Mac Update

A lot of you know that I've had an on-going battle with my horse's, Mac, weight. He was at a "facility" in Granite Bay where he was put with two other horses, STILL charged me as if he were in a stall, and fed just enough. Unfortunately, my horse is very picky with his hay and he's not very food-motivated (unless it's a carrot). My horse started to lose weight, and quickly. The other two horses would gobble the food up and Mac, being a slow eater, barely got any.

The owner of the facility told me that he "was eating $200 worth of food." Bullshit. If he were, he wouldn't be so god-damn skinny. I got fed up. I packed up his stuff and left (which she wasn't very happy about. A boarder who was overpaying just left!)

He went to the place where I worked and lived at the time. Things got sour there (aka the "boss" went batshit insane) so I had to take him out. A lady leased him, so, reluctantly, I let him go to her house. He was STILL skinny and the lady didn't do what I told her would work to make him gain weight. The lease didn't work out, and I took him to Knicker Knob Stables, where he currently is.

Here he is when he first got to Knicker Knob, probably a month or so after his arrival date, at 854 pounds. He had gained about 60 pounds at this point. Yeah... he had GAINED 60 pounds when this picture was taken.

He's been there since the end of summer. Eating, being a horse, etc. And I've been able to enjoy my horse more than I have in the past couple of years (the chick at the Granite Bay place made my life a living hell). As of today, my horse now looks like this (see picture below), FULLY body clipped...

He's not eating $200 worth of food, yet he's gaining weight. See the bullshit I was telling you about? His weight right now is ideal, and I'm so happy I'm back at Knicker Knob. He's as happy as he has been in a long time. And why? Because we let our horses be horses at this place!

Sorry you had to go through hell and back, Spanky. I'm definitely apologetic for my mistakes. At least you're at a fantastic, safe place now... and we're not leaving!

First Race: TBF New Year's Duathlon

It was cold. Really cold. I almost bailed out. It's a free race and... uhm... it was REALLY COLD. Eh, I went because I said that this was going to be my first race of the season, so I went.

Met up with Randy at the Gold's Gym parking lot and rode in. I didn't want to wait in line and I'm cheap, so I didn't really want to pay the $10 for parking. I registered and saw a few Team Revolutions friends - Noah, Don G, Sheila, and new members as well. Some really fast new members.

My goal was to finish in under 1-1/2 hours, and to not walk during the run. Let's face it, I lost nearly 6 weeks on the bike because of my achilles, and I haven't ran in nearly two months... this was going to hurt!

The race was a 2-mile run, 7-mile bike, and a 2-mile run. I started the run and was freezing. It's frustrating, because before my polo accident, I haven't been able to have a good run. It sucks going from a really good mile time to not being able to do even strides. Either way, my hip didn't loosen up until AFTER the first run, which is pretty normal.

The bike was easy. That's where I got my time. I passed a lot of people and had to keep saying, "Rider left... rider left." Hey, I would hope that the bike portion is easy for me. Gotta say, I'm glad that the triathletes in Team Revs know how to handle a bike, because a lot of people on this course did not.

The second run was a lot easier since my hip was loose enough. My achilles didn't act up, either. So, I ran. I didn't have to stop due to pain, nothing of the sort, so by the end I pushed a little harder, and my achilles didn't hurt at all. I see this as a great success.

I finished the race is 1 hour and 13 minutes. My running time was the fastest it has been since my accident, which is about an 11-minute mile. No, it's not fast, and it's so frustrating because I had a 6-1/2 minute mile... It's getting there... it's getting there. I ran with my beanie. There was FROST on my beanie. Some of the volunteers even commented on it. Brr...

After the race, I chatted with some friends and Randy and I went back to our trucks. We ate at the Italian Deli there and then we went home. It was still effin' cold.

So, I did beat my goal. Hey, now that I know that my achilles will hold up, I'll be able to train for future runs and duathlons. This was a great first race of the season.

