2009 recaps:
-6-09: my
reconciliation with my bike yesterday was great. After 6 days off I
was more than ready to get back on the 2-wheeled machine. Even better,
I got to enjoy a leisurely ride with the hubby, with no schedule
contraints, particular route in mind, or destination or training
objective to achieve. It was riding bliss. My team is spread out this
weekend between the Steamboat Stage Race and the women's Tour of
Missouri (former Gateway cup) and so far, everyone's doing great and
hanging in there. I know for some, they are ready to have the season
over with, so this weekend is a rite of passage into a much-needed off
season or transition into cross. I just hope they all finish out the
long weekend safely and know how proud I am of them!!
9-2-09:
per the coach's orders, time-off-bike started Sunday. Today is
uncharted territory: it's my 4th day off the bike (in a row). Most
cyclists will tell you that fitness loss begins at 3 days and nosedives
from there. It's been a long LONG time since I've taken more than 3
days off the bike. It's good for me - I want to stay in love with the
bike and this time away from the steed will make me excited to get back
on it this weekend, as unfit as I may be by the time day # 7 rolls
around.
8-31-09:
my road season for 2009 is officially over, the bike is hung up and the
legs are enjoying a full week off. This comes with a sense of relief
after 6 full months of racing. It's been a fantastic season with the
team growing and learning and becoming more cohesive. On a personal
note, I wish I hadn't pushed so hard to win BAR - last year I wasn't
trying and came up 2nd. This year I really worked hard for it and I
think I'll still come up 2nd, maybe even 3rd despite my efforts. It
required me to race on weekends I should have taken off, and I didn't
make my race selections appropriate to my skills at the time. So that
was a good lesson for me to learn this year - quality over quantity in
races. I also learned that once I transitioned away from road miles
and began to focus on crits and track racing, there was no going back
to climbing. Rist Canyon on Saturday taught me that, quite
painfully. My coach also reminded me there wasn't enough celebrating
of the successes - it was always "ok that's done, what's next" with no
real savoring of the victories.
So, I'm taking a sabbatical from road cycling and I'm quite looking forward to it over the next few weeks.
8-25-09: Sunday was our team race, which we help the HART team promote by providing lots of our team members as volunteers and we also sponsor the women's races with lots of primes and solid payouts. It was a fantastic day! Pics posted on my facebook page.
Also
- if you are in need of a 6-month checkup, please checkout our team
dentist Dr Pete at www.TheGreatSmile.com - new patients get a free
IPOD!!!
8-22-09:
last night concluded my week at nationals with the points race. Our
30-34 group was combined with the 35-39 group which made it hard and
fast and complicated with 15 women out there and 2 groups vying for the
same points. the race was 30 laps with sprints every 6 laps - so only
5 shots at points. Points are given to top 4 riders across: 5, 3, 2
and 1 point. I was really nervous about being in the middle of the
group so I rode uptrack with my nose in the wind most of the night -
not smart, but having just witnessed a crash in the men's points race
it felt more comfortable to me. On the first sprint at lap 24 I went
for points and came across 3rd, taking 2 points. My age group
competitors did not get any. So I sat in on the sprint at lap 18 -
again they did not collect any points. I was only concerned with those
women and not the ones from the 35-39 group, but it was terribly hard
to keep track of everything and still make my legs which felt like
concrete pillars do the pedaling. At the sprint on lap 12, Kate
Grachek (in my age group) snagged a 3 pointer - I thought -but was not
100% sure and kept listening for the announcer to say but he didn't.
At lap 6 I should have done whatever I needed to do to sweep up more
points but I chose to wait for the finish sprint to collect another 1-2
points. Bad idea. the pack really surged and the speeds were high
coming into the finish - I moved up alot, but not enough to collect any
points. Just like that, the race was over and I'd lost the jersey by
one point.
However
if there was ever a person to lose to, and ever a moment when seeing
someone else take the jersey that brought me almost as much joy as
putting the jersey on myself, it was the points podium last night. I
knew Kate really wanted to win a jersey in the same year she had
defeated cancer (check out the Team Kenda website for more) so watching
her stand on top of the podium last night, I knew it was the right
result and I couldn't be happier for her.
Because I did all 4 individual events, I did win the "BAR" competition -which unfortunately does not yield another jersey but instead, a beer mug ;) I feel it was a good week, 1 gold and 3 silvers, however there were obvious places I could have improved and here are just a few of the lessons I learned:
1. Either work or race, but don't try to do both in the same week. It just doesn't go well. Making the mental switch back and forth resulted in some serious fatigue by Friday.
2. Double check equipment rather than making assumptions - in my case, I thought I had a certain gear on the bike for the 500m TT and pursuit and 200m, when in fact it was a much (MUCH!!) smaller gear, resulting in me rapping out the gear and losing precious time. Take the time to make sure things are done right.
3. Know the rules (better). Getting taken to the rail on Thursday night reminded me that I still don't know all the nuances of track racing well enough to know what's permissble and not. I wish I'd known then what I know now about what my options were in that situation.
***
8-21-09: yesterday was nationals day #3 - sprint competition.
It started with a flying 200m in the morning (flying means not standing start), which was used to seed us into heats. I regret in a BIG way not double-checking my gear selection. I learned later in the day I raced my 200m substantially under-geared and it definitely cost me a shot at the top time in the 200. As it was, I posted a 12.9 which earned me 2nd place to Heather's 12.5 (second) time. The advantage here was that this allowed Heather to earn the bye, meaning she sat out a round as Amy Creed and I duked it out in the semi finals to determine who would move on to the finals. So getting the bye in that round really would have been huge -I'm still kicking myself on that one.
Nevertheless, in the middle of the day, Rob and I got to go enjoy some of our favorite places in Colorado Springs including a nice ride through Garden of the Gods and lunch in Manitou. We made our way back to the track for the night session around 5pm. My first sprint against Amy went well - I got a good jump on her early and held her off. Had to win best 2 of 3 to move into finals. On the 2nd match, I could tell she'd been advised to take me to the wall and pin me there -which she did. When she finally decided to go there was less than a lap left and she got the jump on me which I could not close. I was advised to protest since she had me at the rail with no room to pass, but I opted not to. So we were 1:1. Round 2 really had me fired up, I don't remember the last time I've been that angry on a bike. So at the whistle I attacked - she was given the inside lane on this round and she held me up track for awhile but I was still angry and decided if she wanted to take me down, she'd be going down with me. i just kept accelerating until she tired and I could come down in front of her, taking the sprinters lane and I held it for the win. So with 3 sprint rounds- I moved into the finals against "I have totally fresh legs" Heather.
Round
1 in the finals I again jumped right at the line; I was determined to
make these 666m races, not "sprints" so that I could use my strengths
and not theirs. Heather rides a super huge gear and I needed to jump
her early and make her chase. She did and caught me but in so doing I
felt she had used some substantial energy. This, I hoped, would give
me the advantage in round 2. Round 2, I had the inside lane which was
perfect - I got a huge push from my holder and just went for it - I
hammmmmmmmered through the first lap, no sign of her - down to 1/2 lap
to go I can hear her right behind me and then I see her on my right
side as she moves over me and around - I realized even though I was
still accelerating I could not close the distance with her in that
giant gear. So she got me and she claimed the jersey.
Even
though there were only 3 of us in our age group, I felt we really
worked hard and on a good show- the stands were full of spectators
which was totally awesome.
8-19-09: Masters Track Nationals update: one silver, one gold (and bars and stars):
last
night after a huge storm rained out my warmup ride and later caused a
slight delay in the racing, I finally was able to race my 500m TT. I
missed the gold by about 2/3 of a second, which is the unfortunate
reality of track racing where races are won and lost by slivers. So I
took the silver last night and went to bed dreaming of a stars and
stripes jersey.
Today
the skies were blue and the sun was out, my warmup ride went well, and
I pulled out the victory in the 2k pursuit, claiming my first-ever
national championship and putting on my first-ever stars and bars
jersey. My parents stayed around to watch and I was so excited they
were able to witness the race and the awards ceremony. It was
awesome. TONS of pics posted on my facebook page, and video as well.
8-17-09: 2 more local criteriums this past weekend. Saturday's race was just down the road from our house so I rode over in the morning to watch Rob's race and then returned in the afternoon for our race. Was tough to get motivated at 4pm but something about seeing my teammates hungry to race is contagious and fired me up. It was a small field with the usual teams represented - not really a breakaway course but a break got away with Gwen in it, so Luisa, Sandy and I just chilled back in the pack. Gwen ended up 2nd, a fantastic result! Just before our race began we saw the end of the cat 3 race, where our 2 riders Joan and Amy sprinted for 1st and 2nd -awesome!
Sunday was the big day with it being the Colorado State Crit Championship. The race was held in Niwot -the same race I managed to escape off the front last year with 5 laps to go for the win. I knew I wouldn't get away with that 2 years in a row ;) But we worked perfectly as a team and Gwen soloed the last 3 laps for the VICTORY! With several pros in the field and the title on the line, the race was very fast and very active. My parents were in town this weekend and got to watch us race which was great- fun to hear them cheering for us ;) Rob's team also celebrated a victory in the SM 3 event with Patrick Hill winning, so it was a good day for DFT and HART!
Next weekend is the race DFT co-promotes with HART - down in south Denver in Inverness. Flyer and race info at www.haulnass.com!
8-9-09:
'twas a good weekend of training and racing with 2 local criteriums,
one in the Prospect area and one in south Denver. Both fast and mainly
flat, with the one on Saturday a tight and technical course, compared
to today's wide open rolling course. 2nd yesterday and 4th today -not
the results I was looking for but feel I'm getting legs back under me
after some trying weeks at work so I'm pretty pleased overall. The
highlight result of the weekend was Gwen taking the WIN yesterday at
the masters crit championship (women 35+) - CONGRATS GWEN!!
Last
week Dad took 12th and 10th in the two road races at the Senior
Olympics. This week he's got his favorite events: two time trials.
Hoping to see him on the podium with some hardware!!
8-6-09:
the similarities between bike racing and the practice of law are
uncanny. I've decided that having 6 years of bike racing under the
belt has definitely given me an advantage now, in the early stages of
my legal career. Competition, tact, professionalism, work ethic, team
vs individual, knowing the rules, respecting the decision-makers (ie
officials or judges), the list goes on and on. In cycling, I did not
have anyone teaching me what to do, so every lesson was learned the
hard way. Hence, the reason it took me many years to really get my
head wrapped around the sport. I also spent the first 5 years of my
racing career racing solo, without teammates, which made it harder for
me to learn team dynamics once I finally had a team. In law, I have
more mentors, and also a strong team to work with. You find in law,
much like medicine, there are many approaches to take and there's
really no "perfect" answer. So you learn a bit by trial and error, and
a bit more from your mentors, and there you have it. The rest takes
guts and knowing the rules and self-confidence - just like bike
racing.
8-3-09:
enjoyed a fun weekend with the team in Salida - this year the weather
was gorgeous all three days, which was a bonus after doing 2 stages in
the rain last year. Teamamte Ambre pulled out 2nd in the TT, then Gwen
raced one heck of a race in the road race on Saturday, taking 2nd.
Coming into the crit on Sunday the omnium results were really shaken
up. Mo got off the front with a Maegan from VC and none other than
Alison Dunlap, former world MTB champion. Those 3 stuck the break,
with Mo taking the WIN!!! I was able to get away from the pack with a
little over 4 laps to go and ended up taking 4th. Mo, Ambre, Gwen and
I all ended up with the same # of omnium points, giving us a 4-way tie
for 5th place overall. The competition was tough this weekend and lots
of girls were out racing hard. I struggled in the RR on Sat and if it
hadn't been for Mo and Ambre talking me through it, there's no way I'd
have survived those 60 miles. Ah, the love of teammates. 9 of us
rented a house, giving me the chance to spend quality time with some of
our cat 3 and 4 women. They raced their hearts out this weekend, I was
so proud of them and the strides they made as racers and as a team.
7-30-09: well it's been a year now so I think I can tell the story about what happened last year in Salida. We arrived primed for the weekend - I raced the Friday TT in the pouring rain and felt I'd raced horribly. We loaded up the truck and went to the Monarch lodge to check into our room. It was cold, rainy, the hotel was terrible, and generally, we were wishing we'd stayed home. So we packed up, negotiated a refund from the hotel, and headed back towards Denver. (We decided it would be better to race the state Track champs than to suffer in the cold rain all weekend in Salida). Over 1/2 way home, I got a text from my teammate Gabriela, who informed me I'd won the TT. I was stunned. Rob was stunned. and then we realized maybe we'd made a mistake by leaving. So we turned the truck around and drove all the way back to Salida. There, I had to re-finagle my way back into our hotel reservation (tricky to do on a race weekend). Luck was on my side, we got our room back and after spending all night in the car driving, I hadn't exactly recovered from my TT. I ended up winning the overall omnium last year. Who could've guessed. I can laugh about it now, but we weren't laughing last year after all the driving. It was pretty silly. Lesson learned: stick to the plan, don't change course when you're already in the game.
We're
headed back to Salida this weekend - can't wait, it's a fantastic event
and cute town. We scored better lodging this time, in town, thank
goodness. Many DFT-ers will be racing which makes things even more fun.
7-26-09: super fast and flat race today in downtown Denver, the Bannock criterium. Was so much more enjoyable this year than last, with the absence of Jeanne Longo shouting obscenities at me during the race! Every team had a good sized roster in attendance, I think we may've been the smallest with 4 riders: Leigh (3), Luisa, Mo and myself. I ended up in a "break" with riders from each team and, thinking that everyone was represented I assumed the break would stick. However no one seemed compelled to really work and so our lead of over 20 seconds all of a sudden disappeared with the pack catching us in the last corner of the last lap. I positioned myself 3rd wheel going into the sprint, thinking I'd pretend to be a sprinter today, but the confusion of the pack catching us caused me to hesistate just enough that 1st and 2nd places pulled away from me. I held 3rd place and Mo the mighty sprinter that she is, came in right behind me for 4th place. Tongue in cheek before the race, I'd said "wouldn't it be cool if we put at least 2 of us in the top 5?" Well we did, and I think we're the only team that did so.
7-25-09: enjoyed
myself at a late afternoon crit today with teammate Monique. We raced
the Federal Center crit, which is more like a circuit since each lap is
nearly 4 miles, but it offers primes and is only 1 hour long. As usual
it was bikelaw vs VC vs DFT - which really has made the racing fun, in
my opinion. Bikelaw sponsored the race and definitely had the numbers
with about 10 women at the start line. For DFT, it was Mo and me. On
the last lap, with a bikelaw rider up the road, I attacked and brought
bikelaw Teri C with me. We caught, and then passed, her teammate as we
made for the finish, but because the teammate was close enough behind
us, Teri was not working. Of course I didn't like it as no one likes
giving the competition a free ride to the finish, but I understood. I
pulled the rest of the lap and tried to keep the pace high enough to
prevent her from coming around for the sprint -however -she came around
for the sprint. So 2nd for me. More exciting though, was Mo's pack
sprint victory - as a former BMX-er she has an uncanny knack of putting
her front wheel right where it needs to go and she outsprinted the
field for 4th place. So both of us in the top 5, I was very pleased.
We collected the fantastic beer provided by Steamworks, as well as our
payout (which was the same as the pro men - thank you bikelaw race
promoters!!!).
Mo, Rob and I celebrated afterwards at the nearby GHIN location with happy hour sushi.
Meanwhile the DFT team is going strong at Cascade - read more here!
7-22-09: TDF Treads commercial for your viewing pleasure ;)
7-20-09: Cari Higgins, track extrodinaire, told me I scrunch my face up every time I race on the track. Which is weird because I don't think I do that on the road. I almost didn't even believe her. But the photos don't lie. I told everyone at work if they ever see this face on me, they should run.
Other pics from the day here and here and here
7-18-09: today was a big day for our team. Tiffany is at this moment standing on a podium in Boise, taking 3rd place to Kristin Armstrong (1st) and Liza Rachetto (2nd). This is a podium opp she will not likely forget - I am so proud of her!!! Luisa rocked the XTERRA tri today winning her age group. Gwen took 5th place in her first event at Superweek. Amy and Joan smashed Mt Evans taking 2nd and 4th respectively, in smoking fast times. I was able to earn myself 2 state champ titles on the track in the pursuit and sprints. And I know there are more results to be mentioned, I just don't know them all yet.
What a cool group of
women this is - I am so proud of all of them for seeking and
conquering. They should be very pleased with their results!!
7-11-09: what a great
day- we woke to sunny skies and made way for the Springs for the
hillclimb. Arrived with plenty of time to enjoy some warmup intervals
in one of our favorite areas to ride - near the Broadmoor and the zoo
in the Springs. The race utilized timing chips which I thought
BRILLIANT!! Took off and eased into my race -initially the legs were
combative and I thought it might be an ugly ride. However I found sync
and started chipping away at those short 3.1 miles. My former best
time on this climb was around 22 minutes so I thought 21 might be a
modest expectation. Imagine my surprise when I neared the finish at
19:15 and heard my chip sing as I crossed the mat. I thought I'd done
pretty darn good until riding down, chatting with a 15-year old junior
racer, I asked him what his time was and he said 19:05. Oh jeez. He
asked me what "age group" I raced in. Bless his heart, he thought I
was a junior. I know I'm getting older because that was flattering and
not insulting.
Didn't stick around
for results so I've no clue where I ended up -we left and went straight
to the velodrome where I literally heard my name as "next up" for the
kilo as we walked in. I remembered IMMEDIATELY how much track racing
hurts. Red hot. Yowzers. Cooled down, changed into my skinsuit and
awaited the pursuit- the main reason I was at the track. In the
meantime I had a chance to catch up with Cari Higgins, a gal I respect
a whole lot on the track and off. I also got some teammate time in
with Rachel - she lives in FoCo so I don't get to see her much.
With the TT and the
kilo already in the legs I didn't expect much, just wanted to see where
things stand. My start was awful and I was all over that sprinters
lane; I could not hold a straight line! My time was so-so and I was
toasted. 90 degrees and black asphalt left me feeling woozy. We
packed up and left for home. It was a great day- Colorado Springs is
so gorgeous. TT results here
7-10-09: tomorrow is
the first organized time trial up Cheyenne Canon in Colorado Springs.
It's really a hillclimb, but run in TT start format (not a mass
start). I'm excited, since this is one of Rob and my favorite climbs
and was always a staple of our Colorado visits prior to moving here.
I've never had the chance to race up it so I'm looking forward to
tomorrow. Sunday's Longmont Crit lineup does not include a women 1/2
event.
Last night Mo and I
got in with our cat 3/4 women at the CSP crit to teach them some
things. We found it was a huge learning success, lots of light bulbs
went off. Many thanks to the referee and promoter for allowing us that
opportunity!
7-6-09: seems I've successfully messed up my neck again - I don't even know how it happens. rode to work this morning no problem - but after work I was frozen from the left shoulder blade down and couldn't make the entire ride home - so Rob came to get me before I crashed into someone (since I have no head ROM). I think it's the curse of the desk-working cyclist? does anyone else get these terrible knife pains in their shoulder?
But before that, we
had a really great 3-day weekend. Mom was here scoping out the new
house so we had some friends over Friday night to celebrate her visit
and the new house and the 4th of july. Before the party we logged a
really tough group ride which entailed all of us ripping each others'
legs off - probably a harder ride than half the races I've done.
Sprint signs and fast climbs and all-round aggressive and super fun
group ride in the Evergreen/Kerr Gulch area. Saturday we attempted to
repeat the intensity but found the legs resistant - a few of us
regrouped for a bout up Deer Creek and Hi Drive (no, not High Grade).
Ouch.
Rob's out buying a
new phone now since his is all smashed to bits. Why you ask? Well
when he rushed to come get me after work he forgot his phone was
sitting on the hood of the truck. So once he hit the highway it flew
off and hit the pavement at 55mph. Not pretty. Picture us walking up
and down Hwy 93 with me calling his phone every 5 seconds trying to
locate it.
6-29-09: was presented with this at work today and laughed and laughed because they really hit the nail on the head with these characterizations!
so - the weekend:
Woke at 430am on Sat
and drove to Laramie - to Albany, WY actually (pop 15). The RR
features a rolling downhill for approx 11 miles, a headwind section to
the base of the climb and then a long ascent to the turnaround,
followed by a 60mph descent, and then a brutally windy and undulating
11 miles back to the uphill finish. Factor in WY
wind/bugs/heat/blowing dirt and it really makes for a grueling event.
3 pros in attendance, whom I'll collectively refer to "pros" and not by
name. They went to the front and once the climb started, found
themselves with 3 of us from DFT: me, Luisa, and Ambre. We proposed
the 6 of us work together. The pros looked at each other, all but
laughed at the suggestion, and proceeded to up the pace until they made
sure to drop us, reinforcing just how super-pro they are. I found
myself too deep in the red and was hindering Ambre and Luisa so they
rode on and I battled solo a few miles until joined by a 3-some that
included teammate Mo. The 4 of us toughed it out into the headwind up
the climb (my back was KILLING me, it was a tough tough climb for me)
and then we hit the turnaround and Mo and I took off downhill,
descending like banshees. We worked really well together all the way
back to the turn to begin the final 11 miles. We were eventually
joined by a VC rider and the 3 of us worked. We could see Luisa and
Ambre away up the road. Miles tick by and then - Mo flats. Ugh. I
offer her my wheel since she was having a stand out race but she
declined.
So VC and I continued on. She looked back and saw her teammate gaining on us so she sat up - fine by me as it gave my 2 girls up the road more real estate. Once VC#2 caught on, VC 1 and 2 worked hard to chase my teammates down, thereby giving me a free ride to the finish (sweet payback for Hugo where they sat on while we worked). They really started to close in on Luisa and Ambre and for awhile I worried my teammies would get caught just before the finish. But DFT held it off for 4 and 5th places. I came around VC for 6th place. Pros had so much time on us it became evident we were racing for 4th place for the weekend. Would've been nice to race with them in the RR but they obviously wanted to annihilate us.
Day 2: criterium in
the morning. cat 1/2 with cat 3 started 20 seconds back (not good on a
super short course). We were completely unconcerned with pros and
worked to maintain 4-5-6 places. One pro commented to me during the
race "why isn't your team racing their bikes today, it's not like
you've got anything to lose." (sidebar: if you're going to show up to
an amateur event and act too cool for us mere mortals there's really no
need to add insults). Mo raced super aggro and I was so proud of her.
Came down to a sprint for 2nd with one pro off the front. 2 pros,
VC-3rd, me-4th, pro-5th. Unfortunately, with the CAT 3 girls getting
mixed in with our 1/2 race, Luisa and Ambre had slipped way back and
lost 1:18 in time during the crit. This moved me up to 4th GC, VC in
5th, and Ambre and Luisa in 6th and 7th.
The toughest part was
suiting up for the 10-mile TT just 2 hours later: ugh, that chamois
started to lose its appeal. But legs felt great, caught my 30, 60 and
90 second girls and posted a time under 26 minutes. Solidified my 4th
place GC for the weekend (1st place amateur). Was really pleased with
our team and the teamwork that unfolded.
Meanwhile our CAT 3
women had a fantastic weekend as well and closed out the deal with 3,
4, 5 places. pics are all posted on facebook.
6-28-09: had an absolutely fantastic time with the teammates this weekend at the Dead Dog stage race. Ended up 4th GC with the first 3 spots taken by the pros. Team kicked butt, we all had (too much) fun and got some great pics, which I'll post on facebook since it takes less time to upload there. Will report more about the weekend tomorrow.
And . . .came home to a FINISHED wall/walkway! He did a great job (this involved brick cutting - I am impressed) !
6-26-09: We continue
to enjoy television-less life at the new house but the Tour quickly
approaches. None of our neighbors are likely TDF-watching candidates.
cycling.tv does not carry the Tour. I cannot be watching live-stream
internet at work for 3 hours a day the entire month of July. This is quite a conundrum.
6-25-09:
so yesterday I saw a cyclist humming along on a sidewalk take out a
woman who stepped out of a building. Moral: if you're going to ride on
the sidewalks, slow it down AND stay out by the curb, not up near the
business entrances.
Along those lines, thought I'd post these
interesting tidbits that were included in my roadbikerider.com weekly
email (I love these emails!):
---Near Boulder, Colorado -- long considered a cycling mecca -- a situation is simmering.
Rural residents have received fliers asking them to block the highway
with their cars to disrupt the upcoming Sunrise Century, which will
host about 1,500 riders. >>>SOS
---Columbia, Missouri, isn't known for cycling but it has a situation too. The
city of 84,000 has passed a law against harassing cyclists. You'd think
that might not be controversial until you read the article at http://tinyurl.com/nw74v9. >>>SOS
---Cyclists in Victoria, Australia, now face 5 years in jail or a $68,000 fine if they seriously injure or kill a pedestrian. The new law replaces a top penalty of $567. >>>SOS
---The technology that's equated pro road racing to video games
won't be allowed in 2 stages of the upcoming Tour de France. That is,
race radios will be prohibited in stages 10 and 13. It's an experiment
by the Tour to return on-road decisions to the riders. >>>SOS
---Daily Tour de France updates will be available free by e-mail from Carmichael Training Systems. >>>SOS
---The man who stole Lance Armstrong's bike
at the Tour of California will be sentenced to a 3-year prison term
next Monday, according to news reports. The 40-year-old thief has a
long criminal record that includes stealing bikes. >>>SOS
6-21-09: Happy Father's day, Dad!!
Amy just sent me this video clip of our crit in Glenwood Springs -it's pretty cool.
Here's
the retaining wall update (you will notice he had to shift the entire
thing up closer to the house so there's been lots of rock-moving
involved!):
6-16-09: last year it was the ribs . . .
this year, it's the home
purchase/move/getting sick thing. Seems I can't make it through a May
without something hitting the reset button for me. But in a way it's
good because it sets me up for a great second half of the season. I'm
actually kind of excited to rebuild the fitness storehouse so I can
enjoy Aug/Sept racing without any sense of burnout. We have lots of
cool team races to look forward to, and having my fitness wiped out
without my say-so has definitely recharged my hunger for training hard
so I can get fast again. It's not the season plan I had worked out for
myself, but it's actually working pretty well.
I do have to say - ever
since returning to work and deciding I do not want to "go pro" as a
cyclist, racing has been a whole lot more fun.
6-14-09: just returned home from a really fun weekend
in Glenwood Springs, racing with my fantastic teammates in a road race
and criterium.
(modeling our super cool recovery Crocs - pRepair line)
The weather was gorgeous, the scenery amazing, the
company incredible (nothing like off-the-bike bonding with teammates)
and some fun racing. While it's hard to face the work week already, it
was a really great weekend and I am so glad I made the trip. Our top
placings this weekend were 2nd in the TT (ambre), 2nd in the RR (ambre)
and 5th in the crit (me). The racing is getting more and more
strategic as we lined up with 7, and Vitamin Cottage and bikelaw each
had just as many. It is the 3 teams, game on! Many MANY thanks to
teammate Sandy for arranging really cool housing for all of us despite
the fact that she and her husband Mitch were involved in promoting Fri
and Sat's races!! They worked their butts off and deserve a lot of
credit for the events. Many of the snafus that occurred were not the
promoters' fault (trust me on that).
6-12-09: talk about enjoying the fruits of my labors. This is a rose from one of our recently-planted rose bushes at home!
6-11-09: confession time.
So a couple weeks ago I commented to my boss that he
needs to quit paying bike shops crazy amounts of money to service his
bikes for him when I can manage his bikes for him, for free. All he
needs to do is bring it into the office and I can fix/maintain it for
him. So today, his friend managed to snap the front der cable on a
borrowed MTB and was panicking about its return to its owner. My boss
said to her "well bring it into the office as this gal that works for
me can fix it for you no problem." So in comes this girl with her
borrowed MTB and the broken cable, and the parts for repairing it.
Crap. First of all, I don't have bike tools at the office and boss-man left with his. Second, MTB maintenance is just different enough from road that I was questioning my skills. Third, this is some guy's MTB, who has no idea some chic in a law office is wrenching on his ride. So I did what any reasonable person would do.
I rode the bike over to the nearest shop (in a dress, no less!), explained how I'd become the law office bike-go-to-girl and due to lack of tools and MTB-know-how, couldn't repair it. The guy laughed and ran new cable for me and $5 later I had the bike back to the office with neither the bossman, nor the girl, nor the bike-owner any the wiser.
Except I am now confessing this act of desperation on the internet so it's out there. I just thought I needed to share.
6-9-09: coolest thing ever. I can finally get the 'ol backpack off my shoulders when I commute. Teammate Amy said it makes her commute so much easier so I stopped into the Lakewood TREADS location to get one. This thing is awesome - panniers unfold out of both side pockets, it locks into the rack (that goes on my seatpost in less than 5 seconds) so I can bring the whole thing inside, AND it's a hardcase, so my clothes don't get wrinkled. Additionally - it's got a little pocket on top perfect for PowerGels and has a reflector already mounted on the rack. This is what I've been looking for since I began commuting in Kansas City back in 2004!! It easily has enough room for my clothing, lunch, wallet, phone and other essentials. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow for the first time!!
6-8-09: these photos represent three days of work on
this wall/walkway (the previous owners put paver bricks down at an
angle and the whole thing fell apart due to the slope) - This is how
Rob spent most of his weekend (and I helped when I could). I have to
say, I'm pretty impressed with his attention to detail on this
project. I was inclined to hire someone to fix it for us but Rob
wanted to do it himself to be sure it was done right.
"before" photo:
(Above) saturday afternoon; (below) Monday night
My project: experimenting with compost systems to find the best one:
(the one on the left is from Ace [cheapest]; the one in the corner is from Lowe's [hardest to assemble]; the one on the right is from Home Depot [most expensive]. I was sure to review our HOA rules first as I could see how these things might be banned in some areas. There is a lot of good info online about "how" to compost. It's quite an art, apparently. The idea is that we'll have lots of great compost to use in constructing a giant garden box this fall so next summer we can grow most of our own fruits and veggies. We'll see how that works out . . .
6-6-09: sometimes the results just don't tell the whole
story. For example, the results from the TT today might indicate that
I had a bad day on the bike. But they don't really tell HOW bad it
was. Things got so rough out on the course for me I almost stopped and
turned in my number at the 1/2 way point as I rode past the S/F for the
2nd half -- I knew I was in trouble when, 20 minutes into the race, my
arms and legs felt numb and cold and I was covered in goosebumps, with
an insanely high heart rate. I didn't quit, but probably should've -
The stretch back to the finish was so awful I sat up in my smallest
gear and eeked my way to the finish, literally unsure of whether I'd
actually make it. It was not a pretty sight. Days like today
definitely make the good days on the bike feel that much better. Seems
I am not the only bad listener. (We athletes can be the worst when it comes to giving the body its rest!).
The short story is that (apparently) I'm still sick. I am sure ready to be un-sick.
The good news is, our studdette Joan pulled out the CAT 3 win with Amy in 2nd and Susan narrowly missed the CAT 4 win (by a mere 5 seconds!). I was so proud of everyone that raced today!
PS - I love this pic of my teammie tiff taken at Tulsa Tough - so focused!
6-5-09: being down-and-out with this wicked cold all
week really slowed down my unpacking momentum. So has the nice
weather- we'd both rather be doing yard work than unpacking inside.
Last night I trimmed trees and bushes in the back yard while Rob
"thatched" the grass (his latest obsession). All the yard work is
making my two compost piles nice and full - and they are odorless which
is somewhat unexpected of a compost pile. The next big projects are
drywalling the garage and re-doing the brick pavers around the house.
Tomorrow: Colorado State TT champs. Can't wait!
6-2-09: while I'm sitting around trying to get over this stupid cold I decided to upload and post some pics from our first few weeks at the house, which were full of "firsts."
This is the first time Phoenix is actually tired at the end of the day. Thank you yard!
Rob got his first lawn mower and much to the neighbors' satisfaction, finally mowed our wilderness yard. Phoenix had never seen a mower before which proved to be highly entertaining; she followed him around the yard barking. (Video to follow).
This is our first attached garage, which makes it really easy for Phoenix to sneak into the truck when we're not looking (she hates being left at home). So now when we can't find her, we look in the truck. And she's usually there, ready to go. Interesting that she always chooses the driver's seat though.
First time firing up the Hasty Bake grill and "charcoal chimney" - wow, does this grill rock.
My first time planting anything substantive - 6 rose bushes. We're taking bets on how long they'll last under my watch (see previous black thumb reference for context). For now, they're really pretty.
***
June 1: I am officially good and sick - was up all
night coughing, how fun. Seems each summer I get a cold and in my
opinion, there's nothing worse than being sick in the summer -- I'd
rather have 2 colds in the winter. Hopefully it moves on quickly with
the State TT champs coming up this weekend. Having raced it last year
with my ribs jacked up from Tulsa, I was hoping to be nice and healthy
this year, but some things you just can't control.
Congrats to Jill for testing her wings in the Cat 3/4 crit yesterday, taking 2nd place (just narrowly losing the win at the line), that was an awesome effort!
PS - we turned in the condo keys last night; the move is officially behind us. We went to our favorite restaurant to celebrate, whereupon our favorite waiter proceeded to spill my red wine all over me. Not a big deal since I was wearing moving clothes, and then he comp-ed our meal so we celebrated for free. That's what I call a memorable moving experience.5-29-09: today was the infamous Hugo road race -
remniscent of the kind of racing we did back in NE and KS, I remembered
as soon as we arrived why I left those states. But - it's not often
you find a promoter willing to organize an 80-mile RR so we embarked
for the day to Hugo. The opposition raced a great race - VC pulled off
4 of the top 5 money spots, racing very well as a team and very
strategically, to my detriment. Kudos to them for playing by their
plan and throwing some serious teamwork at me. When all was said and
done, there was a break of 7, which became 2 up the road and 5 of us (3
VC vs 2 DFT). I took 6th and Joan my trusty cat-3 teammie took 7th
(winning the cat 3 race). I was really happy with the work she and our
other Cat 3, Jill, did during the race. They raced really well, as did
our cat 4 women with Amy pulling out the W in the sprint!!!
Rob and I both learned the hard way what moving for 3 consecutive weeks will do - my back was so bad during the race, I eventually adopted the attitude that I needed to get the race overwith to get off the bike before it broke into pieces. Rob was singing the same song and we decided pulling weeds and moving furniture has not been conducive to our racing careers ;) Therefore we are officially never moving again.
Re:Tulsa
Tough squad - they survived another day today, with Mo getting some
bike rebuild help from their awesome host housing (this is the best
host housing story ever!) and all 3 keeping rubber side down today in
the midst of a bad crash that neutralized the race for 20 minutes so
the ambulance could attend to the downed riders. It's got to be the
huge purses there that cause so many crashes, I really don't
understand. I'm just glad they're safe and move onto day #3 tomorrow.
5-28-09: this weekend marks the second and LAST
racing-setback-due-to-moving; I'm missing Tulsa Tough to get the condo
cleaned and keys turned over and then I am SO DONE with this move.
Teammies Tiffany, Mo and Linsey are headed to TT though and I know
they'll tear it up without me. I'm really pleased with the NRC
exposure our little team is getting this season. The gals are hungry
to race and travel and it's great to see our colors flown on a national
level.
On the home front, we finally own a
mower. Despite the poll we took (4 votes for honda, 2 votes for toro),
we ended up with a green John Deere (I know my dad will be pleased).
Rob got so excited to mow our yard for the first time he neglected to
realize we needed to buy a gas can to put gas in the tank. So -
tonight, hopefully, our wilderness backyard will get tamed. My latest
outdoor project is the compost I've started. I'm pretty proud of it
and will be sure to post compost updates, as - sadly - that is the
exciting-ness of my life these days.
5-25-09: quite possibly, our move has turned into the looooongest
move in history. Our decision to use a UHAUL and friends only briefly
last weekend, for just the biggest items, has come back to haunt us.
We've since made at least 12 trips back to the condo (and the Tahoe
can't fit as much as we'd like it to). Back and forth, condo to
house. All weekend long. Last weekend and Memorial day weekend. We
made the choice to stay home and not race Ironhorse because the condo
needs to get emptied asap. We planned to do local racing here,
especially Kopp on Sunday, but thanks to all the rain, it was
cancelled. We still got some great training in but it was another
exhausting weekend of moving and unpacking. Suffice it to say the
moving itself has grown old and we're just ready to get back to our
normal training/eating/sleeping/life routines. Many thanks to friends
Chris & Casie and Andi & Dallas for feeding us this weekend in
the midst of our chaos.
Many many congrats to all of the DFT ladies that raced in durango over the weekend -their results were impressive!!
5-22-09: So I volunteered to bring cupcakes for a birthday here at work. Which is pretty funny considering my knack in the kitchen rivals my "black thumb" with plants. I had to use our new oven which does not have a working display right now. So the time and temp is anybody's guess. The cupcakes came out looking pretty normal which made me happy (except I learned this morning they're a bit raw in the middle -oops). I put them in a pan with a lid and squeezed them into my backpack since today was a ride-to-work day. Add the jostle of the commute to the 100+% humidity we have here today and those poor cupcakes were looking pretty darn sad when I unpacked them. BUT - a little cream cheese frosting went a long ways and they are back to looking edible again. No one's eaten one yet, dare I tell them the road they've traveled to get here? Do I still get an "A for effort??"
5-18-09: 3.5 days
of moving and there's not a bone or muscle that isn't sore and
exhausted. But home ownership totally rocks. We used to ride by
people out doing yard work on weekends and we'd say "oh look at those
poor saps slaving away in their yards while we get to be out on our
bikes" but now we totally get it. There's just something about working
in the yard or working on the house that seems so worthwhile.
We had so much fun pulling weeds and planting bushes this weekend . .
. No TV (we sold it as we moved!), no internet, no cable at the house
and I LOVE the absence of those distractions.
5-13-09: Luisa's BF Francis got some great pics of the team at the WOT race last weekend and Susan's hubby posted them for viewing: http://fastducatirider.smugmug.com/gallery/8197723_rPqdz#P-1-12
5-11-09: only 4 more days of my hour-each-way (aka 80-mile round trip) commute to work!!! I can't wait to get that time back!
5-10-09: happy Mothers day to my mom and all the moms out there!! This Mother's Day holds more significance than most because today I turn 30, the age my mom was when she had me. I can't even imagine being as busy as I am AND having a baby - but she did it. Being the same age she was really makes me appreciate how hard and challenging motherhood must be in the midst of everything else life throws at you. So Mom - thanks for having me 30 years ago (during a blizzard, no less)! You're the best ;)
5-9-09: happy (early) 30th birthday to me! Tomorrow is technically my birthday but today was a great start to my bday weekend. It began with watching and cheering for Rob and his teammates in the cat 3 race at Wheels of Thunder. There was a crash which took out 2 of his guys but their remaining squad rallied and brought home a 4th place after Rob chased down a breakaway rider. He was pleased and did not crash (with a move next week that was important!). Then I watched and cheered for our awesome cat 4 women. They raced really well despite the confusion surrounding their shortened race/lap card issues. I am so proud of their progress and the season is just getting started! Then it was time to warmup and talk strategy with Gwen, Luisa and Mo. Everyone played their part and I ended up initiating a break at about the 1/2way point of the race; I was joined by 3 other riders, each of whom represented the major teams in attendance. So the pack was busy blocking and we had no problem staying away. I went for the sprint VERY early, which was slightly uphill and also into a headwind. For a second I thought I was going to lose it right at the line, but I was able to dig just a bit deeper and hold them off for the win. Winning on my almost-birthday was a great present!!! All 3 of my teammates played an integral part in the outcome, it's SO FUN having teammates!!
The day wrapped up with a happy hour get together at my favorite lakewood restaurant, GHIN. Thanks to everyone that came and helped me celebrate my day!
Here are some shots from the day:
Becky and Amy patrolling the front of the CAT 4 race:
The cat 4 ladies LOVE their RUMBA!!!
Our break of 4:
birthday victory salute
Me and our smoking-fast cat 3 women (who also love their RUMBA . . and SKINS . . and CROCS!!)
5-8-09: Tiffany gets some great press!!
5-5-09: while we were out racing the Gila, two of our women were racing their hearts out at SPEEDWEEK - not for the faint of heart, as they were in fast company and had lots of moving around and logistical things to manage. they came out 8th and 15th overall!!! Read here for more about their week.
Joan took 3rd OVERALL in the cat 3/4 event (same as the elite race just one day shorter). INCREDIBLE!!! Full time employment, wife, mother of a little guy, many training sessions indoors on the trainer in the basement and . . . all that diligence paid off!
5-4-09: home again (thank goodness). Those of you on facebook, check out James Moriarty's page and his Gila pics of our team.
Stage 5: our team was very active on the front to try
and ensure Marisa arrived at the final climb fresh as a daisy. A break
got away early in the stage but our patience paid off as we let the
other GC contenders work to bring it back and it was eventually caught
on the climb. Our diligence in the pack worked and Marisa ended up
taking 8th on the stage, moving up to 13th GC overall. Our team
slipped to 7th in team GC but that's ok - I was pleased we had 5
finishers and that everyone raced hard and as a team. My results
showed that I was not racing for my own result but rather was working
for the team and I am ok with that; 'tis much more fun to be part of
something bigger than myself. (Sandy had to turn in her number on day
#2 after an operation she had awhile ago really began causing her major
pain after the climb on day #1. She stayed all week to support the
team which I thought was truly admirable and I was glad to have the
chance to spend more time with her). Everyone and their husband/sig
other played a huge part in the team.
here are a couple pics from day #2, the Inner Loop road race:
Sydney Brown, best guest rider ever:
Gwen on my wheel up one of the first climbs of the day, with cute little Coryn on her wheel (that girl is seriously adorable). Gwen ended up doing some serious teammate work for Marisa on this stage and won the teammate-of-the-day award on our team for that effort:
Our 3/4 women ended up finishing with 3 in the top-10!! Joan moved up to 3rd place GC and Jill and Susan stuck in the top 10 - I am SO HAPPY and proud of them!! Here are some pics from their crit:
all smiles after a successful crit, from L: team GC rider Joan, Susan, Becky, Jill and Lina:
As we unload the truck and get stuff put away, we begin the task of packing up the house in earnest to prepare for our move in 10 days.
5-2-09: stages 3 and 4: TT was relatively uneventful; I could not find my groove and grew increasingly frustrated with my apparent lack of recoverability. Bottom line, I lack the miles these types of events require. Marisa did well in her TT, as did Sydney, despite having to stop and put on her chain during the event. Today we lined up for the criterium in some seriously windy conditions. Our team rode well, I did what I was instructed to do and launched two separate attacks. The second one killed me and I found myself spit out the back, soloing for the remaining 6 laps. The spectators were fantastic though and whether or not they realized I was a dropped rider, they treated me like I was winning.
The real highlight of the day came after our race, sitting on the sidelines of the men pro/1 event. Getting to see Lance, Levi, Floyd, Chris horner, Taylor Phinney - all just an arm's length away. It was great. Here's a pic I took on my phone of Lance and his gang on their cool down lap (kinda blurry).
Tomorrow is the Gila monster followed by a fast and
frenetic pack job so we can hit the road and get back to denver in time
to hopefully work most of Monday. I can't say this has felt like a
"Vacation." Rob and I have definitely decided we are taking a fun trip
this year leaving the bikes and everything cycling AT HOME.
4-30-09: stage 1 and 2 recap from the Gila: so much to report, so little time.
No internet where we're staying so I'm at the coffee
shop trying to type fast. Yesterday was tough - normally the stage is
dull and uneventful until the base of the climb but not the case this
year. ATTACK was the word of the day, from about the first feed zone
all the way to the base of the climb. Our title sponsor flew in Monday
night and got to ride in our team car in the caravan! We all survived
the stage with Marisa sitting highest in 16th place.
Today the theme was WIND. The start was later which
gave the wind a chance to pick up. Tired legs did not respond well on
the first few climbs and soon I found myself slipping off the chase
group. Luckily Gwen was still hanging tight in the chase group and
Marisa was in the lead group. They eventually teamed up in the same
pack and finished with the lead group. They raced VERY well today and
we all consider the stage a huge success. Rob and Marco in the team
car behind them got very strategic and teamed up with another team to
work on pulling back the lead group. It worked and it served to get
Marisa into the top bunch for the finish. Gwen won our
teammate-o-the-day award with her hard work and self-sacrifice for our
GC rider. I find as our little team chugs along, we overcome hiccups
and get stronger. I was in a chase group with guest rider Sydney and
several of my favorite Colorado racers so I was in great company.
My personal theme of the day was humility. I realized - like a smart smack in the face - that I cannot do it all. there, I said it. It is not possible to start a new job and work full time, run a large team, purchase a home and try to train and not suffer the consequences. The consequence today was that when push came to shove, I could not hang. The memory of my much stronger legs at this event last year left a bittersweet taste in my mouth -- it became clear to me today that I am becoming more lawyer and less bike racer. I smiled when I realized I'm actually ok with that.
Our support staff has been phenomenal. Hubby Rob is really working hard for us, as is hired director Marco. Additionally, Gwen's hubby Mike has been instrumental to us in the feed zones. The team is not just 6 riders; it's our support crew too and for all their work, we are eternally grateful.
The TT is tomorrow; crit on Sat and then the Gila monster stage on Sunday. Check our twitter page for regular updates as I can't afford the $6 fufu drinks here for mere internet service.
Re our 3/4 squad: FANTASTIC performance today. Joan made the lead group; 3 of our ladies were in the chase group and poor Becky was duking it out on the roads solo. They are learning a lot here, not the least of which is how truly strong and talented they are.
last thing: we won the women 1/2 TTT on Sunday - here's a pic: http://sportifimages.com/gallery/8006009_mB8oh#522058045_ihZAS-A-LB
4-26-09: our team did VERY well today at the Haystack time trials!! I was sad to see my two-year reigning champ run come to an end - a drastic end at that, with AP crushing my best by almost 4 minutes! Oh well - I was able to beat my own time from last year so I'm happy with that. We had so many DFT women racing and representing, I am really proud of everyone that came out!! Both the cat 1-2 and the cat 4 team won the team time trials in their respective categories. Lots of pics here: http://www.fastducatirider.smugmug.com/gallery/8020875_SkP8D#521761912_DPzju
4-25-09: we've answered your burning question "what does one do with the 3rd row seats when you pull them out of the vehicle?" Well - you bring them inside for the dog, who loves being in the car so much --now she can experience the sensation all the time:
4-24-09: closing date grows closer, we may actually be home-owners very soon. Now we're to the point where we're trying not
to get excited (ahem, "Rob, stop shopping online for a riding lawn
mower" when we don't have the house yet!) just in case something goes
wrong. I'm starting to understand why friends of ours have fallen off
the face of the earth when they bought a home. I never got what the
big deal was, hello, buy it and move in ... end of story. Now I
definitely understand. The fact that it's all going down right about
the time we're leaving for the Gila just makes it more "exciting."
4-22-09: looking for someone to teach an ongoing
Tuesday night spin class 515-615pm, downtown Denver, beginning asap.
Please email me at meghottman@hotmail.com if you're interested.
4-21-09: Driving tip #124: I've got all the stats compiled and can tell you which car is going to accelerate off the line first at a red light (assuming that's your goal and why wouldn't it be?). After doing over 10,000 miles of market research I've got some definite opinions. Here's a taste:
YES: any car with aftermarket exhaust, tach, spoiler.
Even a ford focus. They want to be fast even if their car isn't but
nevertheless, will burn a gallon of fuel to get off the line.
NO: the stationwagon (all of them). never ever choose this unless the other option is a minivan. Exception: Audi stationwagon with bike rack. that's a safe bet.
YES: foreign, exotic, expensive. Bentley, BMW, Porsche, etc.
NO: the exception to the foreign/exotic rule: mercedes. not driven by the "needforspeed" types. will not accelerate off the line.
YES: anyone with white shoepolish numbers on their
windshield. they raced last weekend and didn't remove the evidence so
everyone would know how fast they are.
NO: anyone towing something.
YES: crotch rocket motorcyclists wearing tennis shoes
NO: Harleys or scooters
Some cars could go either way. Like the small SUVs -
Ford Explorers or Dodge Durangos. Then you have to look for details
like stickers or the type of license plate. YES: "my kid could kick
your honor roll student's butt sticker." NO: political stickers
YES: "I'm not tailgating I'm drafting sticker" (or anything NASCAR). NO: fire chief decal.
***
4-19-09: thanks to old man winter, who just can't seem to get the hint that he's overstayed his welcome, both races this weekend were cancelled. I felt a little bad about the one scheduled for today, seeing as how it's 60 and sunny and all the snow has melted, but of course there was no way for them to know that in the midst of the snowstorm we had all day Friday and Saturday. We made the most of today by getting in some high quality pre-Gila training in the sunshine. The creeks and rivers are overflowing now, so it's good we got all of that precip. But seeing as how I haven't been able to race since Redlands because of the weather, I'm pretty hopeful that the weekends of cancelled races are officially, a thing of the past.
On the home front, we had the inspection done on Friday - it was "revelatory" meaning some things were brought to our attention. Home ownership is already looking like a royal pain in the butt. We keep asking ourselves why it's worth all the money just to incur the headaches. But we've decided yes, the days of renting are numbered.
4-16-09: I find this inspiring in so many ways. It's a "must watch."
Also: my new two favorite words? "under contract!"
4-15-09: Gila time in just a few days . . . this race
was almost cancelled this year but they scaled back the payouts and
SRAM stepped in and the race has been saved! One of the locals created
a movie about the event:
