No longer an InterBike virgin

In my August 16^th post “Getting my Geek on”, I mentioned going to InterBike in Vegas. Well the show was last week and I can honestly say it was fantastic!!! A bit overwhelming, but fantastic.

The trip there made me think I should just sit at the black jack table and bet it all. Everything was going my way. It started when American Taxi ran out of cabs so they sent me a beautiful big town car. Once at the airport, I was able to secure an exit row seat at no charge, only catch it was a middle seat. When booking online they wanted $64!! Heck no to that.

Security was a breeze and I was pretty early, so I got my Garrett popcorn fix. Now why can’t that have an ultra-small size? Even the small is too much of a good thing. Off to the gate I went where two women in their 70s decided I’d be their new BFF. Have to say they were a hoot and kept me entertained until boarding time. I had a feeling they’d be getting into a lot more trouble than I would in Vegas.

As I boarded the plane and reached my row, the man in the exit isle seat smiled and asked if I wouldn’t mind switching with him. Are you kidding me? Give up a middle seat, heck yeah!! For some reason this guy wanted to sit next to his wife, which was fine by me. So now I have an exit row, isle seat to Vegas baby!!! Would wishing for a bump to 1^st class be too much to ask?

There was a glitch right as they were about to close the cabin doors. Seems a woman took tranquilizers prior to boarding and passed out. The nice Jewish doctor behind me (can’t script this), put on his rubber gloves and escorted her off the plane. Doors closed, wheels up and off to Vegas.

When we landed, there was a comment on my Facebook post that my friend Kai from Milwaukee would be in Vegas at another conference. Bonus, we’d get to see each other!!

Since I was on my own dime, I decided to take a Super Shuttle to the hotel. To my delight my 2 elderly BFFs where on the “party bus”. A couple of men boarded and I quickly struck up a conversation with one of them who looked like a cyclist. He indeed was going to InterBike and when asked which company he worked for, I almost hit the floor. I was trying to get a meeting with his company’s VP but our schedules were too busy. But sure enough his VP was sitting next to him and we conducted our meeting on the bus. It was Kismet.

At the hotel waiting in a long line to check in, I get a text from John Marsh the publisher/editor of RoadBikeRider.com. We had never met and the text was “where are you?” Ends up he’s in line right next to me. He assumed there weren’t too many 6’ tall curly red heads checking into a Vegas hotel but thought it was safer to check first.

I was at InterBike on a press pass, so the first evening was spent at the Press Preview event. There John and I got our first bit of schwag, a nice Thule backpack. I would need it as well as my half empty suitcase to bring home all the stuff we got. We wandered from booth to booth seeing what was new and what products would be good to review in the coming issues of RBR.

The next morning we attended the industry breakfast at 730am before heading to the show. I had meetings lined up most of the day so I knew it would be an exhausting 9 hours on my feet. The show was so huge that I felt like I was continuously lost and walking in circles. Even with the InterBike Mobile App, it was hard to find the booth you were looking for. I needed a turn by turn cue sheet. Maybe marked up in pink and blue highlighter by Cindy K. (inside joke)

Some of the key vendors I met with the first day included Pearl Izumi, Polar, Topeak, COBI, Garmin, Muc-Off, PrimalWear, Polar Bottles, Smith, Lazer (who was just bought by Shimano), Zevlin, Catrike, 2xu, Coeur Sports, SockGuy, Shebeast, Giordana, SealSkinz, Bolle and countless others.

By the end of the first day, the show was winding down and I was pretty tired and still overwhelmed. Then I get a text from John, “Happy hour at the BMC booth.” Somehow I was able to find it pretty quick and we enjoyed a beer as we debriefed about our day. But my day wasn’t over. Had to go catch a bus to see Cross Vegas, the UCI Cyclocross World Cup season opener. I’m not a big fan of bike racing but cyclocross is so much fun. Plus they had the Clif Bar umbrella boys. It’s cyclocross’ version of Thunder Down Under. Really buff guys in just cycling bibs. Eye candy for the women. 

Clif Bar Umbrella Boys - Some nice eye candy

I did get to catch up with Kai and her husband Andrew at the race. Seems Andrew knew all the pros and kept pointing out top riders. I admit, I was clueless since I don’t follow cross racing. But when he spotted Katie Compton, Kai wanted a picture with her. I thought I was taking the picture of Kai and Katie for her Facebook page “For the Love of Her Bike.” But then all of a sudden Kai is telling Katie who I am and that I write this blog for women, yadda yadda yadda. Like Katie could care less. I just wanted to climb in a hole. But Katie was extremely kind, pretended to be interested, and posed with us.

Kai, Katie Compton and Me

We were then treated to one of the most exciting women’s pro (or men’s) races ever. So worth being up for almost 21 hours!!!

These three played cat and mouse up until the finish line

The final day at InterBike for me was only a half day. I waited forever for the umbrella boys to come to my room and sit on my suitcase so I could close it. So much product and literature to take home. Can’t wait to start reviewing many of the items we saw. Breakfast was at a vendor’s suite, Showers Pass, so we could learn about their new line. I had never heard of them but they make some high end windproof, waterproof and breathable jackets among other items. I now have one of their jackets to product test. After breakfast on to Garneau, Kask, Zoic, 7Mesh, Tifosi, Stages, and VisiJax to name a few.

The trip home was a bit rocky. Vegas had 30mph winds so a very bumpy flight. But I can’t complain, it was a great trip, met with a lot of companies and saw a lot of cool new products. Now I have my work cut out for me testing and reviewing scores of items from helmets to jackets to eyewear. It will be like Christmas the next few months as samples start being delivered.

Sad to say I never had time to gamble but my luck was through the roof. Maybe next time.

My InterBike article for RBR just posted today. Check it out and see what was new.

LIfe's too short for negative people in your life

Over the last few years I've become less tolerant of negative people and have tried to rid myself of them. I've analyzed why I feel so strongly about this subject and came to the conclusion...Life is too short!!! I'm only 53 and have already lost too many friends over the years to cancer, heart disease, and freak accidents. Again, life is just too damn short!!!

I have been blessed to have a number of groups I train, swim and bike with who are filled with wonderful positive people. They are supportive, encouraging, and always see the cup as half full. I guess positive people attract other positive people.

 

No longer do I have patience for people who find it necessary to put others down in order to boost themselves up. I once heard a saying, "They need to blow other people's candles out in order to make their candle burn brighter." I often wonder why someone thinks it's okay to tear others down. Doesn't it take more energy to be negative than positive? Just like it takes more energy to be angry than it does to be happy. Are they insecure, jealous, what????

This past season has been filled with wonderful memories. Oh wait, in my last blog post I said the season wasn't over. So I'll restate this..so far this season...

Last month a few of the Otters were getting ready for IM Madison. They wanted to practice a mass swim start having folks bump them, kick them, swim perpendicular to them. Just present any number of scenarios that could happen during their upcoming race...actually any open water swim race. It was great to see so many people share their experiences and selflessly help others and reduce some pre-race anxiety. Everyone had an encouraging word and a positive thought to share. No negativity here.

On Labor Day this same group of swimmers had a "almost end of the season" party. We started with an early swim for those who wanted to "loop the lake." It's a 2.2 mile swim and to my surprised there were several folks I would have sworn looped the lake in prior years, but were indeed virgin loopers.

There were a few folks that were apprehensive about the swim, but the chatter on Facebook leading up to Labor Day was so encouraging and positive because we knew they could do it. Sure enough, it was a party around the lake. We all stuck together making sure everyone was okay and everyone who wanted to loop the lake successfully completed it.

Last weekend there were several triathlons including IM Madison. The same folks who had us simulate a mass start competed and completed their first Ironman triathlon. Just amazing what you can will your body to do and still cross the finish line with a smile. Once again, Facebook was filled with positive comments, accolades and just good vibes.

Then today four friends biked together. One had not done more than 56 miles all year and her longest ride was 16 years ago. But even if Janet didn't believe in herself, we all did. There was no negative chatter, only encouraging words before, during and after the ride. It's amazing what positive energy can do. 

There's nothing good that comes from negativity or negative people. I stand by that.

Always enjoy the ride,
Sheri

Over? The season isn't over until I decide it is!

I'm reminded of the scene in Animal House where they are put on Double Secret Probation. But they were determined to fight back. John "Bluto" Belushi's famous rant "Over? Nothings over until we decide it is." Well, that's how I feel about my season. The calendar might say mid-September but it aint over.

I'm still swimming with the Otters 2-3 mornings a week. You might need a miners helmet to see where you are going in the lake, but it still is better than staring endlessly at that black line at the bottom of the pool. I'm still biking, too. Not as many weekday miles as during the summer as sunset is pretty early. But still able to get in 50 during the weekdays and longer on the weekends.

What the lake looks like when we get in

....when we get out

To circumvent the early sunsets, I've invested in a helmet light. Yep, I look like a geek with it on. This will allow me to ride the trails near my house and come home safely after sunset. I'm also product testing a high viability vest for RBR which really glows bright when hit with light . Between my cross bike and the fat tire bike I'll be able to get some riding in for several more months.

This week I experienced my first night gravel ride. It was 2 days before the full moon, which meant a lot of natural light. I figured this event, hosted by a local bike shop, was ideal for trying out night riding. I knew the area/trail really well so if I got freaked out by the darkness or got dropped, I knew how to get back. Also the distance was fairly short...23 miles.

Sunset to the west, full moon rising behind us

So I dipped my toe in the night riding world. It was beautiful to watch the sunset and the full moon rise. It was quiet and peaceful which enhanced the experience. Sharing it with several friends also made it special.

Next month I'm planning to head to Missouri and check out the Katy Trail. Heard great things about it and hope the fall foliage wont disappoint.

Bottom line, don't hang up your bike just yet. There's a lot more miles to be ridden and many great events/invitationals to partake in.

Still enjoying the ride,
Sheri

Why I Tri

Last Sunday's race in Michigan was all about me and persevering through storms, tornadoes, flat tire,  and horizontal rain with a "never give up" attitude. This Sunday was all about the athletes of Dare2tri who persevere with amazing attitude, drive and that "never give up" attitude.

Today was the Chicago Triathlon which hosts over 9,000 able body and disabled athletes. I've never wanted to race in this event because of how huge it is. But today I had the honor to be an athlete guide for Ryan, a young man with Cerebral Palsy. Ryan was part of a corporate relay team which paired two athletes from a corporation with one of Dare2tri's athletes.

Chris was our swimmer and Laura was our runner. My only job was to get Ryan through the 15 mile bike course safely. And of course provide humor and an encouraging word along the way. But to be honest I had to do very little encouraging. As bikers passed us on Lake Shore Drive they yelled and cheered for Ryan. It really made me proud to be a part of this sport. It reminded me of last Sunday as I stood on the side of the road trying to fill my flat tire and riders asked if I was okay. Triathletes always seem to encourage one another even though we are competing against each other. Maybe it's because we all know the sport of triathlons is not an easy one and we recognize how a little encouragement goes a long way.

From left to right: Sheri (bike guide), Ryan (bike), Laura (run) and Chris (swim)

The 15 mile bike course was an out and back on two closed lanes of Lake Shore Dr. We weren't going very fast, so I took the time to take in the beautiful Chicago skyline and lakefront. It was one of those rare clear Chicago days, little wind, smooth water, but of course warm and humid.

I give Ryan a lot of credit, the trike was heavy and the inclines were tough for him. But he just pushed through it and enjoyed the downhills on the other side. We stopped about every 3 miles so I could hand him a water bottle. It was too dangerous to do a handoff while biking as he had limited use of his right arm and it really takes 2 hands to steer the trike.

I could tell by mile 10 he was getting a bit tired. His average speed dropped a bit and the adrenaline was wearing off. It was only after we finished the bike course did Ryan tell me this was the longest he ever biked. And where he practices there aren't really any hills. But, he never complained, he never gave up, and I was truly inspired by his tenacity to keep pushing himself.

Back in transition and done with the bike course

We had about 50 Dare2tri athletes competing over the last two days, all of whom share the same trait of never give up, never doubt, just get it done! There were also countless volunteers as guides or handlers that helped to make this happen. I'm so proud of these athletes and proud to be part of such a great organization.

I've been asked by a number of people about how they can get involved. Check out the Dare2tri web site. Consider attending our annual gala An Evening2Inspire on September 30th (details on our Facebook page). It's a perfect opportunity to meet the athletes and have a great night in Chicago. Or just ask me...I'm happy to tell you about my experiences over the last couple of years.

Today was not about the speed or distance for me, it was about empowering someone to go beyond their limits and achieve a new goal.

I truly enjoyed the ride today,
Sheri

MI Titanium race weekend - Guess I'm Titanium STRONG

I started this blog back in January 2014 to document my quest to knock off an Ironman AquaBike off my bucket list and the hopes of encouraging others to push their limits. Once finishing that race I decided, done that...don't need to do it again. But I still wanted to have a goal or two for my yearly training. This year I returned to Grand Rapids, MI to do a 1/2 IM AquaBike (1.2 mile lake swim and 56 mile bike...this one was 57 miles).

It was fun to share the adventure with my friend Michelle, two of my fellow Otters Jessica and Karie, fellow Pearl Izumi Tri Champion Gigi, and Jeff a Dare2tri athlete. Everyone else was doing the complete 1/2 IM distance tri. I was content with Swim, Bike, Done!! Jeff would go on to complete his first ever 1/2 IM distance race. Very inspiring.

In the days before and during race weekend I couldn't help on reflect on someone that was missing. Two years ago when I did this race, my friend Mark came with to compete taking 2nd in his age group. A remarkable triathlete who unfortunately passed away last year. We were the same age and it just broke my heart to lose yet another friend so young. You truly must live every day to its fullest as you never know what tomorrow brings. I believe Mark was there in spirit and even finding humor in what we endured.

Michelle and I left on Saturday morning in a rain storm. The cell stretched from Northern Wisconsin all the way to Southern Illinois and was heading east. So our 3.5 hour drive took a little over 4 hours and the torrential rains followed us the whole time. I equate it to driving in a car wash for four hours. Michelle was riding shot gun and would update me what color on the radar we were driving into. Just in case I couldn't see out the car window at the time.

We got to Grand Rapids and proceeded to the YMCA for packet pick-up. I was excited to see that my swim wave had purple caps. My favorite color. Plus the goodie bag had powder blue socks...Power socks!!! (inside joke ask me some time) These were all good omens. But within minutes of my excitement they announce a tornado warning and we all had to evacuate to the locker rooms for safety. Us and a 100 of our closest friends huddled in the locker room. We had no windows to see what was transpiring outside so relied on our cell phones to check radar. We were dab center in a bright red cell. Then the woman came over the intercom with panic in her voice "Three tornadoes are reported on the ground heading towards us and will be here in 5 minutes."  I was about at my wits end after white knuckling it for 4 hours in pouring rain and now waiting to get hit by a tornado. A man nearby had a little Yorkie with a service dog vest which was his comfort dog. I really wanted to wrestle it out of his hands since I needed some comforting.

After the all clear I get a text later from Gigi that she unknowingly drove right into the tornado. Oh our little storm chaser. It ended up the tornadoes touched down in Wyoming (MI) and southern Grand Rapids. Luckily no one was hurt, just property damage and power outages. We were fine and of course the sun came out.

We headed over to the venue and transition, constantly debating if we should rack our bikes or wait until the morning. After consulting Weather.com a few more times we decided to rack the bikes and cover them with plastic garbage bags, tuck them in for the night, kiss our babies goodbye and hope for the best in the morning. It did rain again but nothing too bad. Vermonster was safe and dry.

Vermonster all wrapped up for the night

After racking our bikes, Jessica, Michelle and I went to drive some of the bike course so I could show them the 13% climb at mile 3. But to our delight they had changed some of the course since 2 years ago and just lots of longggg rollers most of course and two 12% grade climbs tossed in back to back just for giggles.

It was time to go check into our hotel. Just before pulling into the parking lot we get a call from the hotel that they overbooked. Ends up they would offer to move us to another hotel and pay for our stay. The catch was they knew nothing about the hotel, plus it wasn't  a known chain. We declined since where we were was a known commodity and we needed a good night's sleep.

Then it was time for dinner. Could the day get any worse? Well yeah. I was served raw chicken. Well that meal was free. Fingers cross I wouldn't get sick.

The last bit of excitement for the day was a tattooing party. We got temporary race number tattoos instead of the regular handwritten Sharpies markings. BTW, these aren't temporary. Two lake swims and two showers and I still can't get these damn things off.  Totally open to suggestions.

A 5am wake up call and we check the weather. Rain starting at 1045am until 3pm. Lovely. At least we'll get the swim in. So off to the race we go, expecting the worse (weather wise) but hoping for the best.

You couldn't ask for better conditions for the swim. Smooth water and partly sunny skies. Michelle and I compared notes on the drive home. We both had our own "swim boogers" attached to us for 2/3 of the race. Those are swimmers who seem to think they are tethered to you and swim right up close and personal, sometimes swimming right in front of you or hitting you with every stroke. No matter what you do you can't get rid of them and unfortunately you can't drown them.

Out of the swim feeling great, made good use of the lightning fast volunteer strippers and off to transition carrying my wet suit. Unlike 2 years ago my legs felt pretty good and I'm not hyperventilating.  First 10 miles I'm averaging 18.3mph and enjoying yelling "on your left" instead of being the one yelled to. The course is hilly. Not the kind that you can go screaming down and back up the other side with little effort. These are long hills that you scream down and slog up the 5-8% grade on other side. It was also very windy so I was getting blown around a bit with my aero wheels. The roads had a lot of chip and seal, pot holes and cracks. So you had to use your best bike handling skills when flying down some of the hills.

I was in a groove, playing cat and mouse with this gal Renee I met on the course. Right at 1030 it started drizzling. Wait they said not until 1045am. Liars!!! Then at mile 31 I flatted. Renee made sure I had everything and kept going. By this time my average was 17.6mph. I thought it was just the sidewall but this morning I looked closely and there's a big slice down to the cords. I changed the flat in 3 minutes easy peasie. But then my CO2 inflator malfunctioned and drained both my CO2 cartridges. What happened next is what I love about triathlons. Every single rider asked if I was okay, did I have everything I needed, etc. I didn't want anyone to stop their race to help me. Figured the truck would be by quick enough to help. But no such luck. I found out later it was busy helping Gigi who had THREE flats along the course and needed a loaner wheel.


Then all of a sudden one woman circled back, pulled out her inflator and a cartridge, handed it to me and rode off. I had begged her not to do that because if she flatted she’d have nothing. But she insisted. The inflator worked like magic, but only gave me about 60PSI but I was in business. I took off like a mad woman trying to make up for the 20+ minutes I was on the side of the road.

As I passed each aid station I'd yell out "do you have a pump?" but no one did so I kept peddling. I finally saw the woman who gave me the CO2 inflator. She was fading in the strong headwinds. I pulled up next to her and quickly thanked her over and over, asked her name (Deana) and apologized that it wasn't a draft legal race or I'd pull her home. I left her behind and by mile 43 the clouds got black and the wind picked up even more. It started to pour sideways. I just kept my head down and pedaled. Praying I wouldn't flat again since I didn't have another tube or wipe out on the flooded roads. The goal was to finish this thing and finish it as fast I as could. But the wind and the rain had other ideas.

About 2 miles from the end, the sun came out and the rain dissipated. But no such luck for the wind. I battled the wind and continued passing these poor souls who were beaten down by the bike course. I just knew that I didn't have to run after this. So just continued to drive home. I pulled into the Finish shoot at 16.4mph average, soaking wet and a big ass smile. I'd had hoped for an average in the mid seventeens but with the wind, rain, hills and low pressure rear tire this was definitely acceptable. I ran across the finish line the best I could in cleats and was proud that not once did I want to give up. I was strong like Titanium.

Posing with medal and flatted tube

Not sure what's next. Part of me would like to do an Ironman AquaBike again. Part of me knows the time commitment is grueling and this body isn't getting any younger. I'll noodle it and decide by early January. For now, I'm just going to Enjoy the Ride...

Sheri

Getting my geek on

Yesterday I booked my trip to Las Vegas to attend the InterBike show in September. It's the largest cycling industry show in North America. There are 750 vendors representing over 1400 brands. I've always wanted to go and finally have the chance with RoadBikeRider.com and a Media Press Pass. This is so cool I'm giddy. Yes, I'm going to get my geek on.

As a female (and female cyclist) I know I'll be in the minority at this convention. As I perused the educational and technical seminars offered, in addition to the exhibits, I was taken back the anemic  women's specific track. A mere 5 seminars, one of which was a happy hour. Are you kidding me? This speaks volumes that the cycling industry is still male dominated. They are definitely missing the boat on the virtually untapped market of women cyclists.

There is one session with a panel discussion called "Influencers, Ambassadors and Athletes: Expand your definition and your reach". The woman that heads my Pearl Izumi Ride Champion program will be on the panel. I'm hoping I can take an hour and attend that breakout session.

But the majority of my few days in Vegas will be to check out the new technology, clothing, accessories, etc on the exhibit floor. Over the years I've accumulated enough knowledge about bikes, bike components, etc to hold an intelligent conversation. So it will be fun to get my geek on and mix it up with some of these reps.

But first I need to knock out this MI Titanium race on Sunday. Taper week has commenced and I'm enjoying dialing back my training a bit. But as all athletes know, it's tough not to continue with your regular routine. From past mistakes, I know I need to start my race with fresh legs and a refreshed body. Forecast in Grand Rapids is rain. But that seems to change daily. I hope we don't end up like the folks at the Racine Triathlon where storms forced the swim to be cancelled and the bike course to be shortened. Keeping positive thoughts.

Enjoy the ride,
Sheri

Paying it forward

Volunteering, paying it forward, and giving back has always been part of my DNA. Being an avid cyclist there are many ways you can leverage your passion and skills to give back. I recently wrote an article for Road Bike Rider highlighting some of the different volunteering options available.

You can read the full article here.

I hope this encourages many of you to think of ways you can give back...remember it isn't always about having to raise money...just giving a little bit of your time or knowledge goes a long way.

Enjoy the ride,
Sheri