the proper trail and spent another several hours on the edge. Funny thing was we've seen so many deer road biking and out here in the mountains not a single form of wildlife.

Long day with four and half hours of grueling work for twenty miles. What an experience. The end reward was worth it...we got back to the ECO beast, changed into our suits and jumped in the lake. Aaaaahhhh it felt so good.

Met back up with Faiz, Robb and Riss at headquarters. Robb had a great day of flying; very technical as well. Riss made goal on right turn day--not bad for a guy recovering from a broken wrist.

My only hope is that I don't wake up covered in poison oak--it was everywhere on the trail!

I don't think I'll become a big mountain bike chick:)

RL

Day 3 Dark Hollow Road

Today the temps were at 100+ and I really had no interest in anything, but I had talked big to my riding partner and wasn't going to quit first so I selected what I thought would be a flat route.

Ron was gracious enough to lube my chain this morning due to yesterday's dust, so I hoped it would be smooth sailing, flat terrain and a breeze to keep us just below the fry point.

Wrong on all accounts. The map we had was totally wrong and we climbed hill after hill only to find a dirt road at the other end. We were in the land of no where. We hit hills from 14%-18% grade; one short one in particular put my heart rate at 190...I was shaking like a leave at the top...and yes on the other side--dead end to no where. At least we went down..another fastest for me-37.2 mph.

Temp 103; lost and running out of water both of us were spent. We'd been going in circles forever. Finally we ran into another cyclists who gave us directions--we were almost back to the road where we parked but we had to climb one more monster hill. Bring it on...so I thought.

We sailed up the hill like horses to the barn only to realize it went on another few miles! The last part was killer. We were both out of water, used up all our food and Gu. My GPS shows the grade at above 20%...not sure that is accurate, but this hill did me in....I cramped in my left calf at exactly the half way point. Really dumb and I was kicking myself knowing I'm dehydrating. I barely got unclipped; another second and I would have been down. I stretched the calf but couldn't push down to clip in. One legged pedaling was not an option on this grade, so I walked 10 steps and turned back down the hill, clipped in and drove it to the top. Thanks the stars there weren't any cars because I needed the whole road.

We melted into the car, cranked the AC and tried to recover. Ron and I agreed; Wednesday would be a rest day. Our flat day ride turned out to be 3000 ft of climbing in 25 miles. With this heat that is unbelievable.

Lunch, ice cream then a nap.

3 days; totals thus far--90 miles--8090 ft --4316 calories used--
now I sleep.
RL

Day 2 Cady Hill

Today we set off for some hills and it didn't take long...within the first 6 miles we climbed 1500 ft and it seemed like this hill would never end. My legs were like leaded fire balls from yesterday's ride and hitting this hill cold was brutal.

I muddled through while Ron proclaimed "this is the crest" at yet another hilltop...it was never the crest; just a bump before another bump.

Finally we hit the top and it was an exilarating 32 mph downhill...until a deer jumped out behind Ron (he never saw it); and I decided it was time to slow down. The deer here are like mosquitoes in Maine--they are everywhere!

We were completely alone--no traffic--which is the most amazing feeling to ride without the stress of traffic. The scenery was breathtaking, the smells so fresh and everything was so quiet. We just pedaled and took it all in. We were definitely in the zone.

As we made our way back into Ruch ( I got a long 20mph draft off Ron) we could see hundred of paragliders overhead. The competion was on. I quickly spotted Robb's yellow and orange glider--he was way high and I knew he must be stoked to be flying so well. To the left was a pilot low and Ron and I watched as I explained that this person should land or get out of that spot; quickly this pilot was overhead yelling "hey Ron"; it was Faiz landing out.

Ron sprinted back for the Eco-beast vehicle, we loaded the bikes and took Faiz back to re-launch.

Our bikes were on the back and I've never seen my road bike so dirty. It's going to be a long night of cleaning it.

Lunch came really late. Ron and I were about the chew thru our own arms, but a 22 oz Arrogant Bastard took the edge off.

Ready to do it again tomorrow:)
RL

1st day Oregon riding

I spent last night drinking too much wine and talking cycling with Ron, my riding partner for the week, then promptly decided "I'm going to get an ass whooping."

So, this morning I woke early, loaded up my pancakes with fresh raspberries and blueberries provided by Riss. Energy and fuel for the day.

