Preperation

I have researched, discussed, and read so much about juice cleanses and think I am to tackle it for 5 days of rebooting my system.

After months of training, racing, travel, and other life stresses I decided I need to cleanse my body of all the toxins and get a fresh start for my kidneys.  I returned from a long few months on the road and am just getting over an episode of cramping where blood tests showed rhybdomyolysis in my kidneys.  The doctor had me get an IV of 2L of fluid to help hydrate and flush my kidneys.  After a couple more days of rest and looooots of pedialite and hydration the cramping stopped and I felt back to normal, at least with walking and everyday activity.  Training will take a little longer to rebuild however, so it is the perfect time for a juice cleanse.  Without the big intensity workouts that require a lot of energy, and good recovery, I am able to stick with just juice and let my body recover.

Discussing a plan and information with Fred Liers, and Dr. Hank Liers of Integrated Health Distributors we have put together the best program and technique for me as a professional cyclist to tackle this cleanse.

Over the next few days I will be posting daily updates about my journey.  I will also include advice, recipes, pictures, and discussion of how I feel while still training and going through this cleanse/diet.

Let the juice journey begin!

Program: 5 Day Kidney Juice Cleanse

Day 1 and 5 : Raw Foods – Eating just fruits and vegetables to ease my body into the more restricted and intense cleanse of just juice

Day 2,3,4 : Just Juice – Drinking as much and as often as I feel. But only juices with a combo of fruits and vegetables to give me enough vitamins, minerals, and energy to keep my day going and keep training (even with no solid food).

Mornings: Start out with a Lemonade drink first off to get my system going. Then 15-30 min later I drink 8-16 oz of Detox Tea.  Then about 1hr later I’m getting hungry and it’s juice time.

Lemonade Recipe: 8 oz purified water, 4 oz lemon/lime juice (about 3 lemons and 1 lime) , cayenne pepper (to taste as things get spicy), small amount of maple syrup or stevia to sweeten ( I have also just been toughing it out and doing without).

Detox Tea: I’m in a crunch for time and money so I just bought the Yogi Brand Peach Detox tea and put 2 bags into 3 quarts of water.  1 quart I drink for my morning tea routine, and the rest I drink throughout the day.  The kidney cleanse also calls for taking tictures with the tea.  These are reduced down herbal liquids that you can find at whole foods or ordered online.  Fred Liers, from Integrated Health Distributors, recommended getting a couple different ones since I was in a crunch on time and not able to order the correct ones.  I found the Uva Ursei at Whole Foods, but they didn’t have the Parsley or Juniper Berry.  I took 2 shot glasses almost full of tea and put in a dropper of the tincture, then took them like a shot before drinking my 8-16oz of tea.

 Day 1: Raw Food and Prep

Today I started the cleanse with the Lemonade and Detox Tea but was happy to not jump in head first to the strictly juice just yet.  I ate an apple, banana, baby carrots, and a salad for lunch and dinner which included an avocado to get some protein and fats (you can also include nuts since that is considered raw food).  I also threw in some watermelon and strawberries into the salad which made it extra good.  Since I got my juicer and wanted to get it for a spin and have some fun experimenting I did make some juices and drank those during the day also.

This first day wasn’t too hard since I am already used to eating a lot of salad and fruits.  Just not having any meat or protein was tougher and felt a bit hungrier and meals didn’t hold over as long.  I also noticed I have was peeing A LOT more just from the tea and juices.  This will probably be an indication of the bathroom usage to come in the upcoming days haha.

Training: 1’20” ride easy just to feel out legs and get some exercise on the bike.  Swam about 30″ total, going back and forth between hot tub and pool to get contrast and circulation in muscles.

Day 2: Let the Juice Cleanse Begin

Started off with my Lemonade, the sourness is already a tough chug but beware of that cayenne. Added too much this morning and it definitely woke me up. After drinking the tea (20 min after the lemonade) I was surprisingly not very hungry during the morning. I had my first juice at 9:30ish and usually if I don’t eat soon after waking up I’m starving. This was a surprisingly common feeling all day. I kept drinking throughout the day but even when I was riding or swimming I didn’t feel weak or tired at all. Throughout the day I’ve felt pretty good overall.

I am enjoying the lack of thinking in this. I don’t have to think about what I’ll have post ride, or for lunch, or for dinner, because it’s already decided for me … JUICE! No dealing with cravings or suppressing hunger or getting snacks to hold off till meals. I like just being able to drink whenever and as much juice as I want. I feel lighter and no stomach issues.

 

 

 

Today’s Flavors:

1-    kale, chard, cucumber, celery, beets, carrots, few strawberries, lime rind, about 1/2 scoop Rejuvinate

2-    More Fruit (base from #1)- + apple, orange, banana, more strawberries, watermelon, lemon/lime rind, ginger

3-    garlic (bast from #1)- + garlic clove, parsley, ginger

Review of Juices:

#2- definitely sweeter and lighter on flavor

#3- the garlic juice had a funky after taste from the garlic and needed the parsley to cut the strong flavor, but probably put too much because the juice came out a bit spicy. Added more rejuvenate to this one and helped bring down the intensity from the garlic.

Training: 2’10” ride relaxed and feeling good. Not feeling hungry in the ride, but had to stop for a pee break (that seems to be a common theme today).  Hungry at end of the ride and juice was great for recovery.  Swam 40″ total, with some back and forth to the hot tub for more circulation.  Felt good and never got hungry since I had juice before and after exercise.  That is one thing that was important today with exercising, is to keep juice and hydration available at all times.  Pre and post is so important for training and on a cleanse you can’t neglect your body needed nutrients.

Day 3: Start Strong, Then a Little Tired

I didn’t even wake up very hungry, and once I had my Lemonade and Tea I felt full already before even having any juice.  My routine has gotten pretty on point also; I get up and right away put on water for tea, then I start squeezing the lemons/lime for lemonade.  Once I’m done making the lemonade I sip on it while the tea steeps and I prep for juice.  Washing all the produce and getting bottles ready.  As I drink down the tea it’s juicing time.  Lay out the spread and juice out 3 or 4 quarts.  I am having a lot of fun with different recipes and playing with the flavors where each bottle is different.

Today’ Flavors:

1-    The BASE- kale, chard, cucumber, celery, beets, carrots, few strawberries, lime rind, about 1/2 scoop Rejuvinate

2-    More Fruit (base from #1)- + apple, orange, banana, more strawberries, watermelon, lemon/lime rind, ginger but no carrots

3-    garlic (bast from #1)- + garlic clove, parsley, ginger

4- Base but added ginger and parsley

Review of Juices:

#2- is probably my favorite, sweeter and lighter without any harder flavors like with the garlic

#3- this one makes me feel like I’m being healthy, cause it doesn’t taste so great haha.

#4- this one had a little kick with the parsley and ginger, definitely tasty!

Juicing Tips:  As you can see from the pictures juicing can get messy.  I recommend getting all the ingredients and bottles ready and layed out so you can juice out more smoothly.  Lay out newspaper under the juicer so and splattering or spilling is a lot easier to clean up.  Beware of beets!! they stain and any platters on the was or cabinets needs to be wiped immediately or it’ll leave a mark.  The juicer is easy to wash, without oils it makes a simple rinse quick and simple.

Overall today was a little tougher, and I’m only 3 days in!! How the heck do people do this for months?!  The morning and all day was pretty good in not feeling very hungry, but my energy level was definitely lower.  I got about halfway through my ride and started feeling my muscles getting tired even though I wasn’t even going very hard.  My mind wasn’t focusing as well (bonktown USA) and wanted to finish the ride, but I stuck it out and finished the training.  Same thing when I went swimming, just feeling like a nap and not high on energy at all.  My body is feeling great, clean and light.  It’s just that since I am so used to having constant protein and other nutrition inputs this change has come with a little getting used to.

Day 4: Training a Little Tougher

One thing I noticed today is that waking up and getting out of bed was easier and I was ready to get the day going.  I don’t feel hungry or sluggish in the morning but found my juicing routine has been pretty nice in the morning.  What did hit hard to day was feeling tired in training and then in the evening before bed.  This cleanse is definitely not for the high volume athlete or intense training season.  I am glad to be doing light riding and swimming, but I still feel my body tired about 1 hr into a ride and just want to pull over for a nap.  I make sure to drink plenty of juice before and after my training for energy, and lots of water during for hydration.

Tip: Make sure you do the cleanse when you can exercise but don’t have intense, high volume, or super focused training.  This will drain some of your energy, but you will feel so much better through and after the process is complete.

Today’s Flavors:

1-    The Base- but no red beets, plus squash, no watermelon + rejuvinate mix

2-    fruit- + raspberries and watermelon + rejuvinate mix

3-    garlic, parsley, squash, no strawberries + rejuvinate mix

4- mix assorted + rejuvinate mix

Rejuvinate Mix– 1/2 scoop of Rejuvinate Plus (green), 1/3 scoop of Rejuvinate Berries and Herbs, 1/4 scoop of Rejuvinate Original.

By adding this Rejuvinate mix to my juices it has given me more energy and adds more vitamins and minerals so I am not just drinking the juice alone but also getting other benefits and nutrients that my body needs.  There is also extra protein that adds some more substance to the juice to hold my appetite over.

Day 5: Don’t hold back, Going the Distance

Today should be the last day and the raw food day, but I’ve decided to go for a whole week of cleansing.  So I will make it 5 days of just juice and 2 days of raw food on either end.  I am feeling good with the juice and something in me doesn’t want to stop before complete a full week.

My biggest tip for today when doing the cleanse is to not hold back on the amount of juice you make or drink.  It doesn’t matter how much you drank the first day because as the days go on your body will need more nutrients as it burns through stores.  I found that I am loosing a lot of weight, not intentionally but just because of the cleanse and exercise.  So if that is your goal then don’t think you have to stick to just a certain volume everyday.  Each day I have increased my juice intake by at least 2 cups.  Today I am at 4 – 32oz bottles (not completely full), and the first day I only had 3.  Listen to your body and give it what it needs.

Today’s Flavors:

1- The Base- + garlic, parsley, banana, squash, no red beets

2- Fruit- The Base+  watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, ginger, apple, banana

3- Garlic- garlic, parsley, ginger, red beets, watermelon, no apple

4- What was left- ginger, apples, kale, beets

I’ve upped the garlic and banana; since garlic is so good for vitamin C and cleansing and banana has some extra calories and energy to run on.

Day 6: Home Stretch

So everyone has said “wow, only juice, you must be so hungry”… But I’m really not, and I haven’t really had big cravings for anything either.  Getting my body into the routine, it has settled and is happy with the nutrients of the juice.  I am happy to start eating real food again tomorrow, but definitely very happy I did this and went through the experience of cleansing.  Not just for my physical health but also mental.  It was great to refocus on what is important for my training and life beyond just meals and satiating hunger through the day.  This helped me rebalance and feel my body in a state of renewal.

One concern for most people when doing something like this is time and money.  For time, if you think about the time you take to either make and eat meals or get food at a store or restaurant it takes up about 2-3 hours per day, give or take.  I have been getting up each morning and it takes me about 1.5 hrs for prep, juicing, and cleanup. And I drink throughout the day so I am not having to sit down with a plate or meal.  It really is a great on the go kind of plan.  For money,  I have saved all my receipts from the grocery store, so after tomorrow is over I will calculated all of my expenses for this experience.  But it has cost me roughly $15 – $20 per day.  And that is completely organic produce.  I have gotten a couple things from my dad’s garden (which is obviously ideal), but most was store bought.  Thinking about what people spend on meals and eating out, that can get well over $20 per day.  And getting juice at a shop or store, can run $5 just for a quart, and I am drinking well over 4 a day.  This is definitely an economical diet if done correctly.

Today’s Flavors:

Basically the same, but today I threw in peaches and more berries… I also strategically put in a banana into my first and second juices, so that before my ride and after I would have the extra sugar and potassium.

Day 7: All Juiced Up

Today was the final day of official cleansing and a day of raw food.  I think my body knew it was the day because I woke up hungry for the first time all week.  I still did my lemonade/tea and juicing for the day as I wanted to keep my hydration up and keep the routine.  It was nice to think about what I would eat for my first food back, and I went for a banana this morning.  Seemed appropriate since bananas are the common cure for cramps, and that’s why I did the cleanse.  It was so great tasting and funny thing is, the chewing sensation was weird to get used to again.  The rest of the day was pretty normal and not any huge cravings, but I had half an avocado before my workout and the other half after.  I was surprised to not eat more but just didn’t feel like it, my appetite was pretty slim.  But I was definitely satisfied and could say full after just eating a little bit.  In the evening for dinner I went out and had an amazing salad.  My body feels so good I am happy to have completed this journey.

