Test of Endurance 100k

With the High Cascades 100 mile race in Bend just around the corner on July 20th,  it may be wise  to spend some time on the bike. Trevor and I were excited to participate in the Test of Endurance 100k,  a local race put on by Mike Ripley of Mudslinger events.  Since both of us raced pretty hard the week before in the Mt. Hood 6hr race, we thought we would use this race as more of a training ride, to gauge how our bodies handle being on the bike for 62 miles.  And of course, a race on the Mary's Peak trails was pretty hard to turn down!

Keller had been looking forward to this day too.  He was excited to challenge his endurance by completing 25miles of the course, his longest race to date.

The weather was perfect, the trails were fun and the aid stations totally rocked. 

There was no need for me to carry anything other than a water bottle for this 62 mile race.  The aid stations were perfectly set up around the course and they had EVERYTHING I needed.  Hammer Products Rock!!

Both Trevor and I had really good days on the bike, and Keller too. We had hoped to catch Keller on our way to the finish, but there was no way.  He spent 4 hours on his bike and made it back to the finish long before either of us.  Smiles wide, Keller reached 2nd place, another podium finish!

Trevor loved climbing the Northridge Trail up Mary's Peak and was 4th to the top!

The Wildflowers were amazing!  And how cool is it that Oregon Velo takes such amazing photos? 

The best part of the day for all of us was meeting a fellow Japanese competitor named Sho Ming.  Having been in Corvallis all but 3 days, Sho sought out advice from the internet on local outdoor activities to participate in.  He settled on the TOE as his weekend adventure, and boy is that how it turned out.

Sho rented a bike from Peak Sports never having mountain biked before, let alone raced.  He rode the 16 plus miles out to the race site with a small water bottle and chocolate, and barely got to registration on time.  Feeling optimistic, Sho registered for the 50 mile race.

Without going into great detail here,

Sho is a happy and adventurous guy, and has inspired us to strive for openness in adventure too.

Sho inspired all who met him and witnessed his perseverance and bravery.  Knowing only basic English, Sho threw himself into an unfamiliar and very challenging situation, in the middle of the forest somewhere in the coast range with a bunch of Americans in which communication was difficult.  It became clear that he was in over his head, but with the help of the amazing race sweep team, he completed 25miles of the course and made it to the finish line in one piece.  This still is an incredible feat.  The Ripley's presented him with a medal for this great effort.

My family had the honor of driving Sho back to his hotel in Corvallis where we learned more of this adventurous and brave life.   We pieced together a lovely conversation and my children were in awe.  In 3 days, Sho had gone fishing, climbed a mountain and entered a mountain bike race.  All following a very long airplane ride from Japan where I would imagine some amount of Jet lag still lingering.

Tired and inspired, we look forward to the next adventure.  Trevor and I will do the HC100 mile in two weeks and Keller is excited to join a junior team for the High Cascades 24hr race the following weekend.  Never having been on a night ride, he is volunteering to do a midnight lap!

Stay tuned!

Keller with his new racing buddy Nathanial Hart.  Together they, along with 3 other juniors will take on the High Cascades 24hr race!

My nine year old loves to race his bike!

Golly.  Its been way too long since I have sat down to write this blog, and I really have missed it.  My head is bursting with memories and stories from the past 4 months, as we have had some really incredible times together while riding  bikes.

Each ride, a lesson is learned, a connection is made and more often than not a plan ensues for when we will be at it again.  My kids are getting hooked!

 Keller's first race in Echo that early day in March, was the spark that lit this burning fire.  He went from riding 5, to 10 to 15 miles, and now is totally self-motivated to embark on a 25mile ride this Saturday, one lap of the Test of Endurance Race in Blodgett.

Here is how that once crazy idea just a few months later, now seems like the natural progression.

