Introducing Lily .... a bright little light!

Recently (and completely out of the blue), I received an email and photo from Lily's dad, Jim. It was a real treat to get this email and photo.

Here is the story....
This picture was taken after The CSC Invitational in 2007.
Let me explain a little bit about this day, leading up to the moment I met Lily.

I had a very frustrating race (all my Lipton teammates were up in Montreal). After this race was over, I realized that I REALLY love racing with a team and not alone(!), and just how spoiled I had become by being on Victory Brewing and Lipton, racing with some of the best riders in the world! I was all on my own on a day where there were strong teams represented in a race that had always been hotly contested....and historically, a break was known to go up the road.
Prior to this race, we Lipton ladies had just completed a round of three weeks of racing in Europe. We had a great racing streak (and an amazing trip!), and all of us were gaining some great form from that "block" of racing.
I, personally, was anxious to get back to some U.S. racing (criteriums especially!), so I asked to be left off of the Montreal roster, and took it upon myself to race a bunch of east coast criteriums ---solo.

In this particular race, the break went early. I went after it and bridged up with one rider (playing defense)in tow. I caught the break in a hard, lap and a half effort, only to have Laura Van Gilder attack...just as I was making contact (she is such a savvy rider!!). She got off the front at that moment, and took Rebecca Larson with her.

That would be the race.

I was pretty knackered at a crucial moment...and ultimately, missed the move of the day! The rest of us in the break were reabsorbed by the pack shortly thereafter, and although I felt strong and capable in the race, and made several unsuccessful attempts to bring back the pair...I would not have a fruitful day of racing. If my memory serves me correctly, it seemed that the field was just letting them go. And the two teams defending were doing a great job at that! Anyway....long story short, I left the course feeling a bit bothered by the outcome of the race on a day that I knew I had good legs.

Then.... along comes Lily.

This smiling, jubilant, little lady... shining brightly in the crowd (always big crowds at CSC). Her dad asked if he could take our picture together. Our conversation was brief, but Lily made me smile. It made me happy again....just to see so much excitement coming out of this little gal, and her pure love for bicycles.

That's what it's all about...so simple.

Meeting Lily reminded me to check myself, and my attitude. She made my day. I left the course with a smile on my face after all (little did she know what an impact she had on me!). I was happy that I met a new little gal who loved bikes as much as I do, and happy to have the life I have. I am a bike racer, and that's a dream come true....regardless of the day's outcome.

I hear from Lily's dad that she is super pumped about getting a new bike for xmas this year. That Rocks. Go Lily Go!

And it went like this...

Three hours on that thing....and I DID too pedal!

And you know what else,
even though I'm not a gambling woman, I am willing to bet something good...like pounds of organic, fair-trade espresso, or many bottles of tasty Russian River pinot noir, that I was one of the best stokers that captain has ever had along for a ride.

Oh wait a second, did I say "one" of the best?
Sorry...I meant to say "the" best.

word.

Ramblings...

I think it's safe to say that I go through suitcases like some people go through running shoes.

An interesting tale.

In the last two days I have seen my share of a different side of Vegas than most of us see during Interbike. I have seen plenty of hookers and thugs, thugs getting busted by cops, hookers looking for the trick, cops pulling over people with movie cameras to document the moment(!), lots and lots of cops and sirens in action actually, casinos, tourists, normal people, some not so normal people, Starbucks everywhere, Whole Foods to save my gluten free life (and to save my gut from any major drama like recently), running for shade by the middle of the day because it's so darn hot, but then freezing my arse off indoors because everyone keeps the A/C on so high indoors.....then add to that about ten very different, very unique visits with Las Vegas area bike shops and two visits to two "new to me" 24 hr fitness centers and there you have it. A work trip to Vegas. Big girl style....all by herself. I didn't even get lost that much!
Crossing my fingers I will actually get to ride my bike here before i leave tomorrow...so off to bed I go. it's an EARLY start....but something tells me there are some nice places to ride outside of town, and I need to learn about them because I will be back here in December (and then again about every 6-8 weeks), and it would be nice to be familiar with and enjoy the outdoors and not just do gym time!

It'll be a miracle if I make that early of a start considering how long my days have been, but it sure would be a great way to end the trip!

One thing I know for sure....I will be more than ready for the weekend come friday! And I couldn't be happier that the time change if finally coming!!!!!!!!!!!

First true love...

This little Ibis Mojo is not my first bike, nor will it be my last....but it is definitely the first racing bike I have ever fallen in love with. I finally found my way back on the little thing last weekend and hit up some "new to me" dirt trails in a "new to me park" (with new friends down here in SoCal). On this day, I was reminded just how special this bike is to me.

