Fall Fun

I've almost forgotten about my blog as of late, other waste of time Internet obligations (Facebook) have seemed to occupy most of my evening computer time. While Facebook is fun and a good way to see what others are doing, there may be some of you that want to see this as well so here are some pictures from the past few weeks.

I have been so fortunate to have met so many wonderful friends through my cycling endeavors. Most of all I have met my best friend, someone who has been the sister I have always wanted. It may seem a bit mushy, but Jenni really has been there for me no matter what. She has been a best friend, mentor, coach, sounding board when I needed it and a huge inspiration on the bike!

The first picture is of me and Mike from a new adventure we took part in early this fall. A mountain bike orienteering race, we thought it would just be a good way to get a long workout in, HA, the competitive nature in us both took over shortly after we started. We ended up winning our division. We used all but a few minutes of the 3 hours allotted and got all but 2 of the flags we needed.

Spokane Trail Quest Orienteering

This picture is taken at the Rad Racing GP in Seattle, the first weekend of cross racing and I took 3rd. This season may be a good one if this race is any indication of my fitness level. :)

Rad Racing GP Podium

This is me not being able to be serious, Jenni isn't helping much, at the Riverstone Women's Racing Team wrap up BBQ, I don't even remember what was so funny but I guess it was.

Me and my best friend Jenni at the Riverstone Women's Racing Team BBQ

More from Rad Racing GP, this run up was brutal. Love that Liz was in the background yelling at me!

Liz cheering me up the run up at Rad Racing



Rad Racing GP

Spokane to Sandpoint/Blue Crusie with Kristin Armstron

A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I would help with the Spokane to Sandpoint run. See there is a relay run with a team of 12 runners that start from Mt. Spokane and run through downtown Spokane, Post Falls, CDA and work their way up to Sandpoint. CRAZY, I know, but some would say the riding I do on my bike is also crazy so who am I to judge. When he asked me to help he was wondering if I would help him be the bike escorts that the runners are allowed through the night runs. See by the time darkness falls they are well on their way to the rural areas between CDA and Sandpoint. Dark, lonely roads with no shoulders can make for a dangerous run through the night. So I said, sure that sounds like a good idea, might be kind of fun. What I didn't realize was that the weather would be not so summer like, and a few other things would come up that would require my attendance.

In the weeks following my commitment to the team I found out that the Blue Cruise ride with Kristin Armstrong would be the morning after my duties of bike riding through the night. Our team director Jenni Gaertner had set it up so Kristin could take a team picture with us before the ride. The S2S bike escort started at 6 pm Friday night, and required me to ride with them until Saturday morning when the sun came up (around 5:30), the team picture was at 7:30 Saturday morning. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that meant no sleep for me.

Throughout the night we rode along the back roads lighting the way for each runner and safely delivering them to their exchange points. As the night wore on I grew more and more tired, each time I thought about staying awake that long it made me worse. I even at one point starting daydreaming about how good my bed would feel once I was able to climb in to it. Well, as it always does, the sun rose, and we arrived in Blanchard. Mike's truck was parked there so we could make a quick exit and head back to town so I could be on time for the ride and picture. Not before having a quick, well deserved beer! I did two things I never really thought I would this weekend...1. had a beer at 5:30 am, 2. rode my bike 12 hours through the night.

Once the S2S ride was over I ran down to the NIC campus for the Blue Crusie ride with Kristin Armstrong. Even a night of riding without sleep was not going to keep my from this opportunity. I only rode part of the metric century route, opting to pull off when the ride went close to my parents house. I arrived at their house around 9:30, 27 hours since I had last seen any sleep, got in the shower and found the nearest place to sleep. AHHHH, sleep never felt so good. It was worth every bit of being tired, feeling like crap.

Been awhile

Racing in the Wenatchee Crit

Century Ride on the Rails to Trails with friends.

Time for some beverage after Tour of the Swan River Valley

Beautiful scenery during TOSRV

Its been awhile since my last post, things have become increasingly busy. Here I thought with the start of my long term clinicals I would have more time to do things. Boy was I wrong. Most of it has to do with the onset of summer which of course means BIKE RACING :) Most of my time has been spent riding, training and racing and little time has been spent doing things like updating my blog. So here it is, a quick recap of the past few months.

Many rides have been taken but here are some pictures of the most memorable. The season started out in Walla Walla which was fun until a nasty crash in the crit took me out for the rest of the weekend. A badly cracked helmet, some good road rash and a few bruised or slightly cracked ribs were the damage. Nothing too bad though, just some uncomfortable nights of sleeping and moving around but then back to normal.

Wenatchee was the next race, good times I guess, that is if you like to climb when its hot outside. Overall I was happy with the weekend, I did better then last year and made it through without any more crashing.

Tour of the Swan River Valley was my latest ride-110 miles Saturday and then 110 miles Sunday through beautiful Montana with great friends made for a fun weekend. It was a great experience and my first ride of that length. It was one of my goals this year to ride a century, well guess I got that one covered, on to the next :)

This week marks the last week in my clinical rotation and of school. The time has come for me to graduate and step out in to the real world-whoohoo. Guess we will see if I am ready-hope so.

Frozen Flatlands

FROZEN FLATLANDS 2009

TEAM RIVERSTONE

ME AND CHRISTINE WORKING IN THE CIRCUT RACE
GETTING READY FOR THE WOMEN'S 4 CIRCUT RACE

WARMING UP

THE START OF THE TIME TRIAL

BEFORE IT ALL GETS STARTED

So this weekend marked the season kick of race of Frozen Flatlands. A weekend of racing that tests how well we have all done in our training over the weekend. Saturday started out with a 12.5 mile time trail, followed by a 29 mile road race. Sunday was the circut race. I will do my best to have this serve as a 'race report' so here it goes....

I guess it all started Friday night, packing, going over the list of things needed, loading it all up in the car, making peanut butter sandwiches, preparing water bottles etc. I woke up way too early Saturday morning and headed over to Coeur d' Alene to catch a ride with a friend of mine in to the race. We got the car all packed up and headed out around 6:15AM, ouch! It was a bit cold out and ice was still on the road when we arrived in Cheney for the time trail. It was supposed to start and 8:30 but do to the ice every one's time was pushed back 30 mins. I took my normal 3-4 trips to the Honey Bucket and then got on the trainer to warm up. I went in to the TT feeling pretty good and knowing this was one of the races I could do well in. I knew I couldn't win it but I figured I could be in the top 10. I went out feeling good, and trying not to push too hard. I remember thinking about half way out to the turn around that I was feeling really well considering I was riding in to what at times seemed to be a bit of a head wind. Then thinking if that was the case the ride back should provide a nice tail wind. It was hard to tell though really which direction the wind was coming from. It wasn't a true head wind but wasn't a tail wind either. At the turn around I glanced down at my watch and realized I was on pace to PR, holy crap! At that point I just about did throw up a little. I turned the corner (not like my coach told me to-dang need to work on those!) and then put my head down and went for it. Each turn of the pedal grew to be a bit more painful. I was trying hard to catch my one minute gal (who was a teammate of mine-and riding a fancy new TT bike) but was never able to catch her. I gained some time on her but just not enough. I also kept thinking that there was still a road race to do in a few hours. Weird game that you play with yourself when you are out on the bike alone. I wanted to go hard and was but kept trying to do my best to keep something left for the road race. When I crossed the finish line I felt like I had left it all out there, went hard and did my best. When the results were posted I was happy but bummed at the same time. I had done my best time ever in that distance but was 11th, one place out of the points. UGH!