The Mudslinger, In Blodgett, Oregon

Was wet and cold. Pure NW spring riding conditions at its finest.  We were bundled, but Keller's gloves (my old, thin riding gloves with holes in the fingers)  did not work to keep his hands warm.  He at one point told me that it was difficult for him to hold onto his bars, and impossible to shift.  As we stopped to exchange with dry ones I had in my pack, Barry Wicks came flying by, offering words of encouragement and reminding Keller that he was almost at the finish.  That interaction fueled Keller to get right back on his bike and not mention the cold hands again.

Keller rode on, dug deep and finished the race in very uncomfortable conditions.  1 hr and 49 minutes.

It was during this ride, that it became clear that he did not need me anymore to accompany him.  I felt confident that the next race, he could ride alone.  He is cautious, strong, smart and motivated.  If anything, my presence was holding him back.

The Cascade Chainbreaker in Bend, Oregon

 

Was HOT!  We are talking, dry dusty and warm, Central Oregon style!  Keller was on his own for this one, and Alleck and I hung out at the finish and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.  I truly thought that this would be a fairly fast course, and did not even send him out with any food, or gels, although he did have water and heed! 

 

 2 hours and 44 minutes later, he came pedaling through the finish, red faced and wet with sweat. Alleck and I greeted him with high fives and kind words, and Keller took it all in.  In all honesty, I thought he would be angry.  I thought he would hate it, hate me.  Being out in the heat, the dust, the elements for nearly 3 hours with NO food, and alone!  Nope.  The kid loved it.  Although he said to me that he could not call it "fun", he was pleased with himself for doing it.  

 

In discussing his race with us on the ride back home he mentions his highlights:

 

Getting a fist bump from women's leader Evelyn Dong as she passed. (good for you girl!  This made his day!)

Riding with the Mexican man and his young daughter who was behind on a tag-a-long, and who Keller says was barely holding on but having a blast!

Having the other junior riders who finished ahead of him, waiting to greet him at the finished.  I almost cried as I watched one of them pick Keller up and say, "Dude!  You finished!!"   A great group of boys who are excited and encouraging of each other.

 

The Sisters Stampede in Sisters, Oregon

These boys have become fast friends while riding bikes.  Bikes bring people together.

 

Alleck is ready to rock.

The Kid's race was nearly as big
as the main event!

Family photo! 

The Sister's race is one of our favorites.  The course is great, and the venue so much fun.  Posting the largest rider turnout in the series, the weekend has the energy of a big party, and the weather was PERFECT!  We all raced this weekend.  Trevor, Keller and I raced the main event, and Alleck rocked the kids race.  Spirits soared well through the weekend, as we continued to shred the amazing trails in Bend until the very bitter end of the weekend.  We rode for nearly 4 hours Sunday, visiting hot spots like the Whoops trail and The Lair.  We had a BLAST!

 

Alsea Falls Switchback.  Alsea, Oregon

 

Another race in our own backyard!  Again, all three of us were able to ride and enjoy this race, the beautiful scenery, and our many friends who were out there with us.  Alleck and I hung out with friends on the course and cheered loudly every time we passed.  Seeing him along the course is always a feel good, and especially today as this course was tough!

Keller met his goal today!  He reached the podium for a 3rd place finish!  And now, he is really hooked!

Mt. Hood 6hr Race at Ski Bowl, Mt Hood

Trevor and I intended for the High Cascades 100 miler to be our "key" race of the year, which is quickly approaching on the 20th of July.

 

Unfortunately, life is busy, and our training log is pretty low.  This 6 hour race would hopefully help prepare our legs for what lies ahead a mere 3 weeks from now.

 

Keller was invited to do the race as a team with his buddy Colin, so once again, a Norland family affair ensued on the amazingly fast and fun course at Ski Bowl.

 

I was able to see Keller out on the course twice throughout the day, and Trevor was able to ride with him for about a mile where he says the trail was flowing and Keller was riding at a pace that made Trevor super stoked.  He was racing WITH his 9 year old son and apparently going just as fast as he needed to go.  It was a good day!

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any race pics from this event, although I know there must be some out there, because photographers were all over the place.  I was able to grab a couple of photos from someone elses blog ( thank you Beth Ann), and as you can see, it was a beautiful day.

 



 Along with all this racing, we have been riding a ton as a family.  Most recently on a road trip to Coeur D' Alene, Idaho to watch our friend compete in the Ironman.  We rode in 3 states on that 4 day journey and the kids had a blast!

Navigating the bridges on the McKenzie River Trail

Oh the learning curve of riding clip-less

So many cool things to explore on the side of the trail

We volunteered for a kids bike event and  had fun building some skills course obstacles

Oakridge kids mtn bike day.  We enjoyed the shuttle to the top of Alpine, and bombed all the way down.  This group of kids were sick fast!  So much fun!

Its moments like these, while taking in the view that keeps us coming back for more

just one of my favorite sites.  My 3 boys

Alleck is so proud of his clip-less pedals

Keller is a joyful rider.  When most others would quit because of poor conditions, he relishes in them

Just too cute.... I had too!

We spent our 10th anniversary night on a mtn bike ride in the MacDonald forest

The Lair in Bend is just one of our favorite places to ride



The Centennial Trail outside of Spokane is a very kid friendly ride. Unfortunately we had push the envelope and check out some really fun looking trails and ended up on a 25 plus mile ride.  Yes, with a 9 y/o and a 6 y/o.  A note was made:  Stop while it is still fun :)

 

 

 



 

 

Eyes wide open

I am one lucky mom.

I had the privilege of accompanying Keller during his first junior category OBRA mountain bike race which turned out to be one of the most incredible parenting experiences EVER!

Keller's first race number!  And his own race bag!! filled with Swag!

Saturday, the morning of the race, Keller was up at the crack of dawn, ready to head into town to pick up his packet.  It was 5:45am, and the registration table would not be open for another 3 hours.  He was so excited!


A view of the campground from up on the trail.

We packed up camp and headed into town, where we would enjoy a nice sidewalk breakfast while parked next to our Corvallis buddies Jesse and Molly.  The first race of the year brought so much excitement as our biking "family" reunites.  It was a great feeling to see so many familiar faces again.

Sidewalk oatmeal and coffee, in downtown Echo

Keller received many wishes of good luck, and I could tell that this made him feel really good.  We did double and triple checks on his bike and pack, just to make sure that he had everything he needed and that his bike was working properly.



Its race day!!!

 It seemed like forever that we stood on the start line, cheering on each group of riders as they began their race.  Keller kept anxiously asking "how much longer?"  and must have gone to the bathroom 10 times.

At last, the juniors and first timers were called to the start line and we made our way to the middle of the pack.  I waited until now to ask Keller where he would like me to be during the race.  Early in the week he stated that he wanted to feel like he was racing alone, but know that I was somewhere close behind.  He motioned that he wanted me right behind him, and believe me, that made me super happy!

Mom and Keller in our matching Team Dirt kit's.  Notice the go pro on my helmet??  I hope I got some good footage!

Keller had a really difficult start to this race.  The neutral roll out was about a mile, and then as soon as the lead truck waved the flag, the riders around us took off.  I realized at that moment, that Keller just did not quite have the energy to pick up his pace as he was looking pretty tired and winded already.  He got really distracted and discouraged watching the other riders whiz by him, and I could see his motivation lessen.  I remained silent.  We rode for some time this way, me behind him, watching him look over his shoulder at the constant train of riders that would pass.  With each pass, I swear I could see him sink a bit lower in his saddle.  

Of course, I tried to offer words of encouragement, and tell him everything was fine, but really he was deflated.  He looked really uncomfortable on his bike, and was keeping a pretty fast cadence... a bit to fast if you were to ask me.  He told  me his upper leg was rubbing on the saddle, and to me his seat looked a bit too high.  UGH!  The last thing I wanted was for him to be uncomfortable, thus leading to a miserable experience.   We were less than 2 miles into a 14 mile ride and he was saying that his butt hurt!  I made a conscious effort not to play into his discomfort, but as I silently rode behind, I began to see all these flaws in his form.  Oh no!  As much as I tried to bite my tongue, the words just spilled out of my mouth and I began giving him little "suggestions" on how he could make himself more comfortable.