Spin Burger

A friend, boyfriend, and I went to Spin Burger in Midtown tonight. For those of you who don't know, the Midtown Bistro was turned into Spin Burger. Knowing and having gone to the other Bistros, I decided that I wanted to check this place out, so I did... with a friend and my boyfriend.

The place is cool. The seating sucks. You're really close to other people (as in practically sharing a table... that shit don't fly so well with me). The service was slow. Really slow. Maryann and I were waiting for Randy, so we decided to order our drinks (a soda and a water) and some sweet potato fries. That took a while to get to us. When the fries came, though, they were really freakin' good, so that was a plus. Maryann and I chatted, and the problem with the damn shared seating was that a lot of people (EIGHT PEOPLE) kept asking for our chair. By the last person who asked us, Maryann and I just said "NO!" to the "can we use that chair?"

Randy came and ordered his soda and we all decided to order then. Nothing major. We actually just had two of their "Spin Burgers" which, from my understanding of the menu, was their standard, and Maryann had a garden burger. Cool. That also took a long time to get. A really long time. Our drinks didn't get refilled quickly enough, and by that I mean that the glasses were empty for quite some time. The waiter came to apologize for taking so long, but we were having fun chatting and whatnot so whatever. We found it kind of odd that the place went from being a Bistro, with pretty good service, to a simple burger joint with terrible service (terrible as in slow, because the servers, hosts, etc. are really nice).

The food, I will say, is good. The burgers were good. Messy, but good. I mean, fuck, it's a burger. The fries are way too greasy. I mean, dude, I totally get that they're FRIES, but c'mon, there's a limit.

The place is loud, and I don't know why because the music wasn't loud... it was something I can't explain. So if you want a romantic date, forget it. And the food is fucking expensive for a burger joint. If you're cheap, forget it, too.

Okay, I would recommend this place if you're just out for the hell of it. If you have all night to just sit, chat, and take pictures, come here. If you're not on a tight budget, come here. If you want a good burger, definitely come here because they truly are good burgers. Do NOT, by any means, come here if you just say, "Oh hey! Let's go get a burger before the movie!" because you're going to miss your movie and you're gonna be pissy.

Randy, Maryann, and I went for coffee afterwards, so you know we weren't in a hurry to get anywhere. I think that the service didn't bother us as much because we had all night and screwing around Midtown was all we really planned on doing. I think that if we had something planned, such as a movie, we'd be bothered by the slow service. I expected the place to be expensive, so eh, I wasn't as bothered by that. Still, at least include the fucking fries. The burger was good, though!

I went online to check out the reviews beforehand, and I now understand them. At first I thought people were being way too harsh. I know a lot of people exaggerate on how sloooowwwww the service was. I'm usually pretty lax about it, but hot damn, this WAS slow.

You know, it was a good experience with good food. If you want a place to just sit, chat, catch up, take pictures, waste time, etc., go there. The food is good.

Resolutions vs Goals

Alright, it's day 3 of the new year. We all have resolutions, right? Lose weight, be nicer, be a better person, volunteer more, give to charity, lose weight, get faster, lose my fat ass, get a better bike, get a better job, lose weight, go to the gym more. Look, I don't really care what your resolution is. What I care is that the resolutionists go to my gym and crowd it even though we all know they're going to be gone by March... or at least until their personal training sessions are over.

No. We don't all have resolutions. I don't make resolutions; I make goals. And to accomplish my goals, I work my effin' ass off. It's the only way I can accomplish my goals, whether it's to lose 20 pounds so I can catch those skinny rodies on a hill or to work my ass off so I can get a better bike/set of wheels or components... or maybe to study more to keep my grades up. Whatever it is, it's not a damn resolution - it's my LIFE and I make GOALS in my life, and I work ALL YEAR AROUND to make them happen.