After the TT I did my best to recover and get ready for the road race. Soon it came time to get ready all over again. A bit reluctantly I got dressed and ready for the race. I was extremely nervous for this one, as usual. We took of and right away I knew this race was going to be fast. I don't know if it was the excitement of having the largest women's field ever at this race or what but we rolled out for our 'neutral' lead out at a blistering pace. WAY faster then any neutral lead out should have been really. Right from the gun the pace was set pretty high and the Group Health and Northern Rockies gals were trying to push the pace and break up the field. All of us Riverstone gals that were near the front along with the Zuster gals were able to keep it somewhat in check. About 5 miles in the first big attack went and 6 of us were able to stay with it. A few miles later, 3 Riverstone gals were up in the lead pack followed closely by me and one other teammate. We worked hard to stay with them but found ourselves slowing moving back. At one point I told Chrysite, we have 3 up there and two more behind us, should we try and get back together with the other two and then try and bridge up? We slowed a bit but soon noticed the small group behind us was not gaining. We made one more good solid effort to try and catch the lead pack but were never able to. Shortly after what is called 'the wall' of this race, Chrysite being the stronger rider over me left me. I had no real pop in my legs and was starting to feel like crap. The last 6-8 miles were not good for me and I just was wanting to get it over with at that point. I think I ended up like 28th or something out of 50. I need to find a way to get stronger on those road races that's for sure.

Sunday brought the sun and even warmer weather and the inevitable sore legs. It also brought my favorite race of the weekend, the circut race. When I arrived Sunday morning I was a bit nervous due to the fact that my legs didn't feel so great. I got on the trainer and started to warm up, took all of my pre-race drinks, vitamins etc. While I was warming up I was able to watch our team director take her race in a very convincing fashion. I think her lead at the end was close to 2 minutes! It was so much fun to watch and gave all of us on the team some good motivation for our race. When we lined up team Riverstone once again was the most noticeable kit out there. It was so great to see that many women out there racing and enjoying a sport I have grown to love so much. From the start of the race I felt good and like I was going to be able to do my job to help our GC leaders stay up front and have a chance of winning. By the end of the race we were for the most part in the position we needed to take our leaders up to the front. I didn't have quite the spot I wanted going in to the final turn but ended up having a pretty good sprint and finished strong.

Overall team Riverstone had a great showing for our first race of the season and as a team. We had 6 girls (I think) in the top 20 overall and each and everyone of us had a blast racing this weekend. I have to say congrats to the Zuster Cycling team as well, they came out as a new women's team and had a great showing as well. I look forward to racing and working with them in the future.

This weekend was easily the best weekend of racing I have ever had. Thanks go out to Jenni, our team director and the one we all look to for advice and inspiration. Thanks as well to all of our sponsors who believe in us and have helped us with this new team. Without you we wouldn't be out there doing this. THANKS!

Riverstone Development Clear Management

vertical earth OhNoH2O Swim School

doma coffee

Kootenai Health 360 Fitness

North Idaho Medical Care Center

Optima Dental Care The Metabolic Institute

Wenzel Coaching Peace Within

Moon Time

Done

Well, its done. School is finally over, for the most part. I finished up with finals last week and am now on spring break-YAY. I start again on April 6th but this time no classroom education, its all out in the clinic-another YAY. I am so glad to be done with the testing, homework, and honestly the drive in to class everyday.

I will be doing a pediatric rotation first, which should be interesting, followed by a out-patient rotation. It will be a bit different not going in to school everyday and seeing all of my friends but being out in the 'real world' is going to make the last year and a half of school so worth it. I feel pretty comfortable out in the clinic and so that should make for a pretty fun time.

Today I kicked off spring break with a race, as in years past the Lewiston Duathlon was the weekend after finals. Its been kind of a nice race to do in the simple fact that it is right as I get done with the quarter, so I use it kind of as a celebration of being done. This year was a good one, had a good bike time and a fast runner. We ended up 2nd overall and had a great time with friends. I am getting a bit sleepy however, due to the waking up at 5 AM in order to get down to Lewiston in time to get a warm up in for the 10 AM race start. Looks like it may be a early night for me.