I did not do this cleanse for weight loss, but to clean out my body and help my kidneys and system recover after the fatigue of cramping.  But considering I was in a down time with training it was the perfect time to do it and also shed a couple pounds before harder training again.  So I will say it was incredible to see my weight change as each day passed.  I started out at 148 pounds which is pretty normal for me and what I have been racing at this season, today I weighed myself in the morning and was 143.  I am pretty shocked by how much I lost in this short time.  And I wasn’t even holding back or feeling the pains someone usually feels in dieting or losing weight, I drank as much as I wanted and never felt hungry or strong urges to eat.

I would really recommend this cleanse to anyone looking to clean up their system and/or to shed some unwanted weight.  It is so important to take on things like this with a smart and prepared approach, with the intent of health and well being, not just to get skinny or for looks.  If that is the drive then it’s more likely the weight will be put right back on, because it’s about a lifestyle and making good choices for the benefit of your body.  To eat well and be happy with your body is the most important thing.

So I hope this blog post has helped anyone looking to start or research doing a kidney cleanse.  Or even just reading along as I go though along my road as a professional cyclist.  It has been an amazing experience and I plan to do it again before my season of hard training starts in the fall/winter.

Happy Juicing!

Earlier this week I arrived in Vancouver, BC for the start of BC Superweek on Friday, Today.  After 2 months of training and hard progress I am ready to race fast and show the power that my legs hold.  It didn’t actually set in that I was leaving until the last couple days.  Being in Ontario, I settled into a routine of training life with workouts and regimen where the fatigue and difficulty is just as much mental as it is physical.  So it wasn’t until my last workout on Sunday was over that I allowed my mind to check out and be excited for racing.  Only then, I actually took a deep breath and looked at my surroundings for the last time; at my rollers leaning against the wall that I had put so many hours of morning spinning on, the sweat stains on the pavement from painful intervals, the parked motor scooter that led me around the local roads to get the deep dark strength of high gears into my legs, the old pieced together TT bike that my body was forced to concede to that tight aero position, even just the old worn out tire in the corner brought back memories.

Here are some pictures to better tell my story.

A custom bike fit on the Guru fit system that made changes in real time and as you feel at Neworld Bike Shop.  I even made a video that showed the time laps of changes so hit the link if you want to check it out.  The laboratory testing where we did VO2 Max testing, body composition tests, and lactate tests.  Then just a couple weeks ago was my bike crash episode.  Because of a mechanical problem going on with my bike, my chain had been jumping during a race and I thought it was solved but ended up happening during a training workout and I went down.  Luckily my helmet was there to save my head and I just had a little road rash.  Nothing to keep me away from training though.

A bit more about Training Camp

Over the past 2 months I developed a focus that is stronger then I have ever had toward my training, diet, mentality and drive.  It became a focus where I knew how to mentally prepare for each race, workout or ride in just the right way to achieve what I expected out of it.  I think that is why repetition and practicing something from all angles is so important when preparing for an event.  Each week I had back to back to back workouts and few rest days.  Where those workout blocks were days of focus just to be ready to hurt that much harder each time.  Then when that rest day came it really became cherished and a day of bliss, getting to go for an easy spin around the flat farm roads was like a vacation, even if it was short lived.  I learned how to train to race rather then race to train.  This is a big problem with so many cyclists and even athletes.  We are so driven and addicted to the sport that our racing sometimes loses the focus and too much emphasis goes into the training and hours where you don’t have the pressure of a start/finish line or tactics to try and outsmart a competitor.  Sometimes we have to relearn how to be a champion by going back to the root and basics of our sport.  To find again the reason you dig so hard in training and push the limits of your body… to race and win.  Day in and day out of bike camp drilled the winner back into me.  Now it’s time to prove it.

It was bittersweet to leave as I had developed from just a passionate hardworking cyclist into a confident upcoming racer. The time I spent at training camp was a transformation physically and mentally.  To go through so much, so fast, was something I am so grateful for and fortunate.  Everything from motorpacing and riding analysis with my coach, to a custom bike fit, to laboratory testing, to racing with top racers in Canada.  This process and all these pieces are just the beginning of my journey and the beginning of me becoming a champion cyclist.

