Monday, September 24, 2007

Furnace Creek 508 here we come!!!

I don't know if I have told you all this but my BUTT is very sore from the training for the Furnace Creek 508 bike race which will be on Oct. 6th.
There have been many events which I have trained for in my life but I have to be very honest when I say this bike race takes the cake. What I mean by this is: IT IS NOT EASY FOR ME:):)

You might wonder why I am doing this bike race, I have asked myself this several times over the past few weeks. I have even considered pulling out of the race because I just did not feel confident and all the hours that it takes to train for an event like this.

This bike race has been on my "Dream list" for 8 years now. Not just the bike race but the Death Valley Cup!! What is the Death Valley Cup? This is an award that is given by the race Director of the Badwater 135 mile foot race through Death Valley and the Furnace Creek 508. In order to receive this award you must complete both the Badwater race (which was the end of July) and the 508 bike race, in the same season/year. There have been 2 women who have successfully completed the Death Valley Cup and I know them both. I have more respect than ever for these 2 women. This year there is another women (Linda) who is also going for the DV cup, so when we both cross the finish line we will be the 3rd and 4th women to even complete the DV cup. I can tell you this, I now know why there have only been 2 so far. The time to train for this event is long and hard. My having a full time job, mother of 2..wonderful husband who God love him supports me all the time has suffered due to the training. The bike is not like running. If you want to run you can train by doing many things..To bike, you must bike and to bike it takes a great deal of time to get yourself ready, the bike ready and all the rest that comes with it. To run..I put on my shoes and out the door I go at anytime of the day or night.
Needless to say, the respect I have for endurance bike racers is high on the list. God bless you all!!

These 2 races this year were 9 weeks apart.
Well..truth be told, I have found that 9 weeks is just not that much time to train for such a long event on the bike. To switch over from running to the bike is difficult.
First I needed to recover from Badwater which took 1 week, then it was time to start sitting on the bike seat for many, many hours. The first week was not bad and then coach Cathy showed up at my door:)
I thought my training was going along just fine until went for a few rides with coach Cathy, who time after time left me in the dust!!!

Wow...it is a beautiful sight to watch an experienced biker, especially going down hill. Cathy is out of my sight within a few minutes which is good..then I can go back to holding on for dear life!

1 week to recover, week off due to the Teton races, 1 week off due to sick kids and things that happen in life. This leaves me 6 weeks to train..we have less than 2 weeks until we show up at the starting line..Guess what? I think I can do it!
Who would have ever thought I was going to say that! By the grace of God and by the grace of my amazing family support and coach Cathy I will get to the starting line..sore butt and all.
Last week I think I was able to get close to 350 miles on the bike, today I was able to get about 110 and this was not to hard at all..Funny..when I trained all winter for Ironman AZ the longest ride I did was 4 hours..4 hours just won't cut it for this 508 miles on a bike.

My longest rides have been all night long. One 12 hour and one 16 hour..man oh man..I don't even know if I can explain the level of fatigue I have had from the biking. What became clear to me is that I am much better with my feet on the ground. Being on the bike for many hours at a time leaves me so beat up due to having to watch out for cars, pot holes, wind and all the obstacles that seem so much more simple with running.

I have become a strong biker in the last 4 weeks, good but not great..but I think good enough God willing to see the finish line of the 508! My legs will prove that, they are about double the size from the quads and hamstrings..big enough that my PANTS ARE TIGHT!!
My endurance from running has also paid off here. The longer I ride the bike, the stronger I become and this can even make my sore butt smile!

Below is my 508 crew...these 3 amazing people will be my life line and will do their best not to let me get in the van!!

Paul Biron has completed the 508 in 2001 in a time of 35:04 and was 5th place, qualified for RAAM:):)
Paul will be my head crew chief and tell me what to do and when to do it. I am so thankful that I will have him with me on this journey. I have been training in Paul's 508 bike jersey in hopes to draw on his wonderful energy!!! Thank you Paul.



Paul riding in the 2001 Furnace Creek 508


Bill at Badwater 2007. Bill Cook..Mr. Bill, the wonderful Mr. Bill! One of my coaching students and one of my most favorite:) Bill is a Physicians Assistant and works in Cardiac Surgery. His talent is to, "GET IT DONE", for I have seen him get many things done in the short time he has been an Ultra runner and now training for a bike race to! Bill will be such a great help for me when the going gets tough to always remind me to GET GOING...!!! Bill, I cant wait to share this journey with you.


Cathy riding to Mesa Falls. Well...what can we say about this woman???????????????????

