Devon's Blog

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Team had some Halloween Spirit this weekend!!

(We are ready to Buzzzz around!)

Winning Team

2011-10-25T12:58:00.001-07:00

Seeing a teammate bring home the well deserved win after a hard race is sometimes a better feeling than winning yourself...

(photo credit: Steve Anderson)

... and stacking the podium is always fun!

(photo credit: Jason Perry)

Team Rambuski Law had a good weekend! 3 1sts, 2 2nds, and 1 3rd!

Rubin Meets Cyclocross

2011-10-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

Rubin is new to 'Cross, and he loves it!

(look how happy he is!)

Here he is with his "Cycloross outfit"

(He can't wait to get to the races!)

And here he is on the top step of the CCCX podium!!

(He likes being on the podium with so many Rambuski Law racers!)

StarCrossed and RaphaFocus GP

2011-09-20T15:59:00.001-07:00

(Barriers -- weeee!)

Headed to Seattle this weekend for Starcrossed and Rapha Focus GP UCI races. Course features included twists and turns around a grassy tree filled landscape; a short ride through sand followed by a long and grueling run through more sand; and a barrier and flyover combination ideally situated by the beer garden. It was a fast dry course on Saturday and while mother nature tried hard to bring rain on Sunday, she fell a bit short of providing ideal mud conditions and only brought a few damp corners in the end. The UCI status attracted a number of strong contenders from the US as well as from Canada and beyond.

For Saturday's Starcrossed race, I had a slow start, but moved my way through the field until I settled with a group of 3 racing for 5th place. I tried to get away and keep moving up at first, but when I could not shed the other two riders, I settled in and tried to conserve energy on the windy parts of the course. I attacked again on the last lap, but it came down to a sprint and my slow-twitch legs mustered up just enough to take 5th!

In the Rapha Focus GP the next day I managed to get an even worse start off the line, but after a lap the lead group was in sight. As I latched on to the group of 5 riders, my rear brake came undone and I had to finish half a lap with 1 brake and pit the bike. Aspen was my trusty pit crew this weekend and he got me rolling on the A bike half a lap later, but after two stops by the pit, I had fallen a number of spots. I chased my way back to 5th and found myself in a similar spot to the previous race. This time I did not try to conserve anything, but kept chasing hard in an attempt to move up. In the end I was unable to reach the riders ahead of me but was able to pull out another sprint for 5th again! I improved on my results from last year and had a ton of fun racing with a deep field -- it's going to be a fun season ahead!

(Lots of sand -- ouch!)

SufferFest

2011-08-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

(leaving aspen)

The end of the season has been full of suffering for me. Typically, that is what cycling is all about. However, coming back to NRC racing after 3 weeks off the bike makes for extraordinary amounts of suffering.

First race back for me was Cascade Classic -- five days and lots of hills. The prologue was the first hard effort I had done since nationals and it hurt! The next days I would be racing for my teammates which made the suffering worthwhile and a lot more fun. I probably could have sat in the pack and tried to hang on until the finish. But instead, I gave everything I had to make sure moves were made and covered early on to let my stronger teamies save their legs for later in the race. I finished toasted and well behind the pack each day, but got in some good training and watched my teammates dominate in the end with two podiums and a second overall in the GC.

Next up was Charlotte Crit. Home to our national road race champion. The race was fast and furious and hot! My form had improved a bit from Cascade, but I was still in sufferfest mode. The team finished in the top 10 and took a plethora of primes in the process. We had a great support crew from Uptown Cycles and a wonderful team dinner after the race. We also had a chance to venture to Asheville, NC to put on a women's clinic and get in some scenic team riding. Fun times.

My final sufferfest came last week at the Aspen/Snowmass Women's Pro Stage Race. At this point, I had been back on the bike for a while and gaining fitness. I was feeling closer to my normal self and hoping to have a more typical race. Unfortunately, feeling good at sea level does not equate to feeling good 7-9000 feet above sea level! My HR was skyrocketing out of control the first day, my legs boycotted on day two, and my lungs called it quits on day 3. So much for having a normal race.

Hopefully all the suffering off the back will be good practice for suffering off the front in races to come. Often races come down to who can suffer the most. Ouch!

Bike MS

2011-08-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

(Fueling up with Terry part way through our MS ride -- all smiles!)

Racing with Now and Novartis for MS has not only been a season of great bike racing, but also an opportunity to learn about MS and spread awareness about the MS community. We don't just spread MS awareness at our bike races, but we also participate in Bike MS rides across the country where we ride tandem or alongside someone who has MS. One fact we want to highlight about the MS community is that MS does not define a person.

This message became real to me when I had the chance to ride in a Bike MS Cleveland event with Terry, who himself has MS. Check out our team blog to hear about my MS ride as well as my teammates rides throughout the country:

http://www.nowcyclingteam.com/index.php/pro-blog/

WIPEooout & Win!

2011-07-13T16:14:00.001-07:00

(No blogging lately as I've been dissertating and healing, but both are coming along and it's time for a blog)

Nationals was a big week for NOW and Novartis for MS. We had the full crew except for Anne, our favorite Canadian. Unfortunately those from up north can't participate in US nationals... even if they do live in Colorado.

The racing started off with the TT. It was my first time riding a TT bike and my first time doing more than a 20 minute TT. I used the race as experience and can say I gained a lot. Just getting used to the position of a TT bike is a whole new feeling. It's a little different from my (rather upright) road position. It felt a little funny, but it also felt fast!! and super fun! I might have had too much fun given it was a TT.

Next day was crit day. or crit night to be more precise. The thing about summer evenings in the south is that they are plagued with rainstorms. Really big thunderstorms. It was clear a big one was coming before the race even started! I wish they would have postponed the race and waited until we could ride safely with no torrential storms on the way. Instead, they sent us off racing with pre-race instructions of "if you hear a bell, that means the next lap is the finish." In the end, they gave us a 5 lap warning before the final bell. This was only about 20 or so minutes into the race. So the national championship was determined by a 30 minute race. It was ridiculous and dangerous and in the end, our sprinter was caught up in a crash and off to the hospital with a broken arm. In good news, she is healing fast and expects a speedy return!

The next day was a rest day and then the road race... we were down to 4 people but ready to race hard in the hot hot Georgia sun. The race started with an attack up the first climb that led to a break. We had nobody in it, but we hedged our bets that it was a little early for a break to stick. The rest of the lap was pretty boring as everyone was being patient to start the full on racing. By lap 3, the break was still off the front, but people were ready to race and the gap was closing. There were a number of attacks and the pace was picking up!

Just as the race was getting "fun", a rider came up on me, hooked bars, and wipeout... I keep playing the scenario over in my head.... so many what ifs... but in the end, I was sliding fast along the hot pavement. nothing i could do. I came to a stop and before I knew it our DS was there telling me to take my time. Meanwhile I'm shook up and thinking "where's my bike, can i get up? can i ride?" As I'm trying to assess all the pain signals coming into my brain, i look down and see a gaping hole in my knee full of blood. Eeeew! Luckily I didn't pass out, but I knew the race was over.

I had a long long wait in the ER. I was super bummed not to be racing, sad to be laying in a hospital, anxious to get fixed up, and incredibly annoyed at the stupid heart rate monitor that wouldn't stop beeping because my hr was below 50. My only smile for the day came when I heard the news -- Robin won!!!!! My teammate just won the national championship. I let out a scream - probably the only happy scream of the day in the ER! Check out the jersey:

(note -- this is not Robin... it is her dog)

As for me, the damage ended up being a lot worse than usual. Instead of a little road rash, my whole right side was missing. I ended up being sent to the burn unit to get taken care of. Next morning I was in the OR getting cleaned, stitched, and covered. I came out looking like a mummy. Unfortunately, mummies can't ride bikes :(

Toughin' it in Tulsa

2011-06-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

(Anne taking the win for NOW and Novartis for MS)

We had 3 days of crit racing this weekend at the Tulsa Tough. It was an exciting weekend for the team because it was our first time racing with the full squad, and some of our awesome sponsors were down at the races to watch us. Tulsa is always a welcoming venue with an amazing set up and great crowds. But the temps in the 90s sure add to the tough factor!!

Day 1 played out pretty close to plan. The team went out hard with attacks, counter attacks, and more attacks. The race was fast and fun! Eventually we got a break of 4 to go off with our sprinter in the break. Unfortunately another sprinter also got in the break and when it came down to the end she just eeked our rider out for the win. Back in the main field we had a bit of chaos -- with one teamie breaking a wheel and another sprinting a lap early, but Anne was able to pull out a top 10 along with our 2nd place. All in all a good day for our first time racing all together.

Day 2 we set our hopes higher and had a similar game plan -- make the race hard, try to get a break, and if that fails set up the sprint. We went out hard but the course did not suit a breakaway. We ended up wearing ourselves out a bit and instead of moving up the podium, we missed out on it all together. We took the race as a learning experience -- and I think the experience made us all fired up and hungry for a better race on Sunday.

Day 3 ups the "tough" factor with a brutal course. Every lap included a steep little kicker known as "crybaby" hill and the sun came out with sizzling rays. Our team was fired up and ready to go. The fans were also on top of their game with costumes and hoses and lots of energy on top of the hill! The race is one of attrition with people constantly falling off the back... but our team stayed up front and strong throughout the race. We nabbed the first prime... and then the second... and also the third and the fourth. I think we got them all. But with three and a half laps to go, Anne put the icing on the cake with a late race breakaway. She powered away from the field and nobody could follow. She secured us the win and Gokey pulled out a sprint to get a top 5 and take the omnium win for the series! It was a great team effort and a fantastic finish to the weekend.

To top things off, our awesome hosts set up a delicious and relaxing dinner for us after the race. It was the perfect ending to a great weekend.

Off to NVGP!

Phast Philly

2011-06-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

(ready to go!)

Made a quick trip to Philly this weekend for the women's Liberty Classic. I was excited to finally race Philly for the first time, as it is a race I've been wanting to compete in for a while now. But what was even more exciting was to be racing for the first time with my new team, NOW and Novartis for MS!

Everything about Philly left me with a smile on my face. The race course and atmosphere are epic. The course starts downtown near the art museum, runs along the river, past boat house row, through old tunnels, down the main street of Manayunk before hitting "the wall" and heading back along the river with detours for Strawberry Hill and Lemon Hill and ending on a fast loop around Logan Circle before a long finish straight. But the best part is that the town comes out in full force to watch and cheer (and drink beer...). They actually know a bike race is going on and crowds are cheering all along the course (this is unusual in the US). There is a roar as you climb up the wall and lemon hill... and it only gets louder every lap. It's awesome!

The race is typically a sprinter's finish and this year was no exception. There was a 1 person break early on, but nothing threatening and everything came back together on the last lap. The final climbs were fast and the finish was even faster. Our team raced well for our first time together and we finished with our sprinter in 7th -- a top ten at a big UCI race! I'm sure things will only go up from here -- we have a strong and cohesive team and one of the best support crews out there!

My favorite part of the day was riding home to our awesome host house. The house is situated right on "the wall" so the only way home was to follow the course. Robin and I made one last trip down main street and started up the wall... since the men's race was still in action, the crowds were out in full force and we got some of the best cheers of the day, including high-fives up the wall! Robin even got a post-race recovery drink from one friendly spectator. Then a motor crew came by to take our picture... then the motos kept on coming... and we realized the men's race was upon us... we had to hammer up the wall and make a jump over the fences to get out of the way fast -- ouch -- that was a hard cooldown ride! But so much fun to be cheered like a champion on a cool down... I almost wanted to go back down the hill and do it again... but pie and ice cream awaited at the host house!!

Next up for the team -- Tulsa!!!

(heading up the wall... don't know where I'm looking)

Goodbye

2011-05-29T16:18:00.001-07:00

The call was early. 7am on a Sunday. Sometimes mom forgets I'm on the west coast now. But I was awake and on my way to a race.

The day was calm, cool and sunny -- perfect weather for racing up a mountain. I was excited to try out the new bike, to bury myself up the climb, to hear Aspen cheer me on at the top, and to know I gave it my all at the finish. I love a good, hard race.

Once I heard the news, all I wanted more than anything in the world was to hug my puppy. My 13 year old, sweet, soft-as-can be puppy. The one thing that could make me feel better, I can no longer have.

Tears rolled for half the warm up. I held them back for the start. Perhaps a hard climb could clear the mind. And hard it was... there was no delay in setting a hard pace... even with almost 20 miles of climbing ahead... and 40 more miles to follow. It wasn't long before our big group became a small group.

And the mind wandered -- to my best running buddy ever. Shiloh would know it was play time as soon as I started to think about going for a run. It was hard to get my shoes on with a 50 pound lab jumping in my lap ready to go. Then there were days I couldn't take her running... I had to close the door on sad puppy eyes and see her sit in the window wishing she could be outside. But, she was forgiving and stood ready to kiss the sweat off when I came home. She never held a grudge. Even when I left for school and beyond and would stay away for months at a time... she was still my best friend when I returned home. You really can't get a better welcome home than a Shiloh greeting.

The race was not for me today. Breathing becomes a challenge when your chest wells up with emotions. I kind of knew at the start that it would be hard to put my focus into racing... but I would second guess myself if I didn't try. It was a beautiful ride for reminiscing though.

Shiloh was the puppy I always wanted. We had a dog when I was young, but I never got to raise her. Or teach her tricks. Shiloh was my puppy. I picked her out when I was in high school. I taught her how to shake, rollover, and even recycle. She loved the biscuit guessing game and could usually tell you which hand the biscuit was in. She didn't love the balance the biscuit on the nose game, but she would put up with it for the tasty reward she got when I said "ok" and she flicked her nose to catch the biscuit in the air. She was a smart girl.

It was good to be outside... pedaling smoothly up the meandering road, covered with the dancing shadows of trees above. Wispy clouds moving along the horizon. A big dose of sunshine spreading down rays.

I love soft things. Always have since I was little. Soft covers, soft pajamas, soft stuffed animals. Soft puppies! Shiloh was a soft puppy for sure. Most labs grow out of their puppy fur. Shiloh didn't. She remained puppy soft throughout her life. She may have gotten softer with old age. Maybe from all the pets.

Tears started rolling as I climbed away.

I knew her time was close. I thought I had at least one more visit... one more shiloh greeting... one more shiloh hug. She had a good life. She was loved... maybe as much as she gave back. Shiloh was ready. I don't need to cry for her. Most of my tears are selfish tears... sad that I can't go home and give my Shiloh one more hug.

I was no longer racing to the finish, or the top for that matter. Just racing to somewhere near the top to find Aspen so I could get an Aspen hug. It would have to do.

The tears will stop. The good memories will replace them. And I will always carry a big hug for Shiloh in my heart.

World MS Day

2011-05-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here is some good viewing for World MS Day:

From this morning:

'Amazing Race' Host Raising Money To Combat Multiple Sclerosis: "'Amazing Race' host Phil Keoghan is getting on his bike once again to help raise money to combat multiple sclerosis. Rick Garcia reports."

And from yesterday:

Check our team page to find out more about MS: nowcyclingteam.com.

Back to Blogging

2011-05-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry Mom and Dad (and Seth) for my lack of blogging. It is hard to blog when you are excited about your team, but can't share the details. Fortunately, our team was announced today!! I will be riding for NOW and Novartis for MS. It is an exciting opportunity for me to race my bike while at the same time spreading awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. To learn a little more about our team, MS, and our sponsors, NOW and Novartis, visit nowcyclingteam.com. First race -- Philly!!

Bike Break

2011-01-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

Took a little time off the bike over the holidays. Hard to imagine with no cycling, but I did have a good little holiday break...

Ventured out to Joshua Tree National Park...

(good morning!)

Saw some cool rock piles...

And nifty looking plants (dad what is this??)...

I became a tree hugger...

Aspen became a rock climber!

Then we headed west to meet up with our friend Mickey! I had never been to Mickey's hometown before!!! (devon=deprived child)

We hung out with Mickey a bit...

Took a roller coaster ride with Dumbo...

And then I showed off my muscles to Mr. Incredible (you can see he is looking jealous)!

Cross Nats!

2010-12-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

This was the first year I got to race two races at Cross Nationals since I'm now really really old in cyclocross age (and soon to be really really old in real age). Even though I look young, and was even announced as "an up and coming junior" in a road race earlier this year... I'm actually now old enough to be a master.

Racing started off Thursday with a time trial??? This was a first in the sport of cyclocross -- a time trial to determine start position in a race. It was fun though -- it's always fun to get out and ride the cross bike and the TT served as a nice little pre-race ride for the real thing. Despite crashing myself on a slick section and getting caught up with traffic, I finished high enough to get a front row start - yay!

I cooled down with a lap of the real course and then watched Wayne race his masters race. He looked strong, but wasn't feeling strong and didn't have the finish he wanted. Sometimes that's the way racing goes and usually you can say -- "oh well, one bad day." But, it is a lot harder when your bad day falls on nationals, which is the race most people gear their season for.

Friday came around and I was hoping for a good day in the masters race. Going into the race, I knew there was strong competition and that holding the top step might be attainable, but getting on any step would be a hard battle.

The gun went BANG and I was off to a good start leading the way into the first lap with a lot of riders right on my tail. By the end of the lap it was down to three of us up front... I went back and forth into 1st and 2nd spot and before I knew it, it was down to just me and Amanda, in what would prove to be a tough battle. . We had a good gap on third, but neither of us wanted 2nd and we were both fighting hard for the win. Coming into the last lap I could no longer feel my hands, my feet, my legs and I was tired... but i had opened a small gap and just kept telling myself to go! I knew I had to minimize mistakes (which is hard for me) and keep the pressure on. Then I got to the barriers the last time around, tripped over the board, and went to the ground... I was devastated on the inside (and had two more bloody knees on the outside - doah!)... I thought I blew it... but scrambled up and was able to get going again fast enough to stay out front. It wasn't until I made it to the final run up though that I thought I really could pull this win off and when I crossed the line first I could only let out a tired smile... i had left it all on the course and it felt really good to win that way.

(awesome photos by Tim Gasperak)

Saturday was Cypress' big day and he fought a tough battle -- which was a blast to watch and even more exciting to see him finish on the podium in 4th as a young guy in the 17-18 class -- way to go Cypress!!!

Sunday's race came around and I was hoping for better luck than last year when I came off being sick, had a couple spills, and ended up running twice to the pit from quite a ways out. I couldn't envision it going any worse. Unfortunately it didn't go much better. I had a good start... stayed calm and relaxed through a thick field and a number of crashes. Came through lap 1 sitting top 10 but my rear wheel was feeling funny. Thought it looked ok and kept going, but it just wasn't feeling right and I decided to pit to my much less preferred B bike (it's hard to pit when you love your A bike). The wheels felt better but I was feeling drained and struggling to hold my position. I lost some spots by the last lap, but was still hanging in the teens among some tough competition. Then I came around a corner and slid out right in front of the pit. I thought this was ideal timing and ran into the pit to change back to my A bike -- happy to be back on the SuperX despite something off with the tire. But as soon as I exited the pit and hopped on the bike, the tire went "PSssssssss" and ALL the air was gone. Ended up the race with a long, long run in the mud... the mud was so thick that i was hoping running wouldn't be much worse than riding. But it was. Way worse. The only upside was that I had a ton of cheers from a HUGE crowd! So, ended on a rough note but that is cyclocross sometimes... ideally, the bad luck would hold off for nationals, but at least I had some luck on 1 of the 2 days.

Overall it was a great weekend and a fun year of cross. Can't send enough thanks out to all the people who helped contribute to a fun season and the stars and stripes!

Hit Crater Lake on the way home with Aspen...

(it was cold and windy)

(and here was our view... I hear it is even better without fog :)

Portland Cross

2010-12-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind finish to the cross season. I drove up to Portland for the final USGP and then headed to Bend to finish the season with Nationals.

The Portland races were some of the biggest, deepest fields I've seen in women's cross outside of nationals. It is great to see the sport growing and fun to have such a deep field to race with. There was always pressure in front and behind and every little mistake mattered. The Portland USGP was also a super fun atmosphere with crowds of cross enthusiasts, a spectator friendly venue, and even a marching band! We didn't get the rain that Portland is known for, but we still encountered a bit of mud and overall fun course conditions. In addition to great racing, I also had a lot of fun pitting and spectating... getting to watch Cypress tear it up in the juniors race, Wayne pull out a podium in his master's race, and a very exciting finish in the elite men's race.

Here are some pics from the weekend from Chuck, our super host (and photographer)...

After the weekend, the fam and I headed to Bend for one final week full of cyclocross fun.

