Off to Camp We Go

It's been a while. I seem to have all sorts of excuses as to why it took so long to write again. Guess that I've just been busy. Busy riding, hiking with The Girls, hanging with Steve, and riding with friends. And, busy with work. Getting ready for the Pactour Women's Cycling Camp. It's in Arizona, a week long and lots of riding. We should end up with around 500 miles for the week.

Last weekend I rode with some friends to Carter Lake. It was a Birthday ride for my friend. We rode 89 miles. The lake was beautiful and the weather was mild and sunny. A little windy in the afternoon. It's been windy on most of the rides this Spring. Oh well, beats sitting in an office.

The climb up to Carter Lake.

I've got about 1700 miles for the year. Not bad considering I had surgery in Oct and sat on my butt for 8 weeks. Still have a long way to go but the riding is going well.

My friend Rebecca Rusch, http://www.rebeccarusch.com/,has been racing in the Cape Epic www.cape-epic.com/in South Africa. Her team mate, Cristina Begy crashed out of the race, breaking her collar bone. Hope she's OK, as it's not the first collar bone break she's had racing. The awesome news is that Rebecca is still racing. Not officially, but she decided to stay in and race to the end. You rock, Rebecca. I remember racing in The cape Epic, the first year they had it. It was incredible! I loved it and still have great memories of the race and the people of South Africa.


The Girls and I have been hiking a lot in the woods. Same woods but we never get tired of it.

So, I'm off to camp tomorrow. I'll ride to Mt Lemon on Sunday with my friend Michelle Weiber. Camp starts on Sunday at 4:00 PM. From there we head to Sierra Vista. In Sierra Vista we stay at a hotel and do day rides around the area. Places on the agenda are Thombstone, Bisbee, and Patagonia. I'll give talks each day. Topics include climbing and descending, training program designs, weight training for women, and nutrition.

We'll return on Sunday and then it's time to get out the mountain bike. Looking forward to some trails.

Snow in Boulder. It just is-go and enjoy it!

It snowed a lot last night. Good thing it was today, because I needed a few days off from training. Not that I can't take a day off when it's warm and sunny, but a snow day doesn't hurt and it's good for the ground, trees, and water levels.

I've been riding my bike for most of my life. I started racing when I was about 27 and, yes, DV8, I am close to 50. Not that close, but close enough. Close enough that I can be proud that I've stayed riding my bike for a very long time. Proud that I have good genetics and good training in these legs, heart and lungs.

I started riding because it was fun and a good way to stay in shape. I started racing to see where my very competitive nature could take me. I decided to stop racing (for a while, at least) in order to step back from the structure but continue to train as if I was still racing-just in case that cool race crosses my radar.

I've been able to travel all over the world, win a lot, and learn a lot. I even came back after pretty severe injuries. broken ankle, broken wrist, broken nose, cheek, elbow and foot-all from one race, dislocated shoulder, herniated discs, and more. It sucks to have to rehab while still trying to maintain training. It sucks to be derailed from the things you love. But you, at least I did, always learn from an injury and you always find a way to come back.

I ride because I love it. I don't care if I ride the same route time and time again. I ride because its' fun. It doesn't bother me if the temperatures are below 40, even 30. I rode this winter when it was in the 20s. I'll ride in rain and wind and snow. I raced in all of these conditions, too. I've never stopped doing something fun because the weather wasn't what I wanted it to be. Don't get me wrong. I like 75 degrees and sunny. But I'm not staying home because the weather wasn't perfect. In fact, when I lived in Portland, I'd tell my family (living in Florida) that it didn't rain that much. too funny-it rains all of the time in Portland. But I rode, hiked, and climbed in all weather conditions. Life it too short.

I love racing, touring and commuting. Each gave me (and gives me) something different. All good and all experiences. I love road and mountain. Never done track.

I think I like moving and riding is moving. Hiking is too, I guess. Climbing-well, more slowly. I love hiking my dogs and spending time with Steve. I love being in the mountains most. Desert's good but I really like the hills and mountains.

