My other baby keeps me going

The legs were feeling a little tired after all the travel and racing in such a small window....but just looking at my bike got me itching to keep going! So...I passed on the "drive home and kick it option" after a long day in the car visiting shops, and went straight on out to The El Dorado training criterium last night.

The race:http://www.californiabicycleracing.org/



Hosted on Fotki

Photo from Kenny B.

Man, I have no regrets....what a great training race Eldo is. Albeit a test of nerves sometimes as there is a heck of a lot of shuffling around on the curvy course, those boys can lay it down and get a little dicey here and there...but hey, I'm not complaining....I actually like the test --and it felt good to get the junk out of the legs after all the travel and time in the car! good times..

Cheers to Eldo and the folks who put on the event.

po·di·um

Advil Chapstick made the podium both days in NRC racing this weekend.....rock on. And we got the 20% chance of no rain for racing!! rock on even better.

Lemme break it down for ya...


77 hours from Friday to Monday.
Looked like this:

one flight from LA to ATL
two hour wait in airport for ride
two hour drive in lovely Hotlanta traffic
one short and not useful spin
one helluva late night due to time change
one rude awakening morning
one rainy start to the day thwarting all hopes of spinning the travel out of the legs
one 90mile drive to race
one nutty painful race on my legs after said LONG day before
one podium for the team --go Jenn go
one great race organizer who spread the love by feeding all us pro-peeps...and I mean ALL!
one long drive back to one amazing host house
one late shower very late very very late
one very sleepless night with major headache (what the heck i never get headaches!)
one rough morning (again)
one short drive to race
one kick-ass race
one more 3rd plus a 4th place for the team --Jenn and Brenda punch punch in their first go at a final lap effort together this season
one good shrimp salad
and two stellas
one trip to airport hotel
one goooooooooood nights sleep ;)
one flight home
one great travel companion (hilton clarke)
one great brother who met me at the airport to drop off my car on his way to l.a. and saved me one weekend parking charge :)
one superpsyched me. back in the game.

Can we race during the 20% chance of no rain please. ...

Would it be okay if I said I was not at all excited about the weather expected for one of our races this weekend. I am grateful to be able to race, but jeez... "80% chance of thunderstorms" does not thrill me.

Surprisingly specific

Well I got my act together recently and can finally say that I have been on three local rides in five days here! That's quite a feat considering how all over the place I have been lately with this new career! It's been a strange transition.... I mean up in Santa Rosa I knew every nook and cranny of the roads I trained on, and I knew what every local race would have to offer. It took years to build that knowledge and understanding, and I think I really took that all for granted! Now..here in my new home everything is new (in alot of ways actually), but what I am speaking of is the "newness" of all these "new to me" training rides and races that happen around here. I have been nothing but amazed by how many great group rides are out there down here in Southern California!
I am feeling somewhat settled nowadays and have actually been jumping in in some pretty darn good rides (with pretty darn good company I might add!). Now that I am back to spending some regular quality time on the bike, I am also beginning to learn some new/old things about myself. Ultimately, aside from the coolness of each new adventure, what has been so surprising (note the subject line)is that I am noticing just how specific my skills/abilities on the bike are becoming. I mean seriously.....if there is a hill these days I just end up suffering like a beaten dog. But on the flip side, I have no problem hanging with the big guys when things get tough on the flats. It's quite comical actually (the fact that every little hill feels so hard!!). Just goes to show that I really do belong on fast, speedy, FLAT courses despite the fact that EVERYONE thinks I should be a great climber because I am so small.
You know one of my coaches, Mr. Max Testa, once said to me that I had a power to weight ratio that was pretty close to world class, but that I was so full of fast twitch muscle that the only hope I would have in hilly races was if they were rolling courses!! He was so right! (hahaha)....Cant say I don't like a hill as much as "the climber" because I really do enjoy climbing .......but when it comes to racing, well it is safe to say that I am in love with criteriums.
In love I tell ya.

