My Dragon

It's been a trying couple of weeks and I've been missing from the blogging world.  Many understand and know why... and many have already eloquently written about last week... so I will try to move forward... how?  Well... I'm not sure you knew... but I've got this dragon...

In the fall of 2008 the hubby and I bought road bikes and started down this path that has drastically changed our lives... we became cyclists... about 6 months into this new adventure... we heard of a ride coming up... lots of people were doing it... so why not us?  The ride: Marque de Sade

Now... Marquis de Sade... was an interesting French fella...  He was a bit crazy... literally spent much of his life in insane asylums... and the term "sadism" is derived from his name...

This should have at least given me pause... right?  Maybe caused me to step back and ask why this ride was called the Marque de Sade??  Hmm... Sadism, pleasure through pain... hmm...

However I was a bright eyed bushy tailed new cyclist... ready to take on anything... or so I thought. I mean... look at this smile beforehand!

I had delusions of grandeur for a nice long ride in the upstate... got some new gear for the hubby & I, some great nutrition prepared... Then something happened... 5 miles in we hit the first short climb... and I didn't see the hubby again for the rest of the ride... and I realized I may not make it through the day.  After 16,000 feet of elevation gain... sore feet from walking the bike up a couple of mtns... & 6 hours later... I rolled back into the North Greenville Campus a defeated cyclist.

And this ride became my dragon...

Scroll forward 12 months to present day... This weekend is the Marque de Sade ride presented by the Freewheelers of Spartanburg as a training ride for Assault on Mt. Mitchell... (btw - I didn't know last year that this was a trng ride for AOMM)...

I've 12 additional months of experience on the bike... thousands of miles in the saddle... races completed... mountains conquered... but I haven't done another ride like the Marque de Sade.

You see that dragon up at the top of this blog... sitting there taunting me? That's my dragon... he's sitting on top of White Oak... I'll chase him off to Green River... and then I'll go after him like a spider monkey all hopped up on Mountain Dew!  The ride... the mountains will not defeat me... I will slay this dragon!

Bridging

The weekend plans:
Friday - V-day getaway w/ the hubby 
Saturday -  30 mile ride + 10 min run
Sunday -  Heritage Park Loop or similar (55 miles 17+ mph avg).

The weekend actuals:
Friday night - The hubby and I had a great evening... We didn't win the ticket lottery for Wicked but I'm kind of glad.  Instead we were able to have a relaxing evening... with the backdrop of snow falling.  It made for a very romantic setting downtown. We took our time at dinner, snacking on various plates while enjoying a Malbec we've never had before.  After desert we headed back to the hotel for some night caps while listening to the piano player...  Enjoyed the pleasure that is "Hotel Showers" (<-- long and hot!!!) and then passed out while watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics... It was glorious!

Deserts: Tiramisu & Banana Bread Pudding

Saturday - We woke up to clear skies and a white winter wonderland outside!  We took our time leaving by enjoying some breakfast in bed (room service)... then headed home in the snow and ice.  The pup was so excited to see us that we changed immediatley into snow friendly clothes and proceeded to play with him outside for at least an hour.

 Now that's one happy puppy!!

With the multiple inches of snow, we were torn between riding outside or on the trainer... but the sun was shining so bright that by noon the roads were already drying up.  We ventured out to Donaldson to ride some loops then run.  A number of friends joined us in the cold windy sunshine... After about 1 1/3 laps I was dropped and finished up the remaining laps in some pretty crazy wind... But who cares... I was riding my bike outside!!  The run after the ride made this my first ever brick.  My legs felt good but I could definitely notice the lack of nutrition prior to exercise (let's just say we forgot to eat lunch).

Sunday - Saturday night the hubby and I were guilted into riding the Great Escape Spartanburg ride which had been delayed to Sunday due to the snow.  We were pretty tired Sunday morning and as the skies became increasingly grayer... our enthusiasm wained even further.  However we sucked it up and ended up having a great ride.  It started off rather hairy as a couple riders went down... but once we split up a bit... (and the sun actually did peek through a couple times) it was wonderful.  We ended up with many friends in our group... we knew each other's tendencies... and had a safe and fun ride the rest of the way.  Averaged 17.3 in close to 41 miles...