(saw a cool waterfall on the way to Bend)

Jingle Jingle Jingle

2010-12-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

I raced 3 Days of Jingle last weekend with my favorite support crew and my big midwest cycling family! Jingle Cross is always a fun, well-run event... and on top of that, it supports a good cause with proceeds benefitting the local children's hospital.

Jingle also always includes Mt. Krumpit -- a big, steep, muddy hill! Going up Mt Krumpit is a leg killer in a cross race where you repeat everything again and again and again... but for me, going down is the hard part. Steep slippery slopes are not my forte on the bike -- i'm a bit of a wimp and get scared at the prospect of crashing down such climbs. Two years ago, I developed a good strategy of dealing with the slippery slopes... just slid down on my butt!!

(mudslide technique -- also see movie at 2:07)

This maximizes the fun (who doesn't love a mudslide) and minimizes the danger (you can't fall if you are already on your butt). However, the approach is not the speediest way down (although for me it was... when i tried the riding technique, I ended up falling in a ditch over the course fence -- see movie at 0:26). Moreover, this year was just muddy enough to be a bit slick, but not muddy enough for my mud slide technique. So... I tried the "big kid" approach of actually riding my bike. While I managed to make it down on my bike (opposed to my butt), heavy application of the brakes is not helpful in a race for speed!! I still managed a couple of top 10's and overall had fun racing and think I managed to get a tiny better at the slopes by the end.

But my forte is really running up the steep slope. Luckily, day 2 of the 3 day weekend had us running up instead of riding down. This is not so scary!! And I'm a lot better at running up than riding down. After a bad start, I kept moving up throughout the race until I was battling it out for the last podium spot. I took the lead for 3rd in the final lap after my opponent slid out in a corner and then almost lost my spot when I got my bars tangled up in course tape (oh no!)... but ended up hanging on for a podium finish.

All in all, a super fun weekend of racing and nice to see lots of friends back in the midwest. I do miss the midwest some days... but was happy to return to CA where the weather does not require lobster gloves!

A New Perspective...

2010-11-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

Learning To Ride

2010-11-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

I live very far away from my home town - according to my dad, I live in the furthest place possible within the continental US. But I do love my family, and fortunately I am lucky to have cousins living only 15 minutes away from me. And my cousins have very bright, active, and energetic kids that are 7 and 10. However, these kids had one very big flaw: THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO RIDE A BIKE!!!!!!!

Their mother was a bit embarrassed by this fact (who wouldn't be) but there wasn't much she could do as they live on a very busy street which makes learning to ride a difficult endeavor. Luckily, I live in a not-so-busy neighborhood and love riding bikes -- so my cousins came over to learn! We started out ignoring the pedals... just learning balance on the bike while coasting down a slight incline.

Jonah took this up very fast and was whizzing down the inclines scarily fast. Soon I told him to practice finding the pedals with his feet... and next his mom comes out and says "all you need to do now is pedal" and there you have it... Jonah was riding!

(Jonah flying along without pedaling)

(Jonah Riding!)

Kahlo had a much greater sense of self preservation and started out slow and steady with the coasting drill. She gradually built up her balance and speed and persevered with a little brother zipping across her path. After practice, practice, practice, she became quite good at coasting and we decided to put the pedals on and give it a go. Before long, she was pedaling too!!

(Kahlo pedaling away!)

I think my heart skipped a beat when they announced "Bike Riding is Fun!!!" -- hopefully they get as much joy out of two wheels as I do.

(Happy Devon)

2, 1, no bloody knees!

2010-11-15T12:57:00.001-08:00

Stayed local this weekend. Although I really wanted to be in the mud and snow of fort collins, I had a lot of fun racing near home. Saturday was a night race in San Fran. Got off to a bad start (which is easy to do when you start in the last row), but eventually made my way to the front of the field and battled it out with Kerry and Gina for the last few laps. Couldn't manage the W, but hung on for second in a fun, tough race.

(photo credit: Jon Suzuki)

Sunday's race was even closer to home at the country fairgrounds. Should be good practice for Jingle (also taking place on fairgrounds), except it was sunny and hot... not snowy and cold. Ended up with the V on Sunday, but had to work hard for it with Karen hot on my heels.

(photo credit: Miss Mary Perez)

Best of all, I managed to stay upright all weekend and my knees came through unscathed for once! yay! (Oh, and I also saw a really cute puppy :)

Bloody Knees (mom, don't read!)

2010-11-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

The last four race weekends have resulted in bloody knees...

(double bloody knees from tripping up a rocky climb)

...missing the bloody knee picture from running into a fence...

(bloody knee from sliding out on an off camber section)

(bloody knee from a super-man dive into the dirt)

Do they make cross specific knee pads???

CO Racing

2010-11-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Courtney and I headed out to CO for some fun Halloween weekend racing at the Colorado Cross Classic and the Boulder Cup. Our costumes were kinda lame... just a couple of cyclists. But the racing was super fun! The first day brought lots and lots of sand. There was so much sand that the UCI officials forced some of the sandy course to be cut out. That's a lot of sand. I got off to a great start but quickly discovered that breathing is hard a mile above sea level... the rest of the race I got passed and passed and passed... I held on for the last UCI points in tenth. Not too bad with a field of top riders, but it is really not fun getting passed the whole race.

The next day, I thought maybe I should start a little more conservatively so that I don't get passed throughout the race. Here is a picture of the start... Sure it says Gould gets the whole shot... but it fails to mention that Devon is very very close behind... which is not a conservative start. Oh well, that is a dumb idea anyway to start conservatively in cross.

Moments after the start, we fly over an island in the middle of the straightaway and I hear a "crunch" as I come off the curb -- not a good sound when riding a carbon bike on carbon wheels. I didn't have time to analyze the situation as the race was on (but it turns out my wheel... which is supposed to be very strong... broke coming off that curb... so so sad. luckily it held up enough for me to finish the race on it).

Next the race takes a sharp off camber turn and this mess happens -- my coach describes it as a "cat 4 pile up". The corner was trickier than it looks.

Crashes happened all over the course. I think a lot of people came away with a little less skin... but it was a fun course and a fun crowd. Check out the guy in the monster suit! At the end of the day I just missed the top 5 and finished with a 6th place... behind a lot of strong CO riders.

Overall a fun weekend. Plus I got to see family (my father and bro-in-laws were crushing it on the courses) and friends. Cross+Good People=Good Times.

Face Plant!

2010-10-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

My bro face planted in the mud during his cross race -- check it out!

He was the crowd favorite for sure!! And still got top 5!

Cross Racing...

2010-10-18T18:05:00.001-07:00

(zoom... photo credit to Jon Suzuki)

This weekend was a double cross weekend near home. Both courses were not typical cross courses... a lot more single track and rocks and dirt than I'm used to, but still a lot of fun. Both days were also a reminder of how you need a little luck on your side to win a bike race. Saturday, I had a bit of bad luck wiping out on a steep little kicker to lose the lead... which I was never able to regain. Still ended up in second to a strong opponent. We raced again the next day and I had a flat (a slow leak which was not a problem due to my super duper bike change -- thanks aspen!) and then decided to eat it on a run up of rocks (sorry knees). But my opponent had even more bad luck than me... 2 major flats (with no super duper pit help) plus a minor wipeout on the runup. She had a good gap on me, but after a major flat we were back together for the final lap...

(down to the last lap... I am looking kinda tired and bloody (photo credit: jon suzuki))

She was probably stronger on the day and more deserving of a win, but in the end the race came down to a sprint on the final straight and I had a lot of air in my tires to help with the sprint... and ultimately a W. It's always a bummer to lose a race and wonder what if and it's not quite as fun winning knowing that your opponent had a lot of bad luck, but that's cross racing. Gotto love it no matter the outcome!

You can tell by the funny faces below that my teammate and I are loving it!! :)

(funny face #1... maybe a tired face (photo credit: Dale Tapley))

(funny face #2... ok, maybe this is a game face (photo: Jon Suzuki)

Oh boy Oh Boy!!!!

2010-10-14T20:19:00.001-07:00

My ride just lost weight - 2 pounds lighter and very pretty! Thanks Bike Station!

Hill Repeats

2010-10-11T10:14:00.001-07:00

(photo credit: Steve Anderson -- he takes some awesome race pics)

I finally had a weekend at home which was nice after a busy month of travelling, racing, and festivities. After a lazy Saturday, Aspen and I loaded up the car for a local bike race on Sunday (I can't be lazy allll weekend). Last year, I felt a little lonely at the local races because I didn't really know anybody. It is fun to have a great group to race with this year and to start to know some of the awesome people that show up and race. The community is a part of cyclocross that I love!

The race was a brutal one which started with a hill climb, headed back down on a single track roller coaster, weaved through some sand, grass, and dirt... and then back to climbing a wall! It really was like hill repeats with some added 'cross fun in between. Add some dry air and heat, and it was a tough race. I made it up the first climb in second position and then took the lead at the bottom. I had chasers hot on my heels keeping the pressure on, but by the end of the first lap I managed to open a little gap. The gap grew a bit over the next lap, but the chasers were never out of sight and made me work hard for my first W of the cross season! My teammate, who probably wasted a bit of energy cheering me on as we criss-crossed paths during the race had a strong finish to take the last podium spot. We both went away with some delicious giant StrawMmmmBerries.

Afterwards we tempted racers with cookie handups (we are poor and don't have a lot of dollars ;). I don't blame most people for turning down a cookie during the middle of a brutal, hot cross race. But we did have some enthusiastic takers!! Maybe we should try popsicles next time... hmmm....

(Courtney cranking across the finish line)

Krosstoberfest!

2010-10-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

(very muddy after a not-so-muddy race)

Headed down to San Dimas with my Bike Station teamie, Courtney. We had a fun adventure on the way down... drove through the middle of an airshow, saw a plane being followed by two helicopters, and we only got lost twice due to navigational neglect (we don't need to mention who was navigating).

We arrived a bit later than planned but kept with our agenda to check out the race course before going to our host house. The only problem was that the cross park was dark and the gates were closed. However, after a bit of searching for a parking spot and with a couple of flashlights in hand, we set out to scope the course -- nighttime cross!!! The course was very tricky in the dark and there were some added obstacles with all the critters running around. The bunnies didn't bother us so much, but when we encountered a skunk with it's tail up we decided to call it a night. We made our way over to our host house to be greeted by 3 seeing eye dog failures (super nice dogs... they just didn't make the cut) and two very nice hosts who set us up in their villa out back.

The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out at Krosstoberfest -- riding the course, cheering on family and friends, and racing! Both courses wound around on power sapping grass, with some twists and turns through the trees, and a stair step run-up. Saturday also had some gratuitous mud... just a pit of slop that made a mess but it wasn't really a muddy cross race. Both days were similar as far as the races went. Somehow I got the hole shot which was nice after having terrible starts at the USGP. I ended up leading most of the first lap but eventually ended up in second slot with a gap ahead and a gap behind. Two podiums and lots of UCI points! yay! Courtney also had a redundant weekend with two 7th place finishes (but oh so close to 6th on day 2) -- her first UCI points!! nice! My dad-n-law had the best weekend with two top podiums in the masters and C rocked the juniors and then had a nice showing in the 123's on day 2 despite some bike woes. All in all, a fun weekend of racing. It's nice that there is a promoter on the west coast who is willing to put on a UCI weekend. I know it is a lot of extra hassle and expense, but it brings out good competition and gives the west coast racers a chance to earn some points for a good starting spot at nationals. Thanks Dot!

(big rainbow)

The drive home was another adventure -- with rainbows, beautiful skies, crazy NC drivers, and a bit of panic... The gas was getting low as we hit the CA valley, but we decided to wait until the light turned on to minimize our stops... so we pass exit after exit. Meanwhile the light turns on, but the navigator is unaware of this turn of events so makes no mention of the big gas exit coming up. As we pass the turnoff with no gas for miles and miles ahead, it becomes clear that we made a big mistake! However, after a little detour, some drafting off semis, and a lot of panic (as the gas needle was below the lowest line) we made it! The rest of the drive home was smooth sailing with good tunes!

(pretty skies)

Mad Cross

2010-09-27T08:33:00.001-07:00

(Super Fan Hill)

The first round of the USGP series took place in Madison, WI this weekend. I flew into Minneapolis to meet up with my brother and drive down for the race. We arrived to town Friday evening and had a chance to ride the course a bit before heading downtown for dinner. It was a fun and windy (both twisty and breezy) course. The twists are not my forte, but it was fun getting to practice them a bit and riding a well designed cross course is always a blast.

Saturday morning came fast and my brother's race was the first of the day. I let him use my bike as a pit bike, but made him promise not to crash on the first lap just so he could use it (my bike is a little nicer than his bike :). He got off to a great start and right as he was overtaking a guy for the lead, he was squished into the side posts and went down. he got back up and his handlebars were pointed sideways (not good). He was conveniently close to the pit and made a run for my bike (this almost seemed planned). I hurriedly fixed his bike and anxiously watched him race while hoping for no crashes. In the end, he lost a lot of spots with his crash so his plan to steal my bike did not work out so well for him, but he did gain quite a bit of ground back throughout the rest of the race!

My race came later in the day and I didn't have my best start or my best race, and I was kinda caught in no-man's land throughout most of the race. The Chicago and midwest fans were awesome and kept me motivated though -- I got a ton of support all around the race course! I think the crew on the U-turn hill was the best. They made me smile every time around. It was awesome!

Sunday brought similar race conditions, but a bit faster course which I liked. I ended up racing most of the race with phenom junior Katie A -- she is probably the tiniest racer out on the course while I am likely the tallest so it was a pretty funny matchup. Katie also has a big cheering section in the midwest so it drowned out some of my super support, but there was still great cheering all around the course... with some musical instruments too! We were riding back and forth most of the race until about 1.5 laps to go when i caught my handle bars on a post and went flying (the same place my bro crashed -- not good luck!). Then I was back in no-man's land to finish up the race. Missed out on the UCI points this weekend, but hoping to get some more next weekend when I head to San Dimas for Krosstoberfest! Fun Fun!

Want to throw out a big thanks to Becker Law Office for helping to fund my travel -- a great idea by the promoters and generous support from Becker Law to help get more women to the races. A lot of people focus on the prize money to attract bigger women's fields, but women also lack a lot of the travel and race support that men's teams provide, so it's really nice to see promoters helping out the women's field in a new and creative way! Thanks!

Cross is Here!

2010-09-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's my absolutely all time favorite time of the year!

Cross always goes by quickly and then I spend months and months longing for it to start again and after waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting... it somehow sneaks up fast and woah -- it's cross season!!!

This year started off with a fun filled weekend up in Seattle for the Starcrossed and Rad Racing NATC races. The conditions were wet, muddy, and perfect for cyclocross! The weekend began with Starcrossed under the lights and surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd. I went into the race feeling a bit rusty and still a bit exhausted from the previous weeks (who knew weddings were so tiring?), but I was also very excited to be racing cross and energized to be back on the knobby tires. I was hoping to squeak into the top 10 and snag a UCI point or two and was shocked when I found myself racing for a top 5 spot. My body was a bit shocked too and by the last lap I faded into 6th, but I was happy with the finish in such a strong field of women.

The next day brought more mud, torrential downpours, and sand -- more cx fun! I got off to a much better start than the first race and was up in the top 5 from the very beginning. Even after a dive in the sand (this is not the ideal way to dismount) I was hanging in there near the front. I was also having a ton of fun getting muddy and being back on the cross bike! In the end I struggled to hang on in the last lap, but finished one place better in 5th! Overall a fun start to the cross season -- I can't wait for more!!

Next up, I'm headed to madison with my bro for the first USGP races -- Mad Cross always puts on a great race -- I can't wait!

Universities RR

2010-08-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, the racing came to me! The race course consisted of riding up the campus hill at UCSC and back down many many many times.... this is the campus hill that I ride from home to my office several times a week (when i'm not lazy... on lazy days, i take the bus because there is no easy way to ride to the top of campus). The course passed right by my driveway again and again and again... there were times that I contemplated taking a turn for home and calling it a day as this hill is not meant to ride 14 times! But I hung in there and in the end had a good race.

I was ready for this race to be a bit of a letdown after a fun visit to Chicago where I had huge support lining the course. But it turns out, I have a great section of superfans here too! Our friends and families from the neighborhood came out and provided a super cheering section on the uphill which was supplemented with Bike Station support on the downhill (while only one person, she provided enough enthusiasm to earn the status of a full cheering squad!) I appreciated all the cheers, but I have to say the little fans were my favorite -- they made me smile every time up the hill (and it's not an easy feat to make one smile going up that hill again and again).

They even had signs!

Little fan with sign (and a very very little fan being held in the background)

Two little fans (one seems very excited about the sign!)

(Tired little fans -- it's not easy being a super cheer squad)

All in all, the race went well. About 4 laps in, Shelly from PB&co initiated a break and the two of us were off for the rest of the race. In the end, she had the punch to take the win -- it would have been more fun to end my road season with a win, but her win was well deserved.

Afterwards, Aspen and I had a little BBQ for the super fans and some racing buddies. It was a great way to end a hard, hot day on the bike.

Road racing is pretty much winding down for me now. This weekend, I am off to the great state of Ohio for the big even t! Then Cyclocross season! Oh boy!!!

ChI-tOwN

2010-08-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

Went back to Chicago for a week after being gone for almost a year. I got a few rides in on the lakefront path during my time back in chi-town. It's amazing how even after a year, the nooks and crannies along the path are all imprinted in my mind. I still remember the cracks and holes to watch out for (with some new ones of course:) and the curves of the path are so familiar I feel the bike just goes on autopilot. As much as I love the mountains and variety that I have at my new home, part of me really does miss the LFP. It is nice being able to ride along the city without worrying about cars, to have beautiful views of the city line and lake Michigan along the whole route, and best of all to see friendly faces. Every day I went out to the path I saw someone I knew... teammates, race competitors, and friends. It never feels lonely on the LFP.

(Chicago riding)

In between LFP rides I kept very busy all week with school and catching up with friends. By the time the weekend came I was exhausted, but also excited for some fun cycling...

Saturday was one of my favorite races -- The Glencoe Grand Prix! I have always enjoyed the course, the organization, and the fun atmosphere at the race. The race promoters are also very supportive of women's racing which is really nice to see. They ask for feedback on how to make it better and listen... they've built bigger purses, given the 3's a separate category, and even brought in clinics before the races. I think it is not always the purses that matter, but also offering good races and catering to the up and coming categories that will help women's cycling continue to grow. Anyway, I've always liked this race for many reasons... not just because I've had good luck at it the last couple years.

This year, the race was especially fun because it felt like I came back to my cycling home. I got to see my cycling family again and hearing all the cheers and support during the race was unreal. The finishing straight, the Tati corner... all along the course I heard a ton of cheers. I wish I would have had more than a day at the Chicago races because there are so many people that I would have liked to see more of (or people I didn't get to see) -- I really miss the great community.

I did not finish up as lucky as I had in past years... I've never actually felt good in the Glencoe races with the heat and humidity that always seems to come full on for the race... so I really do feel like I've gotten lucky in past years. This year, I was just lucky to be home. And lucky to have a strong team that finished on the podium!

Sunday was another fun riding day -- I left the chicago flatness and found the closest "hills" with two of my favorite riding buddies. Even though the hills were more like bumps compared to CA, they crushed me after an exhausting week. I was zonked! I refueled with frozen custard, my favorite pizza (Piece -- mmmm), and ice cream (this is different that custard).

(super riding buddies in super sweet kits)

(hi-tech ice cream -- mmm)

Then a little more hanging out with friends before heading back to the west coast. It was sad leaving my old home again... but I was also happy to return to my new home.

(home)

Above the Clouds

2010-07-27T15:07:00.001-07:00

Not a lot of racing lately, but lots of good riding...

The other day I climbed Old La Honda early in the morning and found myself above the clouds!

(Clouds not Snow)

Today was another beautiful ride along the coast to a pretty view along the coastal cliffs:

(pretty pretty)

(Aspen is checking it out)

Santa Cruz Riding

2010-07-19T10:30:00.001-07:00

The roads are smiling...

(on 1)

(on 9)

(on high)

I love the road art!

LiveSTRONG Challenge

2010-07-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

(the wall)

I rode the LiveSTRONG 100, San Jose yesterday... with many people passed and present in my thoughts. It was inspiring to see so many riders who were survivors of the disease and to see many others out supporting or remembering friends and loved ones. Cancer reminds us that life is precious and can't be taken for granted -- got to get out there and enjoy it. What better way than to ride along scenic roads with friends on a beautiful day.

