Point 2 Point 2012

Was this race hard? Yes. Was it epic? Yes. Will I do it again next year? Yes. Most likely. Probably. 

The day started off slightly more stressful than anticipated. I realized the night before the race that I'd forgotten to bring bike shorts. How could you forget something that important? Don't know, but I did. I quickly called my 3B Yoga teammate and asked if she had extra shorts. Thank heavens she did! We sure didn't want to drive back down to Provo and back at 10pm.

Woke up in the morning to rain. We stayed in our utility trailer which makes everything sound so much LOUDER. When I walked outside it was still pretty bad and the lightening was lighting up the entire valley. I started planning my day and it did NOT include racing P2P. We were told by the race director to stay in our cars and hold tight. Race was officially postponed until 8am and they were going to make a decision at 7am. At 6:45 it completely cleared up and was looking like it was going to be a beautiful day. We all took a vote. I voted to race that day, but KC Holley and my husband told me I'd better vote to race the following day. Long story short, director made the call to race that day.

Panic panic rush rush. Get to the starting line with no warmup what-so-ever. Realize that I didn't have my bottle of electrolytes. Oh well. Too late now. If you don't know anything about P2P just know that it's supposed to be a 78 mile mountain bike race with 14,000 feet of climbing. There are only 3 aid stations so you're riding for about 3 hours between each station. To not have those calories from my sports drink made me a little worried. I should mention that because of epic rain that morning we were going to cut 10 miles off. YAY!

Started racing and was right behind Bobby which was awesome. About 30 minutes into the race my chain started having problems and would suddenly freeze up. This would launch me over the front of my bars and I'd have to pull over to let a bunch of guys by. It became so bad that I couldn't pedal at all. Bobby was going around a switch back so he just happened to see me struggling and called out. I told him my problems and he stopped and waited for me. He's my knight in shining armor. I ran my bike up to him and he sprayed the chain off with his water and then lubed it. Good to go. Then it was trying to pass a bunch of guys back for the next 45 minutes. Finally got into a good rhythm and was about to pass a couple of girls when we came up to a T in the road and I knew the course was supposed to turn right but it was marked to turn left and the other girls turned left. We dropped down a really steep hill for a half mile when I hear someone yelling my name. Wrong way. I yelled at the other girls and struggled to get back up the steep hill. Then it was back to passing all the people I'd just worked to pass. Oh well that's mountain bike racing eh?

The trails were in a amazing condition, super tacky and fast. I was feeling great. It was overcast and there was fog that made everything a little eery, but wow was I having a great time out there. Bobby caught up to me and it was really fun to have him there.

First aid station I stuffed down a banana, grabbed some other snacks AND my electrolyte drink and switched out my camel back and was off. Gabe with 3B Yoga was there to do support and boy was I glad to have him. He was so organized and efficient. That really saved me some time.

The next section until the 2nd aid station is just long. They have you climb about 2,000 feet and then descend and then CLIMB 2,000 feet and the DESCEND and then CLIMB 2,000...you get the idea. I was forcing food down the whole way and trying not to throw it all up, which I'm proud to say I only threw up once and it was just a little.

2nd feed station was the best! Joan and Steve Mower were there along with Gabe. Joan had me sit down so she could massage my achilles on my left foot. It had been painful for the last 2 hours.

I finally left the feed zone knowing the hardest part of the race was coming up. The flat to 4% grade section. My body feels best and passes the most people on grades that are 8% and steeper. Amazingly my achilles didn't hurt. I was needing a pick-me-up tho and so I downed a 5 hour energy. Best idea ever! I think it only effected me for about an hour but it was AMAZING! The last part was just trying not to die coming down the crappy last downhill.
Made it down safely and Came in 5th place pro women!

Made $700!

So so happy for these results and for everyone who helped me along the way.

Side note: I was nauseous for about 2 days, but I still think it was worth it :)

THANK YOU 3B YOGA FOR ALL THE SUPPORT AND FOR SUCH A FUN YEAR OF RACING!!!!

Joan Mower is the best cheer leader!

Coming into the 2nd feed

Amy is happy to give a smile a two birdies

Finished! Amazingly fast time Bobby!

Finished! Can I cry now?

Road biking

Untitled by erincollins at Garmin Connect - Details

This is the ride Bobby and I did today. That boy kicks my butt every time we go out for a ride these days! It's awesome yet annoying :)

