All Business in Palm Springs

The Local Ride Racing Training Camp last week was awesome!

Happy New Year! Momentum is building towards the 2010 season and plans are shaping up. We’re pounding out the endurance miles and we’ve been lucky enough to have a mild and snow-free winter so far in the Lower Mainland that has allowed us to stay on our bikes. Last weekend, Local Ride Racing held a fantastic training camp in Maple Ridge, complete with long, epic rides, feats of strength, and great team dynamics. I am now being royally spoiled (in more ways than one), as I am in Palm Springs staying and training with my girls Leah and Ann. We’ve done three fabulous road rides in jerseys and shorts - without fenders and on our fast bikes. Ah, the luxury!

Our days have been taken up by training (which often involves staying on the lookout for rabid dogs and erratic motorists, and riding faster at the sound of gunshots - this was in Box Canyon, where it seemed people were in the desert doing some target practice). After riding, there’s the quick shower and refuel, followed by sunbathing and hot tubbing. Often we add a nap and a coffee/grocery run and then it’s already time to cook up a healthy dinner, like burritos, salads, or Thai curry. I absolutely love being in a warm locale for a training camp, where I feel comfortable and at home. Thanks so much Leah and, of course, Nels and Dawna!

Paradise!

On our arrival, Leah (who has a new blog: www.lguloien.blogspot.com) picked us up at the airport, out-maneuving (eventually) a North Dakotan to park curbside at our feet. Then, at our request, she took us to Chipotle, where I had a very tasty barbacoa beef burrito. Mmm. Then, when I informed her that I only had my too-big Sugoi one-piece swimsuit with me, she beelined it in the silver Odyssey to Target (pretentiously pronounced “tar-jjay”). With the help of my fashionable sidekicks, I soon had a whole whack of bikinis to try on and was talked into buying two of them. Sigh. The things I do…. We then hit up Ralph’s for groceries, and retired to the hot tub and chaise lounges at Chateau Guloien.

The three of us hangin' in the California sunshine.

Friday was the Box Canyon jaunt, scenic as always. The flat roads through the palm, dill, cabbage, carrot, etc. plantations seemed greener than I remembered, the German Shepherds that chased us aggressively last year didn’t appear (they’re still afraid of me and my yelling), and there was a new roadside taco stand in the middle of nowhere! I am determined to do a recovery “taco” ride one day, as taco stands are often the best sources of good Mexican food. Maybe I’ll risk it at the end of the camp, so if I hit a bad one, it won’t ruin my training!

Ann and Leah riding up through Box Canyon.

Mecca is the gateway to Box Canyon, but it is nothing like its sparkling South Asian counterpart. This is a one-horse farm town with a high Hispanic population. Luckily for us, the main drag was torn up for construction and we got there just as a water truck drove through, I suppose to keep the dust down. For us, it meant muddy bikes and behinds, but also fulfilled the “mandatory off-road” portion of the ride.

Ann and I cruising through the Canyon.

Riding up out of Mecca towards the canyon, we cruised through lemon plantations, which gave off a refreshing natural Mr. Clean scent! Looking to the south, we got a good view of the Salton Sea. When in the Canyon, we definitely knew we were in the desert - hot, dry, and the only colours are different shades of sand. Super cool though.

Early Saturday morning we partook in the group ride, which is notorious for its fast paced ‘A’ Group and often hot headed moves. This time, the three of us did not attempt to contest the first attack of Thousand Palms, but opted for a saner pace, which bode well for me on the Trailhead Climb near the end of the ride. I still had strong legs and made a crafty tactical move (i.e. got a gap in traffic to make the left-hander ahead of a lot of others) that allowed me to be the first woman to the top. Not that it was a race…. All in all, it was fun to ride with a big group of people and socialize a little.

Enjoying a post-ride coffee at Just Java.

Today we cruised around town for a recovery ride in the sunshine, spinning out heavy legs after some days of solid miles. The weather forecast for the upcoming week is not great, because of a big storm front off of the Pacific Coast. With the threat of the impending clouds, Ann and I donned the suits and booked it outside to catch some rays. I must get a tan! Don’t get my wrong, I do have some tan. To my surprise, I noticed I still have leftover tan lines on my pipes and quads from the last time I rode in short sleeves (when was that again?)! But things like my chest, stomach and thighs are white as white can be. So sad. After a serious session in the sun, Yogi Ann (my personal yoga instructor) led me through a very beneficial and painful yoga session. Oooh my shoulders, back and pecs are toit!


This is a "swatch" of a photo of my midriff. Now that is WHITE. Actually, does it look a little blue to you too? Not healthy.


Now it’s time to prep dinner. Steak, yams, and salad yum!