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I awoke yesterday morning at 5:30, and walked into the living room, where I slammed into a scent wall of Febreze "spring and renewal" fabric refresher (I had chosen sleep over laundry the night before). I checked my kit, and it was dry (whew - I'd superstaurated it with the spraybottle less than 6 hours before), though I'd stop short of "renewed."
I paused for a moment to feel sorry for my friend Shmel, who would be doing almost all the day's driving across the Bay to/from Pescadero.
After dressing and packing up (no time for brekkie), I got into my car, which promptly took 580 westward on autopilot. I really need to get that fixed, because Shmel lives east of me. Stupid, dumbass car.
I got off the freeway and tried to figure out how to fix my car's mistake on the roads, rather than turning around and getting back on the freeway going east, because I guess at 6 am on a Saturday morning, high on Febreze, I think I'm some sort of bigshot. A mistake, it became clear. I found my way back to 580 amd called Shmel to (1) tell her I'd be a teeny bit late, and (2) ask her again for directions, just in case, because I'd left them at home (bigshot). Shmel was plussed (i.e. "the opposite of nonplussed"), as always. "Calm and encouraging" is how I'd describe Shmel in pretty much any given stressful situation, and this one was no different. Upon arrival, I got all my crap, plus the trainer I'd arranged/driven to borrow at the last minute the night before, and we stuck it all in/on Shmel's car. Then Shmel drove us to Peets as a favor to me (brekkie!). She waited in the car.
Needless to say, a spillage situation had just occurred at Peets when I walked in. The yellow caution sign was coming out, floors were being mopped, drinks were being re-made, and the wait was excruciating.
I eventually got my breakfast (fat-free apricot vegan scone, because despite the unappetizing description, they're surprisingly really yummy, and big-gulp iced caramel latte) and hopped into the car briefly pondering what my bladder etc. situation would be when we got to the start, and the fact that I had on bib shorts (you can't just drop trow; you need to take off your top first). I let those thoughts go as Shmel handed me the mapquest directions and we took off, commencing girl-talk as we headed toward the race.
If you want to get super duper technical about it, I guess I was the navigator, because I was sitting in the seat often occupied by the navigator (when there is one), and I happened to be holding the directions.
We missed the San Mateo Bridge entirely. We then saw some Dumbarton Bridge signs, but kept going (with my strong encouragement, because I was pretty sure the San Mateo Bridge comes after the Dumbarton). It was getting late.
Once we hit Mountain View, Shmel realized we'd gone way too far down 880, and she turned off on 237 in a panic, and then 101, while I scrambled to figure out how to get to 84. I was getting nauseated because I had to look backwards to grab the map, and find my glasses. The signage sucked and we ended up on some street that wasn't 84. After a u-turn at the "no u-turns" sign (interesting that they had a sign in place for that!) and vehement denunciation of the inadequate signage situation, we ended up on 84, which had *gasp* stoplights! We didn't have time for stoplights! And we were behind dilapidated trucks full of leafblowers!
Leafblowers are the bane of Shmel's existence, and she has plenty to say about them. Unfortunately, she made me promise not to tell anyone what she said on this particular morning. Anyway, that's not the focus here. The focus here is another Shmel commentary, as she was noticing the time (it was slipping away and we had many miles of twisty road ahead of us) and was starting to unravel:
"We're behind another truck of f*cking illegals!!!"
Immediately, she felt terribly, and said she had nothing against them...
"But they drive f*cking two miles per hour because they don't want to get pulled over, and I CAN'T DEAL! I have a f*cking race!!!"
I think it's OK that I'm recounting this part, because (a) she didn't specifically tell me not to, and (b) I changed her name.
And of course we both had to go to the bathroom, and that always gets worse when you're stopped at a red light, we noticed. Well, unbelievably, we got there in the nick of time (the first heat rode by us as we were parking and everyone was looking at us incredulously as we careened on twisty roads to the start as late as we could possibly be - it was obvious we were trying to get to the race in time; we had bikes on the roof), and I (totally stressed out at this point and severely car-sick to boot) ran to use the nature facilities as Shmel got naked and changed next to the car and then spilled Hammer Gel all over herself and the trunk and used my bottle of water to get unsticky, and then we biked over to registration to get our numbers pinned, and so much for the trainers we'd brought! No time for a warm-up! Fortunately, things were running late so we had a moment to compose ourselves as they were starting the other groups (female 3s,/4s/masters went last, yay!). And then we were off.
I was off the back immediately. The pace was just too fast to sustain. 2 others were behind me, and one passed me (I never saw the second again; I assumed she dropped out). I ended up passing her back, later (I'd offered to work together to get up Stage Road, but she didn't take me up on it, so I drafted, and I think she must have bonked). And then I passed someone else on lap 2, but I think she was a master's racer, so I may have finished last in the 3s/4s group (of those who finished).
The feed zone was interesting. Both bottle cages on my bike were in use, yet they offered to pass me a full bottle as I was riding by! And I was thinking "where the hell am I going to put a 3rd bottle?!" so I didn't grab it. Then on lap 2, I stopped (because I really needed water; I was out), to ask how it was done, and the guy pointed to a bin full of used water bottles and said I toss one out and take the new, full one. And I looked at him. And he said, "Oh. You want to keep your water bottles." And I said yes (they have sentimental value!). And he said, "Well that's a first." And he poured the water out of the new, full water bottle, and into mine. And I was on my way.
As anticipated, it was a pretty ride, and I'm glad to have gotten my feet wet. Next time I'll bring my crappiest water bottles. And I won't get totally lost riding those last few miles from the finish (at the top of the hill) back to the start, which prompted a panicked "I don't know where the hell I am!" call to Shmel, and required her to come pick me up.
I'm racing tomorrow - Pescadero. It's my first real road race (accidental entry, then 10 miles, then accidental exit doesn't count). I hear it's not flat. And I'm at the worst part of my cycle right now and my back hurts particularly badly this month. And I now have an ulnar nerve "bruise" (this was the doctor's diagnosis when I called him in a panic 2 days after Tuesday's "aggressive" PT session, because ever since then it's felt a bit like I just hit my funny bone, pretty much constantly, and gets worse during stretching exercises, and I simply haven't been able to wear my nighttime splint for the pain, and my ring and pinky fingers still haven't regained full sensation. And I just now realized my kit's dirty, and the laundry machine is in use (surprise!) and it's almost 9 pm and I have to get up at 5:30 am.
So yeah, everything's coming together.
OK, it's actually not all bad. I got my 12x25 cassette (which came standard on the new bike) switched out for the 12x27 from my old bike, at a moment's notice less than half an hour before my bike shop closed, despite the fact that the shop was having some huge sale and was chock full of people. So now I have an extra gear (I'm going to need it). And a teammate of mine left a trainer on his front porch for me to grab so that I could get in a nice warm-up tomorrow morning.
Rats. I just realized that's two fewer excuses I have for a DFL finish. That's OK...I've heard it's a pretty ride. And I'm going to a BBQ in Half Moon Bay after! Yay!
I LOVE MY NEW BIKE!
It's a pound lighter than my old one, for some reason. I think it's the wheels, which are skinnier. Skinny wheels can be a teeny bit scary.
So the inaugural ride was Saturday, or "Touchstone-and-related" day! Went up Tunnel to Grizzly, down South Park and Wildcat Canyon, across the 3 Bears, and back up Wildcat after lunch in Orinda, and then up South Park (ugh - but this kind of stuff happens when you're with Marty...at least it wasn't El Toyonal, which also tends to happen when you're with Marty). The elbow did OK!
Sunday was TO-and-related-women day! Up Tunnel to Skyline, down Redwood, pause for fun kit photo opportunity (thanks Lauren! Gosh, who's the dork wearing the visor?), and up Pinehurst (while passing I think 3 unicycling women who were coming down Pinehurst) . By the end of this ride (actually, more like by the beginning), my bike was feeling heavyheavyheavy, and my back was killing me even more than my elbow, so I turned toward home at the top (I believe that's the first time I've left before the end of a Mel ride!) and heeded my teammates' recommendations: called Rick at Eden for a fitting as soon as I got home. He hooked me up! Saw me that day despite his no-weekend-fittings rule, spent almost 2 hours with me, had me on and off the trainer for a gazillion adjustments including shoe cleats, swapped out my stem for a better one at no charge, and threw in a TO discount. And he told me I reminded him of his ex-girlfriend, who I later learned was a Jew from Philly! Well no wonder! They were together 7 years. I asked him what happened, and he said everything was great as long as he did everything she said. Well no wonder!