So my bike got packed up and my kits and bike gear into my suitcase, said bye to my coach and his wife, and out of Toronto and off to Vancouver for just over 2 weeks of bike racing.  I’ll be doing BC Superweek until July 18th, then to Bend, Oregon for Cascade Classic from the 22nd to the 26th.  Get ready world, here I come!!

Here are some pictures from arriving in Vancouver.

Packed my bike so tight and small to fit in a box that would pass airline regulations.  Went for an easy ride with my awesome Columbia running friend, Carmen, from back in the day.  Then some motorpacing on prerace day and course preview to shake out my legs.

Last Thursday I competed in my first UCI race. GP Gatineau Road Race, in Quebec, Canada.  It was not my first international race, but as a UCI race it sits on a level of competition above all other races.

I finished 37th of 120 starters, where only 77 finished.  Average speed- 39kph

Overview

I was nervous going into the race, but knew I was prepared to push myself and compete with this caliber of cyclists. Right from the start it was racing fast and hard.  Probably also because only about 2km into the race there was a road “reduction” where the road narrowed from a full 2 lane street to just a bike path, so everyone was looking to get good positioning.  Then the route went through the park and was constantly at a high speed to break down the large group a bit.  I sat comfortably midpack as we went up the main climb and over rollers.  As we entered the circuit to do 7 laps of the turning and technical course, the speed picked up and became single file for most of the straights and into the turns and round-abouts.  Through here I maintained composure and conserved as much as possible.  There were a couple crashes on the round-abouts but nothing major.  I felt comfortable moving around in the group and at one point went back and got water from the car and then at another point was gunning at the front watching attacks go left and right and swinging from one wheel to another in the action of super fast speeds.  In the final lap of 9km I focused on moving up and getting good positioning for the final sprint.  But in the last round-about section I wasn’t aggressive enough and got caught up too far back going into the last tight turn.  As a result I wasn’t in top 15 or 20 for the final sprint so that knocked out my chances for top 10 or 20.  I put in a good effort to move up, but with this level of competition a good sprint will come from the front, not the back.

Racing at Gatineau GP was an amazing experience and I look forward to racing at more high world class caliber races in the near future. I am getting stronger everyday and I have the drive and competitive edge to race in such large and fast fields.

In the coming weeks I will still be in Canada for training and getting stronger.  The road race season is pretty limited this time of year and most racing in the States are in the form of Crits, which won’t help my greater endurance and future goals.  So because of this, it is important for me to continue training and work towards bigger projects.  I am considering and excited to possibly compete at BC Superweek in July in Vancouver, but that is still in the works and not certain yet.

On another note, I fell in love, but not how you would think … The hosts I stayed with in Ottawa had the cutest possible pet I have ever seen, or cuddled.  His name is Sherman, and this bunny is mostly free roaming around their house and was so docile and cute that I could just hold him all day.

I just arrived in Toronto, Canada and am soooo excited to be here!!  My coach lives just outside the city and I am here for a couple weeks of training with him.  Almost immediately after arriving, I built my bike, got things together and was out for a ride in the evening and already in love with the area.  Never having been to Canada it was a whole new experience.  It feels like Europe in the sense that I went through customs and am in another country, but so much of it is still so similar to the U.S…. or America.  The cars are still just as big, the houses still just as developed, the fast food chains still so prominent.  But particularities make it stand apart; the roads are cleaner and better maintained, the houses more refined and quaint appearing, a calmer sense of lifestyle without the hustle and bustle… given this may be because Im in a pretty small town/city, but still.  Oh, and they are very proud to be Canadian, I see flags EVERYWHERE.  I thought Americans were proud of their nationality, but wow, I can’t go far without being reminded where I am, it’s pretty cool.

Yesterday, I was out for a long relaxed ride to get to know the area.  Hamilton is an amazing place for cycling.  On top of the plateau is farmland and ranches with a grid system of roads that go forever with flat and rolling roads. 

Descending down the ridge to the river valley there are roads that snake up and down the steep rock line to make all the various levels of climbing you could ask for.  One of the climbs is called “Clara’s Climb”, dedicated to Clara Hughes, the Canadian Olympic champion that used to train in the area on that climb.

