I finally chose which bike I’m going to ride this year.  I ordered the Specialized Tarmac Comp Compact 105 from Nicollet South Bike Shop thanks to Jenna and her husband.  Can’t wait to get it next week.

Yep, I never thought it could happen, but I raced two crits yesterday and actually enjoyed myself. I usually don’t enjoy racing crits; not only are the endless laps boring, but I’m not good at them! I’m always drifting back, working my way back up, drifting back again; it’s a constant battle. But I was determined to improve my crit racing this spring after some poor performances last year. At team camp, I was talking with Cara Gillis and found that she had a similar feeling last spring; after racing practice crit after practice crit she saw a lot of improvement.

I was up early yesterday for the long but pretty drive from Morgan Hill to Dinuba and arrived to find that they wouldn’t let me race in the men’s Master’s 35+ 1/2/3 — some rule over my head — but I could race the men’s Cat 3 at 12:15pm, which would finish immediately before the women’s race at 1:15pm. Hmm. I decided to give it a shot since it was just a day of practice and there were only 14 women signed up at 1:15. More than a couple men gave me the stink-eye on the line (no one is more vain than a male bike racer! “what is SHE doing here…SHE can’t possibly race with us…”) but I just sat on my top-tube calmly. I had never raced with Cat 3s but then again there are always those “never-haves” in racing. I remember very clearly the first time I raced in ‘cross elite 1/2s — Catamount Cross in Vermont in 2009 — and feeling intimidated at the start line but telling myself over and over, “You deserve to be here, you are an elite racer!” [Read more →]

So I am new to the team and to blogging but am anxious to get underway! After last week’s team camp, I am ready to get  the season started. Camp was supposed to be in ‘warm’ Phoenix but it was not so warm. On a side note, before the flight out, I rode in cold rain and did not have time to dry my shoes before the next day’s ride and so started the ride in 35F temps and still wet shoes…hmmm.

Moving on, the agenda was a little bit of bike riding, meeting new faces, schedules and learning about our new sponsors. We have a nice collection and encourage you to check them out! Unfortunately, I was not able to take home all of my goodies due to the size of my suitcase but some single serving packets of Xood and my Genuine Innovations products made it and have been getting use out of them. I had been grumbling about needing to get a frame pump and a new allen key set. Now I have them and can actually fit them in my pockets!

Thanks for reading and check back often to see what the girls are up to as we ready ourselves for an exciting 2011!

Rachel

Wow, this weekend was a great experience!

I did the Valley of the Sun Stage Race this weekend along with Judy and Tracey, who both did awesome! I’ve never done a 3 day stage race before or a time trial, so I definitely learned a lot. I’m not in the best of shape right now so it was a good way for me to see where I’m at and what I need to work on. It’s always tough when they put us CAT 3′s with the Pro, 1,2 field. I unfortunately got caught up in a wreck in the first 3 miles of the road race!!! I wasn’t expecting that but it happens. The crit on Sunday was even tougher! Very fast and lots of strong women. I had a great time though and I look forward to racing as much as I can this season!

I’m ordering a 2011 Specialized from Nicollete South Bike Shop and I am having trouble deciding between the Tarmac Comp or the Amira Comp.  I have come up with a list of pros and cons of each bike, and I would like some input.

Availability: Specialized makes a limited number of 49cm Tarmac frames, so I wouldn’t get my new bike until April.

Components:  The Tarmac comes with Rival, which I like slightly better than 105 because it seems to be narrower and easier to grip with small hands.  Unfortunately with the Amira, there is no option for Rival.

Gears: The Tarmac Comp Rival does not come with a compact gear ratio, but if I go with 105 I can get compact.  But do I really need to have compact?  I’m not a strong climber so I think I should.

Geometry: I have short legs and a long torso.  The Amira in a 51 cm has a seat tube length of 450 cm and a top tube length of 518 cm.  For a 49 cm Tarmac the seat tube length is 460 cm and the top tube is 518 cm.

Is there anything else that I should be thinking about?  Do you all have any advice for me?  It’s always so hard to make a decision on a long term commitment.

