Resolutions and Goals and Habits

It’s an older blog, sir, but it checks out…

2016 in review: I…

• Bought a big bike
• (Bike) commuted pretty consistently the 25 miles to work for the first 6 months of the year
• Ate no less than 3 species of mushrooms I found in the woods
• Didn’t die from said mushrooms
• Also didn’t hallucinate from said mushrooms
• Raced my first enduro
• Met some really rad people
• Taught a lot of mountain bike classes
• Moved closer to the mountains
• Brewed a bunch of beer
• Drank a bunch of beer
• Visited friends in St Louis a few times
• Tried downhill mountain biking, survived
• Went to canadia
• Watched my little brother get married
• Shifted jobs (within my job) to get a little closer to stuff I’m interested in

 

The new year always has people (me included) thinking about resolutions. Changes. Things to do better. Last year, I did this to an extreme. The result? A lot of missed goals.

Goals: each blank square would be filled in. Reality: Not so much. Still fairly happy with my year, but no crazy impressive numbers.

 

As it turns out, it’s really easy to set goals when you’re curled up on the couch… it’s a little trickier to go out there and do it.

I’ve always been more of a fan of goals than of resolutions. It goes back to a mentality… what do I want to do, vs what do I not want to do. I’d rather focus on the good things (climb the equivalent of 20x everest! Run the year!) than the bad things (lose weight/eat healthy/typical resolution crap). But, as it turns out, goals are hard too.

Such is life. Even if the numbers don’t work out, it’s pretty sweet to be able to run around in my back yard… that happens to be a mountain!

The result of all my pondering is that this year, I’m trying to focus on habits. Last year was a bit different than the years previous – I had a real job, in a city where I (still) don’t really know many people. I still hesitate to jump in to racing, spending lots of $$ to ride trails (or run roads) that I can access whenever I want. This warrants much more of a discussion than the space here but, suffice it to say, without racing (and with the purchase of a big squishy bike) I didn’t push myself nearly as hard. Actually, it very likely has much more to do with the lack of community than it does with the lack of racing. But I digress.

I take a lot of random awkward photos of myself accidentally. This is one of them.

Getting back to the end result… goals. The thing is, goals are great! But in order to achieve goals, you have to build habits. And sometimes just setting the goal is not enough to build the habit. In no particular order are the habits I’m going to build this year (it’s totally going to happen! hopefully):

• Floss
• Ride bikes
• Spend 30 min outside every day
• Walk more
• Be “happy” (it’s a habit, I’d like to make it more consistent)
• Forgive
• Stretch

After all, the new year isn’t some magical time when you wish things on a big shiny ball and when it hits the ground they magically come true. It’s just another Sunday. But this Sunday (or Monday, Tuesday, etc), you can choose to do things a little better than yesterday. And keep doing those things until you can’t imagine life any other way. At least… that’s the goal?

Taking stretching lessons from the master.

 

2015 in Review

The year 2015 was, in a word… turbulent. It was a year of big changes: I officially became a doctor (but not of medicine)! I moved from St. Louis to Seattle. I raced a few long bike races. And adventure races. I rode my bike a lot. I ran a lot. It was fun.

Justin an I raced in Moab.

Justin and I raced in Moab. A stranger called my legs easter hams.

 

By the numbers (of things I recorded using Strava):

I biked/ran my way up Mt Everest (29,029 feet) nearly 10 times. Along the way, I biked nearly 3,000 miles.

Yay bikes.

I ran the equivalent of 24 marathons.

It was a good year.

 

 

Race Report: BendAR 30 hr AR

I’m still playing catch-up on my reports this year… here’s a long one about my longest race in 2015

Andrei of team Gearjunkie/Wedali facebook messaged me in early October asking if I’d be interested in joining the team for a 30 hour adventure race in Bend.

No really. That’s how it started.

After a lot of back and forth, deciding if a 30 hour adventure race was really even feasible for me, I figured… why not?

We met up in Bend and spent the night before the race graciously hosted by friends of Team Yogaslackers – who are CRAZY good racers and also the race coordinators. After the pre-race instructions we packed our bags, set up our bikes, and got the standard few hours of sleep before an early start and rainy bus ride to the race start.

Section 1: Trek

The checkpoints for the course were fairly spread out, as could be expected from a longer race. We started on foot, running through old logging fields searching for neon tape with words that we would need to record. Almost immediately, we came to a marker that was across a small river… so across I went! Feet rarely stay dry in adventure racing.

Section 2: Packraft (er, more Trek)

We were required to carry all our paddling gear, including packrafts and paddles, for the first leg of the race. We hit the edge of a lake, but decided that since neither of us are strong paddlers, we’d just take the long way hiking through the woods. At the time, it felt like the wrong choice – most of the time we were going up and over downed trees, not exactly a fast mode of transportation. Finally we got to the first TA, and learned that most teams had opted for paddling, batting brutal headwinds in glorified inner-tubes (aka packrafts).

Section 3: MTB

Still, we were happy to transition to our bikes. I put on our pedals (they had to be taken off for transport) while Andrei studied the map, then off we went! A few points and maybe an hour later, we arrived at a manned checkpoint by a lake… where we learned the punch was actually in the middle of a lake. One teammate would have to swim out to the marker and punch, then we had a few route options to get back on track towards our next check. We debated, and finally I decided I’d get the point. But, there’s no way I was going to soak my clothes. Luckily, there were no other teams around (and the women in charge of the checkpoint were a ways futher down the lake than where I wanted to jump in). Let’s just say… it was chilly. But really, not too bad. And I dried off fairly quickly before jumping back into my race clothes.

We decided to try the medium distance option to the next check point, hoping that the fire roads on the map were still in existence. There was a short route that looked like it would require ~1k of uphill bikewhacking, then no guarantee of a trail, or a really, really long bike around on more-likely-to-be-established roads. We were fine for a while, then had to hike about a half mile of road that was covered in downed trees (and the road didn’t really exist). We found the road again, and were on our way! Except the final link to the trail we wanted… simply did not exist. To make matters worse, it was a hillside covered in Manzanita – bushes that were about as tall as I am, and really hard to step on/through/over.

Sure, they’re pretty. Until you have to bushwhack through a field of them. With your bike.

This became probably the worst race experience I’ve ever had. Those bushes were brutal… you had to lift your bike as high above your head as possible, then try to push through the bushes while attempting to find footing (mostly on low branches). There was a fair amount of just lifting the bike, throwing it in the direction I wanted to go, then picking my way through the now bent-down branches. We finally, finally made it through to the trail we were looking for, and I stopped to put vaseline on my shredded legs. The rest of the points were much less eventful, despite climbing to the top of a mountain (including a LOT of hike a bike).