For the next few weeks I’ll be training hard and doing some local races.  I am excited for the challenges ahead and getting stronger for the season.

Redlands, ohhh Redlands … One of the greatest, funnest, and toughest stage races of the year.  Challenging because it comes so early in the season and with courses so hilly that anyone not at the top of their game suffers… As I learned this year.

Between San Dimas and Redlands the team had 10 days of training and riding which was really great.  We did a couple school visits, which was so rewarding and I loved being able to give back to the community.  To see the kid’s enthusiasm and interest in bikes really makes the sacrifices for the sport worth it.

During the week we also rode some of the race courses and then on Easter Sunday we went and road along the Pacific Coastal Highway.  It was an amazing day and so beautiful, with the best views and amazing weather that day.

 

 

Even after our week of relaxation and California exploring the racing settled in and the pressure of everything came down quickly.  It was a difficult week with so many external challenges that my racing was not in prime form.  In the days leading up to the 5 day race we moved from San Dimas to Redlands where I was on my feet and packing and unpacking gear.  Team prep was a matter of everyone pitching in to get food, gear, bikes, and all other details ready for race day.  Then just as I thought I could settle in and rest a bit the night before the first race in Highlands another turn of events took me by surprise.

I woke up to a fire alarm and as I slowly opened our bedroom door I discovered a small house fire downstairs in the host house we were staying at.  I quickly yelled to my teammates to get outside and threw open the front door.  I ran to the kitchen to find a bucket or something for water and discovered ANOTHER fire in the middle of the kitchen floor.  What the hell is going on!!  At this point I noticed our host, Rosie (nick named Rosie Blue, for her blue hair), with a glass of water trying to put out the living room fire that was a large tower speaker that was burning from the inside.  I managed to get water on the kitchen floor fire and then my teammate and I began running back and forth to get the speaker out.  Once we were finally able to, we dragged the thing outside as it was still smoking and assessed the situation.  Smoke was everywhere, hearts were pounding, and we felt uncertain if we were dreaming or awake.  We found out her husband was passed out in bed (probably drank too much), he is a musician and that night had friends over to play in their music studio downstairs.  What ended up happening was Rosie forgot to blow out a candle that was sitting on top of the speaker and so it burned down and caught the speaker on fire.  Luckly I woke up when I did because much longer and the living room blinds would have caught and who knows how much more.  It is a good lesson that candles need to ALWAYS be blown out and not forgotten about!!  They can be so dangerous.

As a cyclist I’m so grateful for host housing and the generosity of families to open their homes to let us stay and support our drive to be athletes.  It is just unfortunate when some hosts are not exactly in the right mind frame, have a comfortable situations or have the environment to host others, let alone athletes.

So with that we went to the race at 7am and put in all the energy we had to race the 14 laps.

The next day was the Time Trial in Big Bear Lake.  This was my favorite event and favorite course.  A 12km race along the lake up at 8,000ft elevation.  I did considerably well with a solid time, but when the results came out I did not see my name where I expected.  Sure enough there was some sort of error and 1’30” had been added to my time and so I was placed 116th rather then 47th where I should have been.  Since the error did not greatly affect my placing or the team, our director decided not to contest it.  So I was stuck dealing with knowing what my performance and result was but not being credited for it.

That evening we changed housing… so yet again… moving.  This time to a comfortable and much nicer home on the other side of town.  The family was very nice and I did not forsee any house fires or life threatening accidents.

The next day was a new stage to the race, Oak Glen, with 3 laps of a lower circuit that dropped then climbed, before heading up a 10km climb to the finish.  I was fatigued and my legs were blown in the 2nd lap.  I wasn’t able to stay with the group and so finished far back up the climb.  This was a tough day where the judges were unrelenting to gaps and so the 10% time cut meant I and 2 of my teammates were out.  Yup, OUT.  No more racing for us.

So on Sunday, the last day of the stage race, I raced in the “sprinters” crit that the city of Redlands puts on for those that are time cut or for locals in the area.  I had a lot of fun and came in 10th.  It was a no pressure race and just to get out and ride with others.   That afternoon, after the Sunset Loop circuit race was over the team rushed back to the house and all hell broke loose to pack and organize all the team stuff.  Since everyone was flying out and I was the only one staying to drive the car east we had to have everything in order and fit to take.  Once that settled and everyone headed to the airport I had the evening to spend with my hosts for dinner and relax before my trip back to Arizona.

