Holiday Happenings

Here is a pile of presents, none of them were for us and I couldn't have been happier about it! Instead of doing gifts this year my family adopted a family through the Family to Family Program run by Boulder County. Nobody in my family 'needs' anything...we have our health, the ability to eat 3 meals a day, a roof over our heads and great friends. While I 'want' an oven that works when on Broil I have everything I need and feel such satisfaction knowing that a family will be smiling on Friday when they open their gifts that they otherwise would not have been able to afford.

Last weekend we visited the railroad museum in Golden for some family fun with lil Sam. This picture about sums about Sam's fascination with trains.

Sam is not too sure about the bearded fellow

This morning we had Tarkington Christmas since Doug and I head to Bradford on Wednesday, Jon, Beth and Sam to Houston on Tuesday and my parents to sunny San Diego tomorrow. We ate our traditional candy cane bread with eggs and watched Sam be overwhelmed by the many presents he was spoiled with. Jon and I really like Sam's fancy tricycle. If this were 25 years ago he would have surely crashed me into something intentionally and then tried to get me in trouble for it.

Hawaii fun Pictures

Hmmm, I just realized that I started this post a long time ago and never put it up. Work has been crazy and today is one of the first days I can "waste a little time" (aka blogging).


Here are some non-race related pictures from Hawaii. We took two long drives to check out the beaches and scenary. The first one took us all around the north side of the island. All the guide books say "driving not recomended past this point". we ended up driving on a one lane road about as wide as a golf cart path in places. It was very driveable just sketchy if you encountered a car coming towards you. Clearly lots of tourists enjoy this golf cart path as there were several vendors along the way the would jump out in front of your car to peddle their fruit. Our second drive took us on the famous road to Hana...windy, narrow, rainforests, beaches. It was a beautiful drive but we didn't really want to come back the way we came and once again did what the tourist guides said not to do and went on the "do not drive this road". I'm not sure what all the hype was about, it was dirt in places and not well maintained but it was quite driveable and few people were on it. Check it out if you ever make it to Hana!

"Sara your big head keeps getting in the way of the sun"

Huge bamboo forest

Don't feed the seals while naked

Close to Hana

View from the golf cart path

2009 Xterra Worlds Race Report

Swim

I'll sum this up in one word, brutal. I was punched in the eye, hit in the arms countless number of times and full on kicked in my left quad leaving me with a 'charlie horse' for the rest of the race. All the rumbling was with men in the swim, those yellow caps were surrounding me and mean. They would not start the race until everyone was out of the water so I sat shivering for 10 minutes on shore. Usually they say to get out of the water, nobody does and they start the race anyways. They had people walking in the surf with kayak paddles prodding people back to shore. I had a decent swim but not as fast as I would have liked. I came out of the water in 8th with several girls not too far behind me.

Bike

I felt strong on the bike but wasn't climbing like I know I am capable of. Men kept fumbling on the short climbs in front of me, falling off and forcing me to hike-a-bike more than I needed to. I also think I was worried that going to hard on the bike would lead to "blowup" like it did for me at Nationals. I focused on drinking lots and pushing "just hard enough". The bike is not very technical but bad things happen to people out there. It is easy to get out of control and not be able to stop since you are basically surfing on top of loose, sharp lava rocks. There are always people fixing flats along the entire course. Luckily, my personal mechanic (aka Doug) had my bike working flawlessly except for a slight chain mishap that only took me about 6 seconds to fix. I came off the bike in 8th after several position changes on the bike.

Run
I felt strong going into the run and was well hydrated. I was able to push up the hills better than last year. Doug yelled at me that there were four girls in front of me within 2 minutes. Marion passed me a few miles into the run. I could see Marion and Danelle in front of me most of the run, especially on the mile long beach stretch, but was never able to catch them. I ended up 9th in 3:15:57, almost 4 minutes faster than last year. Top five were Julie Dibens, Lesley Patterson, Mel McQuaid, Carina Wasle and Shonny V. Congrats to all you speedy women!

It's amazing how the women's field seems to get faster and faster every year. I felt I had in in me to be in the top 5, but I simply didn't have my best race. I have nothing to complain about though, I was almost 4 minutes faster, had no major catastrophes and am able to race at a professional level while maintaining full time career. I'm ready for a break...a chance to sleep in, experiment in the world of gluten free baking, finish some knitting projects that have been gathering dust since last Spring, and cross off many projects on our house 'to do list'.