Not sure why I got on this tangent. Maybe because I hear about people derailed from riding, racing, hiking or something else. Maybe because people think they have to be the best at a sport to really love it. That conditions have to be perfect in order to be the best at something. Nope, ya just need to like it. Maybe I look at it like life. It just is-go and enjoy it. Maybe that's a better slogan than -"just do it". How about it?
And here I was going to write about how I rode over 100 miles this weekend. That I feel great and had great friends and Steve to ride with this weekend. That my dogs loved the hikes we went on. That I find it funny that the warm ups for my rides are hiking my dogs in the mornings. Well, guess that's for another day.

I do want to remember to thank Tony Brooks, from New Zealand. He wrote me the kindest email today about training for a fast century in an article in a magazine he read that I wrote. Way to go Tony-you rock!

rode and snowed

The past week has been a buy one. With my vertigo gone, I was able to take long hikes with the Girls. Steve, the Girls, and I found a few more trails. A good thing as there is still a lot of grading going on around "our" trails. Don't think that will change , as the county, the fire department and land owners feel its' progress. Better to save the structures in case of fires.

Speaking of fires, someone has left cigarette butts on the trails, this past week. I think the landowner and dog shelter owners have been hiking the trails and it is not a good sign that the butts are left behind. First time in 18 years I've seen a cigarette butt on the trails near the house. Need to find out if it is the new land and home owner up near Sunshine. Can't have the woods on fire.

I logged a little over 200 miles this week. It shows. I'm dog tired. today's ride was a little over 50 and my quads screamed every little hill. Need a couple of days to recoup.

The views from the ride today. About 4 hours later, it snowed.



Two beds are better then one.

Pink Poodle Day

Nope, no photos of Boulder's famous pink poodle. Give me a break. Maybe some folks need to ride their bike more often, instead of telling others what they can and cannot do.

While the pink poodle was strutt'en her stuff around town, spreading the good word about breast cancer awareness, the Girls and I (and not pink hubby) went hiking in the woods at the hood (tan and not pink, but may like that coat color). The hike in the hood woods was awesome. Warm and sunny and green and tan and all the other cool colors of early spring.

L-Girl, aka Newbie, stayed close to us on the trail. She preferred not to get her feet dirty today, or maybe she was trying to tell us she wanted a new hair color. Gladly, I'd say. I don't like the taste of beets but I bet they make a great hair color.

Special-K, aka, Wiggins, had fun running all around (woops, another Boulder no no) and explored bunny hopeful holes and other critter hood hangouts. Never very far, just far enough away to avoid any flying pink beet juice. Of course, always close enough for a quick, studious, instantaneous recalls. She IS very good like that. I think she actually likes to stay just far enough off the trail to think she's more bold than L-Girl.

After the most awesome hike in the hooded woods, we were able to sneak in an hour ride. Well, an hour and 15. Just Long Neva, with a detour through North Boulder. A nice easy ride- wattage around 150.

After the most excellent warm and sunny quick ride-it was off to work. Life is good, Day Light Saving Time is here (or maybe un-here), and Spring is around the corner.

Miles miles and then some

I've been trying to ride as much as possible. I'm riding about 175-200 miles a week. Now that the weather is nice, I'm off the trainer and on the roads. The coldest ride I've done was 24 degrees, but not too bad because it was sunny. It all depends on how much work I have but I've been able to do a lot of 50 mile rides. The highest ride at 65 miles. It's really nice now to have longer days and warmer sun.

I've been riding to get ready for the Women's Pac Tour Arizona riding Camp. That's the second week of April and should be loads of fun.

Work is starting to calm down as I have two clients out of the country for a month. That, of course, frees up time to hike the Girls and ride with Steve.

