We Conquered the Sea Otter Classic!

Let me first start off with, if anyone needs a pep-talk, be talked into doing something, or feel good about whatever choice you have made, Stephanie is the perfect person. She totally got me convinced that doing the Sea Otter Classic mountain bike race, having never…ever….done anything remotely close to this, would be fun and almost easy. Okay, okay, she didn’t actually say the word easy, but she did say that I could “totally do it” and that “it’s not that bad at all”, that I would “be really good at it”! All said so convincingly that I actually believed her! Way to go Steph! However, she did not say, or ever let me feel, that it would be the most difficult thing I have ever done! This woman is amazing at mountain biking! But more on the race later. Let’s start at the beginning!

Steph recognized my feet as I came down the escalator in the SFO airport. Before my head had even cleared the floor above, Steph made her way through the crowd to greet me as I jumped off! There she was! Looking as cute as ever and smiling! I was so excited! We exchanged quips about the looks of each other’s regions in which we live, waited what seemed like an hour for my bag to appear on the baggage carousel then quickly entered the world of San Francisco! Hills galore, traffic through the town until we reached the Golden Gate Bridge.

We traveled over it, me all excited about being there, seeing Steph, seeing the sites I hadn’t seen for nearly nine years! It was so fun! We went to a terrific place for lunch, had a great cod fish sandwich….fish is so much better when it’s fresh! Steph took me back to her apartment, but first detouring slightly into a tiny community which she said was freaky, I was totally fine with it explaining that it looked just like Draper communities, nothing out of the ordinary. After laughing about the differences in what is “normal” or not to us, we dropped our stuff at her really cute apartment! What a great eye for decorating my sister has! I invited her over to my house to help me out with that. We put on some hiking shoes, grabbed the camera and went for a hike. We walked around a creepy elementary school, which I was aghast that the public trail, highly used, went across the campus right next to the playgrounds and class room doors, much different than the schools around here, where there are fences and no public is allowed to just loiter around and stare at the kids at play. It was awkward for me and a little unsettling, thinking that I was going to get in trouble walking that close to the school without having business there. But, after getting over that quickly enough, we started walking through some gorgeous eucalyptus and redwoods and madrones (I remembered, Steph!). It was beautiful and very different than my everyday. We hiked around and came to a place that I could only describe as an “as….you…..wiiiiiiiish” hilly area. Steph pointed out the poison oak; it was all over the place! I was completely prepared that I would be coming home covered in it! We made it back to town and headed over to a meeting about planning a mountain bike race. It was so interesting! Had it not been at the local brewing company, I probably would have heard more and would have been even more surprised about the stuff I did hear. Things that were everyday occurrences there just don’t happen here in Utah. Not that the participants/spectators don’t want it in Utah, just that the laws are a little different! It was fun to hear and see.

We made it back home and Steph made us some dinner as we played some card golf, which I didn’t think Steph liked until she said, “Can we play again?” without waiting for an answer, just began to deal! In the morning, Steph made home-made French toast! I was so spoiled while I was there! Yummy yummy!

The next day we went for a drive and hikes around Mt. Tam, which is beautiful! I laughed at the posted sign stating we were at a whopping 2500 feet above sea level (and again laughed at the sign in Monterey, in Sand City, population 250 elevation 34 feet). I loved the soft winding roads, they were gorgeous! We had a great view of the ocean as we drove along the “ridge”-top. And yes, we passed a Mercedes commercial, so I totally have to start watching commercials again to see if I can point it out! It was so great to get out and see the area and do some hikes, it was probably the most exercise I’d had yet!

