60+ Degrees on December 27th

Cheryl, Randi, and I enjoyed record high temperatures Saturday during a 3-hour road ride. Yes, enjoyed. Such warm weather for this time of year was a treat despite the ferocious wind and occasional rain.

Although I managed to get a flat tire, I didn't dare complain. Much better to change one on a warm day than a cold one.

Again, these days give a false feeling of Spring approaching. Until then, we'll relish 60-degree, rainy, windy days.

Cycling vs Running--Is there really a choice??

With a few snow rides and sub freezing temperature rides under my belt this Winter, I've decided to take up running as a seasonal cross-training experiment. These rides are fun for the first 30 or 60 minutes. Then the cold creeps into the feet, lingers, and spreads throughout the rest of the bones in my body. We tell ourselves it's not that bad when we're moving. I can tell you that I have never been so thankful for a hot shower after these numbing experiences.

So, last year I worked up to jogging, um, 3 miles with some walking in the middle of these epic distances. Since I didn't die along the road, I thought I would give it another try this year. After 3 weeks of easy 2-3 mile jaunts, I expressed a semi-interest in completing a half-marathon. Cheryl recommended Hal Higdon's site to select an appropriate training plan. I've been following the Novice plan for 2 weeks now---and I'm still alive!

Today I made a choice to run instead of ride. Meredith, after running a mile from her house, accompanied me for the 4-mile stretch that included running up Brummetts Creek hill; well, it was more like quick baby steps up the hill. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my workout today despite not being with the other girls on their road ride. Who would have thought.....?

Lake Griffy Excursion

Today Heather was nice enough to do a trail run & hike with me (Angela). Yes, it's quite unbelievable--I opted for a RUN instead of a RIDE. And that means only one thing....anything is possible.

After reading one of Tony Dungy's books, a co-worker gave me a synopsis. The important take-aways are Attitude, Approach, and Response. Keep these three attributes in check and we can all achieve our hopes and dreams. Well, I've decided to move running from the "loathe and despise" category to "good cross-training." Surprisingly, I enjoyed my run today and am excited about future excursions.

Heather and I were accompanied by Isi, Zoi, and Max--our four-legged friends and family. Sorry, no pics of this trek. We met at Lake Griffy. Below is a commentary from a local website.

"Griffy Lake is a 1,200 acre nature preserve located just minutes from downtown Bloomington. Originally designed as a supply for city water, Griffy is now a paradise for the avid outdoorperson. The lake itself is 109 acres and has an average depth of 10 ft. You can hike and fish, rent a canoe or rowboat, sunbathe or picnic. Only non-motorized boats are allowed. Swimming and use of off-road vehicles and bicycles are strickly prohibited [boo, hiss]."

With an average depth of 10 feet, we could easily see the deceased deer in the shallow water. Isi even made a half-hearted attempt to sniff it out.

Nevertheless, a success in my book. Thanks, Heather!

My New Sled....

Angela has a new ride! Well, the frame & grips are new; all other parts & pieces came off the Taurine.

We Wish You a Happy Birthday...

We wish you a Happy Birthday,
We wish you a Happy Birthday,
Happy Birthday to you (Cheryl)!

Celebrating Cheryl's Birthday, Randi, Meredith, Louise, and I (Angela) embarked on a birthday journey to find the hidden town of Popcorn. Supposedly the town exists; in fact, we frequently ride on Popcorn road. It must lead to Popcorn--it must. Unfortunately, it eluded us, but we did add a couple of new roads to logbooks after we missed some turns.

Below are some pics from my camera. See Chery's photodocumentary below.

The start at the Sample Gates at Indiana University:

Meredith shows off some fly arm warmers and some Mellow Johnny's bling (see the gold headset cap):

A popular view from my perspective: Cheryl, Louise, and Randi cresting a hill before I get there.



A view from a decision point while lost in the country:

One of the many dogs we see on bike rides, although this one wasn't chasing us:

yes, it was Nov 1st, and 70 degrees!

an absolutely gorgeous day for an exploratory ride. We hit some roads we had not been on before, and the leaves were stunning, and the ride awesome, and we finished it off with a birthday ice cream! How much better can a few hours in November get!

the meeting point... this is right outside the building where I work - its much prettier outside the building, than inside where I work!


some curbside service:


me, taking a photo over my shoulder, I think I did a pretty good job getting everyone in the photo!


I saw this little guy at the top of a big hill, had to stop and snap his photo:


and a closeup with Randi:


2 of the gazillion dogs we saw on the ride:


a stacked stone fence, we have many of these around the counties, they are hitoric landmarks, many built in the 1870's


5 gals eating ice cream at the Chocolate Moose , a landmark in Bloomington too!

Brown County State Park, October

Today was our last ride in Brown County State Park during October 2008, unless we decide to skip work at some point this week. Jason, Cheryl, Mike P, and I (Angela) took advantage of a gorgeous day and headed to the trail.