The 4th

2010-07-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

After a month spent between Tulsa, D.C., Reno, and Bend, it was nice to have a weekend at home. I was able to get out on the Santa Cruz Harbor Ride on Saturday which I've been wanting to check out for quite some time. I don't know the full history on the ride, but I know it has been around for a long time, since before I was even born I believe. It starts out at the harbor in Santa Cruz and then winds along the coast making its way towards Aptos. The ride begins with a small group of riders and along the way more and more people join the crew until it swells to nearly 100 riders (on a big day). The pace is pretty mellow until leaving Aptos and then the ride picks up here and there with sprint points, rollers, and a climb up Hazel Dell -- it gets fun when the pace gets fast! In between the hot spots, the ride mellows out, regroups, and allows for a bit of socializing along the way. It was a nice chance to meet a few people from the local cycling community. While I've lived in Santa Cruz for months now, I still feel new to the area and haven't met a lot of locals since I'm often gone to all sorts of far away places.

On Sunday, Aspen and I ventured out to Davis for the 4th of July Criterium. I didn't have teammates to race with, but I had a super duper support crew composed of Aspen and the Tibco II team. The course was a flat L-shaped loop through a downtown bustling with 4th of July festivities. The pace was high and there were quite a few attacks, but nothing stuck for long. It was a hot one and I believe everyone was melting by the end... I sure was. I made the mistake of looking at my heart rate during a lull in the race only to find that it was exceeding my usual max! With 2 laps to go, I was ready to pull out and find water, but I had a good position and an awesome cheering squad so I pedaled on. The race came down to a field sprint and I decided my best bet was to go early. Unfortunately somebody beat me to it and sprinted into the second to last corner. I went after it and got to her wheel after the next turn into the finishing straight. Then I put my head down and gave my best shot at a sprint. I was coming around into the lead right as the finish line approached. Was it too late? I was exhausted, cross-eyed, and unsure of the outcome. It was only during my cool down lap that a friend informed me I won! It was a happy 4th of July.

Coming Up

2010-06-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

In a couple weeks I will be taking a day off of racing (gasp!) and participating in a ride with a cause... Aspen and I will both be joining Team Fatty and riding in the Livestrong Challenge San Jose edition. The purpose of the ride is to raise funds and awareness for cancer. If you'd like to donate to the cause, you can visit Aspen's page or My page (any donation is much appreciated).

For me, the ride will also be a day to remember my grandpa who suffered from the disease and to think of my college teammate who is fighting a tough battle right now.

That's Bike Racing

2010-06-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

I was once a runner... I had my share of bad races and was often beat... but usually I could attribute these things to a bad day or a stronger opponent. I don't think I ever had a shoe failure; nobody once fell down in front of me to end my race; and I never worried about errant cars, potholes, or little pieces of glass on my course.

In the past week of bike racing, I've had a car nearly hit me during a prologue; two girls crashed and took me down 200 m from the finish line; and a broken wheel unknowingly rubbed my breaks during the nationals criterium. But the worst case of bad luck came for my team last night right before the final lap of the national criterium championship. After a strong race by the team, the crew was ready to duke it out in a sprint, but our sprinter was taken out and the race was over with 1 lap to go. Not even a chance to try for the victory...

Hard preparation and strong execution aren't enough for a good bike race -- you also need to have a little luck on your side. It can be a difficult and heartbreaking sport some days.

But I still can't help but love racing.

(photo credit: shortCHINESEguy)

I Like Bend!

2010-06-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

(A view from my evening ride)

(Checking out the Road Course with some teamies)

(A Reservoir View)

Little Ones!

2010-06-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

I was in the DC area for Clarendon Cup and was able to stop by my cousins school to talk to some little ones about bike racing. I think the main point these guys took home was that our bikes are blue... but it's a start!

(The Hand Raiser wanted to point out that his bike is red)

(even a 5 yr old can lift my bike!)

Tulsa Tough

2010-06-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

The name doesn't lie... Tulsa Tough was a weekend of tough racing under the hot hot sun! But it was also a weekend of fun races. The series starts out with an evening race -- the Blue Dome Criterium in downtown Tulsa. The figure eight style course is lined with enthusiastic fans, big screen TVs, and lots of cowbells. The race organization really knows how to create a fun race atmosphere for fans and racers alike. Amanda attacked with 4 laps to go in the race to give Team Tibco a win to start of the series! And when we went home that night, we saw the replay of the win on local TV -- pretty sweet that women's cycling gets airtime in Oklahoma!

(A good post race cool down)

The next day was another top notch race only blocks away from the previous night's venue. It had a small hill and lots of sunshine (hot hot hot!) and another fun atmosphere for racing.

(another good post race cool down)

But the best race was saved for last. Sunday's race featured a steep climb followed by a false flat, a steep downhill, and a long finishing stretch... back to the steep climb. Now a steep climb in hot weather is not ideal, but the climb is lined with rowdy fans dressed up in costumes and spraying cold water (ahhhh!). Tulsa fans really know how to motivate the racers -- I had so much fun reaching the top of the climb every lap. And the race was a great day for Team Tibco. We had two riders in a break with 10 laps to go and the rest of us were controlling the pack hoping for the break to stick. With 2 laps to go, the break was clearly a success so my teammates helped me get off the front and finish ahead of the pack... then our sprinter, Sam, finished strong out of the field sprint. I think we ended the day with 4 in the top 11 and a 2nd place finish for Amanda. It was a great all around team effort!

Thanks to the promoters, the fans, and our wonderful host house for giving us a fun weekend in Tulsa!

(top of the steep steep hill courtesy of Lyne Lamoureux from podiuminsight.com)

CA Racing

2010-05-21T12:09:00.001-07:00

It was nice to have two weekends of racing in my backyard, with a free weekend in between for mom to visit!

The first weekend of CA racing started with with the premier edition of the Scott's Valley Grand Prix on Saturday night followed by the Sacramento Grand Prix Sunday morning. With much of our team competing in the Tour de L'aude, we had a small and mostly local squad for the races (me, megan, ali, and mer)... unfortunately, we didn't bring our sprinting power along so our strategy was to go for a break. This strategy made for a fun and aggressive race at the Scott's Valley GP and eventually a break got off. Ali was right on the attack and I followed a wheel to join the break of 6. We ended up with a 3rd place and the whole squad in the top 10 -- not bad without sprinting legs.

Afterwards, it was off to bed to get ready for an early departure to Sacramento. We wanted to create another break on Sunday, but with a flat, wide-open course, trying to get away was futile. In the end, it came down to a sprint and Mer took the final podium spot in 5th.

The promoters at both races made an extra effort to highlight the women's races which was a welcome change. The women even had higher prize purses than the men! A reverse from the typical status quo. A big thanks to these promoters for supporting women's cycling!

That week, more racing came my way as the Tour of CA passed through my town. It was fun to watch the early part of the stage on TV and see the race pass through my training grounds before riding into town to watch the finish live! It was pretty cool to see such a big race come through... but as I stood and watched the big time riders come by, I was a little sad that I couldn't be out there racing as the Amgen Tour of CA has no women's event. Hopefully the work of promoters who support women's cycling will one day pay off with a world class women's tour in our backyard.

(Levi coming to the final corner)

The next weekend was the first weekend in a while without a race. Mom came to town and we had fun exploring the beaches, making dinners, and shopping for a wedding dress. While I always love to race, it is nice to have a relaxing weekend with family every once in a while.

(mom on the beach)

Racing resumed last weekend with a hot and long climb over Mt. Hamilton and a speedy, flat Memorial Day Crit. Megan, Ali, and Ruth were all in town for the racing so we had a good squad. Between the two races, Team Tibco took home a 1st, a 2nd, a 3rd, a 4th, and a 5th -- a little photo editing and here we have a full Tibco podium!!

Up next I head to Tulsa Tough (will be fun to head back to the midwest), then to Clarendon Cup (all the way over on the other coast), then back west for Tour de Nez.... lots of racing which should be good prep for Nationals at the end of June!

Back in the USA

2010-05-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

(Tibco stringing it out at Roeselare)

My spring classics experience ended on a high note at Roeselare. Some hills, some cobbles, and a cobble climb (the kemmelberg!) - a little bit of everything. But the best part was that our team really came together after weeks of racing with each other and the whole race we were in breaks or creating them. In the end, our last break was caught with only a couple kilometers to go.... We didn't get the result we wanted, but we were all on a high from a solid team effort and ready to go crush the next race...

Unfortunately, that was the end of the spring classics for the team. Afterwards, Megan and I had an epic adventure home (it included broken down cars, late night frites with a random guy in Eke, and camping out in the airport), while the other girls headed to France for a bit of rest before the Tour de L'Aude. I was sad to leave just as I was getting adjusted to the European way... narrow roads, crazy cobbles, road furniture, and funny languages... but happy to return to all the goodness of being home.

After a week of jetlag, the racing resumed! I headed off to arKansas for the Joe Martin Stage Race. It was a bit of a shock to have wide, smooth roads with no cobbles or obstacles anywhere in sight. But it was great to return to the "midwest" which feels like my cycling home... and nice to see so many friends and familiar faces! The racing went well overall for our team... despite a series of crashes on the last day which didn't quite go our way, we ended up with a podium and a 4th place in the GC.

After another long journey home, I was zonked and ready for some rest and some real home time...

(This is how tired I was... I wish these were my pets!)

Ice Cream!

2010-04-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

The Ice Cream Truck came to our Belgium home today!

I had a very yummy post ride treat --- Mmmmmm!

Fleche

2010-04-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

(Huy is painted all the way up the finishing climb)

We found some hills in Belgium this week at the Fleche Wallonne world cup. It was my favorite course so far. I really liked the hills... except perhaps for the finishing hill of this race which we had to do twice!

The Mur de Huy is only 1.3km and averages 9.3%. This doesn't sound soooo bad, but averages can be deceiving. The hill actually starts out not too steep and then kicks straight up almost vertical into the sky. If you were to walk up it, you'd probably need some climbing gear.

The hill was quite a tease for me. Before I knew it, I could see the 500m to go sign which means the top is only 500 meters away. This is not very far at all in biking distance (this isn't even very far in running distance). And the sign came so quickly after the start of the Huy that I thought the climb would soon be over.

But then it took quite some time to actually pass the 500 meter sign. Unfortunately, at this point I was working very hard to defy gravity and didn't recalculate the time I expected it might take to get to the top.