By this time, we had reached the very rough, newly built piece of trail that we would be riding today, and I could tell in how Keller was riding his bike that he was not having much fun.   He pulled over on the side of the trail and took a drink of water.  I began talking, and blabbing some mother hen nonsense and Keller just looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Can you just stop giving me suggestions?"

We hopped back on the bikes and began to ride again, and I kept my mouth SHUT.

It was not long after this that I believe an angel was sent to intervene.

His name was J.P., and I would guess to say that he was in his early 30's.  In the hour that we spent together on that trail I learned that he recently had moved to Bend and had not ridden a bike in 15 years before entering a cyclocross race this past fall.  That experience inspired him to get healthy by regularly riding his bike.  The Echo to Red, was his first attempt at a Cross Country mountain bike race and his only goal for the day was to finish and have fun doing so.

This was where it got steep, and the views were so spectacular, walking worked best.

J.P. pulled his bike right in between Keller and I and stayed there until the end of the race.  Every time Keller stopped to get a drink, J.P. stopped too, usually with gasps about how thirsty and tired he was.  And when Keller got off and walked his bike over the section of trail that hung over a cliff at the edge of the river, so did J.P, again with his commentary about how high we were and how insecure he was riding on a trail so close to the edge of the cliff.    It was during this time of the race, riding with J.P.,  that Keller's spirit began to lift.  I purposefully lagged behind giving the two of them space to ride their own race, and at their own pace.

I loved watching Keller's head move from side to side as he took in the beautiful surroundings, and I swear I witnessed the moment when it hit him.  The moment that any mountain biker, trail runner, climber, hiker ect experience when they find themselves surrounded in natures pure beauty and realizing that it was by the strength and power of their own bodies that got them to this incredible place.  It was picture perfect, which is why I had to stop and snap one.  A train, a river, the vineyard, a prairie, and my adorable son pushing his bike up the trail.

This portion of the trail was stunning.  Really incredible.  That is a Vineyard to our right.  Sno Road Winery gives Mountain bikers access to their property.  A very unique trail system.

We had a blast riding through the river section of the trail, with twists and turns and bridges to navigate.  Keller had a burst of energy and loves technical riding like this, so he got quite a bit ahead of J.P. at this point.  I stayed behind J.P. and offered words of encouragement because he seemed to like that.

The climb out of the river section is hard.  A very steep trail that turns to a gravel road along side of the vineyard.  Keller pushed his bike up the trail, and J.P. did too, and then Keller stopped at the top of the trail and took a water break.  J.P. joined Keller and appeared to be pretty tired, as he huffed and puffed and bent over to stretch his back.  We all shared some Hammer Gel's that I had in my jersey, and I encouraged them that they were on the home stretch.  2 more miles to go!

We all hopped on our bikes and began the gravel road to the finish line.  As we came to the intersection of trail where all the other categories riders filtered in, I saw Alleck, my 6 year old, on the side of the trail with his bike in a heap.  Hannah Hart, a fellow mountain biker who chose not to race today took Alleck and some of the other kids on a ride.  Alleck's derailleur malfunctioned with his chain jammed in between the cassette.  They needed me.  So, I gave Keller and J.P. each a high five and sent them on their way.  Keller would be fine, as it was a straight shot back to the finish line.

Trevor, who had finished a short time before, was able to greet Keller at the finish line.  As he tells it, Keller had a fierceness all over his face and was determined to finish the race strong.  He came into the finish chute in a big group of "old men", as Keller describes them, and with J.P. close behind.  Even with me gone, J.P. stayed behind Keller.

