Whoops….

I wish that I could say my lack of recent updates is due to spending too much time riding my bike and preparing for the first race on April 22nd. Well the good news is that I’m back and trying to get re-energized as the countdown is on to the beginning of the season.

Off-season…

The off-season officially arrived when I crossed or rather crawled across the finish line on Sunday morning at Limestone. 2011 has been a tough year for me. I upgraded classes for the mountain bike season, learned I am not meant to go fast during cyclocross season, and struggled with a nagging knee injury that I finally decided to go to physical therapy for.

I am a fierce competitor, more so with myself than with others. I get down on myself very easily, especially in these individual undertakings. Growing up playing team sports I had my teammates to depend on, but now I have just myself. It is kind of surprising that I struggle with this because of the positions and roles I had on my teams growing up. I play goalie for soccer, catcher in softball, and was a point guard for basketball. All positions where you are thrown out there on your own and your teammates expect you to make things happen. I’ve also been naturally good at these sports, having played soccer in college. It all came naturally to me. And I’m finding with bike riding I need to work hard if I want to see results.

So this off-season I’m going to do something I’ve never done before. I’m going to train. Sure, I always attended practices, camps, and private session training. But I’ve never had to train to gain fitness. That used to just happen with all the activities I participated in. I don’t have a precise plan or training schedule worked up but I do have activities and goals. Here’s some of the tools I plan to use:

• Indoor trainer – There will be no excuses that the weather is bad or that it’s too dark to ride. There’s always light in my basement and it’s usually somewhat warm and dry (I said usually). I will be downloading some Sufferfest workout videos. I plan to try and do this 2-3 times per week.
• Spin Classes – I attended these last year and they were fun! And I think they helped in the beginning of mountain bike season. However, they don’t fit in the schedule during the week. I plan to go to at least 1 each weekend.
• P90x – Yes, I have the DVD’s and I’ve done most of the workouts. I’m not following the program but I think the workouts are great and will help me build some core strength.
• Stretching and Yoga – Since going to physical therapy I have discovered that many of my muscles are very tight and this has caused some of my knee problems. I’m going to continue my knee exercises and maybe throw in a yoga class or two.
• RIDE MY BIKE! – If the weather is nice, I need to get out there and ride. I need to either hit the road or the trails once during the weekend. If the weather is bad then subbing a spin class in will do.
• Eating healthy – I’m usually a healthy eater but I need to cut back on the things I crave like french fries, chips, and Wawa hoagies!
• Run – I hate running. I really hate running. But it’s a quick and dirty workout. Plus the dog enjoys it and it’s a good way to get him some exercise. So I’ll try to run some too.

My plan for starting this new routine is after Christmas. I have off of work between Christmas and New Years thus providing some extra time to start training. I will be easing into this so that I don’t burn myself out before the new season starts but I’ve got a lot of building to do. During all this training I do hope to loose some weight but most importantly I hope to be on the podium a few times next season. I’ll be sure to check-in and update my progress on my new “training plan”.

Overflow!

Overflow!! And no I’m not talking about our creeks and streams thanks to more rain. I’m talking about the Montgomery County court room!

I wasn’t able to attend the budget hearing today but from the reports I’ve read our concerns were heard and received positively. Bikesport was able to gather 8 brave souls to ride in the rain to the hearing where they encountered about 300 other people all out to show their support for funding our parks, trails, open space, historical sites, arts, and community college. Everyone who wanted to speak was given the opportunity. Speakers included Bikesport staff, fellow cyclists and trail users, park users, arts and community college supporters.

Thanks again to those who attended. The budget has to be approved by December 21st. The commissioners are still taking everyone’s ideas so keep contacting them:

• Send a letter today to the Montco commissioners
• Comment on the budget online
• Post your comments on Facebook and Twitter

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has a recap of the meeting on their blog and I’m sure the Pottstown Mercury will have the full story tomorrow!

Our Trails and Parks Are in Danger!

Late last week many local cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts received word that our Montgomery County trails and parks are in danger! If you enjoy using the Perkiomen and Schuylkill River Trails or visiting Elmwood Zoo, I suggest you pay attention!

Due to a $40 Million Dollar shortfall in the 2012 budget, Montgomery County Commissioners are proposing to eliminate funding for the entire county park system  along with the County Planning Commission. In short, the County is looking to plug a budget hole by tearing apart the County’s park infrastructure.

Closing parks and trails should not be one of the solutions to Montco’s budget crisis!  Open space and trails have been created and preserved for public use. They generate economic activity which dwarfs the trail’s maintenance costs.  Parks and trails are essential to quality of life in Montgomery County.