The next morning we got ready to head to Monterey. We jotted down a few directions and headed out. We crossed a double-decker bridge, passed the stadiums where the Oakland A’s play and the Golden State Warriors play. We made it out of the city and into some gorgeous, gorgeous areas of Gilroy (I could totally live there)! We passed both the garlic and artichoke capitals of the world! It was fun trying to figure out what type of plant the artichoke plants were! Then we made it to Monterey. It’s a town built completely on sand dunes. I’m not exaggerating, completely sand dunes. I’ve published a paper on sand dunes and recognized everything about them, their migration, their stages….lucky for Steph I didn’t get into all that. We made it to the hotel to drop off our stuff and wanted to head over to the Sea Otter Classic to check things out. We put on our biking gear and traveled into the hills to the event, getting more excited with every “EVENT” sign we came upon! There were sooo many people there! Events were going on as we made our way to pick up our numbers. We headed out on the course a little ways to try out the bikes and for me to get a feel of what it all might be like the next morning. I started out all tough and conceded….until I saw a hill. I stood up and attacked! But my wheels just spun around! What was going on?! Then there was a down hill. Now let me just say that I have the mind set of a “roadie”. We roadies see loose soil as a hazard! There was loose soil all over! Everything was a hazard! I had to ask Steph if it was bad for the brakes or the bike I was borrowing, if I just kept the brakes tight the whole time! I somehow skidded slowly, slowly down the hill. Steph had already completed that one and was so far down the way I couldn’t see her. I tried to round a down-hilled corner, not fast, but enough that I couldn’t get away from the “hazard” and fell over. I got a nice scraped up knee and leg. I got up, brushed myself off, poured a little water on the blood trickling down my leg and tried to catch up with Steph. The whole time, mind you, Steph is giving me encouragement, telling me I’m awesome……..I’m believing her! Even after I crashed I thought I was awesome! Hahahah! She decided that we had probably gone far enough and we’d turn around…..I didn’t argue, I was tired! And we hadn’t even gone maybe a mile and a half! I was so nervous about the next morning! What had I gotten myself into? We went back into town and had some dinner, and turned into bed early, but not without a pre-ride toenail painting! It’s something that just HAS to be done…no exceptions! The next morning we got up early, ate a little breakfast and headed up to the event! The entire area was covered in a thick fog. I kept thinking that I had a hard enough time riding when I could see, the fact that I wouldn’t be able to see the trail was either going to be tragic, or the best thing that could happen because I would just not see anything and do really well! Steph was freezing, I was not. I ditched my leg/arm warmers and my jacket before the ride. Unfortunately we had to wait a half hour past our original start time due to delays. No one likes waiting on the starting line for an hour! But we made it through, kind of chatting with the others in the line, wishing we were all in the 15-19 yr old category (they gave up to 5 medals in each category and that one only had 2 girls in it! I could pass as 19 couldn’t I?). The fog disappeared before the race started and as we whooped and hollered, they blew the whistle and we were off! What the?! Why was everyone sprinting?! The first part was on a paved race-way, I was with the group!.....until we hit the dirt…..at least I didn’t fall again, especially in the same place I had the day before, but that was the last time I saw anyone from my group again! Steph was in her element! She attacked and conquered and finished an hour and a half in head of me! It was awesome! It was hell! It was so much fun and so difficult! The respect I had for Steph and for mountain bikers in general increased quite a bit that day! Especially when I happened to ask an official, in passing, was that half way? No, that was only 6 miles, you have 14 more to go! Ack! I was doomed! But I made it! It was so fulfilling! And to see Steph at the bottom cheering me on, and having her friends cheer me on was exhilarating! Well, I did feel like I wanted to burst into tears….but who doesn’t feel like that after a race? She, of course, looked like nothing had fazed her; she had done it with ease! Again, that was tough! Along the route I was asked several times by riders passing me, “Are you having fun?” THAT’S how good I must have looked while riding! Hahah! Plus, I wore through the thumbs of my brand-new mountain biking gloves! I must have been so scared and holding onto the handlebars so tightly and rubbing! We spent the rest of the day watching the events. We saw Levi Leipheimer (Tour of California winner!) in a road event, and Steph told me all about the Pro mountain bikers and how things started and pointed out all the really cool riders! It was so fun to hear about all the stuff she knew about the riders and then see them in action! But, I’m sorry, after doing our event, those downhill guys are wimps! Sure, they come racing down a 85 degree hill with turns and jumps etc, in less than 50 seconds, BUT, they get to all pile into the back of a shuttle truck and get transported to the top. Did Steph and I get that kind of treatment? No! We had to make it up those killer hills by ourselves! Wimps!