We rode some pretty tough trails (and I think I may have been the only hardtailer on most of the tough ones we rode) however, funny thing is... even with the fact that the travel on my old fork was basically non-existent, my tire tread was minimal, one of my wheels in my wheel set has a nice dent in it to the point where I had to place a tube in the tubeless wheel, yaddi yaddi ya, you get the point, right? ...honestly, even with all of that I have to say, once I got going on her ("White Lightning" is my bike's name) I was in total and complete trust that I could handle the trails, regardless of how tough they were, and regardless of all the "issues" with my bike. I felt like I was hopping on a horse that had been my friend for life!

It was such an amazing day....I love that bike.
In all reality....it was from riding this bike (in Annadel State Park) that I developed the skills, the confidence, and the fitness that enabled me to go on to become a fearless little criterium racer in the pro peloton.


There are only two other bikes that have a place in my heart like that one. The first one being my little pink Stingray, that I taught myself to ride when I was about six-years old (I can still remember the first moment I made it around the corner in front of my house without having to put my foot down!...little did I know what love I would have for corners later on as a professional rider!!). And the other bike being this little 24" wheel Schwinn road bike my dad got for me when I said I didn't want to race BMX anymore, but I still wanted my own bike. I remember loving being in the big ring and loving being on the road, and loving going really, really fast (a feeling that you just couldn't get on a bmx bike!). I was far too young, and out of the loop to know that the bike I was riding was a style of bike that was actually being raced (by women!) but had I known....who knows what could have or would have happened! I think I was about twelve when I got that bike and I remember thinking how cool it was when my dad put a MotoFox sticker on it (a bmx thing). So that was my bike's name "The Green Fox" ....it would be over twenty years before I got back onto a road bike, and even a couple more before I ever raced one....but that little road bike and some of the moments I had riding it are forever embedded into my brain --the feeling of high speed, and the wind in my face, and the urge to race cars (lol), and the pressure in my legs from using big gears, and most notably, the pure freedom that I felt when on two wheels.....those are the things that make me realize, (like so many people) I have loved bikes practically my whole life, to the point where I almost feel bad when someone tells me they don't ride bikes, because I know, as many others do, the pure joy that can from riding at any age and in any fashion. Okay...sappy bike love story over :)

word to the world on two wheels
RIDE ON RIDE ON

This is one of those days....

...where i have gained a little perspective.

it took having a heart to heart conversation with someone very special, and all i can say is that i am forever grateful that there are some pretty amazing and wonderful people in my life to help me by simply listening and then giving me such valuable feedback! the subject is not exactly important....it's more or less a reminder to believe in, support, and value the people in our lives that sometimes we take for granted!

making that comment is probably a little more personal than a typical brenda blog post...but hey, i don't have any concerns about sharing my feelings when compelled to do so. there you have it.

and....in other news, last night i had a tough evening of major tummy cramps (miss super sensitive ate something that didn't go over so well!). essentially i didn't sleep a wink and ended up missing an event that i had planned on attending with one of my bike shop dealers. i feel horrible about missing something i committed to, but at some point...i had to choose between a little rest for the wicked, or run out on another terror mission and risk crashing and burning in the very near future, especially considering that my life has been rolling along at the speed of light lately!

so as i lay there at 5am this morning, the smart side of me said....it's time to rest and heal, and hope that the bike shop dealer will understand. something tells me this was all meant to be, but trust me....i did not like to fail on a commitment, nor did i like to be buckled over with stomach cramps for half the night....just to learn a lesson! it's been a way more than busy time for me with work and travel....to the point where i work very hard to add in all the other normal elements of life, like spending time at "home", getting to exercise, see and talk with friends and loved ones etc etc etc...

fortunately, i am pretty in tune with myself, and can usually see that brick wall from a distance away...thus thankfully, i have usually been able make sure i don't go slamming into it!!

so...i'm going to sit back...take in a little sunshine, spend some time on two wheels, spend some time with special peeps and then get back on a roll come Monday.

the word of the weekend: Rejuvenation.

ciao

Along the way....I met Maya

So it was a normal day for me. I was parking my car to head in to see one of my dealers, Ira's Bike shop in Arroyo Grande.

Suddenly, just a few feet away from me, I saw this young gal have a pretty bad crash on her bike. It was a nasty crash, actually, and I immediately went to her aid. I basically had to run after her and tell her to stop (the adrenaline and embarrassment of the crash made her just get up and attempt to take off on her bike!)I convinced her to get off her bike, have a seat on the curb, and then I worked on calming her down by asking her to take a few deep breaths, and telling her she could trust me, because I too, was a bike rider and I knew what it was like to crash (little did she know how many times!!). We made our way over to the nearby public restroom to clean her up and we called her Mom. I stayed with her til her Mom could get out of work and come take her to the Emergency Room. In the meantime, I congratulated her for her bravery, and for wearing a helmet, and of course I showed her all my scars from the bunches of crashes I have had over the years.....but told her I still love to ride bike, even after all my crashes.

So...her Mom came, they hugged, they packed up the bike and off they went to see the doctor. That was that. Or so I thought.

