Gettin' Fat in '14

Last year, Hwood created a monster... he got me a fat bike.  We rode all winter.  And, when the temps got below 20, we bought goggles... below 10, added a layer... negative 5?  Hot pads in the boots and stayed deep in the woods & out of the wind.  Yep, it was awesome!  No more of that lazy, bon bon eatin', beer drinking winter months, loading up on chips and unwanted lbs.... we stayed fit and STRONG!  It totally blew me away come spring when I had the strength and stamina to master spring training rides with Ronnie, Timmer, and the crue.

So, once the snow started to fall, my bike beckoned me from the rafters... it's beautiful out... all you need is a base layer... don't you miss your goggles?  I have pink rim tape... go show the boys a thing or two...

Unfortunately, and unbalanced work-life and another bout with the flu kept us from playing much before the holidays, but that was soon to change.  We got out of the house a couple weekends ago to take on the Elm Creek trails for the first time at the Frozen Frolic (fat bike time trial).  The temps were cool and the wind brisk, making me second-guess my layering skills multiple times.  Luckily, our sponsor and awesome clothing supplier, Podiumwear, also specialized in ski clothing!  With their jacket, hat, ear warmers, neck cozy, and ski pants on, I stayed warm and dry from start to finish. Thanks, Podiumwear!  Love your gear!

We were able to sneak out for a couple miles before race start and try to learn a bit of the course.  The trail was amazing, well-packed, and had some killer flow!  We were allowed to self-seed at the start and I found a gap in the guys and jumped in.  Within a few miles, I caught my 15 sec rabbit, but a slight dab of the foot on the turn let him get away.  I tried to stay on the gas hard, trying to stay ahead of the women I knew were lined up somewhere behind me - Kris & Martha, two amazingly talented riders.

The trail undulated through the trees with enough elevation to make me work hard for it, and enough descents to provide ample recovery time. From my love of time trials, I found calm and excitement in the sound of my breath intertwined with the snow crunching beneath my Surly tires.  Winding, weaving around trees, allowing my rear wheel to float through the turns, pedaling, climbing, stay in front.

I kept on the gas for 10 miles and was exhausted as I crossed the finish.  Once the results were tallied, I found out that I won my first fat bike race!  Martha and Kris were close in their times, so I know I still have a lot of work to do, but they were such great competition that they had me running scared the whole time.  Love you gals!

So, what comes next?  The chicken eats eggs for breakfast and heads out to yet another fat bike race!

We followed up the next weekend with "Get Phat with Pat", put on by Pat, owner of Penn Cycle and the one I got my sweet 9Zero7 fat bike from.  Held down at the River Bottoms in Bloomington, we were in for a great treat... oh yeah, plus four inches of fresh powder to contend with.  Lucky for us, they busted ass to make the race great and packed down the course with a snowmobile before the event.

I lined up with the boys & gals of the elite race and readied myself for the flat road rollout.  Looking at the huge talent toeing the line, I knew it was gonna go out fast and hard, so I tried to prep myself to dig deep for the intro in an attempt to get good positioning in the single track.  The race started and I tried to tuck into the slipstream of anyone I could, holding on for the 1st half of the road but missed the gap to the chase group and found myself solo in between the leaders and the rest of us.

We hit the single track and I quickly found one gal off her bike in the deep snow that lined the narrow track (one I hadn't seen before), and knew I had to give it all.  I passed her and another rider within the first couple miles and made the first turn in the course when I saw a red arrow painted in the snow.  As I pedaled forth, my mind second-guessed me... did you see a second arrow?  In a panic, I turned around and found a second arrow.. WTF?  I hung around for 10 seconds or so until Martha came upon the seen.  We chatted and voted on following the first arrow - good choice! - and found ourselves back on course.  But my mind now took over... you just lost 10 sec. lead you had....GO!!!  

So, at every moment I could find speed, I took it.  When the ruts in the snow split, I tried to choose the best one.  When the course was hard packed like concrete, I was out of my saddle, punching hard and trying to get away.  Clumsy, I would slip any time I attempted to look over my shoulder and gauge my lead, so I quit looking and rode.  Into lap two, I struggled a bit in the first section of single track.. maybe it was fatigue setting in.. maybe I was flying even though I felt slower.. keep attacking... keep going!