Coach Cathy..who showed up to help me with the 508 and is still here helping me. If it were not for Cathy I would have pulled out and left this 8 years dream on the side of the road a few times. It has not been easy for her to deal with me:):) Cathy is such a better biker than I am and it is hard to always be with someone better!!! Ha..well, watch out Cathy..you have taught me well. My mind is in a good place, getting focused on what we need to do to be successful at this 508 miles and it will be because of Cathy not giving up on me and her gentle way to push, push, push!! Next year I will crew for Cathy's 508! Now..to brag a bit about this women..she did a 24 hour mountain bike race here in the Tetons on a 1 day notice..she had not been on a mountain bike for over a year let alone a trail, her bike is way too heavy and she did not even have the right lights for her bike..Well...she was 2nd overall behindWORLD Champion Rebecca Rusch..Here is Cathy's story is on her blog http://fourwhitefeet.com/ Now you know who I am dealing with:) It will so great to do this race and it will be even better to have it over with and off my list!!

We will have lot's of blog updates/live updates along the race course..Pray for us all!

Lisa

Furnace Creek 508 Website

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

This is sooooo Funny!

This is so funny that I had to share it with all of you...makes me think about my own training for the Furnace Creek 508 bike race:) I will share with you all the details of the bike race in the next few days..all I can say is this: I have great respect for those who are endurance bike riders, my feet are much better on the ground than in toe clips!!!
I will also tell you about Coach Cathy and her 2nd place WIN at the 24 hour Mt. Bike race this past weekend on just 5 weeks of training.
And to our friend George..#10 AC 100...your amazing!!

Love to you all
Lisa


A WEEK AT THE GYM If you can read this through without laughing out loud.... well perhaps you should go yourself. This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine.

Dear Diary, For my 60th birthday this year, my daughter Rachel (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY : Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY : I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air - then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY : The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair 'monster'. Why the heck would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other crap too.

THURSDAY : Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes. Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny witch to find me. Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine - which I sank.

FRIDAY : I hate that witch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader! If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it. Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the Darn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

SATURDAY : Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching 11 straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY : I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter Rachel (the little brat) will choose a gift for me that is fun - like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Grand Teton Races – Post Race Update





Hello Everyone!!!

Just a quick note to let you know that we have some new links regarding the Grand teton Races:

GTR Merchandise Photos

GTR Merchandise Order Form

GTR Photo Gallery

GTR Testimonials

Wonderful memories!

Lisa

Monday, September 10, 2007

Wow!!! What a few weeks it has been

Good morning and happy Monday!!!

I don't even know where to start. Life has been a roller coaster of many thing's the past few weeks all of which are good.
The week before the Teton races we had many friends and runner's coming and going from our house. George V. always comes a week before to help us with many thing's that need to be done for the race, we are so thankful for his help! Not to mention he is not a 2 time finisher of the GTR 100!!!!
Thank you to Terry who drove all the way from Chicago to help Jay mark the course, a course that was like the yellow brook road:)
Bob Becker who I talked into running the 100 mile just 2 weeks before did about anything we asked him to do as far as helping out and had an amazing race.
The list goes on and on of those who were here before, during and after to help and thank you will never be enough, just know we are thankful.
The race was such a great success and we have so many more new things we will add next year to continue to make it even better.

We thank Grand Targhee for helping us put on a great event, all of our sponsors, Colleen, Cathy Sharon and Shannon for the endless hours they spent on the race. Thank you to Olga for all her endless hours helping all over the course.
How about those fast updates and photos?????? How about the amazing aid station volunteers??

On a personal note and as a coach I could not be happier than I was at our races. I only left the finish line for less than 2 hours all weekend. It was such a thrill to see so many past and present students in action!
This summer we had track workouts each week and over half of the people who came to track
ran one of the races and most all students won an award!!!
Here is a list of students that I want to give a BIG..WAY TO RUN AWARD!!!
Darrn Worts, Mike Ehredt,Michael Evans,Laurie Andrews, Alex Nemat,Lori Bantekas...(all in the top 10 of the 100)!!
Becky Clements,Anthony Portera Jackqueline Florine, Meredith Murphy, Leigh Corbin, George Velasco (all in the top 20-30 in the 100)!!!
Zahon Billimoria (WON THE MARATHON)!! Katheleen Crowley, Aaron Davis, Rick Wall, Michael DeLoy, Ellen Wyoming, Anna Adams, Alisha Strobel


Wow...that is some list...I just want you all to know what a joy it was for me to watch all of you shine under the Teton sky...and each time you came through the main aid station it made my heart sing. When you crossed the finish line and we put the medal around your neck it was a moment in time that will last forever!

And..a big WAY TO GO..to all the GTR runners, families and crew. We thank you for coming and we can't wait to see you all next year.

Love to you all
Lisa and Jay

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Blogging the GTR Experience

I know I am very overdue for a Blog posting, but truth be known…I just don’t know where to start. So many wonderful things have happened in the past few weeks...and there are so many more to come!

So for starters, how about I give you links to Blog posting from friends about the Grand Teton Races? Let me know if you know of anyone else who blogged about their experience, so I can add them to the list.

Andy Jones-Wilkins

















Happy Reading!

Lisa