Later that day, J.P. came up to thank us for the ride. I think he genuinely enjoyed his race, riding with a 9 year old boy and his mom.  I honestly think that having J.P. along, is what helped to make this first race a pleasant one for Keller.  He wanted to feel like he was riding alone, not with his mom, and I think there at the end, is how it worked out.

Keller walked tall the rest of that day, was excited to ride the trails again as soon as we arrived at camp.  Unfortunately, he ended up in the E.R. with stitches in his leg...... a minor slice to the shin, and he is just fine.

Dad took Keller to the E.R. for 5 stitches, while I stayed back at camp with Alleck for a sunset ride that he had been waiting for ALL DAY.  He and I had a blast, although he told me that he closes his eyes when he rides steep descents!  With big brother in the hospital, I did not exactly take that piece of info well.  We had a conversation about safety while on a bike.  Rule #1:  Eyes remain open.  Wide open.

Sunday, this bridge was nearly under water.  The water was rising!

The next day, our family was all smiles as we rode the beautiful trails of Echo Valley for 5 hours together!  Keller was on fire, and I could tell, that something had changed in him.  He was confident, determined, and motivated, and this time all these things were coming from inside him.  He pushed himself, he struggled, and he may have even given up.  But in the end, as it all played out, he grew up.  It was a beautiful thing, and I am one lucky mom. 




We had a blast.  Team Hammer Nutrition, riding on Niner's.  Thanks to Fuzzy with Niner Bikes, we had a blast!

And the times, they are a changin!

Looking forward to many more of these family rides

I've spent a long time away from this blog, and believe me, I have missed it!  I have many unpublished posts swirling around in my head from these last few months as some incredible things have happened.  Some difficult, a few surprising and unexpected, and most full of joy and a chance to grow.

I look forward to sharing these happenings with those who read my blog, but for now I am readying for our first family road trip and the first mtn bike race of the season!  Yippee!



Phil's Trail fun in Bend

We are off to Echo, Oregon for the Echo Red 2 Red, where both Trevor and Keller will be racing! Yep, its true,  Keller our 9 year old will be doing his first OFFICIAL junior category race tomorrow!!!  He is super excited and I am about through the moon.  I am loving our race prep conversations, the questions he chooses to ask, while listening to his "race plan."  Keller is realistic about what is possible.  He says that his goal is to make the podium at least one time this season.  He knows the competition is tough, and this will be his first attempt at "racing" 14 miles.  I will forgo racing myself this weekend, so that I can ride behind Keller for support if he should need it.  He stresses that he wants to feel like he is racing alone, but know that if he needs me, I will be somewhere close behind.  And I just cannot wait to accompany him on this first journey, knowing that really, anything can happen.  My only hope:  That he enjoys himself.

I am sure my smile will be wide, and a few joyful tears will be shed,  as I watch my boy ride his bike.

And he can sew!  Keeping the Montessori alive while he made his teachers gifts for Christmas

A HUGE THANK YOU to Hammer Nutrition for keeping our family going.  We are LOVIN the support!!

I just love listening to my boy play his fiddle music.  Although he often complains and begs to quit, we are committed to keeping this music alive.  We just have to balance the sports with some arts and that is just that! 

The end of an Incredible year at the Xterra World Championship's 2012

I stood there for a moment, looking out at the surf trying to "understand" the power of the ocean. Surrounding me, was the buzz and excitement of 800 Xterra athletes eagerly awaiting the start of this race and I was contemplating walking away. "Is this worth it? The waves are so big, The coast guard warns of strong currents and big swells. I have an uncomfortable amount of sand in my tri-suit. I hadn't yet seen Trevor and the kids...... AND, I have 5 days of vacation left in this beautiful place that I want to be here for!"  As I looked to my right, I spot Lizzy and shout out.  She offers a much needed embrace as we exchange words of encouragement.

