We were wielding the point-n-shoot yesterday and snagged a few photos along the way.  Mostly buddies and babies and a few muddy faces – none of the true shenanigans that dominated the latter half of the day.

The real story will emerge in a few days when the Cyclocross Diaries is released (stay-tuned!) For now, a few images that only hint at the madness that was Muddy Fishnet Sunday.

Catch Episode Four (Hillsboro!) and Five (Astoria!) here:

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I’d feel bad for myself if I didn’t know that half of the rest of the cyclocross community was also sick. And racing through sickness.

Sal reported this morning that I am coughing less and less during the night so I celebrated with a hot, steamy mug of delicious Courier Coffee Roasters coffee. (Holy shit, that stuff is out of this world delicious.)

About a week ago the Oregonian ran a column I wrote about being sick. I think their headline said something else, but I titled it “Lung Butter”. Scroll to the bottom of the post to skip the fluff and check out a few general guidelines for dealing with illness when your cycling brain just wants to force your legs to make pedaling motions (and to contribute your own secret remedies/tactics)

Lung Butter (It’s what’s for breakfast)

Lung butter.

It’s about as appetizing as it sounds. As a normal human being it’s the kind of stuff that keeps you up late at night hacking. As a cyclist, the soft vibration of respiratory liquid is a veritable death knell.  The sound of your fitness fading. The inevitable reversal of months of hard-earned progress.

Changing seasons bring a fresh rotation of viruses, bugs, and flus. Traditionally, I wait until the early winter months to acquire something dramatic but this year I decided to dive in right away with a standard-run-of-the-mill early Fall flu.

When the lung butter is this good, why wait?

I took my usual approach to the threat of affliction: outright denial. I rode with a friend in the debt of a chilly morning, raced in the weekday series, and worked late on a deadline. “I am invincible”, I repeated internally.

Despite the fact that this particular tactic has been proven ineffectual (repeatedly), I employed it with absolute confidence. Mind over matter. The headache would surely subside, the general achiness would fade. That scratchy throat? That will go away.

It didn’t, of course. And I woke up a few mornings later with a three-alarm fever, a chest full of mucus, and a head that felt like I’d been mashing it against a street post. Denial gave way to a wave of self-pity followed by fits of sobbing.

So much for invincibility – time to hit the medicine cabinet.

My boyfriend Sal displayed his usual compassion (“You’re weak! How could you let yourself get sick!”) and gentle care-giving tactics (“Don’t come near me.”) and I wallowed in my misery. Meanwhile, the bike sat idle. And the first major race of my cyclocross season approached.

Then came my Michael Jordan moment. Remember when he played with the flu in the 1997 NBA finals against the Jazz? I do. He threw up before the game, had a 104-degree fever, still managed to play 44 minutes and then collapsed in exhaustion after making the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. I watched that game live. He was superhuman.

And I’m going to let a little case of the sniffles keep me out of the local B-league bike races?  No way!

There’s only about three things wrong with this logic. 1. I am not Michael Jordan. 2. I am not getting paid mutli-millions (or anything, for that matter) 3. This is not the NBA playoffs. (It’s a few loops around the Alpenrose Dairy.)

I went to the race, but I didn’t ride. I watched. And you know what? It sucked. In fact, I’ll risk melodrama by admitting that it was the tiniest bit agonizing.

But that night, as I lay in bed hacking up the last of the lung butter I knew that – for once – I’d done the right thing. Next to me, Sal tossed and turned. He woke up the following morning with The Affliction and promptly stopped speaking to me.

I returned his previous care-giving tactic of exaggerated avoidance and headed out into my day to enjoy a feeling of rapidly returning wellness and smug superiority.

Tips for Cycling Through the Cold and Flu Season

“When in doubt, throw it out.”
That’s the old adage. If you question your fitness or fatigue levels, even just a little bit, throw out your workout or ride for the day. It’s better to err on the side of caution when dealing with sickness – by dialing it back, you won’t lose as much fitness as you think and you might prevent the evolution of a more serious illness that could have you sidelined for weeks or months.

Head and Shoulders
One quick guideline seems to be universally agreed upon when it comes to athletes and sickness. If symptoms are above the shoulder only (a head cold and maybe a light sore throat) it is ok to do an easy workout if you’re feeling up to it. If you have achiness, fever or your lungs are affected, keep your hands off that bike for a few days.

