Race Across AMerica – The Final Hours

Within 24 hours, the Race Across AMerica will have finished for Team Osprey. Whether or not Janet makes it, we know that as a team we have tried our very best to rally around her and keep her moving forward. We know that we have played by all the rules, worked hard, and already accomplished something great. I realize that in being a part of this, I’ve witnessed a special brand of human spirit; not just in Janet, but in every member of this team. I have absolute faith that she will finish the race, with a tired and well earned smile. And we will all share in that accomplishment and joy.

Race Across AMerica- ANYTHING to Push Forward

We are all tired. I think that’s fair to say. But Janet is the only one out on the bike and therefore the only one that can move us forward, so at this point we need to motivate her. Last night it was my turn to do so, so I pulled songs I learned as a teen out of my as asbestos, and yes, I sang to her.
Now with less than 24 hours to go in this race, I wonder what we will do to keep her motivated and on her bike. I’m exhausted, and I’m probably in the best shape of the crew. This will be interesting.

Race Across AMerica: day 9

There comes a point when you witness another human do something so extraordinary, that it forces you to change your perspective of the indelible human spirit. I’ve witnessed such an event tonight.
I got on duty at about 8:00pm, and understood that there was a good chance of rain. We saw lightning off In the distance and clouds that looked ominous. Janet seemed determined to get to the next time station in spite of reports that the route was being flooded up ahead. This particular part of the course was complex, so I worked hard to keep us on course as we made it through the back roads of Ohio. Many wonderful people came out to cheer Janet on, even as we approached the impending storm. By 11:00 Lightning flashes became more frequent and rain went from light to driving as we made our way through the darkness. I was watching Janet closely as she climbed the rolling hills. The rain drops became larger. Then all of a sudden, the loud claps of thunder became muffled by a deafeningly loud sound: hail pellets hitting the top of the van. The incredible thing is that Janet didn’t stop. Seemingly oblivious to the the crazy weather around her, she kept pedaling until we told her that she had to stop. I ran out to grab her bike, feeling the ice pellets beating me silly. Once in the van, under the orders of our crew chief, Janet fell fast asleep. I can only wonder what the heck drives someone to be so determined that they have to be yanked off their bike and forced to rest in weather like this. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like Janet, but I’m I’m sure glad I have.

Race Across AMerica, day 3

Today we started out of Cortez Co, and quickly moved through Durango. The race has become very exciting as the very competitive pace is set by Janet, but we know that the other women are very close behind. As I understand it, the first three women are within 1 hour of one another. On a 3000 mile race, that’s awfully close.
Today’s weather is beautiful and warm, much warmer than it was yesterday. Navajo country was amazing to drive through visually but quite hard on the riders as they fought through rain, extreme heat and wind. Today must be a relief in comparison.

Life On The Road With Team Osprey

Stress, exhaustion, craziness; and the race hasn’t even been on for twenty four hours yet. AND I’m not even talking about Janet (our solo female rider in the Race Across AMerica). I’m talking about the crew. Imagine knowing someone for a few hours, and by this circumstance only, having to treat this person like your very best, most intimate, BFF. Now multiply that by 7 crew members, and subtract any chance of actual sleep. That’s the situation. So far, the crew seems to be holding up well. We have good people on the team, and most of us are older (over forty) so there’s a maturity to this team that makes it flow well.

Janet is looking awesome; She rode well into the night and played leap frog with another female rider, and the only solo male rider over 60. (I’ll get the names and rider numbers as soon as I can). They are all moving at speeds around 15-20miles per hour. That’s an insanely fast pace, considering some of the hills. I suspect that the pace will slow down a bit today, as theyare about to cliimb the Colorado Plateau. This will be one of the hardest climbs of the race. If all goes well, the front racers will make it to Flagstaff Az by late tonight.

Drama section: Janet’s personality is to play by the rules, so when a race official came up to me and said she had run a stop sign, I was thought it very odd. They gave her a 15 minute penalty. Then I found out from Janet that it was a yield sign, and therefore no violation. We contested the penalty, and told pictures of the sign, so hopefully we will have that quickly removed. When Janet found out about the penalty, I was worried that she’d freak out over the “unfairness of it all. “But instead of Janet getting angry about it, she used it as a motivator to go faster. That’s the heart of a true champion, and I’m really proud of her for that.

Janet is being tracked by www.WatchMyRace.com (a live GPS tracker provided by our team member Greg Hendrickson, so you can keep track of us as she races across the country.

The Race Across AMerica: She is Legend, I am crew…

The Race Across AMerica, known as the RAAM, starts on Tues June 16th at High Noon (cue tumbleweed) for women soloists like Janet Christiansen.  (aka the Osprey). As a crew member I have prepared as well as I could, but ultimately this is her race, and her race alone. I can’t imagine being in her shoes right now. I know she’s ready; there’s a vibe that you get from someone who’s about to do something great, and Janet’s got it.

The crew, Team Osprey 2009, has got it. Due to a simple twist of fate, I’ll be the only starting crew member who has not participated in an Ultra-distance race event. I must admit that when I look at my fellow crew members I’m quite in awe. I’m definitely the rookie on this team, which is VERY cool. There is nothing quite like an adventure where you jump in with both feet, not quite knowing what’s coming. I’ve geeked out in learning the route, but I have no idea how useful all my studies will be for the rest of the crew. Our crew chief, Bill Osborn, seems to know exactly what is needed, and thankfully, he’s an excellent communicator.We had a successful training weekend some weeks ago, where we got a chance to  As a rookie on this RAAM team, I’ll have to learn how this team communicates with one another.

What Doesn’t Kill You, Makes an Interesting Story

I spent a few days out in Palm Springs, to ride a desert area and try to get used to the climate as part of training for the Furnace Creek 508.  Though most of the training was uneventful, there was one ride where a few things went awry. I should have had a lot more water and Endurox BEFORE I went out; that was my main error. But hey,  what doesn’t kill you, makes for an interesting story. And this kind of failure is an important learning experience for me.

Training in The Heat

I got out  late in the day, but it was just as well: how else can I know if I’m ready to stand the desert heat and dryness of Death Valley unless I just go for it? Well, I sure did. I got out at around 9:30am, by which time it was already 102° F. The ride out to Desert Hot Springs by way of Indian Canyon was rather intense. The speed limit is around 50 mph, but thankfully most of the way, there a good shoulder. The wind was intense once I turned west. That wind tunnel there is my least favorite thing to ride, which is why I rode it. I don’t remember the road being quite that rough, but wow, Desert Hot Springs roads are rough. It was tough being out there all by myself, mostly because I felt very unprotected from cars, but I seriously needed to train like that.  Most of the ride was OK, but at almost exactly mile 40, I got exceedingly hot. My head was burning up inside my helmet. I checked the top of my head to make sure it wasn’t actually on fire. Then I realized that I had gone a bit too far on the road I was on: I wasn’t exactly lost, but I was disoriented. Then the nausea set in. Okay, I recognized this as Heat Exhaustion. It’s so true that knowing the problem is often the first step towards a solution. Thankfully, I came across a grocery store, a Ralph’s with a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf inside. I went in, sat down and had ice cold water (great idea), bit of a frozen soy latte (bad idea) and  bagel (good idea). Then I realized that I had my iPhone on me and bang, knew exactly were I was. I was lucky that day to meet some very nice strangers; the girls at the Coffee Bean counter were very sweet. I chatted with them for a little while, partially to figure out where in the Desert Cities I was, and partially to see if I could hold a conversation coherently. I also chatted with a local guy who rides and, quickly figured out what happened. I seemed alright so I went on; after all, I only had another 15-20 miles.

Only? Yeah, um ah, no. I went on to ride in some of the worst heat-plus-wind-plus-dry I’ve ever experienced. I’m usually not one to slow down or pull over, but I did both several times in these last miles. It was 112°. The goal then was to make it the rest of the way, on my own, but safely. It was one of the toughest 60 milers I’ve ever done. But I did it on my own, and safely; in spite of everything, I did alright. I had a massage the next day with a skilled local; this helped to flush out any toxins and prevent a whole world of pain. I can’t begin to talk about the benefits of a proper massage after an intense workout.

I’m happy to see that I’m changing as an athlete, as I get older; I’m getting a bit wiser, in that I’m reading my bodies’ signals better. Rather than just pushing on (which is my instinct), I stopped to evaluate myself.  I realized that “Plan B” was in order: getting into the shade somewhere, with my bike, drinking cold water. “Plan C” consisted of taking a cab back to the motel. I’m happy that it never came to that, but was willing to make that happen, if necessary. This shows a maturity and discipline in my training that I didn’t have fifteen years ago.

When I Bike, I Always Carry…

I was always a bit of a girl scout; always prepared (to fend for myself). So of course like any good cyclist worth her salt I always carry a descent bike repair kit, consisting of:

• 2 tubes
• Air pump or CO2 canisters
• tire levers
• a good multi-tool
• a 15mm wrench, if I’m riding with bolts, instead of quick-release skewers
• ID + money
• water bottle (with either water or supplement drink in it.)
• cell phone

But practically speaking, this is not quite enough to get me through a ride over 2 hours. After that, I need food, I need more sunscreen, and I probably need to find a restroom. So for most of my rides, I carry my “consumables case”. This is essential for me to stay on the bike and ready for action. I highly recommend this for any girl on a bike, but particularly for those gals who put in the long hours, you’ll probably need this, or something like it:

1. Action Wipes – I used to hate carrying around baby wipes because of the smell, but when I need to re-apply sunscreen or chamois butter, I need to clean my skin with something; it is absolutely essential in order to prevent saddle sores, pimples, and general skins problems due to bacteria. Enter Action Wipes. Action Wipes allow you to clean up and reapply, but smell and feel much nicer than baby wipes. In addition, they can be washed (I put them in a lingerie bag, hang dry), and reused a few times; just a couple a spritzes of the AW Sports Spray on a clean wipe, and you’re ready to go again. I’m very pleased to say that Martha of Action Wipes is Sponsoring Team Osprey for the RAAM. Right now, Action Wipes is having a contest, in which you can win a ONE YEAR Supply of Action Wipes: details here!

2. Sunscreen – Time to re-apply. I found out the hard way that applying sunscreen every two hours is absolutely essential in Southern California. All it takes is one time without it, to damage skin and risk skin cancer. My latest sunscreen is a Los Angeles based company which uses all organic ingredients: Coola (SPF 45) . The other sunscreen I like is a dusting powder called ColoreScience (SPF 30) which works nicely when I just can’t deal with any more goopy stuff on my skin.

3. Chamois Cream- I like Assos, but I’m searching for something without parabens. My guess is that the next Chamois cream I will try will be Beljium Budder, IF I can find it. I carry it in a small cream pot.

4. P-Mate – Why? Because I like to wear bibs. Because I don’t like port-a-potties, but I have to use them. Because I like getting rest stops done fast. P-mates have changed my life in this way. ’nuff said.

5. Energy drink powder – If you’re on the road it’s easy to find water, so why carry extra weight? I carry extra powder, and mix it as I need it. As I’ve said, Endurox seems to work well for me.

6. Food- Sure, I could probably find food along the way, but while riding I prefer to eat things I’ve tested and know will not upset my stomach: most energy bars do. But one Luna Bar in Lemon Zest, works for me, so I always have one around for “emergency rations”.

These are my consumable essentials; I can’t imagine going out for a 3-6 hours ride without all of the above.

Food and Weight: “What Do You Eat?”

For most of my adult life, I’ve weight around same weight: 115-125 lbs., with “extremes” of about 105 (due to illness or injury) to about 130 (due to “the pill”). I am about 5 feet, four inches tall.

I hear you quietly judging me. Yeah you. You’re thinking “she’s too _____” This part is for you. The rest of you may move on to the next section.

According to everything I’ve read, that is suppose to be a normal healthy weight. Yet when I was in my twenties 110 lbs was “a little chunky” to be a dancer. It seems that nowadays, 120lbs is too slight to be an athlete.

Objectively, I kind of laugh at both ways of thinking. At least now I do. There was a time when what others thought of me and my body influenced me and the way I ate, but as I got older I realized something important. Generally, if someone is bringing up my weight, either too heavy or too light, it usually is a reflection about how they are feeling about themselves. I used to think this was more of a female thing, but I have found that both sexes can behave in this manner. The FACT is, I’m normal. I’m exactly within all normal limits. I even have 25% body fat, which is normal for a woman who exercises regularly.

But I find how people react to normal female body size, to be  a VERY interesting thing. I think it probably has something to do with American culture, but I’m no Anthropologist.

WHAT DO YOU EAT?

Life is an Experiment, and My Body is the Laboratory

I play around with nutrition and food. I admit that I’m always trying to get my best nutritional bang for my caloric buck, so occasionally I’ll try something new, to see how that works. For example:

I was a strict vegan for about 1 1/2 years.

I avoided wheat and rice for one year.

I even gave up coffee (and all other caffeine) for one year. Boy, I’ll never do that one again.

Through these experiments (et al.), I was able to glean a few things about myself.

This is the answer to the question ” what do you eat?”, which is a question I get a lot. No, I’m mean,  A LOT.

I’m a foodie. Food must taste good. I mean it. There is NO excuse for bad tasting food, except in super duper caloric emergencies.

Garbage in, Garbage out, meaning, if I eat a lot of bad food, I just don’t feel as well. Conversely, The more nutritiously I eat, the better I feel.

Coffee is the water of life. Ok, maybe not quite that, but I have found that not drinking it does not make me sleep better, however drinking this delicious beverage does make me feel good. And it tastes good. And, to be quite honest, it connects me with my New Yorkerness (it’s a cultural thing). Studies go back and forth about coffee; some showing benefits, others show the dangers of overuse of caffeine.  I don’t think it’s all that bad for me as an athlete, as I have found that it helps me in recovery, but that’s just what works for me. Then again I treat coffee with the respect it deserves; after all, it is a food, and a precious one at that.

I should NOT eat anything with (cow) dairy, as I seem to be lactose intolerant. I’m OK with goat cheese.

Fast food makes me really ill.( Remember “Supersize Me?” )

Eggs are easy to digest. (Omega-3 eggs are a good way for me to get Omega-3 in my diet without pills)

Organic and/or Kosher can taste much better.

Generally, a sandwich isn’t a sandwich without tomatoes.

I will sometimes throw on extra calories with lime ice pops and vinegar & salt potato chips; I’m not recommending it, it’s more of a rebellion against all things nutritious, which I sometimes need.

I feel more alive and even keeled when I eat lots of leafy greens and fruit.

Potatoes, turnips, and other root veggies also agree with me.

Lemon and vinegar is also a big part of my diet. I seem to tend towards a high acid diet for some reason; it actually settles my stomach.

Too much pasta or bread doesn’t work for me.

Oatmeal is yummy.

I make chocolate chip cookies that aren’t that bad for me. Yum.

My riding supplement is Endurox. Sometimes I’ll bring along a Luna Bar (Lemon Zest) Carbboom, or Sports Beans. Sometimes I bring actual fruit.

I like fish, and can eat tuna sandwiches every day for many days in a row, if I must.

Red meat and chicken are OK one or two meals a week. Any more than that just seems to mess with my digestion.

I like bacon (and pork, in general) but don’t digest it well. Fortunately, I LOVE veggie bacon, and even turkey bacon.

Soy yogurt smoothies are AWESOME just after a ride.

That’s what I eat. Mostly.

Here’s what I’ve noticed about how my body behaves with regards to caloric intake:

No matter how much exercise I do (meaning even if I’m expending 8,500 calories in one day), I can only top out at eating about 7,000 calories. I can only eat so much, which is why I sometimes plan for the fact that I will lose weight during certain points of the season.

My metabolism fluctuates with the amount and type of exercise I do.

Changes in my eating OR exercises habits take time to catch up to one another.

About gaining, losing or maintaining weight: No one of these is any easier than the other. Any of these can be hard to do in a balanced way.

Kudos to all who acheive their goals, whatever they are.

Girl Meets Bike’s “Rules of The Road” for avoiding accidents

Check you bike for Safety, before you go out - Short list: Skewers, brakes, tires, gears, seat height. Carry a repair kit.

LL, double L, double L rule

Look before you Left – If you are riding on a bike on a road, before moving even just a few inches to your left, look to your left for faster passing traffic. This is a simple concept, but is vital to adhere to, for self preservation. If you don’t, you’ll likely collide with traffic, which could be a car or a bike. I promise you, neither is pleasant, and you will lose in the battle of momentum.

RR, double R, double R rule

Right is Rear- And when things go very bad, generally Right is Right (correct). When you need to slow down in a hurry, squeeze your rear (right) brake first (unless, you are British) and then your Left (unless you are British).

Wear Your Helmet – I wear my helmet every time I ride. This is not because of the way that I ride; I’m a totally awesome rider. No, I wear my helmet every time that I ride because of the way that other people drive and ride. Because the fact is, it doesn’t matter how awesome I am, getting hit from behind will vastly increase my chances of flight. I’m  increasing my odds of surviving that landing, BRAIN intact, by wearing a helmet every time.

Pay Attention – Pay attention to the traffic and obstacles on the road. When you ask most people about bike accidents, they always seem to just come out of nowhere (oooo, ghostbike). Well, if You are not paying attention to You on a bike, why should anyone else feel obligated to?

Be Visible & Predictable – You are far less likely to get into an accident with other traffic , if you indicate what you are doing to the traffic around you. Drivers will generally respect you as a cyclist, if you predictably stay six inches into the lane (except where to do so is not safe). At night, dusk and dawn be as visible as you can with plenty of lights (front & back) and clothing with reflective material.

Scan the Road- Constantly and consistently scan the road with your eyes for glass or other debris, moving objects right or left. Use your left ear to hone in on the traffic behind you, but remember that some traffic (like a bicycle, or an electric car) is all but silent, so still

Look before you Left, or Double L