Week 2: No Racing

Double Entendre.

Sunday concluded Week 2 of training, and also was our second week off of racing cyclocross.  I still am fairly bummed we missed the first race weekend when SoCal Cross visited our local venue at Vail Lake 2 weekends ago.

Last week was a fairly typical week, slow start to 2012 base training with a some low cadence work and otherwise fairly unstructured riding.

We got out on some demo bikes to try riding steep stuff.  My calves hadn’t quite recovered from the prior week’s trail run and then Spooky Cross (12 times through a volleyball court of sand at race pace!) and once we headed up the first hike-a-bike (those dudes were FAST) I was left wanting to curl up in a fetal position and ask for a chopper ride home. But, I kept moving. Until we got to the first descent and it got steeper and looser and I crashed on my face. NBD. I just started walking more than riding and soon enough it was pitch black outside.

Big(ger) bike: fun, but weird!

We also got to break in our newest kits, thanks to Mammograms in Action

Thursday hit up a steady ride out to the chicken farm (yup, we got those)

And Friday was scheduled for another run. Since my calves were still utterly destroyed and I could barely walk, I mostly hobble/walked with a tiny bit of easy jogging here and there.

Was worried I’d be done for again for the week, but Saturday morning I donned my 110% Play Harder calf sleeves with ice sheets as we lazed around the house all morning, and my calves felt pretty good on our Saturday mountain bike ride.

We got a late start, even for us, leaving the house to ride at 11 am. Sky was gorgeous and blue up where we were, but man it was hazy down below.

I had some fun riding, and my skills appeared here and there. I was making a few of the technical challenges that I sometimes either struggle with or don’t always clean, and other stuff not so much. Like, I fell off a “trough” early on in climbing and scraped up my knee, but I managed to ride around Justin up a sandy DG/rocky switchback and clean it just fine.

Toward the end of the ride I was descending, following Justin, trying to work on carrying momentum, and coming around a corner of looseness before I knew it I was hitting the dirt on my shoulder as my head careened toward a jutting stump. OUCH.

Took me a few minutes to collect myself, and realized I could still make a fist and everything was in place, so we finished up the ride. My shoulder was hurting pretty good, scraped up a bit, but we made it down without further incident.

That trail, she does dish out the punishment…

Fortuitously we, almost quite literally, ran into Jefe as he descended San Juan while we climbed, and a tentative plan was hatched for Justin and I to head over there after we went home to pack up for Sunday and stay the night to hang out and BBQ.  Always a good time.

11th. It’s approaching.

Sunday Justin and I also somewhat lazed around, drinking good coffee with Jefe, then packing up to head NW to Newport for the inaugural B4B meet and greet ride.  Justin talks about the ride and the cause on his blog.

Awesome group of people and great cause.

Finishing up nearing Back Bay before we re-entered the fog

Post-ride a group of us went to… EAT CHOW

Awesome food and great portions, and let’s just say…Justin and I didn’t eat dinner!

Well, so ends our nice and steady weekend, so to speak.

Monday I tested out my uber-expensive electric heated socks at the desk.

Gotta get some bike shoes these things will fit in. Winter 2011-2012 will soon be in full effect. Anxiously awaiting winter shoes being available as well. Gotta keep the FOOT happy.