• The Perkiomen Trail attracts 400,000 visitors a year who spend $4.4 million in goods and services. Yearly routine maintenance cost: $45,000 (source).
• The Schuylkill River Trail boasts 800,000 visitors a year who spend $7.3 million (source)

Take action today! Let our County Commissioners know how important it is to keep our County Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites open:

• Send a letter today to the Montco commissioners
• Comment on the budget online
• Post your comments on Facebook and Twitter
• Attend this hearing:

Proposed 2012 budget Public Hearing

Wednesday, December 7 at 10 AM

Montgomery County Courthouse, Court Room A, Swede Street Entrance, Norristown, PA

If you are planning to attend the hearing, Bikesport is organizing supporters to ride to the hearing on the very trails they want to defund! Meet on your bike at 9 AM at the Pawlings Road trailhead to ride as a group to this hearing. Bring a bike lock for your bike! Dress casually. Wearing your bright lycra may not help this cause.

If you are a user of the trails or parks, I ask that you please consider taking action and let our elected officials know that the parks and trails are important to us and we cannot stand idly by as they defund some of the many things that make living in Montgomery County great!

Used Bike Collection

Rumor has it that we’re in for another snowy winter. Have you been dreaming about a snow blower but don’t have the room in the garage or shed? Do you have bikes that you don’t use any more because the kids have out grown them or maybe you bought yourself a new one this year? Well now is your chance to make room for that snow blower you’ve been dreaming about!!

On Sunday, November 13th from 1-4PM Bikesport in Trappe will be hosting their 4th annual used bike collection for Pedals for Progress.  Pedals for Progress rescues bikes destined for landfills or those abandoned in sheds and garages and sends them to developing countries. These bikes create jobs, provide transportation, and can help the development of local economies. Pedals for Progress has processed and donated over 125,000 bicycles, 1,000 used sewing machines, and $10.8 million in new spare parts to partner charities in 32 developing world countries.

You can help by bringing your unwanted adult or children’s bicycles (any condition is acceptable unless the bike is very rusted and/or there are no wheels) on Sunday the 13th to Bikesport. A monetary donation of $10 (if you want you can donate more) is needed to help with the transportation cost of each bike. Cash and bicycle donations are tax deductible and a receipt will be provided for both. No bikes to donate? Maybe you can help with a monetary donation! Bikesport would like to collect 120 bikes this year! Help them make that a reality! Used sewing machines will also be collected on Sunday.

If November 13th does not work for you contact Bikesport to make arrangements. But they CANNOT accept bikes after November 13th as the Pedals for Progress truck will leave at 4:15 on the day of the collection. If you are interested in volunteering give the shop a call.

What’s happening this weekend….

I know it’s only Tuesday but I’m already dreaming of the weekend. The weather will be in the low 60′s with lots of sunshine. A perfect fall weekend in my mind! There are two great events happening this weekend, so get outside and enjoy!

On Saturday there is a fall foliage bike ride. The ride begins at 10 AM and is meeting at the Collegeville Farmer’s Market on Main Street in Collegeville. The ride will take you on the Perkiomen Trail toward Green Lane and will return by about noon. Families are welcome – but kids should be on a 20″ tire or larger (or you can pull them in a cart or on a child tandem – available for rental at Bikesport).

A picture I took last fall while on a bike ride in Green Lane Park.

On Sunday, there is a 5k trail run in Green Lane Park. The run is being organized by two local high school seniors, Kyle Miller and Gunnar Bergey, as their senior project. The 5K is to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Charity. The course is a 5k trail run that starts on the Perkiomen Trail.  You can expect to experience rocks, roots, and mud. Most of the course is run on single track, with a few sections on a gravel walking path. The race starts at 10 AM. You MUST pre-register on runreg.com. There will be NO DAY OF REGISTRATION as Montgomery County Parks do not allow day of registrations. Registration closes Friday, October 21, at 11 PM. Please help support a great cause and some awesome kids in completing their senior project!

If you know of any other events happening this weekend please share them!

Is that a sale I smell?

Bikesport in Trappe has just received their new rental fleet from Trek and now they’re selling the old ones! They have some  hybrids, mountain bikes, and road bikes at great prices! They have been used, so keep in mind they will have some nicks and scratches, but they come with free basic tune-ups for life! If you’ve been thinking about buying a bike for yourself or your growing teenager this is a great chance to get a quality bike for a great price.

The sale is first come, first served. The sale starts at 4:00 PM, Friday, October 14th (THAT’S TODAY!). The sale will go on through this weekend or as long as supplies last. The total amount of bikes available is about 15 and there are no kids bikes in the fleet. However, Bikesport still has several used bikes for sale so be sure to check those out too.

EXAMPLE OF A GOOD DEAL: 2009 Trek 3700, Originally $350, now $180!

4th Annual Cycle Mania @ Blue Marsh

This weekend there’s a mountain bike race with a great cause behind it. Wood-to-Wonderful’s 4th Annual Cycle Mania at Blue Marsh will be held on Sunday, October 16th, click here for the race flyer and more specific start times, you can also register online at BikeReg. The race will benefit the Wood-to-Wonderful Reading Pedal-ers junior mountain bike team.

The Reading Pedal-ers was formed in April 2011 in partnership with Northeast Middle School in Reading, PA. There are between 15 and 20 members of the club – most of whom have never ridden a mountain bike before joining the club.

The Pedal-ers range in age from 7 to 18. Two members of the club have been racing mountain bikes since 2009. Club members are also learning how to maintain their bikes. The club members plan to race in the MASS races in 2012.

Learning about this new development team makes me really excited. I love to see how the sport of cycling has taken off in the past couple of years. It’s similar to the excitement I experienced growing up playing soccer and watching it go from the obscure to the main stream. I believe that Lance Armstrong has done for cycling what the US Women’s National team did for soccer in the 90′s.

I look forward to seeing this new development team at the races this coming year.  The weather looks to be great this weekend and if you’ve been thinking about trying to race now’s the perfect chance!

For more information about Wood-to-Wonderful and the Reading Pedal-ers, please visit the organization’s website: www.woodtowonderful.org.

Grateful

Today’s weather was perfect for a bike ride! After doing some chores in the morning I was ready to go for my ride around lunch time. Lately I’ve bee riding to Green Lane park and back. Today I decided to switch it up and do a Chester County ride that I haven’t done for awhile. I love this time of year when the leaves are just starting to change and the humidity has finally dropped. It’s perfect for enjoying the great outdoors!

I certainly wasn’t the only one who was out enjoying the weather and in a good mood despite the Phillies loss last night. Today was one of the very rare occasions where I experienced ZERO aggressive drivers! In fact there are three drivers that stick out in my mind for going the extra mile and having some patience. The first incident occured when I was on Longview Road in Limerick and a BIG dog came out into the street barking at me. I was able to get her to stop by yelling loudly but she wouldn’t go back in the yard and I was hesitant to ride off for fear she may give chase. I was just reaching for my water bottle to spray her when a gentleman in a red Jeep pulled up and started honking the horn at her. He then made sure to block her view of me as I rode off! I’ve never had that happened before! The second driver showed some extreme patience with me. As I was climbing a hill on Pughtown Road, they came up to a stop from a road on my right. Unlike, most drivers they didn’t pull out and cut me off as I struggled up the hill. They waited for me to drag myself up the hill and then made their turn going the opposite way. The third and final act of kindness came when I pulled off at the base of Coventryville Road to call my husband to see what dinner plans were and how much longer I had to ride.  A very nice couple stopped to ask if I was alright. It’s good to know that if a cyclist was in trouble there would be people out there to help them!

Thanks for all the good vibes today! The weather looks great for tomorrow as well, try and get out and enjoy it!!

Cyclo what? Cyclocross!

There’s been a lot of talk lately in the cycling community about cyclocross or “cx” or “cross”. It seems to be taking over quickly as riders look for a fun release in the fall after riding hard all summer. The races are tons of fun for both racers and spectators. Some people race for fitness, for sport, or just fun. A good description of cyclocross is a bike race mixed with steeplechase. So what is cyclocross?

Cyclocross was developed in Europe in the early 1900′s as a way for road racers to remain fit during the fall and winter. Some say the racers would race each other to the next town over from them and that they were allowed to cut through farmer’s fields, over fences, or take any other shortcuts in order to make it to the next town first. While adding some variety to winter training, riding off road in more difficult conditions than smooth pavement improved racers’ on-the-road bike handling abilities. Cyclocross finally made the leap across the pond in the 1970s with the first racing being held in 1975. The sport has experienced a growth in popularity in the US since the mid 90s and now the Pacific Northwest hosts some of the largest events in the country.

Cyclocross race courses are typically short and feature some pavement, some dirt, some woods, some steep hills, and some obstacles that require riders to dismount, work their way through and then get back on and ride some more. A race lasts between 30 and 75 minutes. About 80% of the course is rideable, with the rest made of natural obstacles like creeks, mud, and fallen trees combined with man-made barriers.

A cyclocross bike by Trek - available at Bikesport in Trappe!

A different kind of bike is used to race cyclocross. The bikes are more road bikes than mountain bikes. The bikes feature knobbier tires and cantilever brakes that help keep mud and leaves from getting clogged in them. You can also use a mountain bike without bar ends. But keep in mind you will be lifting and running with the bike.

If you’re looking for a new twist and a great way to keep in shape during the off season, you might consider giving cyclocross a try. Numerous races are held in our area and all of them offer beginner level (Cat 4) racing. For most people cyclocross is all about having fun! It’s also great fun for spectators since it is a lap race you’ll see lots of action.

I’m going to be attempting a few races this fall and I’m looking forward to getting muddy and having a good time!

For more information on cyclocross and local races visit:

• Cyclocross Magazine
• BikeReg

A video for your viewing pleasure: