Perhaps the biggest event that took place over the past two months was my participation in the MS150 the weekend of September 14th and 15th. I signed up for this event last Spring when I first started cycling and time caught with me quickly at the end of August when I realized that I had done no fundraising for this event (chalk it up to being so stinkin' busy with the KC Century ride at the end of August - and also to my frequent forgetfulness). Regardless, the ride was approaching and I needed to raise the money to ride. I sent out the link to my fundraising page on both Facebook and Twitter. Not 5 minutes after this, I got a private message through Twitter. A man named Mike informed me that his wife, Rebecca, had just been diagnosed with MS and he wanted to know how he could help. I advised that they could volunteer for the event or they could donate. 5 minutes later, my email notified me that I had hit my fundraising goal of $200. Mike and Rebecca paid the entire amount. Talk about overwhelmed. Immediately I knew that I would be riding the MS150 in honor of Rebecca. Up to that point, I wasn't riding for anyone in particular; I was just riding because I believed in the cause to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. Now this ride took on a whole new meaning and gave me further motivation and inspiration to complete the entire weekend. My friend, Ryan, at Forked Apparel even sent Mike and Rebecca two Forked MS shirts to wear that weekend for the ride and they were absolutely excited.
R5 Cycling's major sponsor, Coventry/Aetna, had a group of individuals who wanted to take part in Day 1 of the MS150. My teammate, Scott and I led the group for the first day's mileage of 38 miles. These riders did an amazing job of navigating the route and we had a blast grabbing tacos and beers afterwards in Lawrence. Let me tell you, I love going to Lawrence (and have been there too many times to count) but NOTHING compares to entering that beloved city on a bike.
Here are a few pics from the first day:
My MS150 jersey and bib for the weekend!
At the pre-ride packet pick up
Hangin' with the Coventry riders at a Day One rest stop!
My R5 Cycling teammate, Scott and I.
Mid-course picture - having so much fun!
Riding into Lawrence at the end of Day One. One of my favorite views from a bike!
The end of Day One already had me exhausted. 38 miles from Olathe to Lawrence was not an easy task. And WHAT?!? I've got get up and do almost DOUBLE that mileage the next day? What have I gotten myself into? The answer was simple and oh so easy: Rebecca can't ride and I'm riding for her. There are no excuses and pain doesn't matter. Wash your kit, get some sleep and get ready girl. We're doing it again tomorrow.
Day 2 of the MS150 was just a bit different than Day 1. It brought more hills, a much longer distance and some pretty heavy rain. My dad was kind enough to drive me to Lawrence that morning at 5 a.m. to get ready to take off. I was very fortunate to ride Day 2 with my friends, Linda and Kelly. Talk about 2 women who are strong on the bicycle. We had such an awesome time. There were a few times that I wanted to throw the towel in (especially when I could hardly see 2 feet in front of me due to the rain hitting my face) but I fought hard and finished. One of greatest highlights of the day (besides running into friends along the route) was having my dad at the finish line in Olathe. He's been very supportive of my cycling adventures and has rooted for me since day 1. However, he's never been able to see any of my rides. He was there at the finish line and came running up to me when I crossed the finish line with a smile so big it caused me to tear up. Hearing anyone say that they're proud of you is awesome - but having your dad say it to you is the most wonderful sound.
Pics of Day 2 of the MS150:
Left to right: my friend Kelly, Boulevard member Brad, myself and owner of Forked Apparel (and friend) Ryan. I don't remember who the guy on the far right was.
Linda, Kelly and I at one of the Day 2 rest stops. I think this was before the torrential rain - and probably before a few of those killer hills we encountered that day. Brutal!
My view leaving Lawrence on Day 2 - the sunrise was amazing. Nothing like being on a bike and watching it come up.
Linda, Kelly and I at the finish! WE DID IT!
Finish Line on Day 2 of the MS150. I'm deliriously happy and so very exhausted. What an adventure!
That weekend I hit two major milestones:
1 - I rode my longest mileage to date: 68 miles (which was on Sunday of the MS150)
2 - I rode over a 100 miles in two days.
Kids, neither of these came easy to me. But, my head is strong and I am completely stubborn. And, I wasn't doing this for myself as much as I was doing it for Rebecca. It was a complete honor and privilege to be able to take on a challenge for someone else. To finish it was even greater!
