2012 Mountain Bike season in numbers

-25 Mountain Bike Races

-25 Top 5 Pro finishes

-Utah State Championship Series Overall Pro women winner

-Midweek MTB Series Overall Pro/Expert women winner

-5 wins

-5 Marathons (50+ mile races)

-428 hours on the bike

-100 hours of cross training

-Lots of good times

August 2011:

October 2012:

One super psyched racer girl!

Interbike 2012

Interbike, held annually in Vegas, is the largest gathering of bike industry products in the country.   2012 was my first year at the event.  Shannon has attended the past four years, however I have never been able to get away.  This year, I decided to make it happen.  It made for an incredibly busy week that went like this:  Work Monday, fly to Vegas Tuesday morning, attend Dirt Demo (where you can ride new bikes on actual trails) all day Tuesday, attend Interbike trade show at Sand's Expo Center all day Wednesday and Thursday.  Fly home Thursday evening.  Work Friday.

Phew.

Running around Vegas doing all things bike with Shannon was totally worth it!

Here is a sampling of some interesting new bike products:

 Focus Raven carbon 29er is a sweet ride

 Stan's NoTubes has all wheel sizes covered including the increasingly popular 650b

 Speed Sleeve makes all sorts of light-weight straps to attach tubes, air, pumps, gels, etc to bike.  

You can even get them custom made with sponsors logo.  

 Okay.  This may only be interesting to me but I rode a bike with a Silverado at Dirt Demo.  

Super comfy, super light.  Perhaps the remedy for my year-long lingering saddle sores?  

 Vittoria makes a super stiff full carbon shoe.  

All shoe models come in 1/2 sizes, women specific, and different sizes for mismatched feet.  

 The Pivot 429 Carbon wins the most fun to ride on the Bootleg Canyon trails. 

 Rock ledges?  Big drops?  No problem!  It goes uphill fast too!

 I think I'm in love with the new SRAM 1x11 drivetrain.  

Crazy since I just converted to a 2x10 last month!

 Magura's front shock has a stowaway wrench in the front axle 

that fits all Magura shock and brake bolts.  Cool!

 The front end of the Look carbon hardtail gets the award for being the most funky.  

 DT Swiss carbon rear shock with lockout!

 Topeak/Ergon Olympian Irina Kalentieva's custom stem/handlebar.  

For a mere $15,000 you can shave 1/2 pound off your bike!  

 Sweetest new helmet: Kali.  

 The Kali helmet comes with a video camera/light mount.  

Perhaps even more importantly, there is enough space to slide a ponytail through the back buckle.

 FiveTen has a sweet lineup of BMX/dirt jumping/casual shoes.

 Barry Bonds stopped by the FiveTen booth and went home with a pair.

The FitWet gets the award for oddest product.  This exercise bike in a tub is reportedly a favorite lunchtime workout in Europe.  Perhaps the next big thing in the States?  

It's a wrap

My 2012 mountain bike race season wrapped up this weekend with the USCS Draper 50 Fall Classic.  This was my 25th race of the year and although I say this after most races, I really think this was my favorite!  The Corner Canyon trail system used in the race is a short 25 minute drive from my home and  the course is the perfect combination of climbing, rippin' fast singletrack, and even a legitimate downhill flow trail.  Super fast. Super fun.  Additionally, my race was uncharacteristically exciting as three of us went back and forth the entire first lap of the two lap course.

Here's a quick summary of the position swapping:

Disclaimer:  There is a reason I typically don't write detailed race reports.  I get so focused on my race that I usually don't notice what is going on around me.  Here's my best effort.  Hopefully it is accurate:)

 Off the start Kathy and KC charged to the front.  I felt like I could hang, but my bike decided to start shifting poorly and I spent more time trying to get it in the right gear and dinking around with my cable adjuster than hammering.  We rode up the first climb together to the Aqueduct trail where I think I was on Kathy's wheel.  I know I went into the hike-a-bike section behind Kathy because I remember being annoyed that she was running.  Seriously, running?!?  Couldn't we just all agree to walk this section?  Somehow I managed to stay close and was able to pass her on the dirt road to Gas Line.  I led up lower Ghost Falls to Canyon Hollow and down the first part of Anne's to the feed.