I forgot to take pictures today at the race, so I have none to post-oopps. Had the camera in my back pocket and everything.

Two years of work coming to an end.

So it is here, well almost. For the past two years as most of you know that are reading this, I have been in school in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. When I started this journey almost two years ago, this day was SO far from my thoughts. Well, its about here. Next week will be my last full week of classroom education in the program, then after spring break it will be time for me to head out to my clinical rotations. Scary thought kind of, exciting for sure though.

Two years has as everyone said it would, flew by. There were definitely times that it crawled by and times I thought I really couldn't handle the stress anymore. However through friends and family I have pulled through it and am now in the phase of the program where I get to put all of this knowledge to actual use on actual patients. Lets just hope I can handle the stress of a few more finals and a few more things to finish up. If the past two years have been any kind of a indication though I will be just fine, like I said my friends and family have been there through it all and I'm sure will be there for one last time of my stressing out about tests, lab practicals and everything else that I have to finish up.

Here's to the next 10 days going by fast.

Not much new

Not much new has been going on in the past few weeks. I did go to my first week long clinical last week which was pretty interesting. I was at St. Lukes in Spokane and was in the stroke unit. It was a whole new experience for me and my out patient only experience. It was like I said interesting, I was able to learn a lot from a great PTA and had a pretty good time. I'm not 100% sure it is the area of physical therapy I want to go into but it was good to see different aspects of the field.

I have been able to get outside on my bike the last few weeks which has been so great. I am hoping the snow has stopped and we can enjoy outside ride time more and more. I went out the other morning at 8 (stupid but that was when the group went so I showed up). The first 15-20 minutes were quite possibly the coldest I have ever been. It was a balmy 22 degrees out when we took off, like I said STUPID. We did however warm up, thanks to the toe warmers tucked away in my socks, and the multiple layers of clothes I had on. I think I pulled every piece of clothing out of my drawers that morning-good thing. I think we were only out for 90 minutes which wasn't the time I was hoping to get in that day but at least we were out. If I had been stuck inside I highly doubt I would have made it even an hour. The coffee at Java after the ride is always worth the ride.

The days are winding down as far as school goes, I have this quarter only for actual classroom school work and then off to clinicals full time. I am very excited for the day to come when I don't have to go into class every morning!

Pictures of Josh

My last post was shortly after one of the worst days I have had in a long time. Since then things have improved, both for us in class and Jackie. By no means are her and her family doing 'fine' but the grieving process is moving on. Jackie told me today that they added photos to his page on the funeral chapels website. Click on the link below to see some pictures.


http://www.danekasfuneralchapel.com/sitemaker/sites/danekao/obit.cgi?user=josh-peters#

Why?

Why? A question we hear all to often, sometimes coming from a young child curious about life's little things or sometimes coming from an adult pondering life's horrible and unexplainable things.

The latter form of why is one that has been running through my head for the past 7 days. Why? Why is it a young man only 24 years old has been taken from this earth. Why did this have to happen, why why why? Joshua Peters is the brother of a classmate of mine who was tragically killed in a snowmobiling accident last week. I never was able to meet him until today, at his funeral. Not exactly what I or my classmates had in mind for our first meeting of this man who Jackie spoke so highly of and looked up to so much.

When we started school last year one of our first projects was to make up a poster of the things that defined us as a person in hopes that it would give us a chance to come together in this new found 'family' and learn a little about each other. I remember clearly Jackie's presentation of her poster. It was filled with off road vehicles, motorcycles, ATV's etc. all of which had her or her brother on them. She preceded to tell us the story of her and her older brother growing up in Colville riding motorcycles, snowmobiles and the like. She told us that the sole reason she decided to enter in to the PTA program was because of her brother, Josh, and all of the bones he had broken in his life and injuries he had encountered. She told of his love of life and 'no fear' attitude. How he loved to be on the edge and lived each moment to the fullest. Little did I know that a year and a half later I would be hearing those words again, this time at his funeral.

