Training Camp # 2

Camp # 2 for Target Training Women's Pro team is now in the books. This one was far more interesting than last. The weather was a huge factor this past weekend. I thought all in all it was productive but anytime you are training in 30 or below degree weather, you have to question your sanity or whether cycling really is that important to you. This particular weekend it was. I flew up to Westport, CT where Target Training Headquarters are located. The travel was amazingly easy even though there were ice storms all around the country including where I was headed.

Thursday was the first day of camp. We got up thinking we were going to be out on the bike early that morning but sub freezing temps kept us from getting on the bike till well after noon. Finally we hit the road and got in almost 3 hours. IT was FREAKING COLD. We have a couple of riders that are spread out across the US but 6 of them are based in and around CT so they are used to these temps. Not me, I am the southern girl who apparently doesn't know how to dress for cold weather riding. I thought I did. I even had the hand and foot warmers you buy at the outdoor store. That is not enough. Cold weather riding is an art and it takes time to acquire the skills to master that art. I am a long way off but in retrospect it isn't something I want to get comfortable with. By the end of the day, I was beat and ready for bed. A night of my favorite TV shows, The Office and grease Anatomy and take out Thai food and I was cured of all hypothermia for the temporary. Tomorrow would entail an even longer and colder day outside.

Friday came quick and we were up early checking the weather channel looking for a way out of riding outside. No such luck, after plans changing several times the weather finally looked decent enough to venture outside. We had the Target Training TRI & Cycle VIP/Grand Opening later that evening. The team was introduced and we mingled with sponsors. A good time was had by all.

The rest of the weekend turned out to be too cold to ride outside. WWW.dailypeloton.com did a great feature on our team. Take a look at Daily Peloton and check out the great velodynes that we rode on at TARGETRAINING.
The weekend was very much needed. The more time we spend together as a team the better we get. There is a lot of potential for a great season in 2007. I am very excited. Now i just wish the weather would warm up and I could get more time on the bike.

My first few races will be at the Greenville Training Series. Now my days are spent trying to get my legs ready for some early season races in Jacksonville and then Richmond. Any day now I should be receiving my Tacx I-Magic trainer. I am super stoked. I can't believe that I am excited about riding a trainer but this thing is pretty neat. Check out the I-MAGIC. This thing better make me FAST!!!

Training camp and snow days

Today is the first official day of snow for me up in the mountains, granted it only snowed a couple of inches but it's enough to keep me stranded at home. It is up to 12 degrees right now and I just took a quick trip out to take these pictures in a pair of shorts. Not my smartest moment but I wanted to see how cold 12 degrees really is and to be quite honest, I don't know if it makes a difference once it's below freezing. What does one do when they are stuck at home in the snow and can't ride, well I am contemplating decorating the Christmas tree and doing a trail run when it gets warmer like 25 degrees. As of right now, I have made some major progress and the lights are on. Hard work being a homemaker...

So here's an update on what has been going on recently. Last weekend was my first training camp of the year with my new team, Target Training. I flew into NYC last Thursday night and was picked up by my new DS, Greg Wolf, and our team junior, Nina. We headed to Westport, CT where Target Training is located. We stopped by one of our sponsors house to pick up Schick Quattro razors for everyone on the team. Apparently the deal is that nobody on the team for any reason is allowed to have hairy legs since we are sponsored by the best women's razor on the market. This is going to be a tough one since I vowed to go the entire winter without shaving since I live in the NC tundra...

Friday morning we the team headed over to the Target Training facility for testing and a team ride. Here is a pic of the team minus 2 riders who weren't able to make it due to extenuating circumstances. All the riders on the team got along very well and this team promises to be a force in the women's peloton for 2007. There is a lot of talent on this team and some much needed racing experience. Every individual brings different strengths to the table.


Saturday we did another group ride while a few of the girls hit the local cross race in CT to get ready for Cross Nats coming up next weekend. Target Training started the weekend off right by taking 1st and 2nd at the cross race. As a reward for the cross success and our hard work at camp, one of the guys that is helping our team, Kyle Wolfe, took us out for a nice dinner. We had a great time and the food, including the Tiramisu was very yummy. The night ended early since the team had another group ride in the morning with some of the Target Training guys. Of course our Junior rider or as I like to call her our "GOONIER", decided it would be fun to tackle me outside the restaurant while wearing my tall boots. I went down hard on the pavement. We both thought is was hilarious but I vowed to get her back.

Sunday we wrapped up the weekend with another group ride and then lunch. Several of our team live around or near CT so most had a quick trip home. I wasn't supposed to fly out till Monday morning. Bad call. I was so exhausted from the weekend that I fell asleep with my phone in my hand and didn't set my alarm. My flight was at 7:45 out of LaGuardia. I woke up around 7ish and knew right away I wasn't making that one. Luckily, I got a standby flight and finally made it home on Monday evening. It was a great weekend and I truly feel this team will be different from most women's team out there. Our staff has a lot of knowledge from years of racing in Europe and the pro circuit. If we use that there is no telling how we will shake things up. I would say our team doesn't necessarily have any current superstars which is a good thing but we definitely have some riders that can step up and make big moves. Time will tell but stay tuned for more info on how the season progresses. Our second team camp is coming up quick. Need to start putting in those base miles and losing the holiday fat. First I have to find somewhere warm to train. My lil sis just moved out to AZ so a trip out there might be in order for Jan. Here are a couple of other pics from camp and the snow.

Also, big thanks to Rick Spears of Target Training for giving us the opportunity to race as a team for his company and for all his generosity!


Tomorrow we are planning a mtn bike/cross ride at 11am Wilson's Creek if you are in the area and want to freeze your ass off, come join! Although I think we climb for the first hour so it may not be so bad...

News for "07" and the splitting logs

I have some exciting news in my cycling career for 2007. There will be a new women's team with a presence in the peloton for 2007. Target Training out of Westport, CT has decided to take part in supporting the 1st ever Target Training Women's Pro Team. This is an exciting time for me and with the opportunity to race with some very strong national caliber riders, 2007 is shaping to be a fantastic year. Once the rider list is official, I will fill you in on my new teammates for next year. We already have our first winter training camp the first weekend in Dec at the training facility in CT. This will be our first chance to meet and get to know each other while doing some V02 testing along with some other valuable testing to start winter training.

Speaking of testing, I did a V02 test last week at Per4mance Training where I coach out of in Charlotte. For those of you looking to understand your strengths and weaknesses and how to improve for next season, a V02 and RMR will help tremendously. Give us a call at Per4mance
and we can explain all the details and get you in on our Winter Training Series.

So I have never chopped wood until this past weekend and let me tell you, I haven't felt this sore since I crashing on some train tracks a few weeks ago, of course they were wet and that is why i bit it. The reason for this sudden interest in chopping wood was not only to train like ROCKY in the off season but to prove that a log splitter is not a necessity when you live in the mtns. A log splitter, IMO, is for weenies who are afraid of doing a little cross training in the off season. Sunday after my parents left from their visit, I had to prove that I was indeed a team player and went out to the wood pile behind our house and took a few swings. At first I thought this would be easy and laughed a little until I became adamant about chopping as much wood in minute intervals as possible. Is this normal, I don't think so...do i see myself going out and chopping wood when the fire is dying down and its 30 below outside, probably not. Should I go ahead and say the log splitter is a good idea, HELL NO! For any of you cyclists out there that would like to give log splitting a try, I am holding a log splitting camp next weekend in Blowing Rock, NC. The wood pile is unlimited and the workout is better than any gym workout I have ever done. As you can see from the pics, this is the kind of fun that we mountain dwellers have on weekends. As if that isn't bad enough, I even wore some overalls this weekend. In fact, my parents told me it seemed I live in the "deliverance" area of NC. Go figure...I am a city girl what do you expect.

Awareness

Occasionally, I feel the need to talk about serious matters and this is one of those times. I promise not to do it often but it seems like there are so many things you have to worry about in life and you never expect sickness or emergencies to happen to your immediate family until it does. My dad was taken to the hospital yesterday b/c he was suffering from dizziness and shortness of breath. As it turned out, he has a clogged artery due to high cholesterol and high blood pressure. My dad doesn't smoke or drink, never has and never will but he does eat very poorly. When i found out my first reaction was anger. I was angry b/c he obviously doesn't take care of himself. He doesn't exercise and has no regard for what he puts in his system. Today I am not as angry but it has made me realize nobody is untouchable and being aware of your health is very important.

Awareness is a key word for this month since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All month long, I have been more informed on Breast Cancer than ever before. Maybe it's because I am getting older or maybe because people around me are Breast Cancer Survivors. One survivor, a real a$$ kicker on the bike, has been on a mission ever since she and her sister were diagnosed. This particular person doesn't want to take credit for all her hard work, all she wants is to make as many women and men aware of how to prevent it or detect as early as possible. There is an event this Friday night, October 27th at the Hickory Museum of Art Gifford Gallery from 6pm - 8pm that will be a huge celebration.

"Through Healing Eyes", the Breast Cancer event, is in it's 3rd year of existence. Last year over $30,000 was raised to benefit the Susan B. Komen Foundation. This year the proceeds could be close to $50,000. The purpose of the event is to celebrate survivorship and kick off the sales campaign of the annual "Survivor Calendar". Three years ago this survivor/bike diva came up with an idea to produce a calendar of survivors to sell as an awareness tool and the proceeds of the calendar would go directly to whichever Breast Cancer foundation was helping spearhead the event. The sales from the past 2 years were incredible. The calendar is moving and inspirational and each survivors' stories are told or their given month.

The calendars will go fast. This year the American Cancer Society only decided to print 1200 calendar which isn't nearly enough. ACS hasn't done a great job of supporting this survivor and her mission. So if you get a chance please go by the event and pick up a calendar. If you decide that you want to get one for the most important female in your life as an awareness reminder, email me and I will put you in touch with the WIC, woman in charge.

October's Adventures

So it has been a while since i have posted and i feel guilty for not being on top of the blogging so i will try to wrap up all of the Interbike, vacation and stroke ride gossip.

September ended with a trip to Interbike. I had never been before so I had no idea what to expect. The moment I walked into the trade show I felt sick to my stomach. It was HUGE and there was no way I was going to see everything in there, not that I even wanted to see every new shiny carbon bike. After the week's end I decided most bike are the same except for small few.

Funny enough, Vegas wasn't exciting and I was ready to head to Boulder, CO for vacation ASAP. The best part of Interbike was the panel discussion between Greg Lemond, Bob Roll and Cippo. Of course just watching Cippo is enough for me to sit for 2 hours with a bad sounds system. I couldn't understand a word he said anyway so as long as he just sat there and looked pretty I was good to go!

We arrived at the Dahl's house in Boulder on Sat night. They are an awesome family with a 2 little darling kids. The Dahls took us in for the week and let us have full reign on their entire basement. Here is a pic of them. Aren't they cute!! Big Thanks to them for being such fantastic hosts!


After a several days of hiking, eating and drinking Amante's coffee, it was time to get down to business. A few months back I was introduced to this amazing company, Skirt Sports, based out of Boulder, CO. I contacted the owner of the company, Nicole DeBoom, about athlete sponsorship. She and I swapped some emails and I asked if she would meet me while I was in Boulder. She accepted and we hit it off immediately. Skirts Sports is taking the women's athletic apparel market by storm. After meeting Nicole and witnessing her enthusiasm I knew i wanted to be involved in her company in some form or fashion, fashion definitely being the key word here. Before the meetings end, we were already talking about me coming on as a sales rep. I have never been a sales rep before but her company impressed me so much that I wanted to help spread her product in the Southeast. So now I am the new rep for Skirt Sports for the Southeast. It is exciting and challenging. The market is wide open for this product and my goal is to see every female runner, triathlete and cyclist in the southeast wearing this line while competing and running around town. See for yourself. They are awesome and so comfortable. I swear I have been wearing them everyday since I started with the company. Visit Skirts!

Skirts was a great part of the trip but the trip to Rocky Mtn National Park wasn't bad either. We spent an entire day driving and hiking through the park. It is a beautiful place and views are outstanding. In the pic I have included you will see this huge bull elk. Apparently, during our visit it was elk mating season and the bull elk bugle for his mate during this time. They basically sit around in some valley waiting for 5pm to roll around so they can start mating. It seems like Disney Land with all the tourists coming to watch them mate. Look how freaking close I go to this monster, like 10 feet away.


Another coool person I met in Boulder was Mary. She is starting BIKEJANE, www.bikejane.com. Check her site out. She is really trying to do a great thing for cycling and the more people that visit her site the more exposure it will create for the good of cycling everywhere!


Stay tuned for more details on the trip and a wrap up of the stroke ride. By the way, don't forget that October is Breast Cancer month. Breast Cancer affects everyone is some form or fashion and the more aware we are the better chances we have to fight it. Here is a very informative Breast Cancer Site.


It's prime leaf season up here in the mtns and it seems the population has quadrupled. Every Floridian is up here for at least another week and then this place will be deserted. I need people to ride with so if you want to move up to the mtns please feel free! Check out my website, www.robinfarina.com, for some new updates and pics.

Another Great "fun ride" but this one hits close to home

I am taking advantage of all the hits on the blog to promote a great cause...
The Cycle for Life 2006 for Stroke education is being held on Saturday, Oct 14th at the Hanover Park Vineyard, Yadkinville, NC.
The “Cycle for Life...2006” offers the choice of a 25, 40, or 65 mile route through the Yadkin River Valley wine country. This ride strikes close to home because my boyfriend, Chris Sheehan, a.k.a big time "FUN RIDER" and a Blowing Rock resident, had a massive stroke at the age of 29 that should have killed him. He was one of the lucky ones who have recovered completely. Chris spent 6 weeks in the hospital, was forced to relearn to walk and spent 9 months in speech therapy. Nationally, there are approximately four million stroke survivors of whom two-thirds are moderately or severely disabled.

Last year was his first year to support the ride. It was a fantastic ride that helps many. If you are interested in riding with us or supporting the cause visit the NC Stroke Association web site. If you are unable to attend but still want to support the cause you can make a donation BUT we hope you are able to come ride with us.

Here is a picture from last years ride.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions regarding the stroke ride, contact Chris at sheehan@mac.com

Bridge 2 Bridge ain't no fun ride and taking the top female spot

Ok, I am going to be the first to say it, these so-called "fun rides" are NOT all fun and games. This past year I have spent a full season racing NRC's, regional races and even a couple of international races. This was also the first year I attempted one of "Grand Tour" centuries, such as the Bridge to Bridge, Mt. Mitchell or Blood, Sweat and Gears. Now some people i know train all year long for these little fun rides. I used to poke fun at those people and say I can't believe you are taking this fun ride so seriously. HOW LAME!!! Well not anymore, I found myself on Sunday getting up at 4:45 a.m., eating my breakfast, making sure I had all my race gear, I mean fun ride gear, in order and fighting for a position at the start line of the Bridge to Bridge. Let me tell you, I thought fighting a bunch a women for the start line of a NRC crit was bad. These fun riders won't budge an inch to let you squeeze in and they line up almost 30 minutes before the gun goes off. Two minutes before the start I rolled up to the very front of the start line and started chatting with the boys from Moto Velo while other people were being told to get to the back of the field, which was close to 1,000 riders. I sat right up in front of the yellow tape in the VERY front and waited to get yelled at to go to the back. I got lucky. The big guy from lenoir that was bossing everybody to the back of the pack chose not to pick on me (maybe cause i was the only female in a sea of men). I found myself in the best position possible almost like I got a call up at a huge race.