I decided we needed to start taking pictures… because we weren’t really on pace for anything. Don’t we look so happy?!

…This is how I really felt. It was SUPER windy and freezing cold. And starting to get dark.

We finally made it back down off the mountain, and stopped for another checkpoint that required swimming across a lake. This time, it was Andrei’s turn!

Everyone gets to swim in a high mountain lake during this race!

We got on our bikes again and arrived at the next TA I think around 9:30 for…

Section 4: Trek!

We spent 4 hours trekking through a volcanic rock boulder field. It was awesome for the first 30 minutes. Then, we were climbing up and down monstrous boulders, in the dark, from the hours of about 10PM – 2AM, where contrast isn’t really the best and the footing often shifts underneath you. I really wish we had seen this section in the day. It was awesome… but towards the end I was ready to be done. Up a big hill and down a big hill, then back to TA again for our bikes!

Section 5: Bike

We had a quick, peaceful moonlight ride to the next TA, highlighted by falling asleep while riding then letting the caffeine kick in and feeling awesome. There was some dispute as to where the next TA was, so we wound up going back and forth on a gravel road for quite a while. Finally, we made it into the TA and swapped our bikes for our trekking shoes and shoved our packrafts in our bags for the next section.

Section 6: Trek/Raft

Through the last hours of darkness, we trekked to get a few more points and took a route that allowed us to stay on foot. Andrei was in a dark place, and I was just starting to feel energized (I don’t know what it is, but I felt super sluggish at the start of the race… I suppose it could have something to do with the ultramarathon and 90 mile MTB races I’d done in the last month-ish prior). Regardless, I had started feeling better and we just trudged along, knocking down checkpoints as we went. Finally, the sun started to come up, and we gained some life, realizing that there was a very slim chance we’d be able to finish in time, even if we had a fairly direct route back into town. We grabbed all the points we could along the way, then inflated our packrafts for the first time all race and had a great float down a small creek!

Yay rafts!

Andrei for size

At the end of the paddle, we were both back to freezing time for another trek!

Section next: Trek

We hiked along more roads, occasionally running but mostly power-hiking. We grabbed a few more checkpoints, then were met by volunteers with HOT COFFEE near the headwaters of the Deschutes. It was absolutely gorgeous, clear blue water. The volunteers gave us advice on the fastest way back to the start and the checkpoints along the way. There was one more ‘fun’ checkpoint that they hinted involved a ropes course, so we took off down the trail (again, opting for a hike instead of a paddle). We hit a few more checkpoints, then turned onto a dirt road that would take us to the final TA to bikes!

Along the way, however, we had to stop at the special CP… which was actually a CP set up in the middle of a slackline! On the way, Andrei informed me that he ‘doesn’t do ropes’ so I booked it to the volunteer, throwing on a harness and helmet then onto the slackline! It was really awesome. The line was set up across a natural split in some rocks, so the perceived exposure was actually pretty high. Still, I wasn’t in a mood to take my time… we still had to try to reach the TA before they cut us off!

Section next: TA to Bikes

We jogged a bit down the trail, finding as much energy as we could to try to hit the TA. At this point, it was looking like we’d hit the TA around the 29 hour mark (maybe?), which definitely didn’t leave us enough time to get back. We crossed the road and hit the TA… to find volunteers waiting with our bikes, who informed us that everyone would be allowed to finish the race (phew, although we still had a long way to go). We put the pedals on our bikes, stuffed our pockets with snacks, then set off on the most direct route back to Bend!

We had received directions from the volunteer, but they didn’t totally match the route. As soon as we reached an intersection (about 3 miles later than expected), we discovered we needed to actually turn right on the main road, then left onto the back road that would be more direct. When we stopped to look at the map, Andrei started talking at me… in Russian. I think I mustered a few repetitions of ‘…what?’ before he started getting impatient, until I explained that he wasn’t actually speaking English. I thought for a while it was just my tired brain that wasn’t understanding, but then he also realized he’d slipped back into his first language.

That sorted out, we took off! It was a long, not flat retreat, but finally we made it to the start area, where my car was waiting for us (and very little else). We grabbed showers and hit the post-race event at a local brewery, then stuffed our faces with burgers.

Finished!

I took off for home, stopping every few hours at first for a nap. Eventually, I arrived back in Seattle.

This is basically just how I travel.

After a few days of recovery, I decided I should train more (have you noticed a theme yet?) and that I like adventure racing as more adventure, less race. Also, caffeine pills are magic. Huge thanks go to all the race volunteers – it was great to see such happy faces at the TA’s, and particularly the jetboil-special ramen and hotdogs in the middle of the night. Big big thanks to Gearjunkie for sponsoring us and the race – and sending some awesome giveaways! Yogis put on one heckuva race… in 31.5 hours I think we managed to complete like 70% of the course? This race is a fantastic place to truly challenge your skills and teamwork. And it’s definitely a great advertisement for Bend – I’ll be back to check out the lava flow during the day!

Race Report: Pierre’s Hole 100 MTB

I wrote the first of a 2 part series on this race a few weeks after it happened. Clearly, I never made it to publishing. Or part 2. So instead, here’s a quick photo recap, and you should definitely go read Caroline’s report :). Most pics are from Caroline’s photos along with my mom’s album she decided to call ‘Pierre’s hole monstrous mtn bike race’. Which cracks me up, but is also pretty accurate.

To start the weekend, I drove from Seattle to Missoula to spend a night with my lovely host Lisa. Fueled by sleep and coffee, I continued on through the wide open west to reach Driggs, ID/Alta, WY.

Race Day: start line at the base of the ski resort

After checking in at the base of Grand Targhee resort, I went for a quick course preview at the advice of the race director – up the fire road, then down the singletrack that would be the first sections of each lap (fire road lap 1, singletrack laps 2-3).

The course. The red section was the singletrack (oh, thank goodness for more miles and climbing…) used for laps 2 and 3 instead of the green section.

 

It was… hard. Altitude plus climbing, after as much prep as I could muster checking out new trails in Seattle (oh, and only 2 weeks after the WR50 running race)… I wasn’t sure my fitness would really hold up. Or that my 34×22 gearing was really appropriate.

…we don’t really travel light

I got off the trails right as a storm rolled in and it started raining – time to go meet my parents at our cabin down the road, and get lots of food!