Only other plans after camp is a Fleche. In a flèche, club members form a team (of 3-5 riders), design a route of at least 360km (224 miles), and complete it in 24 hours -- riding the final 25km (15 miles) within the final 2 hours of the 24. Un peu d'histoire - "Flèche" is the French word for "arrow" -- this ride format is based upon the French Flèche Vélocio, where teams plot out point-to-point courses which converge, like arrows, upon a common bullseye. The epitome is the Concentration Pascale de Provence (Easter Rallye of Provence) where teams converge upon the Riviera (Côte d'Azur) city of Nice on the morning of Easter Sunday.

As US participants in a "winter" stae, we are allowed to do out Fleche in May. This should be a blast.

No other plans yet.

Almost a month has passed and so much going on

Well, it's been too long and it seems the last month has just slipped away. That seems to happen when I'm busy with a lot of work and trying to cram in lots of riding.

I'm back on track with riding and had a great ride last Tuesday, logging a 31 mile ride with a 20.4 mile and hour average. That was solo and with a slight wind. it was also riding 4 days in a row with about 200 miles in those 4 days. Not too bad and I felt it was a ride with good rhythm. My power was consistent and I hit a few seconds at a max watt of 790. Could be a malfunction of recorded data, but whatever.

Thanks to Sasha, I've been able to keep the feet warm using this system: panty hose, toe warmers in the shoe, then the cycling shoe, tin foil on the toe area, and two sets of shoe covers. That's for when the temps are lower than 30. It works great!

W weeks ago was my Birthday and Steve and I went to the North American Handmade Bike Show. It was a great show. Much more cozy than the Vegas show. And ohhhhhh! the bikes.
All so beautiful and colorful. Toys to dream of.

I was on a panel talk on Sunday and we had a great turn out. Over 100 people. I talked on how to train for riding and how to get more out of your riding so that you can get faster and go longer.

We saw a lot of my old friends from the past. (I used to live there). One particular friend was Steve M. He was one of the first people to get me interested in riding and touring. I rode to Alaska from Florida with him in the late 1970s. We also got to visit with my old landlord, Jerry, and thanks to him, on this particular trip, we had a great place to stay.


We hung out in the Hawthorn District for most our free time, discovering coffee shops, French Crepes restaurants, and shops.

All in all it was a great Birthday and visit back to Portland. Now onto riding and getting ready for Spring.

Great Weekend and Great Ideas with USA Cycling

Some of the women that attended the Women's Leadership


My car pool partner, Kathie Reid-also a part time writer for Velo News.

This past weekend 30 + women met in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the
Olympic Training Center, (hosted by the USA Cycling Dept. ) for a weekend of learning, sharing, and brain storming.

We had such fabulous speakers - Lynda Ransdell, Kathy Beals, Lorrie Lee Lown, Kathy Zawadski, Cathy Sellers, Jim Miller and Suzie Riewald. They did a wonderful job and provided
all of us with some really good information.

The topics covered included the Female Athlete Triad, ex phys, pre and post natal concerns, eating disorders, and women's coaching and cycling programs. It was one of the best weekends I've had at these types of educational events.


The USAC is to be commended for their great support of this event. Sam Callan at
USAC has done a tremendous job at making this event happen. I had an especially good time listening to Jim Miller share great information about the women's endurance program at USAC. He had some great insight into women's racing and women's cycling programs.

We can all do more to get more women involved in the sport-and all sports for that matter.

I have to say, I've enjoyed helping out at the Performance Women's Mechanics Clinics, over the past several months.
And, don't forget to check out www.pactour.com for more information on camps and clinics. We have a women's camp coming up in April. Lots of good riding, information on cycling, and good old fashioned fun.

USOC hosting women's leadership conference

I know it's been several days since I written anything. I've been so busy with work, riding, playing with the dogs, hanging with Steve, and well, life just gets busy at times.

This weekend I'm headed to Colorado Springs for a women's leadership conference at the Olympic Training Center. I'm looking forward to learning more about women in coaching and women as athletes. Lots of new ideas and information. Should be a great time.

Here's an article about the weekend, reported in Velo News, by Kathie Reid.
You can also read about it at www.velonews.com, in the feature section.



USOC hosting women's leadership conference
By Kathie Reid
Filed: January 24, 2008
A group of roughly two-dozen women will converge on the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs on Friday to learn what they can do to encourage female leadership in cycling. They will be exposed to information from an impressive slate of attendees and speakers presenting an array of topics like health concerns for female athletes, opportunities and realities in women's racing, as well as unique considerations when training moms.

The conference is sponsored by USA Cycling, but Sam Callan, USA Cycling's Sports Science and Coaching Education Manager, gives credit for its creation to Kristen Dieffenbach, assistant professor of athletic coaching education at Western Virginia University, and Lynda Ransdell, professor and chair of kinesiology at Boise State University.

Dieffenbach said they saw a need for this type of gathering more than a year ago when statistics indicated that the number of female coaches at the NCAA ranks "has plummeted" since the 1970s.

Though the enactment of Title IX in 1972 brought with it an increase in female athletes and women's teams at the collegiate level, the percentage of those teams coached by women has decreased from a high of 90 percent in the early 70s to just 43 percent in 2006.

"There's some worries and concerns that young female athletes are not being mentored properly to go into coaching," Dieffenbach said.

Inspired by bigger conferences for women coaches that were initiated by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the non-profit WinStar Foundation, Dieffenbach and Ransdell worked with Callan to design a conference to specifically address the needs of female cycling coaches. Unlike NCAA coaches, Dieffenbach said, "Most people who are professional coaches in cycling are doing it from home. They're not doing it within an administrative structure. But still, you see very few women as team leaders and team managers or coaches within USA Cycling."

When they began conceptualizing the gathering, Dieffenbach said, they wanted to be sure people understood that their efforts to enhance female leadership were not in response to dissatisfaction with male leadership. At a USA Cycling Coaching Summit in 2006, Dieffenbach asked for a few minutes to gather the 30 or so women in attendance (out of close to 200) to gauge interest in a listserv for female coaches. That few minutes lasted nearly two hours.

"Everybody was so excited to have a network of peers," Dieffenbach said. "They loved their male colleagues - most of us had been mentored beautifully by men - but there is something to be said for knowing what it's like to be a female in a female pack ...or knowing what it's like to be the only female in a junior race...or be the only female official - stuff like that."

Ransdell described three primary goals of the conference, the first being to increase the number of women who coach cyclists. "There are good people who could contribute to the coaching world, so we're trying to encourage them to get involved and become interested in coaching."

A second goal is to increase the number of women interested in racing, and speakers will generate ideas for doing this. Lorri Lee Lown, the founder of VeloGirls, a large California women's race team that, according to Callan, does impressive work with juniors, will speak on Saturday morning. That afternoon, a panel of elite athletes, including retired professional cyclist and former world champion, Alison Dunlap, will share their experiences.

Ransdell and Dieffenbach agreed that their third and biggest goal for the conference involves networking.

Dieffenbach said she'd like attendees to leave "with a really strong network" and the ideas, resources, and enthusiasm to improve things in their own communities.

"We're not trying to put this forward to say we're the experts. We're trying to say, okay, there are a lot of people out there who have great knowledge. Here's how to find them," she said.

"There aren't just two experts in the country who can talk about women's health issues in cycling. There's somebody in every community ... How do we get their voices out to help them be heard?"

This fits with what Michelle Grainger hopes to gain from attending the conference. A former professional cyclist in Boulder, Grainger has been racing herself and/or mentoring others for almost 20 years, establishing herself as a sought-after coach and personal trainer through her business, Athletic Excellence (www.athleticexcellence.net).

Grainger, who mentors athletes at all levels, including Jason Donald (Slipstream-Chipotle), with whom she works on his core fitness, is a staunch advocate not only of women in cycling, but of the need for professionals to continually update their skills and learn from each other. She is looking forward to the conference largely because of the "concentrated environment of women" that will be represented.

"I need to know what's out there, and this is the best way to find out what's going on in women's minds from 27 different women," she said. "How else will a bunch of women, especially coaches or racers, find current information on women's topics in a concentrated area? This will be an easier way to put it all together."

