Kiera continues to get more vocal and mobile each day!




I rode the Spirit Mountain trails the other day. The new Alpine coaster isn't going to do too much damage to the current trail system, so that's pretty good news. They are currently working on the parking lot on the top of the hill and they've basically got the straight shot return for the coaster completed already. Here are a few pics at Spirit.

Scott, Kiera and I just returned from Moab, UT for our annual trip. We had great riding and stayed once again at Canyonlands Campground downtown so that we walk to breakfast and dinner. Kiera got to spend some quality time with grandpa Irv (bumpa) and Uncle Brad. I'll have to add photos once we get them downloaded to the computer. Scott is fit, while I am still trying to find my pre-baby form.

Racing season in coming up fast and we are starting to get entry's sent in. Once again we'll be going to the Keweenaw Chain Drive in June. If you have not raced this race, it is one of our favorites. The 32 mile race course has some of the best singletrack we have ridden. It is also a good time of year to assess race fitness for longer races. The Bestwestern downtown is right at the race start and where we will be staying again this year. The race finishes only about 2 miles away in Hancock (all downhill back to the start). Last year I just tried to survive this race (and the season).

More later.....

WE'RE BACK

Since it's spring and riding is now in full force, I figured I'd better start the blog once the again. Skiing was stellar this winter, so I didn't get on the bike at all between November and the end of February. Once the ski trails started to deteriorate, we got out on the snowmobile trails. We only got four rides on the snowmobile trails before the warm weather took care of them too. Go figure. I suspected we'd get a month of solid trail riding in before having to resort to the soggy gravel roads...so much for that idea.

We will be riding Treks again this year so we are obviously stoked. I think this will be the 11th straight year I've raced a Trek mountain bike and 8 straight for Sara. Thank you, TREK!

We are heading out to Moab the first full week of April. It will be nice to meet up with my brother Brad who lives in Flagstaff, AZ. Uncle Brad is kind enough to watch Kiera so Sara and I can ride together like we did in the old days.

We lost over a foot of snow in the last week and had plenty of rain - even hail - the past couple of days, so it appears spring is at its finest. The weather has forced me to dust off the rollers last night and now I've used them two nights in a row. I only got a 1/2 hour in tonight, however, because the band broke that transfers the energy from the rear roller to the front. With any luck, I'm pretty sure I can repair it with some shrink tube.

Congratulations to all the racers at this weekend's Chequamegon! It was a sad day for me because after my DNF at Ore to Shore I was thinking it was the right decision not to preregister. I should have tried. A DNF feels better than not trying to race at all. The week before O2S I didn't sleep at all, so going into the race I just felt exhausted....I just wanted to nap at the start line (not race 50 miles)! This year has been tough racing for me as I don't get enough sleep. I had a good long ride anyway that day to make myself feel better.

Last weekend both Scott and I raced at Spirit Mtn (PowderMonkey MNSCS race). It was a beautiful day and Kiera had a handful of baby sitters as my dad and mom and eldest sister and her boyfriend showed up to watch. Scott's dad raced and then helped babysit as well (Kiera ended up sleeping during the entire race at home, but made it for the awards). Scott was 5th even after waking up with a terrible sore throat. He has been sick since, but has made the turn for the better. I won thankfully. I felt fine climbing, but like a fish out of water on the singletrack. Two weeks worth of pulling Kiera in the Chariot and not riding trail was probably not the best idea. The race course was in fantastic shape and very well marked!

Today I was riding at Spirit Mtn race course and was down by the fern gully just about to start the new singletrack cut last summer when I saw a wolverine clinging onto a tree ahead of me. At first I thought it was a bear cub, but the tail was too long. I braked to stop and the noise scared him off ... he flew through the air and I went a different way. I did not want to get any closer!!!! He is really south of his normal range, so I wonder if he was someone's pet or something that got let loose???? Crazy! I also saw a rather large bear this summer and wolf or coyote cub on several occassions while riding. I better start singing while riding...that'll scare the animals off!

Next weekend we are contemplating racing in St. Cloud. Depends upon how much sleep I get, but I would like to race more yet this season with the few races that are left.

It has been tough making the time to update this blog. Scott is on facebook and has been keeping in touch with a lot of people that way. I am still trying to pay back some of the sleep deprivation from the last 10 months! Kiera is finally sleeping through the night for the past week or two now. It is amazing how much better I feel overall. Scott and I were able to ride 90 miles the Sunday on our road bikes and did another 60 mile or so ride yesterday. Thank God for grandparents that are willing to watch Kiera while we ride. Sunday was my first road ride in almost 2 years; my poor bike had dust on it! I forgot how nice and easy it is to pedal. I feel like I have just started my spring training. Too bad it is the end of July.

Our last race was the Lincoln Park Mtn Bike Challenge here in Duluth a few weeks ago. This was a first annual event complete with music, food, etc held in the park next to this beautiful creek in Lincoln Park. The start of the race was all uphill for expert riders; about 9 minutes or so. Then the course hit the Piedmont trail system that was just put in a year or so ago. It is rocky and bumpy, but a really nice trail. Better riding in my opinion at race pace than for a slow, easy ride. Scott and I both won, which was really nice. Kiera had a blast hanging out with Grandpa Irv (Scott's dad). She loves to ride on his shoulders and check out all the people and surroundings.

Scott and I were planning on racing the MNSCS race at Elk River, and even prerode the day before, but neither of us felt that great preriding. We decided instead to ride our road bikes from Scott's mom's house on raceday while she watched Kiera (see photo with Kiera and Grandma walking). Our 2.5 hr ride turned into a 4+ hr ride. We didn't realize that one of the roads we took was so long without any roads to take a short cut. So of course, we didn't have any food, no cell phone and both of us got really tired and crawled in.

My next race will be Ore to Shore while Scott watches Kiera. He doesn't enjoy the sand and I kinda like it. I expect the race to be pretty brutal for me and if I can finish that will be nice. My race speed thus far feels like it is missing a few gears this year, but I feel really lucky that I can still go fast enough to win sometimes. We love hanging out in Marquette and I am looking forward to jumping into the lake after the race. (I say that every year and then I get my toes in the cold water and chicken out. I am sure Kiera will enjoy it though!)

Kiera is doing really well. She is crawling all over the place and has been now for months. She pulls herself up and cruises furniture, the cupboards, and while hanging onto us. She loves to be part of the action and loves to see new places, people, things, etc. She can stand on her own for several seconds and can take a step while falling into me if I am sitting on the ground. She loves to use her pointer finger to point at things, and loves to take all the books off her book shelf multiple times per day. My mom just gave me a barn and farm animals/tractor, etc for her to play with. It's fun to watch Kiera make the rounds to all her favorite toys, including opening and shutting her bedroom door on her own. She just started waving bye-bye, but is pretty selective when using it.

Our little family has also been strawberry and raspberry picking, along with taking a lot of walks on the Duluth Lakewalk (photo above with Kiera on Scott's shoulders). Our garden is starting to produce peas and beans will be along soon. Our lettuce garden is still producing. Next year I hope to have an even bigger garden.