And what a day it was. Ron and I took off for the Applegate lake early. It was still cloudy, but the day was predicted to be hot so we enjoyed the coolness while it lasted.

No route map, no road map, just me and Ron on the road for the day. The roads were fairly empty and the traffic that was seemed fairly cycling friendly. Ron was leading, setting the pace at 16 or so right off the bat. I held on and hoped I could make it without embarassing myself. The day just got better and better. The scenery was breathtaking and I learned so much from Ron. He improved my pedal stroke, taught me to ride without hands and improved my cadence. I was climbing hills at +80 cadence..something I've never done and it felt great to not climb at a snails pace. We also had soooo much fun. We were very compatible and enjoyed the day...even laughed when out route dead-ended on dirt roads to no where.

We made it back just as the hunger rolled in...luckily Ron's place was just around the corner from a restaurant/pub, so we changed out of our sweaty duds and popped the top off a few Arrogant Bastards. Returned to the landing zone just in time to see Riss and Robb landing their paragliders after a rockin' and rollin' day in the air.

Totals were 45 miles, 3:15 time, 13.7mph (yes my fastest ride yet), max speed 33.5mph, 3007 feet of elevation--oh yeah and I earned that beer--2000 calories burnt:)

RL

Conquered the Coast

Finally I made it to the coast! I drove to Leo Carillo beach, parked and made the climb up Mulholland from the PCH. And what a climb it is, but not as scary as I worked it up to be in my mind. It's difficult, but not too steep, just a long, long 8 miles up.

We were a group of three and took our time, but didn't make any stops; total time to Little Sycamore 58 minutes. Then we topped it off with the climb up Little Sycamore. The descent was amazing--no cars and the canyon was ours. AMAZING!

I pulled a CHU and forgot to take a picture--loser:(

Another fear gone...yipee!

ps the PCH still scares the piss out of me.

RL

Six days of riding

I've had six days of riding since my last rest day. Really bad I know. Somehow I have to get my schedule back on track. Also need to get back to focusing on my summer goal--to the coast.

The heat's been brutal; forcing me to ride at o'dark thirty and the lack of sleep has taken it's toll. I did my Purple ride today and had to have a two hour nap...I was practically sleeping on the ride. Lots of new women showed up today though, so that's really awesome, they all had a fun time. I had some of the nicest guys helping with this ride too...they were really encouraging the ladies and their draft was a big help!

Had a nice swim in the pool; what a great way to cool down. Robb rode today too, so that's always nice.

Saw The Chu out in Hidden Valley with the "bonhomme of the jeure" and A-man of course joined us after already riding 66 miles.

Tomorrow rest and gym, then Tuesday train, maybe a long ride Wednesday by myself to clear the head and not have to worry about anyone but me on the bike. Yeah, that's what I need--some zen with the Dama:)
RL

Rest Day

I've had a busy weekend with rides on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

I managed to get in my first sprint against The Chu--it was so much fun to ride hard, so close to the Chu, both of us pushing as hard as we could. ... I got slightly ahead (only because I called the sprint), but we kept it on and it was easy to tell we were both loving the competition. Of course in the end The Chu had more endurance, but we were both happy; happy:) Not bad since I'd been riding for two hours before this--hill intervals; which I'm really liking. Wish we had photos, but you know The Chu; have camera, but never take photos:)

I can feel the training I've been doing is working...I'm hoping to see some serious results and improvements through the summer.

But for today, I think I'll take a second nap.

Ride on.
RL

Palos Verdes

Was in Palos Verdes this weekend so I decided to set off on a ride around the Pennisula. You can see from the photos it's a beautiful spot, ocean views and a great breeze.

I started a bit late since I had a morning meeting. This area is definitely one to cycle early in the morning because there was ALOT of traffic. Fast traffic too. It was definitely nerve racking so I decided to venture off the route, toward the cliffs and ocean to relax. This was great, except that it meant I was lost all day--not to worry I met so many lost cyclists one could have made a killing selling the Garmin 705 on the sidewalk. It was quite hilarious since we were all supposedly going in a circle...

Many of the cyclists were quite concerned with the hills. I kept being warned; don't go that way there's a big hill. Never did hit anything that seemed like a big hill compared to here. I hope that means I'm getting stronger:)

At any rate I did make it back safely and I would like to return and ride this with friends early morning. Really nice folks in Palos Verdes and a great little coffee shop called the Coffee Cartel.