After quite a long time, the brain kicked in and says "ok -- i think we should be at the top by now." Then I look up to see the 250m sign. Now there was a bit of confusion as the 500m sign definitely passed ages ago. Then there was a bit of dread when I realized this tortuous ascent is still far from over and may last forever. But there was no time to dwell on these facts because I had to focus on not toppling over in front of hundreds of spectators.

The remaining thought process went somewhat like this:

225m to go

when am i ever going to get to that 200m sign?

200m to go

i made it! i made it! i made it to the 200m sign!

200m to go (thought 2)

i still have 200m to go? am i moving? keep turning the pedals.

150 to go

keeeeeeeeeep tuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrnnnnnning the pedals.

125m to go

turn turn turn turn the pedals. turn turn turn. don't stop -- you might fall over. turn turn turn.

100m to go

i think i might survive

50m to go

the road is flattening! maybe i can coast in now??

48m to go

nope -- gotto keep pedalling! pedal pedal pedal!

25 to go

the road is flattening -- wooo!! I'm gonna make it!!

And then there was a bit of excitement mixed with total exhaustion once I crossed top. Had I been a little more experienced in this race, I may have tried a couple of my teammate's strategies. One good one is to simply zig-zag back and forth across the hill. While this greatly reduces the grade of the hill, it does increase the distance you must traverse to the top and makes the distance to go signs even more irrelevant. Brooke notes that this strategy is particularly useful when both of your tires have most certainly, definitely gone flat.

The best strategy, however, is the Mackie "push push" strategy. Instead of silently hoping in your head that the hundreds of screaming, energetic fans would give you a push, be proactive. Actually ride along the edge of the course and yell out "push push" as you pass very close to the enthusiastic fans. Apparently this results in a few turbo boosts on the way up!

Or you could just have climbing super powers like Ruth and fly up the hill, but I'm not sure how to obtain these secret powers. So the team plan was to get our superhero to the hill in good position so she could fly away. The team raced super well and everything unfolded as planned. Ruth flew up the hill the first time and was in the winning breakaway ready for a winning flight to the finish. Unfortunately bad luck is sometimes a part of bike racing and 4km from the finish, her wheel got caught in a crack and the day was over. Luckily she is ok! And we are ready for another great race tomorrow -- hopefully luck will be on our side!

(This little guy has been monitoring our training rides -- we should be good to go tomorrow!)

Gelderland Take 2

2010-04-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last year's Ronde Van Gelderland was my first UCI road racing experience. And it was a shock!! A field of 200 riders fighting for position from the gun... even though the first 7km is supposed to be "neutral". Last year I was losing that fight badly, barely making my way past the middle of the pack and rarely near the front. Eventually I really lost the battle when I got mixed up in *this* disaster and ended up riding the rest of the race in the car (summary here). Nobody on our development squad actually finished the race, but it was a good learning experience for all.

This year I was a little more prepared for what I was getting myself into so the shock factor wasn't there, but the battle from the gun still ensued. One of my teammates witnessed three crashes within the first 7km (the "neutral" part of the race). There were many more close calls throughout the race as we fought for precious space near the front of the peloton. But eventually we reached the climbs and the peloton spread apart and split into a smaller front bunch. The whole team survived the break up and rode a really strong race. Highlights include Megan off the front for half an hour, a Team Tibco and Cervelo chase down to pull in two attackers, and 4th and 10th place finishes by Brooke (aka trousers) and Mackie.

All around, this race was much more successful than last year. There were times of frustration being stuck in the pack, but also times when I was able to get to the front -- I definitely need to keep working on position, but compared to my first Gelderland experience, it was a world of difference being able to negotiate through a big pack. Being a part of an all around solid team effort also brought a new element to the Gelderland experience. Cycling is a whole extra level of fun when you are part of a cohesive team.

Next up tomorrow is Fleche Wallone...

Here is a glimpse of the finishing hill. The Mur de Huy is a 1.3km climb averaging over 9% grade with some sections spiking to 25% grade. Hopefully I don't have to walk the bike up :)

Germany!

2010-04-16T05:31:00.000-07:00

With a week of no racing, we took a day to explore across the border into Germany -- my first time ever into the country of my grandmommy's ancestors.

For a pictoral recap of our explorations, check out Megan's blog here

Racing begins again tomorrow!!

More Drenthe!

2010-04-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday and Sunday brought more Drenthe races with lots of cobbles, narrow roads winding through farmlands and quaint towns, and even a climb up a garbage mound (they don't have natural hills in this region, but there is a steep steep garbage pile).

The start of these races is a fight for position because once the race hits cobbles and crosswinds, it gets blown apart into small groups and you don't want to be stuck in the back. The start of yesterday's race highlighted this fight for position. We started outside of town and proceeded in a neutralized pack to the town square where all riders must sign in for the race and then line up. Sign in is on a stage with one set of stairs leading up to the stage. Now you might envision the pack rolling in and riders proceeding up the stage in an organized fashion and then calmly making their way to the start line. That's the scenario I was imagining as we came into town. But instead, people started getting off their bikes as soon as the stage was in sight, throwing them down in every which direction, and running toward the stage. There was a crazy mob flooding the stairs, crawling up the sides of the stage, and pulling themselves up onto the stage floor sans stairs. A pile of people surrounded the sign-in table pushing towards the pens. Then a run back to the bike and on toward the starting line. You'd think that we were late for the start or something, but we still had 20 minutes to just wait on the starting line.... everyone just wanted to be in a good position for the start.

So the goal of the race was position, position, position. Saturday's world cup was going along well -- the whole team was hanging out towards the front, ready for the cobbles. We were winding through Wezup -- the last town before the cobbles and I was pleased to be sitting towards the front and excited for the cobbles to come when all of a sudden a girl to my left decided to slide across the road, take out the girl in front of me and form a pile of bike and body right in my path! I was on the side of the road (a pretty tree lined road) and there was no where to go but into the mangled pile -- the bike hit and i took a dive straight towards a tree. KaBooM! I hit pretty hard and hurt all over.... but as I slowly assessed the situation, nothing seemed to be broken or bloody (no worries mom :). Just a lot of bruises. By the time I was back up, the pack was gone into the cobbles, i was in a haze, and my race was over. But I got to hop into the team car and watch the rest of the race live. I must admit that there are some boring moments driving along at 40km/hr when you can't see much. But also some very exciting moments -- like watching my teammate bridge to the winning break! And some amusing moments -- like when the caravan is forced to stop and I look out my window to see all the DSs and mechanics lined along the side of the road for a quick pee - ha! At the end of the day, the team had one crash and one flat, but also a 6th place finish in a world cup!!

The next race came quickly and brought more cobbles, more climbs up the garbage hill, and lots of wind. The wind proved to be the brutal factor for the day... lining the race out and splitting off groups forwards and backwards. In the end, there was a lead group of 18 riders, a chase group of 11, and a big pelaton... and many riders off the back. There were several times that I thought I was gone off the back of the race. In my attempt to stay very far away from the trees (all the roads are lined with them!!!!) I did not hold a great position. But I kept chasing and chasing and somehow managed to keep getting back to the peloton.... only to be pulled along with the rest of the peloton at 100km. So, in the end, only 29 riders finished. Two of my teammates finished in the chase group (they got soooo close to the lead group!). It's pretty crazy to start a race with 166 riders and finish with 29. I think Paris-Roubaix had a better finishing ratio yesterday!!!

Next up --- Gelderland. Until then, the team is enjoying a week of riding around Schoonard, playing bananagrams in our camp house, and eating frites mayo.

Drentse 8

2010-04-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

1 down and 2 to go in Drenthe. Yesterday's race twisted around in dizzying loops through the narrow roads of Holland. The whole race was a fight for position and when it came to the moment of truth, I was not where I wanted to be... but I finished without mechanicals this time!

There was only a tiny itty bitty section of cobble yesterday, but in tomorrow's world cup race we will get cobbles for real! We checked some of them out this morning - here is a preview:

Flanders

2010-04-06T01:13:00.000-07:00

Normally my spring classic is Hillsboro Roubaix, which is a pretty great race.... but this year I am excited to be doing the real thing! First race up for the team was De Ronde van Vlaanderen (otherwise known as Flanders). The race consists of several kms of cobbles and 8 notable climbs (three of them cobbled!). This would be my first time riding in the spring classics, first time racing in a world cup, and first time racing over cobbles... a lot of firsts for one race.

Position is key in Flanders and everyone is fighting to be in the front of the field... get too far back and you risk getting stuck behind crashes and getting caught in bad position when things break up. So the race is a battle from the gun -- everyone trying to squeeze through to the front as we zoom along narrow roads and weave through tiny towns. Before we had even begun the fun of cobbles and climbs, a girl on my left slid out into me... I veered, i teetered, i tried to stay up, but as I strayed off the road my tire got caught in a rut and plopped me down on my side. I popped back up and cyclocross mounted onto the bike still in the midst of the field and feeling ok. But my chain was off... so i stopped, got back off, and plopped the chain back into position as the remaining riders zoomed by and caravan cars proceeded to pass. I now had some chasing to do... my first time having to get through the caravan and back to the pack. I really wanted to get back to the pack!

I worked my way back onto the group (woohoo!) and as soon as I arrived, we took a left through town... coming out of the corner, I shifted up and went to jump back to speed when I heard ka-clunk-clunk-clunk-clunk. My derailleur was in my spokes and the shifters were not listening to my commands! I drifted back and came to our team car -- our mechanic tried working his magic as I drifted along the side the car (my first time getting repairs on the move). He adjusted the shifting the best he could... told me not to shift into my top gear... and sent me back on my way. I began chase #2 and realized "don't shift into the top" meant don't shift into the top 3 cogs! Then we hit the hills and my forward progress towards the pack started moving backwards. It was a grind up the climbs in my 19 tooth cog. At this point I realized the race was pretty much over for me...

But I was in Belgium on the Flanders course and how cool is that? -- so I kept pedalling along. I bobbled over the cobbles and trudged up the hills with a cadence of 10... coming up the cobbled climbs I was cheered on by hundreds of boisterous fans (this is when i told myself that i had to keep s-l-o-w-l-y turning the pedals over -- do not stop -- do not walk!). I made it 100km before the sag wagon came by. The guy told me I could keep riding if I wanted (and I really wanted to finish the course) but he failed to tell me that all the signalers and course directions would be gone! I took the next turn and noticed roads going off in every direction with nobody and no signs pointing which way to go. I was alone with no idea where I was and no idea where to go. And it was Easter so all the shops are closed and nobody is out and about -- oh s**t!