First off, we are excited to announce that we have a new team name!  For 2011, our women’s team will be called Missing Link Coaching Systems/ Specialized (formerly Specialized D4w p/b Bicycle Haus).  We are very grateful to our title sponsor Missing Link Coaching & Training Systems for their support in 2011.  We will continue to ride Specialized bicycles and equipment, and we are very excited to be working with a new bike shop – Nicollete South Bike Shop – which is owned and operated by one of our riders, Jenna Rinehart and her husband Justin.

2011 Team Camp

This past weekend, we had our 2011 Team Camp in Phoenix, Arizona.  Typically, you can count on Arizona to be sunny and warm in February, so it’s the perfect location for an early season camp.  Well, Arizona did provide the sun, but not the warmth.  Our team camp coincided with some of the coldest recorded temperatures in Arizona in loooong time.  We shivered through camp, but we all still had a great time riding with each other, getting to know each other, and trying some products and equipment from our great sponsors!  Here’s a quick overview of the weekend.

Day 1: The plan was to follow the route of the Saturday morning training ride in Phoenix (call BOS or Bartlett on Saturday).  Well, given the cold temps, we decided not to make the chilly descent down to Bartlett Lake, so we stuck to riding closer to town.  Still, we had a good time and finished the day off with a delicious Italian meal at Mary’s house.  I was too cold to take photos, but I did manage to snap a few at Mary’s.

Mary’s son Owen steps in as new team massage therapist. [Read more →]

I have to admit that I am one who did not use performance product during a ride or recovery drinks after; just water. I really never gave recovery much thought…not smart!

After a long hard training and racing season, I found myself feeling more tired and run down than usual. I decided to try a couple of protein/recovery drinks. I didn’t like the way they made me feel; I felt bloated and full after drinking them – I didn’t feel much benefit from it so I went back to water.

Later, during our team training camp, a teammate convinced me that I should try Fluid. So, after a long ride I decided to make a recovery smoothly… I’m sure glad I did. I blended 2 scoops of the Chocolate Fluid Recovery, 8 oz. of vanilla yogurt and lots of ice. Yummy!!

The results—I had more energy, reduced aches, pains and muscle soreness following my workout and the next day. I didn’t experience any digestive problems! I now have a recovery drink following all my workouts and I feel great!

Fluid is ideal for athletes who are performance-conscious, want a product free of sugar-substitutes and artificial sweeteners, and who want a great tasting drink—this is the best blend of taste and performance.

Top 5 reasons why team camp was great even after my flights got rearranged due to New England blizzards:

1. I got to meet some of my awesome new teammates and ride with them

2. I got to see what collegiate racing is like in the Southwest and got to race with some of my new teammates

Mel, Judy, Kapri and me in a collegiate race Sunday morning (along with some other folks)

3. I rode with more skin showing than just my nose IN FEBRUARY!!
4. I met some interesting local vegetation (does everything in AZ have spines???) [Read more →]

Shivering before our ride out to Barlett Lake

Mary, lookin' good, snacking on some HoneyStinger during a pit stop

[Read more →]

I learned something today from 2 incredible mountain bikers that I would like, need, to share with my cycling friends…

I rode today with 2 paraplegic cyclists, not on the road, but on Trail 100… Yes, mountain hand bikes!  They were training for a race, just like me!  I’ll admit it and bite the political bullet and say that I was shocked. As I rode with them, my thoughts quickly turned into amazement as I watched them navigated tough terrain and conquer landscape that most mountain bikers can’t clean. WOW!!

It was once said that the sign of a true athlete is one who is dripping in sweat at the point of exhaustion when no one is watching!

This says to me that being an athlete is for the self, not for the crowd, not for the fame, not for the medal… it’s about a commitment to oneself; a determination to succeed and triumph beyond the ordinary – it’s when your body and mind are begging for mercy, screaming to stop- it’s when you dig deep and find exactly what you need to continue –determination and self-dedication prevail. It’s this unbridled dedication to succeed no matter what that allows you to overcome any physical or mental obstacle that life has placed in your path… it’s you saying, go ahead throw everything you got at me, place all the obstacles you can in my path, I’ll go around them, climb over them or hell-I’ll even move them out of the way. I will persevere! [Read more →]