Dieffenbach, Ransdell, and Callan anticipate that this conference is just the beginning. "It's a very beginning idea based on something done by other groups on a much bigger scale," Dieffenbach explained. "But we're a slightly different organization, so that's why we're so excited about it ... I don't think that this leadership conference is designed to be the end-all-be-all-let's-teach-you-everything-about-leadership [conference]. It's more about the start of the dialogue."

Callan said USA Cycling is prepared to provide as much support as it can. "The coaches are in a leadership role and certainly can influence getting more women into the sport and keeping them there as well ...We just want to try to do anything we can to enhance what's already going on out there and spread the word.

"[This conference] is a first effort, and we'll see what works and what we get feedback on that's positive, and figure out what to do in the next phase."

Awesome weekend of riding!

When you see a giraffe on the start of your ride, you know it's gonna be a great ride.
Steve and I rode a 33 mile ride today. It was my second ride (outside) for the weekend. Both days were almost completely sunny and about 37-39 degrees. Yesterday I rode with some friends for a 30 mile ride. It is the first time in about 10 weeks that I have been able to ride two days in a row. Now I know I'm back on the track to getting in shape.

Not that it was easy. The mphs and times were easy, but my body didn't think it was that easy. We did about 15-17 mph averages. Not bad. can't wait to get the times shorter and the mph averages back up past 18-20, and more. It is only January and since I don't race, I'm not in a hurry. Last year I was riding a little more and the mph averages were only slightly higher for this time of year.

Both days we rode Boulder out to Hygiene Road, down to 75th and then back to Boulder. Easy routes, nice scenery, and good friends to ride with. I could ride the same loops over and over without ever getting bored.


Had lots of fun riding today with Steve. Had to stop a few times to take photos. I didn't know he was in this one until I got home and loaded it on the computer. Goofy Steve. One of the reasons I married him. He keeps life from getting too serious.
Got an email from my relatives in Australia. We're planning a trip there to see my side of the family. We were trying to match that trip up with mountain Worlds but may need to go sooner than fall of 09. Will have to see how that one unfolds. So many places I want to go and so little time. Still, it's important to visit family because life really is too short. Also, it's hard to go somewhere without bikes for such a long time. it's pretty easy to travel to France or Italy and take bikes, but Australia??????? More than likely we can rent bikes and bring our own saddles and pedals.

The last week was very productive. Not only did I get a lot of work done, I also got my contracts into Rudy Project USA and Clif Bar. It will be great to go another year with some great sponsors. Rudy Project USA, Clif Bar, and KHS.

Fun time at the LUNAFEST, tonight

Tonight a bunch of us went to the LUNAFEST. What is LUNAFEST? Other than being a great event, for a great cause, and a great time watching short movies, it is a wonderful way to share time with people and share time with women.

Here's what LUNAFEST is in their own words:

"LUNAFEST was established in 2000 by LUNA, the makers of the Whole Nutrition Bar for Women, to simultaneously promote women filmmakers, raise awareness for women’s issues, and support worthy women’s nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

LUNAFEST is completely funded by LUNA and run by a small, dedicated group of LUNA employees. 100 percent of all proceeds are donated to charity – 15 percent to the Breast Cancer Fund and the remaining 85 percent of proceeds go directly back to hosting community organizations.

Over the years, as LUNAFEST has grown from a single annual event to more than 100 festivals each season, LUNA’s commitment to this worthwhile program has grown as well. We are continually inspired by the individual and collective efforts of women – and we are awed by the results. To date, LUNAFEST has raised over $250,000 for worthwhile women’s organizations, while raising hope and awareness for the stories of women everywhere.

Missing Santa?

If Santa didn't make it to your house this past Christmas, I know why............................

What to ride in (clothing) when the temperature is below 45 degrees

HOW TO DRESS FOR HIGH 30s-TO MID 40 DEGREE CYCLING, SKIING, HIKING, AND SNOWSHOE WEATHER.

I found all of these at the Performance Bike Shop web site. Bonus: I think all of them were on sale.