One of our many beautiful views from the ride:  

Note from Sunday's ride: Lately I've been working very hard on bridging.  For those non-cyclists: the art of bridging... or chasing... is jumping out of the main riding group to catch up with a rider/group further ahead... thus bridging the gap.  This ride... I did it multiple times... especially when I'd get stuck behind a rider I didn't know... and some of the faster guys had a gap on us.  Toward the end of the ride the hubby, Legs, and Perry had formed a small gap on the main group... I thought myself absolutely crazy but decided to bridge anyway.  I kept telling myself that I could make it if I could just make it to the back wheel... I got there and they kept pounding it out... I knew eventually they'd back off... and they did!  And I was right there with them... That is... until they kicked it again a few seconds later... but the hubby and I still hung together.  I knew I was making real progress after that bridge!

So... put this one in the record books folks... our first weekend in 2010 where we rode outside twice!!

Weekend Woes & Goals

Have you ever anxiously awaited an order from the internet... constantly checking the tracking status, and then... the wonderful day comes when it's "Out for Delivery"... and you never know when between that 7:30 am time stamp and the evening it might arrive.  So you're constantly checking the updates to see if it's been delivered.  Friday was like that for me, and thankfully the package arrived around lunch so both the hubby & I were home.

The Omron Full Body Sensor Body Fat and Body Composition Monitor :
This monitor is very easy to setup and use... however the numbers it provided me weren't exactly what I was expecting... let's just say my body fat percentage (the reason I bought the scale in the first place) was waaaayyyyyy higher than expected.  I always thought myself pretty lean... but apparently there's not as much muscle present as I'd thought.  I used to workout (strength training) 3-4 nights / week and played a couple different sports so I know I was leaner then, but I thought... with all the riding I do... it has to make up for the lack of strength training in some way... right?  We'll see.  Some of the reviews I've read say that the numbers are sometime a little off, but at least they are consistent.  So I'll wait for my body analysis and do a measurement on this scale afterward.  The percentage they are off, I'll use that for my calculations going forward.

But that body fat % stuck with me the rest of the day... and into the evening.  While cooking Friday evening the hubby and I received our training plans for the next two weeks... here's what mine looks like:

Sat - Spin 2 hour focus on pyramid intervals
Sun - Outdoor Ride - Heritage Loop
Mon - 6 am Yoga @ Y & Swim 400 yd PM run 3 miles (pub run)
Tues - Off
Wed - Run 4-5 Miles
Thur - Outdoor ride or Trainer Class
Fri - 6 am Yoga @ Y & Swim 400 yds
Sat - 30 mile ride and Run 10 min
Sun - Heritage Park Loop
Mon - Swim 200: 5x50's with 1:00 rest after each 50: 200 cood down & 7 pm KettleBell @ Y
Tues - Interval class 5:45 am & Outdoor Ride
Wed - Swim 600 yds & 7pm KettleBell
Thur - Outdoor Ride or Trainer
Fri - 6 am Yoga
Sat - Spring Training Series Race

Thankfully we have relatively similar plans so we can do much of the above together.  Finished cooking and enjoyed some "Fancy Mac-n-Cheese" (Macaroni with Artisanal Cheese & Chorizo):

It was a great dinner and we headed to bed dreaming of our 2 hour Pyramid Intervals trainer class at Roadwaves the next morning... the last thing I said to the hubby before falling asleep, "xx% body fat!? I've got xx% body fat!?!"

Saturdays Intervals and a team spin class came and went... but come Sunday morning my hamstrings were tight... especially my left one.  I stretched it for about 15-20 minutes and started prepping for the ride.  The sun was shining and the very thought of riding outdoors, no matter how cold it might be, was too much to resist.  The hubby and I had two simple breakfasts about 2 hours apart to make sure we had the right fuel for the ride and headed down to Simpsonville.

There were close to 30 people in our ride group which later split to an A & B group.  First... I can really see the difference the trainer workouts are doing for me.  My usual place in a ride is at the back of the front group, the front of the back group... or no man's land in between the two.  Sunday I found myself able to bridge more easily than ever!  Perhaps after a hill I was dropped back in no man's land and instead of coasting to the rear group... I'd let out a burst of energy and sprint ahead to catch the front group.

Another group would get ahead and I'd be exhausted thinking there's no point in trying to bridge b/c once I get there I'll be exhausted and they'll leave me again.  But that didn't happen.  Mentally I knew I could do it and I'd bridge, realizing once I got there how much easier it was to recover while drafting off the riding in front of me.

As we got about 1 mile from the entrance to Heritage Park my teammate Jackie and I were once again in no man's land.  Larger group ahead and a group behind... so I came around her wheel and said "jump on, we're bridging this!"  I got in the drops, found a cadence I thought I could hold (channeling my inner Jeni) and pulled us up to the group ahead... by the time I got there I had such momentum and could see the entrance so I kept pounding it out, almost catching up to the hubby.

The feeling of satisfaction after that ride... wow!  I saw some real changes in my riding and can't wait to continue the hard work!

First things first...

This new training plan hasn't even started and I'm out there buying products trying to keep this economy afloat!  "Like what?" you ask...

Well... it all started a couple weeks ago when the hubby and I were reading our latest copy of Outside and lo and behold there was an article on the best diets (not so much lose weight diets, but overall daily nutrition) for athletes (see article here).  The Mediterranean Prescription ended up working the best and we decided to try out the book, mainly for it's recipes.

Next another couple we know ordered a recipe book for athletes called, The Athlete's Palate.  They raved about it to the point where we decided it was a must have... and decided to get that as well.

At the same time one of my team sponsors, Greg Spindler, advised each of us to purchase a book he just finished, "Racing Weight". So, it was added to the same order:





I've since cooked recipes from the books: Chicken Cacciatore (Mediterranean Prescription) & Marathon Fettucine w/ Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Shrimp (The Athletes Palate) that the hubby loved. And this week I started reading, "Racing Weight"... and decided we need a scale that not only reads weight, but body fat%... and can store at least 2 profiles.

After searching the web yesterday I ordered the Omron Full Body Sensor Body Fat and Body Composition Monitor.

So, thanks to my Amazon Prime membership, this bad boy arrives tomorrow and I'll get to check out my weight, body fat %, visceral fat level, skeletal muscle %, resting metabolism, body age, body mass index. The reviews have varied but for the price I think it will do the trick.  Even if the numbers are a little off, I'm looking for consistency (or consistent decreases) when it comes to Body Fat & Weight.

At least I've got a start w/ some good recipes, a good nutrition guide, some measurement tools... and my regular rides and workouts while I wait for my training plan to arrive.

Special note - last night's typical run was switched to a kick-butt Indoor TT (check out GottaRun's post about it or Yummy Noms) at the Greenville Cycling Center supporting Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  I came in 4th... 1 second behind my rock star team manager Kelly, and 1 minute behind the hubby... not a bad start.  I'll be interested to try this course again at the end of the summer...

Until then... I've got a trainer calling my name tonight, maybe a run tomorrow, and hopefully some riding this weekend. Cheers!!

Looking back

One year ago the hubby & I were riding in a Saturday morning shop ride out at the old Carolina Triathlon on Woodruff Rd (now Ride On)... Riding with the B group I was in my normal position... at the back of the front 10 riders... but ahead of the rear riders... always working to bridge up.  At the end of the ride I met one of the ladies who had stayed with the front group... she said they were starting a women's team and asked if I wanted to be on it... Me? A rider of 3 months join a team??  The key was could I do it while traveling? Would I be able to keep up with them while only training on the weekends?? I said yes, we exchanged emails & numbers... and I went through the application process, was accepted, and thanks to that morning ride... one year later I'm a different rider.

The person I met that day would go on to be my new team manager and friend!  I was accepted onto the GHS Every Woman Cycling Team... which would be a way for me to really grow in cycling and meet new people in Greenville.  While we were enjoying cycling... this new team gave both the hubby and I an in with the cycling culture here in Greenville.  It gave me people to call up at a moment's notice to ride... especially with my crazy schedule... over this past year I was never at a loss for people to ride with on a Friday afternoon...  It gave me a team of people who were striving for the same goals and trying to be better human beings.

Since that day I've clocked countless hours on my bike, never been left behind on a ride, rode farther and longer than I ever have... and had more fun that I could ever have imagined.  I am so thankful to the ladies of GHS Every Woman for taking me in and making both the hubby and I a part of Greenville's wonderful cycling community

A long time coming...

So it's been a while since I last blogged... and still haven't decided to share this with anyone. Much has changed since July.

Cycling - My husband and I were able to raise over $10,000 for the Palemetto Peloton Project's Challenge to Conquer Cancer ride. For more information about this life changing experience in which we partook see: www.ridetoaustin.com .

Upon our return we were exhausted both physically and emotionally, so what did we do? We slept, ate, and slept and ate some more. There's something about your days constantly being shifted for an entire week, and riding 6 hours shifts that makes you awake around the clock, tired around the clock, and constantly hungry! That's not something you can just flip a switch and say, "Okay... no more!"

So as our bodies began to adjust to the lack of riding I began to think about my commitment to riding. I'm an incredibly competitive person... have been my entire life. I was drawn into road cycling through it's charitable aspects, mainly to raise money for cancer research and those fighting cancer. But it has grown from that into a passion and something I truly enjoy. So, with my work schedule, how can I get better?

That's where work comes into play. It was a blessing in disguise but while on our way home from Austin, I received a call to not return to my L.A. project. Surprised and thankful at the same time I realized that I needed the break from traveling, so no big deal. I relaxed at home with the hubby and puppy, did weekday rides, Monday night pub runs... etc.

After the first week (it only takes 1 these days) , my boss and others started to get worried. In this day and age you want to be on a project... the longer the better! Alas, the friendships and network I'd developed did not fail me and I've been able to stay busy with other endeavors and stay off the "bench" while at the same time on it.

This only could go so far and others continued to worry, I however continued to not worry... stay patient and continue to do what was necessary - the work I've been tasked to do... as well as search for opportunities around the globe to use my skill-set. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Phil 4:6) - So that's what I've been doing... my request? To have more time at home in Greenville. More time with the hubby... and time to actually get to know my cycling friends (they are amazing people) vs being the one who just rides with them!

And what do you know? It worked... or more so... He works! I've been picked up for a remote (read - work from home) project for the next 4 months! I'll grab an open cubicle at one of our local offices... and when one of our cycling buddies asks the hubby, "where's your wife?" during a weekday ride... He can for the first time answer, "just over there!"

So, if you recall (it was a while back so you may not) I had this great segue from cycling into work... but haven't really provided the connection. In order to be more competitive at cycling... I need to be on the bike more. That could not happen while traveling. Alas that is no longer an excuse! I use the word excuse because now I've got to do something about this. Commit to hours on the bike, hours in the gym... and get my body onto a real training schedule.

So, it's been a long time coming, but here goes nothing!

Projects & Mowbray Mtn...

I have a love hate relationship with my project... and Mowbray Mtn. The first sometimes affects the latter...

1 - This project is both a godsend and hell on earth at times. I love 90% of the people I work with... really. I've made some amazing friends and great business contacts over the past year. That being said, the 10% of whom I can not stand... make the most noise and sometimes make me want to pull my hair out. Which leads to a difficult decision. I have the opportunity to leave this project and join another one where I would have more of a managerial role. A bit of a quandry and the pros & cons with either decision are:

Current Project -
Pro - Those 90%
Con - Those 10%
Pro - I can bring my kicka$$ new Madone 5.5 w/ SRAM Force every week w/ the hope to ride w/ the local bike club
Con - Most of the time my beautiful new bike just sits in the hotel room b/c of the work day never ending
Pro - 4 hours driving distance from home meaning I can change my schedule rather easily to be here early or go home early...
Con - Atlanta Monday morning & Thur evening traffic
Pro - Hotel is awesome and right next to a great gym
Con - Losing airline status/miles
Pro - Relatively easy role
Con - Too easy role
Pro - Met some great locals who I ride and hang out with
Con - Ever changing scope
Pro - Get to see how my company & this customer shutdown a project
Con - Project may never end
Pro - Customer really likes me and mentioned they'll pay extra to keep me
Con - Working weekends / Can't ever make weekend plans w/ hubby & friends (&)
Con - Constantly packing for multiple weeks b/c never know if I'll have to work the weekend

New Project:
Pro - Mgmt Role
Con - On the Left Coast
Pro - San Diego rocks!
Con - Flying to CA every week
Pro - Great riding
Con - Can't ride my new Madone
Pro - Can ship my old Madone 4.5 there (hence why I bought the new Madone)
Con - Thursday night red-eyes
Pro - More miles and better airline status
Con - More hours clocked in a plane
Pro - Can sleep while on a flight... can't do that currently while driving...
Con - One less night at home w/ the hubby
Pro - New Client
Con - New Client could be as difficult as current one
Pro - Project is from the new group I belong to at work
Con - Could be short-term and then have me on the bench
Pro - Could be long-term and a real career booster
Con - Unknown regarding the folks I'll be working with
Pro - More consistent than current project
Pro - My manager's manager's manager had me in mind to go to this project

Okay... lots of pros and cons... and they aren't exactly one for one... I'm leaning toward staying... but really torn...

2 - Mowbray Mtn... when I do get away from work at a reasonable hour on Tuesdays... I join the local bike club for a 34 mile jaunt... through some rollers and up to... Mowbray Mtn. A 3 mile 6-7% grade climb that at 8 or 9 am would be perfectly fine... but by the time I'm at the base of the climb... which is normally 6:45 pm... I might feel like a million bucks... or I might want to just go to bed... The last two weeks... it's been the latter. But... when asked the question, "You climbing tonight?" Is there any other answer other than, "of course..."??? If someone asks you, you have to do it... right? Only if you avoid the question can you get out of it with some slight hint of dignity... Mowbray Mtn wouldn't be such a bear if it weren't 1 - the steepest at the very beginning and 3/4 the way in... 2 - After a full 10 hour day at work... 3 - In an environment that is humid as hell... alas... It's a good climb... would probably be considered a Cat1 or 2... Not nearly as long as climbs like Caesar's Head, but definitely steeper... and rather depressing when I'm passed by Cat 1-3 riders who blast past me going double my speed... but... at least there are those who pass me at the beginning, whom I catch up to and pass at the end b/c I saved some energy... now that is a wonderful feeling!

Anyway... this note has been rather informational in nature and not a lot of prose to it... I'll work harder next time... towards the end of the work week my brain tends to just blurt out information rather than think in full sentences! Maybe this weekend after rest, hubby & puppy time, a few rides, and perhaps a trip to see the new Harry Potter... I'll be ready for the real world again...

Customers, Weather, and why I'm here

I'm new to this whole blogging thing but have been thinking about it for a while now. First things first, Hi, I'm the Wandering Cyclist! If it's a weekday you'll find me in some part of the US working for a customer hoping that the weather holds, the customer is nice, and I can get out of work at a reasonable hour to ride my bike with the local bike club. If it's a weekend, I'm either riding with my hubby/cycling team/fundraising team, or I'm unpacking, packing, working, cleaning, cooking, sleeping, doing yard work, doing laundry or relaxing. So, as you can see... Monday through Thursday the options are simple, work, ride, eat, sleep. The weekends however... are a complete mess. This is my life and I love it!

For work... I wander... however as of today I've been on the same project for precisely 1 year. Not typical and especially not bad given the current economy. It started slow and was only suppose to be a short-term gig... that turned into 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and now... will probably end up at 13 months. Where to next? Possibly the left coast (did I mention I'm an East Coast gal?)... I'm sure with future blogs you'll hear me drone on and on about customers, the late nights, 6 12's, etc, but I'll try to keep the complaining to a minimum. After all, what do I have to complain about? More about that to come in future blogs...



So where does the "Cyclist" part of my name come from? Well, at the end of August I'll have had my road bike for 1 year... and I'm looking forward to celebrating that event! Why? Cycling changed my life, saved my marriage, and gave me a theme. A good friend who was a runner took up cycling and convinced me to try it. I was already mountain biking and enjoying the heck out of that... so why not get a roadie and see what this "it" sport is all about? It didn't take long to jump head first into this crazy two-wheeling society and convince the hubby to do so as well. Cycling has a rather high barrier to entry, however some really great local bike shops make it rather painless... and sites like bonktown.com feed the need to get all the right gear.

So... here I am... the Wandering Cyclist... sharing my journey