The MNSCS Dirtspanker race was just over a week ago. Scott got 7th and I got 2nd. The course has a nice long climb on it that I just tried to stay steady on and not lose too much time to Jenna, but I did anyway. I stunk in the singletrack and after talking with Scott this past week realized my rear shock was locked out. Wrong race course for that to happen. Scott felt ok during his race until he started cramping on the 3rd lap and still had one more to go. He only lost one place. The rest of the week after that race I felt wasted. The course is so fun, but definitely one of the more challenging courses in the midwest. Spirit Mountain is tougher though (that race is in Sept). There is also a new race in Duluth this year at the new Piedmont trail system. It starts in Lincoln park and climbs up to the infamous Exhibition drive (in the wintertime where all the houses are all lit up with Christmas lights along the Duluth hillside). From there it will enter the new singletrack built over the past couple of years by COGGS and other volunteers.

Scott and I finally decided late in the week to go to the Chain Drive Festival in Houghton, MI. It was tough to decide between that race and Mt. Morris, but Houghton is definitely a cool town to hang out in so we chose to go in that direction. Thankfully, Scott took the initiative because if it were left up to me I would have been sitting on the couch or catching up on sleep instead of driving 4.5 hrs to the U.P. I was not excited to race as I had not ridden my bike in two days, put in a long day at work on Friday in the clinic and felt both mentally and physically wasted. Scott drove the whole way with Kiera playing nicely and then finally falling asleep while I tried to sleep, but somehow it always seems to escape me.

Luckily, a friend of a friend helped Scott find us a babysitter during the race so both of us could race. Scott later wished he would have been the babysitter and saved the entry fee and babysitting money.

The course was really fun. Since it had been two years since we had raced the Chain Drive, they have added a lot more singletrack. The singletrack is well worth the drive even if neither of us felt that good while racing. Scott was in second place until 10 miles to go. His group wasn't going super fast, but he just fell apart and couldn't push his pedals any more than an easy spin. I almost caught up to him so that tells me how bad his race was as my legs hurt the entire time while racing and I felt like my head was in a fog of fatigue. I also had way too much air in my tires in the singletrack and felt like I was in a pin ball machine getting bounced around. The rocks were still slick from the rain the day before. I should have stopped to let out some air. My skills are just not that good yet. I was very glad to see the finish line. I was thankful I still finished first as I was sure the second place woman was going to catch me. As neither of us felt stellar about our day and Scott considerably more bummed than I, we decided to head home straight after the awards.

Kiera did really well and loved the babysitter. She had a great day looking at all the people and everything. Of course when she saw me the crying started as she finally realized she was hungry and then settled in for her first nap of the day in the early afternoon. Since getting back to Duluth after sweltering in the VW van with no AC, we have been to the zoo, lakewalk, on a hike with a friend and visiting with several of our other friends and their children. It is fun to see Kiera interacting with other kids. We are thinking she'll be an extrovert and take after Scott more in that way.

This is a photo of Kiera and her Great Aunt at the Afton MNSCS race a few weekends ago. They had a blast and it was so nice of her Great Aunt to want to hang out with her. We had a very busy weekend first by celebrating my dad's 70th birthday party in his hometown of Mora. There were a great number of relatives there...from as far as Alaska. Then we hung out and stayed at the Swanson's meeting their friends that have a 6 month old and of course seeing little Stella.

I felt better at the Afton race than at Cable by quite a bit. It is a different type of race course though being primarily singletrack at Afton, whereas the new race director at Cable took out most of the singletrack. I can tell I have not found my pre-pregnancy racing form, but things seem to be heading in the right direction. Or at least I thought so after the race. Scott didn't finish his race. He doesn't seem to do well in the heat. It was about 85 degrees and, thankfully, windy. Our car doesn't have AC, so Kiera got a bit overheated and fussy on the way home (poor kid). By the time we got home that night it was 41 degrees in Duluth. We got a better warm up this time than at Cable. However, I am more concerned with getting our babysitter and daughter all set up that I don't warm up as well as I should. Nothing like a race to jump start the system!

The Cable Classic was our first race (back in May). Neither of us got a warm up as we were trying to make sure our baby and babysitter (Michelle F-H) were all set. They had a blast and Michelle did such a great job of keeping Kiera warm and happy. The race was about 35 degrees at the start. I really didn't want to race, but since we had a babysitter I felt obligated. I didn't feel good racing, got a really slow start and couldn't wait for the finish line. There was quite a bit of singletrack missing from the race course compared with previous years and at one point in the race I got kinda bored. We really like the Hayward/Cable area and have been racing this race for years to support the area. On a high note, I did feel better racing this year than last year while pregnant. Scott didn't have a very good day. He doesn't really know why except he may have seasonal allergies. The cats have been gone from our house for about a year and he is feeling much better overall. He no longer naps everyday after school/work and has been a whole new person in terms of energy level.

As far as expectations for this season I've come to realize I shouldn't have any. Neither of us get regular sleep and thus regular training is difficult. Some days while riding I feel so tired that I am not sure that it is doing me any good except it is good to have some time to myself. Our next planned race is this coming weekend - Mont du lac MNSCS race. There has been additional fun singletrack added to the racecourse lap from last year. I hear it is really fun! I'll get a chance to preride it the day before the race as I work the days the course is open to ride (Tues). Since Afton, neither of us has felt very well and my rides are exceptionally slow with zero ability to go fast or hard. So, one or both of us may be handing out water instead. We'll see.....

NEW BIKES AND KITS

I've finally got both bikes together and set up for the most part. I've got to get a reverse pull derailleur for my bike and some rim strips for our wheels, but then we are ready for the race season. I rode my Fuel for the first time on Sunday on gravel roads since the trails are still too wet. It feels very similar to last year's bike but I seem more comfortable on it - maybe it's a touch smaller????

I cannot wait to get this thing on real singletrack and give it a real whirl.

Here's a few pics of some of this year's items.

Next up: CABLE OFF-ROAD CLASSIC!

My new Fuel is like pedaling air. This winter and into early spring, we were both riding my Paragon (and, for me, not enough) with little to no bike maintenance. I cannot believe how much better my new Fuel feels to pedal as well as my legs afterward. Moab was a pretty eye opening trip for me. I fully realized how out of shape and over tired I am from lack of sleep these past 7 months. My biking legs are not coming back as quickly as I was hoping. I realize now how much more I was able to train in the past and how much Scott and I trained together; especially helping one another get out the door to ride when we may have not felt like it. It is much easier now to make excuses and play with Kiera instead. She is such a great kid!

Kiera is finally sleeping through the night these past couple weeks (except I still get up once or twice to give her a nuk instead of nursing her back to sleep). Overall, I am feeling some better and better on my bike and training in general. Scott is fired up to race, whereas I cannot help but feel a bit reserved. I am starting to feel better since I have added a few intervals into my training regimen and gotten back in the weightroom. I was doing pushups, ab work, and other dumbbell exercises at home, but I realized that was not enough. I didn't feel strong while riding in Moab. Luckily, Scott lifts on his lunch breaks two times per week and Kiera and I join him for one of those times as my work schedule allows. It is fantastic as Kiera can play on the mat while Scott and I lift. (The weightroom is usually empty while we are in there so it works out perfectly).

BACK HOME

It sure is nice to be back home. The drive out to Moab is pretty easy, but the return home is always much more difficult. It didn't help that Vail Pass was closed due to an accident, so we had to spend a couple of hours waiting for the DOT to clear the site and open the road again.