I go to the gym and I see a lot of ads for weight loss. "Work out! Accomplish that resolution!" Hah. Out of the hundreds of people I've seen (I've been going to the same gym for 12 years.. I've seen a lot of people come and go), maybe FIVE have actually changed their life to stay healthy. They don't just "work out," they train. Training is everything. Working out is just something people do to kid themselves into thinking they're going to accomplish that resolution. Well, they accomplish the resolution, but that resolution goes away, and they stop going to the gym. That initial motivation that people get in January dies and the 20 pounds they lost come back... plus 15 more. Sad.

What are my goals?

- Cycle 9,000 miles. In 2010 I cycled 7,548 miles. 9K is an achievable goal.

- Complete more endurance races on my horse. Two sports (once in which I ride in two teams), work, and full-time (plus) school is hard, but my time management skills are amazing. You should make yours just as amazing.

- Not die with all of the units I'm taking this semester.

- Race my bike more.

- Run a full marathon.

- Compete in more duathlons.

- Finish top 5 in some races.

- Go to more races, whether to race or volunteer.

- Be open to meeting new friends. I did this in 2010 and have met some AMAZING people. 2011 is no different.

- Keep being awesome.

More goals will come. I'll be a busy little bee. Join me in goal-making. Don't be one of those annoying resolutionists. Make it life-changing. My life changed so much in 2010, and really, change is one of the best things that we have.

Knicker Knob Schooling Show

I didn't write about it right away due to being extremely busy with school and the horse (taking a break from the bike!), but on October 3rd, the barn where I board my horse had a schooling show. Mac is still fairly thin and gets tired really easily, so I entered him in 3 classes: W/T/C Pleasure, Equitation, and the Trail Trials class. Mac got 3rd in his pleasure and equitation classes, so we went into the championship class, which he took a 2nd and a 3rd. Overall, he got two 2nd places and two 3rd places.

The trail trial. I haven't done one in 8 years! Mac is a pro, so all of the mistakes (such as not stopping at the bridge) were mine. He was a complete champ! I need to work on my "L" back ups and whatnot. Mac was dead tired by the time the trail trial class started, so I don't blame him for being cranky at my mistakes.

Overall, the show was a LOT of fun, and I'm so glad to be back at the barn and spending more time with my horse!

TBF Duathlon (and a Henleyville Road Race Correction)

First, the Henleyville Road Race correction: I apparently crossed the finish line in 7th place. Hey, not bad!

Now to the September 26 duathlon!

Goal: Finish.

This was my first duathlon! The race was a 2-mile run, 13-mile road bike ride, and a 5-mile run. The 2-mile run was nice an easy, a good warm up. I wasn't in the front, mostly because I hadn't run a month and a half prior to this race (I know, smart). Got done with the first leg and into the transition area. I felt good, considering I hadn't really run much.

I got on the bike and started the course. It was a good one, hillier and windier than I expected. I was able to pass a lot of people from my group on the bike leg, which you'd hope so otherwise. The only issues were that it was windy and the road had debris in it... add a bunch of triathletes (c'mon, guys. We all know that most triathletes have NO bike-handling skills) and it could be a huge disaster. Well, it wasn't, from what I saw. A few people kept in communication (on your left, gonna pass, etc), most didn't. And for the most part, riders kept on their side of the road. No accidents! I kept my legs at a high cadence so I didn't tire them out for the third leg.

To the transition area and the 5-mile run! My legs were feeing it but that's what's supposed to happen, right? Anyway, I started my run and started out easy. Got into a good rhythm and got going. This part of the race was HILLY. Down, up, down. Really steep down where I plainly said, "They want to kill us!" We went all the way to the levees, then started running back UP to the water tower. Guess who walked part of that? Most runners, hah! We ran on the beach, we ran up to the tower, and then down... which again, most people thought it was TBF trying to murder us. But after the downhill part that followed the water tower, we had a flat area, and then to the 4-mile marker. A bunch of people cramping, some walking, some looking like they were too hot (welcome to autumn at 97 degrees!), and other just looked like they were in absolute pain. Some had fallen on the downhill, all us were dirty from trail running. I was making jokes.