Descending Anne's trail into the feedzone

Photo:  MTBracenews.com

 My pit stop was uncharacteristically long as we threw my bike on a bike stand and resolved the shifting issues.  Kathy was pulling into the feed just as I was heading out.  As I started to climb Anne's, Meghan came up behind me and encouraged me to go faster.  I did and was able to get a small gap on the final descent of Anne's.  I fumbled a bit once we hit the Shoreline and Kathy caught me just before the tunnel.  I contemplated letting her by, but I seemed to get small gaps on the short climbs so I held my position.  After we crossed the road, Kathy attacked and took the lead.  I was able to reel her in pretty quickly and stay glued to her wheel as we started ascending Clark's.  Meghan caught us on the climb and overtook the lead.  I followed and although I couldn't stay glued to her wheel I stayed close enough that I was able to pass her on Rush downhill.  I went through the start finish in the lead, with both Meghan and Kathy in sight.  On the second lap, Meghan caught me on the hike-a-bike section and was able to drop me riding into the super stiff headwind on the dirt road leading to Gas Line.  I was starting to cramp a bit despite having electrolytes in all of my bottles.  I made it to the feed zone where I got electrolyte tablets and was told Meghan had a minute and a half gap.  The tablets helped the cramps, but then my rear wheel started making a weird noise that had me a bit worried.  I stopped to investigate, but couldn't find anything wrong so I continued on my way.  (Upon closer inspection I found my rear derailer cable was rubbing my spokes making the loud and annoying clicking noise).   I didn't let up; not only was I chasing Meghan, but I knew there were a lot of fast girls behind me who can come on strong at the end of a long race.

Hammering the finish loop

Photo: Cotton Sox Photography

 I crossed the line tired and satisfied in second at 4.5 hours.

Draper Podium:  Kathy Sherwin, me, Meghan Sheridan, KC Holley, Erin Swenson

So not exactly a quick summary, but like I said there was a lot of excitement in our race!

I felt great and even though I was drilling it as hard as I could, I was having so much fun I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.  I especially appreciated all the cheers from the fantastic volunteers.  Another awesome Utah State Championship Series race!

Now, back to the 25 races this year thing.  What a year it has been!  Last year at this time my hair was just starting to fill in and I was recovering from my final reconstructive surgery.  I know I have said this before, but what a difference a year can make.  and I have appreciated every second of it!

The Draper 50 was my last mountain bike race of the season, but that doesn't mean the racing stops.  Up next....cross.  And I have this sweet new ride...

Summer 2012

Temperatures are still soaring here in Utah so it is hard to believe that fall is here, but it is.  Days are getting shorter and evenings are just a touch cooler.  But the real giveaway that fall is here is that my glorious nine-week summer vacation has come to a close and I am back to work.

The last race I blogged about, the WB50, was only a month ago, but there is a lot of updating for that short of a time.  I've raced three more midweek races, the Steamboat Stinger in Steamboat, CO, and most recently the Mt. Ogden 100k at Snowbasin Resort.  On top of that I had a case of food poisoning which resulted in an angry and fickle gut and my first legitimate cold since finishing chemo.

I'll spare the details of my food poisoning, and start with the Steamboat Stinger, a 50-mile race utilizing the Howelsen Park trails in Steamboat, Colorado.  This was one of the few races that Shannon was able to compete in last year and he enjoyed it so much that we both decided to return this year.  The only problem was that the race date fell the weekend before the Mt. Ogden 100k which was to be my longest and most grueling race of the year.  I was a bit leery to race a full 50-miler the weekend before the Ogden race, so I asked my friend Erika Powers to be my teammate and we entered the Duo Womens' category.  Race day I woke up to a sore throat and rainy skies.  I attributed the sore throat to the smokey air from a nearby forest fire.  The rain, although not terribly cold, did not do my newly developing sore throat any favors.  Despite this, I was able to race relatively strong and put our team into the lead. Erika extended that lead with a super fast lap as well.

Erika and I on top of the podium

Photo: MTBracenews.com

By the time we returned home Sunday my sore throat had progressed and by Monday I could barely swallow.  Fortunately Tylenol was able to ease the pain.  Feeling a bit stubborn and not wanting this "cold" to slow me down, I went ahead and raced the Tuesday night Midweek race. In hindsight, this is probably not the best way to get over a cold quickly.  The race was hard, but at least I got a super cool photo out of it!

Midweek racing at Solitude Ski Resort

Photo:  Brian Beadle

The Mt. Ogden 100k race was coming up quickly and for the rest of the week I was unsure if I would be healthy enough to race.  Fortunately, by Thursday I was feeling better and Friday normal.  I decided to give it a go figuring that ultras of this magnitude are often more about racing smart, proper fueling, and maintaining mental focus.  I was up for the challenge.  Actually, I was really nervous about the challenge.

My start was less than stellar and the top four girls rode away on the first climb.  It soon became a battle for 5th between me and endurance specialist Erin Collins.  She'd pass me, I'd pass her and back and forth it went for the first lap and a half.  We seemed to be climbing and descending equally well, just at different times.  In the end, I had a little more and was able to pass and drop Erin for good on the super long climb at the beginning of the 2nd lap.  I finished 5th, was pleased with my performance, but more importantly pleased with my mental fortitude for hanging tough till the end.  My race nutrition for the 6.5 hour effort was dialed using solely Carborocket, Hammer gel, electrolytes, and 1/2 banana.

The Mt. Ogden 100k podium

Photo: MTBracenews.com

Kudos to race promotor Steve Andrus for putting together a fantastic event.  The course was well-marked, volunteers were awesome, and aide stations well stocked.  Steve also went above and beyond in supporting the pro women.  He comped our entries to encourage participation and payout was equal and deep.  In a sport where it often seems the women's race is an afterthought-despite racing the same distance as the men and our equally tough fields-this was very much appreciated.  This one is going on the 2013 schedule!

Now, even though Fall is here, race season is still going strong.  There are quite a few big events left in Utah, with my current focus being on the final race of the Utah State Championship Series, The Draper 50.

Wasatch Back 50

This summer, I'm racing as much as ever (18 races so far!), but traveling to races less than ever. Why travel when the best races are in your own backyard?  This hasn't always been the case, but Utah is now home to some of the most prestigious, best organized, and FUN mountain bike races in the country.  The Park City Point to Point, Mt. Ogden 100k, True Grit, the Crusher, and now the Utah State Championship Series races to name a few.

This past weekend was the Wasatch Back 50, race #3 of the Utah State Championship series.  It seems that every big race this year brings back emotions from last year, and serves as a reminder as to how far I've come. This race was no exception.  Last year, I wanted to race this series, and this 50-miler in particular, sooo bad.  Instead I put on a brave face and supported racers from the feed zone all day.

This year, I went into the race fit, prepared, and ready to leave it all on the course-which based on how I felt the day after the race-I think I succeeded!