Thanks to my parents and Doug for being the best fans and support at the race! Thanks to Wheat Ridge Cyclery for my Yeti, Powerbar for gels with lots of electrolytes, Perlizumi for some great training and racing gear, Xterra wetsuits for my 'sausage suit' (fastskin), Powercordz for some cables that help make my bike super light! I'm looking forward to next year and plan to come back with some serious 'fire in my belly'. I'm also excited to be part of a great team next year...I'll let you keep guessing about that one...

From paradise to snow

We made it back to Boulder this afternoon after a long trip including a night spent in the Portland airport. We came back to around 20 inches of snow here in Boulder...from paradise to snow in a day! The season has finally come to a close for me. The 2009 Xterra Worlds pro field was stacked and every woman was fast (this may be an understatement). I went almost 4 minutes faster than last year and placed 9th (the same place as last year). Pictures and race report will come I'm just too tired now.

Dear Mrs. Piggy

Ok swine flu, I know you have infected several people in my office and you have me running scared. Please stay away from me for the next 10 days. My hands are raw from many washings and being lathered in hand sanitizer. I even invested in antiviral/antibacterial wipes and wipe down my desk area daily. I'm taking lots of Vitamin C, echinachea and garlic...I hope it all works Mrs. Piggy and you don't come knocking at my door.

I always struggle to stay healthy this time of year for some reason and this year is no exception. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I can make it a few more days without catching anything. I'm feeling ready for Maui and the only thing that would slow me down at this point is being sick.

Last weekend I had some less than ideal Maui prep...a cyclocross race in the snow. I bundled up in an effort to simulate a warmer climate but actually never warmed up much as it was breezy and in the 20's. Good hard effort though that was rewarded with a burger and beer! One more intense run and ride session and then it is rest, rest, rest for me.

Give me some oxygen and heat

We spent the weekend in Frisco so Doug could do 2 cyclocross races. The trip marked the first time since ski season that I went to the mountains and was not racing...crazy! I enjoyed a long ride on the Peaks Trail on Saturday and a long hilly run on Sunday. I was planning on just running along the path to Copper Mountain but then I saw a little trail and a sign talking about an old mine. So I ran up, up and up some more. I made it to the mine and was determined to get to the top but once it got so steep I had to walk I called it a day...sweet coffee was calling my name. Both my ride and run had me thinking about skiing since there was snow on the ground.

Doug makes it look so easy

I've entered the heat and oxygen period of my Hawaii prep. That weird girl running with a hat and long sleeves on a beautiful Fall day, that's me. The sweaty girl you see going back and forth between the sauna and steam room, that's me. I'm not sure how much this helps me get ready to race in Hawaii but I think there is something to it. I did the same thing last year and was not bothered too much by the heat. I'm also doing supplemental oxygen workouts on the bike and run at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. It's amazing how much harder you can make yourself go when you have so much sweet oxygenated air. Thanks to Paul and Becky for loaning me a slick tire and Powertap to use during these torture sessions! I've never used a Powertap and don't even use a heart rate monitor when I train.

My 'technology' is my Timex watch. Yep, the kind you buy at Target. This one is pretty advanced though seeing as it has 3 different alarms you can set. What the heck do you need 3 different alarms for? We'll have to see if I take to this technologically advanced training or not.

Xterra Nationals

Last weekend I had a successful day at Xterra Nationals held in beautiful Snowbasin, Utah. The hills were covered with hues of red and yellow and the weather was sunny and warm. This course is all about climbing...my favorite! The swim starts in Pineview Reservoir down in the valley. The bike climbs and climbs all the way to Snowbasin ski area, then in case you didn't get enough it climbs some more up the ski area before coming back to the base of the area. The run is a big climb, up to some 'flattish' rocky single track and then back down to the base of the area.

Right before the mayhem began

I came out of the swim in 5th(?) about 30 seconds behind eventual winner Mel. I had a great bike (11 minutes faster than last year on a slightly longer course) and came to T2 in 3rd behind Mel and Shonny. The second I got off my bike I knew I was in trouble. I had sharp pains in both quads, think a knife being stabbed into your leg. The cramps stayed in my legs the entire run and eventually my stomach cramped too. I resorted to walking a little and even had the thought of getting a ride on a moto back to the finish but I was as tough as I could be and held on for 6th place (2nd American). I was bummed that my body failed me although it was probably my own fault for not drinking enough on the bike...Doug scolded me about this as he usually does. However, I could not be happier with how close I am to the podium even on a 'bad day'! This race served to boost my confidence and get me excited about Worlds and beyond. Top five women were Mel McQuaid, ShonnyV., Lesley Patterson, Carina Wasle, Jenny Smith. So glad to be done, not sure what's with the Elvis lip

Post race we celebrated with an awesome dinner, drinks, ice cream and lots of laughter! The trip was made even more special and fun because of my travel buddies and support men. Thanks Doug and Paul for helping us on race day...it meant the world to me to have such dedicated support! I might have passed out without getting another bottle from Doug. Brian had a great race and can now stop saying that his friends girlfriends are faster than him...good work Brian! Becky had a huge smile on her face during the race and had a successful day in many, many ways! Also, thanks to all my sponsors...Wheat Ridge Cyclery, Yeti, Powerbar, Rudy Project, Pearlizumi and Xterra wetsuits.

After a long ride home complete with road closures, consumption of fast food and too many candy corn pumpkins I'm home and enjoying a rest week before a little more hard training before Worlds. Three weeks from today and I will be drinking my coffee on the lanai overlooking the ocean with my parents (Doug will probably still be sleeping).

I'm still here

Yes, I'm still alive and well! Work has been busy now that the schools are back in session. We are walking on egg shells and keeping our fingers crossed that the billions of dollars the state has to cut from the budget does not affect us. We already were told no raises this year. Honestly, I'm thankful to have a job at this point...not sure how we would be eating otherwise.

On a more exciting note my condo finally sold. Being a bit of an independent woman I thought I could sell my condo on my own. After almost 2 months of little interest I hired Botsy Phillips as a realtor and my place was under contract in about a week. Check him out if you need a realtor: http://ihomefinder.com/idx/AgentBio.cfm?cid=4081&aid=13602


On the racing front I'm feeling ready for Nationals this weekend...a bit nervous, but ready! We raced the Fall Classic in Breckenridge two weeks ago and it was a gorgeous mud fest. No, really, despite snowing the night before the weather was perfect, the course challenging and the aspens were even yellow up high. I ended up 3rd in the Pro Women after being in second until the last few miles. Last Saturday was a cross race in Golden and let's just say I'm really not good at starting hard. Watching me you would have thought I was out for a Saturday cruise on the Creek Path, "oh go ahead please, oh and you too, everyone just go on ahead, let's not fight for the hole shot". I was in dead last off the line but worked my way up through the field to 9th. I ate it going over a barrier and have a lovely blue shin now. It's not fair when the barrier is almost up to your knee and when the fatigue sets in it takes all my might to get over these. Or maybe it's because I never practice this. I was much more fortunate that my sister-in-law who now has a new neck piece like this:

Let me tell you Beth is one tough lady! She didn't finish the race but was walking around and feeding Baby Sam only to learn when she got to the ER that her C7 is fractured. Beth, we're glad you're OK...heal up soon! Life can change quickly, appreciate what you have and those that you love!

What's in your work bag?

While looking for a pen during a work meeting on Friday I pulled out a pen with a piece of moleskin stuck to it...very nice professional touch.  It got me wondering what else was buried in there.  So today is clean out my work bag day and besides a piece of moleskin I found Airborne, 2 tubes of lotion, toothpaste, Purell, 7 nice pens (I knew they were in there somewhere), last years USAT and ACA licenses, an old Comcast bill stub, 2 baggies, my reading glasses (hmm guess I should try to wear them), a little tag I was going to put on my running shoe with my emergency contact info on it, random scraps of paper reminding me to do something, my Burt Bees lipstick (yes I do put this on sometimes so I'm less likely to be mistaken for a student at the schools I visit), and best of all a gift card to the Boulder Book Store.  I think my shoulder will thank me that my bag is a little lighter and less cluttered now.

