AIRBORNE not Chairborne

I have been anticipating the trip to Sea Otter for three weeks. Jim and I leave on Tuesday morning. I am very excited to meet the rest of the Flight Crew. They all have skills and I look forward to learning from them. The girl's on this team are truly remarkable. McCall is one of those "crazy downhillers" and I would like her to give me some tips to make me faster on the down hill. Arleigh has a ton of experience in the bike industry and was a wrench for Rebecca Rusch a while back. I will definitely be in sponge mode while spending time with her. Some of the fellas are amazing photographers and take some sweet videos. I could definitely use some help in that area.

If you want to be kept up to date on what we are doing in CA, just head over to the Airborne Bicycles page and LIKE them. Airborne also has a blog you can follow. Keep an eye on that. Some TOP SECRET stuff will be unveiled there. Contractual obligations have me sworn to secrecy. I can tell you that we will be showing off our new kits. Ian Hylands will be there taking pictures of us too. He will be at Sea Otter taking pictures of the races also. Maybe one of our pictures will make a magazine.

I signed up to race on Sun, the Cat 3 women's 40-49 cross country race. It's only 16 miles, quite a bit shorter than the stuff I usually do. According to last years results, there were 35 women in that category alone. I am used to racing with a handful of ladies , so this should be amazing. I will be sporting a Goblin too. Gears Baby! Can you tell I am stoked?

Today I will be packing and working on my coolness factor. When I meet Rebecca Rusch I want to be calm, cool, and collected. We shall see how that works out. Wish me luck.

I was helping out at my in-laws this weekend, cutting down some trees and brush. My husband said " don't hug my mom when we leave" and I said "why?" He informed me that she is allergic to poison ivy. DUH. So am I. After 2 hours of being chest deep in it I ran to the shower and used Tecnu. I have had an issue with the IVY. I am over my embarrassment and figure I owe it to my new readers to share my experience. Plus, it's hilarious. I also used some Zanfel when I got home. Both Tecnu and Zanfel will be in my carry on.

Week 4 of 12

This was supposed to be a rest week. Funny, I don't feel very rested.

Mon- 1hr boot camp

12mi mountain bike

Tues- 1o minute spin

Wed- 1 hr boot camp

6 miles to/from boot camp

12 miles mountain bike

3 miles mountain bike {with Sydney}

Thur- 30 mile Road

Fri-1hr boot camp

3.5 mile hike { with Shalini}

3 miles Road

Sat-17 mile Road

Sun- 8 miles road { grocery store}

This week I learned there is no way to get a recovery ride on my single speed mountain bike. My heart rate was all over the place. Except for the mountain biking I was able to keep my heart rate between Zone 1 and 2 quite easily. I am getting the hang of zone training. I think this week will actually be my rest week. I do plan to ride while in CA, but will probably not be putting in any 50 miler's. This week ends 10 straight days of biking, for the #30day biking challenge. You will notice on Tues I put in just 10 minutes and on Fri I did 3 short miles. Those were my days off.

Totals-91 miles approximately 9 hours of saddle time.

Only 8 weeks until DK200!

The Future

Wednesday night I had the opportunity to ride with my daughter Sydney. She got her first taste of single track at age 4. She started on a strider . {make sure to scroll down to the video} She has never used training wheels and has this "NO FEAR" , "I CAN DO IT" attitude. This year she has informed us she wants to race. Watch out boys!

She did 3 miles at Indian Camp Creek, the flat section. She is going to be an amazing mountain biker. She has been riding the road with me, usually 3-6 miles. If you ask her, she would rather be on the trails. That's our girl!

It's unfortunate that she is in between sizes and is not quite big enough for the next size bike. It's currently hiding in our garage. We know her too well than to give it to her before it's time.

**** An update on my son and his new running legs****

Trevor has been running a mile or two nearly everyday. It makes me so happy to hear him say " Mom I am going for a run". He has had a couple issues with rubbing and tenderness, but nothing he can't overcome. It's like breaking in a new pair of shoes. He will be more than ready for his first race in June. It's awesome to have a house full of athletes!

Week 3 of 12

As I write this I am still giddy from all the mountain biking I got to do the last 3 days. The road has it's place in training, but I have missed the dirt.

Mon- 1hr boot camp

Road 18.2 miles

Tue- Trainer 14 miles

Wed- 1hr boot camp

Road 26miles

Thurs- Road 18.5 { 3.5 of that with Sydney}

Fri- 1hr boot camp

Dirt 14 miles

Sat- Dirt 30 miles { 13 with Kate}

Sun- Dirt 9.3 { with the hubby}

Total miles- 62.7 road+14 trainer+53.3 Dirt= 130 miles

I am pretty happy with this weeks effort and was able to stay in my zones better. Except while mountain biking. I think I was just excited to finally see dirt. This week is a rest week. I will let you know how it goes.

How is everyone else doing on their DK200 training?

I also signed up for the 30 day biking challenge. I don't think it's going to be a problem.

So, where's the line?

Yesterday I had an opportunity to ride with a new friend. I had only chatted online with Kate and had read her blog for a few months. We met up at Lost Valley and were on the trail by 2pm. It was an awesome day , the trails were mostly dry, and the temp hit 70. No complaints. I wanted the ride to be a positive experience. I hate to hear women compare their riding to others or hear them downplay something they did. Once the rules were out there, NO NEGATIVITY, we shredded some trail. Kate is very new to the mountain biking scene. She received her bike as a Christmas gift and was still getting used to it.

Kate rocked some technical spots that took me a long time to learn. I rode in front of her for a few miles , and then I would have her ride in front so I could see what kind of lines she was picking. I could easily make suggestions from behind. It was hard for her to hear me when I was in front. Several times I would hop off my bike and run a good line for her to ride. I remember what its like to not see a line anywhere, and it would have been great to have some chalk or something to lay down for her to follow. Most of my riding I I have learned from the fellas. Being able to ride with a fellow chica and talk about our girlie challenges while riding was very beneficial for both of us.

I plan to do more rides like this with beginner women. I think I may have got more out of it than Kate did. I loved the one on one interaction, but feel I would be comfortable with a small group. I am blessed to be near several trails with varying degrees of difficulty and length. I could easily fit these rides into my training schedule. Being a part of getting more women on bikes makes me feel like I am giving back to the sport/ lifestyle that has made me so happy . I loved watching Kate tackle that trail. I liked watching her smile when she made it through a tough spot. It's also nice to let the lungs loose and Hoot and Holler .It's supposed to be fun right?

Nice Job Kate. I am super proud of you!