Longmont Crit

Twin Peaks did another fabulous job of promoting the Longmont crit today. I'm not just saying this because I'm on the team, it's true. What other race can you go to and get free beer? (From the Lefthand brewery, too...it's GOOD beer.) Unfortunately, my race was at 3:50, so no free beer for me. Also tons of other quality stuff was being given out. My day was made when Jamba juice gave me a really cold smoothie.

The Longmont crit was the state criterium championship race, so it started (and stayed) fast and there were attacks all over the place. It was really exciting and I had a great time out there. This year, I didn't get intimate with the pavement and it was pretty safe. The heat out there, though, was killer. I can usually survive an hour crit without drinking, but today I had to drink a few times just to get through. The after-race hydration was ugly. Had to drink, but everything upset my stomach, so I drank tons and felt sick for a few hours.

Congratulations to Vitamin Cottage for taking the state crit title...they deserve it considering how well they race as a team. At one point, I was in a break with one of their racers...neither of us was working all that hard, but the rest of the VC team was doing such a good job blocking, we gained a decent gap on the pack quickly. It only took a lap or two for the pack to catch us, though, which was just as well.

My Twin Peaks teammates and some friends (Amy, Cari, Julie, sorry if I didn't realize who you were) were awesome cheering and keeping it fun! It was so great to have you all out there. I think I absorb the energy from the crowd, it means a lot.

That's it for racing stories from this weekend. Yesterday I slept and did an opener ride & watched le Tour with Cristienne & Scott. There have been a few weekends now where every day hasn't been all-bike related and it has been a pleasant change, though I'm starting to look forward to base training (long days on the road) again.

Friday, July 5...no, no, it's Friday the 13!

Deja vu. Today must be the 5th since Denver thought last night was the 4th of July (again, so soon?)...at 10:30, long after I had begun my slumber. Guess I shouldn't complain. In my sleepy confusion, I thought the city was being attacked by aliens.

To highlight my tiredness this morning, I squeezed sunscreen on my toothbrush.

TGIF, all!

Pseudo-Mead World Championships

Last night was another attempt at racing with the big boys (cat 1-3 men). The first time I did this race, I hung in the pack for the full hour and finished pretty well. Yesterday brought a whole new level of racing that redefined "fast." Leave it to a full squad from Australia, a couple of Slipstream-Chipolte guys and Vitamin Cottage to push the pace almost from the gun. Training races have very relaxed rules about getting dropped...your race isn't over, just jump back in. So I kept jumping back in with the break (oh, ouch) and then drifted back to the chase group and got spat out over and over again. It was a Nature Valley flashback, but it was much better having my butt kicked by guys, who are supposed to be stronger.

A sentimental moment

I just sold my first road bike, a steel yellow Serotta Fierte (pic coming). It was such a good bike, it is what helped me fall in love with being on the road, it helped me fall in love with racing.

Fortunately, its new owner is a brand new roadie (well, she will be a roadie once she gets the bike on the road). She is so excited to ride and I know this bike will introduce her to the joys of long days cruising roads that would never be seen, if not on a road bike. She will meet people she wouldn't have met otherwise and discover that going fast in fresh air brings about clarity, freedom and purpose.

Goodbye, dear bike, I wish you many, many more miles of memories.

Long Time No Blog

Well, here we are, in the middle of a *hot* Colorado summer. Blogging has taken a back seat to being out and about. A quick update: Last week started with a crit in Pueblo.
It was hot, hot, hot. Sarah Uhl (world-class sprinter) showed up and took all of the primes. Was it totally necessary to sprint for the coaching-for-2-month prime? For all I know, she gave it away to a local after the race. It was a good course, but not too many racers showed up. We had some local spectators, but I can't say it was all that desired. The comments and attention from the men watching to the women racers would make anyone pretty uncomfortable.

There was a break and I was in the wrong position for it...so I was left chasing like a mad woman for the rest of the race. Leigh (my teammate) has a sprint & I thought it would be fun to try a leadout. With half a lap to go, I gunned it with all I had and she took off my wheel to win the field sprint. I forgot that I still needed to cross the line...and spent the rest of my energy yelling to Leigh to go faster since a girl was gaining on her. That was definitely the highlight of the day and a good way to reintroduce racing and intensity to my legs that hadn't pedaled more than an hour during the entire previous week since Nature Valley.

Fireworks & Fun

Finally, I got to see track racing for the first time ever! Yesterday was a fun trip to Colorado Springs (then hanging out waiting for racing to start since it was raining/hailing upon our getting to town)...but that was after a 5 1/2 hr ride in the morning, so there was no guilt at eating a good dinner, ice cream and cheering. Track racers make every other type of racing look super slow.

I took pictures, but everyone was going much too quickly. Fun watching you race, Cari!!!

Still Recovering, Happy Bike to Work Day

Hanging out not doing much of anything, recovery is challenging. It's easier to be constantly on the go and get little sleep than it is to be disciplined and get to bed early.

Pretty good video coverage of each day of Nature Valley is available. You won't see me up close, but it's a decent view of the courses and players at the front of each stage.

I walked to work today and rode home. Unfortunately, it was Bike TO Work Day, not Bike Home day. No treats were being handed out to those of us who didn't have wheels for the morning commute.

A true Wall

Here's the hill that we had to do repeatedly on the last day of Nature Valley...thanks to this blog for the pic. I've been trying to find one that properly expresses what a hill that gets as steep as 24% looks like.

Never thought it would happen

Does this make cycling a real sport in the US now?

NV Pics

Team pic taken during our pre-race ride of the TT course. Italian dinner family-style in the motel room. Missing from photo: Ryan, Dana, Gina.
Nicky's award-winning sprint against Laura van Gilder.
Nicky on the podium for her 2nd place finish at Friday's crit in Minneapolis. Next to her is Laura van Gilder and Brooke Miller.