The ride started fast just like any other race but about 10 minutes into the ride a near miss with a truck at an intersection scared many of us at the front. Apparently, people in this neck of the woods don't know anything about cyclists and sunday mornings. This lady might as well been reading a book. She came to a screaching hault less than 5 feet from my bike and ME! HELLO... wake up call. These fun rides are not only like a race they can be dangerous.

For the next 50 miles it was pretty tame until we came to the road leading to the 11 mile climb on 181. The road leading to 181 is narrow and everyone wanted to move near the front, like that is going to help them on an 11 MILE climb. With about 4 miles left on Adacko some dude went down and took at least 30 riders with him. I barely dodged this crash and took a little detour on the side of the road. After that I got quite pissed and decided that I would rather die on a solo attack than be stuck waiting for some dude to take me down on a "fun ride". I caught the 15 riders at the front that weren't affected by the crash and I attacked them on a roller to get away. Here I am dying with the lead group breathing down my throat. I didn't care that I had possibly thrown the goal of first female down the tubes, all I wanted to do was make it to 181 in one piece with all my skin attached. Is that so wrong...sure enough my glory was shot down. Two miles into 181 the front group flew by me and I saw 2 females in that peloton and both were threats. I hadn't seen them all day so I knew that had been resting or sitting in and should be fresh.

When they passed I didn't care but when i reached the half way mark and Bryan Elliott passed me a freaking red bull and other goodies I started to gain some perspective. I wanted that title and I was about to go on a mission and I didn't care who I had to use, thus racer mentality. As I climbed the remainder of 181 I tried to make friends with every guy i passed. I gave them encouragement and even offered the backwash of redbull. A few accepted but most didn't. Soon I had a little train working to catch one of the females that had passed. It was Holli and she was hurting. We rode up to her and she said her knee was killing her. I wanted her to join our cause. She is a hard worker and always one to fight to the finish but it wasn't her day. Her injury got the best of her and we went on to chase a large group just up the road.

We topped 181 and I was feeling great. So great I missed the turn onto the Parkway. Don't ask me how this happened. I guess I was tucked behind a car getting a little ride down the decent and missed quite possibly the best opportunity to finish in the "really fast group", say sub 5:20:00. Anywho...I rode about a mile out of the way and finally a friendly car came up to me and said i was going the wrong way...WAHT THE HELL! I turned and saw NOBODY...not even one fellow cyclist! So I pedaled on by myself almost to the viaduct where 2 guys worked with me to reach the last leg, 221. At this point it was getting ugly and slow. I ride 221 all the time and I had never ridden it this slow. Apprently it wasn't as slow as i thought. The one girl who was in front of me was in my sights. I told the boys i was on a mission to catch her. They helped me bridge and from there on out it was just us at the front with the guys all sucking our wheels.

We finally reached the base of Grandfather Mtn. The BITCH of all mtns here in High Country. I was feeling surprisingly good considering we had rode 99 miles. The one other girl was struggling and kept riding slower. I decided to attack and she didn't respond. I pushed hard for the final 2 miles and it paid off. As I climbed the last stretch I could here the crowd scream, "First Female". It was incredible! I had accomplished my goal. I never knew it would mean that much to me but in the days following the B2B I have realized, it is quite a BIG deal to do well in one of these grand tour "FUN RIDES" and don't think for a second I won't defend my title next year and shoot for a better time. There were enough bets on this year's ride that I should have known better. Not only did I win a free hour massasge from the infamous Scott Herman but apparenly I won people money that I didn't even know...good for them. I am glad someone won some prize money from this event. Next year I think there should be a HUGE PRIZE LIST only for the women.

It was a great event and it is an event that everyone who rides it has a feeling of accomplishment. Make it a goal or just do it as a "fun ride" but this event is one that anyone who rides can appreciate.

Stay tuned for next week's blogs. I am headed to INTERBIKE in Las Vegas and then to Boulder, CO with Chris for some much needed R & R. I am sure I will have some stories for you but you know the rule, "what happens in VEGAS, stays in VEGAS" unless I can get some G-rated pics for you! If Boonan is present at INTERBIKE there will be no stories that I can publish...

For now I will leave you with what I plan to do for the next month, check out pic below. The pic at the top is all my NASHVILLE buddies that came to do B2B! They had a blast too and we enjoyed KILWINS in BR for an after dinner treat and Bistro Rocco for dinner.

Thanks for reading!

Winning the NC state RR championship and a 6 miles RR, yeah you heard me!

This past weekend was exciting, tiring and frustrating. I turned 29 on Sunday so I was dealing with the whole realization I am that much closer to 30. Thirty is a tough little pill to swallow. I have one more year to make excuses and come up with reasons why putting so much time and effort into bike racing makes sense.


My birthday weekend wasn't so bad. It was spent in typical fashion, loading up the car with bikes, chamois and other bike related items to head off to some strange city where hopefully "Veronica" (that's the garmin GPS) will deliver me without being rerouted 45 minutes out of the way. Beleive me, this happens more often that not, simply b/c I refuse to let another woman, nevertheless anyone, tell me what to do in the car. This weekend it happened to be Greenville and Atlanta all in the same shot. The NC/SC State Championship RR was being held on sat, US Pro on Sunday and the US10k (yes i did say 10k) on Monday. It was the perfect schedule. Race on sat, spectate on sun and race again on Mon.

Saturday turned out to be the average regional race. About 20-something girls showed up with a few notables players. I had already determined my plan of attack and who i wanted to form a break with. It was a 45 mile race of 3 laps. No significant hills but enough rollers to get away and stay away with the right mix. The race started out pretty negative with only a couple of us working at the front. I told the group it was going to be a very long day unless some others helped take a pull. With one lap down, I saw christina, a FUJI rider, go to the front. I saw her teammate out of the corner of my eye move up a bit. A big roller hit and sure enough Kat launched an attack. I was right behind Christina so I caught Kat's wheel and then Holli from Cheerwine and Christina were able to bridge for a solid break. We looked around at the top of the hill and we had a gap. It was exactly what I was waiting for. I turned to the girls and said let's make this work. We can definitely stay away. It was a strong break. We kept putting minutes on the field. I was a little worried about the finish. It was a downhill 300 meter sprint to the finish. As the last few k's were quickly approaching, i decided I had to go early to win this. With a little more than 500 meters to go and a quick right turn approaching into the finishing stretch, I launched an attack on the break. I got just enough gap to start the downhill. Holli was very close on my wheel. With a few meters to go I sprinted as fast and my 53/12 would take me and held her off for the win.

It was a satisfying win and it gave me the title of NC State RR Champion. I had raced a smart race and worked hard while doing so. I took that win and gained some confidence for Monday's NRC race. The early attack at the finish was out of character for me but it was well worth the hell my legs were going through. Normally I would kick myself in the ass for not trying that move but I had just seen that same move succeed in the masters 30+ race. Chris pulled out a win in the field sprint by doing the same thing. He took 4th overall and bronze in the NC RR field. Check out www.nc-scstateroadrace.com for results.

Monday morning came early. US PRO was a long day and the drive to ATL from Greenville was brutal. My parents were vacationing in FL the week prior so they were going to meet us in ATL for my bday and to watch the 10k. What a fabulous race to watch. I love that my rents support me but maybe they will figure out soon that road races are NOT very spectator friendly and they can stop wasting their time trying to see me in the race. Here is a pic of my rents and me after the US10k.


