4 Simple Goals for May

Oh, hello there May, you really snuck up on me this time.

There are times when marching forward into a new month is predictable and expected.  We note the seasons through and odd assortment of subtle clues – the availability of local produce when the farmer's market opens; the chatter of Tour hopefuls as the Giro nears (cue Wiggo vs. Froom catfight in 3…2..1..) – and all seems in balance between our personal clocks and the universesal clock. 

But then there are times when you feel dragged into the new month – there are just 82 more things I wanted to accomplish before April ends, so could we please hold off on May?

No?

Ok, then, I guess I’ll have to re-boot.  My four simple goals:

1.  Be a good student.  On a bit of a whim I signed up for a spring semester class at a local college, and getting back into the world of lectures, studying, and due dates has been intimidating, and ultimately, very fun.  May will bring a massive final exam and the start of a online summer-term course (classes on the interwebs?!  I remember taking a “distance learning” course that involved the post office, stamps, and very large envelopes back when I was an undergrad…).  I view this as an opportunity to put into practice all the things I’ve learned in the last few months about being a good student like not procrastinating, monitoring understanding, and asking questions.

2.  Be a good teammate.  Participating in Ken Woods last week with the sole goal of helping out the other Betties reminded me about the team aspects of cycling.  It can be really freeing to just work for another.  Though May will officially kick-off my mountain biking season, I’ll still look for races to help my roadie friends (though not criteriums…no way…).

3.  Be good to my body.  May is always a very hectic time at work, when there is a confluence of deadlines and expectations that can be dizzying.  There is nothing worse than feeling like I don’t have the energy to meet the coming challenges, so a more focused eye on my nutritional intake will help to keep me ready.

4.  Remember to relax.  Once again I’ve been reminded in the last couple of weeks of exactly how much of our time we voluntarily give away without a thought.  Unless it helps out a Betty, it is time to say “no” more often to additional responsibilities  so I can carve out some time for activities that are completely me (apparently, I like reading books, though you can’t tell from my library card’s activities in the past six months).

Race Report - Ken Woods Road Race

The smile before the pain...

Two weeks ago if you had asked me if I was going to race the Ken Woods Road Race I would have laughed - with over a foot of snow on the ground and more on the way, a road race just seemed like an insane thing to do.  But when we warm up, we warm up - and Saturday was predicted to hit 72 degrees.  Add to that the fact that my team was mobilizing to get a large group of women out to the race (many of them first-time road racers) and I was sold on a nice, 21 mile race.

They day was simply awesome - a warm, sunny day and eight Birchwood women ready for the challenge.  Hey, we were half the field!  Those of us with some (meager) racing experienced shared everything we knew about Ken Woods - the course, paying attention to the wind, where the road was dangerous with pot-holes, and where to attack. 

Given my lack of fitness, my goals focused on hanging on for as long as I could, making a few attacks to liven things up, and simply having fun.

Turning the Corner...

Do you hear that?

That sound of about 5 million Minnesotans breathing a sigh of relief?  Or is it the sound of said Minnesotans finally letting out their collective breath? 

Please understand I make this next statement while simultaneously knocking on wood, holding a lucky rabbit’s foot, crossing my fingers, and avoiding all cracks in the sidewalk: Spring has finally sprung in the Great North. 

Oh, it didn’t go out without one more wallop, blanketing us with another four inches of wet, heavy snow earlier in the week.  Facebook friends joked about commuting to work on their fat bikes, and I think everyone by now has dropped out of the 30 Days of April biking challenge, but for once the new accumulation didn’t usher in the howling of anguish the last couple of storms brought with them.

It really was pretty...

 We knew it was over.  Within a day most of the snow was gone again, and when it left you could see the grass had finally started to green.  The trees are still bud-less, but for once there is confidence that we will see shoots in the coming days.  The team message boards are buzzing with proposed rides, and if it hits seventy like it is supposed to tomorrow I guarantee you will see too many pasty Minnesotans wearing too few pieces of clothing.

The loveliest part?  With more sun comes a brighter mood and greater optimism.  So much optimism that I actually preregistered for a road race this weekend.  Now that is spring fever!

Spring (?) Training Camp

Cyclists in Minnesota are getting used to (and tired of) being flexible in the face of unprecedented cold this spring.  Wait…is it spring?  It is so hard to tell with the sub-freezing temperatures, ice and snow. 

Pretty easy to pack - just wear everything you own

Normally my team puts on a spring training camp – a full weekend of riding based out of Red Wing, MN.  Friday’s ride was cancelled due to leftover snow on the roads from the week’s storm (we seem to get one every week – they are predicting another 6 – 10 inches tonight!).  Sunday was cancelled because of a massive rainstorm that moved into the area (I’m not sure if there is anything worse than rain when it is only 35 degrees out…).  Though we were only left with Saturday’s planned ride, it was the main event – a 75-mile trek around Lake Pepin with the possibility of added hills and miles through several detours.

Want It Wednesday - Lazer Genesis Helmet

For this week’s Want It Wednesday (join the fun!) I’m going back to the basics.  What is the most basic thing you need for a bike ride?

Oops, I guess that would be a bike.

Ok, what is the second most basic thing you need for a bike ride?  That’s right, a helmet. 

I always accepted that you should get a new helmet every 3 – 5 years, but in doing some basic research it appears it isn’t that cut and dry.  Turns out, there is much debate because the replacement timeline has shrunk so significantly over the years, with some people claiming this is less about safety and more about selling units.