RL

Just Keep Climbing

Another set of hills conquered! A-man posted a relaxing, long ride for the Memorial Day holiday, so I signed on. The route Mulholland/Piuma/Stunt/7 Minute Hill back via Calabasas. 50 miles, 5000 ft. approximately.

It was a good group, although Robb went to the mountains with his mistress (Rhonda the weather station) instead of riding. BH came along too, he was tired from a 70 miler the day before which made it perfect for him to slow down and ride along with me. The Chu joined us for the climbs, but then buggered off for a hot date:)

The weather was perfectly cool with a light wind and sunshine. A-man promised great views from the top and he didn't disappoint--well maybe, when he said 3K to go to the top of the first climb and I thought we were at the top!

It was slow going, but the grade wasn't the issue; these climbs were long--7 miles, then 6 miles, then 2 miles, one after another. My quads were on fire. Near the top of Piuma a young man was playing a guitar and singing all by himself; he was really good too--BH got his CD. Probably be the next Jack Johnson.

The descent down Stunt was pretty wild with one curve after another. Even with brakes I felt like I was flying and it was cold. By this point I was getting pretty hungry, but we continued to 7 minute hill, which really didn't feel like much of a hill after Piuma and Stunt. Ended up in Calabasas, but only got to potty, nobody wanted to stop for food--ugghggh I was chewing through my muscles at this point and had eaten all my banana, gu, BH's shot blocks, and both electrolyte drinks.

Luckily BH was pretty hungry too and he stayed back to encourage me home. Thank goodness because I was melting. Got back to the start where A-man was waiting with that look on his face that says "I'm going to ride another 100 or so miles."

I could hardly walk when I got off the bike and my ass was really sore--massage please:)

BH and I headed for Jack's Deli to amaze the onlookers by woofing down huge plates of food.

Then a food coma....hurried home for a shower and a nap. Pics to come--The Chu has them and you know how that goes with her and pics:)
RL

Happy Hour Ride

My hubby, Honn, The Chu and I skipped out of work earty to meet at Bad Ass Coffee for an evening Rock Store climb. It was Robb's first time to the Rock. It was raining when we left our house--really strange, but Westlake was clear.
As usual I started off a bit slow needing my 3 mile warm-up, but by Cornell I started to feel better. At the 4 way stop I peeled off my base layer and sleeves, did some GU shots and we started around the lake.
The boys were ahead, then the Chu, then me at the rear. When Chu and I made it to the Rock Store the guys were up ahead resting.
We all started the climb at 5:55. Slowly, slowly The Chu and I went. Robb and Honn were way ahead.
Honn did his first run up in 15, then rode back down and encouraged me up to the top--love that about him and it made that last leg easier for me:) Robb made it up in 18 minutes (amazing for a virgin) and The Chu and I at about 26-27 minutes.
Took some pics at the top (will post when The Chu sends them). Made our way past the winery and over to Decker with plenty of light left in the day. Then a stop to check out the camels. Robb had an exciting descent; locking up his breaks--needs to get used to the responsiveness of that new rocketship he's riding. I went down slow and was nearly pushed into the hill by a wind gust...scared me! The Chu was waiting for me at the bottom and it felt so good to see her there.
I had so much fun riding with The Chu again; it's been awhile. Of course, Honn and my hubby top it off as the perfect group.
All in all it was a great ride: A-man will be jealous as he had a family thing and couldn't join us.
We joined Jan's picnic after the ride for a bit of wine, cheese and fruit.
Lots of fun on bikes.
RL

What am I doing?

Ever had those days when all the voices in your head are screaming...today was that day for me.

Today I was on my way to ride and as I filled my tires with air-wham, sheared off the valve. Damn. So I made a quick jaunt to the shop and begged the guys to fix it up; which they did. Ended up later than I wanted to start, so I just rode from there, did some hill intervals and found myself really wishing I had my Garmin. (Sent it back for repair, so 10-14 days w/o-ugggh).

My head was a real mess of confusion and the ride did me good. I think I figured out why I'm so frustrated...I need a new goal. First I was training for distance, then speed, then the century, then the time trial, then Rock Store, and now--nothing. I never do well without a plan.

I've got to figure out what's next and write it down. I think I want to lean down and build muscle for speed. I'm going to have to ask for some advice. I want to do all the coastal routes too, but I'm afraid of the PCH.