Is this enough food for 12+ hours of racing? I guess we’ll find out…

Caroline met us at dinner, then we set to the task of arranging all our race food. Everyone got some sleep, then in the morning Caroline made us breakfast burritos.

Then we packed up the car and headed to the start line!

My parents drove up to crew for us. It was awesome. They are the best.

I promise, it’s steeper than it looks. Or, it will be in about 20 ft. What a way to start a race/every lap…

The flyover to make the figure-8 course a possibility. It is also more intimidating than it looks.

Lap 1! Repping all my favorite teams and… still looking awkward. I actually got comments on both the Gravel Worlds jersey and the Fat Cyclist shorts… people apparent know about big things happening in the midwest! Or, Dan Hughes is a badass.

Back up the hill.

Into the mid-lap aid station

Caroline grinding up the hill like a beast

And the hill. Again. I think my parents liked watching from this spot. At least it was sunny out!

And finally… I actually finished!! Didn’t quite make it under 12 hours, but also didn’t get pulled from the course. I rode my steel singlespeed bike nearly 92 miles, up 12,000 ft, and survived the surprising afternoon heat in the sun. Even better, I was only second to last (yay!) and finally finished an NUE race. Strava link for anyone interested.

After the race, we got a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and just vegged out in the cabin. The next day, I went out to a trail work day in memory of AJ Linnell – a super badass local SS dude who passed away in a helicopter crash last year. The AJ spirit contributed a lot to Team Noah, which in turn contributed a lot to me, and generally from what I know he was a super rad dude who was always smiling and pushing people to be their best and explore the mountains. I’m sure I got through the race on some SS love.

Digging trails, making friends

There wasn’t a trail, now there is one!

Pierre’s hole was an awesome, crazy challenging race. I know I wouldn’t have made it without the support of my parents (always waiting when I came through, offering a wide assortment of energy bars, snacks, and coke!) and the cheers of friends and strangers. The course aid stations were also super stocked, although I never really had the chance to check them out before heading straight to my cooler! The trails were fantastic and fun, brutal but beautiful. Hopefully next year I’ll manage a bit more altitude (and bike) training 🙂

My finishers mug has become a prized possession.

Race Report: White River 50

Spoiler alert: Taken post-race. I survived. And yes, that is beer.

My first ultramarathon – went WAY way better than expected. Yeah, it hurt. Yeah, 18,00 ft (seriously) of elevation gain and loss is a lot for the knees. And yeah, I had a fantastic time. Particularly afterward. The course runs basically up and down two mountains – one on the east side of highway 410 including the Ranger Creek and Palisades trails, one on the west side of the the highway including the Suntop trail.

Sure, you could change the aspect ratio, but why? This feels about right.

The east side (aka start) went out, and as usual I felt boxed in on the trail. It didn’t take long until everyone was walking up switchbacks, but then when the big steep climb was over, I was able to start jogging again. I quick stop at the corral pass aid station for some watermelon and I was passed by a few women (check out Glen Tachiyama‘s awesome photos: I’m on page 5 wearing a black tank top (how original) and my favorite gray janji capris). Back onto the trail for the (kinda brutal) descent. After conservatively opening it up, we passed back by the start where one of the volunteers informed me and my new racing buddy (didn’t get her name, but she followed me down the first descent) we were maybe 11th and 12th?

What ranger creek looks like on a clear day.

I was… tired. Because, you know, we just ran 30 miles of hills. And my stomach was starting to rebel from all of the gels I had so diligently eaten (because food is really, really important to have, even when you don’t want to eat it). We took off into the woods for the climb up the Suntop singletrack, and I felt worse and worse. I shuffled along, watching my friend disappear into the distance (but still passed a few people who had crashed/were taking a breather).

There’s a lookout cabin at the suntop summit. Clear days make for better pictures.

Again, more switchbacks until the summit. The whole race was cloudy and cold – not great for the typical gorgeous views of Rainier, but good for running! I grabbed a long sleeve shirt, swapped out my shoes and socks (best. idea. ever) and made a NEW friend (a guy named Tyler, I think?) for the pounding descent down the Suntop fire road (again, check out probably my favorite race photos. I look so happy…  page 16).

The white river. Over and back we go!

We chatted for a while, then suffered in silence for a while, and finally hit the last aid station before the sneaky slightly uphill singletrack back to the finish line. I think this is where Tyler took off (I made another stop at the pit toilet and ate some gummy worms), but I quickly made another friend, Mark (maybe?) who had traveled from Portland and wanted to chat. I was kinda struggling, so I let him do most of the talking. We would be close, then he’d take off, then I’d take off… eventually, he stopped at a stream to grab more water and I kept going. Little did we know… we were probably 200 yards from the final turn onto the road leading to the finish!

Somewhat relevant – when you don’t have aid stations, it’s much nicer to just filter water as you need it. I love the small size of the sawyer… it was used on many a training run/adventure.

Knowing the end was in sight, I ran the last half mile on smooth, mostly flat gravel towards the line where we had started… and nearly didn’t turn in time. The finish line was a few hundred feet to the side of the road, while I thought I was done. At least I didn’t go too far – I realized my mistake when I saw the streamers lining the finish chute. I crossed the line, was handed a finishers glass, and thankfully found a chair to sit in.

The start line. Not the finish line.

The results? The race cutoff time was 14:00 hours. My anticipated time was 12:00 hours, with a stretch, if-everything-goes-perfectly goal of 10:00. I crossed the line in 9:25, the 13th woman (and 5th/15 in my age group). Far from my best finish, but one of the ones I am most proud of. And so happy to be done!

Event Website Here!

It’s happening.

In less than 48 hours, the course will be cleared from the White River 50. Hopefully, in 48 hours, I will be parked in a camp chair in front of a fire, happily dozing off while my legs freeze up and my body tries to understand the torture I just put it through.

In 33 hours, I will most certainly be losing my shit. Because, Saturday is race day.

Prequel: miniRace Report: Cougar Mountain!

Two weeks ago I did a trail race at a place called cougar mountain (can’t wait to run it in a few years, when I earn the term). It was technical in spots, fast in spots, and really, really painful in spots. I signed up for the 20 mile option, because I’m training for a 50 mile race. It’s basically a sprint at that point, right?

My goal was to explore a new trail and, at the urging of my mother, “maybe try to meet some people!” And also, to try out using a race belt for holding snacks instead of my regular nathan backpack, since there will be plenty of aid stations at WR50.

The belt (purple) is actually really awkward. You have to put it on like a shirt… it’s all one piece. But it worked. Meh. Definitely more comfortable than that the hydration pack for light weight!