The US10k is notorious for being unpredictable. My plan was to be at the front and to go with whatever tried to go early. I did that but I did it one too many times too early. I was at the front from the gun. Two attacks went on the first 2 hills and I covered both. The 3rd attack launchd and Debby from Tupelo was right on it. I was about 10 feet from her wheel climbing the QOM. I had been working hard and closing gaps. I looked back and I had a gap on the field wiht the attack in reach. All of the sudden I pulled a POP TART and just let the gap get bigger. I thought surely the field would attack and i could grab a wheel. Instead when the field caught up to me and I yelled pull through, 3 girls sat there and looked at me like we we had all the time in the world and expecting me to pull them up there. Once again i yelled pull through but nothing. As it turns out, that was the race. That 2 person break stayed away and it came down to a sketchy downhill sprint for the finish. I finished up 14th. That was the scenario I was dreading. I was going to go at the BIG Chicken but the chicken wasn't big enought for me to see at 25 mph. I was bummed but at least took home some cashola to heal wounds.

This weekend is the Carolina Cup. My racing is about to come to close for the year. Not that many races left and my legs are feeling awfully sluggish after this past weekend.

We'll see how it goes. Stay tuned for next week's recap and then off to VEGAS for Interbike and then to COLORADO for some much needed R & R.

Thanks for reading.

Insurance should be free to all racers!

I try to keep my blog as updated as possible but sometimes there just isn't that much excitement to write about and sometimes there is just way too much going on to find the time to write. The past week has been a case of both but you really don't want to hear all about it. REALLY.

Last week was crit nats and I pulled a no-show. I was totally bummed b/c I felt like I was riding well and coming off a good crit at BOA and I should have been able to do it again at crit nats but unfortunately I had a laspse of insurance and it is forcing me to be sidelined from racing a few weeks. Maybe it's a good thing. I more than likely would have been on Tina Pic's wheel (Just Kidding - I am never that close to the sprint) and I would have ended up like her...Hope she is ok. Check this out.

Next weekend is Labor Day weekend and the annual US10K is in ATL. I have vowed to be insured by then so I can race it. Last year, I broke my wrist in the Gainesville Criterium, which happened to be my 28th birthday, and had to watch 10K from the sidelines. Worst freaking birthday so far...This is one race I don't want to miss. It lasts less than 20 minutes and it is a drag race from the gun. It can't get much better. So i am revving it up for that and then a couple of other races in Sept to finish off the season.

I am also looking forward to getting back to nashville for a few days next week before US10k. I have been spending a great deal of time over here in NC but I miss my friends and fam and of course the riding community.

Stay tuned for upcoming race updates and daily life news. Also if you are looking for a cycling coach, I have recently accepted a coaching position with Per4mance Training. You can look me up at www.per4mancetraining.com

If you are wanting to see Bob Roll up close and personal. TBRA (TN Bike Racing Association) has just announced Bob Roll will be the guest speaker for the annual banquet on Oct 29, 2006. Visit www.tbra.org for the news release. This promises to be a very entertaining evening! If you are interested in sponsoring the event in some fashion, then contact me and I can help you out with that.

Thanks for reading!

Bridge Training on the Fixed Gear

This weekend started out off on a sour note for riding. Saturday it rained all day up in the mountains and there was nothing left to do but clean the house, suffer from allergies and get into arguments about what is the proper way to clean. I made it through Saturday by taking a hike at Moses Cone Park in Blowing Rock and watching hours of old Tour de France tapes from "84-89" and watching Paris-Robioux "84" which happens to have the worst music from John Tesh. That guy is way before my time and the music almost made the cycling unbearable to watch. In fact the music was sooo it put me to sleep. The only problem is i was falling asleep before the most important moments so we would rewind to watch it again and again...

I hit the hay with hopes that Sunday would be nicer and that we would be able to go on our 75 mile ride. 75 miles is usually no big deal for me. I quite enjoy them especially when it includes the 10 mile 181 climb. It's about an hour of climbing but it's not so steep you're hating life and questioning why you are cyclist.

Today was the exception. About 20 miles into our group ride my gears started slipping and I pulled over to tweek some cables. Now i have absolutely NO mechanical skills, in fact it's my least favorite part about cycling. Luckily we had a mechanic on the ride so he stepped up and seemed to fix it. We started again and i shifted once and then my gears got stuck in my biggest gear. I could only get in my big-big and little-big and we were approaching 181. There was a steep roller leading up to the climb and I was keeping my mouth shut about the gears cause when you are the only girl on the ride and you have mechanical issues, all the guys think you are a whiner and that b/c you are a girl that doesn't know anything about bikes it's your fault we have to keep stopping. So i grunted up one more climb and got off the bike. The poor little mechanic hated me since it was his day off from the shop and he was having to fix my bike. My cable had snapped and he said he can give me 19 to ride in or maybe a 17 to finish off the ride. He rigged it up and i was stuck in that freaking gear for the rest of the day. Now i wasn't too happy about this. Nothing sux more than climbing in a huge freaking gear when you are spinner. I would prefer a 27 anyday in the mtns but today I had a 19. I started the climb in good spirits. That lasted 3 miles till it got steep and everyone had passed me leaving me by myself on this horrible climb. Now if those guys were "gentlemen" they would have all got in the same gear as me and grinded up that damn mountain! I had had enough. Got off my bike, took off my helmet and stuck out my thumb. Hah not 10 seconds later a caravan of downhillers that were going up the mtn to ride pulled over and gave me a lift. AH THE POWER OF BEING A CHICK IN LYCRA...I stuck my head out the window and heckeled all the guys that left me at the base of the climb and yelled, "See you at the top, SUCKERS." That was fun until the downh'ers broke it to me that they were only going up about 3 more miles...Hum that would leave me with about 4 more miles to climb. Well it was better than nothing. They dropped me off and I started pedaling again. More grunting and a few little tears later, i reached the store at the top of the climb and waited on the group. I still wander what the hell took them so long.

With about an hour left in the ride, I decided it was time to get home. These guys wanted to dawdle on the bike. Not me, I went to front and decided to get this moving. So i attacked and pulled away for about 10 minutes with only one bridging up to me on the parkway. We started the 221 decent which is tons of fun and has some great switchback turns. I used to hate decending until about a month ago. I finally came to grips with it. If you gonna ride in the mtns and not get dropped on the decents you gotta suck it up, tuck and turn. It so much fun now. We got back to the car and I was BLOWN from those 72 miles but in some ways it was nice to have a change of workout. Mashing the big gears can help you. My power was decent and I felt like i was riding strong.

Today I am shaking off a little wine hangover Last night we had to say goodbye to Little DANE HARLAN aka the Hussie from Hickory, his parents gave him that name I swear! He is a DeFeet (www.defeet.com) employee and friend who is moving to Seattle to work for Macy's. We wish him the best and ask that he stay far away from all washing machines. He has a unique way of breaking them...He will have to tell you all about it. Here is a pic of Little Dane...

Off to the best bike shop in NC, Luna Cycles of Lenoir. The guys have informed me that I have a single-speed not a fixed gear. So I am going to let them do their magic on my bike and bring back the nice little 25 cassette. Check them out www.lunacycles.blogspot.com

Now it's time to train and get ready for some upcoming races. I have had a small break after BOA and Toona and now i am ready for some crits and shorter RR's like the US10k in Altanta, GA the first weekend in Sept. Keep checking in for more race updates and exciting news about my upcoming job!

Thanks for reading!

BOA BABY...

Here is a quick little recap of the NRC Bank of America Crit in Charlotte this past Saturday. First off, I was going into this race much more confident than last year's BOA. Last year there were 96 girls on the start line and I was probably one of the least experienced. This year there was about 60 women but I was coming off a strong tour de toona and much more crit experience. Now just b/c there was fewer women didn't mean it was going to be easier. The difference in last year and this year was about 30 of the girls who were average at crit riding decided it would be safer to watch from the sidelines or better yet just read about it on cyclingnews.com. Last year this race started out with 3 crashes in the first 3 laps. I spent most of my race deciding which pit was closer.

This year's race coudldn't have started out any better. I had my first NRC call up and it was an unexpected one at that. I looked at the race bible after registration and almost peed my shorts when i saw that i was going to be called up 9th. For all you crit racers out there, you know what getting a call up means. NO fighting for the start line. I was on top of the world. With that alone I had no doubt this race was going to be good for me. That feeling lasted about 3 minutes until we started and I had trouble clipping in and got yelled at by about 5 girls. I looked up and i was going into the first corner about 30th. How in the hell does that happen? So I found myself in my normal crit mode, riding mid to back of the pack dying to hang on. I went back and forth from the front to the back for a few laps. Dodged one crash and then found myself with a flat down the long straight away. I saw the pit and decided to pull off to the side and cut the course to make it to the pit quick. I freaked out at the Crane Creek boys but got a quick wheel change and was back on the bike with about 4 minutes to spare. I was quite nervous about not being able to rejoin the group so i asked the pit guy every so sweetly to give me a nice long push as I didn't want to blow myself up on this effort. The pack came around and the next thing i knew i was at the front. SWEET. I kind of like getting a little break in the middle of the race and hanging at the pit as long as I didn't have to eat concrete in order to get it.

The race continued on getting harder as more and more riders fell off. With 3 laps to go we were coming up the long straight away up to the finish and I had just moved up near the front when I heard a huge crash happen not far behind me. Apparently about 10 girls went down all across the road. I was very lucky. Usually I find myself dodging these instead of being in front of them. After the crash, there was only about 23 girls left. The last 2 laps were brutal. I was holding on strong to the Colavita rider, Sue Palmer's, wheel but I was on the edge. I look back and think I should have just taken the flyer on the last lap but instead I stayed in a safe place and moved up a couple of spots at the end to claim 14th for the day. All in all it was a good day for me with a 14th place finish and a little check that will come in the mail eventually.

For now i am trying to recover from Toona and BOA. Next race will be in 2 weeks. I have taken a few days off and tried to kick a little cold. Today I am about to get back on the bike for a slow 3 hour ride.

Big thanks to Chris, my DS for the evening and for bringing the team car out to the race AND trying to set up that finicky little trainer AND the minor wounds you suffered while trying to get the number plate on my bike. What a trooper!

By the way, keep checking the site. There will be some new updates coming up in the next week or so. Also, check out the updates on the gallery and tell me what you think.

tour de toona and the importance of buttering your chamois

My first ever Tour de Toona has come and gone. I sit here almost missing the rolling terrain and terrential downpours of PA...just kidding. All year long I had heard stories of the tour de toona but never imagined what it could be like until we finished the first 95 mile day which was on Wed. Let me go back a little bit and give you a quick recap of each stage and the events leading up. First here is a pic of me preparing for the first of 2 90+ mile races. Note the importance of giving your chamois a thorough smothering before attempting to ride such a long race.

I arrived the sunday before the start of the race with teammate, Chamblee, and another girl Chris from Athens. We made the long trek from somewhere in NC. We arrived in Altoona to find nobody else from the team there yet. We were told we were staying in some sorority house. One would think, ah sorority girls. This place is going to be a nice joint with pink walls and lots of frilly carpet. Hah, nothing close. This place was a dump. It looked haunted and there were cigarette holes all over the carpets and the furniture that looked like it had been sitting on the side of the road somewhere. Nonetheless, this is what we would call home for the next week. We made the best and since Chamblee and i were there first, we picked out the "nicest" room we could find and settled in.

The TT or prolouge came quick Monday evening. I was prepared and ready to get on the course. It was less than 3 miles long and basically was a crit course so i was loving it that i didn't have to use any TT equipment. I went to the start line to line up and i saw the start list. Out of all 80 something riders entered my 30 second girl happened to be the newly crowned TT and RR National Champion, Kristin Armstrong. Talk about nerves well mine went through the roof. She was all decked out in her stars and stripes and full TT bike, helmet, shoe covers...good grief can you be any more aero. I took the starting block. The official was counting down from 5, 4, 3, when i was rolling my cleat and my foot came unclipped. There I was being let go from the holder starting to fall over while rolling down the ramp with my foot still unclipped. 6-8 seconds went by and I looked by and saw Kristin about to start chasing me. Like a woman possesed i clipped in and starting sprinting as hard as i could away from the start. I felt fast up until the last stretch when I heard the roar of a disc wheel coming on my left. Sure enough there she was passing by me so fast that I couldn't even catch her draft, believe me I tried. After a few minutes of feeling demoralized by the fact that i got passed in a less than 3 mile TT, i decided to shake it off and do better the next day.

Tues wasn't so bad. It was the shortest day only being 63 miles. That sure was nice of them to ease us in to the week. This race was not very excting. It was a fast circuit that ended up in a pack finish. I was safe for another day finishing in the pack. Here is a pic of me that was on cyclingnews.com from that day. BOY I look MEAN!

Wed was the first of the 95 mile stage. The pace was fast and the long climb broke up the field. Once you got to the top, it was moderately downhill till the finish which was 30 miles away. I climbed decent that day and made it over the climb with group that was interested in getting to the finish. I finished 27the that day and brought my gc standing up to 33.

The next 2 days of racing were both circuits. It just so happended both these days we would experience severe rain. Thursday's circuit was a little messy. About 20 minutes in the rainstorms the first big crash occurrred. Lots of girls went down including me, luckily i just slid into a few people popped back up and caught the main pack after chasing for a few minutes. My teammate, Kathleen, wasn't that luckliy. Her wheel tacoed and it took forever to get her a wheel change. That incident ended her race. Throughout that race there were a few other crashes but I avoided all of them and finished in the main pack losing only a few seconds in the very last stretch to the finish.

Friday was races a little more conservative. The pace wasn't slower but the peloton was riding more careful. Today was a hard day for me. I wasted A LOT of energy being cautious and hanging slightly off the back. Not a smart move. I worked way too hard closing gaps when i should have just stuck in the pack where it is easier. I was just too timid about going down. I finished one again in the main pack. There was a small break but it only gained about 20 secs on us. Tomorrow would be the deciding day.

Sat was our last 92 mile day. The race started out hard. The first 20 miles we went through constant rollers and the pace was being pushed. The suffering for me started the minute i clipped in. My breathing was erratic and I felt like poop on all the climbs. I knew this was going to be a miserable day on the bike. I had to figure out a way to hang on without dropping too much in gc. When we hit the first major climb i started to try to move up but my legs felt like lead but worse my lungs felt like there were going to pop out of my chest. I watched the girls i needed to stick with climb right away from me. Stuck between 2 groups, I looked over and had one teammate with me, Kristen. Without her i would have slipped even more. We sufferred bad on the climb but eventually made it through after getting off my bike briefly. I was hurting so bad i didn't think i could finish but I gave myself a swift kick in the arse and got back on. The next 40 miles we would face 2 more QOMs. It was unbearable and the dirt road climb pissed me off so bad. At one point one girl was crying and eventhough i felt like crying, that was not an option..."there's no crying in cycling", come on!
We finally made it to the finish. All i wanted was my bed. Later that evening i found out I dropped to 40th on gc which made me very unhappy. All i could do was hope that tomorrow i could redeem myself in the crit. Lucky for me i would rather race a crit anyday than a 90 mile RR.

Sunday turned out surprisingly better for me. The crit started fast and pace was pushed by Lipton the whole day. Girls were falling off left and right. My legs felt so heavy but everyone else was hurting too that day so i took every advantage to move up. Kathleen was on the radio with me telling me exactly what was going on so i knew when it was getting harder or when the group was letting up. With 5 laps to go I knew i was going to make it with the main pack. I finished 29th which i was happy about considering that half the field was pulled.

At the end of the day, I had moved up a few spots to 38th on the gc. It's nowhere near the top 25 I had wanted but for my first 7day stage race, I felt it was an accomplishment. Now i know i can race for 7 days straight and with a little work during the off season maybe i won't have that one severely crappy day. It's definitely not a race for everyone but I have more respect for any racer that attempt s toona and even more for those who survive the week.

Big thanks to Jeff & Shawn @ LUNA CYCLES in Lenoir City, NC for getting my bike race ready and finding the gallon of water in my bottom bracket prior to race week. That would have been a bitch to carry up all those climbs.

Thanks to the KENDA girls for being so supportive all week and thanks to Paul for single handedly working his tail off to help us during race week. Most teams had multiple people and he worked the race all alone.

Off to the Bank of America Crit tomorrow night in Charlotte, NC. Let's hope all the girls ride a little safer this year than last. I don't want to visit the pit 3 times in the first 3 lap like last year. Stay tuned for a race recap on Sunday.

Archery may be my next sport...Seriously

It's saturday and its been over three weeks since i have entered my last cycling race. The last time i raced was at Nature Valley Grand Prix. After that event, i had a realization it was time for my mid-season break. I took a break for about a week and then I went to the mountains of NC to find my legs again and get ready for nationals.

After doing the math/finances and having absolutely nobody to make the road trip with me to Seven Springs, PA, I decided it would not be in my best interest to make the trek north. Instead I decided to put my efforts into getting ready for Tour de Toona which is the last week in July. I have been riding lots of miles and recovering the correct way for the past couple of weeks. It's amazing how good you can feel on the bike when you do everything right or so you think.

Today I went and tried my legs out at a local crit. I started the men's cat 3 race with 27 other riders. I was the only girl and felt pretty confident. That didn't last long. The course was a power course with more than half of it climbing. I made it through the first 5 laps and then got gapped off by this big guy on a long steady uphill. After that there was really no hope of catching the group. They were putting out some serious wattage. I had already hit of max wattage of 875 and was averaging over 250 watts. I was more than happy to be pulled after a few more laps by myself. Next race would be the women's pro 1/2 race. I was looking forward to this and planning to be very aggressive.

The riders that showed up were the usual suspects. A few Cheerwine girls, a few Fuji's, some BMW-Bianchis, a couple of randoms and one teammate. Beth Frye of Cheerwine and I had talked about pushing the pace up the hill from the get go. We did and should have been more aggressive about staying away, instead we would attack each time up the hill and then would let up on the backside. Each time we attacked it was clear that we could get away at will. We just needed a plan. After a few laps on NOBODY working except Beth and I, we pulled off for no longer than a minute and a FUJI girl who was sitting on attacked from the back. She got a small gap and we let her have it. Another Cheerwine rider, Lauren Trull was having mechanicals. She was down and lap and when rejoined went to the front to help us pull the rider off the front back. No sooner than one lap, we made the turn up the climb and she took the turn a little tight. Beth Frye went up on her wheel and left me nowhere to go but up the back of Beth's bike and into the curb. I fell over and by the time I jumped up the peloton was up the hill. Like with most crits, typically you get a free lap if you go down or have a mechanical. For some KRAZY-ASS reason this race ended free laps with 10 to go. That never happens. Most times free lap ends with 5 or 3 laps to go. Once i wrecked i headed to the pit so i could rejoin the group. Once i got there the official asked what i was doing there, I said, "Uh getting my free lap, what does it look like i am doing?" He said no free laps after 10, you have 7 laps to go. GO CHASE. Well, that was the end of my race. I had already wasted a few minutes and knew i wouldn't be able to catch the pack. I got back in and started going hard. The race leader passed and i rode with her for a while and then decided to wait for the pack and try to help them catch. The main group came by and i jumped on. It was the last lap so i decided to go to the front and give a leadout to whomever wanted one. With 2 corners to go and a slight uphill finish. I drilled the pace. Fuji rider, Christina DeKray must have been the only one who wanted the win. She stuck my wheel till the very end, like a smart sprinter, and came around for the field sprint.

I was pretty bummed after the 2 crits. I had really hoped for a good outing since it was my first races back in weeks. My legs and lungs felt good but unfortunately i can't say the same for my luck. I was ready to go home and chill and catch up on the TDF. I knew my favorite rider Boonan wouldn't be in yellow after today so it was a sad day on the bike all around.

Luckily we had to drop off a friend and take a tour of his house. As we rounded the last part of the house, we came upon this deer with a target on it. I told Herman I sure would love to shoot at that thing if he had a gun. Instead, he pulled out this heavy duty cross bow. I said what the hell, I will give it a shot. Herman gave me a quick run down and had to help pull the arrow back.
I looked through the eye hole saw my target. I shot and sure enough nailed the bulls eye. It was so much fun! Chris, Herman's wife Mason, and Herman were all in shock. I called it beginners luck. Here is a pic of my first shot. Not bad for a girl who's never shot anything in her life...Just wait it gets better.


One can't just stop after getting a bulls eye on the first try. The crowds were heckling me and saying there is no way i could do it again. I had 2 more arrows to shoot and i wasn't about to call it a day. It's way too fun shooting things. So i gave it another try. This one landed a on the front leg of the deer. I was still shocked i hit the little bambi with horns. One more try, this time i did every step and took a long hard glare at the little deer and said, "It's supper time!" BAM, I nailed it again, dead on BULLS EYE, right next to my first shot. See here is another pic.


After this money shot, I was pretty sure that my cycling career had just about ran it's course and it was time to pursue the 2008 Olympics in Archery. I will keep you posted on that. First I must sell the bike and get a bow. Any suggestions? And while i am on the subject of quitting, I have just about had enough Mr. Boonan's quitting the sprint. For that, he only gets to have this picture in the blog today since he did take the time to kiss the fans.

Finally, I really didn't quit cycling. I just got a little mad after sat. SO MAD I went out and rode 96 miles and now i feel like my legs are going to fall off. So today is a much needed rest day. And if you can't ride with Boonan, you might as well train with the guy that designs his socks! www.defeet.com

crashes, dirt roads and golf ball size hail

My week of traveling and racing came to a close this past weekend. It actually ended a lot earlier than i had planned and it didn't even come close to the way i had hoped it would go. The much anticipated Nature Valley Grand Prix pretty much turned out to be a big black mark on my racing for 2006, at least that's how it feels anyway. I was coming off a pretty exciting week. Philly was good to me. Even though i should have had a better result, it felt good to finish that race and know I rode a solid race with some of the best in the world. Fast forward to the first stage of Nature Valley which happened to be a 5 mile flat TT.

I was scrambling last minute trying to find anything remotely aero i could throw on me or my bike. I did end up using a disc rear wheel, a tri spoke aero front and a freaking aero as it gets LASER TT helmet. See the picture attached. NO I AM NOT SMILING, I am hurting. The TT wasn't as bad as i thought but it still didn't feel good. I finished up 69th out of 133. Since it was only my 2nd TT of the year I wasn't too disappointed. I figured there was plenty of racing left in the week to make up GC spots.

Boy was i wrong, the second stage of the race was a RR in Cannon Falls, MN. Nobody really had any information on this race. It was a new addition from last year. I went into the race feeling confident and not worried at all. The race started out on a QOH (queen of the hills). The pace went from the get go but i was sitting comfortably in the pack. I had even moved up to the top 20 or so. Shortly after the 10 mile mark, someone on the left side of the pack did something stupid and caused a huge pile up. Unfortunately I was on the wrong side of the pack and got caught right in the middle. I did not go down but had to unclip and maneuver around people on the ground. By the time i got through and looked up the road, Webcor had attacked and a group of 20 were way off the front. This led to one hell of a strung out train trying to catch. Not only was it so freaking windy but everyone was gutter riding AND there was a 2 mile stretch of dirt and gravel road that the race proceeded through. Somewhere during the crash or right after I tweaked my hamstring. While we were riding as hard as we could i began to feel a sharp pain in my left hamstring. Shortly after that i could barely turn the pedals over. I was not generating any power. It was the worst feeling. I have not felt anything like that yet this year. I pulled out of the train and let most the riders go past. I had to stop or at least slow down and get a grip on what i was feeling. After the feed zone which was 27 miles in I hooked up with a group that was chugging along at a pace that was tolerable. I knew that out here on the prairie with no help we would more than likely not make the time cut. The last 30 miles were miserable. My only motivation was to get off the bike and go lay down. This was definitely my lowest point of the season. Once I arrived at the finish I went straight to the medic tent to have my hammy checked. This place was more popular than the finish line. So many riders were lined up waiting to have medical attention. It made me mad. WHY does every race seem to have a bad crash and why do we keep racing knowing that we are going to crash? I really needed some time off. Time off i got.

I was time cut from the race. The next morning i went to TRIA medical center and had an MRI done on my hamstring. I was praying I did not tear a ligament. That would have been worse case scenario. Instead I got a report of a strained hamstring with fluid around it. The doc said it needed rest, ice and stretching. Since i was out of the race i was sure i would have plenty of time to do those things.

Nothing is harder than being at a race and not being able to be in the race but if i had to pick one stage I am glad i got to miss, it was the downtown Minneapolis criterium on friday night. As the girls were warming up on their trainers all the sudden the skies opened up and a huge storm blew in. This wasn't your typical storm. The streets were filled with water and golf ball size hail began to fall. Lucky me i had just made a visit to the beer tent. I figured the only was i could handle the agony of this horrid weather and not racing was to numb myself with a few beers. Great idea. I found it most humorous that i didn't have to go diving into corners with the fastest girls in America on that Friday night. In retrospect i look back and wish i could have been there.

It's now Wed. There is a local crit going on in Nashville tonight. It's the www.nashvillecyclist.com crit series. It's a great way to get that midweek intensity and hang out with some cool bike people. I am feeling better. The hamstring injury is not as bad as i first thought. I did discover today that I rode with my saddle 1 INCH, THAT IS HUGE, too low for philly and nature valley. I knew something wasn't right...

I also received my new BLUE Time Trial frame today. Go to www.rideblue.com and check out the T12 and see what you will now see me on. I am in serious training for TT and Road nationals which take place on July 6 and 8th in Seven Springs, PA. Took a couple of days off and now it's back to the bike with a new improved attitude.













Here are some pics that were on cyclingnews.com from the nature valley grand prix while i made my short race appearance. DON'T laugh at my TT helmet. I borrowed it from a CANADIAN. She couldn't help it! The announcer for the race said it was the fanciest aero helmet of the day! The one where my head is buried, well yeah I am probably crying at this point in the race or pretending to so the photographer wouldn't take my picture but he did anyway.

Philly

I was just having a conversation with a fellow racer about Sunday’s big race the Liberty Classic in Philly. We were talking and he asked me if I was nervous about the race and I told him that it is the most nerve racking race for me because I am always so SCARED because I don’t want to crash. It got me thinking that most races I enter I am not afraid of my competition, how hard it’s going to be or even how I am going to finish. It’s always about me being afraid of crashing. Racing is stressful and to top things off if you are always worried about crashing how can you ever win if you are always playing it safe? Unfortunately, Philly is one of those races where you don’t have to wander if there will be crashes it is WHEN are the crashes going to happen? Sure enough for the past 2 years I have done this race they always happen in the stretch leading up to the Maniuk Wall on the first lap. If you can make it to the wall on the first lap then chances are you will finish the race. I have come to the conclusion when you enter this race you have a 50% chance of crashing maybe even a little more. This year only 78 girls finished out of 160ish racers.

The start list going into Philly showed 191 starters. I would say realistically there were maybe 150-165 racers that actually suited up and lined up on the start line. If you have ever raced a race that big then you know it is possibly one of the most motivating and frightening things to look around you and see some really great riders and then look around and see some riders that you know you need to move away from immediately. This year I was lucky enough to find the team East Coast Velo and was able to guest ride for them. I was sporting the navy and orange kit. I owe them a big thanks for having me!

The gun went off and the peloton was flying around the fountain and onto Kelly Dr., where we would spend a good portion of the day. Kelly Dr. is the main thoroughfare for the race. The men’s and the women’s peloton would pass each other several times on this long windy wind open road. Unfortunately this road is where the wrecks typically take place. You have lots of aggressive riding and jockeying for position. Several times the road narrows from 4 lanes to 2 lanes and riders try to squeeze you out if you are on the sides even though that is the safest place to be and may be the most difficult due to the wind.

Within the first 20 minutes the first wreck occurred. This one was bad and took out tons of riders. For those riders that didn’t go down but got stuck behind it this can be just as bad. The peloton always accelerates and leaves those in the crash way behind to try to catch on. Typically you have to work so hard to catch once you get to “the wall” you are so blown that you can’t climb with the lead group and then you get dropped and pulled. On this day, unfortunately another crash occurred about a minute later taking another large group of the peloton down or out of the race.

Lucky ME I made it through both crashes without a scratch. For once I picked the right side of the peloton and stuck with it. I knew that most the crashes happen on the left side but on this day the crashes were spread all over the road and I just happen to be in the right place at the right time. Maybe I am finally learning to ride in a huge pack! So we take off drilling the pace to the bottom of “the wall”. Hard right turn, hard left turn under the bridge and you are on the climb. This climb is not your typical steep climb. You have thousands of people lined up all along the wall screaming and cheering for you. This scenario is WHY I race. If this setting can’t motivate you to get your ASS up the hill then I don’t know what can. Today I was feeling pretty good. I hit the climb seated and pushed as long as I could in the saddle. When it reached a gradient I could no longer hold, I bounced out of my saddle SO HAPPY I had put on that 27 gearing and continued up to the top which seemed like it took for FREAKING EVER! When I hit the top I was in good position. Everybody seemed to settle in and get ready to hit the decent. This is a pretty sketchy decent. The roads in Philly aren’t the best. There are big potholes everywhere and the roads are shredded. Girls are bouncing all over the place and the peloton is completely strung out. The wind was bad which makes for a tough day. There is nowhere to hide and all you can do is hang onto that wheel in front of you.

1st lap down and I am feeling good. The next lap is by far the hardest. The pace was pushed and the peloton was getting very aggressive. I tried my 2 minutes of fame by going off the front just to see how my legs were really feeling. They weren’t feeling as great as I thought. A NZ girl bridged up to my then countered my attack. I decided it was time to retire back to the pack and save myself for the next 3 times up the wall. Good call on my part.

