Category — Bicycle Advocacy

Today we rode to our 2nd consecutive Arizona State Team Time Trial Championship! (Sorry no pictures yet!) Specialized D4W was represented by myself, Judy Jenkins, Tracy Perez and Kim Truitt, and we did incredible.

Originally, we were to race a 40k out and back, but some recent severe weather washed out a good bit of the road, and the race was shortened to 30k.  I have to say the course was so much better then Picacho in regards to traffic and general road condition;  the wind however seems to be consistent no matter where the course is – a not so awesome head-wind on the way out and sick tailwind to push us home at speeds exceeding 30mph! Unfortunately we lost some horse-power early on when Kim suffered a mechanical, many people would have simply given up after such an early incident, so needless to say we were all impressed by her drive and dedication when we saw her not too far from the turn-around.

Thanks to Nippy and SW Hand for putting on the race! Great day ladies, it was awesome riding with all of you! Rock on!

- Heather

Dear Readers,

I’d like to bring your attention to a worthy cause here in Arizona.  A young cyclist by the name of Thomas Jondall, with whom I’d had to pleasure to ride, is seeking support to race his bike in Europe with the US Junior National Team.  Thomas is not only a very talented athlete, he’s a great kid with a lot of heart and potential.  He’s worked very hard to earn the opportunity to race in Europe, but he needs a little dough to make it happen.  I am personally going to contribute, and I’m sure he would appreciate any amount you can give, whether is $5 or $50.  To learn more about Thomas, read on or visit the Thomas Jondall Donation Page.  Thanks!

Hello,

My name is Thomas Jondall, I’m 18 years old and I race for Landis/Trek White Mountain Road Club. I’ve recently been selected to race in Europe with the US Junior National Team. The team will be racing some Kermesses in Belgium and then go to Italy for the Giro della Lunigiana UCI 2.1 and Giro di Basilicata UCI 2.1. It has been an exciting year for me and I’m looking forward to this new challenge. [Read more →]

I have to admit, when I first learned that XOOD was our team drink sponsor, I was a bit skeptical; I mean, I’d never even heard of the product. However, after trying  XOOD during my training, my skepticism quickly faded and I immediately felt confident using XOOD during racing. XOOD tastes great, is light in flavor, and provides my body with much needed nutrition when my heart rate is spiked. Best of all, it contains a bit of protein but does not turn “milky” and gross-tasting when it gets warm.

XOOD is a natural, healthy energy drink with no added sweeteners and no artificial colors or flavoring. It is composed of a blend of maltodextrin, whey protein, fructose, electrolytes, and vitamins meant to go easy on your digestive system.

XOOD is a product of HeartWise Fitness & Nutrition and was developed by two cardiologists who sought to provide endurance athletes with a nutrition product composed of only high quality, natural, heart-friendly ingredients. One of the founding docs, Sal Tirrito, is an Ironman athlete and an occasional writer for our Doctor’s Corner section of Women’s Bike Talk.  Lou Lancero, the other founding cardiologist of XOOD, is also an avid bike racer and triathlete.

XOOD is available in three varieties:

XOOD Green Tea · Lemon, with a natural source of caffeine from green tea extract, designed to energize your workouts. Personally, this is my favorite flavor of XOOD.

XOOD Pomegranate, which contains  polyphenols from natural pomegranate extract, designed to act as powerful antioxidants to cleanse the body of toxins built up during sustained exercise and reduce oxidative damage.

XOOD  Mangosteen, which contains mangosteen, a unique tropical fruit with anti-inflammatory properties thought to  revive tired muscles, as well as to decrease fatigue and gastro-intestinal issues.

Although XOOD is not as well known as, say, Gatorade, it’s definitely worth giving a shot. In my opinion, it does not disappoint.

With the end of June quickly approaching, I figure it’s time to update the team and our sponsors on my racing during the past month.  My 2010 Xterra season began on June 5th when I traveled across Colorado to Farmington, New Mexico to race Xterra Four Corners. Farmington is a tiny little town close to Durango, complete with dusty desert single track typical to that of the Southwest region of the U.S. This race was slightly different than most Xterra triathons, with the run preceding the bike instead of the typical “swim, bike, run” fashion. Apparently this suited me well as I took the lead in transition after the swim and never looked back. My award for “Fastest Overall Female” was a beautiful hand-painted platter which is currently perched on my mantel.

Today I competed in the Epic Single Track Winter Park Super Loop mountain bike race. The weather was perfect, my bike was fast, and the dirt was phenomenal. Even with tired legs and a heart rate that seemed stagnant, I had a blast.  This race was only my second pure mountain bike race in my racing history so I was thrilled to win my age group and place third overall for Expert women.

Next up, Xterra West Mountain Championship in Beaver Creek, Colorado on July 17th. Thanks for checking in.

Just a reminder that the 2 Wheels 4 Hope Mountain Bike Benefit Race & Fun Ride is coming up this weekend on June 5!

2 Wheels 4 Hope is a non-profit in Arizona whose goal is to help cyclists in need.  This year, their benefit MTB race and ride will go to help our teammate Heidi Clayton who was hit by a truck on a training ride in March.  Heidi has since been on a long, hard road to recovery, so 100% of the proceeds from this benefit will go to help Heidi and her family.

Event Information

When: Saturday, June 5, 2010

Where: McDowell Mountain Park – Competitive Track (Fountain Hills, AZ)

Events – Sunset Time Trial & Moonlight Fun Ride:

• Time Trial – Starts at 7:15 pm @ 20 second intervals / Long loop ~ 9 miles/ Categories: Pro, Cat 1, 2, 3, SS, Masters, kids race/ Awards 3 deep/ USAC License Required / $5 One Day License Available / Helmets and lights required.
• Fun Ride – Starts at 7:00 pm / Short & Tech Loops Open / Long Loop opens after TT – approx 8:00-8:15

Registration: Closes Friday, June 4 at 5:00 pm ET / Bike Reg

Fees: $20 minimum donation for time trial  (includes Fun Ride) / $15 minimum Fun Ride donation / 100% of proceeds go to benefit Heidi!

Event Website: 2 Wheels 4 Hope

Please do consider doing this event or simply making a donation.  Heidi is a wonderful woman, and this is definitely a very tough time for her.  Every little bit helps, and we are so grateful to you for your support!

Heidi is doing much better and is walking!  We all knew she could do it!  She will be leaving the hospital this week, transferring to a rehab center in Mesa!  She will be there for a couple of weeks and then hopefully, back home with her daughter!  Thank you to everyone for your support and concern for Heidi – she really appreciates all of the warm wishes she has received.

Be careful out there — please!

Yesterday, I mentioned in our Redlands Prologue post that our teammate Heidi Clayton was hit by a pickup truck while on a group ride.  Fortunately, Heidi made it through a long, hard surgery last night and can wiggle her toes.  She has a broken back, but there is no paralysis.  Heidi is going to have a long, hard road to recovery, but she is an incredibly tough woman and will pull through.

Nonetheless, she could certainly use some support!  Below is some information the team has received with instructions for helping Heidi and her family during this tough time.

Updates are being posted to the Ahwatukee Cycling Group on Facebook.  Here is the latest: [Read more →]

Whew!  The season is officially underway with a ton of racing for the team in the last few weeks.  Ruth, Cara, and Judy are just finishing up the San Dimas Stage Race this weekend.  Next week, the team is off to Redlands Bicycle Classic for some fun, fast, and fierce racing.  Redlands is the first NRC (National Race Calendar) event for the team, as well as the first event in the Women’s Prestige Series, which we are also participating in.  Stay tuned for results and race reports!

Team Camp

Meanwhile, I wanted to share some photos from our Team Camp back in early February (yes, I’m a tad bit behind).  We had a great weekend of training in Phoenix, Arizona.  [Read more →]

To all the ladies who want to see more women riding bikes, I encourage you to take this survey from the Association of Pedestrian and and Bicycle Professionals.  The point of the survey is the help the APBP assess what factors need to be addressed in order to encourage more women to ride their bikes and to do so more frequently.  It only took me a few minutes to complete the survey.  Enjoy and pass along!

SURVEY

Please enjoy this guest post by one of our readers – Gaylen Hasson – about the Little Red Riding Hood ride, which takes place in Utah and helps raise money for women’s cancer research.  Gaylen was kind enough to share her experience on the ride with us, and we hope that the LRRH ride this year is another great experience for Gaylen and all of the other participants.  Thanks for sharing, Gaylen!

Little Red Riding Hood is an all women’s ride that takes place in the beautiful Cache Valley north of Salt Lake City.  Women of all ages and abilities can choose from 5 distances, and the feeling surrounding this event is hard to describe.  “Girls Ride” with lots of love!! The past several years LRRH has become involved in raising funds for women’s cancer research.

There is a wonderful sense on camaraderie that starts Friday afternoon on the drive from SLC to Logan – cars with bikes and women all heading north to Logan, UT. The anticipation and fun for me begins each year when the jersey design is posted. [Read more →]