Race morning was a 3:45AM wake up call.  I wanted to get breakfast, walk Dizzy, and drive up to Midway by 6:00 as feed bags had to be in the feed truck by 6:30 and the race started at 7.  Awfully early for a 50 miler, but a good decision on the race promotors part as temperatures soared in the afternoon.  The race started with a 6 mile road neutral rollout from the Homestead to Solider Hollow Mountain Resort.  I'm a big fan of the neutral rollout as it eliminates the need to warm-up, my least favorite part of racing.   The pro women lined up right behind the pro men.  This seemed like a pretty safe place so despite feeling like a fish out of water on the road in a large group, I glued myself to the boys.   This ended up being a pretty good strategy as there were bottlenecks and congestion as soon as we hit the dirt and I was in a pretty good position.  It wasn't long after that Evelyn Dong, the eventual race winner, took off never to be seen again.  Soon after I passed Katherine O'Shea, a racer from Australia, and soon after than Megan Sheridan, super fast local chick, passed me on a climb.  I stuck pretty close and passed her back on a downhill, but she caught me again and passed me before the long singletrack climb out of Solider Hollow.  This was the longest climb of the race and even though I rode strong Megan put a significant amount of time on me.  It wasn't until the long downhill before the start of the 2nd lap at Wasatch State Park that I caught back up. She proceeded to pass me again on the dirt climb up Cascade Spring Road.  It was also around this time that my hamstrings started to cramp as I would start to climb after a downhill.  At first it wasn't so bad, they would loosen up pretty quick, but the cramping progressively got worse and lasted a bit longer.  It took quite a bit of mental energy to keep the pedals rolling, yet somehow I did, at a pretty good rate, just not quite fast enough to catch Megan before the finish.  After 4 hours 42 minutes of racing, I finished in 3rd place a mere 49 seconds from 2nd!

Looking back, I know I raced hard and am satisfied with my performance.  I have some theories as to why my hamstrings cramped, but most likely it was the heat and that I should have had some electrolyte tablets in addition to electrolytes in my water.

Podium shot:

(KC Holley, Megan Sheridan, Evelyn Dong, me, Erin Swenson)

Not only does the Utah State Championship series put on a stellar race, but they secure sponsorship money (Thank you Ford Motors) for a pretty substantial pro payout.  The winner also gets a giant check!  How cool is that!  I didn't get a giant check, but my check was pretty sweet nonetheless.  

and no...dinner is not on me:)  This is earmarked to help build up this beauty!

Up next, well first I'm going to get this frame built.  Then more midweek races are in the plans as well as continuing my trend with some epic longer distance events through the rest of the season.

For a full race report, results, and photos of the WB50, click here

Food

A little over a year ago I reported on what I called my anti-cancer 'diet', although I hesitate to call it a 'diet' because there is no calorie counting, weighing of food, or point systems involved.  It is more like a nutritional lifestyle.    It also seems to be a topic of much curiosity so it is probably about time I blog about it.

It all started last year with a visit to the nutritionist at Huntsman Cancer Institute.  Over the years, I had become more cognizant of the health benefits of a nutritious diet and my primary goal for this visit was to ensure my nutrition supported reduced risk of recurrence.

The nutritionist provided me a handout where the American Institute for Cancer Research recommended the following:

• Plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans should cover two thirds of the plate
• Include substancial portions of one or more veggies or fruits on your plate (not just grains)
• Eat five or more servings every day of a variety of colorful veggies and fruits
• Choose minimally processed foods and limit consumption of refined sugar

Research shows that eating a plant-based diet reduces risk of cancer (and a boatload of other diseases)!  

This was a start.  Then I got my hands on this book:

In his book, Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, who underwent treatment for brain cancer...twice...and survived an additional twenty years, uses his background in medicine and science to detail the complete anti-cancer lifestyle.  While the book is incredibly informative, the sections on diet and environmental toxins especially resonated with me.  Dr. Servan-Schreiber describes the importance of choosing foods that reduce inflammation in the body,  have a low glycemic index (foods that don't cause spikes in blood sugar level), and are not toxic (processed foods, non-organic, and animal products).

Then I watched the documentary Fork Over Knives (highly recommended), got a copy of The China Study (also highly recommended), and read Brendan Brazier's Thrive books (to try to figure out how an athlete can sustain on a plant-based diet).  I was sold.  100% bought in for the health benefits of a plant-based diet.  Adding in the positive ethical and environmental ramifications of a plant-based diet is icing on the cake!

I started the plant-based diet not long after my diagnosis in February 2011, however it has evolved over time, and I suspect that it will continue to evolve in the future.  Last summer, after watching Fork Over Knives, I eliminated all dairy(including my favorite greek yogurt) and have since added the occasional salmon and/or free-range egg.  I also avoid soy because it potentially interacts with my medication.  (Most soy in this country is genetically modified too-and the health ramifications of genetically modified food is not yet clear).