So now as I fast forward to the present moment I lay on my bed with my feet up after a tough day on the bike.  A big workout at Gates Pass pushed my climbing limit and is getting me ready for the races ahead.  It is nice to be back and settled for a moment, even if it is just for a moment.

I leave early this Saturday morning to drive to Texas.  I will go to Houston to pick up Mandy, my teammate, and then we go up to Arkansas for the start of Joe Martin.  A 4 day stage race in Fayetteville.  I am excited for the race as I did it 2 years ago but last year wasn’t able to because of injury.

Lots of travel over the next week, but the season is off to a busy start and I am excited to see how my legs come through and compete as races get grinding.

Over 2 days, my 4 teammates and I traveled from Houston, TX to San Dimas, CA.  It was a long road trip of 23 hours to get here.  But we had lots of laughs and lots of talking and music to keep us entertained.

This weekend was the opening up race of the season. San Dimas Stage Race.  3 Days; first the uphill TT,  Saturday a circuit Road Race, and Sunday a Criterium downtown.  I was pretty tired and fatigued from traveling and work at camp, so wasn’t sure what to expect of myself.

The TT was definitely difficult and I didn’t feel the snap and lightness that I did last year coming into the race.  The Road Race was tough as usual with a steep climb every lap of the 8 lap circuit.  I felt good the first half but then learned my lesson for nutrition and eating during the race.  When I needed most I wasn’t able to get a bottle and then hit the wall that lap and wasn’t able push when I needed to.  It was a difficult day all around as my feet were giving me issues, the hood on my bar slipped and was loose the whole race, then there was also my contact lens.  My contacts were probably the worst of it all because I ended up having scratched corneas out of it and couldn’t race the Crit the next day.  I was basically blind and in pain for 2 days before getting to a Dr and some medicine.  Now I am just recovering and looking at getting some Rx glasses to race in.

Excuses are easy when a race doesn’t go well.  A true professional and champion supersedes all obstacles and difficulties to accomplish the goal and win. I have felt lots of potential excuses creeping into my mind recently; the past week as travel, new equipment, training inconsistency, diet inconsistency, and other stress become factors that I have to deal with.  Whether it’s life or training or anything, everyone has their obstacles and challenges, but it’s always a matter of approaching  and tackling them correctly.  Being fearless and knowing you will succeed.

We will spend the next 2 weeks here in California as the Redlands Stage race starts in a week.  It’s nice to stay and settle in one place for a little while before racing again.  It’s never easy living out of a suitcase, so every reprieve we can get between races is great.  We are training and preparing for a race that will certainly be a challenge.  Even though it’s an early season race and the first on the National Road Calender, it seems like every pro team comes out blazing and jersey hungry.  But what would the sport be if we didn’t race our legs off every lap and every hill?  I’m excited for the upcoming week and the start of hard core stage racing.

I am so excited to announce that for 2015 I will be racing for the women’s pro cycling team

Fearless Femme p/b Haute Wheels Racing.

The team is currently in Houston, Texas for team camp where we will had our launch party on Saturday (21 March).  It was an amazing experience to make the announcement of our team with locals of Houston and get the community involved in our effort and goals as cyclists.  The team has been here about a week where we rode, got our bikes dialed in, met sponsors, got some pictures taken, had some great team dinners, and lots meetings and hang out time.  The laughs and stories have been full swing so I can only imagine the fun we will have this year while traveling and racing across the country.  All of the girls come from different teams (except Starla who was on Cloud Racing last year with me) and different parts of the country.  The facebook page was launched this week and already has 1,300 likes and growing.  The new website will be launched soon also, with a new look and content for the 2015 season and team.

Team Roster: Irena Ossola, Mandy Heintz, Starla Teddergreen, Christy Keely, Amy Cutler, Fiona Meade (Irish National Champion), Janelle Cole

This is such an amazing program as the squad was hand selected for commitment to the sport and are all ambassadors of developing women’s cycling- not only on the pro level, but most importantly on the community/grass roots platforms. With the 501 3c development of Pure Energy Velo, the team is able to be apart of the mission of community, urban, and environmental health through the advocacy of cycling and education.  