Somehow, I wound up 2nd of the women. I had a few glimpses of the top girl (she was wearing neon orange, which didn’t hurt), but I was just so stoked to be close that I’d see her and start walking. Typical. Still, I passed the eventual 3rd place woman around mile 9, and never looked back. I ended up trading places and crossed the finish line with a guy named Mike who gave me some history on the course, and was a welcome partner for the last 5 miles or so. It was awesome!

After the race, we hung out and got a little rained on (it’s Seattle, after all), and then I got an award – a super awesome pilsner glass…. AND a whole bag of goodies from the North Face. THANKS!!! Little secret, I knew about the glasses, and just wanted to hold onto a top 3 spot to get one (seriously, they’re awesome). The race was really, incredibly well-marked and overall a ton of fun. Plus, it was awesome to hang out with the speedy 1st place girl and other people who had run the 10 mile or 10k options earlier. Also, there was watermelon.

Another Caroline! She won a free pair of shoes from the north face… seriously, prizes were pretty off the hook for a rather low-key event.

Otherwise, I’ve just been hanging out in Seattle, feeling guilty for not running enough. But I managed a long bike ride with some friends this last weekend, including 2 ferry rides! The ferries here are a bit more legit than the ones in Illinois. They even have food on board!

Old friends, new friends. Look how happy everyone is! (probably around mile 51 of 60ish)

Our bikes are cooler than yours. And beer is necessary mid-ride.

… I live here.

As for work, I recently got staffed on a project in Bellevue, which happens to be about 10 miles from where I live… the perfect distance to commute! I bought panniers (potentially the best investment I’ve made, save my bikes) and am SO HAPPY to have a super awesome ride which is 80% on a dedicated bike trail, with bike lanes or sharrows for the other 20%. Funny thing is, though, nobody likes being passed by a girl in chacos (my feet like to be free after wearing shoes all day) and flat pedals riding a steel singlespeed with two monster panniers. They’re getting over it, though. And hopefully my legs will get used to it as good base miles. And, more importantly, hopefully I can find pants that fit marion and jones. Because they’re gonna be out of control.

yay panniers!

Finally, I think I’ve been doing something right (or, mom knows best, and I have no friends).

I got this watch at the end of May (so, less than 2 months ago). Sure, it probably doesn’t have much memory. I’m still a little proud of myself.

Race day is Saturday.

Unsolicited Product Reviews

I’ve been thinking about this one for a while. At some point, I decided I’m ok with calling myself an athlete. I think I’ve earned that title. With it, I’ve also gone through a fair amount of gear. I tend to destroy things, so really it’s amazing that anything has lasted even minor amounts of time with my use. Still, I obviously think someone else could benefit from my very wise advice (yeah right). Here are a few of my favorite (and, well, less than favorite) things!

Nutrition

Drink mix

– Gatorade: tried and true, I like the lemon lime and blue (whatever blue is currently in fashion) flavors. I’ve found a lot of cyclists hate on gatorade… I really don’t mind it. It’s easy to get calories and generally works. Unless you’re drinking gallons upon gallons of it (don’t do that) I haven’t had any problems bloating out. For super long stuff, balance with water so you don’t burn your tongue (it can happen). It also doesn’t hurt that I have mass amounts of lemon-lime powdered gatorade courtesy of Caroline.

– Osmo: WHOA. This stuff is…. SO disappointing, in the way that my minimalist barefoot shoes were disappointing. I WANT it to work, so bad. It’s based on science, it’s gender specific, it makes sense, but… holy crap, it’s horrible.

I recently, er, ‘came to have’ some osmo. It promises to help balance hormonal swings in gender-specific ways (sounds good so far). The whole system includes a during-exercise mix like gatorade, a ‘pre-workout’ mix, and a ‘post-workout’ protein mix. I’ll start with the good, or at least the not-so-bad: the during-exercise mix (I wound up with something grape-y) isn’t bad. Tastes slightly salty, but overall acceptable. The post-workout mix is also pretty good when mixed well with almond milk and some vanilla and spices (my typical ‘protein shake’ recipe). But the pre-workout mix. uuuuuggggh. It actually is the main reason for this post. Holy cow. It’s salty in that it tastes like you squeezed out someone’s (or maybe the whole JV football team’s) socks, then threw on a pineapple slice to make it smell better (I had the pineapple-margarita whatever flavor). It’s hard to stomach, to put it lightly. Plus, you’re supposed to only pre-load before very strenuous exercise (ok, so I do a lot of that)… but to drink a serving the night before, as well as the morning of intense activity. So you have to try to choke it down twice! First time I used it, I had no problems (other than gagging), so maybe it helped. Second time I tried it, I couldn’t bear to do the dose the night before. And that was cedar cross, where I cramped out (to be fair, I really didn’t eat breakfast). So, who knows. But I’m not sure I’m willing to put myself through that. I’ll stick to my coffee and sausage Mcbiscuits, thanks. The worst part is that each component retails for $20-$30. For a 150 lb woman (on the high end of their scale, to be fair) that only works out to about 8-10 servings. So it’s not cheap. Suffice it to say, I won’t be stocking up anytime soon.

– Carborocket: Back on the tasty train! I’ve only really had mixed CR at True Grit, but it was refreshing and delicious and I didn’t cramp. There are so many other factors that go into my own little explosions that I don’t think it’s fair to blame just liquid nutrition… but still, this was consistently easy to stomach and I didn’t dread reaching for my bottle. The thought of drinking more after the race was pleasant. Jury’s out for more testing, but I’m looking forward to it. Also, their electrolyte tablets have ginger in them and are supposed to settle your stomach. Needs further review (which I’m looking forward to).

– Nuun: Man, I love this stuff. I’ve got a few tubes, and love the lemon-lime flavor. The strawberry lemonade is also pretty good. It’s SO easy to carry on a ride (a tube has maybe like 12 ‘servings’, which are individual tablets that fizz up in your bottle… party in my water!). For a full bottle, I use one nuun tab to get a pleasant, light flavor, and the very mild initial carbonation is actually quite nice. So, so easy to add electrolytes (but no carbs/sugar/fuel)… still not a bad thing. I recently did a 3 hour, 20 mile ss mtb ride in Fort Collins (so, at altitude) and ate/drank nothing but 2 bottles, each with a tablet of nuun (with 1 bottle re-fill of water). Not my best decision, but I also felt pretty awesome. It had nothing to do with the thin mountain air and my euphoria at having no responsibilities. No, not at all.

