The first Northwest Regional Xterra race on Vashon Island

We returned last night from a quick trip up to Vashon Island, Washington for the first Xterra race of the Northwest series.

The week leading up to the Vashon race our 2 Bing Cherry trees ripened and were bursting with delicious cherries! So..... the Norland crew turned into Cherry farmers for the week... picking and sorting, then selling our "crop" at the end of our driveway.  What begun as an exciting and fun happening ended up becoming quite a large and stressful chore. We picked morning and night for 7 days, and although we had a ton of fun selling, gifting and processing our cherries, the task spread us thin.  Mama (now that's me), got just a little bit sleep deprived and stressed out..... not exactly how I like to go into my first race of the season.

My little entrepreneurs braved the rain, and served their customers well.

I wouldn't say it was always "helpful" to have the kids' help, but.......

We decided to wait until Saturday morning to leave, which gave us until late Friday night to pick the trees clean.  Trevor was INCREDIBLE to say the least.  He stood high up in those trees and picked every last cherry while I sorted, boxed and set them out to sell. It is moments like this that I realize just how lucky I am to have Trevor as my life partner.  Without any words of judgement, he senses my stress and jumps right into help.  He knew that I would be up in that tree until the job was done, thus making our departure that much more stressful and delayed.

Until nearly 11pm I stood in the kitchen and made  muffins and puff pancake batter for our morning breakfast. Preparing food is one way that I deal with stress.  I knew that I needed to start thinking about my race, but I just could not quite begin to pack until I had our food taken care of.  I laughed at myself here,  seeing the ridiculousness in how I operate and I encouraged Trevor to laugh along.  It was well past 11 before we got to bed, still not yet packed, but I was so tired I did not even care.

I woke up at 6 and first began packing for the race. Just one day, one night and one race to pack for, AND it was FINALLY SUMMER!!!!  I did not have to pack any rain gear or extra anything, and this felt so easy!   We have the packing down to a science and this went really fast.  We all sat down for a breakfast of pear-puff pancake and exchanged our excitement for this adventure.

At 8:30, our travel buddy Lizzy Gruber arrived and after loading her gear, we were off.  We were out of town by 9:15.  Liz entered our family so smoothly, and helped to buffer the mama duties that come with traveling with children.  The boys enjoyed reading to her in the back which gave me an opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep.  I woke from my nap and felt amazing with an overall sense of calm.  This was going to be a good trip.

Alleck, Lizzy and Keller get silly

The Ferry ride from Point Defiance in Tacoma was a bit shorter than we had hoped, maybe all of 25 minutes.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and the water was calm and clear.  We all had fun looking for wildlife in the water, and Keller says that the highlight of his weekend happened here.  We saw a seal playing right in front of us!  As cool as they were, Liz and I were a bit uneasy about the many Jellyfish that we spotted all around us of various sizes and colors.  Apparently, we would have company on our swim.......

Checking out the Jelly's

Its a beautiful day to be on the water

We made our way to the Vashon Island Ranch Hostel, where we would be camping for the night.  There were already many Xterra athletes there excited to be starting the season on Vashon.  As I looked over the results from last year, it occurred to me that many of my Xterra "family" that I came to know and love last year, I had met here on Vashon last year.  It all felt so good to be back, and the kids were just as excited to see everyone as I was.

After setting up camp, we headed to Dockton Park to check out the course.  The water was cool, but really felt amazing.  There was quite a current and yes, BIG jelly fish to swim with.  Luckily, the race director was there to put our fears at ease but informing us that the big, flat white Jelly's don't actually sting.  Phew!  It was just the orange ones with the long tentacles that we'd have to avoid and there were plenty of those too!

Liz and I rode a lap of the bike course and both felt pretty confident that it would go well.  The course was beautiful, with views of  The Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier that called our attention but plenty challenging with pitchy climbs and tight corners.

Trevor brought his road bike and explored the island while Liz and I took the kids back to camp. We made dinner, played soccer with the kids and did some final race-day prep on the bikes.  Finally, Mat Signoretty arrived and we all enjoyed catching up with him.  We were in bed by 10:30 and agreed on a 6am wake up.