I was feeling it. Two old injuries flared up. At the 4-mile marker, I was wondering, "Why in the hell am I hurting so much?" Then it hit me. I grabbed the wrong shoes. How could I do that, you ask? I grabbed the correct shoes as in for running, but I grabbed my new, unbroken in pair. I have run maybe a mile in them to try them out. Yeah, it was a total face-palm moment for me.

To the finish line and I was happy to see it. I finished the race is 2 hours and 16 minutes. I saw Randy, who gave me a hug and kiss even though I was really dirty and soaked (all sweaty!). I grabbed some water, sat on the grass, took my shoes off, poured some water on my feet, and relaxed.

We didn't stick around much. Hell, it was a free race for me (I volunteered in a previous race so I used my volunteer voucher for this race) and I didn't think I had a chance of an award at all. I got my bike and since I saw Randy's parents waiting in the truck, I took that as a "let's go" so we left. We went to The Habit, where I had a yummy burger, went back home, I showered, hung out with Randy's parents, and when they left, I apparently passed out.

The next morning, I checked to see my results. I apparently got first place in my age group! Sweet! But damn! My first podium finish and I wasn't there for the award. Oh well, that just means I have to do it again next time. I e-mailed TBF and they said that I just gotta send in $10 for postage and whatnot and they'll send me my award. Woo!!!

Results:

1st out of 3 in my age group.

6th out of 17 women.

25th out of 42 racers overall.

What I learned:

- I can run. Not as well as I used to before my accident (good-bye 6:30-min mile!), but I'm getting better.

- Don't forget the BROKEN IN SHOES for a race and grab the wrong ones!

- I can push myself so much more than I give myself credit for.

- Having fun always brings the best results.

So, this race marks the end of my season. My first race next year is going to be the TBF Duathlon on January 8th, so I'm looking forward to it! Now I just have to reflect on this season.. so, until next time!

Henleyville Road Race

It was an early morning for me (4AM early). In fact, it was early enough that even my kitten got pissed at me for waking her up (she, for once, was actually SLEEPING with me). Randy and I got ready for the ride to Corning, CA. Where is Corning, you ask? Well, it's in bum-fuck Egypt, close to Red Bluff. Corning consists of almond trees, olive ranches, and cow shit. We got poured on on the way to the race, so I thought that it was going to be a wet race.

We got there earlier than I thought. I got my number, and started to slowly get ready. I socialized (I know, I know) with teammates and got on the trainer for half an hour or so. Got completely ready and went to the start. Met up with Pam and started.

The course is flat. No technical spots, really. There's one "hill" that isn't steep nor long. It was windy as hell and but we didn't get any rain, just some mist. I recognized a lot of the ladies in my group, which consisted of 14. It was humid, but I still decided to wear arm warmers, which turned out to be a good move since I'd get cold after getting hot (no, I'm not menopausal!) , but I was still sweating like a mofo... I blame the humidity.

The first lap was nice and slow. A few surges but nothing too bad. The pace picked up on the second lap. When we got to the hill, some of the group fell behind. I kept up with the lead group. On the third lap, I was hanging on. Barely, but I hung on. We got to the hill and a Metromint girl and I fell back. On a flat part, I told her, "Get on," and she jumped on my wheel. We took turns working to catch the group, and we nearly caught them but then the small downhill came, and after that, the wind got us. A few times we were close to catching them, but after a few miles, they disappeared. Metromint and I worked together to get to the finish. We chatted while we got to the finish line and she then said, "This is your second road race ever? Shit! I've been racing all season!"

We got to the finish. There were only places up to 6th, but I was the 8th person to finish. Not bad, considering I was able to hang with the machines-for-ladies for a good chunk of the course! I was pretty proud of myself. I stopped to congratulate our winner, and she said, "With a few more races under you, you'll be great! You're a really, really strong rider, you just did too much work. You'll get it!" I've raced with this gal in Winters, Cyclebration, and Henleyville... basically, ALL of my races, and I know she's a strong ride. It was truly flattering to hear those words!

One of the biggest things I learned on this race is to make friends. The first lap is most likely NOT going to determine who the winner is. If someone wants to get into the group, let them come in. It's not going to hurt you, kill you, or make you lose. And look, because I made some friends, I was able to work with a gal I've NEVER met before to get to the finish line with less suffering. There was a lot, but it helps to have someone work with you.

This was a great race. Extremely windy, but it was fun. I definitely found out that I can push myself even harder. It always sucks being left behind, but dammit! I hardly have ANY experience. This is helping me, though. I know a few thing I have to work on and I know that I'll be able to be more competitive next year. I'll admit, this race has me SORE, mostly because I pushed myself harder than I knew I could.

What a freakin' awesome race!

Cyclebration 2010

Friday: TT

Goals: Set PR.

I discovered that day that I was able to go to class AND race the TT. At first I thought that I would have to skip school (ahem) to get to the TT on time. Nope! So, I got to fry my brain AND my body in one day!

My start time was 5:18:30. I got there, got my packet, socialized (a lot), and went back to the car, changed, and got my bike ready. As I was looking around, pretty much everyone and their mother had a TT bike, aero-helmet, booties... they were decked out. I had my clip on aero-bars :) Either way, I was still intimidated a bit because, holy crap, everyone has awesome gear/stuff/know how to actually TT.

I warned up enough and headed to the start. I got there with 3 minutes to my start, went up, and away I went. The conditions were pretty much perfect. The wind wasn't strong (which is rare for that canal), and it wasn't hot. It was an ideal TT day!

My speed was good going out, turned around it was the same coming back. Only two ladies passed me (all decked out!) who had a LOT of experience. I got to the finish, saw my time, and knew I set a PR! Average speed of about 22mph, which is the fastest I've gone on that TT and a time of 30:02 minutes on an 11-mile course. Of course, it took a LONG time (close to 2 hours) to get our times because there was an issue with the Pro men and a protest, but we eventually got our times. Some of us were getting cranky, but oh well.

Overall, I think my preparation for this was pretty good. Going out and TT'ing and doing some long,

high-intensity riding on the trails. I know I can definitely improve for next season and I think I got some good ideas!

Placing: 12 out of 22 women. Not bad for my first official TT ever!

Goal achieved!

Saturday: Criterium

Goals: Finish with the main group. Do not crash.

This was nerve wracking at first. The crit is the race that I have been stressing over because I've never ridden in a pack in a race. This was my first crit, so I was excited and nervous. I met up with Karen and Andrea, who also raced in the CAT-4 women, and warmed up on the trainers. John, Randy, Mike, and other teammates were there.

We went to the line up and found out that we had a mentor. Awesome! The ref was going over laps and points, which I didn't understand (until Randy explained AFTER the race). We went on a neutral lap, stopped, and then started the race. Oh man... THAT was what I was looking forward to.

I was near the back during the beginning of the race. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, so I just chilled (hah!) and scoped out what was going on. The more I was into the race, the better I felt. So, I moved up a bit. The gals would sprint and attack, then recover, sprint, recover. I kept up. Seeing Karen and Andrea there helped a LOT! Seeing familiar and friendly faces helped calm down the nerves.

Before I knew it, we had 3 laps to go on our 40-minute race. On the second to

last lap, I got boxed in. In the corner, I was able to get out and attack with the lead group. I heard John yell, "MOVE UP!!!" The girls took off and I drafted one girl to the finish and was about half a wheel from getting ahead of her (later discovered that she was a state champ). I didn't shift on the sprint, which I tend to do (a tip from Joan on our last practice) and it paid off, I think! My HR was 197 bmp on that sprint, which I think was from nerves, excitement, and the fact that I actually SPRINTED and was able to hold it (I've NEVER been a good sprinter).

Took a recovery lap (hurr my heart was coming out of my throat!), talked to some of the women, found out I met and chatted with the winner at the Winters Road Race, chatted with Karen, and went to our mentor meeting. She didn't have anything negative to say! Really, this group was fantastic, and it was great to have such an awesome group who knew how to corner and communicated a lot. From what I hear, it's rare for CAT-4 women to be that good at bike-handling and communication. I think that this was a fantastic first crit for me!

Socialized some (because I totally don't know how to do that), watched some of the guys represent Team Revs in their race, talked to Heather, and then headed to Randy's short track race (but first we got some Starbucks).

What I thought of my preparation for this? I think it was great! John and Joan helped us so much to prepare for a crit and I can't thank them enough. I'm so glad I went to practices and asked a lot of questions (some really dumb ones at times, but hey, I need to learn, haha!). So glad to have such awesome teammates who are willing to help us!

Placing: 8th out of 19 women.

Goal more than achieved!

Sunday: Circuit Race

Goal: No crashing, make turns, finish with pack.

Okay, I was REALLY nervous for this one. On this course, you go over two bridges in Folsom: Rainbow Bridge and the American River Bridge. Everyone has been telling me how fun and awesome this course is. The catch? Two hairpin turns... we all know how good of a turned I am.

No.

I took two warmup laps with Mike and Karen (Karen and I were the two Team Revs women racing it). After going through the turns, I felt okay and more nervous. On the corner to Rainbow Bridge, a lot of water had spilled. Ugh.

We started late, but that's okay.. it kept my "nervous energy" up (aka HOLYSHITI'MGOINGTODIE!). 19 women in our group. Whistle blew. First hairpin, a Metromint girl crashed, but jumped

right back on her bike and caught us. Down to the first bridge. Slowish lap. We were feeling everything out. Most of the women in this group were in the crit, so it was a good group, except they were a bit shadier in the hairpins. I got caught on the inside of the hairpin once and lost way too much momentum, but was able to keep it up and catch the pack.

On one of the laps (3rd to last, I believe), the pack suddenly slammed on the brakes for some reason, at the moment I was going 26 mph, and I locked up my brakes. That was the biggest, "Oh shit I'm going to die and go down and I'm taking two girls down with me!" After a lot of skidding and a LOT of fishtailing, I was able to keep my bike up and continue with the race.

Second to last lap, feeling it. The speed went up. I kept up though.

Last lap, the pace REALLY went up. I was able to keep up, got caught in a corner, and lost a bit of the pack, but kept up for the most part. Lost a little in the corner since a girl cut me off, but the Metromint girl who crashed told me to get on her wheel and she pulled me up. How awesome is that? Caught up with another lady, and got her on the sprint after the last hairpin turn.

Average Speed: 20 mph.

Max Speed: 32 mph.

Place: 13th out of 19.

HR: 190 - 195 on average.

Goal achieved!

After the circuit, I hung out with my teammates while waiting for results. Socialized (see a trend here?) and saw our CAT-5 teammates race, and they kicked ass and took names! Those guys were punishing the group!

Then I was told that I should "be careful with [my] back tire." Eh? Oh.. when I locked up my brake, I put a hole in my tire. Sweet! Battle wound on my bike from my first circuit! Not so sweet that I have to replace it, but oh well! I know... I have an oddly positive way of looking at things. I'm like this with almost everything ;)

Got my results. Omnium placing? 8th place. Not too shabby for my first omnium ever!

Things I learned:

- I can ride in a pack.

- My bike handling skills are better than I give myself credit for.

- I can ride at higher speeds for longer than I thought.

- I can push myself to limits I didn't even know I had!

- I'm going, no AM, addicted to this, and I want more more more!!

This weekend was AMAZING. I can't believe how much fun it was and how much I learned. Having a team there, cheering, riding with me, and giving pointers and helping out was the best thing a rookie like me could ask for. I know I joined the right team.

Here's to another race down. Henleyville, here I come!!