Now, you may wonder what a person on a plant-based diet eats?  The answer is: plenty, just not much of what is considered the traditional American diet!

Over the past year, I have found some great cookbooks and recipes and with a little planning, maintaining our new nutritional lifestyle has become quite manageable, maybe even fun...  Everyone seems to love pictures of food so I have photographed some of my favorite meals, although I must admit I'm more about the nutrition of the food than the presentation:)

My favorite breakfast is a bowl of steel cut oats with MILA, hemp seeds, walnuts, almonds, vegan carob chips, blueberries, and a touch of agave nectar.  It really tastes more like dessert than breakfast.

For lunch, I usually have leftovers or pack a nutritionally dense salad.  One of my favorites is kale, arugula, spinach, onions, hemp seed, pine nuts, grape tomato, avocado, olive oil, and a touch of balsamic vinegar.  I especially like this meal because I don't need a microwave to heat it up.  On busy work days I often have to eat in my car.

Snacks:  Pretty much happen all day long.  I still have my daily 'green' smoothie and this helps me get some 'green' early in the day without eating kale and spinach for breakfast!  Some of my favorite ingredients for the smoothie include kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, fruit (banana and pineapple seem to help it taste more like fruit than veggies), ginger, MILA, hemp protein.  I eat fruit and nuts in pretty much unlimited quantities for snacks.  I also sneak in some 'processed' food such as whole grain toast or ancient grain cereal.  Mmm cereal.  My processed guilty pleasure that I just can't quit!

Some of my favorite dinners:

 Quinoa with veggies.  Pretty much use anything that is in the fridge
 (broccoli, garlic, bell pepper, green onion)

 Brown rice with veggies (same as above)

 Brown rice with kale and veggies (kale, carrot, mushroom, green onion)

 Wheatberry salad with cucumber, bell pepper, zucchini

I always throw together a sauce for these dishes.  One of my favorites is olive oil, lemon juice, and cumin or turmeric.  Olive oil, lemon juice, and agave nectar is also yummy.  

 As a pasta substitute we make zucchini pasta
with grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and almond cheese

 I do occasionally have a salmon dish.  My favorite is cauliflower, brown rice, with salmon.

 ...and for dessert, homemade ice cream:
blend and then freeze cashews, dark chocolate (or vegan carob) chips, agave nectar, banana, and maca powder

Homemade energy bars: almonds, dates, dark chocolate (or vegan carob), and a touch of almond butter.  Topped with hemp seed.  Mmm.  Only make for special occasions.  I can put this away in no time!

How does this fit in with being an athlete?  So far, I think pretty well.  People always ask where I get my protein.  There is actually quite a bit of protein in a well thought out plant-based diet.  On a typical day I'm getting 70+ grams of protein.  When I add in a Vega protein drink, closer to 100 grams of protein!

So what does this look like in numbers.  Well, here are some recent lab results.  Prior to these labs, I had not had my cholesterol checked in years, but high cholesterol does run in my family.
My numbers: textbook perfect!

		Desirable range
Cholesterol Total	121mg/dL	Less than 200mg/dL
Triglyceride	45mg/dL	30-149mg/dL
HDL (aka good cholesterol)	68mg/dL	Greater than 40mg/dL
LDL (aka bad cholesterol)	44mg/dL	0-129mg/dL

One concern with a plant-based diet is maintaining sufficient iron levels.  I do take a daily iron supplement, and my iron and ferritin are holding steady.

		Desirable range
Iron, Serum or Plasma	99ug/dL	30-160ug/dL
Iron Binding Capacity Total	316ug/dL	240-450ug/dL
Ferritin	22ng/mL	12-160ng/mL

Another value to watch on a plant-based diet is Vitamin B-12.  That too is holding steady, however it is my understanding that it may take years for this value to drop so I will continue to have it monitored.  