Make recovery a priority
My coach, Russell Cree of Upper Echelon Fitness, once told me, “Cycling success is a three-legged stool of physical strength, mental capacity, and health.” That sounds simple, but many cyclists don’t treat recovery with the same priority that they do training (making for a very wobbly stool). Rest days are just as important, if not more so, than hard interval days and when you’re sick that becomes truer than ever. Make the effort to get quality recovery.

Ready, Set, Wait
Once you feel like you’re ready to get back at it again, wait another day (a full 24 hours). It can take your body up to a week to recover even just from the common cold – and over-exertion was probably what got you sick in the first place. It’s always better to be under-trained and healthy than over-trained and sick. When you do get back on the bike, resist the urge to go hard right out of the gate.

Secret Weapons

I’m no medical doctor, but I have gotten pretty good at taking care of myself when the sickies come knocking. Here are two of my favorite products for increasing comfort when the lung butter is on a rampage.

Throat Coat Tea by Traditional Medicinals contains Licorice Root and Slippery Elm – it’s slightly viscous which means it truly does “coat your throat” offering pretty amazing relief from scratchiness and soreness.

Olbas Oil contains extractions of essential oil from six medicinal herbs including eucalyptus, peppermint and clove (it’s strong!). Breathing it in enhances breathing passages – try adding 20 drops to a bowl of hot water, place a towel over the head and breathe vapors in deeply for 5 to 10 minutes. (I’ll also often inhale this stuff from a small piece of tissue before a race – it feels incredible!)

Acupuncture If I hear one more thing about how good acupuncture is for the early stages of colds and flus, I’m going to scream. That said, enough smart and healthy people have told me to go get punctured for me to believe that they’re onto something. I just got health insurance that covers acupuncture treatment so I plan to finally go find out what all the hype is about.

Herb/mineral treatments If you are self-aware (I am extremely NOT self aware) and catch an illness creeping up on you, there are a few great solutions that may smash it down dead in its tracks before it has a chance to round-house kick you in the head.

Yinchiao: A smart Chinese herbalist/accupressure practitioner that I frequent recommends this. I managed to use it effectively twice this year to stop bad stuff before it started.

Gan Mao Ling: Same Smart-Lady recommends this in case you don’t catch your sickness early enough to use Yinchao. When things get full bore, I eat the Gan Mao Ling like candy.

Wellness Formula: A different smart lady (traditional western nurse with hippy-natural-medicine leanings) recommends this stuff. She takes it in small doses all winter long and manages to stave off The Crud. I am currently preparing to employ this tactic.

What about you? Have secret weapons to share? By all means, leave a comment!

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PS: Don’t forget to add yourself to the contact list so I can letcha know what is going to happen with this here blog in the very near future. (Things are changing.)

This blog is going to go through a pretty major change in the next two months. It’s not going away, it’s just going to kick 126% more ass.

And I might tie one-million balloons to it and fly it away to another location.

And it will be different. And better. And probably a little bigger.

And there might be some other stuff that I can’t talk about right now.

I’ll know a little bit more about it later this month and I’ll probably send a note out to my contact list well in advance of any type of public announcement. I’d really like to make sure that you can follow me wherever I end up so, if you haven’t already, and you’re inclined to, take a minute to sign up for the list.

Dude. I hate SPAM way more than you do, so rest assured I’m not going to assault you with crap or sell your personal electronic location in the world. In fact, I think the last time I sent out an email was in June of 2008. I just want you to sign my yearbook so we can K.I.T., ok?

Because you are

2 cool
2 be
4 gotten

And stuff.

Seriously – thanks for being here and hanging out and reading. Thanks for all the cool emails. Thanks for the comments. Thanks for being rad.

Without kickass people like you, blogs are just really sad online diaries. Sad online diaries cry a lot – and I am fresh outa tissues so let’s not even go there, ok?

Hard.

I’ve worked more than I can stand to remember, with the sort of urgency that perhaps only mortgage-laden, non-salaried, self-employed folk with laid-off significant others can appreciate. It was good and hard. Really.

People close to me got sick and then were ok. Things seemed dicey and then stabilized. And through it all I just kept hammering away. I didn’t throw in the towel.

The summer came and with it arrived a new kind of working frenzy that excluded long rides – or any rides at all. I lost fitness and other people got fast. That’s ok, man. There are more years with the bike. There’s more time.