While trying not to panic, I found a nice man who pointed the way to the finish... only 20km down the road. At the same time the US car drove by and pulled up to give me a ride -- Double Rescue!!! YAY!

So not the best race, but quite the experience! And the team finished with two in the main group with Brooke the top American in 13th.

I'm looking forward to the Drenthe races starting in only two days -- and hoping for a bit more good luck.

Ready, Set, GO!

2010-03-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

The racing is underway! March isn't even over and I have done 3 crits, 2 road races, and 1 stage race (plus numerous unsanctioned races to town line signs against my coach*).

The racing in CA is a different scene than in the midwest -- even the small races have big and deep fields with several teams represented for the women. And the races in March have been warm and sunny -- no wonder more people show up. The thing that is missing, however, are the friendly and familiar faces from the Chicago scene...

Having awesome teammates has made for an easier transition though. Tibco has not only a super strong roster, but a group of all around good people (both riders and staff). I am psyched to wear the jersey and be a part of it! We've gotten off to a good start with several wins and podiums and look forward to a lot more success this season (follow on twitter and facebook)

Next up for me are the spring classics:

April 04 :
Tour des Flanders
Belgium

April 08 :
Drenthe 8
Netherlands

April 10 :
Unive Ronde van Drenthe
Netherlands

April 11 :
Novilon Eurocup Ronde van Drenthe
N

April 17 :
Ronde Van Gelderland
Netherlands

April 21 :
Fleche Wallonne
Belgium

April 25 :
GP Stad Roeserare
Belgium

Hopefully between racing my bike, eating waffles, and hanging out with the team, I will have some time to update the blog about my experience -- I can't wait!

*which I easily won :)

Camp!

2010-02-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

(Teamies at the Top)

Headed down to camp in Carpinteria, CA early in the morning last friday and I can't believe it is over already. I'm sad to be heading back home now, but excited for the season ahead!

Camp was a lot of fun... We had amazing rides in the hills of Santa Barbara, including a grueling climb up Mt. Gibralter, a beautiful ride out to Ojai, and a fun race on the Gobernator Loop (go blue!). We also had fun times making meals (I think thai night was the winner.. mmmm), playing in the ocean (its cold!), and hanging out (we even made smores). The best part of camp for me was getting to meet the team. We've got an amazing staff and a wonderful group of racers. This season is going to be a ton of FUN!!

(Ojai Ride)

(Yum yum!)

(Fun fun!)

Training, training, training....

2010-02-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

... and soon the season begins!!!

The whole Tibco crew is headed down to Carpinteria tomorrow for a week of team camp. I'm not sure what all team camp entails, but I'm really looking forward to it -- i love camp and i love riding my bike. A camp with bike riding has to be awesome!

You can follow the team through camp... and the whole season... on twitter and facebook and maybe even my blog if I start updating again :)

(This is a Happy Camper!)

:)

2010-01-04T15:41:00.001-08:00

I've had good weather and good riding to start off the new year!

O Oregon

2009-12-15T13:50:00.000-08:00

I headed up to Oregon for the last weekend of the GrandPrix in Portland and nationals in Bend. After being sick and off the bike for a good portion of the season, I didn't have high goals... but I wanted to get a little more cross racing in (it is a long wait until next year!), experience the Portland scene (I heard it was crazy!), and see all the great racing in Bend.

Portland was a little disappointing because we got COLD instead of mud. I was hoping to see first hand the epic mud conditions that usually define the Portland GP. The promoters still provided a fun course despite a lack of mud puddles, there were still great fans at the races (though I suspect the crowd was smaller than usual due to the cold), and the frites were delicious (mmm)! The actual racing was a bit of a bummer for me. Day 1 resulted in a flat and a lot of running. I think I was last at one point, but was able to bring back a few spots. Day 2 started off well until my lack of fitness caused me to drift back throughout the race. But it was fun to be out on the cross course again. It was also great to see a bunch of familiar faces from the midwest -- I've been missing my cross family since moving to CA!

After Portland, I enjoyed a fun week in Oregon. First, Aspen and I visited friends in Corvalis -- it was a brief visit, but we had fun times and great food. Then Aspen and I trekked across beautiful Oregon to Bend. The drive was spectacular! I was really hoping to see a bear fishing in the river along the road, but I guess they are sleeping now. I did see an enormous elk though -- at first I thought it was a mutant deer until Aspen pointed out that it was in fact an elk. Not quite as cool as a bear, but I was happy to see some wildlife along with the beautiful scenery.

In Bend, we met up with Aspen's dad and bro who came to race the masters and juniors nationals races. We spent pretty much the rest of the week at the races cheering on friends and family. I also rode the course a bunch in all sorts of conditions -- snow (my favorite), ice (not my favorite), mud -- fun fun fun!

My race finally came around on Sunday. Since I didn't get many UCI points this year, I was starting pretty far back and a bit nervous about moving up in the slick conditions. But I managed to get off to a good start and the first two laps, I was consistently moving up. I was also starting to feel a bit stronger on the bike again (good timing). Then I came to the off camber slip 'n slide section and took my turn at slipping and sliding. It wasn't a bad fall, but when i tried to stand up, my feet slipped out and this time I slid into the tape and got all wrapped up. After getting unwrapped, I had to get my chain untangled as well and this was not an easy task. It was a bit sad watching everyone go by as I wrestled with my chain.... but i finally got free and was back on the bike (now nicely decorated with course tape!). I was slowly picking off lost spots until another couple slips led to mechanicals and lots of running. Ugh! So it goes sometimes. Hopefully I got all my bad luck out of the way this year -- I am looking forward to better luck next year!

Mud Palace

2009-11-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

The cross race this past weekend took place in the midst of the SF bike expo at Cow Palace -- a San Fran convention center. Since the Cow Palace is mostly a big building surrounded by cement, the promoters had to be imaginative to create an interesting cross course. They took full advantage of the one dirt section (typically used to show livestock) and made us go around and around and around to use every square inch of land -- after going in enough circles its amazing how you can actually feel lost in such a small space.

Their was a steep hillside between parking lots which the promoters spent many man hours carving stairs into... about 40 or 50 of them (yikes!)

At the top of the stairs, the promoters imported some dirt (which turned into mud after a little rain) for us to go through before coming back down the very steep hill... onto more imported dirt which took a sharp right hand turn (it is not good to miss that turn -- i know)

Then a series of aerial jumps where tricks counted for bonus seconds! Oh wait... that was for the BMXers. Good thing -- i might have died going off those jumps!

But there was a little track section of bumps INSIDE the convention center created with more imported dirt. Little kids were added for additional obstacles (check out the tiny one getting air!)

It was a very crazy cross course indeed. But cross is crazy so it was fitting. At the end of the day I was battling it out for second before flying through a mud pit, doing a somersault, and bending my derailleur hanger. I was fine and ready to go, but my derailleur went into my spokes and I ended up having to run almost an entire lap -- by that point, i was not very speedy with my run, but got a lot of encouragement from the fans and made it to the finish line! My bike and I were very muddy :)

The fun day of cross ended with spectacular views on my drive home down highway 1... photos through the windshield from my phone don't do the views justice... but they were breathtaking

Nap Time!

2009-11-19T12:33:00.000-08:00

a nap looks nice.... I wonder if the sea lions would let me join in on nap time...

Cross is Back!

2009-11-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

(Racing under the lights is the best!)

Back to racing this weekend! Well, kinda... I was in no shape for the USGP races so I stayed home and raced locally. I was really in no shape for the local racing either, but it was fun to get out on my Ellsworth and the race was super cool! The Bay Area Super Prestige series put on a night race under the lights with a tight spectator friendly venue that made for a great atmosphere and attracted a big and deep women's field (and big fields all around). The course had lots of twists and turns with a few steep little kickers for some fun riding and run up torture.

In some ways, the race was a bummer because I had no snap and not much energy, but mostly it was a ton of fun to be back on the cross course! I love cross -- i love zooming around on the dirt/grass/etc, i love the energy of the spectators, and i love riding my bike. I just wish the season weren't so short...

Exploring...

2009-11-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

Racing has been put on hold as I am recovering from the flu. I've been on a prescription of easy riding lately which is the antithesis of cyclocross... but it's given me a chance to explore my beautiful surroundings!

Here is Aspen enjoying a morning view from Wilder Park

Here you can (kinda) see the mountains on the other side of the bay (they are a little sliver of blue in the pic) -- the lighting was amazing, but I couldn't capture it with my phone :)

Coming down to the coast, we caught a brussel sprout machine in action... these guys are fast! The people in the field machete chop down the stalks of brussel sprouts which go into the conveyer belt machine and somehow the little sprouts get stripped off their stalks and spit out into the trailer... you can barely see it in the picture, but trailer 1 is overflowing with brussel sprouts and trailer 2 is ready to take over. I'm glad I don't have to eat all those!!!! yuck!

(yuck yuck yuck yuck yuck!)

We then rode along the coast a bit -- the waves were splashing big this weekend -- I even caught a little spray as we rode by...

It was nice to get some good views and a little fresh air. Hopefully I'll be back on the cross course next weekend!

H1N1 is no fun!

2009-10-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

After getting a stomach virus a few weeks ago, I was hoping to be immune from sickness for the rest of cross, but alas... this is just not my lucky season. The stomach virus must have told h1n1 what a good viral host i was... because this week the flu bug hunted me down and attacked!

Being sick makes the Ellsworths (and me) very sad because I don't get to go out and play cyclocross which is my all time favorite fall activity. But on the bright side, I had a little buddy come keep me company and cheer me up while I was at home on the couch.

Meet Rubin (isn't he sooo cute?):

Now I imagine that Rubin did not enjoy spending the day with a sick person as much as I enjoyed having a cute little puppy around... after a bit of napping I started getting some stares and some whines from Rubin. I finally got the hint that he needed some play time when he started chasing his tail...

So we went to the backyard for a little sunshine...

where Rubin barked ferociously at the neighborhood cats (i don't think they'll be visiting me again any time soon)

We also went on a very slow and short walk to go see the cows (I don't know if Rubin had ever seen cows before... or if the cows had ever seen a Rubin). The cows gave Rubin a number of stares and a few moos... which didn't really phase the little guy. He was more interested in all the wonderful smells --- mmmm.

While Rubin sniffed and sniffed, I made an offering to this one curious cow -- he really likes yellow flowers! Check out that tongue!!