Kiera was quite a trooper during the entire trip. She didn't fuss at all on the ride down and she absolutely loved everything about Moab. Like the rest of us, she was a little cranky on the way back, but it wasn't too bad. We stopped in to meet Stella Swanson - boy is she cute! Kiera enjoyed grabbing at her and playing with all of her toys...

It was nice to see most of the snow melted because the gravel roads are really starting to shape up. The city opened up Skyline Road-our gravel road in the summer/snowmobile trail in the winter-last week so we now have another access road for our mountain and cross bikes. I got to enjoy these views the past week now and and there are very few cars that frequent them so that is also a huge plus.









On a side note, my brother Brad who now lives in Flagstaff, AZ, just ran his first half marathon. He has a propensity for getting lost in mountain bike races, and the half marathon was no different. However, the funniest part of the story is that as he was packing his bag for the 1/2, he included two right shoes. Instead of bagging the race, he decided to take out the insole and run the thing with two right shoes! After finishing the race he decided to jump on his bike and get in a long ride...he is quite the tough guy. He can't stop talking about how amazing the singletrack is in Flag and Sedona. Sara, Kiera and I plan on going out the end of June to check it out.

That's all for now because I've got to put together the new Fuel that arrived right before we left for Moab!

MOAB PHOTOS

We rode from Canyonlands Campground yesterday and did Poison Spider. My dad took a wrong turn about 5 minutes from the top so I had to go look for him, and unfortunately missed out on one of my favorite trails, the Portal. Jesse, Bill and Sean got to ride it and like usual, Sean flatted (for the second time on the ride). It's tough to ride in large groups because the chances for mechanicals increase and it seems someone is always falling off the back. I got to ride a good chunk of Poison Spider twice looking for him and found a new way to make a loop out of Poison Spider.

Bushey ran into some people from Marquette, MI on the ride while I was searching for my dad.

It's supposed to be in the 60s today so I should be able to put away the insulated jersey for the first time!

MOAB, UT

We arrived in Moab on Friday afternoon greeted by high winds, rain, sleet and a generous dose of hail. Yep, this is the Moab we remember! We figured it would be a little chilly since the drive from Denver to Grand Junction was loaded with snow, wind and cool temps. The mountains were supposed to get anywhere from 20 - 30 inches of snow so we felt pretty lucky getting the van through without any problems (other than having to stop twice to chisel the ice off the grill to allow air flow to the radiator). We didn't let the weather deter us, however, and we rode Amasa Back to Jackson's trail Friday afternoon. It's tough to start a ride in wind, rain and hail, but we were excited to get on dirt again. Sara loves the new Trek Fuel even though I didn't get around to setting it up properly before the ride.

Woke up Saturday morning to snow - plenty of snow - falling in town and about an inch accumulated on the tops of vehicles. The surrounding rock cliffs that surround the town were blanketed and the contrast between the snow and red rock was stunning. In the 13 - 14 years I've been coming out here, this is the first time I've seen snow in town (I've seen plenty of snow in the higher elevations around town, but never snow in town). Saturday's ride was a short one again due to weather, so we opted to do Moab Rim trail to the Hidden Valley hiking trail in order to get a loop in. So far, Irv, Sara, brother Brad, Jesse Reints, Nikolia, Mattable, Shamus, and Schwalbe have arrived. Mister Bushey and Veits are on still fishing in Glenwood Springs since the weather isn't great, but they plan to meet up for Sunday's ride - a Slickrock appetizer followed by Porcupine Rim.

I'd attach some pics, but alas, I've forgotten the usb cord.

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING



Since the weather has been so windy, chilly and wet like it usually is this time of year, I busted out the rollers for an hour on Tuesday. Every once in a while it's nice to jump on them to remind myself how monotonous it is to ride the trainer. In addition, the session motivated me to commute to work the past couple of days in pretty unfavorable late March conditions (see above pic). The thing I enjoy most about commuting is that I don't have to get into a cold car and Skyline Road is so rough very few drivers are willing to navigate the pothole filled/patched boulevard.

On the ride in one morning I saw a guy jogging in a big ol' Ski-Doo snowmobile jacket - impressive. Someone is also building a house right on a cliff off the edge of the road - not impressive.

On the ride home some dude in a green minivan with a prominent Pro Life sticker gave me about about a foot of room on this desolate road. He obviously isn't concerned about life once out of the womb...

Here are a couple of more pictures of last week's storm:
















Tomorrow, Sara and I are going to get in some single track riding since it's supposed to be -1 tonight!

MORE SNOW!

Even though I've been sick all week - and had conferences - I thought it would be a good idea to commute by bike to work today. I've been battling a serious cold/sore throat/sinus headeache for the past six days, so the lack of riding has been grating on me. My first mistake was thinking the local forecasters would be correct about the form of precip we'd receive (rain instead of snow)so I rode Sara's 'cross bike to work with road tires on it. My second mistake was underestimating my illness and thinking I could ride it out of me. Needless to say, now the throat is worse and my ears are even more plugged than before.

In a couple of weeks, everything will be better because we'll be back here!

MARCH 13?????????????????????

Sara and I did the baby swap today so each of us could get out for a ski. I cannot believe how good the skiing is for March 13! I had to drive to Fergus Falls yesterday for the State spelling bee, and on my way up the car thermometer hit -24 just north of Floodwood... I had to look a couple of times to make sure I was reading the thing correctly because that's the lowest I've seen all year and it's almost the middle of March. All of us have been battling sore throats and general malaise over the past week, so hopefully we can kick it for good over the next couple of days.

I rode the Superfly last weekend with little Narum for about six hours and that didn't help my sore throat much; however, it did wonders for my attitude and for getting my rear end in shape for Grand Junction/Fruita/Moab. We rode a bunch of stuff walkers were on, and once that stuff sets up after a warming spell, it's as rough as any boulder field the West has to offer.

Charlie Farrow left his indelible mark on some of the stuff we rode - a six inch swath the runs from one edge of the trail to the other. I kept expecting to see an imprint of the old boy in the dearth of snow, but no luck. That guy has the uncanny knack of being able to get 10 miles of riding in out of a five mile trail.

Kiera's sleeping, Sara's in the process of making bread, and I'm going to see who's playing in the State hockey tourney.

Scott, Kiera, and I were in Houghton, MI this past weekend. Scott coaching and waxing for the CSS Nordic Ski Team (regional meet and final NCAA qualifier). We had one athlete make NCAAs. Very exciting! Kiera and I hung out a bit as it was below zero saturday morning until it warmed up enough to ski. I pulled her in the chariot for 2 hrs on saturday and just over 1 hr on sunday with Scott and I finally getting to ski another hr while he pulled the chariot. My legs were torched yesterday and achy at night. All three of us are fighting a cold. Off to bed......

Kiera is growing fast! She loves this little standing play station. I put her in this while I ride the trainer. I started riding the trainer a week or two ago consistently and finally got outside last week riding my 29er on snowmobile trails. I had a blast! I miss not riding with Scott as we mostly tag team watching Kiera while the other one gets out to exercise. Scott has been mostly skiing while I do a bit of everything - run, ski, bike, lift weights....I have been hiking less while carrying Kiera as I am finding that I need more vigorous exercise to get my shape back.