But cyclocross snuck up on me in a way that I did not expect. I looked up from my laptop and it was on top of me. Clamoring.

I didn’t panic. But I was startled.

It was dry and hot in the beginning. And fast. I went and raced because the schedule said that I should, but I suffered. In Seattle at StarCrossed I took my beating like a champ, enduring the onslaught of fitter, faster, more focused riders.

It’s ok. I made great facial expressions that hinted at glory.  I breathed through my nose and narrowed my eyes and pushed my skinsuit further back into my drawer. Skinsuits are for fast people. Maybe that will come out later.

The women’s B field is a fantastic group so, frankly, I’m honored to ride mid-pack among them. Everyone wants to be fast, and maybe someday some of us will get a chance to speed ahead. But at some point you’ve got to realize that this is just bike racing.

It’s like an adult softball league with more expensive equipment, bigger egos, and way more “cool” factor.  It’s important, sure. But it shouldn’t be the thing that determines your self-worth or drive you to fits of insanity.

Besides that, it’s supposed to be fun, right? Remember fun?

Right.

So I’m racing. Man, I’m pedaling as hard as I can and I’m not getting anywhere very fast, I’ll tell you that much.  But in the process, I’m having fun this year. Way more fun that last year. Way more fun that I had in the spring. Way more fun than, well, ever.

The rain came down last week and Hillsboro was muddy. Not epic, but definitely muddy.  We got dirty and smiled and fell and at the end of the race I pulled my bike over and said, “That was fucking awesome!”

That’s how cross should feel.

Whatever I did this year, it was not exactly according to the master plan (that plan had way more saddle time written into it) but sometimes the master plan isn’t the only plan. You gotta relax and take your licks and get mud in your teeth.

Then you pull over and put your fist in the air and say, “That was fucking awesome!”

Because it was.  [And you kick ass even when you're flailing.]

Now, go ride your bike.

By way of background for anyone who just tuned in – I write a little online column for Wend called the Cycling Diaries. Last year, I did first person racing stories after every race which were fun, but we decided to join the cool kids this year and bust out some video.

I am working with Eric Keeney, a super-talented and super-studley videographer. Basically, I talk a little into a microphone, chase people down and harass them on camera, and Eric shoots everything. Then he shoots the races and the shenanigans. Then he goes home and edits everything and makes a kick ass video.

So, he does everything that’s actually important, time-consuming and requiring talent – I just crack a few jokes and drink refreshing Widmer Brrr Ale. Since I have never done anything like this before, I usually mess up the intros and outros about a million times and Eric patiently executes take after take while coaching me to some level of coherence.

He also somehow manages to race in the Master B category in the middle of the day.

In conclusion? Eric T Keeney kicks ass! And if you see us (or just him) roaming around at the races, let us know what you think of the videos. We’re always stoked to get feedback and open to suggestions. Also, if you know someone funny, dirty, gross, fast, or otherwise entertaining that we should get on film – point us in the right direction. We especially like gory injuries, weird human body tricks, partial nudity, costumes and snot.

Ok, without further ado, Cyclocross Diaries Episodes 1-3! Stay-tuned for episode 4 which should be released Wednesday-ish.

Episode one: Alpenrose season opener

Episode two: Rainier High School (Death Hill)

Episode Three: Sherwood Equestrian Center (Bodily Assault Course)

You on the hill with the screaming.
You at the creek crossing with the cowbell.
You in the River City tent with all that urgency.
You next to that bumpy ass meadow telling me to hang on!

Sherwood equestrian center dished out sheer brutality. Violence translated through seatposts and saddles.

Oh and the climb. That one that just kept getting longer and steeper and gravelly-er.

I wasn’t feeling any mojo yesterday until I came through the barriers on the first lap. I wanted to take the barriers at a steady pace, so as not to be blown up for the climb that followed.

But one of you said, “Charge!!!” and I couldn’t help myself.
I regretted it then, but I didn’t regret it when I woke up this morning.

Maybe it was the beer, but the crowds yesterday were among the best I’ve ever seen at the Crusades.
Waves of you rallying against the horse-shit covered, kidney-rattling, lung-exploding 2-mile monstrosity that threatened to make us all step off our bikes. Huge walls of sound – wide eyes, fists in the air.

Seriously. Best ever.