After we spent the day at the events, we were invited to hang out with Steph’s friends at a rented house in the hills of Monterey! Gorgeous views and great company! The stories were funny, the friends were so nice! I over-heard one of Steph’s friends commenting to another friend about a tiny, not bad at all, sunburn that the other guy got saying “rookie mistake” about not putting on sun block or allowing that to happen. I lightly touched my crispy arms and legs and swore under my breath! I ALWAYS put sun block on!.....except this time! Luckily, my burns were covered by my jacket and jeans, and as the guys were talking, I quietly slerked off without bringing attention to myself and them noticing my rookie mistake! Over-all, it was an awesome day! And alas, it ended too quickly.

Sunday came and it was time to head back home. Before we headed back, we stopped to walk along the beach in Monterey. There was this great play-ground that Sydney would have loved, and I saw this seagull perched on the volleyball net pole. He looked like he was refereeing a match! The sand was soft and the water was cold, but not cold enough from stopping me from wading in! I had had a really good time. I’m looking forward to the next time! Steph Rocks!

Rockin' It at the Sea Otter Classic

If it's really true that, "If you don't show it, you didn't do it," then Shari did it the first day she got on the bike — taking a slide-out digger on a loose, off-camber right turn that ducked into the singletrack on our practice run the day before the race.

But perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. There was plenty of "doing" before we even got to Monterey.

The fun started right at SFO, when I met Shari in baggage claim. The second I spotted her (with new! cinnamon-brown hair!) the non-stop chatting and giggling began.

"Holy cow," I said. "It's so easy to pick out all the people from Utah! Just look at that poofy-haired lady in the stupid pants!"

"Yeah, but Steph," Shari replied, "it's pretty easy to pick out the people from San Francisco, too." She pointed to a long-haired, skinny, poseur-hippie-type dressed mostly in black.

"Yes. He's one of ours." Hahaha...



After a quick lunch of fresh seafood sandwiches at this place where I once sat just one table over from James Hetfield of Metallica, we dumped our stuff at my place, changed into some walking shoes, and went for a hike in Deer Park. It was sunny, but cold and windy. I promised Shari the wind would die down for the race.

Then, because I'm such a grand hostess, I dragged her to a meeting. Hahaha... Granted, it was at a brew-pub, and we got a free glass of beer, but still. What kind of person makes her sister go to a meeting, fresh off a plane from another time zone?

So skip the meeting, and let's get to the next extra-fun part: SLEEPING IN. We then fuelled up with home-cooked French toast (hey, breakfast is one of the few meals that don't result in a kitchen fire at Chateaux Steph), and climbed into the car for some sight-seeing. We hiked and drove all over Mt. Tam.



Shari loved the rolling soft hills, proclaiming them a "road-biker's heaven." On the way down from the peak, driving through the curvy redwood groves, we happened upon a Mercedes commercial being filmed. The driver of the car was a woman, proving once again which gender are the better drivers. ;)

Back at the apartment, Shari taught me how to play the card game "golf." I love it! Ya'll are in for it now. When I come visit, I will force you all to play it, over and over, until tears are shed. It's way fun. (Warning: I like to go out FAST. None of this piddle-around-waiting-for-the-perfect-card thing.)

And then... we went to Shady's to pick up Shari's trusty steed for the cross-country race!

The next morning, we packed up our stuff and prepared to leave for Monterey... but then re-packed our stuff after learning our bags wouldn't fit in the Subie along with the bikes. Every time this happens, I curse the day I destroyed my roof rack. That day has been cursed so many times, it's probably not even listening anymore. Shari packed light by streamlining her stuff to the bare necessities. I chose to pack light via the 'forget really important stuff like your pajamas and toothbrush' method. Potayto, potahto.

The drive to Monterey is pretty spectacular. You go through rolling hills that are bright green, past Gilroy (the garlic capital of the world!), through Eucalyptus groves and lush farmland, until the landscape ultimately gives way to giant sand dunes that line the beaches of Monterey. The sand dunes are pretty cool -- they're covered in bright flowers and colorful moss-like plants. But despite their beauty, Shari put two and two together.