I put off waking until 6:30, and by the time I got up Mat and Liz had already eaten and were eager to get going.  I  wanted to give the kids as much time as possible to sleep, but in doing so, again put my morning routine off a bit too long.  We arrived at the race site in plenty of time to get warmed up, but my breakfast did not feel digested.  I was surprised that I was not the slightest bit nervous, but merely excited to be out there on such a beautiful day.   The water looked amazing.  Very clear and calm, and with a swim at only 800 meters, I was feeling confident.

I ran for about 15 minutes, rode my bike for about 20 minutes, stretched and went to the bathroom one last time.  I had hoped to get a little swim in before race time, but that did not happen.  The race director called everyone over to the dock for a pre-race briefing, and it was start time!  I found Trevor and the boys and gave them all kisses.  Alleck insists that I wave to him before I jump in so he can find me in the sea of yellow caps.  I love that my family enjoys watching me race. Without the support of Trevor and my kids this just would not be half as fun.

The water was so calm at 8am!  Here we go!

Luckily the men went off 5 minutes before the women, so I had a chance to get in the water and acclimate to the cold.  I positioned myself on the far left and behind one woman.   My swim plan for the day was to draft off of someone, and swim straight.  As the gun sounded I was off.  Although I found myself vering to the right, I sighted enough to correct myself before it became too problematic, and I kept myself calm.  I brought my head out of the water a couple of times, especially right before the turn around when I found myself tangled in sea weed and yes, a jelly!  I think I screamed pretty loud, splashed around a bit then put my head down.  I was now around the boats and was headed home.  I would say this was a breakthrough moment for me.  I was as calm as could be, and pretty much swam straight the entire way back to shore.  I was pumped!  Even better, was hearing Trevor say as I exited the water that my time was 14:10, nearly 5 minutes faster than last year!

My wetsuit came off easily, but I fumbled a bit with my helmet and shoes.  I stuffed my gloves in the front of my tri-suit top, figuring that I could put them on easier once my hands dried,  and my Hammer Gel flask in the back.  Mid-way through the race I regretted not taking the time to put my gloves on, as my hands were wet and slippery.  I stopped on the 2nd lap and put them on.  I'll have to play around with where to keep my flask.  Without any pockets in my tri-suit, I am left with few options.  I thought that my suit was tight enough to tuck it in the back, but soon it was slipping down my right leg.  I'll have to work on that one.

I was surprised at how erratic my breathing was once I was on the bike and was not able to make the first climb.  I was bummed since I practiced this climb the day before and knew I was capable of doing it.  I focused on calming my breath and riding smoothly and did not worry about having to walk the climb.  It was not long after this I passed  frustrated Jo Markham stopped along the trail who had just taken a wrong turn.  The course was marked well, but some of the markings were torn down making navigating a bit tough. I ended up taking this same wrong turn on the 2nd lap, and when I finally caught back up to Jo on the 3rd lap she greeted me with surprise. We laughed about how now that we both took wrong turns it was a fair race.  I left her saying "Lets do this Jo."   After dropping my chain, taking a wrong turn and finally stopping to put on my gloves, I still beat my bike split from last year by 4 minutes.

I came into transition with Jo on my heels and the race director approaches me to ask how the bike course was.  The course was great except that there was not one course Marshal anywhere.  Since the course resembled a cyclo-cross course with many intersecting trails and tight twisty turns, there really should have been many people out on the course directing people.  Trevor mentioned hearing talk from other participants that also had similar experiences out there.  It has been a long time since I've taken a wrong turn, and although a bit frustrated to lose my position, I was able to get back into the lead by the time we left for the run.