In love.

Cheers... and as always, word to the bike.

serenity...

this pic is from the garden at our host home in Redlands Ca


i have come to realize that serenity only arrives when one takes care of all aspects of the self. addressing and taking care of all aspects of the self can be a challenging task in today's world....but really, do we have a choice?
flowers remind me of the need to keep serenity alive.

Ouch $$$$$$

I just heard that beginning May 5th of this year, we traveling cyclists should expect to see a $200 charge each way for a bike bag.
Okay...now pardon the language, but that sucks.

SEA OTTER is coming... see you there!

What if we could lean like that down the corkscrew.....!

BLOG in a Blog

Hey people.....come follow us :)

www.teamadvilchapstick.blogspot.com

Burning head in Ojai....

Ok....that was what you call "One of those days"!!!

The race in Ojai was a very odd and interesting one. Unfortunately, the event lost it's NRC status for women, which meant we lost the majority of the initial set prize money, as well as the "points" that go along with many team's seasonal goal of earning a high ranking. All of that was a bit of a bummer, and in and of itself as an entirely different topic for discussion.....

As for me and my little one person report -- I decided to race Ojai for various reasons (mainly because I haven't raced much at all yet this season!!....but also because I planned to stay up in the area overnight and get on with work in Santa Barbara the following morning.).
Anyway, about the race...I have to say, the high temperatures really made for a miserable day on the bike for me, and everyone else no doubt!....but I absolutely fell apart in the heat! I was completely knocked out of my own head early on in the race, and all I really did was pedal around, watch my watch to see how many more minutes I had to ride, and wonder why I was putting myself through the torture! Guess that happens sometimes. Of course I knew everyone was suffering with the heat, so I just kept thinking I would come around....but it in the end it was just wishful thinking and I ultimately resigned myself to "just finish" as the goal of the day...

It took about four hours before the post race headache went away.

...should have spent at the beach with my brother :)


see you all at Sea Otter.
peace.

I miss my baby.

I spoke with Myles this morning (in case you don't know...we have been temporarily living apart for almost six months during this big life change of ours). Anyway, our conversation was good, and when we said goodbye we said our "i love yous". I didn't expect to hear from him again today...he is a teenager after all, and it is a Saturday and that usually means life is all about friends (life about parents on the weekends...not so much).
Well I was wrong.....honestly, Myles never ceases to amaze me even during the teen years. He called me late this afternoon and said he was calling from Lake Elsanjo (a lake up at the park where I first fell in love with mountain biking, and the same place I used to take him when he was under ten years old to learn what I came to realize was some pretty techinical mountain biking for a youngster!!)
...Anyway, back to the phone call --he said "Mom, after talking to you today I got inspired to go mountain biking, and now me and Luis are up here at the lake and it's been really fun, and now the sun is just starting to set and it's really beautiful."

...then he went on to say "I just wanted to call you and tell you that."

Now you tell me.....wouldn't your heart just melt.
mine did.

On the job.....

Met one of the owners of this clothing brand along my L.A. travel route yesterday. He was riding the PK Ripper....straight up cool. These are the days that I love.

live it breath it love it

Redlands 2008

Everything about Redlands was a success! We had a great first race with the team and management, we added awesome guest riders to our roster, we rode amazing equipment(!), we stayed in wonderful host housing, and we competed against stellar competition. Of course the highlight was that we took one of the podium spots for the weekend as well! As for me....I obviously couldn't be happier than to have made the podium in an event that I have known for years suited me well. I was so proud to snag a podium for our team and sponsors....and the placing was even more special to me because it was my first criterium this year, and in the last six months my life has been an absolute whirlwind! I just got back on the bike about 8 weeks ago! I was really wondering just how the legs were going to come around.... :)

I love my bike.
I love to ride.

Sometimes it puts tears in my eyes when I think about all the great experiences I have had simply due to this little invention called the bicycle.
Honestly, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this sport in my life. What a pleasure racing really is.

Enjoy the pics...and by the way, take a look at those podium boys! Who would have known ;)

Precious Moments...

I'm feeling a little political here people.

Stay tuned... I got something to say and I think it's worth hearing, but I need to sit back and figure out how to articulate my message clearly.

More crazy news....hilarious.

Great April Fools
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/apr08/apr01newsspecial

Holy Shheeeet!

Is anyone else completely shocked that The Tour De Toona just scaled back to ONE day!!??

No more easter egg hunts...

To all my friends with little ones ---just you wait. ;)
This was how we spent our Easter weekend last week.....yes, Myles got both of them pierced. I said "No" to the tattoo, though .. ;)

Game time draws near for the industry mama.

Quote of the Day:
"You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result."
– Mahatma Gandhi

This will be my mantra going into The 2008 Redlands Cycling Classic.

Look Closely..... it's a drawing!!!!

One of my friends just sent me this drawing that he did from a picture of me.
It blew my mind....

A Picture Report....the beginning of good times with Team Advil Chapstick 2008

TRAINING CAMP-

There we were...eleven women, finally coming together to get the season underway. Our training camp was in the beautiful town of Asheville, North Carolina, and although it was the most cold and the most snow (one little flurry!) this fair weather rider has seen in a long time...I have to say that it was also a very enjoyable and awesome trip. Of course...those who know me, know that Asheville is one of my favorite places on the planet, so it's probably no surprise to know that I just didn't want to leave when it came time to pack it up and head back home! The pictures above give you a little snapshot into our time together training, and enjoying the culture of Asheville!

Allow me to introduce to you the spectacular ladies of this sport that represent our team.

...this is not a palomares introduction by the way ;-)

2008 Team Advil-Chapstick
-Laura "super star, cowboy-boot wearin' spitfire" Bowles
-Sue "need i say more" Palmer-Komar
-Reem "one kick ass, dedicated, do it all woman" Jishi
-Kirsten "the voice of women cycling in the news" Robbins
-Heather "okay this woman just glows" LaBance
-Natalie "remember this name" Klemko
-Anna "more experience than most...and sure has the the legs to prove it" Milkowski
-Elisa "the most modest racer i have ever met" Gagnon
-Sarah "miss i love a life adventure and am always up for challenge" Tillotson
-Jen "yes, I can take you any day" McRae
...and me :)

Now..that's a line-up people. Look for us to get the ball rolling in late Spring! Cheers and as always....word to the bike :)

She's Fuji Fast!

Although I am definitely rooting for my American friends in the international peloton, I must admit it makes me smile to see Fuji on the podium!! Suzanne is an amazing rider.

A Mom's Life...

Times.....they are a changin'

Super Supreme

One of the million pics we took at camp. As for an update on our new team, well life is rolling along busy so I haven't had much time to pu together a report on things....

Get to it soon....

The joys of putting on cycling clinics...

It's emails like this that make my day :)

......"Anyway, I think it was your class that planted the seed of the idea to get a new shorter bike, and here it’s grown to real fruit, so thanks for the seed. Have a terrific racing season. And if you’re in town, you are welcome to go for a spin on my new toy."

paula

Team Advil Chapstick Training Camp 2008

Fresh (and chilly!!) beginnings.....
Update on camp coming soon (Martina!)

Advil Chapstick Training Camp

Asheville here I come......here we go here we go here we go!

Urban is urban.

These guys got it going on.

Bike Love.

FUJI on BICYCLING.COM

Did you know FUJI has a kick-ass mountain bike line? Betcha didnt....but now you do.

Check out this review....
Bicycling.Com
Fuji Reveal 2.0
Light enough to race and burly enough for endurance events, the Fuji Reveal 2.0 can handle it all

By David L'Heureux
Fuji Reveal 2.0

"The addition of the trail-oriented, 5-inch-travel Reveal 2.0 is a big step forward in Fuji's quest to reinvent itself as a player in the full-suspension mountain bike market. Like the go-to dish at your favorite restaurant, the new-for-2008 Reveal is a great entree with some fantastic sides."

I like David's analogy :)
Peep the link below to read the whole review, PLUS see an on-line video review of The REVEAL 2.0
http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s-1-384-16842-1,00.html

word to the bike.

DeGoede takes the first stage on a FUJI :)

Suzanne won the opening stage in New Zealand...Fuji is Fast!

Miss Carroll --one of my best friends

Now most of us in the cycling world are very familiar with the lady on the right, but for all of my non-cycling friends, please allow me to introduce Miss Katharine Carroll, member of The U.S. National Team and former teammate and roommate of mine. This woman is probably one of THE coolest ladies in the sport of cycling and look at her go over there in New Zealand.... contesting (and owning at the moment) the sprint classification. I will never forget how fun it was to ride with Kat during the Tour of Toona. She gave me the most amazing leadouts! It just makes me smile to see her on the podium! All of the American riders are mixing it up over there by the way... Katheryn Curi-Mattis won the World Cup (big news for the U.S.!), Lauren Franges has been getting up there in the sprints regularly, and well Tina Pic and Brooke Miller, they are always there duking it out with the other big guns.....and watch out for Kristen Armstrong....she will definitely be unleasing her terror soon, no doubt.

What is so amazing is that the U.S. is finally a very solid presence in international racing, fielding a whole host of potential champions instead of just a few. That's pretty damn awesome and says big things about this sport for the future ladies! We are witnessing and being part of history in the making here people....hope you are paying attention.

I know that ultimately these women are the competition at home, but there is definitely something very cool and unique about American women in cycling....somehow we are all part of this amazing movement called "women in sport". Ultimatley, we are the ones responsible to grow our sport in this country, and that makes us far more supportive of each other --however, when it comes down to the line, we all want our team to be there first! ;)

Anyway...back the to photo....GO Kat GO!...

compelling urge...

i'm a bike racer, but i still love to run. no music. no talking. no shifting. no gears. no brakes. just me, my body, my breath and my mind. its a great way to clear my head from all the specifics of training, focus, and goal setting. i like to run as the sun sets. today, just as night had fallen into the sky, i found a swing hanging from a tree in a yard along my path....and you can bet that i took the time get on. i lifted my bum up onto the tiny wood platform, feet dangling off the ground, and took a light little swing while gazing into the black of night specked with the twinkle of stars. i loved it. such a peaceful moment in a place that can be so fast paced, crazy, and chaotic......just goes to show what you can find when you're open to it.

Gotta love it when a FUJI gets there first!

Way to go Mr. Rollin....

SE BIKES + ROB and BIG = a match made in heaven!

How about that? Look at that super sweet "PK RIPPER".......
You can get a better looksie on The Rob and Big show, tonight on MTV (or next Tuesday).

Man...those bikes look hot!!!

That top picture gives you an idea of how "BIG" those bikes are --that little wheel in front is a 20-inch! Oh, and you can see my brother Todd in the background of the bottom picture wearing the Blue SE colors. Myles is up there too somewhere, and well...I was there also, but hanging out off-set just watching the shoot.

I think Myles and Todd will be both be on the show. Peep it and see.

Coolness.

Holding my tongue..

But if I weren't holding back I would get busy writing about how Velonews really drops the ball for women. Thank you Cycling News for the pictures and results on The Women's Amgen Race, maybe we'll get a write up too?!

Velonews...ugh. Inside Communications needs to look at their mission statement a little closer, and then apply those words to both sexes in the sport of cycling. The after statement of "oh...and the women raced too blah blah blah" just isn't cutting it anymore. ahem.

MUSICOVERY.COM

iLIKE IT.

Couldn't resist.

Too bad Myles isn't here to hide them from me!

In case some of you have been wondering...

Sometimes women leave the sport of road racing and everyone asks "where did they go?".
Truly when women leave the sport it's typically because some gals head into motherhood, some find a new career, some go off to school, and others move on to a different sport. And as for the ones who don't do any of these things...well i am sure they have moved on to another life adventure because most of the women I have met in this sport are quite adventurous!

Wouldn't it be nice if we had our own cyclingnews page for all things women?! I mean really...isn't it getting to be about that time? We could have racing news, life news, cycling tips for women...etc etc etc! Okay wait a minute..that's a whole different subject, I will not get off-topic. This post is all about one of those women who have moved on from our sport. This post is about Brooke Ourada -- one of the "names" in pro-cycling for the last few years.

For those of you who know Miss Ourada, you know that she is one talented athlete who has had her share of success as a road racer, so it will probably come as no surprise to see that she is now a superstar multi-sport gal (sponsored by FUJI!)....and she's already taking names.

Check out the link below...way to go Brooke :)

http://fujibikes.com/2008/blog/pt/blog/

...and props to FUJI for making an athlete blog page on their site :)

Gonna be a "no-show" at The TOC Race

sorta bittersweet.....

yep, i will be missing the TOC women's race in Santa Rosa.

in some ways i couldn't care less because i have too much going on right now to pay attention to starting my season. the thought of the travel is just too much. hell i was just in philly last week and vegas this past weekend, not to mention i will be heading to training camp in asheville soon.

i just need a few solid weeks here at my little homestead with my bicycle and the sunshine, so i can get my groove on to start my race season in march. and besides....i'm not really ready to have my legs torn off!! we californians are known to have some seriously good early-season form...so i am well aware of the racing i would be subject to should i attend the race up there.

honestly, it's all good for me to start my season a little late this year because i'm totally cool with, and loving my new job and all the new stuff i see and do --but i have to admit, it's truly bittersweet to miss out on an event that will hopefully set the tone for the women to have more races alongside the domestic tours for men...PLUS, the race goes RIGHT by my house in Santa Rosa...and on paper, i still live there at that little home on 3rd street. since when does an NRC race go right by your front door and have the finishing sprint a block from your house?!?!?!?!?!?

oh well....not meant to be hey. win some lose some i guess.....

two xmas's

the second one is when the kits come in :)

Muy Importante

Stylish ZipLock Baggies......now that's a novel idea for travel!
No, I am not a carrier of these fashionable little travel statements, but I bet they start creeping into the security line so keep your eyes open...isn't it truly amazing how suddenly important these little plastic inventions have become?
As a matter of fact, I forgot my "baggie" and forgot to put away my little day bag of cremes before I sent my luggage off with the check-in folks at the airport. So after a trip to the candy store just to get a clear plastic bag with purchase, I realized that my bag HAD to be seal-able! What an adventure....hunting for a seal-able plastic bag at the Las Vegas Airport amongst the bling-bling of all the slots, and shops and wary tourists! Finally, I spotted the First-Aid station, and thanked my lucky stars when the lady there sold me a "baggie for a buck". Breathing easy now...a small price to pay to keep all my little cremes safe from the trash!!!

Monday Morning Funnies

jeez...

sometimes travel is nothing but annoying.

after a hell of a long flight back from Philly (i spent five hours sitting in airports plus the flight itself), i finally get my luggage, catch a shuttle and get back to my car only to find a $50 ticket on my window for not displaying a front license plate. wtf! then...as i am leaving the parking lot with the clock having crept past midnight, rather exhausted from a day of meetings and flying...i am told "miss, do you know your taillights are out?" great. not a damn thing i can do but brave the drive home without rear lights. so i get on the highway. within two minutes i am flipped off and nearly ran off the road by a car full of saturday night partygoers, probably because the people in the car thought i was lame for driving in the night without back lights. trust me...i thought it was lame too, but there was nothing i was gonna do about it after midnight.

the only nice thing about the whole deal is that i didn't get pulled over on my way home from LAX. whew...no surprise that i slept like a rock.