Aside from a few mini adventures, Rubin and I spent most of the day napping...

...and dreaming of being back on the bike soon (well, that's what i was dreaming about anyway...)

Beautiful!

2009-10-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

i was loving my ride today

KY USGP

2009-10-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend I took a trip to KY to face a stacked field at round 2 of the USGP. I was greeted upon arrival with a KY size (ok, maybe a Texas size) truck... woah - they just let anyone drive these things!

(a big truck!)

I managed to drive this massive vehicle to our super host house without causing any major traffic accidents (or minor ones for that matter). I then quickly unloaded the bikes and went out for a little spin in the last bit of daylight. While I can't complain about the near perfect CA climate I now live in, I do miss the midwest fall... so it was refreshing to take a spin in the cool crisp air of a colorful fall evening.

(ahhh... fall)

The next two days we joined the herds of cyclists at champions park for lots of cyclocross fun. The organizers worked closely with the "weather gods" to bring in buckets of rain for the race, and they arranged for the rain to halt right before the weekend so we had muddy, yet sunny conditions -- well done organizers!! They also put together a fun and challenging course complete with mud puddles, sand pits, and a "Green Monster"!

(teamate Kari and I preparing to get muddy)

(yay mud!)

I struggled with bike mechanicals as well as some recovering legs this weekend, but still had a blast getting splattered with mud, battling it out with Katie "teenage phenom" Antonneau on day 2, and riding my bike for 40 minutes of lung bursting fun. Cross is the best!! In the midst of day 2's race I also made a dollar -- people just hand out money sometimes (did i mention that cross is the best?)! They also handed me a beer... and I think I disappointed them by not partaking... beer is just so yucky... i would have enjoyed a yummy beverage though.

(a dollar!)

Overall, it was a great weekend of racing against a top notch field. It was also wonderful to see a bunch of the Chicago/midwest cyclocross crew (and to hear all their cheers during the race... thanks :)!

Also, a big thanks to our host Whitney (and her sweet dog Lucy) for letting us take over your living room with bikes and for all the support from you and your Scheller's crew.

(living room takeover)

now... back home cleaning bikes...

(cleanup time)

Pink Girl

2009-10-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

Our Velo Bella jerseys are in the making, so Ellsworth (our sweet bike sponsor) is clothing us with Project Pink jerseys to start the cyclocross season. Now, I admit that when I heard about "pink" jerseys, my excitement level was about a zero on a scale from 1 to 10... i just wasn't so sure pink was a good, fast, tough looking race color. I consoled myself with the fact that I don't actually have to look at myself in a race and probably wouldn't even see the pink. Then I learned that the project pink jerseys support a good cause and raise money for ovarian and breast cancer research. Now the pink color becomes tough and having a good cause behind the color made me a little more enthusiastic about wearing the pink! Plus the Ellsworth jerseys are a pretty cool design too... I could handle this whole pink thing.

(loving the pink :)

It turns out that an all pink jersey also sticks out really really well at a race. I'm new to CA and nobody really knows who I am, but this weekend I was getting all kinds of cheers. I raced the Lion of Fairfax on Saturday which contained an energy crushing run up... but the rowdy fans kept me going with the "GO PINK" cheers. I actually started looking forward to the run up after a couple laps. I'm pretty sure the pink may have helped me to victory Saturday :)

(almost at the top of the run-up... i can hear pink cheers!)

(yay pink!)

On Sunday I entered the men's B race at the central coast cross series. Not only did I stand out in pink, but I was also the only girl in the event. Here cheers alternated between "GO PINK" and "Good Job Girl". After a terrible start and a crash in the bushes, all the pink girl cheers kept me motivated to keep passing the boys... in the end I passed all but 2 -- it was a good hard race.

(getting chased by boys...)

Next weekend I head to Louisville for round 2 of the Grand Prix Series. I'm looking forward to heading back to the midwest and of course to wearing the Pink!

Oh NO!

2009-10-16T10:29:00.001-07:00

Little (tiny itty bitty) Twig vs. Sram FORCE Derailleur... twig wins :(

(the derailleur is not supposed to look like that)

Luckily home was downhill -- i removed the chain/derailleur and coasted all the way -- weeeee!

Cross Weather!

2009-10-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

A Pacific Storm moved in and brought torrential downpours today.

Gray skies....

and wet trails...

make a happy cross bike!

(I think the Ellsworth is smiling...)

Surf City Cyclocross

2009-10-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to go to my hometown state of Ohio for some muddy UCI 'cross races this weekend, but a stomach virus attack left me sick all week and kept me home. There were some upsides to staying home though...

First, I was able to help out in the surf city velo bella cyclocross clinic on Saturday and lure more newbies into the wonderful world of cyclocross! Lots of first timers showed up at the clinic and I joined teammate Erin in instructing a small group on mounting, dismounting, barriers, runups -- all the fun techniques used in cyclocross. It was great to see our group getting better and better throughout the day and seeing lots of smiles as they worked on these new techniques.

(lots of newbies ready for 'cross)

Second, Aspen's family came to visit and we all headed to the first Surf City cyclocross race on Sunday. Aspen's dad and little bro are experienced mountain bikers and two years ago we got them hooked on 'cross. Yesterday they were tearing it up on the cross course -- Cypress (not-so-little, little bro) got tangled up in the start of the 18 and under race and ended up starting dead last... but he managed to work his way through the field and eventually catch the leaders... then he turned up the gas and blew them away for a win! It was super exciting to watch -- he seemed to fly around the course. Wayne raced next in the masters category and followed Cypress' example to take the win! A successful day at the races :) I gave the racing a go, but the body wasn't quite ready for the intensity of 'cross -- I had to call it quits... but I'm hoping to get healthy for lots more racing to come!

(yay Cypress!)

(don't worry -- it's rootbeer... Mmmm.)

Morning Spin

2009-10-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Been under the weather... but my spin this morning cheered me up!

Planet Bike Cup

2009-09-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

Coming back to the midwest was a blast - a venue filled with friends and familiar faces and a great cyclocross vibe! Thanks to JP and Renee and their crew of volunteers for putting together a super fun and well run venue.

The race was top notch competition and a tough course -- and usually racing is the highlight of my weekend, but this weekend the highlight might have been seeing my big brother compete in his first cyclocross race ever!

I love seeing newbies discover 'cross. It's kind of like an addictive drug -- one try and you're hooked. But getting people to take that first "taste" is the hardest part. They've heard stories. They know that 'cross is 30/40/60 minutes of "pain". They've seen the scrapes and bruises that develop throughout a season of taking muddy slips, missing a clip in, etc... Try to explain the joy of 'cross to disbelievers and you just get this "you are crazy" look in return. They don't understand how fun cyclocross is!!

And my brother was no different from your typical disbeliever. It took years of explaining and convincing. I had to arrange a cyclocross bike from santa. I had to build him barriers and take him to a park. I had to call and remind him not to neglect the cross bike. And then finally I convinced him to come race with me! (however, i neglected to tell him the trick about signing up early to get a good start spot -- sorry Seth)

Anyway, the rest of the story is obvious... he raced, he loved it, he's hooked! (he's also pretty good... started about 90th and ended up in the 20's! Yay!)

(Seth starting at the back... i was so excited during the race that i forgot to take more pics)

Vegas

2009-09-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

Vegas has never really appealed to me -- don't gamble, don't drink, don't stay up late (i'm no fun) and I don't love the desert. But bring in Interbike with the world of cycling and add a cyclocross race and Vegas is suddenly the place to be! And Vegas does have a few other things going for it... it's pretty cool that you can see the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and a Pirate Ship all on one street.

Interbike was a bit overwhelming with a giant convention center full of bike toys -- it brought me back to those days of being a kid in Toys-R-Us... feeling so small and surrounded by tons of fun! I explored lots of bikes, parts, and accessories before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the evenings festivities -- Cylcocross!!!!

Cross Vegas has a sweet atmosphere -- at night, under the lights, tons of spectators and lots of 'cross stars lining up on the course. It promised to be a good race.... oh... until about 1/2 way through the first lap when I realized that racing on "sticky" grass in the middle of a desert is not the brightest idea... it was a lung burner for sure! Turned out to be a tough race, but still a ton of fun. Despite being so far away from home, I had awesome cheering sections from the Pony Shop guys, the crew from Bike Station Aptos, the Ellsworth folks, and lots of Chicagoland racers. It was fun to hear so many cheers throughout the course! Thanks :)

The next day Aspen and I were able to tour around Interbike a little bit more (and Aspen won himself $25 at the blackjack tables!) before I headed back to the midwest for the Planet Bike Cup...

Cross Is Here

2009-09-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

The first race of the cyclocross season -- I've been counting down the days since Dec. 14th of last year!

However, this year felt a little bit strange. Had I been in Chicago, I would have been racing a minute from my old apartment. I would have been racing in Jackson park... where I've practiced 'cross from the time I got my first 'cross bike until about 2 weeks ago. I would have been excited about the new lines that were about to be grooved into the park for me to practice on the rest of the season (don't worry -- they eventually go away). And most importantly, I would have seen my "cross family" -- all the familiar friends and faces who I've shared the joy of cyclocross with for the past three years!

This year I felt like a newbie all over again -- showing up at a new venue in a new town with new people... but there was still the familiar excitement of cyclocross in the air. The course was a bit different than the flat grassy terrain I'm used to in the midwest. There was a small patch of grass, lots of dirt, a bit of sand, quite a long hill (i liked the hill), and of course a few barriers in the mix. And CA has some pretty good cross fans too! There were lots of cheerers out on the course -- and I even had a good cheering section with Aspen in the pits and an excellent cheering squad from Bike Station Aptos (the shop that helped me get my bike together just in time for the race - THANKS!)

Started off the season with a good result (got a W), met some local teamies (yay), had a lot of fun, and won some strawberries (Mmmm!)... but I was missing home a little.

New New New!

2009-09-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Lots of "new-ness" going on for the fall...

NEW BLOG

Not sure how good I'll be at blogging... but I do like reading others' blogs and figure it is time...

NEW HOME

Aspen and I moved out to CA a few weeks ago -- and here are our new stomping grounds:

I definitely miss friends back in ChiTown, but I don't think I'll miss the riding :)

NEW BIKES

I'm riding 'cross with Velo Bella this season and here is my pretty new Ellsworth Roots:

NEW SEASON

...and at last, it's a new season --- time for 'Cross!!! wooohoo!