Catching up -- way past due

Janyne before the start at
Lake Logan

I know that I've been slack in posting here. I've been busy but nothing seemed interesting enough to report here. I completed my second triathlon in August -- Lake Logan International. That one took place in western North Carolina.

The course was fun and I'd go it again. In September I road in Bike MS for the sixth time.

Also in September I completed my third triathlon -- Wilmington YMCA Sprint. That one was really fun! I had a blast! I really wanted to do the event because the swim is similar to the one that I'll be doing for B2B. There were 1500 people registered for the event -- huge compared to my first two triathlons that had 200-250 athletes each. We went down on Friday afternoon and I went to packet pickup at Two Wheeler Dealer. There was one person in line in front of me so check in was super easy. Then we headed over to Wrightsville and checked out the site a bit and then checked into the hotel. We dropped off the dogs and went to the pre-race meeting. I'd guess 50+ people were at the meeting. Then we walked over to Sea Path which was the swim finish and checked that out along with the 300m run to transition. I found my rack in transition and we went to dinner (pre race pizza!). So, the check in process and pre-race day logistics were simple.

Janyne with teammate
David L. before the start of Bike MS

On Saturday, the usual get up at 5:00. I ate while DH took care of the dogs. We got to the site at 5:30. Parked, set up transition, talk, potty, talk, shuttle bus to swim start at 6:30. Hang out at Blockade Runner (the swim started on the Blockade Runner water access), watch first waves of athletes start their swim (waves started at 7:00), talk to people about siting and current. My wave went at 7:55. The bike course was congested and there were no passing zones over the draw bridge. That was the only on course issue. After the race, I had a hard time finding my parents and keeping Kevin, the Girls and my parents under control :-)

The race was good, well run, etc. I would definitely go back. This was the first triathlon that I felt like a triathlete. I hope that makes sense. The others went well enough but I guess I wasn't really in my comfort zone or whatever. I was more nervous excited that nervous what have I got myself into.

Since then, I have mostly been busy training for Beach2Battleship where I am will be doing my first half iron distance triathlon -- 1.2 mile swim, then 56 mile bike and finally a half marathon run. I've been working to improve my swimming and trying to keep the other pieces together as well and diligently logging my workouts.

Bike MS 2009

This year I participated in my fifth Bike MS event and my second one in New Bern -- along with about 2,250 other cyclists on September 12-13.

I rode with my friends on Team CBC again. The team is great! We ride together throughout the year and have a number good organizers who do a great job of keeping us on track. I'm sure it's a lot like herding kittens! Several team members arrived at Union Point Park early and set up tents for team members so that we all had our sleeping tents circle around the a large team tent. Not only is the team a group of good riders, we are good fund raisers too! Team CBC has raised over $80,000.

On Friday night after setting up camp, Carolina Brewing Company hosted a team party at a local Bed and Breakfast. This was a great way to socialize with the team and a nice way to kick off the weekend.

This year, I rode the double century again. On Saturday after the team photo (this is where the kitten herding came in!) we found others who were riding our distance at out pace and heading to the start area. Bike MS offers four routes each day -- 30, 50, 75 and 100. The two longer routes start at 8:00 and the two shorter routes start an hour later.

The weather was great -- low 80s with very little wind. On Saturday I had a personal best for the 100, averaging 20.5 miles per hour. Sunday was an equally nice day.

100 miles and Moore

Earlier this year I participated in the Tarwheels Bikefest Rural Hertitage Tour 100 mile bike ride. Last year I did this ride for the first time and I remember saying to my friends, "I hate Person county!" OK, I really don't hate it but the route this ride takes through Person county is awfully hilly for people who have already gone 75 miles. It was hand to remember that because I saw the sign to enter Orange county and then got the the rest stop about 82 miles into the ride and I felt like I was home free!