Although my run is not as strong as it could be right now, I still managed to beat my run split from last year by nearly a minute.  I felt great, and tried to keep a steady rhythm.  I counted to myself 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4.  The run course was just a 5k, with two small laps on a beautiful twisty trail.  On the second lap, I looked over my shoulder to see Jo close behind.  I felt good and told myself to just keep on moving and keep a steady pace.  My lack of trail running lately caught up with me here as I either tripped over a root or twisted my ankle a bit and went flying.  Luckily it was a soft landing, but I was stretched out on the trail arms extended.  I quickly got back to my feet and started out slow to make sure I was ok.  I soon was able to get back into my rhythm and although I desperately wanted to know how close Jo was, I resisted the urge to look back.  The pavement section to the last trail actually felt good this year, and I opened my stride a bit.  I was excited to enter the last trail and could see Jo coming from the corner of my eye.  I pushed it as hard as I felt comfortable, and felt strong.  As I popped out of the trail, there were cars coming from both directions.  The course marshals seemed confused about whether to let the cars keep passing or to let me cross.  I bit my tongue, hoping that they would figure it out as I stood there, feeling Jo getting closer and closer.  Finally a spectator took some initiative and ordered them to stop traffic and let me through.  I made sure to express my gratitude as I passed him and flew down the hill into the finish.

Corvallis girls finish strong!  1st and 3rd

Trevor and Alleck were there cheering me on as well as Louis and Catherine Signoretty, Mats parents.  I was the first overall woman with a time of 2:03:51, nearly 10 minutes faster than last year.  Jo finished nearly 2 minutes behind, and right on her heels came Lizzy!  I was so excited to see her and knew that she must have killed the run.  Sure enough, she was 2 minutes faster than I on the run.
Watching me finish first was both Trevor and Alleck's favorite part of the weekend.  I have only placed 1st overall two other times and both times they were not there to see.

Top 3 women!

Lizzy, Mat, the boys and I went to the swimming dock to cool off.  We had so much fun watching Liz and Mat climb high on the pylons and throw themselves into the cold water.  Liz is so confident in herself and kind and gentle with everyone she meets.  It was a joy for me to watch her inspire a little 9 year old girl named Alex to also climb up 20 feet or so and jump off.  Alex was beaming.  This was my favorite part of the weekend.  We were all silly, laughing and enjoying each other.

We realized that we had just enough time to hit our favorite coffee/ ice cream shop and get to the "bike tree", the inspiration behind Berkeley Breathed's book The Red Ranger Comes Calling, a must see Vashon Island tourist attraction.    We were told that it was right behind the Sound Food restaurant so off we went to find it.  We eagerly jumped out of the van in search for the bike tree, which turned out to be more of a scavenge than we had anticipated.  We all spread out, taking different paths and yelling from time to time, "have you found it?".  Of course it was Lizzy, who ventured where no one else would have thought and found the tree.    So much fun.

The "bike tree" behind Sound food

We arrived at the Ferry dock a half and hour early which gave us an opportunity to check out the tide pools below.  This was incredible.  There was so much going on down there, and we were able to find sea anemones, star fish, an eel, hermit crabs, and sea crabs.  The boys were in high heaven and Liz impressed us all with her tactics of finding new treasures.

keller found the biggest crab!

We made the trip back to Corvallis from Tacoma in record time and enjoyed yummy burgers at our favorite local spot Block 15.
With full bellies and happy hearts we arrived home refreshed from our time spent together.

I must be honest when I say that it is not easy being a full time-mom with high athletic goals. I have questioned recently just what in the heck I am trying to do.  However, each and every time we go away to an event, and arrive back home with new experiences and another chapter full of memories,  I am reminded just why.  We come away from each journey learning about ourselves and about our family as a whole.  We see new things, go to new places, meet new people and together we learn.  I guess I conclude that the stress and exhaustion is worth these moments of clarity and closeness.  At least for now.

A memorable finish to the end of the season at Picketts charge

We arrived at Wanoga Snow park on Saturday at 5pm and I immediately set out on a pre-ride of the course while Trevor set up camp.  The lap took me just about an hour, and began to rain as I made my way back to the van.  Luckily Trevor thought to bring our easy-up tent because it really started to rain and was cold, like maybe in the low 40's.  It was quite a sight.  Maybe 10 or so tents pitched on the blacktop and as many people as we could squeeze under our cover.  This scenario was pretty hilarious. Here we all were, the last week in June and in Bend, Oregon and it was cold and raining. 