Labor Day Weekend

One of our good friends, Dave, extended the invite to his annual Labor Day Weekend party/camp-out/bike riding awesomeness in Calpine, CA. Randy and I left on Friday night and didn't get there until 12:30 AM. I woke up on Saturday at 7AM and went into the house around 7:30, talked to Dave and everyone who was there. I met some new people (Toni, Steve, and Jason ["Jay," Dave's son]) and said hello to Kathie (Dave's wife). Randy came in after me since I let him sleep in. Ron, Randy's dad, got there around 9AM, and we all got ready to go on a mountain bike ride... with single track. Have I ever done any single track? Nope! But I wanted to ride anyway.

Other riders came by, Janice and Jay. Toni took

pictures of us, where I'm smiling because I have no idea what ride I have ahead of me. We headed out, a total of 8 riders, on a track that Dave is bu

ilding, which was fun. The climbing has never bothered me, it's the technical stuff that does. I guess it's normal for a rodie (hah!). Out of the 8 riders, I was the least experienced rider, with a dozen mountain bike rides under my belt, which have all be done on the easy Granite Bay trails. The second least experienced? Randy, and he's been riding/racing mountain bikes for 21 years. Yeah... I know.

More climbing, some single track. I was feeling pretty good. I was actually able to go over some stuff thatwould have terrified me in the past! The warm up was nice, the ride wasn't being hammered, and I was enjoying the views and the company. The trails are really nice. The loose spots would sometimes throw me off, but it wasn't bad. We'd stop at certain spots and re-group. I found myself doing better on the climbing than going downhill on the single track. Like I said, the climbing doesn't bother me. The downhill single track though, not as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it was still something I've never done before and I was overly cautious at first. But, the more I saw the other riders simply trust their bike and let loose, the braver I got and the more I actually trusted my bike to go over obstacles (let's face it, you can never trust a road bike to do that!).

We had about 200 more feet of climbing when Ron heard a clank. Lo and behold, Ja

son's bike wanted to commit suicide. His front brake was gone. But, since I was with a bunch of mountain bikers, I got experience and witn

ess how prepared (ie they pretend to be pack mules since they carry EVERYTHING with them) and work their magic on something that has gone wrong. Ron walked a few feet away from Jason and his bike, and found the bolt that had fallen off. Lucky? I think so! So, they tried to put it back on, but one of the wedges was extremely bent, so zip ties it was! It was pretty cool seeing how they got to working on their bikes. Reminded me of when I broke my derailleur hanger on Iowa Hill and Randy turned my bike into a single speed. The only issue was that Jason didn't really have a front brake. Good luck on the downhill!

We got to the top and the downhill started. Itwas a blast and the fastest I've ever gone downhill on a mountain bike. It was cool just being able to go out there and let go! I had run out of water since Ithought the ride was going to be about 3 hours, but we were out there a lot longer. That'll teach me to forget my CamelBak!

After a bunch of downhill and a lot of riding, we got to Graeagle where Kathie, Toni, and Jay's girlfriend, Cathy, were waiting for us. My computer read 31 miles of riding. Now only was this my longest mountain bike ride, it was also the hardest and the most fun. Never did I imagine that I was going to be able to do all the stuff I did on that ride! Janice helped me a lot on some of the single track and the technical turns, which

was great to have another gal there helping me.

We all got back to Dave's and rested. Had some drinks and food by the campfire and talked a whole bunch. It was a fantastic night.

The next morning, Jay (Dave's son, not the other Jay), Randy, and I decided to do the Lakes Basin Loop. It's a 45-mile road ride with 4,500 feet of climbing. Randy then got a slow leak, was able to get it filled, and kept riding. Jason was a bit ahead, but as I was seeing him get closer, Randy got a flat. I got tothe Gay Eagle Lodge, didn't see him, so I turned around (for the second time) and realized that Randy's spare tube had a 3-inch slit in it... he had a defective tube! I tried to contact Kathie to tell her that we h

ad some issues since they were ahead of us in the truck, but the call wouldn't go through. I felt bad that Jay was probably waiting for us for a long time, but mechanicals happen. The good thing is that I decided to turn around, otherwise Randy would have had two bad tubes. We finally got to the top and told Jay our little adventure. We then headed down for a bit (after an 8-mile climb!) and then went up again for a short distance, which is when the fun downhill started. Jay then stopped at one of the views, which was gorgeous! He then took a picture of Randy and me with the view behind us:

We then headed down to HWY 49 and did that climb, which wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

Jay had us stop at a view, where a Harley rider flipped Randy and me off (Jay was already checking out the view) and took some pictures. It was absolutely beautiful. A lot of people would probably hate a ride like this. There's a lot of climbing, a small shoulder on the roads, and the elevation really kills you if you aren't used to it. But all of that effort is worth it when you see the views that you get when you're at the top of your climb. It's, literally and metaphorically, breathtaking!

We got back to Dave's and ate some lunch and showered. Jay had to go to Reno, so good-byes were said and Randy and I waited to Dave, Steve, Toni, Kathie, and the dogs since they went on a hike. We made a fire, had dinner with some of Dave's neighbors, and had a great time around the fire. A lot of good stories, lots of great company, stars, and a fire... what more can a person ask for!?

On Monday morning, Dave, Steve, Randy, and I went on a 10-mile mountain bike ride. Dave was giving me some mini-lessons on how to ride over some of the technical parts of the trail. Some of them I was able to accomplish easily (though I was scared!) and others took me a little longer, but I was able to get a feel for what I have to do, and that's what's going to help me in the long run, I think.

When we got home, we packed everything and headed out. It was such an awesome weekend; the best Labor Day Weekend adventure I've ever had! I'm glad I was able to attend this and I'm so glad I was able to go on three great rides, meet new people, and have a lot of fun with friends. It's something I'll definitely cherish! And not only did I have a lot of fun, I learned a LOT of new riding skills and I surprised myself in that if I just stick to it, I CAN actually ride the dirt.

Thank you, Dave. This weekend was a blast!!

Bandit

Yesterday, September 1st of 2010, we took our dog, Bandit to the vet. He was 15-1/2 years old and very ill, so we decided that it was only fair for him. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do...

I've worked for vets, small and large animal. I've seen the procedure and I know what goes on, but this was so much harder. I didn't know the other pets, and it was very sad, I didn't have a connection with them. This time, as soon as I entered the vet's office, I couldn't s

top crying. It was hard not to.

My family and I have had Bandit since he was born.

He was no bigger than the palm of our

hand and was a fluff ball. You couldn't see his legs or anything! It was as if a fluffy thing was walking around, barking at everything. He barked at shadows, noises, wind, lint balls, and us. He was mean and bit me several times, would push me off of the couch, and would make me carry him on walks because he was too tired to move. He'd run around the house like a mad man for absolutely no reason, in circles, all over the place. He'd eat tomatoes and chili peppers that our neighbor used to throw over the fence when he lived next door to us. Bandit also loved dried up worms on sidewalks... yeah, I know. He didn't like his paws being touched. He'd howl if you sang or made high-pitched noises, but his howl was so funny that we couldn't help ourselves (think Steve Urkel howling). Cou

ldn't teach him a trick, except for "sit." Loved food, any food. He was confused for a "baby Saint Bernard" multiple times... one girl even called him a cat. My mom called him a termite because he was a wood chewer as a puppy. Anti-chew sprays attracted him. The only thing that worked for him was a really hot chili pepper. Still, what dog loves anti-chew sprays!? I called him my little Gremlin because he always made weird noises like Gremlins did.. and he was tiny and adorable one moment, and then BAM! He'd play around and go in "attack mode" and run all over the place.

Bandit was so full of character. He made us laugh a lot and provided us a lot of company. Even though he was a grumpy dog, anytime I felt sad, he'd come over to me and sit and lick my face (he was a licker!) and comfort me. He knew how to do it and was good at it.

I'll miss you, buddy. You'll always be with us. Hopefully your trip over the rainbow bridge was a fun one.

Rest in Peace, my little Gremlin. Thank you for all of the love you gave us.

March 1995 - September 2010