tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45347632194556862692011-10-19T16:08:31.380-07:00racing mountain bikes and baking pies, sans gluten.joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.comBlogger231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-26669435991573551172010-08-11T22:19:00.000-07:002010-08-12T11:02:44.589-07:00

Helen Keller wrote, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."  Granted, comparing the relatively minor trials we experience as cyclists, to the courageous life of Keller may seem blasphemous. However, I do believe that the sentiment behind her quote motivates many of us

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-73775177083091676402010-08-04T13:01:00.000-07:002010-08-04T13:01:38.427-07:00

I don't usually make things like fried chicken; just want to set the record straight--I wouldn't want my reputation as a health-nut-bohemian to be ruined. I'm typically afraid of using any more than 2 TBSP of olive oil in any dish. However, there are exceptions to every rule and tonight is Skeggs, and the theme for the menu is cold fried chicken. This was my official first attempt at fried

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-49273357398418683512010-07-08T18:22:00.000-07:002010-07-08T18:22:01.532-07:00

Argh, Davis. My teammate pointed out that writing your report from a bad race is supremely difficult. I can't agree more. It's rare for me to be truly disappointed with myself after a race. Even when I place poorly I look on the brighter side. Racing has so many legitimate determining factors. The outcome of race goes beyond fitness, beyond decisions, and beyond position. The outcome is a random

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-91086828324518319272010-07-01T18:17:00.000-07:002010-07-01T18:17:52.357-07:00

Can you believe I gave up a weekend preriding in Downieville to be a road racer? I know, I feel sheepish even admitting to it. I just felt so fed up with a lack of progress in mountain biking fitness that I needed something new. What do they say about the definition of crazy? "Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results." I feel like I've been training the same way

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-448482303973927632010-06-21T13:29:00.000-07:002010-06-21T13:29:01.390-07:00

I haven't been riding as fast as I hoped, for the point in the year. I took most of May off from training to focus on school {I do not regret this, it pays huge dividends}. Coming back into racing this June I have done rather poorly at Tamarancho and Skyline. Yes I finished the races, and I had a good time, but I did hope to be in better shape. Suddenly I feel a fire under my seat to push myself

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-18638368962421382062010-06-15T11:21:00.000-07:002010-06-15T11:21:54.545-07:00

We are about to leave for our preride, it is Saturday. A woman rides up next to us. She is wearing a Fox jersey, rocking an older but still awesome Santa Cruz Blur XC. Obviously, she is also preriding. I open the conversation. She is pissed. She begins an embarrassing rant claiming the promoters should be more clear about the course. I'm confused, not many people race Skyline without knowing what

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-67733770687276117692010-06-10T10:27:00.000-07:002010-06-10T10:32:32.883-07:00

For sale is my 2010 Giant TCX 1 cyclocross bike with a full SRAM Rival grouppo. Size 52 cm frame. I bought this bike in August of last year, raced it less than 10 times, and haven't ridden it since December. It was a tad too big for me, and I got a great deal on a different bike, so here I am, pawning off my old stuff ;p. It has been tuned up, and has fresh handlebar tape. I made some changes

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-10235917617430204592010-06-08T16:21:00.000-07:002010-06-08T16:21:57.659-07:00

I can't get over this. Seven days ago I put a dried up, hard, and blandly colored bean in the ground. Today, a little plant emerged. The leaves formed impressions on the insides of the bean. You can tell that the leaves formed within that bean. Nerdy, yes. Cheesy, yes. I just can't help but geek out on the circle of life. And completely unrelated, I found a neat looking bug today (it was dead).

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-35644537366269769942010-06-03T13:32:00.000-07:002010-06-03T13:43:46.327-07:00

On the long sunshiny Wednesdays (about May through September) a ruffian crew of mountain bikers gather atop Skyline Blvd for a sufferfest ala Skeggs. While this tradition has been waging from many years, I've only been a handful of times. Now that school's out for summer, I have the time and energy to spare on this awesome adventure. The crew usually hangs out post-puke-inducing-ride for some

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-44702836444867608862010-06-02T09:48:00.000-07:002010-06-02T09:56:29.182-07:00

Yes, it is early in the year for cyclocross workouts, but right now I have bike ADD and I need some excitement. A five minute ride through winding residential streets gets me to Laurelwood Park--a big sparkly diamond in my life. This park is only convenient to the locals, has no thru streets, and has dirt trails leading to the top of Ralston Ave. From there, it's a five minute downhill shot to

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-40380107655716411102010-06-01T13:21:00.000-07:002010-06-01T13:21:04.896-07:00

It has finally hit. Summer. I spent January through May of this year taking 18 units at Canada College. The semester marked my first successful term in college since 2005. The to do list has been piling up, and I'm finally tackling item after item. So far this weekend Isaias and I have rented a dump truck, shoveled dirt, and planned a garden. I've also managed to hang bike racks, bake a tart for

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-33074984613347182682010-04-29T08:56:00.000-07:002010-04-29T09:28:02.969-07:00

This past weekend, I spent three days riding and racing at Whiskeytown Lake, a good four hours away from the mid-peninsula suburbs. The race left me beaten, bruised, and too sick for school but my spirits are high from an all-time best weekend. To us coastal dwellers, who are unfamiliar with the possibilities of true mountain ranges, Mount Shasta is a shocking site from the I-5. Driving north,

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-7177918298277372602010-04-27T19:24:00.000-07:002010-04-27T20:04:29.472-07:00

As many have heard, Arizona has passed a law allowing police officers to stop anyone they suspect to be an illegal immigrant and require citizenship documentation to be presented on the spot. If the person is unable to provide said papers, the officers now have the power to detain those stopped. Note, for those unfamiliar with how this works, police officers must typically have probable cause

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-822171012319377022010-04-19T14:53:00.000-07:002010-04-19T14:53:33.581-07:00

Losing is an inevitable part of competition. Understanding our athletic failures--as they may be called by some--gives us a broader perspective of racing. Poor performance creates broad ranges of emotion. Race reports help athletes recover from said experiences. Writing provides therapy for a broken spirit. Poor performance can mean a lot of things, since its not just about winning the race. A

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-23513768263278463722010-04-14T15:40:00.000-07:002010-04-14T15:44:23.782-07:00

Driving home from Napa Valley Dirt Classic, Isaias looked at me and asked “What part of the race really broke your spirits”. Looking at me, he saw the anguish in my face, rather fatigue mixed with sadness. “The cold.” I replied. Boggs may have technically been colder, but the rain made me feel awful. There was no time during my race where I felt warm. Mentally, NVDC was the hardest race I’ve

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-22180138709221530952010-04-08T12:21:00.000-07:002010-04-08T12:22:30.609-07:00

Can we take a moment to appreciate Bike Monkey? Who do I idolize in local MTB culture? Bike Monkey. Who do I want to be like when I grow up? Carlos Perez. The Wednesday before Boggs V, the Bike Monkey crew was out in the snow, see pictures here http://boggs.bikemonkey.net/, and camped at the grounds for the freezing days leading up the event. They braved icicles and rainstorms to put on this

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-66482597032637412472010-03-19T21:32:00.000-07:002010-03-19T21:32:28.565-07:00

Looking around at the starting line, there were no other women in my category. Dang. It’s hard enough to stay motivated during a race, let alone when you’re not racing anyone. However, I’m focused on becoming an “Expert” rider this year, and I knew the lap times I would need to be competitive in that category. Thus, I began my race with seven sport men. I’d only gotten a few hours of sleep that

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-30823806977728878222010-03-11T23:34:00.000-08:002010-03-11T23:34:39.170-08:00

I admit that I've moved past judging the quality of my performance on my placement overall. I love competing on my bicycle and fully believe that there is nothing negative that can come from racing, no matter how “poorly” I place. Despite finishing 20th out of 24 in the Merco Grand Prix, I ended my first road criterium feeling proud of myself and incredibly happy with my performance. I went far

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-41154451067452387242010-01-18T18:15:00.000-08:002010-01-18T18:15:47.537-08:00

After crashing multiple times during the mountain bike training ride Saturday, I am barely able to move my neck. My right sternocleidomastoid muscle has tightened up, I presume a proprioceptor response. Quite possible when I crashed at high speed, landing on my left side, my head whipped to the left and strained the muscle. My right hip flexor is also sore to the touch, probably from the ~4500'

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-70809493453965355692010-01-18T14:45:00.000-08:002010-01-18T14:46:09.645-08:00

Any person pressed for time will enjoy these GF mochi treats. They can be eaten any time of day, but remind me of cinnamon rolls, so I think breakfast is perfect. Plus it's fast enough to make while the coffee (or tea) is brewing. The company is Grainaissance, the product is Mochi Cinammon Raisin. I believe this was found at Whole Foods. It has been (unopened) in my deli drawer for one month

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-320205152716196422010-01-18T12:09:00.000-08:002010-01-18T12:09:55.144-08:00

As a young girl, I remember learning the story of MLK Jr. I remember watching his speech for the first time. It still brings tears to my eyes. As a woman today, I recognize the struggle, the hardship, being 'underestimated'. Working in the bike industry, for two years now, has made me aware of my 'lesser status' everyday. Although MLK Jr. worked for the rights of African Americans, the ideals he

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-39755631832864458852010-01-17T22:24:00.000-08:002010-01-17T23:29:18.142-08:00

Don't let the silly hat fool you, he's a great chef. Isaias is my partner/fiance, and a major driving force in my gluten free journey. His culinary passion and experienced palette help create amazing recipes. My easy fix to being GF and being anti mass-produced/preservative rich food, has been to cook in bulk, freeze portions, and use as necessary. This works amazingly well for waffles. In his

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4534763219455686269.post-3142913810708089072010-01-17T20:31:00.000-08:002010-01-18T15:42:51.081-08:00

I'm new to the world of being 'Gluten Free'. I landed here about four months ago when I became incredibly ill after eating 'Seitan' (read: popular vegan meat alternative aka a chunk of gluten) at a local pub. None of the people I was with got sick, just me. A few weeks later the scenario played on repeat. I'd been battling GI problems my entire life. I have memories of vomiting spells that no

joie du francohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11045888253373565865noreply@blogger.com0