Once I hit the final 180 and settled in for the last few miles to the finish, some sort of Jedi focus settled in.  Breathe in, pedal, breathe out, pedal, lean, pedal, breathe, coast, turn, pedal.  The trees around me melted into a blur as my eyes were deadset on the trail in front of me.  As I rode under a beautiful canopy of branches coated with fresh powder, I took a moment to dream of taking a photo of it and locked it into memory.

Leaving the single track and dancing on my pedals to the finish line, I left every ounce of power I had on the trail.  Collapsing at the line, Jay grabbed my bike and tried to help me as all the energy drained from my legs.  I did it - I held them off for my 2nd win... now how am I gonna find the energy to go to work tonight?  It was amazing and I still can't believe it all happened so fast and was so much fun!

With exhausted legs the next morning, I chose only to watch the next day's fat bike race but bailed on that when my husband decided not to ride. We headed home where he retreated to the couch for Broncos time and I headed out with Sarah and Tessy for a chilly urban ride on my skinny tires to help make a winter cycling film for Nice Ride MN.  We set out for an hour ride - a perfect pace and distance to spin out my lactic acid-ridden legs.  Although the wind had a chill to it, the warmth of my company distracted from the bite in my cheeks. 

When we finally stopped to part ways, I was stopped by the stunning collection of snow on my rear wheel.... so pretty in the sunset.  I was exhausted when I returned home, but completely understood the fatigue when the clock revealed the ride had gone three hours long.  Oh how time flies when you're having fun!

Riding outside in the winter is one of my most favorite things to do... it's crisp and cold, it's a great way to view the splendor of winter and breathe in the fresh air, and it gets me off the couch and away from the tv.  Ride a trainer - please, NO!  Tonite, unfortunately, Jay's bringin' home the trainers and making us ride... ewwww!  But, we've gotta get these legs in shape for the ice race!!!!  One of the first 10 races I ever did was an ice race and it's a sick passion for me.. Can't wait!!!

If you haven't taken your cycling life outside in the winter, I urge you to try it.. it's amazing!  Just be safe and prepare for the temps appropriately!  It'll make the experience that much better.

Making faces at the trainer in my living room,
Kristy Kreme

Fat Bike Dreams Really Do Come True!

On Friday night, Jay and I closed up the shop and headed for our favorite place in the Northwoods... Cable, WI.  We were 2 of the lucky 300 who got into the first ever Fat Bike Birkie race, and we were jazzed and ready to ride!

For my first time ever, we stayed the night at Telemark Resort to ensure we'd be close and ready to go for the 8:00AM start.  We gorged ourselves on food then turned in early, laying low and enjoying the super comfy bed and linens.

By 5:00AM, Jay was already up and moving, heading out to the trail to check on the conditions after this week's warmth and snowfall.. it was either gonna be a super fast ride or a death march...  Luckily, the temps cooled enough overnight to keep the ski trail packed tight and we raised up the air pressure in the tires to adapt to the firm snow.

We got to the start line early, with the excitement buzzing through our veins like electricity barely contained.  There was a cold wind at our backs, but we barely noticed as the start chute filled with friends and familiar faces.  A light snow filled the air with a threat of rain we all hoped wouldn't come... if only the temps could hold firm, the trails would remain fast and we could stay relatively dry.  

Photo by Kelly Randolph

Hollywood, as usual, was clipped into his pedals and attacking the moment the shotgun fired, taking the hole shot as 150+ men and women chased.  He was going strong and pulling away from the fast guys until overcooking a turn as he entered the World Cup course, taking himself down. The leaders soon came around the turn and took over the race, but Jay was quick to return to his bike and jump on the back of the pack.

Photo by Kelly Randolph

I settled into a chase group in hot pursuit, riding outta my mind and loving it!  I knew there had to be a couple of the super fast gals in front of my, but I was pretty proud of my position and kept at it.  Around the 4th mile, I blew hard trying to get up a pretty unforgiving hill and was forced to run the last 10 feet of it.  I stopped for a moment to catch my breath as one of the ladies rode away from me and thought to myself that there were more back there and I needed to get back on my bike.