The Bikefest crew! Fred, Doug, Chris, Me, Jonathan, Chuck

After the ride

Bikefest is one of several rides that I have done as part of my training for Bike MS ride next month. In addition to our regularly scheduled Team CBC rides, I have one more organized ride before MS -- my first ever Tour de Moore on Labor Day. The Tour de Moore is also a 100 miler. I'll have to let you know next month if it is insane to do a 100 miler on September 7 and then another one on September 12 and a third on September 13th!

Fundraising for Bike MS has been harder this year with the economy and all. I'm really looking forward to first Tour de Moore and then Bike MS and then Cycle North Carolina.

Double Century!

One weekend, 200 miles -- done!

Last weekend I completed the Bike MS ride in New Bern, NC. Each day, I rode the 100 mile route and I completed my first double century. My first 100 mile ride was only this May and I'm pretty pleased!

We arrived on Friday afternoon and found that my teammates had already set up a nice camping area for us. I'm not sure how many of my teammates ended up camping but 23 of the 84 riders on my team and registered to camp. We had a nice central tent and we hung out there until happy hour -- one of the advantages of being on a team sponsored by a brewery.

Saturday started out early with a 6:30 wake up call. The organizers must have thought that we would not be able to get ourselves up because they blasted us with a burst of music at 6:30. I had intended to get up about then anyway, having set the alarm on my cell phone for that time. The blast of music was a bit surprising though.

The ride started out at 8:00 with all of the 75-mile riders and all of the 100-mile riders in one big start. We were asked to line up by speed, which helped a lot until the routes for the two distances split and rejoined. When the routes rejoined, there was a lot of traffic with faster 100 mile riders joining slower 75 mile riders.

I started with a large group of Team CBC riders and we stuck together for a long time. The group skipped the first rest stop and stopped at the second one, about 25 miles into the ride. The routes split after that a few riders took the turn off for the 75-mile route. The rest of us continued past rest stop 3 to the lunch stop at mile 52. There was rest stop food, lunch food and even a band! Some of our group had fallen back and we tried to regroup at that point but had limited success.

A small group of us continued on with plans to stop again at mile 75. Unfortunately, between mile 52 and mile 75 we encountered a bad headwind. I averaged 20.4 mph for the first 52 miles and we were barely able to maintain 18 mph into the wind. Our group dwindled the three riders -- Scott, Roger and me. We stopped ad mile 75 and ran into Tim and Jon but they were just leaving the stop. We were able to team up with a large group from Selma Cyclopaths and we rode to mile 82 with them. When they stopped, we decided to stop briefly and regroup as a Team CBC unit. Five of us headed into New Bern together but we ended up breaking into two groups over the bridge. Roger and I finished together. Overall, I was pleased with the ride but slightly disappointed in my speed. I had hoped to break 20 mph and I average 19.8 -- finishing in exactly 4:58:00 minutes but the route came out to 99 miles on my bike computer. I did not realize how close I was until the next day when someone told me he finished in 4:54 and average 20.2.

On Saturday night after dinner, the organizers played Breaking Away for us on an outdoor screen. I hadn't seen it in a long time. I was struck by the "pre helmet" time frame! I have to admit, I did not make it to the end of the movie. I can't imagine why I was tired!

After talking to several teammates, it seemed that the plan for Sunday was to go slower -- about 18 mph -- and focus more on finishing the double century than on speed. Before we even left, the plan seemed to be coming apart. I had hoped to ride with Tim and Jon as well as Scott and Roger. Scott said he was going 75 rather than 100 and Tim was in street clothes, not spiffy spandex. Surprisingly, I found them both on the ride and both ended up riding the 100 mile route. Go Team CBC!

Our plan also called for skipping the first rest stop and refueling at mile 25 or so as we did on Saturday. Several of my teammates pulled off at the first stop (later I found out that some of them ended up riding the 30 mile route). When we stopped a quarter of the way in, I talked to Tim and asked if he was pulling my leg earlier about not riding. He said it was a last minute change of plans to join us and I told him that I was glad that he changed is mind. I talked to a few other people and was told to get the show on the road and we left.