Sky so blue. Trail so buff. Kate so happy.

Food

Any food offered to me after about 5 hours of activity will likely be the best thing I’ve ever eaten, so some of my opinions here might be a little skewed.

– Rice balls: I’ve perfected my recipe. Short grain white rice, cooked with a little extra water, then throw it in a skillet with bacon grease, lots of soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little bit of sriracha. Mix with an egg, a small handful of flour, then bake into bars or muffin tins. Wrap in parchment paper and foil. I love these, Justin loves these, they’re tasty and salty and a great break from the typical sugary energy food. There are a bunch of similar recipes in the feed zone cookbook, although I don’t have it (I’m sure I made mine based on some collective-consciousness discussion of the rice bars in the book, who knows. All I know, is I’m pretty stoked to finally have them in a place where they taste delicious and also hold together well). Also, they’re cheap and you have another excuse to make a bunch of bacon. All-around win.

– GU chomps: peach tea gummies. I’ve bought a few boxes of these. They’re delicious. Until recently, I thought they were caffeine free. They are not. Maybe that’s why I think they work so well… still, you get 2 servings in a pack (so, 8 individual gummies), which means you can eat a few then stash the pack. Makes it easier to choke down food when you don’t want to. Pro tip – open the top and squeeze the chews up to the top BEFORE you are in the middle of a ride. Makes life easier.

– Everything else: nothing really stands out as particularly awesome or not. Well, I love Clif bar seasonal flavors (Iced Gingerbread is totally my favorite ever, followed by pumpkin pie spice. so basic). I also really like the nature valley protein bars (mmm, nuts). BUT, why do granola bar companies insist on putting a layer of ‘yogurt’/chocolate on all their bars?!? Who demands a layer of fake sugar coating on top of already-pretty-sweet granola bars? I don’t want that crap, and it’s just going to melt in my pocket or pack anyway, making it a huge mess to try to eat on the run (or even in the middle of a hike). Seriously. Ditch the coating.

…you mean I have to try to put it back in my pocket?

Gear

Figuring out how much to carry and how to do it is a really personal choice. I know I usually need a ton of water and snacks, so I need a larger pack to hold everything (and also my phone for selfies and calling for backup when I meet a mountain lion, duh). So, these are very definitely my favorites, and might help get you thinking about what you should look for in a new pack or water bottle or whatever. Or just my ranting about stupid little details.

Packs

– Nathan – small, but comfy. I bought my current pack about 7 years ago at an REI garage sale for like $10… so my review here is probably irrelevant. Whatever. The Nathan-brand bladder was quickly abandoned. Overall, the pack only holds about 2.5 liters at the very very most, and I now use a hydrapak 2 Liter bladder and refill as necessary. I like: having a clip for car keys (far away from my sweaty body since I have a remote fob… yeah, I fancy). Inner stretch mesh pocket for keeping bike tools together yet accessible. Small enough actual storage that I can’t stuff too much in it. I don’t like: no pockets on the arm straps. Solution: make your own!

Look on the left strap (to the right in this photo) – a pocket for enduralytes! Made from some cuben fiber ’cause I had some extra and I’m fancy like that.

– Hydrapack: Good size for ~18 hour or under ARs (or summer longer ones?). Comfy, but definitely larger. Still, no pockets on the shoulder straps 😦 I find it’s a little bulky and heavy, but great to have more space for a rain jacket, extra layer, etc. for longer bike rides or adventures far away from water sources.

– Bladders (you don’t want a leaky one!):

• Reservoir: I like the hydrapak – great reviews, haven’t destroyed one yet. They come with an optional baffle (to keep it more flat and less round… so far, I’m a fan). The hydrapak also opens completely on the top, which means you can flip it inside out to dry. Very useful. I also have a platypus bladder, which is super sturdy and light but has a regular soda-cap size top opening.
• Opening/closing: I like the hydrapak huge top, the Camelbak twist mechanism always seems sticky to me (annoying to open/close).
• Detachable hose: A requirement for easy refill and the greatest improvement to bladder systems in the last few years. Yay quick release!
• Bite valve: Apparently my teeth are too sharp, because I destroyed the latest hydrapak valve pretty quickly. Replaced with an Osprey valve… LOVE the osprey! Lock mechanism is intuitive (just fold it in-line with the hose and it’s sealed), plus it includes a magnet!
• Fastener: Things rattle a lot more while running or really charging downhills on a bike. The Nathan pack includes a really neat hose clip build into the chest strap buckle… but it doesn’t stand up to much abuse (and nothing is more annoying than stopping to re-attach a floppy hose 😉 ). Magnets are really awesome and work much better.

Random other thoughts

– A wool buff is the greatest single piece of equipment you can own. End of story.

Radio Silence

You guys. It’s been nearly 2 months since I posted things. Oh mountain of guilt. Sorry.

Speaking of mountains, I was on this one most recently.

I’ve been doing things! Including moving to Seattle, exploring some trails, and getting really, really nervous about this little 50 mile (running. trail. mountain.) race I’ve signed up for (I may die). Pictures are more fun than words, and I take a lot of selfies, so here are my highlights from the last few months.

Step 1: Leave St. Louis. Not recommended: packing entire life into small car.

Step 2: Visit friends in awesome places.

Find neat old trucks puttering up to the trails.

Step 3: SEE A MOUNTAIN LION! IN REAL LIFE! ALL ALONE AT THE TRAILHEAD!

Look at the slightly lighter dot in the middle of the trail (under one of the furthest branches of the big pine tree with the trunk in the left. Yeah, phone cameras aren’t the greatest. And I wasn’t going to get a galmour shot.

There’s really a mountain lion in this photo. I promise.

Step 4: Watch lil’ brudder graduate college. With his fiancee (whoa, yeah, mawwiage)

Wedding dress shopping with Jenna… good thing my mom got to go, it’s probably the only chance she’ll have (sorry not sorry).

Step 5: Ride more trails.

Step 6: Visit home. Love the puppies. Mow the lawn. Drink the beers.

Step 7: Drive and drive and drive some more!

Not many driving photos. Safety first. But, check out the hop farms in Yakima!!! So. Excited.

Step 8: Set up new apartment

Ikea. A terrifying experience, but I can now say I’ve done it? So many cam locks, so little time (and finger dexterity).

‘wall decorations’

Note – the geared bikes were shipped from home in Colorado instead of staying on the car. SO worth it. Check out bikeflights.com if you ever need to ship a bike!!

Step 9: Adventure!