Moments before, I had been pounded by the surf as I came to shore from my warm-up.  As I was tossed and turned  for what seemed like forever,  I remembered the advice a friend shared with me the night before. " If you get tossed around, get your hands in front of your face, to save it from slamming against the sand."  My arms went up, and in an instant I was flipped upside down, around and around and was slammed down on the base of my neck.  Ouch.  That hurt.  But more than a physical pain, it really scared me.

As I walked out of the surf, obviously defeated, an Xterra Official was right there to greet me.   He  had seen what had just happened, and was very kind and gentle while doing his best to comfort me.  "You will be O.K." he says. " We have plenty of medical personell on hand if you need it.  Just race safe and everything will be fine." 

The waves were big, much taller than me, and after being evacuated from our condo the night before due to a tsunami warning, I was pretty freaked out.

I managed to pull myself together.  I ignored the uncomfortable, scratchy, heavy sand and for a moment, tuned out all the noise and excitement.  For this minute, it was just me standing there weighing the importance of this race.

I was here.  In Maui.  Standing on a beach with 800 other trained athletes all who probably were having similar conversations with themselves and their demons. Today will be challenging, and I'll take it, and at the same time do so cautiously.  I will be here to enjoy my vacation!

After a couple deep and relaxing breathes and a few very kind words to myself the cannon sounded, and I was off.

The race went like this:

1.  I had the best swim start of my triathlon career, but then I ran into people and currents and my own anxiety.  I was glad that I did not quit, because I really, really, really wanted to at least  a few times.
2.  I did not get pounded by the surf.  Although Trevor, who was watching on shore was legitimately worried that I may not come back.
3.  The bike course was very congested with other athletes and I had a really hard time getting into any sort of rhythm.
4.  I made a shifting error which resulted in a dropped chain.  From that point on, I could not get the darn thing to stay on.  I dropped it another 3 or 4 times.
5.  I lost motivation, but eventually found it again.
6.  I felt grateful to be there.  Grateful to be competing in this event.  Grateful to be healthy enough to do so.  I felt so grateful to my husband who has allowed me the time and the money to train and compete.  And by acknowledging my gratitude, I had a blast finishing this race.
7.  The run on the beach felt amazing, and I loved seeing my family and friends on the finish line.

8.  I did it!

Obviously, the race did not go the way I had hoped, but my kids were as proud of me if I stood high on the podium.  Alleck with his face beaming with joy ran to me after checking the result table. He was obviously excited to share the news.  I placed fifth out of 35 women in my age group!  I could see right away, that he was proud.  "Your were 5th mom!!"  I set all pride and disappointment aside and for that moment, enjoyed my accomplishment with him.  Yes, I placed fifth and under the circumstances I am very happy about that.

We immediately went into party mode, as we had 2 World Champions in our group.  Hannah Rae Finchamp was the overall amateur female winner and Lizzy Gruber was the 20-24 year age group World Champ.  Relief and excitement filled our hearts and we shared in a fun night together.

Post-race photo with Hannah Rae and Liz

My family and I spend the next 5 days at Napili Beach in West Maui,  playing in the ocean and soaking in the sun.   We returned home with enough amazing photos to fill a book, and memories that will last a lifetime.  Swimming and snorkeling with my boys was seriously one of the funnest things I have ever done with them.  The animal lovers that they are were in high heaven, as we swam around identifying creatures that until then, they had only seen in books.  It was magical.



Hanging Loose!

Keller and I enjoyed many sunrise mornings on our beach!

As I look back on this year, I can't help but smile.   All of these races have taken our family to some amazing places, and introduced us to so many incredible people.   It has become so much more than the competition, and more about the lifestyle we choose.  Having a goal, pushing our bodies, eating with intention, being together, and sharing  these experiences with others. 

Once again, the advice from a friend long before I had kids seems fitting.  " Find something that your family likes to do together, and do a lot of it."

The incredible Coconut Ice Cream stand on the Road to Hana

A family photo from the Luau on our last night in Maui

The boys both ran in the 5k race the day before mine.  Trevor ran with Alleck and admitted that it was really hard!