 

A huge thank you to all of the sponsors and supporters that have helped me through this process and getting to where I am and where I am working to be.  To Integrated Health Distributors, Butterfield & Robinson, Maxim Sports Nutrition, to the Yoch and Johnson Families, and all others that have supported my drive and goals.  There are big things in the future and I am excited for all there is to come.

I am so excited for this season so keep an eye on my blog and website for updates!

 

 

 

A “cold” week in Tucson, is best for a rest week.  Been in the Arizona desert almost a month now and hitting it hard on road with training.  Hours on the bike pedaling up the mountain and across the bumpy roads have been my paradise.  It’s easy to get caught up in training and workouts and the vision of getting stronger for the season, but this weekend definitely showed me how important rest is also.

The Shootout, Tucson’s famous group ride that brings together 100+ cyclists every Saturday for a ride that promises to push hard.  I wasn’t sure what to expect when I rolled up at 7:15am, but as we road out I barely had time to marvel at how many bikes there were before the pace picked up and I was riding as fast as my off season legs would go.  I knew the ride went hard at a point, but this was not what I expected.  New experiences keeping it exciting.

The past couple weeks since I arrived have been a cycling paradise.  Sun and pedaling everyday.  The usual computer and side work on my down time, but the long hours in the saddle have felt amazing.  I have ridden to the top of Mt. Lemmon a few times, and the accomplishment and satisfaction of reaching the top is incredible and like nothing else.  To climb for so long and look down at the view after is something that keeps me working hard and enjoying where I am.

I can feel my legs getting stronger and the cobwebs of winter indoor training getting blown off.  Race fitness is the next step in this 2015 journey.  VOS and local crits have shown that my turnover hasn’t quite broken through and training long and climbing is all money in the bank and will pay off as the season progresses.

Big news is coming for the season… so stay tuned 🙂  … Hint, it involves a team and sponsors

Balance for strength.  Balance for training. Balance for life.

Particularly in the off season it’s so important to work on balancing exercises for core, isolated muscle work, and for technique.  Because so much of cycling and racing involves balancing on the bike, practicing and working on basic balance exercises is important.  From being able to hold a track stand, to standing on the pedals as you climb a hill involves core strength and balancing on the bike.  But even for non cyclists, balance exercises are great for strengthening and fitness.  Using a large yoga ball, bozu ball, or with foam pads you can do various drills and keep it fun too.  A great trainer in Santa Fe, Michael Canning, has worked with me on various exercises and cyclist specific strengthening.  Like in the pictures, pushing my boundaries of balance with these double stacked bozu balls.

 

In training I have learned first hand over the past year that strictly riding can lead to problems.  It’s important to give yourself the flexibility in training to change things up and also include cross training or other activities that help keep your body and mind in balance for the focus of training.  Incorporating swimming, yoga, gym exercise, hiking, and other fun activities keep your body moving and gaining fitness while also giving it a break from pedaling or working 100% of the time.  After suffering from a pinched nerve last year and back problems I make sure to include swimming, stretching and core into my training routine.

Balance in nutrition is also key to being able to feel good and train hard.  Thanks to the Rejuvinate and supplement products from Integrated Health I’ve been able to recover quicker and feel stronger after every workout.  Even days of rest or lower activity I’ve seen the effects of eating clean and maintaining the fundamental basics of magnesium (which I’ve learned is SOOOOO important for muscle function), a multi vitamin, omega’s, and a protector.  Protein, fruits and vegetables and a balanced diet are the essentials for training consistently.

Leading your life simply focused on one destination or goal will always keep you in the future and not living the journey.  The present moment is the best you’ll ever have and you never know what tomorrow will bring.  Planning and goals are important, but also knowing that those goals will never be achieved without living now.

Since I spent a week in Tucson over Christmas, I’ve been back in Santa Fe working and training.  The weather has been a bit back and forth between warm and cold.  So when it’s cold, I’m inside on rollers/trainer, in the pool swimming, or in the gym.  When it’s warmer out, I’ve been riding either my cross bike on trails or on the road, and hiking also.  I’ve gone on a couple great all day hikes with Michael and my friend Hannah up to Baldie (a peak just behind the SF ski area).  Such a great workout and something to mix things up in training.  Here are some of the pics we got 🙂