So what have I been doing with my time since I am not blogging very often? Besides nursing and caring for Kiera, working, and trying to get some training in; I have been reading a ton. Really, since finding our we were pregnant about a year ago we have been reading. Some of our favorite/most informative books are the following:
"Hypnobirthing", by ???
"Having a baby naturally", published by Mothering Magazine.
"The complete guide to breastfeeding" (although I disagree that breastfeeding is painless, my left nipple still hurts from Kiera taking a chunk off of it during the first week after birth - thank God for pure lanolin).
"The vaccine book", by Sears (lists what is in and how each vaccine is made)
"Saying no to vaccines", by Dr. Tenpenny
"Vaccines, Are they rally safe and effective?", by Miller
"The vaccine Dilemma", by Murphy
"Crazy Makers", by Simontacchi
"Genetically engineered food: chaing the nature of nature", by "Tietel and Wilson (dry but informative book)
"Organic Baby", by Rider
"Happiest Baby on the block", by Karp
"Your pregnancy week by week" (I liked this better than "what to expect when you are expecting" although there was good information in both books)
and Tons of baby books by various authors.

My favorite magazines are:
Mothering Magazine
Mother Earth News
Oxygen (although I have so many magazines that I have to let this subscription go)

I like to read and be informed so we can make good decisions (hopefully); especially as it relates to Kiera and our health as a family.

Our goal this summer is to expand our garden. I did a lot of drying and freezing last summer that has paid off. What I was not able to grow, I could get at the farmer's market. This winter we are sharing a winter food share from a local farm with some friends. It has been really nice to get local (root) vegetables this way.

Training is starting to improve. I am riding the trainer, running, skiing, and lifting weights. I put Kiera in the baby bjorn when I lift weights. I am careful and I can do mostly everything I normally do, while Kiera loves looking around.

Better run....work is piling up. Looks like I'll be done reading leisure books for a few weeks!

Irv (Scott's dad) babysits for us while Scott and I are both at work. Sometimes the house gets chilly, so he'll wrap her up in his down winter jacket. Goes nicely with pink? Kiera is not a very good sleeper unless she is warm...and the best way to get her to sleep is put her in the baby bjorn and go for a hike. If the sun is out I have taken her out starting at -5F with the temp rising as we walked. She stayed plenty warm as we have a nice fleece one piece outfit for her and I wear a special jacket I bought from a friend that is meant to wrap around both of us. I usually get too hot and end up with my hat and gloves off even when it is really cold. Ideally, I walk with her most days. If I don't get out I'll walk around the house until she falls asleep or take her on errands so she'll sleep in the carseat. I hate lugging that carseat around though.

My training thus has consisted of a lot of hiking/walking, some running as it is fast to get a good workout, some strengthening, and XC skiing. I was riding the trainer some up until we got good snow. I am planning to get out on winter rides once this cold snap lifts (should be by sunday) and now that I fixed the flat on my bike (from when Scott last used it). I was going to enter a running race, until I tried to do some intervals and decided to save my $25 instead. The intervals went really poorly and I am not sure what I was thinking. I am not a fast runner like I was in college.

It is definitely more challenging getting in good workouts after having Kiera. I thought pregnancy was tough! That was nothing, but at least my body feels better and is getting close to back to normal (prepregnancy weight). I still don't feel as strong in my core as I used to. Some of my friends have told me it took them up to two years to feel normal again. I don't have that much patience.

I am sure most people know that the Midwest Trek Regional Team is no longer an entity. Scott and I were disappointed, but understand with the economy the way it is. We love riding for Trek and they have been really good to me/us. I feel really lucky to have ridden for them for 5 years. Scott and I plan on racing this summer, although we have to figure out what we are going to do for bikes. We'll see.

Well, better run. I am on borrowed time and I have loads of work to do. I have never done so much laundry in my life and been so far behind on getting work for my job done.

Here is Scott and Kiera while Kiera is checking herself out in the mirror. Kiera is growing and changing fast. She likes to 'talk' and kick, or as Scott's dad says 'likes to start her motorcycle' by imitating with her legs that motion; especially while on the changing table. The changing table is what we call her 'happy place'. She smiles and seems happiest when half naked.

Kiera is only eating one time per night now and then another in the early morning (5 or 6 AM ish) which is much better than the three times per night when she was smaller. Some days I feel almost normal and not so sleep deprived. Other days I feel like I am 'melting' from lack of sleep. I finally felt good running and biking just over a week ago. Before then I felt like I was just slugging along; really slow and heavy. My body is finally starting to feel more like my old self before pregnancy. I still have a few pounds to lose. The last ten has been the hardest. I lost the first twenty without much effort; it was probably mostly extra fluid.

I am mostly running because it is easier and faster to get ready, a good workout in a relatively short amount of time, and I can push Kiera in the Chariot (we have an infant sling) when it is not too cold. I have been riding the trainer some, but mostly avoiding that piece of training equipment and riding my Paragon outside when I have enough time. Timing training is a bit tricky with breastfeeding. Today I left Scott a freshly pumped bottle so I could run as long as I wanted. Good thing too. I could tell there was quite the scuffle for Scott to get Kiera to take the bottle and they were both out cold by the time I got home. They are very good napping buddies.

Here is Kiera being held by Grandma Sally (Scott's mom). She is keeping us very busy! I have been trying to blog for at least three weeks now. She developed a sore bottom, therefore we skipped going along with Scott to Sheboygan. She was REALLY unhappy that weekend, but we got some special diaper cream and she is better now. Our goal was to use cloth diapers exclusively, but her bum cannot take it. We alternate throughout the day depending upon what is going on. If we go for a walk or hike, she gets a disposable diaper put on. If we are just around the house, then the cloth diapers work. I still have to try elimination communication, or EC for short. There are times at night where she wakes and is dry. It is quite amazing after she has been sleeping so long. She is 5 weeks old as of yesterday and is getting big fast. She likely weighs about 10 pounds and no longer looks like a newborn. She is also alert and awake more. She loves to put weight through her feet and look out the window. She also loves getting outside (she sleeps the entire time usually and I have figured out how to nurse and walk at the same time. I was psyched to figure it could be done).

Training for me is up and down. I went for my second run of the fall last sunday with only one jogbra on. I will never again go for a run without at least double jog braing while nursing. My mammary tissue hurt so bad after that run! It hurt about as bad as it did initially when we were first learning how to nurse and not doing everything right. I thought I got mastitis from that run (painful infection of the milk ducts), but I think I just inflammed them from the constant jarring. I got really sick the next day developing a 102.6 degree temperature that took until wednesday morning to break. I have never felt so achy, crappy, chilled, hot, etc all at the same time! It took most of the week to feel better and I finally got back on the bike saturday (yesterday). I ran again today with the proper support and things are much better. I think I'll have to triple bra next time though.

Biking is going well when I get a chance. Sometimes I am too tired to ride trail and it has been raining a lot this fall so I think I have only ridden trail three or four times total. I have a hard time believing I ever went fast on a MTB. I am still a bit heavier than I would like and feel like a fish out of water on the trail when trying to ride faster than slow pace. I try not to get discouraged and try instead to just enjoy being outside and enjoy the break from taking care of peanut. She is great, but I do appreciate my time away from her so I can look forward to seeing her again. If I get some sort of break once a day, I am very happy. Grandma Sally has also been coming over the past three saturdays so that Scott and I can ride together. We are VERY thankful Grandma Sally wants to spend so much time with Kiera!