I contemplated not doing the race, as I was feeling pretty tired and burnt out.  During the my warm-up it began to rain pretty hard and it was freezing.  My hands were numb and I was shivering.  On the start line, Alice Drobna tells me that she will take it easy out there because the rain will make the rocks slippery and dangerous.  Oh geez, the last thing I need is to get injured here at a race that I really don't need to do.  I already had the lead in the series, so other than saying that I did all 10 of the series races, I had no business even being there.  Before I could talk myself out of it, the gun sounded and we were off.

My plan was to just ride the course conservatively and not to push myself too hard.  I held to the plan for the first lap, and was maybe in 3rd or 4th place.  Mid-way into the second lap I decided that I was feeling good, and my competitive nature took over.  I decided to see just how far ahead the other girls were.  I had to work pretty hard at this point to catch them, and within a couple miles to the finish was able to secure first place.  So, I ended up the season with 6 straight 1st place wins. 

Trevor was happy with his race, although he crashed on some rocks on the first lap and broke his front brake lever.  He still managed to come in second, riding the entire 2nd lap with only a rear brake.

Dressed for the weather!

The sun came out midway through the race and turned into a beautiful day.  The boys had a blast riding on the Wanoga Pump Track the entire day and we were literally the last car out of the parking lot.

We ended our weekend with dinner at the Kokanee Cafe in Camp Sherman where we were able to use the gift certificates that we won at the Sister's Stampede.  Thanks to the Kokanee Cafe for this kind donation!

Out with the old and in with the new.  The Oregon Mountain Bike series is now finished and we prepare now to enter the Xterra Northwest series. 

Stay tuned!!

Racing our way through the last few weeks

Wildlife Safari Campground.  Just steps from the
Park entrance!

Time is flying by.  I can't  believe that this weekend marks the 10th and final race of the Oregon XC Mtn bike season.  If everything goes as planned, I will have done all 10 races!  In a little over 3 months we have traveled the state and raced like crazy.  Though we have had much fun, we now are feeling the effects of operating at this high level of exertion and are ready for a little reprieve.   Its time to watch the garden grow and sit around our patio table enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

Our favorite camp breakfast!  Crepes filled with
Yogurt, strawberries and Walnuts, YUM!

The first weekend in June, we trekked South to Grants Pass.  We stopped in Winston at the Wildlife Safari and spent the day enjoying the warmth of Southern Oregon while taking in the beauty of the Safari Animals.

The drive-through portion of the park was really relaxing and fun.

Many of the animals were very close to our van as we drove by.
Sometimes it felt a bit too close!

Are these just the cutest Safari animals EVER?




The Campground at Sam Brown Horse camp was
perfect for our group.  The kids had a blast exploring the
river for wildlife!

The Team Dirt Crew enjoys the after race burritos and hot tea

We then ventured to the race site, up in the mountains outside of Grants Pass and connected with our Corvallis racing community.  We have had so much fun this year sharing this experience with these fabulous folks, and at this event 8 of us made the Podium!  The Return on the Jedi Race course might just be my favorite.  30 miles of amazing single track and the views were spectacular.  Both Trevor and I finished in First place in our categories!

The Corvallis Contingent.  Racing strong all year!

Last year at this race I won the grand prize of a 1 nights stay at the Riverside Lodge in Grants Pass.  We indulged in this stay after the race and really lived it up.  We lounged around poolside while the boys swam, enjoyed a wine and cheese hour in the lobby, cookies and milk after dinner, and spent the evening watching television all snuggled in together on the beds. 

With all the traveling that we have done as a family, this was the first time the boys had stayed in a hotel.  We are campers, and have spent their entire life vacationing at campgrounds.  A couple of times we have rented houses or condos but never before a hotel.  It was so cute to hear their reactions at finding toiletries in the bathroom, linens on the beds and even bathrobes in the closet!  Keller exclaimed "lets all put on the robes and watch a movie".  What the room did not have however was a kitchenette, and we had come prepared with our own food.  Luckily for us, the patio area was large enough that we could set up our camp stove and coolers.  We tried to be tidy about this though, as I can only imagine what the staff thought of us dirty cyclists coming through their upscale lodge setting up our camp kitchen outside of our room.  It really was quite comical!

Right outside of the hotel was the dock for the Rogue River Excursions jet boat rides.  We splurged on a tour of the river that left that afternoon.  As we pulled into the parking lot the rain turned to hail the size of green peas!  As much as I tried to convince the boys that it might not be such a good idea to go on the river in this weather, they were not at all convinced.  We had our rain gear, so off we went.  This is not something that we would usually choose to do, but it turned out to be REALLY COOL!  Our tour guide, entirely impressed by the hardiness of our group gave us a great tour of the Rogue.  Being a wildlife biologist, he offered a lot of knowledge of the land and of the wildlife.  We came upon a bathing deer and quite a few bald eagles.  What we were not expecting was the speed at which these boats can achieve.  50 miles per hour at some points kept the adrenaline junkies happy.  We were able to explore more than 30 miles of the Rogue.

10 minutes before our boat was about to depart from the dock!

On June 16th, Mudslinger Events Race director Mike Ripley and his family put together another great race with the Test of Endurance 50 mile Mtn bike race.  The weather was perfect and the trails in great condition.  Although this was a tough event for both Trevor and I, we were really happy to have participated.

This guy behind me was in it for the long haul. 
100 miles in 4 laps.  I was glad to be done
after 2 laps and 50 miles.

The start of the Test of Endurance 50mile race

I beat my last years time by about 50 minutes and came in 3rd overall and 1st in the Cat 1 category with a time of 5hrs 3 minutes. Trevor, still nursing a shoulder injury had a hard race and came in 4th with a time of 4hrs 24minutes.

The boys arrived just in time to help cheer on some of our friends.

The boys stayed with a sitter at home and met us at the race later in the day.  Unfortunately, we could not attend the awards, as we had our end of the year pot-luck to attend at Allecks school Philomath Montessori.  It was nice to relax in the shade while enjoying good food and conversation with the Montessori community that we have been a part of for 6 years. 

This week marks the end of many things and the beginning of summer.  Both of the boys finished school, and  we finally planted our garden.  We left it small this year, in hopes that we can stay on top of it and actually grow something from it. Our 2 cherry trees are bursting, and we will be busy picking within the next week or so.

Off to Bend we go for the Pickett's Charge race and the last of the series.  Then we have a couple weeks of home time before I begin the Xterra Series.  Many memories behind and many more still to come! 

A rocky road through the Sisters Stampede

I realize that we have been going hard for quite some time now.  Six weeks straight to be exact.  All in all things have gone very smoothly, with only minor glitches in our system.  Both Trevor and I have been racing strong, we have all been healthy, our travel has gone smoothly and I recall saying after last weeks race that we were feeling more energized than ever with this schedule.   Well, this week was just a bit different, and here is why............

1.   Unexpected happenings throughout the week delayed my trip prep which led to some forgotten items............. rain jackets.  It rained, and HARD :)  and each boy had just 1 pair of socks each for the entire weekend!

2.  Two years ago at this race in Sisters, I crashed and broke my collar bone.  My body remembers, and was dealing with some anxiety, maybe some pent up emotional trauma stuff all week. Who knows, but I was feeling OFF.

3.  Both Trevor and I woke on Saturday with what seemed to be a bit of a cold.  Headache and a heavy chest.

4.  I could not find, and thus did not have my pair of lucky socks.  The socks that I have worn for every race this season.  And so, my pre-race "ju-ju" was compromised. 

5.  I forgot to take my pre-race Hammer Gel.  Tropical with 25mg of caffeine has worked very well for me all year, but today I just forgot!

ok.  so the race goes like this..............

It started off bad.  Then I caught up.  Then it got bad.  Then I caught up.  Then it got bad again.  Then I caught back up.  Then I pushed it so hard that I came in first in my category, but also made myself sick.  I really got a cold, and that felt pretty bad. Good sleep, lots of echinachea, fresh vegetables and fruit and today I am now feeling pretty good.

That's me in Orange.   WAY in the back.  I had to play catch up from the very beginning.

Although this race was a bit "rocky", I come away from it having learned something and really, that is what this is all about. 