I tried to bridge back up to the group I'd been with, but the pace was too hot, so I dialed it back a bit and settled into a good rhythm.  What had been a pack of 20-some riders slowly broke into groups of 4 or more bikers that we bounced around from one to the other.  About seven miles in, I tweeked my left groin on a climb and had to sit and spin my brains out to get to the top.  To keep the momentum going, I tried to use the climbs for recovery by taking it slow, but attacking every downhill like a challenge to myself...  Dear Snow, just you try and slow me down!

Almost to the half way mark, I came through a section with a volunteer who shouted out "Third place Woman, I think!"... There was no way that could be true, I had to have been in last place for sure... I smiled and said thanks, but was sure it was a mistake, so I tucked it away and focused on the trail once again.  By the time I got to the turnaround at OO, it was only me and one other rider left in our pack, with no one else in site.  He stopped to take a hand-up and I just kept going.  If I was riding as tail-gunner, stopping was gonna do me no good.  Fastest way to end the ride was to get to the finish, so I just kept going as fast as I could.

My legs started screaming up the climbs as I rode alone with nothing but my thoughts and the sound of my tires crunching on the packed snow.  I really didn't care where I was in the pack any more... I was just having SO MUCH FUN railing down the hills, cruising through the turns, and enjoying the beautiful day.  I caught the noise of sleet hitting my shoulders and thought to myself "I wonder how long it's been doing that?"... it was so very Zen.  

Random skiers appeared on the trail, cheering and ringing bells, prompting me to increase my speeds as I got closer to the finish.  With less than five miles to go and sleet blurring my vision through my goggles, I kicked it into a sprint with everything I had left, determined to give it everything I had.  I wanted to get it done in under three hours, but I was too chicken to check the time on my Garmin.. just watched the miles tick away instead.  

With maybe 2K to go, I looked up the trail and saw Hollywood riding at me.  "You're flying!" he shouted as I passed him and he turned around to follow me.  "You're in third place, keep it up!".... "No I'm not... but you really think I'm flying?"  Sweet!   He rode behind me, cheering me on until the final couple turns where he left me to finish solo.  I heard a volunteer say "third place woman, number 232" into a walkie talkie as I passed by and almost lost it in astonishment...wow...

I crossed the finish with a HUGE smile on my face as I heard the announcer call out my name.  I did it... I actually finished in third place!  And I did it in 2:38!  Beat my goal by 22 minutes!   

Photo by Kelly Randolph

Once results were posted, I found out that I not only took 3rd in the Women's race, but 86th out of 154 riders!  I had honestly thought I had been at the back of the ENTIRE pack the whole time.  And there were so many fast women there, I don't know how it happened.... 

Jay finished strong, too, in 11th aside from his early crash and a late-race leg cramp that separated him from the group near the end of the race.  I know he really wanted to be top 10, but he rode AWESOME and took on some ridiculously fast dudes.   Great job, babe!  And thank you tons for cheering me to the finish.  :D

I'm so absolutely proud that I got to be a part of the first ever Fat Bike Birkie!  It was one of the most epic and most fun races I've ever done.  I will definitely be back next year!  2013 is definitely starting off awesome, and I can't wait to see all the fun yet to come.. Girl Fiend Cycling Team 2013! Thanks to my sweet hubby Jay who made this whole weekend possible.. I loved every moment of it!

Floating on fat bike dreams, 

Kristy Kreme

DNF Rules the Night

Friday night was the latest installment of DNF shows and, by far, the best one yet!  Woodshop opened with a great set and it was fun to rock out to them as Club Underground at Spring Street steadily filled up with all our favorite bikers and rockers.

 The crowd that turned out was the largest I'd ever seen take over the Spring Street before... it was awesome!  And DNF was on fire.  As Hollywood put it, they're "the sloppiest band in the Midwest", but all the late night practicing proved to be paying off.  They put on the tightest show to date and had the crowd jammin' and singing along.

Jay kept losing his glasses and the crowd got to see his metal-crazed eyes for the first time at any show. Crossmax loved it!  As the songs came and went, more beverages were doled out and the "action" portion of the show increased as Hollywood moved around the stage and attempted to take a non-wireless mic into the crowd. By the end, the whole crowd was having a blast, the carpet on the stage was soaked, and there were mics and mic-stands strewn all about.

 

4130 followed them up, and Brauer put it best when he started with "Thanks to DNF for making the stage all sticky for us!".  They kept the show going til the end of the night and had a blast.  To top off the already awesome night, we took G-Money & Bill home with us to crash out with pizza and Hangover 2.  Jay woke us the next morning with hot coffee, corn beef hash, and eggs before enticing us with a late day fat bike ride at the River Bottoms.

 The air was cool and the trail a little slushy and icy in spots, but it was an awesome follow up to the previous night's rockin'.  Chucker, G-Money, KK, Hollywood, and I were flying along the trail in the beautiful sunlight, laughing at one another when we fell (without injury), and taking breaks along the trail to just chill out and enjoy the afternoon.

 After a good two hours on the trail, we loaded the bikes back up and returned home for hot food and showers, having successfully enjoyed the day.  I have never ridden my bike so much in the winter before, but the 9Zero7 from my loving hubby has made winter more fun than ever!  Thank you babe!

 It's days like these that make it hard to hope for an early spring... cuz I'm just having WAY too much fun.  Today's snow is gonna be fun!

Thanks to DNF for rocking my ass, thanks to the boys for letting me ride along, and to my hubby who makes it all happen.. I love you, JJ!

Itchin' to Ride,
Kristy Kreme

'Candle-lit' dinner alfresco

One of my favorite times while on a recent vacation in Chattanooga was enjoying all of our meals alfresco on the picnic table next to the Scamp.  Each evening as the sun began to set, me, Jay, and Rosco would take our fresh-cooked meals outside and dine in the cool evening air, not wanting the warm temps to fade.

Tonight, Jay surprised me with an awesome re-creation I can't wait to repeat.

After work tonight, we buzzed home quickly to prep for a great night ride on our 9Zero7's at the MN River Bottoms.  As I gathered up all my layers and thermal gear, Jay prepared dinner... my favorite fajita burritos with DL Jardines marinade.. YUM!  As the smell filled our quaint home, I wanted more and more to bag the ride and just dive into dinner but, instead, he wrapped each burrito in tinfoil and threw them into our bags of riding gear.

We loaded up the bikes and headed out to the River Bottoms.  Once there, we headed East on some super-packed trails.  Skinnies could have definitely railed tonight, but once you went off-trail, you found yourself in snowcone material for sure.

We hauled a$$ for a good 20-30 minutes, guided by our lights and the full moon's light.  The only sound within the darkness was our own breathing and the tires ripping through the snow.  Jay led the way and set a fast pace as I held on his wheel as best I could to keep my training going.

Off in the distance we saw the glow of a fire back in the woods and heard voices calling out to us.  We found their foot tracks off to the side and followed them back into the woods, happy to find our friends manning an awesome bonfire.

We pulled out our burritos and warmed them back up via the fire, ready to feast after the sweet ride, in the company of a handful of friends. We sat for a good hour, telling dirty jokes and crazy stories... my favorite was Pete Schow's recount of his first & last VO2 Max test... it will forever influence my racing!

Warmed by the fire, we had a blast enjoying the night's breeze and the snow that melted at our feet.  There was noone for miles and our laughter filled the air as we sat on fresh cut logs and turned the branches in the coals.

We headed out some time before 9:00 to get a little more riding in before returning home to the puppy.  The full moon was a beautiful gold as it hung on the far side of the river so we had to stop for a picture.

Once back to the lot, we loaded up the car quickly and headed home for a warm shower and puppy kisses.  Jay and I have had a lot of fun impromptu dinners over the years, but this one easily became one of the best ones yet.  Simple, delicious, and full of fun..

JJ, Thank you for filling my heart and my belly after all these years!
Love & frosty kisses,
Kristy Kreme

"Too Frozen" Frolic

H-wood and I got up early today to get to the Frozen Frolic for another weekend of Fat bikin'.  After the last couple days' rain, we were hesitant to participate, knowing the course could be icy and treacherous for non-studded rigs.  Still, we'd paid for the whole series, so why not give it a good ole college try, right?

Yeah....

I mean, heck, last week was AWESOME!  Even pulled off a second place finish after bonking super hard in the bird sanctuary.  Not a bad start to the year.   But, then again, conditions had been PERFECT!

Hwood had to remind me, though, to drop my hands next time so the team logo can be seen.  So, today was my chance to get back on the podium.

Yeah.....

Since the course was so icy, most riders showed up with studded tires.  My little Mad Max rig was left at home, so all I had was my 9Zero7 with regular tires.  But hey, how bad could it be?  We lined up for the start ala Time Trial style and I was having a blast at the beginning loop, catching two rabbits before we hit the 'Point of No Return' even aside from a couple crashes.

Then, it just started getting worse from there.  It was like we brought pillows to a knife fight....

Slipping out for no reason at all and landing on the frozen tundra started getting old FAST.  I already missed one year of racing due to injury, I'm not about to repeat it again so soon.  So, I laid off the gas a bit and tried to ride smarter, but it did no good.  Repeated crashes on the slippery trail found me standing next to my bike with the chain artfully wedged between my cassette and spokes... seriously?

It was just then that Hwood found me from the trail up above and came down to help.  He got the chain back on, but we'd both had enough.  We headed back down the trail towards the exit, knowing full well we'd rather save the ice racing for the lakes, not the trail.

Sadly, I don't know what was safer - walking the trail or riding it.  I was falling all over the place, or 'skating' down slippery slopes like a boot hockey player lost in the woods.  Jay took my bike for me so I could have both hands for grabbing trees and we finally made it back to the lot.

We didn't dilly dally much - just loaded up the gear and took off.  Why way for everyone to finish for an after party of a race we didn't complete?  Nah, lets nap before the Broncos game!  Hopefully we can get some snow in the next two weeks cuz I'm loving these fat bikes!  Can't wait to do it again.

Happy to be back in the race,
Kristy Kreme

Fat Rides and Resolutions

Celebrating Christmas with our family took 4 days and included 3 Christmas dinners in 2 different states, at 3 separate houses,  and included some-18 hours worth of driving.  By bedtime on Christmas night, I was exhausted.  Happy to have spent such great time with our family, but completely worn our by the marathon.  Then it was back to work as usual... by Friday I was worthless and had to spend the night home in my jammies just trying to get back to normal.

Fully rested, we awoke on Saturday morning just rarin' to go.  So, we loaded up our fat bikes and headed to Lebanon hills to meet up with some friends for a sweet sun-lit snowy ride.  The trail was perfect and the sunlight through the trees made the view stunning.  

After a good two hours, we called it a day to save energy for the next day's ride.  After some warm food and cozy slippers, we napped lazily on the couch as the evening approached and planned for another day of riding.

Although the weather was going to be colder on Sunday, we still found some friends up for a ride and planned for an afternoon adventure down at the MN River Bottoms.  The chill in the air was crisp for our initial trek down the main road west on the River Bottoms, but the single track gave us relief from the wind chill.  We checked out the "Get Fat with Pat" fat bike race course with Dennis, KK, and Pete and enjoyed the well groomed trail.  The course has awesome flow and we could really get moving fast, breaking into a sweat before we had to slow ourselves down to keep from getting our gear wet and winding up frigid.  

The funniest part was as we came up to Nine Mile Creek and Jay attempted to ride across the frozen bridge one-handed while filming.... key word "attempted".  

Thank heavens for sticking to proven, reliable winter gear... thanks to his Louis Garneau Zero-Degree boot, his foot stayed dry and warm all day.  :)

Loving the course, we decided to come back again on Monday to see how fast a lap would take us.  Pete met us again and we got near 2 hours in on an even COLDER DAY yet!  (good ole Vasoline definitely kept some of the bite off my nose and cheeks!)

We got a ton of video on my GoPro but I have to trim it down before I can upload it to YouTube... otherwise it would have taken "638 hours to upload". Sheesh...  Unfortunately, I had to work a double on New Year's Day, so Jay went riding without me.  But there will definitely be more to come!

Yep, we made resolutions.  I even wrote them down and taped them to the pantry door cuz this year we're gonna make them our bitch and the fat bikes will help make it happen.  Moving the shop, working way too much, and various injuries and obligations really kept us from riding last year and it shows... between the two of us, we are 30 lbs. heavier than we were this time last year.  Not good.  

So, fat bikes, be ready!  We're gonna ride ourselves back into shape this winter and be ready to take the year by storm!  Not to mention enjoying the benefit of a healthy lifestyle...  yep, cutting back on the fried foods, take out, and treats. Add some veggies and fruits and exercise.. Tada!  And the experts say that to help stick to your resolutions, make them known.  We've set our goals and timelines and have successfully completed 36 hours. Whew.  

2013 is gonna be the best year yet.  Believe.

Kristy Kreme