Scott's race at Sheboygan had its ups and downs. He felt good both the first and third laps, but for some reason felt terrible laps two and four (thus losing a number of places on those laps). He definitely has been racing better this year than last and is encouraged that he feels good enough to keep him from dropping out of races but he also thinks his best races are ahead of him. The lack of sleep prior to the race didn't help (he got his first full night of sleep the night before Sheboygan - lucky guy). Getting rid of the cats was the best thing we could have done for his health. He has so much more energy now and I feel like I have a normal husband back. He used to have to nap all the time; especially after work each day. Not anymore. Now he is a work horse! This afternoon he and Todd McFadden are doing some trail work to help getting the XC ski trails ready (Magney and Spirit). Hopefully, we will have good snow this winter!

Next race for Scott may be the MN state CX race. We'll see.

This has been quite a week. Kiera feeds two to three times a night. The third time is usually early morning, but then she'll sleep until 8 AM or so. She is so much fun, and a lot of work. I don't feel like I have really slept in the past two weeks, but I also think it could be much worse. She is a good baby and once asleep tends to stay asleep for a while. Her and Scott are great napping buddies. I got to take my first nap with her this week. Otherwise I had been trying to keep her in the sun and daylight as much as possible to help her get rid of her jaundice. That first week was tough and we were so concerned about her as her bilirubin numbers was just below the level where they admit the baby to the hospital to get put under the bili lights.

I rode my trainer for the first time this past tuesday. I am still tender in the saddle area, but if I sit crooked I can make it work. I was able to ride two times that day on the trainer for about a 1/2 hour each time. My first outdoor ride was this past wedsnesday. It felt sooooo good to ride outdoors and not have my belly in the way. I could breathe relatively normally. Pregnancy made me really short of breath, so it was so nice to be able to actually breath harder because of effort and not just because of extra fluid, hormones, and pregnancy-induced anemia. I had to ride the trainer again yesterday - but I made an hour that time all at once as our little peanut took a nice nap with Scott. I am supposed to not lift anything heavy while my body returns to normal, but I figure lifting some weights is Ok as long as I don't overdo it and am cautious. It is amazing how quickly I am losing my baby belly. I still have a pouch, but after two weeks I think I am on track. I lost 20# the first week, but I am sure I will lose more slowly from here on out. I only get to weigh myself once a week so I don't get compulsive about it. Thankfully, I don't crave crappy food for the most part and with caring for a newborn we often miss meals. I have figured out how to hold Kiera while nursing and free up one hand to do other things if I need to. She makes the cutest little noises and faces though that I often just stare at her.

I wish I could race Sheboygan this weekend, but my body is not feeling recovered enough to race. I am supposed to 'take it easy' for 6 weeks after giving birth to allow my body to recover, but I can tell to push it at this point is not wise. It takes a while for parts that dilated to return to normal along with some other changes. I am hoping to race the Iceman, but we'll see. I love that race!

Our little baby developed jaundice this past week. Her numbers were pretty high, but not high enough to be hospitalized. We kept her in the sun; best without a diaper. This photo displays the result of taking that risk. Scott and I laughed so hard because it shot out of her like a cannon! Amazing such a small little person has such power.

Kiera Esther Kylander-Johnson was born on Saturday September 27th at 4:11 AM. She weighed 7 pounds and 1/2 ounce and was 20 inches long. Scott and I cannot describe how amazing and precious she is. I never thought I could love someone so much (besides Scott). She is alert and makes the best noises; even her farts are cute. We have taken her for several walks and a hike on trail this evening. She is lulled to sleep by walking and is a very good baby. She has a bit of jaundice right now so we have to keep a close eye on her and I have been spending a lot of time sunning her in the window. Scott has been fantastic and we share as much of the baby duties as possible; except for nursing of course. Our life has definitely changed; but I couldn't imagine it any different. We are enjoying Kiera immensely.

I am a bit sore as I have a few stitches and will need some time to heal. But otherwise motherhood is suiting me very well and Scott is an exceptional father. Kiera is one lucky little girl to have such a good dad.

We have had so many well-wishes from friends, family, coworkers, and studnets (and their families). We feel very blessed to have so many people care about our little family.

This summer has given me an entirely different perspective to racing. I have gotten to watch a few races and see the lead group (and following groups) go through - especially at the O2S and Chequamegon. I won't get to see that again once I am able to race again. Watching from the sidelines is ok, but I would much rather be racing. As long as I am able to get my exercise in for the day, watching is fine. But, if I cannot exercise then I get really crabby. I have gotten to see Scott race quite a bit this summer, so that has been good. I am especially glad that he is able to race and not DNF! He is still trying to get his full health back from being overly exposed to cat allergens for too many years, but he is coming around and can even pull a desent result when unable to train much or not feeling that great. I am still hoping his best results will come yet in the season, although there are only a few races left.

Scott raced the final MNSCS race in the series held in St. Cloud yesterday. After a bit of deliberation, we decided I wouldn't be going into full blown labor anytime soon (I was hoping, but sure if he didn't go the baby wouldn't come. She didn't come anyway). He didn't feel that great during the race and actually crashed once, hit a tree and reopened his hip wound from last weekend, and struggled a bit the first few laps in the singletrack. We don't have fast big ring singletrack like that in Duluth so it took him a bit to get used to the course as he didn't preride. He still finished fifth which he was pleased with given his mishaps, how much riding he has been able to do lately (he was fighting a cold earlier in the week), and how he felt during the race. Thankfully, Kyia's friends were nice enough to give him water hand-ups. It was 80 + degrees during the race. (Back in Duluth the high may have hit 60 with cold winds off the lake).

Our baby is still incubating and I have to remind myself that although I am not that comfortable, she isn't due until the 26th. We have been given so many due dates, but I think that one is the most accurate. We are both anxious and I have had enough false labor (braxton hicks) that something should start happening soon. I hope so anyay. I tried to ride my trainer last week - I made 7 minutes before I had to pee, and then 8 more after that until my belly just had had enough. My belly hangs too low to bike comfortably anymore. I rode outside for the last time on the 8th - which isn't too bad all things considered. I would need my bars to be higher to ride again and unfortunately we have maxed out my steer tube and riser bar combination height. If we lived on a good road, I would have invested in a cruiser. Trek makes some really nice cruiser bikes. Unfortunately, our road is gravel in one direction and full of pot holes and an 8-9% grade 6' uphill (15' walking) to get to better roads in the other direction. I am still hiking, walking, and lifting weights. As long as I get out everyday I feel pretty good about the day. I am excited to ride my bike again! Even to go running would be nice. I tried to take a few jogging steps (maybe shake the baby out a bit?) yesterday, but flight was non-obtainable. My legs just don't work like that right now. Hopefully, baby will come soon!

Since I got to see the Chequamegon from the sidelines this year, I decided to post Scott's race recap that he sent to our Team Manager, Chris Shaw. I'll post more later, but Scott had quite the eventful day and Trek had a great showing. Read on.......

The Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 is the race to do in the Midwest. For many people, it is the only race they do all season. The festive atmosphere begins on Friday and runs all the way through the weekend. Ken Derico even brings in the big Trek trailer full of demo bikes for everyone to gawk at (and ride when the weather permits) and get a sneak peak at what to expect for the upcoming season. It’s basically a big party with a bike race going on at the same time.

Since Sara is ready to have the baby at any moment, we decided to head down the morning of the race. We pulled in to our usual spot and met up with Chris Shaw and the boys. It was an overcast day and a little chilly, although nothing like last year’s sub 32 degree morning temps. All the usual suspects and many more out of towners showed up for the big show and appeared ready to go. This race always attracts some big names and this year did not disappoint: Jonathan Page and Trek Factory riders Ross Schnell and Lea Davidson showed up to give the local heroes a run for their money.

The worst part about the Chequamegon is the start because there are so many racers in such a small area. One would think that this amount of congestion would chill racers out a bit, but for some reason just the opposite happens. We were 30 seconds into the race when I heard a tremendously loud grinding noise, rubber screeching, yelling, etc. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see Aric Harland’s cross bike come flying at me. My unsuccessful bunny hop attempt over his bike left me bruised, bloodied and confused. I quickly remounted only to realize my front tire burped about 15 pounds of pressure out. I drilled it and almost fell again attempting the left hand corner onto to Highway 77 since my front tire was almost flat. I wanted to get to Rosie’s Field before stopping, but I lost the rest of the air once I hit 77 and had to stop. I couldn’t get my air to work and began running down the road pushing my bike and yelling for a pump, co2, etc. A kind Duluthian stopped to help but his air wouldn’t work either so I began running and hollering again. Thankfully the course is littered with people that live in the area and as I was running and hollering for air, a spectator that lives on 77 said he had a floor pump in his garage. Next I find myself sprinting down this gentleman’s driveway to get to his pump. Of course, I couldn’t get the bead to seat right away and once I did I noticed a small hole in my tire. Thankfully the sealant kept the air in and my race was once again underway. As I re-entered the course I looked left for riders and I can honestly say I didn’t see any. However, looking up the road all I could see was a plethora of jerseys. I must have been darn near dead last and fully aware that my hopes for a good finish were long gone.

Thoughts of dropping out popped into my head for a moment, but I realized that I’d have to ride all the way to Telemark anyway so I might as well finish. It was surprisingly easy to pass people on the Birkie trial and gravel roads, but extremely difficult on the four-wheeler trail. I’m also thankful that Sara waited, and waited and waited for me, because without the water bottle hand-up I would have been in big trouble. Thanks Sara! Needless to say, it was a 40 mile time trial for the entire race and I was smoked by the end. It was a bummer that I didn’t have a result to show for such an effort, but that’s how racing goes sometimes.

Lea rode like the rock star she is and won the race handedly. Mike Simonson had another crash but was able to work his way up to 11th which is quite impressive. Jesrin ended up 20th in the 40 but managed to WIN the Sunday Funday crit. Ross and Zach Vestal both finished around the top 30 and it sounded like they had a good time.

Thankfully the bone-chilling, pounding rain held off until 2:00 or so, but it did put a damper on the festivities. Sara and I got to hang out at the Trek tents and chat. It was fun meeting Ross, Lea and Zach and hearing about some of their adventures this past season. My only win(s) on the day came in the form of a Rummycube game against Chief, Doug and Bob and trouncing Doug in a game of Ms. Packman!

A big thanks goes out to Gary Crandall and his crew for putting together such an organized event. Once again, thanks to Trek for their support and for the HUGE donation to the single track trail construction project that is underway from Hayward to OO! Trek goes out of its way to give back to the cycling community and I am thankful!

Jesrin and I will be heading to St. Cloud for the last MNSCS race of the year this weekend as long as Sara doesn't go into labor within the next 12 hours or so.

My baby belly is getting bigger! We are 37 weeks as of this past Thursday. Thankfully, Chris sent me this new T-shirt that fits! I have finally come back around after having a bad last week. I was exhausted and had to sleep a ton from last thursday until this past thursday. I was having braxton hicks contractions on and off most of the day, with some waking me up at night, but they were not strong enough to be the 'real thing' nor close enough apart to overly concern me. I couldn't exercise much and thus have not ridden my bike in two weeks. I hope to go for a ride this weekend. Hopefully, it will stop raining!

I wasn't able to join Scott at Maplelag last weekend. Riding in a car is not comfortable and four hours one way was out of the question. My belly is too big. I was glad he finished the race. His first two of three laps was not very good for him as he felt like he couldn't race. This race went a bit better than the Border Battle the previous weekend in that he started to come around sooner and able to finish strong. His third lap he was racing, before that just trying to turn the pedals. He would like to race in Rhinelander tomorrow. He is still trying to find someone willing to go with him. Seems most people stop racing this time of year, or are taking the weekend off from racing prior to the Chequamegon, or preriding the Chequamegon racecourse this weekend. I would love to go with him, but four hours one way again is out of the question. I was just shot after traveling to and from the border battle (had tons of contractions and was exhausted the next day).

My last OB appointment went better than the one before it (I had lost 4# and 1 cm the previous visit). Now I am back up 1# and regained some of my belly girth. I was so tired and probably dehydrated the previous week (it was really hot and I was very busy with work). This last ultrasound the baby was totally fine (passed her biophysical profile with flying colors) and although my amniotic fluid is low normal range, it was up a bit from the previous visit. I have never been so nervous and concerned about baby. I have not had any problems the entire preganancy (except for the normal stuff - like heartburn, dizziness upon standing, etc) until that bad week.

We'll see when baby decides to make her grand entrance into the world. I keep telling her to 'take it easy on mom' during birth. We read to her at night - we are reading a great book called Peter and the Flying Starcatchers by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson. It is a 5th/6th grade level book (or so). And I rub my belly a lot. I like to share with others when she is moving - especially Scott, but my coworkers and friends also. It is fun to share her with others.

Otherwise, I am harvesting our garden vegetables. I planted way too many carrots this year. I have frozen 6 # or so of shredded carrots and now make a mean carrot cake. (And still have more to harvest). I'd love to grow all our vegetables for the summer and fall. I've got a way to go.

I am still biking some, at least I did last Sunday. I have been really tired this week and have needed to lay down after work most days. I have only been able to get out for short walks on the other days. I hope to ride this weekend. My last ride I was quite tired as I got up early to ride before heading down to the Border Battle WORS/MNSCS race that day. I did too much that day and ended up getting quite a few braxton hicks contractions that evening and during the night. I took the following day off from work to rest up. I literally laid in bed all day. (A rarity for even pregnant me).

As far as the race went, Scott felt bad and slow his first two laps, then started to feel a bit better for laps three and four. Finally, during his last lap he looked like he was racing. I could tell he wasn't having a good day. He was having some back pain on the drive down and that usually isn't a good sign; although I was not going to point that out. He stil ended up 13th (in what he refers to as the 'stinkhole'; as he was one place out of the money). I always feel bad for him when he doesn't have a good race or feel like he can race. Luckily he had one good lap and was able to do something. I handed out water to he and Jesrin and got to chat with some really nice people. It was fun to watch the race unfold from a different point of view, however I am anxious to start racing again.