Rainier cherries from a fruit stand on the way back from Rainier… it’s only fair.

Nap at camp muir. No air left.

…but worth it.

I have a bike twin at work!! Terrible photo, but we match. Except s/he has a fancier version with disc brake tabs. I’m debating leaving a note asking for a swap (mine is the one with the green saddle).

The new race fuel. Cheap, peachy.

The Sawyer mini water filter: my new favorite piece of gear. SO AWESOME!

Climb all the mountains. Shred all the gnars. Try not to die or get hit by motos.

Wait. All that work and I’m only at 5280 feet? wuf.

Beaches and sunburn.

Dip in the white river: it’s cold, fast, and white. From glacier melt? probably.

My bike is just so pretty.

Alphagina!

I’m not so great at race reports…. while superkate is the best. So go read hers first for a real review 🙂 I’m skipping a few AR reports, but they’ll happen. Eventually.

As usual, this ended up much longer than I planned. There are just so many fun things I want to tell you! But, spoiler alert, I won, Bob Jenkins is awesome, Cedar Cross is soul-crushing.

Borb.

As you may have heard, one of the most awesome races around St. Louis is Cedar Cross, the result of lots of work and beers from the legendary Mr. Bob Jenkins. Last year, this was my first century race. And also my first gravel race. And also my first singlespeed race. Obviously, I’m no expert on racing (the wisdom a year brings!), but I was pretty excited to have some people to say hello to, and to finally be going into a race with an idea of the carnage that was about to take place.

Last year, I was quite worried about the day. So worried, I made my dude peat ride a gravel century with me on the singlespeed so that I could be sure I would make it. This year, well, I’ve been racing my way in shape, and it’s definitely the most fun. I always feel unprepared going in to races, whether or not it’s true (it usually is). But, cedar cross is about the most fun you can have… I mean, they have a beer stop! And, we get to stay with Peat’s friend Nick, who happens to run Red Wheel Bike shop (this year’s lucky host, and the best bike shop in Jeff City!) and makes some awesome little pork cutlets (what propelled me to victory last year). Anyway, when I found I’d have the weekend ‘free’, I signed up. Within about 30 minutes, I got an email from Bob:

Yeah, I can’t think of any other race where you get a personal email from the race director thanking you for signing up. I should also mention, this year Bob decided to make it a celebration of the ladies, a true estro-fest if there ever was one. We’d chatted briefly a few months ago about prizes, and what prize purse would, in his words, ‘get a bunch of women out trying to rip each others’ legs off’. Well, he also named the categories aptly, and I signed up for the ‘Alphagina’, the greatest category I will ever have the honor of racing. As the year of the woman, there were only to be prizes for the ladies.

Yeah, it’s a real thing

Peat and I took off Friday night and got to Jeff City in time to catch Nick’s (3 year old) son Wyatt up and hunting firewolves and other backyard sneakies. After much hanging out with Nick and his wife Jess, more of the SS contingent showed up in the form of Adam, Lurch, and Eddie, who claimed floor space in the basement. Beers were consumed, general merriment ensued. Soon enough, it was time for bed!

We got up bright and early in order to make it to the shop by around 7, for the race start at 8. Incredibly unfortunately, Nick (as the host of the race) had to leave super early, leaving us pork-cutlet-less. Not to be put out, we filled water bottles and had snacks, then drove over to Red Wheel for coffee, donuts, and hellos to all our friends from the area.

Oh hey david

We geared up and lined up, then Bob made a few announcements – Nick’s dad would be out on course as usual with beer(!) and hot dogs, Luke’s son (I think) played a righteous version of the national anthem on the electric guitar, and Bob told everyone that there’d be a $500 payout for the winner of the Alphagina category, and a $100 payout to the winner of the ladies open. Whaaaaat?! I laughed, tried to forget about it, and reminded myself of my lack of training – it’s a $30 race with some awesome people, and singletrack on cross bikes. Sure, worth some effort, but mostly worth finishing. Still, there was a little voice in the back of my head saying it’d be pretty nice to win some cash (oh, and peat mentioning it’d be nice to win back some gas money). At the same time, I knew superkate has been DESTROYING her training for dirty kanza, so we’d just have to see how it all played out.

Superkate!!

Wyatt is 3… and was ready to ride the whole thing.

After announcements, Bob ripped his shirt off and gave us a show, then Chuck led a neutral rollout through town and down a super awesome pedestrian bridge. Watching racers going through 4 levels of a big spiral ramp was so cool… I tried to take a picture while riding. It didn’t really work out.

People on bikes on bridges!

On the other side of the bridge, a leadout car was waiting to take us another half mile or so to the real ‘start’ of the race. I tried to pace myself, remembering how I cramped last year, but also hoping to finish faster than last year, meaning in the ideal world I’d be working on a 16 mph pace. Realistically, I was ready for that to be closer to 15, knowing last year I was around 14.7 according to Strava. Well, I also learned from last year that it’s way easier to ride with people, whether you’re drafting or not. It’s just fun, and that happens to be the whole point of cedar cross. As I was putzing around chatting, I was passed by SS buddies Adam and Zoll (Lurch), pumping the tunes! I stepped it up a notch and hopped on the train.

Peat borrowed a hair tie before the race so he could look fabulous. He also brushed his teeth in the morning just so he could kiss Bob. I know where I stand.

The three of us ended up riding the first 30 miles or so together, until Adam needed to stop for water at an old chapel. It was so nice to hang out and confirm each others’ route choices, and generally just chat. When we hit the chapel, though, I knew I had to boogie if I wanted a shot at the title. I also knew we were coming up on the second section of singletrack, where I’d take any advantage I could get (the first was through a field… thankfully uneventful this year and I even showed a few people how to open the gate instead of climbing over it! Less fun, but more fast. And less panic).

drop bags in the shade at mile 50

The singletrack was fairly rideable…. as much as singletrack is rideable on a gravel-geared singlespeed (for reference, and because I’m sure I’ll want to check and remember at some point, I went 42×18). I was stoked on everything I could ride, including hopping a few trees (my weakness). I was running tubes because this year, unlike last, I didn’t get to borrow peat’s fast wheels (turns out, he likes his nice things and was ready to destroy the course). I reminded myself to ride light, and that stopping to change a tire would take waaaay longer than slowing to walk a section. There were also a few pretty rough horsed-up sections here, although in hindsight they weren’t too bad (and most were rideable) compared to the later section. A quick sprint up the Jeff Yielding staircase of pain, and we were back on gravel roads!

Jeff and Carrie are the neatest. Particularly when they bring coolers. I can’t imagine riding that on a tandem.