To everyone at Sherwood yesterday who cheered during the women’s race. I owe you one.

So many moments to remember.
So much pain to consider.
So much misery to embrace.

Maybe you liked the course and maybe you didn’t but I say, “Bring it back, Brad!”

Make it harder. Make us cry.  We fucking love it.

[Photo credit: PDXcross]

It was in Ye Olde Sunday Paper this week, but it’s online here.

While I’m at it, I should throw out some props to Rapha for throwing a killer party after Cross Vegas. (Holy crap, there were A LOT of people there). Also, thanks to Castelli for giving us a place to hang out (not to mention free beer!) at the US Crit Finals.

Big Love to Brian Ellin and Autumn Peterson for mad Portland comeraderie at Cross Vegas – and for the my boy Sally (Raleigh) in Seattle for the VIP love.  Also, a holler at the Yakima kids whom I finally got to meet and hang out with (good people, those ones!)

More on Vegas soon. The cowbells have me distracted!

I like to rock a team kit. Maybe I’m a joiner, maybe it’s just my mad Veloforma-Pride, maybe I just like nearly-see-through white side panels… whatever.  I’m coming at you unapologetically. Shameless style.  I do love the high-octane spandex.

That said, there’s a time and a place. Moreover, there’s a certain time of year that just screams WOOL AND KNICKERS at me.  And that time is now.  Until, say, March.

On a long winter training ride I do so love the HUGE squishy chamois in my Rapha ‘Cross 3/4 Bib Shorts. But the plain fact is? That shit is expensive.  When I’m making a call between FMB tyres or replacing my recently-stolen car stereo or a $300 cycling jacket?  Well.  I’m going to go with the tyres.  Thems the breaks.

Not all of us can have a “tab” that runs $43k deep, right? (To be fair, Mr. Velodramatic including all his bikes, tools, and accessories, so the figure really isn’t that bad when you think about it.)

But there’s good news! There’s a bunch of companies making really nice cycling gear that can look nice and understated and streamlined. You don’t have to wear the screamin’ team kit… and you don’t necessarily have to spend a normal-person’s salary on a cycling wardrobe either.

Case in point.  Last Thursday was skills practice. I needed to be a little bit warmer than usual to compensate for the lack of “real riding” but it was love-crushing Fall-worthy sunny outside.  I hit the middle ground with this combo, which was understated, non-racey, and pretty affordable to boot.

Hat: Plaid wool by Little Package (local hat rockstar) $30
Jersey: Castelli winter long-sleeved black and white jersey on massive warehouse sale $20
Baselayer (not shown): Swobo featherweight wool SS baselayer $58 ($40 when I bought it a few years ago)
Vest: Showers Pass Pro-Tech Vest $60
Knickers: Ibex wool 3/4 El Fito $125
Gloves: DeFeet DuraGlove Merino Wool $18.50
Socks: DeFeet Wooleator D High-Top $11.50

This combo was a little warm for Thursday’s immaculate Fall weather, but not too bad. Substitute a short-sleeved jersey for the long one and I would have had things on the money. The Swobo baselayer is The Yummiest and I like the wind blocking power of a light vest in chilly weather. Adding the shiny-see-throughness of the Pro-Tech gives a little subtle bling to otherwise ho-hum.

Fall is my favorite season for a number of reasons and super-fun layering opportunities (on or off the bike!) rank right up there. Play with texture, keep things functional, and remember – style counts!!

Now go ride your bike.
Score some wool while you’re at it.
Support a local guy.
Keep it simple.

Have fun.

From far away it looked like just another Bakfiets, but as it came into view it became very RED. And very RAD.  And very boat-like.

Behold!  The Bike Boat! Owner and Operator James Newman built this sweet boat attachment with his own two hands and added it to the Bullitt (purchased from Bike Gallery).  Now, that’s Craftsmanship!

Holy crap, I love this thing!

HomeDude Captain (Little Guy) was named Gavin. He seemed a little more than flummoxed that we had interrupted his sweet stroll through the park. His father, James, however, seemed to be used to the attention (I chased them down after doing a triple take as SP and I rode our precious figure-8’s through the trees).  James dismounted as if he’d been through this before and then stepped aside so I could make a few photos with my phone.