Our (last) weekend started on Friday driving over to Marquette, MI with my previous teammate Doug Swanson, his wife Anne, and Scott. We left quite early in the morning and had a pretty uneventful trip over. Doug kept us entertained with a wide variety of singing groups I had never heard of and I loved having Anne with us! Not racing gives me a bit of a different perspective and I don't get all gripped about the race ahead of time. The biggest bummer is that our men miscommunicated so that Anne and I could not bring our bikes (not enough bike trays on the car and not enough room inside). I was REALLY disappointed. Marquette has the perfectly flat lakewalk paved trail that I would have loved to ride! Anne and I walked instead. I got a nice blister from walking in Birkenstock sandals right under the ball of my foot. Lacking a safety pin in which to relieve the pressure, I used an earing post instead. It worked quite well.

I was really nervous for Scott at the start of Saturday's O2S race. I also really missed racing this race! The most of any race thus far this year. I was hoping Scott's form would come back around after fighting some mystery illness since racing at Spirit Mtn two weeks ago. It poured rain for a good half hour before the start of the race; firming up the sand(which is extensive in this race). After getting a bit lost we (Anne, Megan and I) got to the second water stop to give hand ups. I could tell by what group Scott was in that he did not feel well. I also had a feeling he would not finish the race. He raced for maybe another ten miles and then just rode until he saw me at the fourth water stop along the course. I felt so bad for him and felt terrible as he was really bummed out. We thought he had turned the corner, but after visiting Dr. Mongeon again this week, we learned Scott is fighting some virus. He is already feeling better and so we are looking forward to the Border Battle at the end of this month. I plan on going to do handups and support the Team. Hopefully, baby will wait a bit longer to come out (I'll only be 35.5 weeks along so she'd better) and I am still comfortable enough to travel (which I should be).

On a positive note my teammates took 1st and 5th. Excellent results! Jesrin got outsprinted by Doug S, but he made Doug earn it. It was really fun to watch the sprint finish. Doug also complained that he tried dropping Jesrin "like 12 times" and he'd catch back on each time.

Doing hand-ups was really stressful. Not knowing exactly where we were going added to the stress and then rushing to get to each checkpoint was stressful. I'd rather race! I have a much better appreciation for how hard Scott has worked to get to each hand-up point in the past O2S races for me! He is amazing as he made it to two more spots than I did up to the point where he dropped out. It's like the race within a race!

I am still riding. I rode about 1:20 yesterday. I could barely zip up my only medium size jersey over my belly. If my belly gets any bigger my zipper is going to officially protest or fail. I ride really slow and feel best on downhills (of course). Uphills are really slow and it feels like I am just touring along. Scott rode with me on Sunday and I appreciated the company. I doubt his HR ever got over 100 bpm. I also only ride my full-suspension Trek Fuel MTB on smooth pavement. I haven't been comfortable on my road or CX bikes all year. I feel strong lifting weights, although some of the machines are out being that I cannot lay on my tummy and my tummy is too big for me to be able to do the leg press anymore (with the machines I have available). My arms feel really strong although my strength to weight ratio keeps deteriorating as our baby gets bigger. She is now gaining the most weight each week of the entire pregnancy. This has been a good week thus far regarding energy levels and I have been fairly productive; which I appreciate.

If you look closely you can see a wide band under my jersey. This is a magic neoprene band I wear around my abdomen for support while I have been hiking. I finally figured I could wear it for biking after running around and biking around while wearing it at the PowderMonkey MTB race the other weekend. I was just tickled the first ride I took. I felt so good and my legs felt great! I need to stick to paved roads and ride my full suspension Trek to keep the ride smooth enough. My belly just no longer likes bumps! I can ride up to an hour and a half with the addition of this band. I tried to go longer yesterday, but I ended up having to slow down considerably due to getting a lot of braxton hicks contractions and then had to lay down for quite sometime after getting back. I look quite huge in my kit. :) This photo was taken at 32 1/2 weeks. We are getting closer and looking very forward to meeting this active little one!

I had to add the photo of Scott with his facial hair. He kept a mustache for about a week and I couldn't help but chuckle every time I saw him. He almost never has more facial hair than a 5 o'clock shadow.

The first photo is Scott and Jesrin on the podium from yesterday's race. Scott placed 4th and Jesrin 8th. Two Trek riders in the top ten! Our weekend house guest and friend, Jesse, took 7th. At the start of the race, (2nd photo) Scott got his front wheel crossed by another rider right off the start line and had to come to a complete stop right after the gun. He made up a good deal of ground on the first climb up the downhill ski run to be in 2nd position going into the first section of singletrack. By the end of that short section he was leading the race! He kept the lead until the end of the first lap (the laps were about 12 miles long with 1300 feet of climbing per lap). He looked so smooth riding the singletrack and mostly back to his old form before the past few years of DNFing almost every race. The second lap he kept contact with the leaders of the Moore brothers and he and Sam rode together. Scott has been focusing on getting healthy all summer, especially since getting rid of the cats. He has been riding, but not training as hard as he would like. He is definitely coming around. Last year at this race, he just crumbled going up the last hill and had no chance at keeping contact with the other 5 riders in his group. This year he kept his (4th) position and held off Jay Richards who came in a bit behind him. This race was his best finish all year. There were really good riders at this race that are in good racing form. For me it is really fun to see Scott's form coming back; it definitely makes it worth me going to the races (and not being so bummed that I cannot race). It is also much easier to live with a happy husband. :)

Prior to getting rid of the cats, Scott was talking about giving up racing if things didn't get better this season. He was frustrated with his constant cold/allergy symptoms and what to do about them; especially when it came to riding and racing and not feeling well. He also has way more energy this summer than I can ever remember. He doesn't need to nap all the time like he used to (I've taken up that duty as the baby is taking most of my energy - last week was particularily 'bad' with needing to lay down a lot and not getting to exercise as much. I had one of my rare days of frustration and ever more rare days where I cry at the drop of a hat - gotta love those pregnancy hormones.)

Back to the race: the local 10o'clock news had coverage of the race with Scott leading! (We contacted the local news people to get a copy of the clip to send into Trek, but the video guy wants $60 for a copy. Pretty steep fee for under a minute of coverage.)

The last photo is of Scott, my brother in law Brad (he rode 140 miles that day on his road bike), and our good friend Jesse soaking their legs in lake superior after the race. (I stood in there as well prior to taking the photo and could barely get out cuz my legs were so frozen they wouldn't move normally; my center of gravity has changed from pregnancy that I almost fell into the lake a few times while trying to get out!)

The other cool thing about the weekend was that the Dr. (Dr. Mongeon) that is helping Scott get well did his first MTB race. So did his 4 year old daughter. Our friend Sophie also raced the kids race (she's almost 8 - she also ran the weds night kids race last week the same day as going on a nearly 2 hr hike with me). It was really fun to see everyone this weekend, hang out with good friends, get a taste of what having two children would be like (we sorta babysat a bit this weekend) and learn more about how amazing the women I know that have children are! (The ones that don't have children are amazing too!)