Around this time, I started to get the warning signs of leg cramps… the twinge of pain suggesting I’m in for a ride. Now, that can sometimes be ok… but 40 miles into a 115 mile ride it’s fairly bad news. I downed some carborocket electrolyte tabs, ate some food, and realized I was nearly out of water. I figured the drop bags were in 10 miles, so I drank everything I had and hoped it’d be enough. I also started soft pedaling the hills instead of powering up them. Somehow, I made it to the drop bags where Noelle Case (the BEST CREW EVER) was waiting, as usual, with the tailgate down and water ready. I downed as much water as possible, switched my 2L water bladder for the full 3L, replaced bottles, stuffed my pockets and shorts with food, and headed off into the roughest singletrack of the day.

I tried to take selfies this year. This was obviously not when I was hating my life/cramping.

I thought this singletrack was rough last year, but this year it was worse than trying to cut an entirely new trail. The horse tracks were so bad, it was like trying to hold onto a jackhammer, while also riding through inches of muck. Uphill. I rode a lot… until I didn’t. At some point, it just made more sense to save the skin on the palms of my hands by walking over and through the massive post-holes. Post race, there was plenty of comparing shredded skin from trying to hold on to the handlebars.

Don posted this description of the singletrack to facebook… it’s about as true as it gets

After about 2 miles, I finally hit gravel again and (because I’d ridden the course last year) confidently turned left, followed by a quick right. Never has gravel felt so smooth. Unluckily, despite my quick fix of chugging water and snacks, I hadn’t drank or eaten much while working hard in the singletrack. And, I promptly cramped, for real, at the exact same place as last year. Ugggggh. There’s a gravel hill (ok, so it’s really not that hard) just after the singletrack that I remembered sitting down in the middle of, trying to stretch out my legs after miraculously unclipping. This year, I decided I’d ride the hill. As slowly as I needed to. At least at this point the cramps could be stretched out and weren’t full-bore in each muscle group at the same time, so I would pedal with my left leg until my quad and calf would cramp, then hope my right hamstring was done cramping in time to pick up the slack and start on the other side. It wasn’t pretty. But I did manage to get up the hill, and again drank probably 1.5 bottles of gatorade and ate a bunch of food.

Seeing Chuck on the singletrack, STILL out with a leafblower, was awesome. And also, awesome to know I was headed the right direction! (Photo courtesy of Lori Vohsen… as are most of the photos snagged from the cedar cross page)

It’s amazing to me how cramps can be fixed. One moment you think you’re going to die, and that your legs are going to fall off. You’re in total survival mode, hoping only to see another human with a cell phone and maybe some water to spare. Throw everything you have at it (food, electrolytes, water), and 10 minutes later you’re back in the game. I’d still prefer to never get to that point, but it is a little comforting to know that the pain isn’t, in fact, permanent.

Google search is sometimes gold.

Soon enough, I was rolling along and having fun, working hard but not blowing myself up, and around a corner there was a tent with a few racers and a cooler! I stopped in and Nick’s dad immediately asked what I needed and filled up a water bottle for me as a pounded a beer. It was ice cold and OH so tasty… it was even a fancy beer in a glass bottle! I was surprised, impressed, and ready for a nice cold beverage. I’d say I got that down in about 30 seconds, then hopped back on my bike for the roughly 5 miles to Ham’s Prairie.

Cody is Noelle and Corey’s dog. And he is the cutest.

At the gas station, I again saw Noelle and refilled everything I could. Despite being 80 miles into the race, it was still 35 (I told myself 40) to the finish, which is kinda a long way to go. I took my time and saw my friend Don, who I met last year at CCX, roll out towards the reactor. One big hill, a view of the reactor, and a screaming downhill and I was on the Katy trail, the ‘home stretch’. This section of the race is always sneaky – it’s flat, so you underestimate it. I could see Don and another racer up in front of me, and debated putting in the extra energy to catch them and work together. In the end, I decided a bathroom break was more important. About 5 miles down the trail, however, I saw them again, and then they stopped to check the maps. I was confident in the directions (after all the debating last year) and rolled by, and we all grouped up together to end up riding for the rest of the race!

Picture in front of the nuclear reactor. It’s in the rules.

We turned off the katy onto gravel farm roads, where the wind really picks up, and the gravel is big and deep (heh). The sun was hot, and we worked to just slog through it. It’s so straining to know you’re so close to being done, but that it will still take a long time to get there. After our second departure from the Katy, we saw another rider along the levee and slowly started closing the gap. When we finally caught up, we saw it was none other than SS dude Eddie! We all rode together, alternately pushing the pace a little (in the excitement of getting done earlier) and just maintaining in order to finish strong. Devin (the other rider) and I would hang out and let Don and Eddie cruise, just to see them slow down so we could all chill. It was pretty fun. Soon enough, we passed under highway 54 and wound our way back to the pedestrian bridge, through all the big trucks and boats from a fishing tournament on the same day.

I’ve really stepped up my selfie game lately. This includes mid-ride selfies with my new best friends Devin (l) and Don (r)

Up, up, up and over the bridge we went. Looking at my watch, it was about 4:40 PM, and we’d started around 8:20 AM, so we were definitely going to finish under 9 hours!! So awesome. Once we hit town and main street, Eddie took off down the big hill while we just chatted and timed out the lights (and tried not to get run over). The three of us crossed the line together and I got the news (that I’d been guessing on since about Ham’s Prairie)… that I am the Alphagina!!! It was so awesome to have people to ride with at both the start and the end of the race, and SO awesome to have Noelle and Nick’s dad out there supporting. Oh, and winning $500 wasn’t so bad (moving is expensive, and Seattle’s far away… I definitely will put it to good use. Immediately).

That Peat, he’s a good one

I saw Peat hanging out on the pavilion having a beer, and went over to chat about our days and compare notes. He and his friend Jesse had been riding together but got lost after the last singletrack, probably adding about 7 miles (and a big hill) to their day. As a result, they lost the lead to a group of 4 dudes who made the right turn, but Peat and Jesse still wound up 5th and 6th.

FINISHED!!!

Don, Devin, and I wound up 11-13th, I think, and I was maybe the 3rd SS? Meaning Eddie was 2nd, and we were basically just chillin together? That’s pretty freaking awesome, in my opinion. The second lady (on gears, in the ladies open division) came in about 30 min after I did (again, results aren’t up so I’m not sure, and I’d had a few beers so my memory probably isn’t all it’s cracked up to be).