I’ve replaced two helmets in my adult years.  When I first moved from casual-once-in-a-blue-moon biking to regular workouts on my road bike I purchased a nicer Bell helmet.  This was really a practical decision, as there had been significant advances in helmet fit in the 10 years since my previous purchase.  The Bell Sweep had a great internal fit system that comfortably hugged my head.

My second replacement was to get another Sweep after a road crash that left me shaken and bruised but with an intact skull and cracked helmet.

This time?  

Um...No...Just...No...

So the string of terrible February weather continues unabated in Minnesota.

Wait, I mean March.  It must be March with all the wind, the random snowstorms, and sub-freezing overnight lows.

Nope, wrong again.  It turns out we are approaching mid-April, and looking down the barrel of 3-6 inches of accumulating snow.  Every Minnesotan is now partaking in their favorite pastime of weather complaining.

No, really, even as I write this at 3:45 in the morning (thank you, insomnia!) everyone in the L’Etoile du Nord (that would be: Star of the North) state is grumbling in their sleep about cold fronts, spring snow, and their broken snow blower.

Oooh, I hope my blower can keep it together for one more wet and heavy storm.

4 Simple Goals for April

Last week, spring finally sprang here in Minnesota.  We didn’t hit that magical knee-warmer zone of the mid-50s, but it did warm up enough for me to get nearly 10 hours on the bike outside!  It is amazing what one good week on the bike can do for your confidence.  I’m not feeling like I can take on the world (or even a category 4 road race), but I’m thinking the team training camp in less than two weeks will not be a total disaster.  Time for some goals for April:

1. Really get back to commuting by bike.  This was a goal for last month, but a couple of ice storms and bitter cold temperatures kept me from following through.  Maybe in the future I can be a die-hard year-round commuter, but for now I will settle for fair-weather cycling. 

2. Approach the big training camp ride with confidence.  It will be about 78 miles, and I know this is nothing to the distances traveled by my fellow cyclists who knock off centuries with ease.  But for me, particularly this year when my longest ride so far is a measly 30 miles, those miles (and the accompanying elevation chart) is looking mighty intimidating…

3. Seek out racing online.  I woke up early on Easter morning and just googled “Tour of Flanders live stream” by chance – and spent the next four hours watching an amazing race.  Go Spartacus!  I’ve missed watching the pro events, and there are some great ones coming up.  Time to seek them out on the web to get inspired. 

4. This last one is aspirational, but I’m hoping to get out on my new mountain bike this month.  The trails are closed for now, and won’t reopen until the freeze/thaw cycle is complete and warmer temperatures dominate.  Then, we just have to hope for dry weather…

Afton is Back! Afton is Back!

…and with that announcement the mountain bike racers of Minnesota let out either a “Whoop!” of glee or a “Grrr-Argh!” of frustration.

Me?  I’m definitely in the “Whoop!” category – apparently my desire to ride my mountain bike is temporarily dampening any memories of huffing and puffing up Shady Lane.

Over the winter the local MTB community learned that the Afton Alps ski and golf area was purchased by Vail Resorts, and worries of closed trails quickly followed.  Optimists pointed out that all Vail Resorts have great dirt trails, so a new owner might actually revitalize the already established trails.  But when the MN MTB Series announced a reduced nine-race schedule that didn't include Afton, pessimistic thinking took over.

No worries, though, because this week the Afton Avalanche was added to the series.  Last year it was the season opener, something I loudly complained about at the time.  This year our, however, our legs will be ready for all the climbing as the race is smack in the middle of the season in the closing days of July.

I love the Afton course because it is one of the most difficult courses around – technical climbs, technical descents, and enough features that keep your eyes up at all times.  It is one of the only courses that I can ride for three hours without going completely crazy of boredom (the other is Red Wing).  Now I’m just waiting to see if the trail opens like normal after the freeze/thaw/melt phase – my legs are definitely going to need some working into shape with the current…um…delay in my spring training…

But hey, it is going to be 48 degrees out today - time to get out on the roads!

Updated Score - Winter: 82, Merry*Death: 4

It is time to call it and give up.  Surrender.  Throw up the white flag.  Yield.  Capitulate.  Concede.  Crumble.  Give in.  Give up.  Give way.   

Throw in the towel.

I faced January and February with optimism and plans for being flexible with my workouts.  If the weather threw me a curve, I was ready with an alternative activity.  The first two months of the year were all about rest and recovery, so all was well.

March was supposed to be about building, but March completely dismantled any training plans I had.  Too much snow to bike safely on the roads, but not enough snow for good skiing.  Temperatures that are 10-20 degrees below normal, but warm enough to make mountain biking available only for a narrow window of frozen hours in the morning (and always when I have to work).

Oh, and the stupid weather man keeps reminding us that “last year at this time it was 80 degrees out!”

Not.  Helping.

My team training camp is three weeks away…and I’m not sure I’m going to be in shape enough to get in shape with my teammates…

So what does giving up look like?  Not sure.  To begin with, no more plans – just get out and do whatever activity I can for however long I can.  Also, no looking back – I can’t change what I haven’t been able to get into the workout schedule, just what I do in the future. 

And finally, maybe a little of the old “racing into shape” plan that I’ve derided in the past.  April, May and June might get a bit ugly, but will give me plenty of time to get ready for a great July and August!