Can't wait to test out the fit on a long ride. If I can manage a long ride. I've been feeling like a zombie for two days. Unbelievable.
In other news, I went to the orthopod for a follow-up on the old elbow today. He's concerned that I still can't get full extension (I'm at about -12 degrees after the physical therapist has been tugging on it for 20 minutes). Apparently, the bone fragments calcify, and this may cause rubbing/friction which limits range of motion. He said therapy needs to be more aggressive at this point. So I punched him with that arm. Haha! No, actually, it means I need to force it. So the tension is going up a notch on the Dynasplint tonight, and I'll see if I can sleep through the pain. No problem! I laugh at pain! Except when I'm crying...
It's all because of the return of the splotch, I'm certain! Bette, I may have been a bit hard on you....
1. There is a plethora of new men in my life, even though of course nothing's going anywhere. One guy even left me a voicemail, saying, "I don't know what you've done in the past couple weeks, but you really look good. I mean really." I saved that one in the archives. Then I pondered the implication that I'd obviously looked like a total dog (or at least nothing special) to this guy, what, only two weeks ago?! I erased the stupid voicemail.
2. *name redacted* called me to tell me that my other, temporary new bike was ready! She'd toiled away on a weekend morning with it, and then when I got there, she dangled a piece of heavy metal (which looked suspiciously like a piece of pipe that had come off of the underside of her kitchen sink, which really made me want to turn her kitchen sink on, just to see what would happen, but it may have actually been a bike stem or something, which just goes to show you how much I know about bike parts and kitchen sinks) from my knee by a string, in a very scientific manner, during an incredibly scientific bike fitting, performed in her living room and lasting approximately 5 minutes because I was worried about intruding while she was getting ready for her frate*.
*A frate may or may not be a "friend situation" that may or may not become a "date situation," depending on the intent of the parties and who's reading this and whether or not it's a secret. And if it's a secret, then I meant to say that she was getting ready to ship something abroad, and I simply misspelled "freight."
The bike disintegrated like a mummy from the last Indiana Jones movie, 25 yards into my ride home. Kidding! Here's a shot of my temporary new pimpin' cross-turned-road bike, safe and sound:
And then Cyclesportsmechanicguy safety-checked it for me on the spot, made some teeny tiny tweaks and pronounced it a safe and cool ride, and then refused to let me pay him (I made sure to take my helmet off)! One word: S p l o t c h
3. My brand new crash replacement bike has arrived!!!! And it's not even June yet! The shop called today to tell me it's built and ready, and if I want to bring in my pedals, they'll put them on, and also my special cassette that I purchased for my original bike. How did they even know about mysplotch!? That part's a mystery, even to me.
-topic change-
The local NPR station had one of their painful pledge drives recently, but the one cool thing about it was that they were advertising this one gift in particular that I'd never heard of, and that I immediately saw was perfect for my parents, who aren't getting any younger, and also indirectly perfect for me (the one who is totally stressed about this whole "old" thing and having to put my parents in a home pretty much any day now):
http://www.positscience.com/products/
Cognition-enhancing software! Well of course you practically have to donate a kidney to NPR to get that gift, so I just emailed the link to my dad (who'd called me on my birthday and started rambling on and on about some guy I didn't know that he hasn't seen in 20 years, until finally I had to remind him that I was at work, hullo!), but I didn't hear back, so I'm pretty sure he didn't buy it. Actually, I'm a little worried that he's forgotten how to check his email or use the mouse. Then, I tested my mom's cognition, by asking her in the most subtle way whether she knew the meaning of "exsufflicate" ("sesquipedalian" is one of her favorite words). She didn't (major red flag!). But then I received an email from her:Empty, frivolous. Huh! It wasn't in the dictionary but I Googled it, so don't send me a cognition program...
PS: Before I sent this, I looked it up again in Google and that time I couldn't find it (am i in the twilight zone?)
Hm. Not exactly reassuring.
1. I turned thirty-*unintelligible*.
2. At my birthday party, I received a marriage proposal, from not one person, but two people, both of whom I adore ("Will you marry us?"). I said yes.
3. This morning, I managed to turn what I'd thought would be a flat 8-mile run (that I was worried about being able to finish) into a 9-mile run on rollers, without hating life. In fact, it felt fantastic. But I'm glad I grabbed that extra Gu when we started. Paradise Loop: It's not just for cyclists anymore. Then: brunch at Sam's! I ordered Eggs Benedict. I've never ordered Eggs Benedict before! It was fluffy and amazing. I couldn't believe how amazing. Wendy said, "Of course it's amazing. It's Eggs Benedict. I'd have ordered it myself...if it weren't such a dietary disaster." Doh. And on the way to the car, Judy informed Marc and me that there is, in fact, no protein in beer. Which makes it difficult to rank as the world's best post-workout recovery drink. Said we, "But are you sure?"
4. Beth began turning her cross bike into a road bike for me to use while I await my new one (the latest: first week of June). Maybe I'll actually ride this month after all!
The 2008 TCR c w! Total out-of-pocket cost: $100. Giant came through, and so did my insurance. Yay! Next weekend is my last one off the bike, and I start PT this week, so I hope the bike's ready soon! I have to start training for the Death Ride!
I hope it goes better than last year...
After watching Wendy capture "top female finisher" (and 3rd overall) in the 6-hour Lake Merritt ultra marathon yesterday, and watching Marc capture 8th overall (in his first ultra!), and scoring yet another awesome Patagonia capilene PCTR race shirt (thanks Wendy!!!), and seeing all the yummy food put out for the runners at rest stops (pizza!), I've decided to seriously consider a marathon in December (and ultimately an ultra before I turn 40). Wendy says I have to focus on either cycling or running at the higher levels (you can only go so far without the specificity training), so this should be interesting.
First, we'll see how the 8 miles goes next Sunday, out in Tiburon with a couple wacky ultra runners (I'm off the bike, anyway). Then, the true test will be striking some sort of balance between the cycling and running, so that I can manage one or two personal records in both.
It took a couple weeks to get strong enough to take my bike to the shop after my crash. I got the news on Tuesday: Nicked frame and bent front fork. Under Giant's crash replacement program, they'll switch out my women's 2007 OCRC small frame and front fork with the men's TCR Advanced extra-small frame and fork (for $1440), but they won't switch them out with my exact bike's parts, because they don't have any. In the alternative, I can get the extra-small men's 2005 OCRC frame and fork for $765.
Hm. Carbon technology is so new as it is. Dunno if I should go back in time 2 whole years. And the TCR frame has a totally different geometry. Plus, the men's extra-small top tubes are actually a centimeter longer than the women's small.
I'm waiting to hear back on whether any of the bike damage is covered under my renters' insurance. They didn't sound optimistic, but I can't help thinking that it's a good sign they haven't called me back yet (I know: I'm setting myself up for disappointment).
I only broke my elbow! It didn't even require surgery! I was out of the cast after a week! My bike shouldn't be totalled. And I keep thinking that if I had just let it languish on the side of the road a little longer instead of busting my ass to find it with my already busted elbow, it might have been stolen. That's covered.
Aaaaaargh!
Well, I'm improving quickly. So quickly, in fact, that sometimes I forget my elbow's broken. I'll do things, like lean on something when I'm getting up, or straighten my arm without thinking, or turn a doorknob at normal speed, and I'll suddenly be reminded. But that's cool, because it means I'm healing, and besides, the yelps garner sympathy.
I hadn't anticipated not being able to floss, or put my hair back in a ponytail for over 2 weeks. What a pain. Random women in the gym locker room were very helpful with the hair, but I thought it would be awkward to ask them to hold one end of the floss. Sometimes stuff flies out, you know. Anyway, I can do all that now. Ponytail procedures are still painful, but less so every day.
I also have absolutely no tricep in my right arm. I try to flex with all my might, and there's nothing there. Amazing how quickly it goes. And how much you use your elbow when you flex your tricep.