It’s true love

As expected, it was an incredible day out on gravel, but the most fun was swapping war stories with everyone afterwards.  Corey won an awesome Bad Mother Fucker wallet, the Sonas rode a tandem and are hilarious, and we stayed out late into the night cheering on riders and generally talking shit.

In fact, we enjoyed it so much neither Peat or I were ready to drive all the way back to St. Louis, so we crashed with Nick and Jess another night (well, after demolishing a pizza). We woke up to a true breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, and coffee! These people are the best people. I will miss the bike community here so much… and I can’t wait to time my return visits so I can come see you all race and party it up!

This was supposed to be a funny comparison between Corey’s arms and Jeff’s legs… but I just couldn’t get over how much more awesome Lo’s muscles are 🙂

That’s one bad motherfucker right there

Of course I wore my Monthly Cycle cap to compete in the Alphagina. Duh.

The voyage of 1000 selfies, starts with a single shot

Gin shots, anyone?

We celebrated my PhD completion. I don’t remember a whole lot.

The story of my travels, told mostly in pictures and selfies. I’ll probably write a Moab race report, because that’s more fun. I was reunited with college buddies in Portland, took the train(!) up to Seattle with some awesome Canadians, stayed in a super awesome hostel (my favorite way to travel, by far), then stopped over in Salt Lake City for some adventuring and adventure racing. And a puppy party.

A trip to Portland would be incomplete without a stop at Voodoo doughnuts. Some of us made it back again (hint, it wasn’t me). They have donuts the size of your face! With funny names and no so funny delicious 2 SLICES OF BACON on the maple bacon one I got. I can now die happy.

We stayed in a funky hotel with a big spiderman panel on the wall. Then got all dressed up fancy style, then proceeded to drink a lot. Yay weddings! The entire thing was at a resort/winery/distillery about 25 min from downtown Portland… and it was gorgeous. Plus, hanging out with the old college crew was pretty fabulous. And Caroline was there, so we were able to catch up and avoid the awkward stares of people we don’t know!

My gorgeous college roommbuddy (lived together all 4 years!) tied the knot. So excited for them 🙂 My only disappointment was that they didn’t bring the puppy up from El Paso with them. There was a photobooth, which we were seated directly next to. This means there are lots of (terrible) photos of me. Oops.

I stayed an extra night in Portland for convenience. My room for the night was a quirky eclectic little room through AirBnb. I took the bus up from our hotel and quickly found the place… with old doors hodge-podged together to form a yard and a bunch of funny statues displayed everywhere, it was very Portland(ia). It was also Easter… and the host (who was actually a person house-sitting for the host) was having a potluck! After a little recovery nap, I joined in on the fun downstairs and chatted with people while eating all their food.I’m pretty sure that’s the best way to potluck.

From Portland, I took the train up to Seattle. I was seated with 3 Canadians who had just traveled down for shopping over the holiday weekend, and knew I was in good company when they busted out the ‘soda’ around 11AM. There were lots of snarky remarks and cheating at card games to fill the ~4 hour trip.

SEATTLE!! I stayed at a hostel literally across the street from the famous pike place market. It. Was. Awesome.

How does one find an apartment that is (somewhat) reasonably priced in a totally new city in 2.5 days? By making lists upon lists upon lists! I think I saw about 10 different places, but finally found one that will be manageable with my budget (hopefully), has a little outdoor space, and is a few blocks from a park. Oh, and did I mention, it’s a 1.75 mile downhill cruise into work? It’s perfect! (I’m more than happy to slog back up after a long day… it’s nice to be able to show up at work in basically the same state you left the house).

With that business settled (ok, so really in the middle of that madness, because I obsess over things and need some time for a mental break), I went for a run! And then cruised through the market. It’s like Soulard market, except super touristy and expensive. A worthwhile stop… particularly when I don’t have an empty fridge tempting me 🙂

(The space needle is really there. Also, it’s hard to tell, but those are monstrous lobster tails. The ones on the left are larger than ‘regular’ ones – although I definitely don’t eat enough lobster to be a good judge of that.)

To get around the city in Seattle, I got to try out their new bikeshare system. It was pretty great. Different than in Boston (you picked your bike and had to type in the number to the kiosk, instead of the other way around) but it’s the same concept. I became very close with bike #0326 after taking it on many rides together… then someone had the nerve to check her out before I could return. Ce’st la vie, I’ve moved on as well (*sniff*).

Washington, or at least Seattle, requires helmets by law. The bikeshare solution to this is a tub of cleaned, sealed helmets at every station. Pick up a new helmet on the left side (the plastic cover also works great as a seat cover if it’s been raining… just sayin’), then when you return the bike you drop your sweaty helmet to the bin on the right! I was amazed at how well it worked, and only ran into empty bin problems once or twice (they say to just stop at the next station you see, but I was never traveling far enough for that to be legit).

Final Seattle selfies. On the right is the street I’ll be living on… it’s pretty neat.

From Seattle, I hopped on a plane to Denver, then a plane to Salt Lake City! Don’t ask why, I hate transfers. But somehow I found the cheapest option to require a change in Denver. It’s not the worst airport, I suppose. But I was so happy to be picked up by Justin and Dune (ok, really excited to see Dune, his golden/pit mix) at the airport. We dropped off stuff then immediately walked over to beers and had a great time catching up.

We partied (ok, so we went to bed early like the old people we are) and then headed out to Moab for the AXS 12 hr AR. Race report coming, because this is already quite long. Suffice it to say, my first trip to Moab proper (not counting one 7th grade trip to Arches) was beyond awesome.

I met some French tourists as we were yo-yo-ing back and forth on the trail during my Sunday recovery religious experience ride. The fast dude was kind enough to take a picture of me with my totally cheating rocky mountain element 970 (Gears. Suspension. Front AND Rear. Floats. Like. A. Boat. Link is to trailhead bikes in st louis, a new shop which happens to be a rocky mountain dealer… check them out!). Good thing Justin has good taste in bikes, and even better that we’re exactly the same size. Moral of the story – I have one photo that’s not a selfie!

We returned after the race to SLC to the puppy party. Dune, Jake, and Watson gave us a great welcome home, then I skeedaddled on out of town back to St. Louis.

Yay for friends in awesome places, doing fun things. And also for nice people along the way.

PS, if you’re in St. Louis, I’m selling all my stuff. I have a small car, and don’t plan to take anything I don’t absolutely need up to Seattle. I’ve made a webpage (because how else would I do it?): movingsalestl.weebly.com. Buy my stuff!