		Desirable range
Vitamin B12	385 pg/mL	210-911 pg/mL

Eating this way certainly isn't for everyone.  It takes some thought and definitely a bit of planning, but, after a year where I underwent a treatment I didn't want for a disease I wish I never had,  it is truly empowering to feel like I am doing everything I can to remain healthy and reduce risk of recurrence.  I feel pretty darn good too!     

Galena Grinder

Last weekend Shannon, Dizzy, and I traveled to Sun Valley, Idaho for the Galena Grinder-my first marathon distance race this year.  While the distance of the Galena Grinder is rather short for a marathon-only 42ish miles- make no mistake, it is a difficult race.  With almost 7000 vertical feet of climbing you are either barely able to turn your pedals over up steep climbs or ripping down sketchy downhills with switchbacks that seem to come out of nowhere.  The high elevation certainly doesn't make it any easier.

One of the highest points on the race course.  

You can barely see the trail on the left popping out of the pines.

The open women's field was full of talent including the reining National Marathon champion as well as the National Ultraendurance Series winner.  However, with over two hundred racers and a mass start, I had more than the girls to worry about.  I immediately ate dust, and a lot of it, for pretty much the first hour and a half of racing.

Dust-free on the start-line

Photo: Dyan Lee-Spoken Chain

Post-race: Hot and dirty!

Overall, my race was pretty uneventful with me sitting in 5th place almost the entire time.  I did get a bit of a scare when the 6th place girl caught me about halfway through the first lap (of the two lap course), however I was able to drop her pretty quickly. Soon after, I caught the 4th place girl while she was walking up the steepest climb of the race, however she was clearly stronger on the bike as she dropped me as soon as she was able to get back on.

Sweet photo: courtesy Dyan Lee-Spoken Chain

I beat my personal, although completely arbitrary, goal of 4.5 hours by a few minutes despite a little mid-race water bottle mishap.  Funny story there!  The course ran in a figure-8 pattern and I had set out a table with fresh bottles in a location that I would pass three times.   This worked well the first two times through,  but my final time through there was a lady holding one of my remaining water bottles.  I figured that she must know me and was going to pass the bottle up to me, however when I rode up she said "I don't know who these belong to, but do you want some?"  Apparently she had been giving away sips from my bottles to random racers and none of them were full!  I think considering the circumstances,  I was quite polite when I told her that they were my bottles and I had placed them there.  Regardless, it was frustrating that I had to stop and dump a bunch of half full bottles to completely fill mine up before I set out for the last one and a half hours of racing in the hottest part of the day.  In reality, I didn't lose that much time.

Anyhow, I finished 5th which was good enough for a spot on the podium.

Podium: Jana Repulski, Jessica Cerra, Pua Mata, Amanda Carey, me (l to r)

Yep.  Those are checks in our hands.  Galena Grinder has equal payout for women.  I love this race!

After the race I was peer pressured to sit in the creek (to cool the legs and help recovery).  

It was friggin' cold.  The other girls were calming chatting away.  I was shivering the whole time!

Shannon and I then spent two more days hiking and biking trails in the Sun Valley/Ketchum area.  It's possible I say this about every bike destination we visit, but after this weekend, Sun Valley/Ketchum rates as one of my favorites.  The town is a lot less busy (at least this weekend) than most resort towns and very dog friendly.  Dizzy even went out to eat with us one afternoon and the staff at the cafe oodled over him.  The trails are riding distance from town and it is easy to put together a mellow two-hour loop or an all-day epic.  And although we barely scratched the surface, the trails seem pretty fun too!

 Riding Chocolate Gulch

As for Dizzy, he has such a great time traveling to races with us that it is really hard to leave him behind.  He really is a good boy and travels quite well. Although he was a bit restless the first two nights, and as he kept waking us up, I threatened him that it was his last trip ever!  I think he, like me, gets so excited that he has a difficult time sleeping.  Anyhow, he's certainly tuckered out now.  He has barely gotten up since we returned...two days ago!