Come to find out he knows Mr. Duff (also known as Duff Daddy) the Grand Poobah King of Veloforma.  He also instructed me as to how to create a very killer cyclocross loop through Creston, advising me that there had been races there many years prior (decades?).

I jotted down his contact information in my phone and after a little Facebook interaction and a spot of online research, I’ve turned up his blog which is highly entertaining.

James – thank you for taking time today to introduce me to Gavin and the Amazing Boat Bike! You made ‘cross practice something special.

Run by Glen and Sandy Crinklaw, the Sport Haus is set up to be a cyclist’s heaven with ample room for on and off-road bicycles alike. Busted-up, dirt-encrusted Sidis fill the shoe cubby outside the front door along with garden clogs, rubber boots and tennis shoes. The meadow behind the lodge spreads out in front of you and makes you want to run and run and run and run until you reach the forest’s edge (kid-style).

Head down to the river and cool your feet off or come in the early fall to catch a herd of Elk grazing in soft morning light amid a low-lying carpet of mist. A golden bicycle (full-size!) lashed to the sign out front ensures that you don’t drive past the little driveway as you’re making your way out for a visit.

This place is truly magical.

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Roughly halfway between Portland and the coast, it’s an ideal stop for a long cyclo-touring weekend to see the ocean. Glen knows every logging road like the back of his hand and can spin you an off-road touring journey that will take you to hidden pockets of the coastal range – secret lakes and sweeping vistas.

Sandy is a master in the kitchen and will make sure you’re well-fed and ready for your journey (and if Glen gets to grillin’, well, watch out!). The food is top-notch all the way from homemade granola and cinnamon rolls (and a freshly pulled espresso shot!) to homemade chocolate-raspberry pie for dessert after dinner. I can’t explain how she does it – you have to go eat it to believe it.

The beds and guest rooms are immaculate with no detail left unattended. Communal bathrooms feature luxurious slate shower stalls with sunflower heads that make you want to sing out loud. The counter-tops are made of reclaimed wood (ask Sandy to tell you the story about that slab, it’s a good one) and the other fixtures and details are ridiculously photo worthy.

When your muscles get sore, you’re in luck! Sandy is a yoga instructor and the two have built a studio in the center of the lodge. During the spring and summer, the glass roll-up garage door opens to give you an uninterrupted view of the meadow as you enjoy your practice.

The lodge was “hot off the press” when I visited earlier this summer and a few details were still being worked out, but Glen and Sandy are now fully operational and ready to accept the cycling-yoga-outdoor-loving masses. Look at ‘em! Aren’t they cute! (You can see the entire gallery of photos here.)

In fact, Sandy still has a few spots left in an upcoming yoga retreat. It’s the same weekend as the infamous Cross Crusade Halloween activities, so I can’t make it but if I wasn’t scheduled to be wreaking havoc on Astoria, it’s definitely where I’d be.

Here are the detes – if you decide to go get stretchy with Sandy and Nina, tell them I sent you!

Weekend Yoga Retreat on the Nehalem River
with Nina Pileggi
October 30, 31 and November 1 2009

Join Nina and a small group of yoga students for a weekend getaway. We will be staying at Sandy Crinklaw’s Coastal Mountain Sport Haus, located near Mist, Oregon just 50 short miles from Beaverton. All levels of students are welcome to join us at the retreat.

The cost of the retreat includes six meals (dinner Friday evening through lunch Sunday morning), eight hours of yoga instruction and lodging in the bunk room. A limited number of semi-private rooms are available for an additional $50 for the weekend. We will help you to arrange carpooling to the retreat. During the ample free time you can sit and read on the porch, hike around the property, visit Vernonia, or visit with fellow yoga students.

Nina Pileggi is the founder and director of Sunset Yoga Center in Beaverton, Oregon and an Intermediate Junior I Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor. She has been practicing yoga since 1996 and has taught yoga for over ten years.

Dates and times of the yoga classes:

Friday October 30th, 5:00 – 7:00 (dinner following)
Saturday October 31th, 9:30 – 11:30am, 4:00 – 6:00pm
Sunday November, 9:00 – 11:00am (lunch following)

The cost of the workshop, lodging in the bunkhouse, and meals is $350 (inclusive of all taxes and room fees). Add $50 for a semi-private room for a total of $400. To register, send a $75 non-refundable deposit to Sunset Yoga Center, 10200 SW Eastridge St. #125 Portland, OR 97225.

Space is limited!