I've been very fortunate over the past couple of months to log some additional miles with a couple of my good friends, Kelly and Jenny, on separate occasions. Riding alone works well for me most of the time but I truly enjoy getting out early on Fall mornings to ride with my friends. Let's just also say that I'm VERY thankful for the embrocation that my cycling coach gave me to try out. The embrocation goes on your legs on cold mornings to help keep your legs warm while you're riding. That, and a hot coffee following a ride are things to not take for granted!
A VERY cold Saturday morning ride with my friend Jenny. She's so wonderful to ride with and I'm enjoying getting to know her and her sweet family! (Her husband, Storry, is on my R5 Cycling team).
Post-ride coffee one Saturday with my friend Kelly. I'm so super proud of her for getting her first bike and getting out there! She reminds me of myself 6 months ago - a complete sponge and cycling nerd as she can't get enough of the bike and all things cycling!
In the midst of all of this riding - GUESS WHAT CAME?!? Our R5 Cycling kits FINALLY arrived! And, they are SWEET. I got goosebumps when I first saw them fresh out of the bag - and even more excited when I finally put the kit on for my first ride. My teammates did a great job designing the kits - and Hincapie makes the most comfortable cycling gear I've put on my body.
Isn't it pretty?!?
Speaking of R5 Cycling - we've been BUSY! Even though road season came to a close, our team still has weekly rides on Wednesday's taking off from our sponsor, Johnny's Taverns. Those who can meet up for a ride and everyone congregates afterwards for dinner and drinks. I haven't been fortunate enough to make a lot of the rides - but I try to stop by each week regardless. One week I was able to make the ride and post-ride festivities. I learned a lot on that ride from my teammate, Andy, who was kind enough to stay back with me as I was having some shifting trouble with my Ridley. There's always a learning experience on the bike and I'm so very thankful for my teammates and coach who are more knowledgeable about cycling and take the time to help me learn and grow.
Bikes and post-ride beers. It doesn't get much better! What a fantastic group of guys! I'm a lucky girl!
So, many of you may be thinking that once road season is over, people just put their bikes away for the warmer weather in Spring to arrive, right? WRONG! After road season comes CYCLOCROSS season! I knew very little of cyclocross racing (just like I knew very little about cycling at all when I first started). Cyclocross is different from road racing because it takes place in a field usually and has obstacles that require the rider/racer to dismount their bikes at times and carry it on their shoulders as they maneuver the course (jumping barriers, running through sand or jumping over ditches, etc). If it rains before the race? EVEN BETTER! That means there's mud and someone's getting dirty! I watched my very first cross race at the beginning of October when my teammate, Storry, raced his beautiful Rapha cross bike at Manion's in Kansas City. I was in heaven. Might have gotten bit by the cross bug while I was there. Really, Sara? You need to add something else to your agenda? Um, yep. I get one life, y'all. Might as well try it all while I can!
Storry (in the middle) and our teammate, Damon on the right post cross race. FUN!
Our team posted the Fall Cross schedule and we set out to make a few races. My teammate, Scott, bought a toy hauler trailer that we drug out to a couple of races and set up. Our teammates, their families and friends have really had a lot of fun this fall at the Cross races and it's been great getting to know everyone on a more personal level. You can only learn so much about people during a bike ride - but hang out for a few hours in between races and there is FUN to be had!
Here are a few pics from some of the cross races this fall that R5 has taken part in:
My teammate, Grant, in his first cross race.
Our awesome cheering section!
My teammate and cycling coach, Mike, pre-race.
Pre-race shot of Grant, Scott and Andy.
My teammate, Andy, mid-course.
And, some more pics from another cross race:
My teammate, Scott, on the course.
Most people ran their bikes through the sand. My teammate, Storry, hardened the fuck up and rode right through it like a beast.
Barrier jumping. And, how cool does our R5 kit look from the back? Representing!!!!
Me, clowning around with my teammates Andy (right) and Ted (left).
Our team got a new bike rack this week to use at events just like this. How beautiful is that sight?!? AAAAHHHHHH…..