I need some chocolate cake.
RL

Cruizin'

After two days of hard riding I decided to add a little fun to my cycling. I showed up for the Thursday night picnic ride with this purple Retroglide cruiser- one of the benefits of moonlighting at the bike shop.

It made me feel like a kid again as I cruised around the lake. Single speed and coaster brakes took a bit of getting used to...and it's an unbelievable workout for the legs:)

Really fun--if it weren't for Portero I'd take this out for the Purple ride, but there's no way I'd make it with these fat tires.

The seat was made for me; lots of room for the junk in my trunk:)
RL

LadyLance does the wind tunnel

Hidden Valley was blowing for the Wednesday afternoon ride. It was hard to get above 8mph and felt like I was in a hot, wind tunnel--wonder if this is what Lance feels like?

As usual A-man was doing laps around me and what a show-off; one legged hill climbs-geez! She-She, L, and A-man went over the back while GW and I headed for shelter around the lake.

Couple of laps, 22 miles total and I was done. All finished within minutes of each other.

My honey comes home tomorrow-yippee; it's been a long two weeks.

:)RL

Back in the Saddle

The sun was up yesterday and the road was calling, so I decided it was time to get back on the bike. I expected it to be a slow, not too far ride since I've gained weight and my muscles would be hurting. Turns out I was wrong...it was an awesome ride.

It was warm (just the way I like it) when I got to Chesbro to start. I wasn't quite sure where to go, so I just started of with an easy warm up, a few small hills. I felt surprisingly good. Many cyclists were out and that led me to follow the pack--from way back of course.

I ended up in Malibu, of course, is there a more gorgeous place?, and around the lake then--oh what the hell --Rock Store next. It was stunning and quiet, this was just the mental health moment I needed. It was also Africa hot and I realized it's time to put the knickers away for summer. 23 minutes up--two fastest than last time--but I did get a few pushes on the way up.


Cycling is the one sport where a stranger can put a hand on your butt, give you a little push, and you don't mind...as long as you're on a killer hill like the Rock:) Amazing how much it helps; although I think they help as they pass by more to feel powerful themselves or because they feel bad that I'm moving so slow. It doesn't bother me and I've learned a lot from riders who are willing to share to help me improve. At any rate we all end up at the top and it feels GREAT!

Next, I was brave and made a left at Decker to an unbelievable smooth, curvy mountain road. Heaven on earth and a view all the way to the ocean. At the end was a sign for Little Sycamore--took it right and again, amazing vistas and nobody else in site; not even cyclists. The quiet was so good. Epic spot.

At this point I really didn't know where this might lead, so I turned around to head back. The descent was fun and the ocean breeze was so welcome as the day boiled. Of course, that fabulous mountain road has a name --3 bitches and oh how--3 small, leg melting hills on the way back up. Burn baby burn.

Out of water, so back I went down the e-ticket descent of Decker at 29.9 mph, the curves were awesome and no cars--the road was mine. I was able to follow another cyclist's line down, so another great learning experience.

Ride back to car was really hot and I had to stop for water. Cannot deal with dehydration. Over all a 40 miler with 3800 ft of climbing.

Not bad for a lard-ass.

RL

Survival

I haven't written in a while...which doesn't really matter since who reads this anyhow? Feels like I've been in survival mode, just getting from one event to another. Here's what I've endured on my island....

Finished my novel
Sent in my novel
Still hate my novel
Had a week long visit with my niece and her friend; two seventeen year olds conquer LA--me as the chauffeur
Two weeks without my husband--very hard to be away
Nephew's Bar Mitzvah--had to wear heels
Brother in law's retirement party--more heels
Mother's day brunch--gave Mom a copy of the novel
Two weeks without riding my bike--this is the worst part
Worst air flight of my life--riding the tornadoes back from the east coast

So that's it. Today I ride and I plan to enjoy every minute of it, take my time and go the distance.
It's all about the journey right?
RL