"We're going to be riding on sand dunes?"

"What? Oh, no! It's like, green hills and stuff. No sand at all," I lied.

We dumped our stuff in the hotel room and drove to Laguna Seca Raceway, the Formula 1 track where the festivities were well underway. We checked in and picked up our schwag bags, then rode around to find access to the course to do a little pre-riding. We climbed up a dirt path, following the marked route. Shari's legs are so strong, she was spinning out on the climbs. It was pretty much all I could do to act cool and keep up with her. But luckily for my fragile ego, the uphills were always followed by downhills, where I got to go fast and feel tough.

Let me say one thing: Shari is brave. Mountain biking is no walk in the park. It's extremely difficult. It's difficult even if you have a killer bike and ride every weekend. But it's even more difficult to whip out a 20-mile race, on a tough sandy course, on a borrowed bike, with absolutely no experience whatsoever. Talk about baptism by fire! She showed no hesitation, no fear -- just excitement and a willingness to crash. Bravery points were being handed out by the dozen that day.

Downtown, we ate at a cheesy restaurant, that really wasn't that good, but it wasn't that bad, either, and they had a wide variety of stuff, so there you go. It was our pre-race dinner! We followed this with a pre-race toenail painting session, a must for any serious athlete.



In the morning, we rallied and drove to the race, only to find out that, at 7:30 in the morning, they were a half-hour behind schedule. What, you didn't think it would all go smoothly, did you? I was freezing cold in the thick morning fog, but Shari was much more calm and quite a bit more rational about her racing attire. She ditched her jacket before the start, I preferred to keep mine on until a mid-race opportunity (read: crash) presented itself. Our class was jam-packed with freakin' sandbaggers. My friend Heather (who ended up winning our class) is so not a "sport" level rider. There were also three women there getting a last-minute pep talk from their coach. You know -- if you have an actual professional coach (or if you're like my friend and you're a professional spin instructor for a living), you should kinda maybe think about moving up a level. Give us real sport class riders a pleasant experience.

And one of the women had a mustache.
Yeah, it wasn't looking good as far as podium finishes.

The gun (actually, a bell) went off, and everyone bolted from the starting line. Shari, using her road-bikin' muscles, was right up with me. The difference between us was, I was breathing hard and ready to quit, while she was making it look easy and making jokes. We hit the dirt and what ensued for the next few hours can only be described with Dad's word: Funishment.



Shari did a really great job. As for myself, I was drastically under-prepared; therefore, I drastically under-performed. Hahaha... But I had a lot of fun! Especially afterwards, when we'd earned the right to eat large, beef-based sandwiches and do nothing but watch the dual slalom, laze on the grass, and hang out with a few of my friends in a rented house with a gorgeous view.



I was sad to see the trip come to an end, but it did, like all good things do. Enjoy the photos -- there's more up on Facebook. Shari, you rule! :)

Steph Rocks!!

more to come!

Spring Baby

Got home from Monterey yesterday, and it was a lovely warm 85 degrees, so I grabbed a couple of magazines and went out on the back patio to read. I heard a shuffling in the trees, and saw this cute little guy. He's brand new. He could barely walk, and kept tripping over his spindly legs.




The spots on his fur are great camoflage! At one point, he sat down (that was hilariously clumsy) in the tall grasses, and completely disappeared.

Shari rules!

...more to come!

Easter!

This was our first year coloring eggs and having the Easter Bunny come and hunting for eggs! It was so much fun, Sydney had a blast and was so excited! Since this was our first time, it was a little difficult meshing two different ideas and sets of traditions together but I think it worked out okay. Here are bunch of pictures:

Coloring:

Ooooo! Look at this one!

Eggs:

A sligh smile? What did he put in that egg coloring?

Smile with the eggs!

Look-alikes!

The finished product!

Easter Morning:

One of the best pictures ever!

Gramma and Grampa came over to help hunt for eggs. Here are pictures of the day!

My future biking buddy? Peyton loved being on Sydney's trike! I had to pull him off!

We had a really fun Easter, I wish it would have been a little bit warmer, or at least no wind. But it was great and the kids had a blast!