-Bra top-I wear whatever I grab out of the drawer.

-Base layer- Craft. I like Smartwool but you can't beat the fit of Craft.
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU
=20961&subcategory_ID=1223

-Cycling shorts-today I wore Pearl Izumi capris.
But I also wear the Performance Ultra and Elite Short.
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?
SKU=24344&estore_ID=1457
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?
SKU=17565&estore_ID=1457

-Cycling long sleeve mid weight jersey
Not too bulky, not too thick. Something that works as a middle layer.
S0metimes I'll wear a Smartwool mid weight top, if I don't need pockets,
which if I'm wearing a jacket over it all , I don't.
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU
=23042&subcategory_ID=1211
OR
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?
SKU=24365&subcategory_ID=1211
If the zipper in back is like a regular jersey pocket, good.
Sometimes I can't get into a vertical back zipper.
OR
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?
SKU=22999&subcategory_ID=1211
OR
the Performance http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?
SKU=24397&subcategory_ID=1211

-Tights. I like the Performance Tri-Flex tight (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?
SKU=20998&item=10-5701&slitrk=search&slisearch-
without the chamois, so I can use it for multi sports) a
nd the other is the Pearl Izumi tights. Either is good.

-Jacket over jersey. I wore the Sugoi Invertor Jacket.
A MUST HAVE!
OR
If the temperature will get into the 50s you can layer with
the Sugoi Defiant wind jacket. What I would do is take that
jacket with another wind jacket of same weight or slightly
heavier and wear both of them until the weather got warmer.
Then it's easy to stash one of them in a back pocket. http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?
SKU=23006&item=10-9565&slitrk=search&slisearch
ALSO- http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?
SKU=24613&item=10-0256&slitrk=search&slisearch

-The Sugoi Invertor Jacket is a bit large/bulky to roll up,
although I have done that before.
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?
SKU=22998&item=10-9570&slitrk=search&slisearch

- Lightweight Smartwool cap that came down far enough
to cover the back of my neck BUT i usually wear a "Buff"
neck, cap, face, thing under my helmet.

-Sunglasses- Rudy Project Wizzards
http://www.rudyprojectusa.com

-Gloves. I must have 100 pairs fo gloves. I am constantly looking
for warm gloves. I have such a hard time keeping the hands and
toes warm. I've actually considered getting electric/battery liners.
But today I have no problem. I wore Pearl Izumi Inferno gloves with
little air hand warmers inside.
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?
SKU=22938&item=10-9453&slitrk=search&slisearch

And last but not least:

-Booties. If you have lighter weight booties you can always place your
feet in plastic bags and then into your shoes. Of course, wear socks.
I always wear Smartwool socks. All year long. No cotton for me.
Unless the weather is dry and above 50, I wear Performance Neoprene
Booties. These work really well.
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.cfm?
SKU=24344&item=10-0082&slitrk=search&slisearch
I have about 10 pairs of shoe covers. I wear them at different times.
If you want you can wear two layers of light to mid weight booties.
I did that last week when the temperature was about 45 and it worked.

So there you have it. I hate being cold and I don't want to miss out
on winter and early Spring riding so I have perfected the art of staying
warm while doing cardio, outside, when it's cold.

If I can jump into the reservoir when it's 23 degrees outside I should
be able to stay warm while recreating outside.

Thank you Jason Donald of Team Slipstream/Chipotle

A special thanks goes out to Jason Donald from Team Slipstream/Chipotle. http://www.slipstreamsports.com
He wrote a very nice testimonial for me on doing the core function exercises I provided for him. It is a pleasure to work with him, and a few other members of Team Slipstream/Chipotle.

I look forward to watching these great young racers prove to the world that drugs are not needed in racing. They are giving the sport of cycling a boost of good energy, integrity, and sportsmanship. Thanks Jason and Team Slipstream/Chipotle.
GO TEAM SLIPSTREAM/CHIPOTLE

"I have been doing Michelle's core strength exercises for three months now, and I can tell you now after being able to train and realize the black-and-white difference between having a strong back, abs, and general core, and not doing anything but riding, is such that you might as well not even ride your bike seriously if you aren't incorporating a good core workout as well. It really is that essential. Your leg strength is useless if you don't have a strong foundation to push against. A strong core utilizes your leg strength more effectively than riding alone, and in order to be efficient and make the best use of your time this has to be a part of your training. Period."

