quigley
Originally uploaded by cyclesq.

It is 8:30 on Saturday morning and I'm on my second cup of coffee waiting on it to warm up a little more before I suit up to ride. I was planning on going to Lawton to ride Mt Scott a few times with Rat and Angie but I don't feel like driving an hour and a half (one way) to ride. So now I'm thinking of pre-riding the Redbud course. It has a few hills and a lot of flat stuff and then one big hill toward the finish. Now if it would just warm up. It is 40 degrees right now and supposed to be 50 by 10:00. For some reason, 50 sounds a ton better than 40. But it is sunny and looks really nice out and the winds are pretty slow too. That is always a plus and pretty rare around here. The weatherman just said...."the winds will really pick up tonight and tomorrow"..... There's a crit over by Tulsa tomorrow but the women's race is only 30 minutes. I'm not sure if I want to drive 2 hours (one way) for a 30 minute crit and then two hours back home. I will really have to think about that!

On another note.....Chica got fixed on Wednesday. The vet said she was already in heat so I have to keep her away from Big Dog for 4-5 days! She has been in a kennel in the house since I brought her home and she is going stir crazy right now. I have let her out to run around the house but she'n not potty trained so I don't trust her. And Big Dog is having a fit. He hasn't eaten since I took Chica to the vet on Wednesday. He wants his little friend back. He just sits at the back door and whines and howls all night. Poor guy.....

It finally quit raining about two hours ago but it is supposed to rain all night again. There are tornado warnings for a few of the surrounding counties so it looks like yet another trainer ride tonight. I am so tired of the trainer. My friend Chad already packed his away for the summer and now he's having to get it out of storage again. It is supposed to be cold all week as well. Like 40 degrees every day. I am so ready for the 80 degree days. The riding is much better then. I thought my depression was gone but now it has returned. This weather is killing me!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!! I wish I could spend your birthday with you but I owe you dinner next time you are in town!

45 degrees and rain...argggg.It hasn't rained here in OKC for months. We are about 3 inches below average so I guess we need the rain. But the cold is another story. I could do without that. I am planning on racing this Sunday but not if it is raining and cold. Guess I better suit up and hop on the trainer now.

5.97 power to weight ratio

I'm getting there....

Lago Vista

Lago Vista
Originally uploaded by cyclesq.

This picture is hilarious! I was talking to crap to Andrea from behind during the race so she decided to do some squirrly descent. I was even laughing in this picture.

I don't think I'm racing this weekend. I had planned to race Hell's Kitchen in Arkansas on Sunday, but the forcast looks like it's going to be cold and rainy. After Walburg, I am done racing in the cold and in the rain until cyclocross season starts up in November again. So, I may stay home this weekend and do some errands around the house. The rent house is so close to being done. Maybe that will be the plan. The only problem is that everything needs to be done on the outside now and it is supposed to rain all weekend here. So, that may not get done either. I know we need the rain, but it puts a damper on my plans.

I need to take a picture of this but Chica keeps jumping the fence. It isn't like she jumps it and takes off in the neighborhood. She jumps the back fence and into the neighbor's yard. Our back fence is only about 3 feet tall so I guess that is what we get for having such a short fence. Big Dog just watches. He knows he will get in trouble if he even thinks about jumping the fence. Whenever I yell at Chica for jumping the fence, Big Dog ducks his tail and runs to the dog house. Chica really doesn't care. She is happy all the time, regardless if I'm yelling at her or not. I am going to have to do something about the fence jumping because my neighbors are going to find out soon. And I'm afraid she is going to start jumping on their massive trampoline or chewing it to pieces.

I have been riding hard. Yesterday the wind was blowing steady at 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. It was so hard going into the wind. I rode with Steve and Charles and Steve was on his new TT machine. Charles thinks it makes him look fat, but I felt bad telling Steve that!

Lago Vista

Lago Vista
Originally uploaded by cyclesq.

So, you see my competition was a bit tough this weekend. That is Andre Ratkovic in the front. She is one of my good friends and riding buddies here in OKC. She is also a pro duathalete. Behind her is Kate Sherwin who races pro for Victory Brewing Pro Cycling Team. And next to her in the yellow helmet is Andrea Hannos. She used to race for Rona pro cycling team and has won numerous NRC races. And now that I look at this photo, they may have been hurting a little bit, too!

LA Primavera at Lago Vista I and II

I raced in Austin this weekend. Or to be more exact, at Lake Travis just outside of Austin. Both days are pretty much the same course. They are hilly courses with a steep uphill finish. I think every race I have done this year has an uphill finish. I can't wait until I have a flast fast finish! We left OKC at 5:00 and I planned to be at my teammate, Beth's, house by 10:30. That was until we encountered the massive road consturction and miles upon miles of red brake light along I-35 right before the Texas border. Two hours later, we were rolling along, once again, at 75 mph. We finally arrived at Beth's at 12:30. I was completely exhausted and all I could think about was sleep. But my coke that I drank on the way down to keep me awake, did in fact keep me awake another hour or so, until I finally fell asleep around 2:00 am.

The women's open race started at 10:15. It was already hot when I woke up at 7:30. And it was really hot by 9:00 when I jumped on my trainer to warm-up. I felt decent for the first half of the race and then Jen Mcrae attack through the start finish uphill section and for some reason, I decided to go with her. I pretty much blew myself up and ended up getting dropped when a break caught us. Jen is one strong chic. So, I rolled around in the pack for the rest of the race and tried to go for the sprint. The wheel I was on sat up right before the finish and I actually had to break and swerve to prevent steam rolling over the chic. I ended up 13th but my teammates took 4th, 6th and 8th. Not too bad.

Sunday was a little cooler and much better for me because I actually got some sleep the night before. I had a good warm-up and was ready to go. I felt good pretty much the entire race and I even attacked and managed to NOT blow myself up. A break of 4 went up the road and Beth was in it so we just patrolled the pack for the next lap or so and waited for the sprint. Daniele started leading me out a little too soon and a ConnexTrain girl, Ally Brandt, attacked and I went with her. My teammate Shontell was on my wheel and she took it it home. She took 5th and I managed to hold onto 6th. So, we took 4th, 5th and 6th. That was even better. This was our first weekend of the entire team racing together and we have some things to work on, for sure. But we still have the rest of the season to figure it all out.

We ate dinner yesterday after the race at Chuey's. It was so good but I ate way too much. At least too much to drive 5 hours. We took quick showers at Beth's and hit the road by 6:00.We pulled into the drive-way at 11:30. The traffic was pretty minimal so that made the drive much better. THere's a stage race in Fayettevill, Texas this weekend but that is another 1 1/2 south of AUstin. I don't think I can handle spending another weekend in the car.

I'll post some pictures shortly.

Salt Creek Men's cat 3/4 Circuit race

Salt Creek Men's cat 3/4 Circuit race
Originally uploaded by cyclesq.

I raced in Tulsa this past weekend. I did the women's race and had a bad finish and ended up 4th. Three of the Mercy women were there and Tulsa Wheelmen had a full squad. I should be happy with 4th but I also should have won that race. I felt good and just wasn't in the correct gear going into the sprint. By the time I had my gear, I was already gapped. I raced the men's cat 3 race, which was immediately after the women's race, and hung on until 4 laps to go. I was pretty happy with that. I wish I could have stayed until the finish but I was pretty spent.

We motorpaced today behind my wagon. I went for an hour and a half. I motorpaced from OKC to El Reno and then up to Okarche. The legs are starting to come around finally and I am beginning to shed a little winter weight.

And the seasonn has only just begun!