After my mid season break I'm back in the swing of training.  Yesterday Doug and I took the bus to Nederland and almost 6 hours later arrived back home.  Doug has explored lots of "secret" trails and after playing on the Nederland trails we are able to ride singletrack almost all the way back to Boulder.  I only had one slight meltdown (aka bonking) but Doug shoved some fruit leather in my mouth and I was ready to go again.  Today I did a long run and it was hot.  We haven't had many hot Summer days this year and I never workout in the middle of the day so I got my butt kicked by the heat.  Sad thing is it isn't even as hot as it will be Worlds.  I'd better start my sauna training soon. 

Time for some rest

Where is the summer going? My caseload at work usually slows down in the Summer with the schools being out but this has not been the case lately. There were few weeks where I could take a moment and breath but now it's chaotic again and the schools don't go back for two more weeks...good timing for a break from training.My nephew turned 1 on July 22nd and we had a fun family party. This picture is right before we realized Sam was breaking out in hives from that yummy frosting. A quick bath and a slathering with cortizone seemed to take care of the problem.

After doing minimal training since Beaver Creek I raced the Eldora Xterra last Saturday mostly because it was in my own backyard. I was mentally not in race mode and was just out cruising around having fun. I ended up in 2nd place behind Jenny Smith. I was sticking my tongue out for pictures, chatting on the run and even did a nice walk across the finish line. It was a fun race...I just wish that I had a little more mental energy. This week I'm not training at all to get my mind and body recharged for the 2nd half of the season. My exercise for the week consists of taming our jungle of a yard and painting some outdoor furniture. I've also been sleeping in until 7am (or even after)...heaven! This weekend might involve my first trip to the farmer's market this year, a hike and maybe even some reading by the creek. Hopefully, after this week I will be ready to "get back at it" in preparation for Nationals and Worlds.

Xterra Mountain Cup

Saturday was the Xterra Mountain Cup in Beaver Creek and I think "wow" sums up my race nicely! I knew going into the race that I was fit and have been climbing awesome in all my mountain bike races but I had no idea that I would take 3rd place in a really tough field of pro women. With two years of mountain biking experience I think I'm finally ready to be a contender at the big races. I had a decent swim coming out 5th. Super swimmer Susan Williams was 3 minutes ahead of the 2nd place woman and long out of sight. The mountain bike climbs from Avon up to the Beaver Creek and is a real leg and lung buster because of the amount of climbing and how steep some sections are. I quickly passed 3 girls and knew I was in second at that point. Shonny came by me after a few miles and I decided, "I'm going to try to ride with her". To my surprise I was able to ride with Shonny almost until the top of the climb when she put the pedal to the metal and I knew it would be a mistake to push my limits anymore as the run is brutal and I needed some gas in the tank for it. I kept waiting for riders like Jenny Smith and Sari Anderson to pass me and was surprised that this never happened. The bike was a little longer than last year but with my new found mountain biking abilities I went over 7 minutes faster than last year. I ended up passing Susan Williams in the last few miles of the bike and went into the run in 2nd. I was running scared because I knew Danelle Kabush was behind me and is a super speedy runner. Sure enough about half way into the run Danelle passed me. I was hurting badly and my hips were cramping up a bit but I tried not to let her out of my sight. I ended up 16 seconds behind Danelle at the finish line and was elated with my race. Congrats to everyone who finished the race...it is a tough one! The podium...Renata, Rebecca, Danelle, Shonny, me, Susan. I hate opening champagne bottles...it scares me and I couldn't get the job done fast enough so I just let Shonny and Danelle do the honors.

My dad and baby Sam in their best Xterra cheering attire.

Saturday night I headed over to Winter Park to cheer on and help Doug at the MTB National Championships at Sol Vista. The Super D and Short Track races were on Sunday and it was obvious that Doug was exhausted from his XC race the day before (where he finished 5th) but he was in good spirits about it all. Doug and I finished the weekend up with some burritos and margaritas on the couch while watching the Tour. All in all a great weekend!