Friends take the stress out of life

There's nothing better when you're totally stressed out than a phone call from a great friend your haven't seen in a while saying "I'm in town." That's what happened last night. I was getting my hair done--short summer fringe and lots of blonde highlights, when Robb called and said the Fezz was in town. We hadn't seen him since Valle, so I was so excited to hear of his adventures to the Grenadas and Brazil.
We met at a restaurant/bar in Simi called Limon--strange atmosphere, but the food and the drinks were good. As always the Fezz had his big beautiful smile on and we fell into a mix of stories, wishes, dreams, upcoming events and a dash of the current life stresses thrown into the conversation.
Fezz and Robb are going to the Rat Race paragliding competition...I wasn't going to go this year, but I'm reconsidering since Fezz has a friend that cycles and doesn't fly who might be attending. Someone to ride with would make it worth going; I would love to ride there, but a woman alone on strange roads--kind of scary. Also, Fezz said his friend (R?) loves to pull--my kinda of riding partner; just hope I can keep up.
At any rate it was really fun; especially checking out the urban assault vehicle--Fezz has that dialed in; xbox, dvd, big screen, wireless, rock band, micro, fridge, you name it. Totally pimped.
Two days til my niece and her friend arrive for spring break, seven days to novel deadline.
Yikes.

Mother Nature is a bitch

Robb and I decided to join the Sunday Social ride today. It was a good size group of riders so we headed out to Malibu lake via Cornell. The day was heating up fast as the sun made toast of our skin. Naturally I fell off the back, but the group waited--their recovery pace is my training pace....

I started to get a bit frustrated. It seems I never get faster, even with all of my training. Then to top off my frustration my GPS quits again! I'm going to call Garmin Monday; that thing is defective.

Robb seemed to be enjoying his new Orca as he rode at the front of the pack. We rode out Westlake to Carlisyle Canyon; a new spot for me and it wasn't until we were half way there that I realized Robb had taken a different route. Oh well, I was committed so he'd just have to wait for me to get back.

It was a beautiful 5 mile addition to the ride. It's one of those areas where you realize some people's pets live better than humans. The Chu had also caught up with our ride so she and I exchanged water for gu and caught up to the others.

Unfortunately, mother nature struck next and I had to stop and call Robb to pick me up on the last mile of the route. Too embarassed to return to the car like that; what a bitch.

I missed the "social" part of the ride and I was so looking forward to a bagel slathered in cream cheese:(

D-Day

D (in photo) had the day off today, so we made an early morning meet time at the shop and headed to Rock Store. I didn't get many miles in this week and was really looking forward to a good climb. Also, the weather was once again perfect for the Rock--no wind, lots of sun.

We met at the shop and after the usual girl gossip and catch up (long time, no see) we started the climb. I kept on climbing as D made a pit stop to fix her derailler. It was awesome and this was the first time I ever was able to talk on the way up:); usually I just suck wind.

28 minutes later, we were at the top enjoying the view. After a short breather, we rocketed (ok D rocketed-I was cautious, but faster than usual) down Decker. We were met by Ronny-a Cat 2 racer D knew and he rode along for a while--amazing he's a Cat 2 and only been riding a year--makes me think I really suck. Super nice fellow though.

Returned to the shop then back to work--ugghhh! All good things come to an end.

The Orca, The Diva, The Dama

Robb picked up the rocketship tonight and got fitted at the shop. The Chu met us and off we went for a sunset ride around Westlake. It was slightly windy and a bit chilly but we warmed up after a few. It was team Orbea with Robb in lead on the Orca, The Chu next on her sexy Diva and then me in the back (always) on the Dama. Red/White/Pink bikes; bright yellow jackets. At least we could be seen--here in CA traffic that's an important part of cycling.


My legs were sluggish for the first few miles; still recovering from the Time Trial, so I went at recovery pace and let the Diva and the Orca duke it out--they both love the competition; I'm happy with my own personal race.


Biggest bummer was forgetting my Garmin 305--no stats (it tells me cadence/speed/HR/elevation/etc.) Oh well, I got over it and just rode. The route is really easy and I didn't need to stop--good thing because the Chu doesn't like to wait.


I watched Robb motor up the hills with little effort and I was a little jealous--not of the bike --but his ability. Even the best bike wouldn't make me ride like him. His calves/legs are sooo strong. He was so happy::)) today; a nooner, a new bike, two hot chicks to ride with...it's a man's world--well, at least we ladies will let him think so.

Moonlighting

This past Saturday Robb pops by Agoura cycles (where I moonlight) to "demo" some bikes and next thing you know Joel has him hooked up with a new Orbea Orca--color; arrest me red, of course!

It's a rocketship compared to the 1980s steel Bianci he's currently huffing up the hills. He's already a great cyclist, but now, gosh there will be no stopping him--and no catching him for me. Just when I thought I was getting good...

So, after a rest day yesterday, I hope to join Robb and the Chu (also on her new Orbea Diva-damn) for an afternoon ride. It's gorgeous and sunny now so it should be a perfect day to ride; aren't they all?

RL::))

Piru Time Trial

So I've had a few firsts on my new bike: my first century ride in Palm Springs, Rock Store, and now a time trial. I set my mind on this just a few weeks ago and decided to use this as a measurement of my training. My goal was to complete the 20K course in one hour or less since last month's winner in my category (women's public) finished in 47 minutes.

In order to do this I read everything about time trail prep and a lot of blogs of folks who have done this course in the past. I spent the past 3 weeks doing lots of short (20-30 mile rides) with fast spurts (flat intervals) and hill intervals (ouch).

Apparently getting "the burn" helps the leg muscles grow provided you give them adequate recovery and nutrition.

I set out this past Tuesday to ride the course as a practice and aside from it being a remote location and feeling a bit alone, I finished in 53 minutes with a huge headwind. Not so bad. I reset my goal to beat that and decided I would be happy with any time 46-52 minutes.

This morning I woke up at 6am to get ready. Robb made me pancakes (my fuel favorite) with bananas and walnuts. He's the man...not to mention how awesome he is again, but he was my coach for the day. He filled my tires with air, put my bike together, kept me going during the warm up and rehydrated me after the ride. And he took these photos --lots of others too!

We arrived at 8am at the course and met Uncle Tren-race producer and all around nice guy:) I was scheduled to be on the line at 9 am which ended up being 9:19 but off I went. I've never been "pushed off" before so that took some trust, but it was great. I was happy to be out early as you could feel the wind really kicking up. I'd read not to go out to fast, too early, so I had to hold back a bit even though my mind was saying, "You're so slow, just bust your ass!" At mile 3 I was warmed up and hitting the grove in the big ring. I loved the feeling of speed and the open road. Sure guys passed me on time trial bikes, but it wasn't a race against them, only against the clock, so I motored on.

The turnaround came earlier than I had expected-yipee and I was off on the way back. I kicked everything I had in. Last hill was short but I was nearly spent. I took every hill up out of the saddle, but this one almost did me in. Like a horse to the barn I saw the end a half mile up the road, pushed into the biggest ring, checked my watch and know I knew I would make my goal.

Hit the line...well wasn't quite sure where the finish was, so I might have cheered a bit early! I had done it--I wasn't sure how well, but I new it would be better than 53...in fact it was 44:56, a fifth place with the winner in my category beating me by 5 minutes. Awesome feeling.

http://www.uncletren.com/results/04-08-20k.htm link to the results

Now I'm tired, but no major "bonk" or pain. All in all the training worked....what to shoot for next? Maybe I should finish that novel I've been working on:)

Rock Store Challenge

The weather today was a perfect 66 degrees, sunny and no wind. I decided today was the day to do Rock Store again--a challenging 2 mile climb on my bicycle. I've done it once before with Joel, but today I was going alone--not that I didn't try to convince my buds to call in sick, but no takers:(

So I set off from Westlake and began the mental challenge of convincing my inner self I could do this, while my outer self told me it looked cloudy and a bit windy in the mountains. My legs felt good, so I continued onward to Cornell Rd. I skipped the extra lap around Malibu lake, saving myself for the climb. A quick stop at the Rock Store building to "GU" up, drink and take off my jacket--oh yeah and call Robb to let him know I was starting the climb.

It's a beautiful climb and today there was just me and nature--no cars--no motorcycles! Awesome. I climbed okay; slow and steadily, but I was definitely breathing heavy. I stayed out of my max heart rate zone and managed to save myself to make it to the top. The last 1/8th of the hill is brutal. Luckily I was inspired by the yellow jersey #7 LANCE sign painted on the road.

At the top I took in the view--note the photos. My phone rang and it was Joel and Robb calling from the shop--boy were they shocked I was at the top--25 minutes up yahoo::)) The descent is an e-ticket down the winding Decker(23). I managed to not burn up my brakes and actually found myself enjoying the first part. The lower end however, is soooooo steep, but without cars I had the road and enjoyed the glide. I rocketed back to The Landing; my legs felt so strong after the climb-weird.

All in all just a FABU day on my bike.

RL

ps..and just when I'm feeling so strong the Chu calls and says she wants to do a Triathlon--ANIMAL:)

First Blog

This is the first blog from RL.