"It comes down to the seriousness of your effort to become an accomplished athlete. It doesn't matter what level you ride at, if you want to be the best, you will incorporate core workouts into your training. If you don't, then you aren't training as effectively as you could be. In essence you aren't riding people off your wheel as quickly as you could be."

Jason

Happy New Year ride.

With the new year comes new riding. Not new rides, because all of the rides we/I do are awesome to me. Since I ran into Boulder Reservoir and hiked for New Year's Day, we (Steve and Catherine and I) decided to ride Long Neva on the 2nd.

Temperature was supposed to be 40 but when we left and came back it was 38 degrees. Oh well, I had heaters in my shoes, 2 pairs of booties on my feet, three tops on and a jacket, extra warm gloves, a hats and a helmet. I was warm.

The ride was slightly quicker than I have been riding. Remember I have only been back on my bike for 2 weeks, with a 7 week hiatus.

Today, it's hike with the Girls and Steve and a gym workout.

Happy New Year.

I am a Polar Bear Plunger

Photo from 9 News TV.

A plunge for Alzheimer's. Did you know half of every single person over 85 has Alzheimer's? In 2050 16 million Americans will have Alzheimer's. It will cost 400 billion dollars in yearly medical cost. Yikes. Better do something now.

Today is the first day of the next new year. 2008. Somehow I really feel it is a new beginning. A new outlook. Yup, a new year. I had the best start to any new year, so far.

Steve and I went to the Boulder reservoir this morning. We went to take photos of my friend doing the "Polar Bear Plunge". Low and behold, when standing in line, I decided, why not. When would I ever do something like this? Why not break the mold? Why not break out of the normal box. (Thanks Clay). But I didn't plan for it, and in fact, I had many layers of winter clothing on. So, I went back to the parking lot, asked a bunch of people if they had extra shorts or anything else I could wear into the water. I saw a young women and man getting out of their car. The women didn't have any more clothing but the awesome dude, Justin from Brighton Colorado, said he had an extra pair of boxers that he was going to use for after the swim/plunge. He would give them to me, if I wanted them. He was so nice and he gave me his boxers and off I went to sign up. All for a good cause. Alzheimer's.

20 minutes later I was standing back in the swimming line with 500 + of my best New Year's Day buddies. And then out turn came. Off came all of the winter clothes. Down to the Victoria Secret bra and Justin's boxers. Oh yes. I kept my SmartWool socks on. Then, off we went, running into 39 degree reservoir water (of which a bulldozer chopped away a place in the ice for us to swim in) in a air temperature of 23 degrees, dunking my head under, and baptizing the great new year to come.

What a way to be spontaneous! Yup, crazy.... running into 39 degree water in 23 degree air in some unknown man's boxers. It made me feel so wonderful. Alive. Of sound mind (sort of) and I still have this stupid grin on my face.

To top off the great day, we all went walking with The Girls. Life cannot get much better than this.

Tomorrow I'll ride!

Last days of 2007

We have had 30 inches of snow this December and 45 inches last year. I think our totals, here at the house, are a little higher. Those are great totals. Not that I love shoveling all of the time, but it is so good for the ground, the plants, the grass, the streams and the front Range. It's also good for knocking off calories.

Yup. I've been eating my fair share of sweets. People think I have this great will power. Nope, I'll eat junk food, if it's in the house.

So now as the year ends, and I can workout again, I need to start stepping up to what I teach. Good eating, good fitness and good health.

I'm about to head out and take our Girls for a hike. Just an hour near the house but it's beautiful out with the snow on the ground and in the trees.

It's about 18 degrees so I'll have to suit the Girls up in two coats each and maybe even paw booties. Can't let them get too cold.

It's a good weekend to reflect on what is really important in life. It's been a good year of finding out more about myself. How I feel about life, fitness, friends, and family.

My greatest loss this year is the disappearance of my close friend, Clay. I know his own family and friends are feeling the loss more than ever. Clay touched my heart and mind in so many ways. Our conversations forced me to think out of my own little world. To get off my butt and do more things than I would had we not had the talks. Thank you Clay for continuing to push me to learn more and more.

I learned a lot about my health. Not only my own health but that of some very close friends. I learned that life is too short and that I/we should not forget to live for today. Tomorrow does not always come.

So remember that New Year's resolutions are good but reflection on what we can learn from the past, may be more eye-opening. Here's to more learning, more friendships, more love, and more knowledge.

PS-don't forget to look up the Arizona cycling camps at http://www.pactour.com/

Happy New Year.

Back in the saddle, again.

OK. A photo of the Girls is not quite a photo of me, back in the saddle. But I'm not showing a photo of me on a trainer in my office. I am however so excited, after 7 weeks, to be back on my bike. Injuries suck and getting back to a fitness way of life is awesome.

I have been hiking with my Girls for about an hour to just over an hour. I've been doing that for about a week. I just started back riding and it's great. As soon as I reach and hour, I'll head outside. That is, if the weather and temperature are good. In the gym, I'm back on machines.

It's a slow start but anything is better than nothing. That's what I tell my clients. Just get out and do something. even if it's ahlaf hour, do something.

Lots' O Snow

Well, finally it's been dumping snow like a winter wonderland. I think it all looks like gum drops. Ready to fall off the trees and into my mouth.

Every ski area has lots of snow and that's a great thing. Even great for the x racers today, in Lyons.
Even the Girls had fun today.



Still no word on my good friend, Clay. There was one more big search before winter sets in. There will be more in the spring. My heart just really aches and it's hard to imagine what in the heck happened to him. Every day I think about him and remember his help with anything I needed him for.

Did a lot over the weekend on the business side of my life. Finished up ceus, sent in my license fees and registrations, bought many business related books from Amazon, and bunches of office stuff like that. Hate how working for yourself can have so much little annoying little detail stuff. Oh well, I like it just the same.

End of this week, I may be back into my own little world of fitness. Can't wait. So many new things to write about. So much catching up to do. Yikes, that's gonna be weird. But great!

Where the Shadow People live

The great thing about not doing much of what I'm used to, is that I get to open up my mind and play with abstract ideas. So, over the weekend, Steve, The Girls, and I, went up high into the mountains, looking for fun things to photograph. We found where the Shadow People live.



When you're bored, you can imagine all sorts of things. Or play with ideas. Or just have some silly fun.



And yet, even with all of this silliness, my heart is still sad for Clay, his wife, his family, and all of his friends. I want to thank so many of my own friends and family, that have called, emailed, and hung out with me during this sad time. You have brightened my days.

Edgar Allan Poe - Eldorado and a simple walk with the family

I've been thinking of this poem for weeks. Especially since Clay's disappearance and now with the death of Mike Jenelle. I memorized this poem when I was 11 years old. I have never forgotten it, only that Edgar Allan Poe, wrote it. I think so many people are looking for something they may never find. Instead we should all live more in the moment. Live life as if each day is our last. Not to be morbid, but we often live for tomorrow. What we can do later, not what we have time to do and want to do today. I'm so used to cramming so many things into one day. You know, work, lifting, riding or commuting, hiking, back to work, and so on. But, then I tend to miss certain things around me. Like, just appreciating the view or the company. So today I took the time to do something pretty simple. Something that brings simple joy. I enjoyed a walk with Steve and the Girls. We walked on the RR bed that seems so simple but is so beautiful every time I'm there and I did it with company that warms my heart and make me laugh.

Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.

But he grew old--
This knight so bold--
And o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.

And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow-
"Shadow," said he,
"Where can it be--
This land of Eldorado?"

"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied--
"If you seek for Eldorado!"