Today was quite possibly one of the hardest days of my life up to this point. My classmates and I all drove up to Colville this morning despite the freezing rain and snow. There was little that would stop us from making the trip. We all needed to be there for Jackie.

Nobody likes funerals, they are horrible no matter what spin you try and put on them. I know that they should be a celebration of life etc. etc. but how do you find the strength to do that when the man you are mourning is only 24? My faith in God tells me he is in a better place and has served his purpose here on Earth. My heart on the other hand has a very hard time watching a friend of mine go through such agony. To sit in that town hall today surrounded by what appeared to be over a couple hundred people and watch a family so devastated and torn apart just about took it out of me. I like to think I am a pretty strong person and am there for my friends when they need me but days like today just throw me around the emotional roller coaster like a tumbleweed in a tornado.

I will be the first one to admit that I am a pretty emotional person to begin with, I tell my friends and family I love them and want to give or receive that hug in times of need. Today though will make that need even greater. I found myself on the way home wanting to talk to and see certain people in my life. I am fortunate that those people are here in town and I could do just that. I am so blessed to have such great friends and family and only hope that I have and can do as much for them as they have done for me. Days like today make me realize how much we have to tell our friends and family that we DO love them and not to just assume they know. So I guess my reasoning for writing all of this down is to not only get it out on paper but to remind anyone who happens to read this to hold close those that you love and remind them how much they mean to you. Tonight you may be tucking your children in to bed or curling up in bed next to your husband or wife, some people tonight will not have that pleasure, for some no longer have that person in their life.

I never had the pleasure of knowing Josh while he was alive but today I learned a lot about a man I would have loved to had the chance to know. His family is in my prayers.

First day of school will have to wait.....

Today was supposed to be the first day of winter quarter, last night however the Spokane County Sheriff issued a 'strong suggestion' to close all schools in Spokane County. He cited sidewalks and roofs being unsafe for children to navigate for his reason. Now the schools didn't have to heed his warning/suggestion but most if not all did. So, SFCC closed its doors and said we will try again tomorrow. I for one feel it a bit unnecessary to close the college unless of course they feel our roof may collapse:) I would have much rather gone in and started the quarter. We get so far behind when we miss class and end up having LONG days of lecture in order to make up for it. It was much easier when I was a kid to go in an extra day to make up for the snow day but when in college they don't do that, just pile on the homework and lecture sessions. OH WELL!

Instead of blogging about my first day of school I will show you pictures of my last day of Christmas Break. I went snowshoeing with a bunch of friends and had a great time. Minus the moments I thought we must be climbing a million little stairs! We climbed and climbed and then climbed some more but it was so cool when we got to the top. Plus after a workout like that I LOVE the feeling of burn in the legs-makes me feel good about what I just did!

Enjoy the pictures. We were up on 4th of July Pass on a beautiful day, the sun was out and we were having a great time! I am so blessed to live in this area and have such great friends!

Hangover Handicap and Polar Bear Plunge

Happy New Year!

Like most people I went out last night, well over to a friends house anyway. I didn't really drink much but was more there to have a good time and hang out with friends. The main reason I didn't want to drink was because I had already told a few friends that I would brave the cold and wake up early and do what is called the Hangover Handicap-a five mile run in CDA. It was a great way to ring in the new year! A few of my friends were running it so it was great to see them out there. I, as I have said before am NOT a runner and do not run very fast. One of my friends was going to walk/jog so I figured if nothing else I would just run with her. It worked out just fine and we jogged along at a fairly slow but fun pace. It was nice not to feel like I had to 'race' it, throwing snowballs and just talking with everyone was fun. Here is the one and only picture I took out there. It was a bit hard to run (even at a slow pace) and take pictures.

2009 Polar Bear Plunge Coeur d' Alene, Id

After the run I headed down to the lake to watch the crazy people that thought it would be a good idea to start the year off with a dip in the lake. And people tell me I am crazy for riding my bike as much as I do-HA this is in my mind way more crazy:)!