My apologies for the lack of race photos. I was a little busy being anaerobic...
I had a great race at Fontana. It was particularly surprising to me, considering Fontana was one of the worst races I had all year last year. Although the field was small (26 women) all of the top contenders were present, minus one or two. I was called up 9th, had a decent start and was very pleased with my overall performance. In the end, I was 13th-a great early-season result for me. I had a few good battles going during the race-with both racers and with my body.
Seems it was a little shocking for my legs to go so hard for so long in the heat. It was not the ideal situation in which to experience leg cramping for the first time in my life but whatareyougonnado? Pedaling through relentless leg cramps during laps 3 and 4 pretty much sent me the deepest into the pain cave I have ever been. I kept trying to reel in 12th place towards the end, but each time I would attempt to hit the turbo button, the legs said "no way." Chole was relentless, too. She gave me a really good run and cruised in 8 seconds ahead.
The Kenda team had a great showing. Andy was 12th out of 110 pro men and Colin was 24th (that was an incredible start to watch go off), Kathy was 11th and Zeph was 19th. Heather has to wait a few more weeks to let her wrist heal before she gets back out there, but she was a pro in the feed station giving us cold bottles on a hot day. The best news? Our mechanic, Chris Magerl, is an angel. He is an absolute pleasure to work with and he made sure our bikes were working perfectly all weekend long.
If you want to see video coverage of the race, check out www.cyclingdirt.org. Colt did a terrific job of covering the weekend. You can even watch video of a course preview, so I don't have to go on and on and on about how much we had to climb, mount and dismount, carry our bikes, ride hub-deep sand dunes......etc.
It's going to be a GREAT season!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
The '09 Race Rig
Here it is! My new race bike for 2009, the Tomac Type X. The complete bike with pedals and computer weighed in at 20.8 lbs (with a big ol' 2.2 tire on the front) Look closely. That IS a gold (colored) KMC chain.
My appreciation and unwavering adoration go to Nate for spending his day off building it with lots of TLC. Now, I just wish it would stop snowing so I could go ride it.
My appreciation and unwavering adoration go to Nate for spending his day off building it with lots of TLC. Now, I just wish it would stop snowing so I could go ride it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Spring Break Adventures
Okay, first things first. It's been an exciting week of traveling and riding, but this is the most exciting event of all: the arrival of one of my new 09 race bikes, the Tomac Type-X. Nate unwrapped it yesterday and emailed me this photo. Although it was 75 degrees and sunny in Moab today, I was immediately tempted to drive straight home just so I could see it in person. Our entire team is SO excited for this year's bikes. Thanks again to Tomac for hooking us up with some serious racing machines! I promise pictures of the full build when it's ready to roll.
Since handing in my final project for my sports psych. class on Friday, I've been binging on warm weather rides, scenic campgrounds and reading for pleasure. That's right, no text books or journal articles for the next 3 weeks. Spring break 09'!
I celebrated my freedom from power point presentations with a trip to Gooseberry Mesa.
A good place to put up your feet to rest.
I took this photo during a road ride to Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane. It was only funny because every vehicle in this picture arrived simultaneously. Holy land-train.
An evening spin up La Sal Mountain Loop rd. No traffic, great views, straight out of my campsite at Ken's Lake.
Me, trying to tell Nate via an emailed photo how much I miss him. Moab was where Nate and I took our first road trip together when we first started dating. I knew I should consider marrying the guy when he was more excited than I was to go for a ski tour in the La Sals in the morning and ride slickrock in the afternoon. A sure sign I had finally found my match.
I rode up to Dead Horse State Park this morning. A great 60 mile round-trip ride out of Moab. Huge shoulder, great road, low traffic. It's a great 5%-8%ish grade climb for the 20mile stretch out to Dead Horse Point. Some movie buff at the scenic vista told me this was the point from which Thelma and Louise launched themselves at the end of their run.
I made it to Fruita this evening in search of some high-speed single track. I think 18-road will do just fine!
Since handing in my final project for my sports psych. class on Friday, I've been binging on warm weather rides, scenic campgrounds and reading for pleasure. That's right, no text books or journal articles for the next 3 weeks. Spring break 09'!
I celebrated my freedom from power point presentations with a trip to Gooseberry Mesa.
A good place to put up your feet to rest.
I took this photo during a road ride to Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane. It was only funny because every vehicle in this picture arrived simultaneously. Holy land-train.
This absurdity is a golf course. In the middle of a sand and sage brush filled desert. They also had an enormous bubbling fountain at the entrance to welcome you to "Sand Hollow." A wonderfully efficient use of our waning western water table. They were at least smart enough to use the naturally occurring sand in the sand traps.
An evening spin up La Sal Mountain Loop rd. No traffic, great views, straight out of my campsite at Ken's Lake.
Me, trying to tell Nate via an emailed photo how much I miss him. Moab was where Nate and I took our first road trip together when we first started dating. I knew I should consider marrying the guy when he was more excited than I was to go for a ski tour in the La Sals in the morning and ride slickrock in the afternoon. A sure sign I had finally found my match.
I rode up to Dead Horse State Park this morning. A great 60 mile round-trip ride out of Moab. Huge shoulder, great road, low traffic. It's a great 5%-8%ish grade climb for the 20mile stretch out to Dead Horse Point. Some movie buff at the scenic vista told me this was the point from which Thelma and Louise launched themselves at the end of their run.
I made it to Fruita this evening in search of some high-speed single track. I think 18-road will do just fine!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Desert Rampage
The first race of the season is always a tricky one. No matter how big, small, fast or slow the field is, you always go into the first one with a bit more trepidation than others. Especially having been so sick about one week before, I had even more questions in my head than usual.
Thankfully, all went well this past Saturday. No mechanicals and my body held up well enough. As Coach Eric said, that period of forced rest may have been the best thing for me. I was able to put down a really fast first lap before lower back pain made me slow down a bit on the second and third and the fitness is certainly there, just where I want it to be. I ended up with a sizable gap on rest of the gals, making it a challenge to keep my pace, but there were plenty of expert men ahead to keep me motivated.
Funny thing was, after the race I asked Eric about my back issue and he told me exactly the problem. He knows me so well that he immediately told me precisely what to stretch and how and it definitely wasn't the obvious answer. Low and behold after some stretching, the pain went away immediately allowing me to ride hard over the past few days. I would be a disaster without this guy around....but I digress.
The greatest part about the weekend was spending it with my teammate, Heather and her buddy, Chris. Cheap motels sure are a lot more fun when you have people to suffer/laugh with! Heather had just gotten her cast off after an epic fall and winter of trying to heal a very stubborn busted wrist and came down to ride on the road for the weekend. We only managed to get one phone call complaining about the noise....and a mystery hang-up phone call at 4am, perhaps in revenge???
I moved out of my campsite yesterday and am staying in a hotel for a few days so I can wrap up my final week of my current graduate course. It's hard to concentrate on Power Point presentations when it's sunny and warm out but I suppose if I can discipline myself to ride a trainer all winter, I can do this, too.
Thankfully, all went well this past Saturday. No mechanicals and my body held up well enough. As Coach Eric said, that period of forced rest may have been the best thing for me. I was able to put down a really fast first lap before lower back pain made me slow down a bit on the second and third and the fitness is certainly there, just where I want it to be. I ended up with a sizable gap on rest of the gals, making it a challenge to keep my pace, but there were plenty of expert men ahead to keep me motivated.
Funny thing was, after the race I asked Eric about my back issue and he told me exactly the problem. He knows me so well that he immediately told me precisely what to stretch and how and it definitely wasn't the obvious answer. Low and behold after some stretching, the pain went away immediately allowing me to ride hard over the past few days. I would be a disaster without this guy around....but I digress.
The greatest part about the weekend was spending it with my teammate, Heather and her buddy, Chris. Cheap motels sure are a lot more fun when you have people to suffer/laugh with! Heather had just gotten her cast off after an epic fall and winter of trying to heal a very stubborn busted wrist and came down to ride on the road for the weekend. We only managed to get one phone call complaining about the noise....and a mystery hang-up phone call at 4am, perhaps in revenge???
I moved out of my campsite yesterday and am staying in a hotel for a few days so I can wrap up my final week of my current graduate course. It's hard to concentrate on Power Point presentations when it's sunny and warm out but I suppose if I can discipline myself to ride a trainer all winter, I can do this, too.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Warmth
After sending Nate off to a wedding in the Caribbean last night, I set off for southern Utah this morning to begin a 2 week training trip. Our kitchen is getting remodeled and the trip I had previously planned was abandoned because I came down with a 10-day plague, so a long trip is definitely in order.
First things first. For those who are wondering why I chose to to go to my first race of the season (this Saturday) over a 5-day trip to St. John with Nate....Exhibit A: he is the lone married man of a group of 5 former/current ski instructors packing it into one stupid-expensive hotel room. Exhibit B: they are most likely trying every combination of tropical mixed drink known to man until all hours. Exhibit C: I've never met the Bride and Groom. Exhibit D: I have met a few of his pals he is sharing a room with. I know better :)
Not exactly the trip to tote along your pro-athlete wife. Nate got the much deserved hall pass for the week to join in the bachelor festivities. He promises we'll go back when we are old and slow.
I got to Hurricane this afternoon with just enough time for a ride on the Hurricane Rim Trail. It took a little time to blow the 9hr drive out of my legs but after spinning for a bit, my brain and legs finally remembered what it was like to ride a bike that moves, not one that is attached to a trainer and placed in front of a boring movie. Today, more real dirt. I can hardly believe it.
First things first. For those who are wondering why I chose to to go to my first race of the season (this Saturday) over a 5-day trip to St. John with Nate....Exhibit A: he is the lone married man of a group of 5 former/current ski instructors packing it into one stupid-expensive hotel room. Exhibit B: they are most likely trying every combination of tropical mixed drink known to man until all hours. Exhibit C: I've never met the Bride and Groom. Exhibit D: I have met a few of his pals he is sharing a room with. I know better :)
Not exactly the trip to tote along your pro-athlete wife. Nate got the much deserved hall pass for the week to join in the bachelor festivities. He promises we'll go back when we are old and slow.
I got to Hurricane this afternoon with just enough time for a ride on the Hurricane Rim Trail. It took a little time to blow the 9hr drive out of my legs but after spinning for a bit, my brain and legs finally remembered what it was like to ride a bike that moves, not one that is attached to a trainer and placed in front of a boring movie. Today, more real dirt. I can hardly believe it.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bluebird Recovery
Nothings says "I finally feel healthy" like a bluebird day of touring on Mt. Oliver. Nate, Suze and I hit it in near perfect conditions: powder, blue skies and warm temperatures. A great, great way to be reintroduced to the living!
The walking wounded...me in recovery mode and Suze with a busted thumb and bad hip flexor.
You can see our house somewhere down in that valley. Nate was all excited because you could see as far as the Sand Dunes in St. Anthony. For all you Napoleon Dynamite fans, that is where Grandma launched her 4-wheeler a little too high and broke her coccyx.
Approach to our target slope.
We ran into a few pals up there. Lots of Teton Valley folks dig skiing Oliver. Who wouldn't?
The walking wounded...me in recovery mode and Suze with a busted thumb and bad hip flexor.
You can see our house somewhere down in that valley. Nate was all excited because you could see as far as the Sand Dunes in St. Anthony. For all you Napoleon Dynamite fans, that is where Grandma launched her 4-wheeler a little too high and broke her coccyx.
Approach to our target slope.
We ran into a few pals up there. Lots of Teton Valley folks dig skiing Oliver. Who wouldn't?
Skiing out the Banana Chute to State Line Canyon. Moments after this photo, I hit a huge piece of buried avy debris and face planted/front flipped in spectacular fashion. Helmets rule.
This will definitely be a ski day to remember. While most serious cyclists I'll be racing against in a few weeks are currently pounding out long miles in warm places, I'm still trying to enjoy what's left of winter. Even though I sometimes wish I had access to trails and outdoor riding all year, it's days like these with best friends, great powder and natural beauty that make me forget all about it.
Cheers!
This will definitely be a ski day to remember. While most serious cyclists I'll be racing against in a few weeks are currently pounding out long miles in warm places, I'm still trying to enjoy what's left of winter. Even though I sometimes wish I had access to trails and outdoor riding all year, it's days like these with best friends, great powder and natural beauty that make me forget all about it.
Cheers!
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