The group stopped at the North Tower loop and discovered a new singletrack section that replaced the fire road. Surprises are fun!

Mike couldn't wait to show off his new spandex:

Cheryl enjoys the scenery at the top of Hesitation Point, the Million Dollar View:

Our group met up with a few other local riders, Sally, Kenny, and Rob:

Hilly, Hilly Hundred

Yeah - here's a late report from Angela on this year's Hilly Hundred. A good time was had by all! Fifty miles each day on Saturday and Sunday rewarded us with the excuse to eat not-so-healthy food as we basked in some sunshine and relished the time with our friends from near and afar (AZ & PA). In fact, I had ice cream twice on Saturday during the ride and a Pepsi afterward!

Below are some pics. I'm still not very adept at riding without my hands on the bars, so I missed out on capturing some of the highlights. Nevertheless, my (not-so) favorite hills such as Mt. Tabor, Bean Blossom, Water Tower, and others defined the title of this annual, epic event. The Autumn leaves were gorgeous; I can't wait to do it again.

Route profiles from the Hilly Hundred website:

Everyone looks engrossed in their own Hilly thoughts & tasks in this group shot:

The costume contest may need reconsideration:

And, of course, the scraps of a Hilly lunch: fried chicken, ice cream, cookies, etc.

late Xterra Nationals Race report

I've been remiss about putting out a report. Now I have the perfect report. Xterratv.com put out a 7 min highlight of the race. You get to see the beauty of this course. And I made 10 seconds of the coverage! I'm around min 3:05-3:10. Check it out.


My main memories of the race (now 2 weeks removed) is that I suck at altitude, and the course kicked my butt.

tour guides

Last month Heather and I went to Louisville to watch Ironman Louisville, and ride ountain bikes at Cherokee Park. While there, we tagged along with a couple local guys who helped us find our way around the park. Without them, we would have been riding the same 1 mile loop until we got bored, instead we had a great 2 hourish ride around several somewhat confusing loops.

This morning we arrived at BCSP and one of the guys from Louisville had driven up with a friend for a ride. We got to return the tour guide services. We shared our trails, and everyone had a great time. It was a beautiful September day for a bike ride.

And the #2 sign of a good mountain bike race is...

...radar.

I just wanted to add some pics to go along with Randi’s post on the last DINO race in Indianapolis during hurricane Ick, I mean hurricane Ike. Indeed, I was also perplexed how mud and dirt could get into unimaginable places—not to mention the buddy moogers. While Randi escaped the camera’s lens after the race, she looked somewhat like Meredith and myself in the pic below. Before the rain started, it was more like this:

























Image taken 3 hours before the race start from NWS:














Ange & Meredith:

ode to pirates

twas the night before talk like a pirate day
and all through the ride
we tossed around aaaarrrrrrrrrrrgh's
as one of us let loose with the farrrrrrrrrghts

someone suggested shiloh
everyone likes a good hill
aaarrgh but it starts steep
and our heavy breaths are the only peeps

we laughed at old stories
Daaaaaang blonde bike riding girls are hot
aaaaaargh Randi growled back
as she blew a big hocker of snot

ahoy matey...Ang peeled off to go home
cheryl took a sign sprint
aaaarrrgh Randi grunted as she took the next hill
and only at 80 degrees does she say 'I just got a chill'!

so sad we are as the ride nears its end
the sun is dropping as dusk closes in
aaaaaaarrrrrgggggggh and catch you tomorrow matey
we say with a grin

And the #1 sign that I had a good mountain bike race is...

...dirt in my crack!!!

Yes, I actually ventured out for my second race of the season! Two races in a season is easily my all-time low, but after Cheryl asked me for the 87th time when my next race would be, I finally decided to do the season finale of the DINO Series up in Indy. I was just hoping it would be more fun than the mud-tastic Chickasaw Trace Classic I’d done in early spring. (I’m sure Chickasaw would’ve been ridiculously fun in dry conditions.) Town Run Trail Park is a super fun, super fast course. I can ride everything there, so it can’t be hard. The challenge there is going fast on the twisting, turning trails.

The trails were in absolute perfect condition for the first 1 1/2 laps. It started pouring rain about halfway through the second lap, though, and the rest of the race was pretty slick. There was plenty of standing water, riding the berms was no longer an option, and my sunglasses were fogging and collecting mud. I just had to slow down and slug it out. I had two wrecks on the third and final lap, and both of them were pretty funny and not very painful, so it was alright. I was just happy to finish without any major damage to self or bike, unlike my husband who played pinball with a couple trees. He has some bark rash on his face, a sore shoulder, and a chain ring gouge (and resulting skin flap) on his lower leg…but I think he’s going to be okay. His fork and handlebars won’t be, though!

It was fun trying to clean up at the car. There was mud everywhere—caked inside my socks, inside my ears, in my eyes (a bit inconvenient during the race), and everywhere! My buddy and teammate Charlie made a comment that he thought he probably even had mud in his butt crack, and I said I probably did, too. Upon arriving home and preparing for my shower, I confirmed that I did indeed have dirt in my crack! What a fun and crazy day.

Mama Mia!

Forgoing my usual weekend ride in Bloomington, I spent today riding with my mother from Washington to Vincennes and back. This would be her longest bike ride totaling 45 miles. Congratulations to dear ol’ Mom on achieving this tremendous milestone!
After a restless night and a couple of friends bailing out, we left the house just after 8 a.m. We had many discussions about the designated route as I preferred the quiet back roads while she favored the large shoulder of the 4-lane US Highway. We each made some concessions and both got our way.

We took Old Vincennes Road to Wheatland, home of the infamous Satin Lady. Unfortunately I missed the photo op of this, um, “gentleman’s club” in the town of 504 people. From there we took the bypass, which is US Hwy 50, to Old US 50 finally reaching our destination. We took a short break in one of the city parks.

Resorting to Wikipedia again, Vincennes is the oldest town in Indiana with quite a robust history. Growing up in southern Indiana, I think it’s mandatory for students to read, “Alice of Old Vincennes” at some point in public schooling. The part I could never grasp was Vincennes Lincoln High School’s mascot—the Alices. What kind of cheers and threats could the Alices make to their opponents?

For the return trip, we took Old Wheatland road stopping for a bite to eat at the Small Town Crossing store. We finished the route by riding on Hwy 550 back to Old Vincennes Road to Washington.


Mom was strong through the entire ride and continued attacking each hill at the bottom. She’s an expert at using her momentum to get up any incline following a descent. Now if I can only work on her weaving…..

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye....

While we are sad to see a friend leaving, we're also very excited at the prospects of awesome riding in Virginia. I think we already have our Spring Break trip planned! Melissa...I hope you're ready for some Wild & Crazy Girls! In the mean time, heal up and rest well.

Logansport - DINO #6

Sunday granted me a chance to display what I think is a strength—flat, hammer sections. Indeed I flew through the double track and fire roads spinning in the big ring reminding myself of Tuesday Tempo Torture. While most of the course is flat and wide open, I seemed to lose a lot of time in the 2 single track sections and 2 hike-a-bike sections. Yes, this XC race has a little Cyclocross thrown in the mix. (See Wikipedia definitions in the links.)

Five years ago, I was elated to find a sport that didn’t involve running. I played a little basketball, soccer, and racquetball, but cycling presented a whole new world. Now I could get a workout without pounding my legs on pavement while seeing the countryside. Next came mountain biking. Being in the woods most of the time, I could now pedal without wearing sunscreen. My life must have peaked already because Logansport has two sections where we must RUN while carrying our bikes. Did I miss something? This is an XC race. OK, ok, I knew to expect it. It’s the trade-off of having the flat sections.

So, I finished 4th out of 6 Expert women. (One of the 6 crashed and DNF'ed.) Among us was this year’s XC national champion. I didn’t feel too bad coming in 20 minutes behind her. She’s FAST! The usual suspects were there in our usual places. Promises of higher results next year linger on my lips. For now, ride on.

Topping off the afternoon was the Marathon gas station in one of the little towns outside of Logansport. We stopped to use the restroom. As I was waiting on Meredith to exit the facility, I heard the roar of Randi’s favorite blower – the Exlerator! I’ll have to get the name of the town, so Randi can add it to her list.

Also, Meredith continues to dominate the Sport class racers with another first place victory. We rode together throughout the whole course peeling off only when she finished and I started my 3rd lap. Congrats Meredith!

Nebo Ridge in pictures

Jason at 15 minutes into this wheelie



I think this is Ang


is this Heather or Randi?


and Meredith


Mike

everyone

toxic sludge?

me trying to take photo while riding downhill - that's not easy!

Randi is a shy girl and doesn't like to post

but she loves to climb hills, and mountains. Heck, she'd climb a bridge from earth to the moon if she could.

I'm tempting her with some hill climbing races for next year

Whiteface MTN climb

Mt Washington climb

Mauna Kea climb

Mt Evans climb

if you know others, put them in a comment for her to see!

thanks!

Road Ride to Cataract Falls

Randi, Angela and Cheryl tood a nice little ride this morning - all the way to Alaska and to Cuba!

oops!


the Morris Trucking girls:



the white river? maybe it shoudl be the brown river:


when did ghost towns start carrying Pepsi!


see - Alaska!


nice covered bridge just beyond is little cataract falls which I didn't get to photograph because the state park wanted to charge us to get in, and none of us were carrying our state park pass - lesson learned!


an awesome little general store - with antique gas pumps out front, and antique coca-cola memorabilia inside


see - Cuba!



then finally back to Indiana ;-)