Scott led the Monday Night Ski Hut Ride tonight. Thirty-five riders showed up. That is a great turn out for a moutain bike ride. The race course for this Sunday's MNSCS race is ready to go (just need to mark it, but all the actual trail work is done). It is in the best shape of the season. The new sections have been a great addition with a lot of positive feedback from riders. I have yet to ride these sections. As Scott says, I'll have a whole new trail to ride post-pregnancy. I am looking forward to it! I'll likely be out volunteering day of the race and handing out water to some of the Expert riders (Scott, amongst others). I have had a rough go these past few days. I have been exhausted and hungry. Not a great combination for me as I like to keep busy. Laying around and napping on the couch are my two least favorite things, but seems to have replaced training the last few days. Our baby is moving a lot and shifting her position often. Sometimes it is not so comfortable and sometimes she kicks so hard that I cannot fall asleep. We have started to read stories to her at bedtime. Babies hearing is much better developed at birth than their eyesight from what I have read. I am going to update my profile (hopefully this week) with hightly recommended baby books for anyone interested. I finish up my grad class in the next two weeks and I am looking forward to having a bit more free time. My garden has been a bit neglected and I finally got some weeding done last night. We should have beets and peas pretty soon. Our lettuce is still fantastic and the carrots shouldn't be too far behind. I didn't seem to plant enough variety, but what we have gotten thus far is really good.

Scott just got done doing this crazy week-long gallbladder flush diet. Basically, he didn't eat any fat for a week (I did some creative cooking) then drank a lot of lemon juice and some olive oil the last day. He got really bad diarrhea from it and is suffering a bit, but he is done with it in enough time to hopefully recover from it in time for this weekend's race. I hope it is worth it. He is definitely coming around and is better off this year than last year. It has been a bit of a slow process. I hope he feels great once baby comes, cuz I am going to need some major relief time (and time to get back on my bike!)

This is a photo of the newest section of singletrack on the Spirit Mountain race course. We spent the past saturday morning making this reroute in order to avoid a highly eroded section on the railroad grade. There was a nice group of COGGS members and volunteers that showed up. This section is really nice and about 1/4 mile long. Scott and most of the rest of the group made an additional one mile section in the fern gulley part of the course. I am told it is really fun to ride; the guys have been busy riding it in and hopefully the monday night ski hut ride will meet there for the next few weeks before the race to help beat the trail in a bit. My plan is to hike it sometime this week and check it out. The race course is really coming along and there is talk that the course will be two full laps for expert men with the additional new trail.

Our good friends, Mike and Michelle, hosted a baby shower for Scott, baby and myself this morning. It was our baby's first party! A lot of our friends showed up and it was really good to get everyone together before the baby comes. This may be the 'free-est' we will be in a while. We had breakfast, coffee (decaf for me), good conversation, and then Scott took a group out biking the course at Spirit Mtn while I hiked with a couple of my friends after everyone else had left. Baby is busy as ever and I have had some Braxton Hick's contractions this past week. I had quite a few on Tues and Weds, which forced me to slow down even more. I am probably done biking for a while, but we'll see.

More course photos should follow after my upcoming hike to check out the new section. There also might be preriding of the course allowed the day before the race, but I'd recommend checking out the COGGS website or MNSCS website for updates.

Scott and I were likely fighting some sort of something last week. Our stomachs did not feel well (and it wasn't my cooking). Scott has been busy getting the Spirit Mtn MNSCS race course ready; recruiting other COGGS members along the way. The course should be ready to go after this Saturday's workday to finish it up. Due to a wedding the saturday before the race, preriding the course is not likely. The Spirit Mountain Director is quite adament at not seeing a single bike at Spirit during any wedding. Not sure how that works as it is public property, but COGGS cannot allow preriding on the day before the race. There are a few re-routes due to erosion, but the course is mostly the same as last year.

I have been busy resting. I have not felt well enough to ride my bike, but hiking/walking is fine. Lifting weights, too. I found a deer tick on me (unfortunately biting) this past Saturday. I was really freaked out about it. We spoke with a local infectious disease doctor and discussed my (and baby's) risk of getting Lyme's disease. Only 1-2 out of 100 ticks carry Lymes. I have to watch the area for the bullseye (other areas if it is another bacterium present in ticks, but not Lyme's) and then if I get any symptoms (headache, fever, flu-like symptoms) to go on antibiotics. (Amitryptaline, as doxicycline - the standard treatment - is toxic to baby). Problem is is that symptoms can start anywhere from one week to three months or more after getting bit. I am still leary as I don't feel like my energetic self, but I baby takes a lot of my energy and sometimes I feel the way I am feeling when baby is growing. She is sooooo busy and kicking most of the day!

Scott raced the WORS race in Eau Claire this weekend. He was in about 10th until the last lap when he started cramping. Unfortunately, due to having to ride on what I call 'salvage mode' he lost 9 places and ended up 19th. I felt bad for him as his racing is coming around, but he seems to cramp the last part of the last races he has done. He doesn't feel like he needs to drop out like he has in the past, so that is good. He is also still working with a local doctor to get rid of this fungus he has. He is getting there, but it is slow. Getting rid of the cats was a really good decision and we both sleep better from his lack of snoring. He also doesn't have cold-like symptoms (runny nose, clearing his throat all the time - which drives me nuts after a while).

Thankfully, the weather cooled off this week. Sunday's heat just about killed me and it is the first time I avoided going outside. I sat under the kitchen ceiling fan while I did my grad class coursework most of the day. I got it done, but was sweltering. I hate having to shut all the shades in the house to keep the sun out (and the greenhouse effect) as the house feels a bit closterphobic all shut up like that. Scott and I went down to Lake Superior when he got back from the race to cool down. He soaked his legs in the cold water and I soaked my ankles (the water was COLD!)

Next race for Scott is Spirit Mountain on the 27th of July, then Ore to Shore. We have a bunch of birthing and infant education classes coming up along with an increasing frequency of OB visits. I am hoping to feel good enough to get back on my bike. Everytime I go to The Ski Hut, I take the Trek Calypso for a cruise around the store. I wish we lived in a neighborhood condusive to riding a nice upright cruiser bike. I think every pregnant woman needs one of these bikes!

The past few weeks have been very busy. I finished teaching for the summer and will work part time adjunct next year. I started working in the clinic (as a PT) two days per week. Our gardens are growning and we have been eating lettuce already out of it. We bought a scarecrow deer repellant system (it has a motion detector that when activated shoots water in an arc to ward off garden invaders). So far, so good.

I have officially entered my third trimester. Baby is constantly moving! Especially if I sit or lay down. She's kicked so hard that it has startled me out of sleep! Amazing as she only weighs about 2 pounds. I have a feeling I am going to have to walk or bike or something to lull her to sleep once she's out! This is today's picture of her progress. I can still get my shoes on without help. I am still biking, although I don't ride trails or gravel much anymore. The bumps don't feel that good, even on a full suspension. I can only ride my race bike as the handlebars are set up high enough for me to sit up without bending much. If I bend over while riding I'll get really annoying heartburn. I have been hiking and lifting weights also and I feel strong. Hopefully, that will come in handy during labor.

Scott is planning on racing this weekend. He is also mowing the spirt mountain MNSCS race course and getting it ready. I have been hiking the trails and clearing off sticks and small branches that could get caught in wheels. The trail is drying out nicely due to the good weather this past month. Should be a good race!