It has been a long winter and I for one am hoping that we really do get an early spring; but also a LONG spring. I love the mild weather and the longer days that come with it.
Another reason it has been a long winter is because three of us have had surgery, mine was least complicated, on December 16th I had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.
My shoulder is progressing very well, but rotator cuff surgery just happenns to have one of the longest recovery's of any surgery.
I can actually ride my bike for about an hour or so and NOT have the shoulder become TOO tired. So it will be a little while longer before I jump in any races. I find that rather ironic considering this time last year I had gone to NC to race Wolfpack. SO based on my progress I think I may look into this thing called CX. Just might have to figure what that is all about
TT BIKES
HOW WE ROLL
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The RULES
The link is to the RULEs...
Read them, FOLLOW THEM
http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/
Read them, FOLLOW THEM
http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
One more race
I have been very happy about how my season has unfolded. Despite having injured teammates, which ment I raced all but TWO races solo, I have won the VCA Women's 40+ BAR. It has been a really LONG season, I started racing back in Febuary and it is now September.
My overall TT ability has come along, but my greatest accomplishment has been watching and knowing what's going on in the race. The last two years, I did not have the fitness nor the bike handling skills to be in the peleton, I was hanging on for dear life. This year I am able to see the race unfold and in most cases be where I need to be when I need to be there.
I had ONE really sweet win this year, thanks to Maria's great lead out. I want to go out the same way, with a WIN.
SO here's to ONE more race, I'm leaving it ALL out on the course.
My overall TT ability has come along, but my greatest accomplishment has been watching and knowing what's going on in the race. The last two years, I did not have the fitness nor the bike handling skills to be in the peleton, I was hanging on for dear life. This year I am able to see the race unfold and in most cases be where I need to be when I need to be there.
I had ONE really sweet win this year, thanks to Maria's great lead out. I want to go out the same way, with a WIN.
SO here's to ONE more race, I'm leaving it ALL out on the course.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
VA State Senior TT
Well I am really proud of my team mates, They know how to promote a race. The course is a full 40 km out and back with just a slight change in terrain to keep you honest. The pavement is smooth and some really extraordinary efforts were made to make sure the bridge was NOT an issue. Registration was as smooth as I ever seen and results were up fast. Thanks to ALL the sponsors and the guys from Pre-reg.com
Pam and I ended up as the only two that raced and both of us PRd the course. Pam took several minutes off her time and road a 1:05, I took a minute off and road a 1:06. Mark Pye had a huge hand in making us faster, every Tuesday night you'd find us at West Creek riding the TT bikes and you'd see Mark send one of us off, just to have the other on "chase her down."
This has been a really long season and my body is feeling it this afternoon. I looked back at my training log and realized that my first race was back in FEB of this year. There is one more race on the calendar, it is the AGE graded criterium. I hope that all cyclist support this race, I know the season has been long, but this is a new promoter and a new venue and we know how hard it is to find a venue, much less sponsors.
Pam and I ended up as the only two that raced and both of us PRd the course. Pam took several minutes off her time and road a 1:05, I took a minute off and road a 1:06. Mark Pye had a huge hand in making us faster, every Tuesday night you'd find us at West Creek riding the TT bikes and you'd see Mark send one of us off, just to have the other on "chase her down."
This has been a really long season and my body is feeling it this afternoon. I looked back at my training log and realized that my first race was back in FEB of this year. There is one more race on the calendar, it is the AGE graded criterium. I hope that all cyclist support this race, I know the season has been long, but this is a new promoter and a new venue and we know how hard it is to find a venue, much less sponsors.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Racing in AL
This is the second year that I've headed HOME.. to AL to visit family and to take advantage of some good local racing.
The Spring City Cycling Club host a two day omnium, a RR, a SHORT 1K TT and a CRIT. I mainly come down here to visit family, but what cyclist doesn't love having the chance to visit family and race their bikes.
The first year I did this race.. the weather was perfect, in fact AL had an Indian Summer sort of day... this year.. NOT so much.. HOT and HUMID was the call all weekend long... Since I had done the RR last year.. I knew the HILL would be my nemisis.. I am not a hill climber.. if it were the Tour.. I'd be on the "auto bus"... well I dorked up the first climb up the hill.... too far back... gap opened up.... was NOT on a wheel as we crested the top... OTB.. and race over... The 1 K TT was later than afternoon, so I gave myself and the officials a break and pulled myself after 30 miles..
The 1K TT was really interesting.. guys coming up with full TT rigs... and others.. just zipping up jersey's and rolling like a RR race... I finished 3rd in the women's 3/4 field.. so not to ashamed of my finish...
Sunday's crit was right after the men's master's thank goodness it was an early race... before the heat and humidity really started cranking... I did just what my coaches have been telling me all year.. when I don't have a teammate in the race.. sit in... and get in position with 3 to go...
I made one attack.. just to see how the legs felt... everything was firing... YEAH... I was sitting about 6th wheel with 2 to go, knowing I could move up on the backside... the pace had slowed just a little as we entered the only Left turn.. and wouldn't you know it... gal in front of my touches the rear wheel of the gal in front of her... she goes down taking me with her.. I tried to swing wide.. but that wasn't happening.. it was slow motion.. and I have a metal picture of my crash.... sore elbow, knee and back.. but bike is ok...so I lived to race another day
The Spring City Cycling Club host a two day omnium, a RR, a SHORT 1K TT and a CRIT. I mainly come down here to visit family, but what cyclist doesn't love having the chance to visit family and race their bikes.
The first year I did this race.. the weather was perfect, in fact AL had an Indian Summer sort of day... this year.. NOT so much.. HOT and HUMID was the call all weekend long... Since I had done the RR last year.. I knew the HILL would be my nemisis.. I am not a hill climber.. if it were the Tour.. I'd be on the "auto bus"... well I dorked up the first climb up the hill.... too far back... gap opened up.... was NOT on a wheel as we crested the top... OTB.. and race over... The 1 K TT was later than afternoon, so I gave myself and the officials a break and pulled myself after 30 miles..
The 1K TT was really interesting.. guys coming up with full TT rigs... and others.. just zipping up jersey's and rolling like a RR race... I finished 3rd in the women's 3/4 field.. so not to ashamed of my finish...
Sunday's crit was right after the men's master's thank goodness it was an early race... before the heat and humidity really started cranking... I did just what my coaches have been telling me all year.. when I don't have a teammate in the race.. sit in... and get in position with 3 to go...
I made one attack.. just to see how the legs felt... everything was firing... YEAH... I was sitting about 6th wheel with 2 to go, knowing I could move up on the backside... the pace had slowed just a little as we entered the only Left turn.. and wouldn't you know it... gal in front of my touches the rear wheel of the gal in front of her... she goes down taking me with her.. I tried to swing wide.. but that wasn't happening.. it was slow motion.. and I have a metal picture of my crash.... sore elbow, knee and back.. but bike is ok...so I lived to race another day
Monday, July 5, 2010
ID3 Weekend of Racing
IF you've never raced in Roanoke... You absolutely have to put this race on your calendar. It is always on the 4th July weekend and the venue's are awesome.
I went into this weekend's race with some simple goals.. PR Mill Mountain and then race the race I need to race in the two crits.
I managed to PR Mill Mountain by about 30 seconds from last year; but I still feel like I have an alien about to burst out of my chest when I get to the top. I started coughing almost immediately, the sort of cough you get during a cold winter ride.. I coughed ALL night and even woke up the Sunday with a very sore raw throat.
Sunday the women's combined race started at 1:00 and the temps had started climbing and though there was a slight breeze, the number 90 was soon seen on the old temperature gage. It has been said in many other forums, but a women's combined field that includes CAT 1's through CAT 4's are in my opinion the toughest races to races. IF you're not careful you can blow yourself up real quick trying to hang on to a CAT 1's wheel and then you're race is done. My goal for both crits was to finish in the field and make sure I at least beat the other women competing in VCA 40+ category. To shed some perspective on how fast this race was, we were strung out in single file for the first few laps and according to my good friend who officiated the race; the women started faster than the Men's Master's race and those are usually the fastest races in VCA...
I hung on.. tail gunned and marked the ladies I wanted to beat. I ended up doing more work through the corners from the rear of the field but I didn't want to blow up hanging out in the front either... The final lap saw a little cat and mouse antics by the leaders on the back side of the course but then it really opened up the through the last corner... grabbing a wheel I wanted and waiting until the last 100 meters to go around the gal I marked.. It worked.. I was 12th overall and first 40+
Monday's course was a little different than last year's.. by about one block... but that one block was uphill.. Starting fast again from the whistle, I hung on for a good number of laps.. seeing ladies dropping left and right. It was definitely hotter than yesterday and the pace and heat was eating up the field. A massive attack from the eventual race winner broke the last of the field up, leaving small little groups of two and three spread around the course. The two other gals I was with agreed to work together until one to go.. hoping not to get lapped and pulled. Well we got lapped with about 5 to go and pulled shortly there after. I hate getting pulled in a race, but also understand for safety we probably would have been lapped by the main chase group too close to the finish. The good news is.. I hung on long enough for another 12th place finish and finished ahead of the other 40+ gals...
SO I managed to accomplish what I set out to do.. Now to set more goals....and race more races
I went into this weekend's race with some simple goals.. PR Mill Mountain and then race the race I need to race in the two crits.
I managed to PR Mill Mountain by about 30 seconds from last year; but I still feel like I have an alien about to burst out of my chest when I get to the top. I started coughing almost immediately, the sort of cough you get during a cold winter ride.. I coughed ALL night and even woke up the Sunday with a very sore raw throat.
Sunday the women's combined race started at 1:00 and the temps had started climbing and though there was a slight breeze, the number 90 was soon seen on the old temperature gage. It has been said in many other forums, but a women's combined field that includes CAT 1's through CAT 4's are in my opinion the toughest races to races. IF you're not careful you can blow yourself up real quick trying to hang on to a CAT 1's wheel and then you're race is done. My goal for both crits was to finish in the field and make sure I at least beat the other women competing in VCA 40+ category. To shed some perspective on how fast this race was, we were strung out in single file for the first few laps and according to my good friend who officiated the race; the women started faster than the Men's Master's race and those are usually the fastest races in VCA...
I hung on.. tail gunned and marked the ladies I wanted to beat. I ended up doing more work through the corners from the rear of the field but I didn't want to blow up hanging out in the front either... The final lap saw a little cat and mouse antics by the leaders on the back side of the course but then it really opened up the through the last corner... grabbing a wheel I wanted and waiting until the last 100 meters to go around the gal I marked.. It worked.. I was 12th overall and first 40+
Monday's course was a little different than last year's.. by about one block... but that one block was uphill.. Starting fast again from the whistle, I hung on for a good number of laps.. seeing ladies dropping left and right. It was definitely hotter than yesterday and the pace and heat was eating up the field. A massive attack from the eventual race winner broke the last of the field up, leaving small little groups of two and three spread around the course. The two other gals I was with agreed to work together until one to go.. hoping not to get lapped and pulled. Well we got lapped with about 5 to go and pulled shortly there after. I hate getting pulled in a race, but also understand for safety we probably would have been lapped by the main chase group too close to the finish. The good news is.. I hung on long enough for another 12th place finish and finished ahead of the other 40+ gals...
SO I managed to accomplish what I set out to do.. Now to set more goals....and race more races
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Roanoke Bound
This will be the third season we've headed to Roanoke for the ID3 races. This is a great venue, a hill climb TT covers 900 of climbing in just 1.87 miles. This is a short steep climb and all I know is that I always feel like I have an alien about to burst out of my chest the last two times I've climbed this mountain. The crits are fun. One course is flat and technical with cobbles and the other is fast with a two short kickers to keep everyone honest.
The full team won't be attending we still have two gals on the injured reserve list. BUT, the folks we're bringing have been focusing on these races, should make for a great weekend of racing.
The full team won't be attending we still have two gals on the injured reserve list. BUT, the folks we're bringing have been focusing on these races, should make for a great weekend of racing.
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