Love that *man
Love riding bikes
Love riding bikes with that *man

*man=Bobby Swenson

True Grit Baby

Ok so remember last year how bad this race turned out? Well good thing Bobby and I gave it another chance because this year it was a blast!
We went down 3 times to ride in St Geo this winter--SO FUN!! I wanted to dial the Zen Trail in. I think we did it a total of 5 times. Technical isn't necessarily my strong point, BUT I've sure improved with it and I would say I'm not too shabby at it now :) I would have to thank my husband for my improved technical abilities because that IS his strong point and he's always so encouraging to me and tries to teach me new ways to get up/down scary stuff. LOVE HIM!!!
Anyway, True Grit race started out looking like it was going to be an awful stormy day, but all my prayers must have done something because it turned out to be the perfect racing temps.
I started out in 2nd place and stayed there the whole race. I stayed with Jesse Sorenson of Wild Child Mountain Bike Team (Downhill Cyclery in Payson). He was such a stud to ride with, very encouraging and we took our turns pulling each other, which was very nice because the wind was prettttttty bad. I've decided I'm a kite in the wind...Tall and Skinny, so the wind just eats me up.
Zen could have gone a little better but I'm just being a perfectionist. I made it up all the stuff I really wanted to that I've struggled with in the past. YEEEAAAAH! Then on stuff that was never a problem for me became a problem because guys in front of me would bobble and have to get off and run up, this made me bobble and have to run up. Oh well, I'm grateful I can ride 99% of that trail now.
Kathy Sherwin was the womens leader and let me give you a little history. In a 2-3 hour race a couple years ago I would come in 30 min behind her. So with True Grit being 5 hours I came in 9 min behind her! Hell yes. Doc's (Andrew Creer) coaching program is doing me some major good! Thanks Doc!!! You rock.
Mountain Bike Race News made a big deal about her finishing 10 min in front of me and was a little degrading to me, but I say forget those guys, they don't know how much I've improved.

Bobby did so amazing. That he can ride 5 hours with legs that are cramping off and on the whole time just blows me away!

Highlight of the day:
Getting second duh! I won a little money which is also sweet.
Lowlight:
My garmin watch causing me so much excruciating pain that I had to take it off while riding. That night I developed a goose egg on my wrist and couldn't lift anything or even brush my teeth. Crazy!

Frustration

I've had the opportunity over the last 6 months or so to see how some people can be such users. Not drug users or anything like that, but users of peoples time and talents and give then nothing in return. I've had to suffer through watching my husband be used time after time and devote literally hundreds of hours to a person and then get kicked to the curb when it came time for him needing help. I can't help but dislike people that mistreat those I love. It drives me to a breaking point, and I start to lose control of all reasoning.
I guess I just have to remember that there will always be good people and bad people to deal with.

Gosh dang it! Why do I always wait to blog until there are so many things that have happened and so many things on my mind that my posts end up being a 20 minute read? Oh yeah...because I don't have internet at home! Oh well.
Well we are verrrrrry happy to say that our town home sold and even though we weren't looking for another house to buy we did just that. We bought another house. It's up in the "Edgemont" area. If you know were Days Market is then you basically know where our house is. WE ARE STOKED!
We're also very sad to leave the mother/father nest. It has been such a great experience living here with my parents. Bobby is just about the easiest and most pleasant person to live with and I'm not too bad myself ;), so combine that with really loving parents that just wanna have fun, you have a great team and a happy home. Fletcher will probably go into a deep depression when we move him away from his best buddy in the whole world...my dad. He adores my mom too, but him and my dad are kinda like kindred spirits. It's darn cute.

We got married again. The first time was just so much fun that we wanted to do it again. But for ETERNITY this time. If you are a church going man/woman and happen to have a temple recommend I highly recommend going to the Manti Temple. It's beyond words. Just go, you'll see what I mean.

I'm having Andrew Creer coach me this year. I like to refer to him as Doc. If you live in Utah Valley and are wanting a cycling coach get ahold of me and I'll give you his info. He's freakin fantastic!
PS I'm having him train me for my upcoming 1/2 Ironman. First one for me! So he can train you for tri's as well.

I will post pics of the house and the temple wedding when I'm on a faster computer, otherwise I'll be here alllllll frickin night.

3B Yoga

Let me tell you my new addition to things I'm passionate about...Yoga! I've been going to 3B Yoga (in the Riverwoods) since June. Yoga has changed my life. Physically and mentally. After every class I always feel so fresh and clean like the toxins from the day have been squeezed out of me and any negative thoughts I might have had just disappear.
My dear friend Lindsey Wise has been telling me for the last 5 years that I need to practice yoga...'some day' I'd think to myself. Well now I know how right she was and how frustrating it must have been for her to tell me about how great it was and for me to never try. It's not that I didn't want to try, it's that I knew I'd be sucked in from day one. And that's exactly how it's been, I'm addicted. And that's ok :) Now I feel frustrated when I tell everyone I know (especially friends and family) to get themselves to yoga. So for the hundredth time my dear friends and family: Go to yoga! It will change your life for the better.
3B offered Bobby and I the chance to do a photo shoot of us in their clothing that they sell in the yoga/athletic boutique. Umm yes please! Let me just tell you, every time I go to class I have to wander over to the boutique and daydream about buying every single piece of girls clothes that they have because they are just so darn cute and the fabrics they use are soooo soft! I'm in love with the main brand that they carry, Lululemon. Girls, you will die when you see how cute everything is and how good it feels on you.
So back to the photo shoot. The photographer was awesome! She taught me a lot about how to make your expressions look as natural and real as possible. Some day I want to be a model! Try cute clothes on and hang out with fun people?! Another yes please! If you're needing professional amazing photos and want someone that is fun and super nice call:

Kiera Haddock

www.kieraeve.com

3B offered me the chance to get my friends hooked on the cute yoga clothes by offering this coupon!
Just print it out and I promise it's worth your time to go check out the boutique and sign up for some for some yoga classes while you're at it ;)
Oh and check out Bobby and my pictures below!

 

my husband

he is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!  love love lovelove him.!!!!!!! dont know what i would do with out him.









im pretty hot too!!!