Remember a few paragraphs back when I mentioned that this CrazeeCyclist was bit by the cross bug? Have you already forgotten what you've read? Well, last weekend I decided to try and tackle my first cross race. My friend, Mark (and a mechanic at our cycling team's shop, Elite Cycling) had a Ridley cross bike in my size that he generously let me borrow for the race. Cross races are much shorter in length than my average rides (they're about 6 miles or so per race) but never let the length let you think they're easier. This was, by far, probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Pay no mind to the fact that I'd never practiced on a cross course or bike before - unless you count the 5 minutes or so that I got to practice before my race on Sunday. Now that I've had a few days to let the race and experience sink in, I'm not sure Cross racing is for me. It certainly won't be my last cross race but I'm not sure it will be become a regular thing for me. I had an absolute blast despite falling down, scraping my knee and having a tree branch tear my arm open. It's not easy to dismount and remount your bike that much - or pick up your bike to run through sand. But, life isn't easy and is meant to be enjoyed. And, enjoy the experience I did (I'm not so sure I enjoyed it as much "during" the race - but I can look back and say I had fun!!!).
Out on the course.
Dismounting and getting ready to run.
I think I was asking myself if it was over at this point. (And this was only the first lap around the course!)
Pick it up and RUN girl! There are junior racers passing your ass!
Right before a tree ripped my arm open.
Barrier jumping!
Post-race - I'm gladly giving the beautiful Ridley cross bike back to its rightful owner. What was I THINKING trying to cross race? I was SO tired after I was done!
Do you see all of those squiggly lines? Yep, that's the cross course I did. NOT easy at all.
Finisher's sheet! I got dead last. But, I finished which was the main goal of my day!
My very first cross race bib. Actually, it was my very first race EVER! I paid my one day license fee so that I could do this race. (Next year, I'll pay for the entire year to get my cycling license so that I can do road racing!)
So, now that the cross race is over, what now? Well, I'm glad you asked! It's TRAINING time! I have 4 months to get my ass in gear for the start of road race season. Four months? That seems easy enough, right? Um…..that seems like NO time at all if you look at the training plan that my coach gave me.
Enter SUFFERFEST. Sounds like fun, right?
Their motto? I Will Beat My Ass Today To Kick Yours Tomorrow. YIKES!
The next 16 weeks are going to be chalk FULL of different rides at different speeds to get my legs and body in gear for racing (not to mention the training vacation that R5 Cycling is taking in March to Arkansas to tackle some steep climbs).
I started Sufferfest last week by doing my fitness threshold test. It's basically an hour of riding - in which 20 minutes of that is riding as hard and fast as you can. Puking is optional. (And, I almost did). However, the test really gives some perspective into where a rider is currently and it helps a cyclist hone in on what needs to be accomplished over the life of the training program. For example, this test showed me that my FTP is 215. This is the number that I can ride at, somewhat uncomfortable, for an extended period of time. (It's an 8.5 out of 10 effort level). After my FTP test, I tweeted out that I had finished the test. And you know what guys? Sufferfest tweeted back at me. Those guys think they're so funny, y'all. Here's what they said:
HA HA HA!!! I LOVE it! Regardless of the difficulty, I really am looking forward to seeing what improvements I can make over the winter to get myself race ready. I have nothing to compare it to at this point since I'm so new to cycling - but I'm paying careful attention to how I feel, what I put into my body and using the tests to help me learn about myself as a rider.
Last night I did the Sufferfest Extra Shot. Here's what the data looks like that's gathered during the ride:
I've also started preparing a lot of my meals (and fuel for our teammates at cross races) from The Feed Zone cookbook which is designed for cyclists and athletes. It's been really fun using my teammates as guinea pigs too! The food is simple and easy to prepare and tastes pretty darn good. I've even made a couple of the lunches out of the cookbook and taken it to work where I have two coworkers that I feed on a weekly basis (again, guinea pigs!!!).
Just a few examples of what I've made:
Mushroom-Swiss Frittatas
Savory Bacon Bread
Chocolate muffins
Spanish tortilla (with potatoes, egg and onion)
Banana rice muffins
So - whew! We made it through my update! Are you tired yet? I hope not - because there is SO much more on the horizon! Just because it's cold doesn't mean I can stop. The biggest obstacles are coming my way and I'm ready to tackle each and every one of them. It's not just myself that I'm doing this for. It's for women - and my desire to get them on a bike. It's for my teammates and my longing to be a part of something great. It's for my coach - who invests time into me and works to push me to my limit and encourage me. And yeah, it's for me. Because the one person I refuse to let down is myself. I get one life - and I'm choosing to spend a great deal of it on a bike!
Happy Halloween a couple days late!
My heart is happy. Now, GO RIDE!
Happy Cycling!
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