This week Maya's mother called me and our conversation nearly brought me to tears. She told me about Maya and how shy she is, and how this was a big step in life that they were taking to have her start riding her bike to and from school (I think Maya must be about twelve or thirteen years old...and just learned to pedal on two wheels a year ago or so). Sandy, Maya's mom, told me that the day after the accident she told Maya that she didn't have to ride her bike to school anymore if she didn't want to and Maya looked at her and said...."Mom, that is the best part of my day."

.....that's the part that almost brought me to tears. How cool is that. What a trooper. Below is an email I received from Maya just recently. It made my day.

I think I have made a new friend :)






Hi It's Maya. Thank you soooo much for helping me on last Tuesday. I went to the urgent care and they gave me stitches. The wound under my nose is healing, but the one on my knee hurts the most. I'm feeling better, and Ira fixed my bike.
If you hadn't been there, a lot of bad things could have happened.


Maya

okay...maybe I am bragging a little....but c'mon we are talking about a teenager here!

I just can't help it, my son continues to blow my mind.

Our most recent conversation consisted of him telling me how excited he was to go on a field trip to The main PG&E Facility in San Francisco, where he and his classmates were going to learn about the PG&E plant, and what they are doing to become more environmentally active. Myles, went on to tell me (once again) that he wants to make a life and a career in the realm of environmental sustainable living....wow is this really my baby saying all of this unprompted to his mama?!(maybe we will build a straw bale house together someday!)

...and in nearly the same five minutes, he starts to ask me serious nutrition questions, and actually asked my advice in the area of how to best replenish his body after hard workouts because he wants to do it right, and be as fit as he can possibly be. And get this....he called me an expert in the area, and someone he really trusts that can help him become the best athlete he can be.

awwwww... super big sigh and pitter patter goes the heart.

We won't talk about how "he forgot" to call me, and how I waited til I was practically sound asleep to hear from him!!....because at this point, none of that matters. I'm just thrilled with the topics of conversation we are having lately.

Thank you to the universe.

Weddings, bike rides, and new special people.

The funny thing about the cycling community is that most bike racer weddings typically take place in the fall, when we get to actually have the "off-season"! It's pretty funny how many road cyclists will go down in history as being married in the month of October!! Recently, I have had the pleasure of attending two special bike racer weddings...two weekends in a row. It was a lot of effort on my part to make both events work into my life, considering the logistics of work and travel and this being the big "pre-season" sales time for the cycling industry etc etc....but I couldn't be more happy about making the effort to be present and part of both of these lovely celebrations. Both wedding locations were beautiful, both couples were amazing, and the folks who attended the two events were some of the coolest people I know.....hands down. Naturally, I also met a bunch of wonderful people as well. Of course both wedding weekends also included a road ride ---I mean naturally, you bring your bike to a wedding, right!? LOL

So this last wedding, which was Saturday, took place in Escondido, it was a great time indeed. Early in the day I went on one of the most beautiful Southern California road rides I have been on since moving here a year ago. And thank goodness, all I had to do was arrive in Carlsbad....suit up and follow his wheel, and his plan. Life made easy :) Along the route, I rode something called Harmony Grade and it reminded me a bit of the beautiful (almost unknown roads) outside of the Fresno area where we once had a pro-women's stage race. Anyway, we pretty much went up and down and up again (and up again and again and again!) for the whole entire ride....which was actually a welcome change from the area I typically ride out of here in central Orange County. I will definitely plan to take advantage of the Carlsbad area for winter riding now that I know a little more about those roads!
Again...I can't say enough that it is worth the extra effort to squeeze good times into life, even when work is all consuming!! Both weekends were just incredible and have left me completely satisfied and rejuvenated! (By the way...I did get to spend time with my main man Myles during my first wedding weekend trip...that was the greatest gift any mom can ask for...time with her teenage son!)

So one interesting note about the weddings: considering most of us see and spend so much time together on bikes, and rarely do we call for occasions to dress up, it practically goes without saying that it was fun to see (at both weddings) everyone all decked out in cool threads. Cyclists sure do "clean up" nicely!

Weddings are so cool.

Anyway, onto a little pictorial:...

Kat and Janelle all smiles...
go to http://www.meredithmiller.missingsaddle.com/2008/10/13/good-times-ca-style/ for more great pics from this day! (Meredith has an amazing camera!)

Thea and Dirk Copeland....pure joy

A typical site during a ride....climb climb climb and by the way...PROOF(!) that Bluv does do hills ;-)

my greatest blessing.......Myles

WELL SAID.

"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well."
– Diane Ackerman

I'm tired of reading about DOPERS.

It's getting old.

I feel a little bit like that girl in the picture.....

Been sleeping like a rock lately. The days are long, the brain is full and there is no end in sight. Interbike was a whirlwind (always is) and contrary to popular believe I only went out one evening and it was for the Sinclair Imports Party....really a great time with lots of new and old friends and I think we danced enough to officially call it a workout!! I did get in a nice long run one day at the show (which was a miracle), but the rest of my time was spent working the floor like the superstar sales chick I am (juuust kidding)...but really it was non-stop. Came home from Interbike with the chore of moving all of my home office stuff from one room to another in the house, not the greatest timing considering all the post Interbike follow-ups I need to be organized with, plus getting strategy down with existing dealers.....ahhh did i really say i was a girl who loves challenge?! lol Meanwhile, car registration is due, gotta keep my daily work outs to stay fit and feeling good, gotta do all the usual stuff like eat shower and laundry...and have I mentioned I am coming down to the wire with my 2007 taxes at the same time I need to send in a few months worth of expense reports to my company.....last minute brenda does it once again. But here's the deal... I have finally hired an assistant to help me with my books each month for expense and gas and mileage reports. You have no idea what a great investment this will be.......yippeeee...

Ps) cool things are coming down the pipeline for our 2009 women's team so please stay tuned. cheers.

Praise to my main man Myles....

My baby is in "The Green Academy" (a pilot program being run at his high school and the only one of it's kind in the U.S.). He is absolutely loving it and is already planning his career in the world of "green living" ...... I'm so thankful he gets it at such a young age and I'm also very thankful for the teachers he has, they must be exceptional! Can you imagine having conversations with your teenage son about solar panels, and bio-fuels etc etc...?!

Meanwhile...he is on the football team, is holding a 3.0, and is part of kickin' little rap band that actually has some pretty cool beats and lyrics!

Go Myles go! :)

Loads to share from Interbike...

....but at the moment the biggest news for me is that I slept 24hrs over the last two nights, which just might be a record for me! Let's hope that's enough to catch up on the twelve hours of sleep I had during the whole show. Does that make it even now???

I can feel myself coming back to normal finally, and once I get completely unpacked and organized, I will update you on the show. WOW(!)we have cool things happening in the bike industry.....I just love it! More to come about our brands and the cool new things and announcements, but overall I have to say that I believe anyone who rides a bike is already a happier person than those who do not! So spread the word and get your friends and family members out on a bike....it's a beautiful, beautiful thing and one of the most amazing inventions ever. Even for all the craziness and stress of business that goes down at the show, it never fails that I leave Vegas feeling super fortunate to be part of this industry!

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

Interbike......let the circus begin.

Two reasons that I know it's Fall

1.) I am running on a regular basis (well...errr lets call it "jogging")
2.) I switched from white wine to red and appreciate every sip :)

I named her "Angel"

SE LAGER in Cool White....and she's all mine in a 47cm.
(click on the picture to get a better view).

Gotta build her up this weekend.

I think I'll plan to get a few different sets of Velocity rims in different colors and then just change them out to suit my mood ---which changes often by the way, lol. But hey....it keeps life colorful to change, right?
So...for the rims, I'm thinking a teal set, a purple set, a green set and well maybe a set of powder gray mags (but it seems to only be cool to sport one of those at a time, so I'd be mixing in the colored velocity rim...sounds hot hey.). I might even go on and get a different seat to change it up at times, but the one that comes on it is checkerboard with a lightning bolt.....that's hard to beat for now :)

so hey...
when was the last time your brother designed the bike you ride?
mine did ;)

Me and Angel are gonna go places together....

seeeee....

contrary to popular belief....i am still alive.
promise i will be better at updating soon. gotta remember it's pre-season here in the cycling industry and there is not a minute to spare right now! i did just get to go see my baby up in santa rosa this weekend though.
lets see.... in 48hrs i drove to norcal, watched a varsity high school football game (was too late to watch myles play in the jv game thanks to bay area traffic), went to dinner downtown with myles and his sweet girlfriend, went to sleep, woke up and went straight to the flying goat (ahhhhhhh....that espresso was a treat), went for a spin in kenwood, met myles at his football practice, had a chit-chat with his coach, showered, went to lunch with myles, stopped by my old house and sifted through some stuff, packed my car to the gills, drove to san francisco...raced the san francisco twilight(!), showered again (at the nearest 24hr fitness), hung out with one of my best girlfriends, met up with the race peeps, went out dancing, ended the night with a couple of tacos in the castro way past dinnertime ahem...and went to bed by 3am.

then was up at 8:30 and was straight to union street for breakfast with the gang.
one tasty meal and two double espressos later i was back on the road to socal.

got home in time for an hour run.

whew....lightningspeed

FUJI is FUJI

it's a beautiful thing when you represent bicycles named after such a spectacular feature of the planet....

nightstand

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe,and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
-Christopher Robin to Pooh

Siblings.......

ASI Annual Sales Meeting -- Philadelphia,P.A.

super proud.

SE BIKES is Sizzlin HOT!

This is just one of the many cool bikes we are rollin' out for 2009. Fuji, Kestrel, and SE Bikes are all going to blow your mind!

Rollin, Drivin, Jetsettin

Doing a whole lot of all three!!

...Just got back from a little getaway weekend in Austin, and yep it got hot hot hot again! I like that place every time I visit though...it's just such a relaxing break from the movin and shakin that goes on over here in SoCal. And as for moving and shaking...dang!...I didn't even feel the earthquake! oh well....I got enough excitement in my life right now that it would be really nice if we could keep ground shaking to a minimum. lol.

Leaving for Philly tomorrow. Stay tuned....

ps) still haven't found my camera battery! (i feel like Chrissy..hahaha)

Yo People.......

FUJI BIKES....on a roll.

Cheers to "the ride"

Spent the entire day in the saddle on Saturday. That was a first for me in a long, long time. We rode from Santa Monica to Simi Valley ...and back. Like my friend said when we decided to change our route, "this ride just went from good to epic!"

He was not kidding!
What a day.

...and we still had the legs to sprint the Santa Monica City Limit sign at the end of the day. It was a photo finish ;)

On another note....my good friend Meredith Miller came over to Huntington Beach for a few days and we were fortunate enough to get to spend some time together both on and off the bike!! That was great.
I love it when the special people in my life come here to visit :) :)

Needless to say, the last few day have been good, or shall I say... darn right epic!

Rock On.

Well now...

I like the elements and all, and I have come to appreciate the forces of nature living along the coast here, but when the wind makes you work just as hard on the downhill as the up, it's just a little bit of a bummer.

..especially since I am the type of rider who pretty much suffers through climbing for two reasons:

1.)simply so that i can enjoy the views from the top.

and

2.) so that i can experience the thrill of the descending!

i'm simple. :)

Metal Flower

....tough and delicate all at the same time. thats me. lol.

For real.

I sleep on an air mattress. Hang on though....before you make assumptions about my air matress sleeping set-up, let me say something....this airbed is one deluxe suite of pumped up plastic! I'm pretty certain that if all of our race trip host-housing folks had these kind of air mattresses when we came to stay....we might never leave!

chek it out:
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/10/review-aerobed-.html

It's a double decker queen bed thing, that in reality could easily double as a raft if ever there were a flood. Or..has anyone done that afternoon raft ride in Tempe Arizona? This bed could be the highlight of the river! I am sure we could fit a couple coolers, a boom box and half a dozen peeps on it.

The only problem is that this airbed now has a slow leak. My son and his friends decided to see if they could double bounce me off the bed one day and that was that. The next morning I woke up in a marshmallow for a bed. I wake up that way every morning now. lol.

This is when it would be nice to have an assistant go and get me another one of these super deluxe, every home should have one for guests kind of thing...cuz man, lately I'm way to busy for these minor details!

Ok ok ok though enough is enough... I'll get one ordered this weekend.
No more marshmallow mornings....

Quote of the Day

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
– Aristotle

More from Austin. Next time I go there, I'm getting a pair of cowgirl boots!

Here is a nice selection of pics from our off-the-bike time in Austin. Thanks to Rick Kent for taking so many pics through the weekend.

I wish all race trips were like this one!! ;)

The folks in Austin really made a big, big deal about bringing the race to their town and thanks to Michael Ball of Rock Racing....the event received some great sponsorship and the name of the event became "Austin Rocks"....and let me tell ya, it sure did! My teammate Jen McRae, and my good friend and former teammate Kate Sherwin both live in Austin, so I have a darn good reason to go back real real soon.

People talk about Austin being this and that with music scene being so great, and with Lancy Pants opening a store etc etc...but for me, it will always be a special place just because that weekend was so wonderful. True that. It will be hard to repeat that kind of good time anytime soon, that's for sure.

Anyway, other than that.....we had Manhattan Beach, not the best weekend for me on many levels. The race was actually a bit of a buzz kill because it just never seemed to get aggressive enough, thus leaving everyone and their mum to feel like a sprinter come the end of the race (so typical hey). We pulled off third with Jen, which is great (never complain about podiums!)....but we know we can be on that top step. That is the goal. The best thing to come out of that race was the awesome host housing and support we received from my good friend and client Jim Manton of Sand Canyon Cyclery. He and his family and friends took really great care of my team, and to top it all off, we did a women's ride out of his shop that turned out to be a highlight for us all! Very cool stuff :)

So...post the Manhattan Beach race, I went right into a week long visit with my special, main man, Myles (sorry no pics yet cuz i lost the silly cord to upload!). Myles came here with two friends for a week. Ahem. Thats' right, three teenage boys for a week of Summer break! Talk about tiring a little mama out...lol. It was all about driving, and riding bikes, and sightseeing, and beaches and movies and girls hahaha! Jeez I could hardly keep up with these guys! Myles is just such a sweetheart though, even with the challenges of him being a teen!

I love him bunches and miss him every single day that he is not with me.....

So thats that. There's the update. Actually been training my arse off too (like I said in my other post!). I've been logging a bunch of miles on the bike in new places, with new people, and finally feeling like I am able to explore this new territory of mine on the bike ---and not just in the car!

Okay....just keepin' it fresh and keepin' it real (and throwing in a cold one here and there too!)


Peace

Training!...

...notice the time of this post. i am turning over a new leaf here and am actually going to do an early (really early!!) ride today. i have NO idea what has gotten into me ;)

cheers, ciao, and word to the bike.

Slacker Alert!

ok....i'll be be back this weekend! been in a bit of a frenzy with all the life stuff....but trust me i got good reports coming --and pics too!!

Hope you all have a happy day off people.
(thats pretty much my term for the 4th!)

btw--- my favorite memories from the 4th of July Holiday are the times that we decorated our bikes (we all did...me and my brothers) and rode them in the parade in our home town. it was "cool" to show off that we rode bikes!! hahaha...who would have ever known what was to come. I tell ya, I think I was just as proud as the mayor in that parade....riding along on my bike.

I knew I had something special beneath me...something very special.

Summer speed!

Does anyone else ever notice how fast the pace of life is when "summer" comes???
It's like this for me every year, and this year is no exception!
Anyway, we just raced in Austin Texas and I can't tell you how cool that trip was because I would have to write a book, and at the moment I do not have time to write a race report but here is a pic that sort of sums it all up :)

That was a first...

So I am meeting up with a potential new dealer yesterday over on E. 7th Street in Los Angeles. These guys are starting up a fixed gear community shop. It's going to be pretty cool, the shop is hardly put together yet though so to go over paperwork and whatnot, we met right outside the front door by their truck, which they had up on the sidewalk to unload stuff they had brought in for the shop. Now I tell ya...that was probably the most interesting meeting I have ever had with a dealer. We must have had about five people come up and start some "very interesting" conversations with us...the most memorable being the woman who came along and asked if we needed the truck washed. Seemed like a normal inquiry and all....until she said she would lick the whole thing for a cost..! That one pretty much got us all.

I had to laugh.

Yea that woman was probably clinically "cookoo" (like many of the folks walking around on the streets right there) and yes, it can be a bit of a tragedy to see so much homelessness...but in that split second when she blurted out that comment, that woman's boldness, her quick wit, and the twinkle in her eye...just reminded me not to take it all so seriously.

She sure as heck isn't!!

Kind of a Big Deal....some BMX news for ya!

We went to the watch the U.S. BMX Olympic Trials down in Chula Vista on Saturday. That was well worth the drive. Standing there with my brother, witnessing a bit of history in the making was pretty awesome! (this year is the first year ever for BMX to be included in the Olympics). You gotta go to www.toddlyons.com to understand just how big of a role BMX has played in our family's life. (..if you peep his website, make sure you go to the archives section and check out the pics from ten and twenty years ago!!) As for the race, Mike Day won the spot that was up for grabs. Kyle Bennett already owned a spot based on points, and one more guy (out of the others that raced this weekend)is going to get a coaches selection for Bejiing! It gave me chills to watch it all go down!!

AND..by the way Jill Kitner is going to represent the U.S. for the female side of things! www.jillkitner.com

It's a special year for the world of BMX :)



Me and Todd with Scott Breithaupt, the originator of SE BIKES.


Alan Foster and TL talking business. Alan is now a brand manager for Felt Bikes BMX division. We have know the Foster brothers since we were young and I spent a million days at BMX races watching those guys! The Foster brothers were known for how smooth they were on the track!....


And check out the size of this track! Look at that starting gate!!! That thing is crazy big!! And the track itself, wow....it's incredible!! A real BMX'ers dream!

They're coming soon............

Kestrel Talons.... back on the road and looking hot!

Congratulations Anthony!!

Anthony Zahn made the 2008 Paralympic selection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rock on.

One more from Philly......

Here is that sprint to the line I was talking about......look at all that horsepower!
I try to refrain from using any curse words in my blog but that picture is pretty bad-ass....I just had to say it!

And about the race....

Those are my legs before they gave out!

Ha...well what can I say? I had a hell of a day.....along with everyone really!! But for me and my little personal Liberty Classic experience, all I can say is that I simply fell apart going into lap four with cramps that practically kept me from putting any pressure on the pedals (I first learned of my inabilty to perform in extreme heat with humidity when I ran a marathon in Honolulu many years ago!!!!). I sure would have loved to finish on Sunday, but there was just no way I could see myself being any part of the race other than a finisher that rolled in many minutes after the race to the line. Therefore, I called it a day and happily rode over to the stands to watch my teammate Jen tear it up in the sprint with Ina and Brooke Miller. Thanks to Brooke who launched first down the last straightaway, she and Jen got a great jump on the other sprinters, but Jen couldn't quite get around Brooke (Brooke had a very, very strong sprint), and then Ina just squeaked by Jen at the line keeping her off the podium by one spot! Man....what a great sprint to watch.

I have to admit, having the opportunity to see that sprint was well worth giving up riding that last time over the Manayunk Wall for..hehehe, twist my arm ;) And truly, if I'm not going to be in the sprint...the next best thing is to be watching it!

Anyway, back to my race, I had great day, and a hard day all in one. It was nice to get back on the course and let go of last year's terrible memory of crashing in the last kilometer, and it was very inspiring to be back racing with an international field as a full-time career mama. Days like these remind me how much passion I have for this sport, and my team, and the company I work for....I feel so fortunate.

Thanks for reading :)


See you in Austin June 21st......

Liberty Classic 2008

All I have for you at the moment is a post race picture from our dinner with Fuji Bikes after The Liberty Classic race yesterday. I'm just too plain tired to write much right now about the race itself (long night, early flight and straight back to work this afternoon right off the plane...i'm a little wiped out!). However I will say the weekend was as Philly always is....a crazy whirlwind full of excitement, high energy, anticipation, pain (more pain!), suffering (and more suffering!). Of course, sprinkle in a little good luck and bad luck on top of it all and "voila", you have the race as it goes down every year!

Now who would want to miss that? It was epic.

BTW--- Jen McRae, my super teammate extraordinaire, BARELY missed the podium in the sprint to the line and came home for 4th on the day! Remember folks...she's right there duking it out with all those ladies getting their race legs over in Europe, yet she is a full time MOM and part-time racer....that's the coolest thing ever.

word to the bike.

Should have been a DNS

So I had a nice little four hour layover yesterday, that effectively cost me a good night's sleep and a good day at the races today. I hopped in bed this morning at 2:15am -my alarm set for 6:30am. The van departed for the hour drive at 8am and I was in the start line at 11am (after building my bike in the parking lot at the course). I knew I was walking into a storm, but I had do to it.....just to say I did.

Needless to say, it was a bad day at the office..... lol.

Gotta love race days that make you wish you took up sewing.....

Northeast side....

Shipped my bike and two wheelsets to Philly today. Thanks to our sponsor (Wyeth), we get travel vouchers to use with UPS....saves big time on shipping anything bike related, especially with the increased cost for travel bags!! I always feel a little strange sending my bike on the road before me, but some things just have to be done. It's a little bit of a bonus to have some extra space for packing though, especially considering I am always the one dragging around an extra suitcase full of food (just ask my teammates)!! And you can bet I wasted no time packing some goodies in that bike box this time around. I mean...have you ever tried to find a health food store in Northeast Philly???

Ain't happenin'.

And those peeps must not drink espresso either, because I couldn't even find a Starbucks last time I stayed out that way(had to drive 14 miles to get Starbucks, and you folks who see them every five blocks know how weird that must have been)!!

There are plenty of Sheets there though ;)
Ahhh....the wonders of culture.


Anyway, so that Blue Sky soda in the picture, got some of that packed for the trip too..that would be my savior for when I crave sugar drinks, and lately I got a little bit of that craving. My soda craving always come with summer, plus, it's always nice to go for a soda after a race and feel like it's okay to be drinking it! Thank you for existing Blue Sky.....and saving me from high fructose corn syrup!!
(Ps..I also packed rice noodles, Kashi cereal, Annie's canned ravioli, Fruity Booty and my espresso, the grinder and the maker...hehehe).

Philly here I come....ready or not.

Never had flowers on my toes before...

Got sweet talked into having flowers painted on my toes at the nail salon. I took this pic just as I showed up to race the twilights last night because I wasn't sure if the dainty little flowers would last through the wear in my cycling shoes and I wanted to remember the artwork on my toes as cute as they once were! But to my surprise they lasted and were fully intact after the race..and that was one hell of a training crit too!!

Now I'm not a super girly-girl or anything like that...trust me, I will throw an elbow and I have been known to stir the pot here and there, but when it comes to certain things like painted toe nails, high heels and cute purses...well I kind of fall right into the trap of being a girl!

lol....

Is it possible to coordinate the schedule???

So I am racing The Austin Criterium on the weekend of June 21st.
I'm psyched and stoked and totally looking forward to it....but why is that The Tour De Nez and The Hellyer Velodrome events have to be placed on the same weekend!?
(not that I would race the track but I'm just saying)
It's kind of a bummer to see multiple races like these slated for the same weekend....

It seems to be a bit of a pattern, sort of like Cat's Hill being raced on the same weekend as Roswell/Sunny King and Tour of The Gila. These are ALL amazing races. And many events have totally stepped up the game as far as sponsors and payouts etc etc etc...

It bugs me for some reason.

I just hate to see all that hard work going into putting on these races only to have teams and riders not show because they are off racing another important race that happens to fall on the same weekend!

I see Tour De Nez (Nevada City) becoming a big event on the schedule for women...but it's tough to compete with a high-profile race like Austin (!) and then what about Hellyer....I mean dang (!) that's some serious prize $$ for track racers...but aren't alot of our top "trackie women" (of NorCal) also road racers that will be torn on which event to do???

And on another note...my little hometown area in Columbus, Ohio is throwing a nice two-day event that will offer equal prize monies for the women as the men (www.tourdegrandview.com). That's something worth supporting. This race used to be part of The Wendy's Classic, which was a big stop for NRC racers. These folks are doing their part to bring it back, but hey guess what?...it happens to be the same weekend as Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. Another high-profile event that will make it hard for the Ohio race to draw the top guns and big numbers from out of towners....

I wish there was a solution because there are clearly some people out there working very hard to raise the level of racing here in the U.S. (for men AND women), and I personally would like to see these races succeed at gaining momentum and become key races on the schedule!

Two bits from a women who wishes she could be in two places at one time..

In the moment.

So in preparation for Philly I raced the Memorial Day event held out in Long Beach. I raced the Masters Men 30+ 1/2/3 (40k??) and the Pro 1/2 Men (100k).

I'm a little cooked to say the least.

I didn't finish the Pro 1/2 race (I lasted about 60k). I actually came pretty close to sticking in there. At one point though, it really got going full throttle and all sorts of dudes were getting blown out the back. Shortly thereafter, I decided to call it a day too. I mean c'mon... it was a 100k criterium! (and I had already done that race earlier). I was beginning to think about minor things like food and water....neither of which did I have!! Plus, I was not about to be the one who let a gap open, so I made a polite little exit when I saw an opening to get off course.

Have I mentioned that I'm tired?

I'm cooked.

And I'm still tired, many hours later and even after a nap (I never nap!).

I love training races......
but the only way I managed to keep my head in there through two long races was to focus on the moment, one pedal stroke at a time. It was cool to ride like that..it became somewhat of a game I played with myself out there...to see how well I could stay "in the moment". It was fun. It kept my head in the game....that's for sure!

Anyway, I am definitely tired but I am truly and completely satisfied.
Gotta love the bike.


And BTW, some of the funny things said to me today were
--"I can't draft off of you at all, but I can get a draft off your legs"
(hahaha funny guy)
--"why do they have to tell us 26 laps to go? can't they just tell us when it's 5!"
(seriously. lol)
and my personal favorite of the day...
--"youre racing the 30+?? you cant be old enough!!"
(can you say that again, so I begin to believe it too?!) ;) ;) ;)

It's true.

IT IS A SMALL SMALL WORLD!!
I keep meeting people who know people who know people that I know. It seems nearly impossible that this could happen down here in this overpopulated, sea of people! It's random and cool at the same time. I mean we're not even talking same context, just complete chance meetings! What is that thing called that one of my best girlfriends talks about? --Six degrees of separation?

Maybe its true.
Or maybe.. it's just the fact that I'm getting older and the law of "random people knowing my people" average is increasing!! LOL. (and no i do not consider myself too old to use lol or omg!)

And on another note...there were flowers delivered to my house yesterday from a "secret admirer", also known as "Huge fan". I'm altogether flattered, but I have to admit...there is this little, itsy-bitsy thread of me that hopes the flowers didn't come from that weirdo that followed me for a million miles on The 405 the other day. I sure hope he didn't go and pay to find out who I am by looking up my license plate on the internet.
That stuff is creepy. Really ..is it supposed to be that easy to "find" someone? Well it shouldn't be. It's not like the flowers came to my office...they came to my house!

Tell me you wouldn't wonder a little bit too.
Still....the pretty pink flowers look nice on the kitchen table :)

I'll never forget this smile....

I just wanted to share a little something from my world....this is Anna. She was a friend, a mother, a wife, a sister, and a daughter. She passed away quite unexpectedly shortly before my racing season began. She was young, bright, beautiful, and full of life.
I have dedicated this year to her.
I love this picture so much. Miss you Anna.

POH-diUM...again :)

These legs...

Did this...!



More reporting soon....

It's Go Time.

We'll be racing in Delaware this weekend, come on by and say hello :)

MMmmmmmmm......

This stuff is too good! ....especially if you don't do the Moo-moo milk like me! Actually I have been almost completely dairy and gluten free for awhile now...kinda funny as I hadn't really planned on being that way. It just sort of happened and now I'm rollin with it. I'm not a fanatic about it like I used to be (thirteen years of vegetarian living of which five were vegan!) but I am all about keeping it as fresh and chemical free as possible!! Go get some of this stuff...it's good good good and it aint gonna cost you an arm and a leg!

My house pals

Dyani the dog and Cali the cat....my brother's sweet little pets. These two characters are all about love and food ...two little creatures after my own heart.

Love and food.

Two of my favorite things as well! ;) ok ok ok... and I always have to mention the bike, my other always favorite thing. For reals, without my bike I wouldn't have the need for so much food (!!!) nor would I create the piece of mind to allow myself to be all about love.

Dang, there's some real truth in that last part.
Cheers.

The wall is near...

And here we go again.....just four weeks away.

TL and BL

I like working with my brother. I like living with my brother. I like riding with my brother. Word.