We stopped again at mile 50 where they were lunch and homemade ice cream. I made a bee line for the ice cream, found some lunch and took care of other essentials. I turned to Jon and said, "Isn't that Tim's bike?" He said that it was. I was disconcerted because his bike wasn't with the rest of our group's stuff. We saw Tim a minute later and he said that we had left him at the rest stop! He was in the bathroom when we pulled out. Oops!

We stopped at mile 62 to pick up our double century patches and were sure to keep track of Tim this time. We planned to stop again at mile 82. Unfortunately, our group had an accident occur before then.

We were a large enough group that we were riding two abreast in a double pace line. I was at the front of the line on the left and the person leading the right side of the pace line was a Bike Marshal (B.M.) -- a rider designated as a special helper. I've ridding with him before and he's a strong rider and overall good guy. Our group approached two cyclists were on the side of the road repairing a flat. B.M. said, "You OK?" They replied that they needed a pump. B.M. hit his brakes quickly in his enthusiasm to help the rider with the flat. Roger ran into B.M.'s rear wheel and went down, landing on his shoulder and head. Roger's shoulder was separated and his helmet cracked. Tim, who I believe was directly behind Roger, avoided hitting him. It could have been much worse for the group.

Once Roger was down, I don't know that the organizers could have done any better. We were able to flag down a motorcycle almost immediately. We got Advil (courtesy of a rider in the group) and ice (from the motorcycle) right away. We got a 911 call in as well as a call to our team captain and it seemed like 5 minutes later there was an ambulance for "the body" (yes, they said The Body!) and a vehicle for the bike. Roger will be off the bike for the next 6-8 weeks.

After the accident, we went on to finish the ride. We were all pretty shaken up by the incident.

Surprisingly, I finished the second century in 4:58:14. Again, the distance was closer to 99 than 100 and again, I finished with an average speed of 19.8. I'll just have to go back next year to try for a 20+ average speed!

After the ride, I changed clothes, grabbed something to eat and we drove to Myrtle Beach. After checking into the hotel, we headed to the seafood buffet of my choice. When we got back to the hotel, I called my parents to share my news. My dad answered.

I rode 200 miles this weekend.

That's nice.

I followed up, 200 miles is a lot to ride in a weekend.

Yes it is, he replied.

Updates: My Bike MS Photo Album, information about Team CBC's injured reserve from the local paper.

Bike MS 2008: New Bern

In just under two months -- on September 13-14th, I will be riding 175 miles in the Bike MS: New Bern where I will be joining over 2,000 other cyclists in an event benefiting the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This 2-day cycling event is a fund-raising effort supporting the the MS Society's mission to end the devastating effects of this chronic, often disabling, disease of the central nervous system.

I participate in the Bike MS because it is fun, that's true, but I truly was inspired by a friend of mine who was diagnosed with MS in about 2003. Cathy is very active and athletic and it really affected me when she started to have health issues. I was shocked when the diagnosis finally turned out to be MS. I've known other people with the disease but they were more Internet buddies or people that I knew in passing. Cathy is an agility friend who loves hiking with her dogs. She canoes with them and really would rather by hanging out in the woods with her canine crew than doing about anything else. I worry for her and with her and really do want to help support people with MS.

You can help by sponsoring my efforts. Each cyclist participating in Bike MS must raise a minimum of $200 to ride. My personal goal is to raise $1500. I want to make a difference in the fight against MS!

Sponsor me by going to http://www.nationalmssociety.org/goto/jmkizer.

Donations of every size are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated.

I hope I can count on you to help me reach my goal. I'll keep you updated on my training and let you know how my adventure turns out.

Biking with the Band

This weekend was really busy, rides and cooking and lots of stuff. Good busy but still busy.

Biking with the Band on Saturday was was good. It was my first MS150 training ride of the year. This is the first time that they had it in May. Before it was in August and that was good until the Jimmy V Ride for Research started on the same weekend. I like the route even though it's closer to 68 than 62 (which freaks some people out since 100k is 62 miles). Who ever was in charge of the weather this year needs to be drafted into that role again next year! It was great fantastic terrific weather -- sunny, temperature in the low 70s. I'm not sure that we could have asked for more!

Oh, in case you are wondering, it's called Biking with the Band fund raiser for the Middle Creek High School band. We had marching band music as we pulled out to start the ride. As a former band member and current cyclist, how could I pass this up?

After the ride on Saturday morning, I visited my grandmother, went to Costco and got Hannah's prescription refilled and got some supplies for my cooking experiment, put together a gazillion meals, and watched 27 Dresses. In an effort to get ahead of the game on weeknights that I have training rides, I decided to try to do some freezer recipes from Saving Dinner. We'll see how that goes. This involved the shopping, preparation and packaging.

On Sunday I went on my regular group ride and finished the gazillion dinners. Oh, and I had blueberry pancakes for dinner. YUM.

While I was busy with this, DH was in the western part of the state in a whitewater kayaking clinic near Bryson City. He spent some time at Fontana Lake on Saturday morning and kayaked on the Nantahala River both days. Overall, I think that it was a fun and tiring weekend for him!

DH relayed one story that was entertaining. On Sunday, one of the people in his group wanted to try a new kayak. The group loaded up the boats, went to the rental place to pick up the other boat, unloaded the already loaded boats to fit the additional one on, and went off to the put in point. After a few miles, what should appear on the road in from of them but a bright yellow kayak that had come flying off the top of the car. DH's bright yellow kayak. Someone said, "Nice boof!" The kayak, which was unharmed since it had skidded along the roadway on it's bottom, was reloaded and tied more securely.

Another day in the saddle!

Today was another good riding day. It was nice and sunny out and was in the high 40s when we started and about 60 degrees when we finished.

I rode just over 62 miles in preparation for the Frostbite Tour 100k in two weeks. I've been going to one of the local shop rides (btw, Emma stopped by to say, "Hi"). Today I wanted to add some miles so I went to and from the ride on my bike. I'm still loving the Madone.

I feel like I'm on track for my riding goals:

• 100 mile ride - entered Raven Rock Ramble 100 mile route and may do a 100 mile route at the MS150.
  
• Improved climbing - entered 3 Mountain Madness
• Tour de Cure (entered), MS150 (deciding which one)
• gain some speed
• mountain biking (need to become independently wealthy so I have more time!)
  

I'm happy. I wanted to share!


Note: The route is actually 51 miles. The mapping software does not seem to have the correct data for Horton's Pond Road.

MS150 change of venue

I've participated in the MS150 Breakaway to the Beach for the last three years and I've been looking forward to riding it it again this year. I love that ride.

It used to go from Rockingham, NC to Darlington, SC and then end in Myrtle Beach. DH and I would have a celebratory meal after the ride and then have a vacation at the beach. It was great. Last year they made it so that both days were in Myrtle Beach and that wasn't quite as great but it all worked out. Now it seems that the whole ride is moving to Greenville, SC. I'm so sad and upset. I loved that ride so much that I planned my surgery in 2006 so that I would have about 50 weeks of recovery time before the 2007 ride.

Sure, there are other options. I just am so disappointed. It has been a focus of my training and I've built some traditions around it. I'll build new ones in 2008.

I could do the New Bern ride. Then I could still go to Myrtle Beach or else to the Outer Banks for vacation. The down side is that I'd still be three hours drive from vacation (or two and a half hours from home) after completing my ride. The up side is that I could ride with my Team CBC friends this year. When I mentioned the possible venue change to DH he said, "Kayaking!"

Entered an English century

I'm very excited. I found some people to ride with in the Raven Rock Ramble and we're doing the full English century! This is the same group that is doing 3 Mountain Madness at the end of May. This will be my first full century. The longest that I've ever ridden before is 87.61 miles from Darlington, SC to North Myrtle in the old MS 150 Breakaway to the Beach route.

I've discussed my 2008 goals a few times here and I'm happy to have made a decision on this. It helps that my riding is going well. In fact, I rode over 275 miles this month which is about 200 miles more than I had last January.

MS150 lawsuit

I was shocked to hear that the National MS Society is being sued regarding a fatal accident that occurred during the 2006 MS150 Breakaway to the Beach. I was on that ride. It is my understanding that a family of four taking route from Rockingham, NC to Darlington, SC was involved in an accident with a truck pulling a trailer. Several members of the family were injured and a teenage girl died. This is awful. It happened on the first day of a two day event. All of the riders were upset and affected.

Like the people involved in the lawsuit, I had participated in prior years. The route was the same. The traffic control was the same. Participants are reminded repeatedly that this is an open course and that there will be car and truck traffic on the roads. Participants sign a waiver agreeing to hold the MS Society "harmless" in connection with anything that happens during the event. Since they road in previous years, they knew exactly what risks were involved. Why is this family suing? I just don't get it. Of course it's awful and it's a tragedy. Is suing a nonprofit going to help anyone?

Lawsuit filed in fatal bike ride
Family Sues MS Society After Teen's Death in Bike Ride
Family sues MS Society over fatality during 2006 bicycle tour

MS150 report

I had a great time but had no awesome adventure, which is probably a good thing! It did rain and we did have a really bad headwind. The really cool thing is this is the third year that I've completed the ride. Each of the three years, I have managed to find and ride with the same group of people. How cool is that? We come from all over the southeast with a very large Charlotte contingent and I only ever see them for the MS150 and yet, for those two days, they are my peeps :-)

The riding itself went well. I had no physical problems although I did succumb to a Hillary Duff movie on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday morning I found my ride friends with no difficulty. It was spitting rain when we left. Maybe three miles into the ride, it rained kind of hard for about five minutes and then it more or less stopped -- until about 10 miles into the ride and then we had a deluge complete with face-stinging rain. Fortunately, that was over by mile 30 or so. By the time we finished, the sun was out! We averaged 18.8 mph for the 75 miles on Saturday -- nearly 20 mph after lunch (slower in the rain, go figure). We were all set to fly on Sunday...

Then Sunday came along with a lot of wind and we were wondering if rain wasn't better than the headwind. We averaged 18.3 on Sunday which is really good, considering the conditions. This is the first year of the new routes and I am hoping that they revisit the Sunday route. Even with no wind, it would not have been the best. I completely understand that after a major change like having a new venue, it will take a few years to get it back to totally awesome. No worries though, I'll be back next year. Thanks to all of you for all of your support! I was able to meet my fundraising goal. The moral support has been greatly appreciated as well!

Training notes...

(imported from FB, used original posting date)

I've been wanting to write a blog for some time now. The problem is that I just don't think that I have that much to say. What would be the focus of my blog? Who the heck would read it? Then it occurred to me that maybe I should blog just for me. If other people read it, great, if not, that's fine too.

While adding Notes to Facebook may not considered a "real" blog, it is a blog in the most literal sense. After all blog is just an ongoing narrative, an online dairy of sorts. Facebook is not as open as blogspot but what the heck. I plan to write about my training for the MS150 here, along with other things that are going on in my life.

This month, I begin training in earnest for the MS150. I signed up for it way back in January. The Tour de Cure is behind me now and I know that I can do the 150 miles. What I feel that I need to work on is consistency. I've been saying that speed is the problem but really, I'm pretty close to where I was this time last year in terms of speed. Well, sometimes I am. I just don't know how it's going to be from ride to ride.

I think of the Fourth of July as the real kickoff to my MS150 training. It's as if all of the riding done before that time was base miles. Part of the reason for this thinking is that when I rode my first MS150, my first ever 100k was the Firecracker that year. The other reason is that there are 100k rides to be had about every weekend from the Fourth of July until Labor Day, so the Raleigh area riding season is really in full swing now.

After my first MS150 in 2005, I had some back problems. In an effort to keep those problems at bay, I started working with a coach. Her name is Maija but after the McDonald's is healthy ad campaign with Maya the Virtual Coach, my husband started to refer to her that way. Maija lives near me but 99% of what we do is via e-mail. She sends me a set of workouts every two weeks.

This week was an odd one because of the mid-week metric century. Last weekend's assignment was three hours on Saturday and 90 minutes on Sunday. Saturday's ride went well. I averaged 17.2 which is spot on. I feel that I should be in the low 17s so I was happy with that. I rode comfortably. The route that I did was Beaver Creek-Mt Gilead Church-Mt Pisgah Church-Davis . It was a new route for me but kind of a variation on a theme. Sunday was a different story. I averaged only 16.5 and was pretty upset with myself about it. It was windy -- 12 mph -- but this time I year I feel that I should be a strong enough rider to not let that be a problem. Maija and Kevin both told me not to be so hard on myself. I ordered some brainwashing materials in an effort to get my head screwed on right. I've struggled with these weird off days since my surgery and I need to do something.

Training on Monday and Tuesday was spin class. Easy effort on Monday, steady pace on Tuesday with a core workout. The Firecracker was Wednesday and Thursday (steady pace) was spin and core again. Friday is my off day right now so I had "alternate schedule" which means more sleep and less gym.

This weekend Kevin is out of town doing some whitewater kayaking -- I don't do roller coaster or whitewater kayaking. I lined up have two On Call Team Car drivers -- Sydney and my mom. That way if I am riding and get into trouble I have someone to call. As it turns out, a friend of mine -- Sandra in the Firecracker photos -- is riding the distance that I want to tomorrow. I plan to join her. My assignment for this weekend is two hours on Saturday and 90 minutes on Sunday. I usually do about 100 miles a weekend this time of year but the mileage is lower due to the 62 midweek miles.

In addition to my training, I have been thinking a lot about my fundraising letter. I have rewritten it twice and it's still pitiful. I want for it to be very concise but I also would like to get some emotion into it. I do the MS150 because it is fun, that's true, but I truly was inspired by a friend of mine who was diagnosed with MS in about 2003. Cathy is very active and athletic and it broke my heart when she started to have health issues. I was shocked when the diagnosis finally turned out to be MS. I've known other people with the disease but they were more internet buddies or people that I knew in passing. Cathy is an agility friend who loves hiking with her dogs. She canoes with them and really would rather by hanging out the woods with her her canine crew than doing about anything else. I worry for her and with her and really do want to help support people with MS.

Tour de Cure

(imported from FB)

This weekend I participated in my second Tour de Cure to benefit the American Diabetes Association. On Saturday, several hundred cyclists rode a 75-mile route from Cary, NC to Oxford, NC where we had an overnight stop at the Masonic Home for Children and on Sunday, we cycled back to Cary.

On Saturday, I rode with a team of varying abilities and conditioning. This -- along with 95 degree heat -- presented some challenges. I got really frustrated with some folks on the team but in the end we all finished together in Oxford.

Many of the people on the team had elected to participate on Saturday only. As a result I did not ride with the team on Sunday. That presented its own challenges but the cooler weather on Sunday helped to make it a pleasant ride. For the return trip on Sunday I made awesome time -- 18.1 average which is great for me -- and that was good too.

In this area, the MS150 is the big ride and this is just a tiny baby one but I'll continue to support it. I'd like to see the Tour de Cure grow into a larger event and I would encourage any local cyclist to participate in future rides. The route is very nice and the volunteer and other riders help to make it a fun event.

I was the only member of the team to complete the route on both days.