I pushed my body, even though it was weak.  And my body responded well.  I told it to go harder, and it could.  But what I could not do, was shut off my mind.  And this is what took me off of that trail.

The Sisters trails are different than what we ride here in the Valley.  They are dry and fast, and have plenty of rocks to challenge your handling skills.  The rocks are what got me two years ago when I broke my collar bone.  They snuck up on me and before I knew it, I was thrown to the ground and my season was over.  I do not train on rocks and really, am not comfortable on them.  I had myself a silent celebration during the race when I passed the place that took me down two years ago. Ha!  I got past you this time :) 

Unfortunately, the lesson I thought I learned two years ago crept back into my race this year.  The thing about Mountain biking, and especially on a technical trail during a race is that you CANNOT take your mind off of the trail for a second.  You MUST be present with what you are doing at that very moment, and until you cross that finish line.

I let my insecurity get in the way of my ability to ride my bike, and it almost cost me the race. 

I got myself in front of a women in my category who is much stronger than I on the technical trails  and worried that I was holding her up.  Also with us was Greg Creswick from Team Dirt who also is a very competent technical rider.  I was stressing.  I was also riding fast, and distracted about having them behind me.  Although they both said that things were ok, and they did not want to pass me, I did not relax and ride my bike.  Before I knew it, I came around a corner and into a rock garden and obviously took the wrong line.  I swear I saw my back wheel come up near my head, and I was was sure I'd hit a tree.  All of the sudden my wheel dropped and I rolled to the side of the trail.  After a very loud shriek of relief and a quick apology to Greg and Alice, I got myself together.  Man I love my bike.  It must be those big wheels that got me out of that one!

At that point it was a sprint to the finish and I was able to muster the strength to pass her again and maintain the lead.  I find out after the race, this girl is on a single speed!  She has reason to "peace out" the crowd from the podium.  This girl is in a different league.

I came across the finish line exhausted, but fortunate to be in one piece.  I gave it all I had out there.

Looking back.  I should have shut my thoughts off, and ridden my bike.  I was there for a reason, and all I had to do was hold my place.  And if I find myself in that position again, where I worry about who is behind me?  Pull over, and let them by.  I chase just fine.

At the finish,  Trevor was beaming after finishing 2nd place!  This guy is such a stud.  I mean  seriously, he works 40 plus hour weeks digging holes, loading/ dumping wheelbarrows, and stacking heavy rocks, but can still come out on his weekend and throw down a race against some of the fastest men in the state.  It is truly impressive.

My friend Gaby generously drove to Sisters race morning to hang with the kids during the race.  She had fun watching them navigate the obstacle course, and treating them to fruit smoothies with whipped cream!  Gaby has been a constant source of support for our family, always quick to lend a hand and  I am forever grateful for all she does for us. 

The kids race again trumped the day.  It brings so much joy to see my kids challenging themselves, and getting that sense of accomplishment.  Written all over their faces was this sense of bliss and excitement and our hearts on fire just to witness it.  We ran around that dusty field cheering loudly and they peddled their little legs just as fast as they could.  It was awesome!

Big huge THANK YOU to the organizers and Sponsors of the Sister's Stampede.  The entire event was so well put together, and after just 3 years running more than 500 racers registered!

Alleck will read to anyone who will listen.  Luckily, Marcus was there for him!

We spent the afternoon resting with friends in the Sister's campground and enjoyed a group dinner at the Blue Agave Mexican Restaurant in Sisters.

The next day both Trevor and I were feeling pretty sick.  We mustered the strength to get back on our bikes with the kids at the Phil's Trail head Pump Track.  WOW!  This place was amazing!  Keller loved catching air on the big jumps and Alleck rode the entire slalom course!  I was blown away with the number of people there that day.  So many kids riding their bikes and so many parents doing it with them.   Our day ended with skinned knees, and a few tears but again, some incredible moments on our bikes.

The focus of this week has been to rest and get healthy for this weekends race near Grants Pass.  Many loads of laundry later, and I have already packed our bags!  Out of the dryer, and right into the duffel's.  This time with plenty of socks!