Firecracker 50 and CU Short Track

For most Americans the 4th of July is all about beer, BBQ and playing with fire. For us it is a chance to head up to Breckenridge and abuse our bodies for a few hours in the Firecracker 50. Last year Doug and I competed in the co-ed team division (each team member does one 25 mile loop) and placed 2nd. This year we went back for the win and win we did! I'm finally starting to feel strong and fast. I was riding with some of the "big name girls" and feeling great until a guy decided he needed to pass me on one of the rough descents. The guy ran into me from the side, knocked me off the trail and I found myself eye to eye with a big stump and banged my knee a little. Both Doug and I rode faster laps than last year and finished in 4:21, almost 7 minutes ahead of the 2nd place team. The Firecracker 50 is hands down one of the best put on races, from the parade down Main Street to the well-stocked and run aid stations it is an event I look forward to. This year my parents came to watch us (or maybe for the free beer). Thanks mom and dad for standing around for hours to cheer us on the whole 5 seconds you get to see as a spectator! Our whole condo earned medals...Tiffanie won 19-29 Women and is the National Champion, Brooks placed 5th in the 30-34 Men, Brian was 3rd in the Sport 30-34 Men.

Last night I did my first of the CU Short Track race of the Summer and finished 4th. Here is a cool picture of me and my sister-in-law, Beth.

In other news, my nephew Sam started walking...the boy does not sit still. In fact, he's so advanced he is already learning to drive.

Feeling better and a relaxing weekend

After a good does of antibiotics I'm finally feeling much better! Doug and I spent the weekend in Winter Park with our friends Ryan and KC. It was a really relaxing weekend and we were entertained for hours by Ryan and KC's 3 month old kittens, Scout and Loki. Doug reminded me that it is fun to "play with other people's kittens" (implying that I don't need to bring any home). Since I've raced the last 3 weekends in a row and have been sick I talked myself out of racing on Saturday and enjoyed an easy ride with Ryan and KC around Winter Park and a little jog. We had a leisurely breakfast and played with the kittens most of Saturday morning before riding up to the resort to catch Doug finishing. Doug is on fire this year...he ended up winning the Expert Men overall and would have been 27th in the Pro Men! I cut my ride short so I could go back to the awards and get a picture of him on the podium but my camera skills failed me yet again and I only got a picture of his back. On Sunday we rode for a few hours on some super fun trails the nobody was on before heading home. My typical "Sunday blues" (being bummed that early rise time and work are right around the corner) were minimized since the weekend actually seemed long for once. Only 4 days of work this week and then we'll be relaxing in Breckenridge and going for the coed team win at the Firecracker 50...can't wait!

Xterra Buffalo Creek

For the last 3 weeks I've been battling one cold after another. I was feeling good all week until Thursday when my sinuses started to throb and my nose was expelling all kinds of colorful gunk. The buzzing of the alarm at 5am on Saturday was painful. My boyfriend extraordinaire chauffeured myself, Becky and Brian to the race venue outside of Bailey. Despite the mountain bike lacking any technical sections I love this race as the venue is beautiful! Minus the rain that started falling as I crossed the finish line, and never stopped, the day was perfect for racing (cool and overcast). This year there were 550 participants making it one of the largest Xterras in the World. The race was run very smoothly considering how many people there were...props to the promoters and all the volunteers who made this event happen!

I was one of only two professional women at the race. Susan Williams (bronze medalist in triathlon at the 2004 Olympics) would prove to be great competition for me and end up beating me by less than a minute. I had a decent swim in the chilly lake (61 degrees). For about 30 seconds I was swimming next to Susan but then she took off and there was no way I was going to try and stay on her feet. Doug was out riding around on the course and both times I saw him he told me I was about 3 minutes behind Susan. On the run I had no idea how far ahead Susan was and I just kept focusing on catching the men in front of me. In the end my time was 9 minutes faster than last year...I biked 8 minutes faster than last year and ran almost a minute and a half faster. How I did this with snot running down my face the entire race I do not know. As soon as I crossed the finish line a random lady gave me a tissue and said, "here, I think you need this". I do know that I paid for it dearly on Sunday and was confined to the couch the entire day except for my 20 minute walk around the neighborhood. I even broke down and took TheraFlu and Advil (I hate taking medicine of any kind) and had to miss Father's Day dinner with my family.

Hopefully the doctor will give me the good stuff today and I can kick whatever has been moving around my body for the last 3 weeks. Thanks to all my sponsors for their continued support...Wheat Ridge Cyclery, Yeti, Powerbar, Rudy Project and Pearlizumi.

Out of the dark ages

My boss has told me that my fear of technology means I'm an old soul. Old soul or not I'm going to try this blog thing out.