I made it up each lap with the lead group. The fourth and final lap I made it to the top. I was just about there and all the sudden a girl was coming over on me. I had no where to go but over right into the girl’s wheel in front of me. I rubbed her wheel and took a hard left into the barriers. I actually even knocked a little kid off the barrier. Hope he was ok but I didn’t have the time to wait and see. I threw it in reverse and luckily there were still a few girls coming up the hill. We busted our butts to catch on to the lead group but they were gone. The wind was too much and our legs were drained. I was very disappointed because I felt I had a raced a smart race and felt pretty good. That little crash at the top cost me a top 30 finish. Instead I finished 58th. Last year, my first go at the Liberty Classic, I finished 86th. It’s an improvement but I wanted better.

The Liberty Classic is one of my favorites. The city of Philly is a great place to visit. My host for the weekend, David Richwine of LAMDA Cycling, was absolutely the best host! I couldn’t have asked for a better situation. Thanks to Chris and Lies for all their support as well! It was a fun weekend.

I am sitting in a little coffee shop in Minneapolis getting ready to start The Nature Valley Grand Prix stage race tomorrow. This is a 5 day stage race all around Minneapolis and St. Paul. Today was stressful because the bike and bag didn’t make it here when I arrived last night. It was actually lost for 12 hours. I am ok and got my ride in today.

Keep checking for posts during the race. I hope to keep you updated most of the week.
Thanks for reading!

1st ever Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race turns out to be a success on several levels!

When a bunch of local racers get together and decide to put on a cycling race, I truly believe we never really consider everything that is involved. Most local racers around this area are put on well but I have to say the Edgar Soto Stage Race showed TN and other surrounding states that a quality stage race can be accomplished and appeal to the amateur categories rather than just the pros and that the bar for local racing has been raised.

I have just come off a stint of racing 3 stage races in 3 weekends. I sit here writing this blog wishing I had more energy to go for a ride on a day where I really have absolutely nothing to do, which is very rare. Fortunately for me, it’s raining outside. That must be a sign that I should take a rest day and get caught up on my correspondence and race recaps.

All week long I have been looking forward to writing this one so here it goes.
The Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race, from here on out called ESMSR, is a stage race that has kept me awake at night for the last few weeks. Not because I was nervous to race it but more because I thought there might be a chance it was going to be cancelled.

For those of you who don’t know, I am currently working for Mr. Stephen Collins @ Juris, Inc or TriStar Cycling who happened to be the head race director of Edgar Soto which means I was “unofficially” asst. race director. My job description included all the items you can possible think of and then a whole list of items you would never think of. I walked in the door on Sunday night at midnight from the TriPeaks race to see an email that said I was supposed to go to Spencer, TN Monday morning to recon stage 4. Not gonna happen! That was less than 5 hours and I was already feeling a sore throat coming on not too mention I had rode 2 stages in 24 hours that was close to 170 miles. I knew this week was going to be brutal. So many things to finish and only 4 days till the start of the race.

The week leading up to ESMSR the registration numbers were looking grim. I had no doubt that Stephen wouldn’t hesitate to call the whole thing off if we didn’t reach 300 racers. In the last day before online registration closed we had a large jump in numbers putting us at over 330 racers. Not quite sure why it took racers so long to decide if they wanted to enter a stage race or not. It’s not like you just get up the morning of the race and say, “oh I think I am gonna give this 4 day stage race a try, why not.” It’s just not like that. Stage racing takes preparation and training but apparently not in this neck of the woods. With hard work from MOAB, TriStar Cycling and Gran Fondo Cycles, the race looked like it would indeed take place.

We made it to Friday and everything was going smooth. I was disappointed to find out that there were only 20 women registered for the event. I wasn’t surprised. Anytime there are other races going on in the southeast the women’s field always suffers, in fact I just got a report that the GA cup race only had 20 women as well. A grand idea would be to work out a deal with the GA cup race and have them become involved in the stage race and have TBRA support at least one GA cup race. Imagine a local race with over 40 women, OH MY GAW!!!

The TT got underway and most the racers were decked out in their full aero gear. Thanks to Gerry Hayden for letting me borrow his TT helmet. I think that helped shave at least 5 seconds, or something like that really it just made me feel fast! About 30 minutes before our start the sky opened up and the rain and lightening came. Everyone said the roads were slick and to take it easy in the turns. My biggest nightmare, I hate racing in the rain so much. As it turned out, the street dried some and the TT went well for me. The course was 6.9 miles long and had just enough rolling hills to work to my advantage. I felt fast and may have looked faster than I was but when the results came back, I had taken the lead by 30 seconds and would wear yellow in the crit the next day.

The crit came early the next morning but my team was ready to go. Luckily my teammates, Jenny Trew, Caroline and I had been racing some NRC crits in the past couple of weeks so we were used to starting at the gun and riding at a blistering pace for shorts bursts of time. In this race it was our turn to set the pace. We went from the gun. I got on the front and went all out, with Jenny on my wheel. I looked back to find the group strung out one by one. This was a good sign. I wasn’t quite sure all the some of the handling skills of the others in the pack so we wanted to eliminate that from the equation. During lap two I looked back only to find 5 of us left and Kenda tire definitely had the advantage. There were 3 of us from Kenda, one tristar rider and one Albertos rider. Jenny, Caroline and I were relentless. We wanted to take the sprinters jersey during this crit too and we did. On the 1st bell lap I led Jenny out win the first sprint of the day. After that lap we dropped the Albertos rider. That left my two girls and Rachael Tatum from TriStar. The situation Rachael was in couldn’t have been pleasant. She really had to just try and hang on while we took turns attacking her until Jenny got off just like we had planned. Jenny took the next sprint bonus and Caroline and I continued to work over Rachael. I kept Jenny up the road and I set tempo on the front. We wanted to keep me in yellow and get Jenny in the sprinters jersey. At the end it worked just as planned. Jenny won the stage and I sprinted in for 2nd and Caroline took 3rd. A clean sweep for the KENDA girls and from then on the KENDA domination continued.

Stage 3 was a circuit race that included several rolling hills throughout and a couple of sprint lines to keep things interesting. Our plan for this race was to get Caroline the win since she had worked hard in the crit to secure our success. Once again KENDA started the pace high and dropped several girls from the beginning. With the 1st lap down, Jenny and I put it in high gear. Our plan was to snatch up all the time bonuses with us switching who takes 1st and 2nd. Our plan worked. With 1k to go we brought the tempo up and she led me out to take the first sprint. On the 2nd lap we did the same thing except I led her out. It was fun to be in control and really work together as team to accomplish our goals.
With one lap to go it became miserably hot. Our group seemed to be struggling up the hills so each KENDA rider would take turns pushing the pace up the hills. With 5k to go I told the girls I was going to go off the front and try to secure yellow. With 3k to go I launched an attack on a roller and made a solid gap. My teammate Caroline jumped with me and bridged up with 1k to go. I told her lets go and I told her to take the sprint. This was her win. We held it and Jenny T took the field sprint. It was another successful day for KENDA taking 1, 2, and 3 in the stage and keeping the yellow and green jersey for another day.

I was looking forward to Stage 4 all along. I knew I could put some time on the group once we got to base of the last climb. I had never ridden it before but felt like if I set a good pace up the climb that I could keep yellow. Our team goal was to keep the yellow and green jersey and take the overall. When your team holds all the cards all the responsibility lies on you. This meant it was going to be a long day in the front. We set a nice tempo for the first 20 miles. With 1k to the sprint line, KENDA got to the front to start the train. Jenny was on my wheel and I was leading her out. I started a little early but kept a good pace that nobody but Jenny could hold. She came around me and then I jumped back on her wheel and we took 1st and 2nd for the sprint. That sprint triggered the pace. Into the park we were driving the pace up some of tough rollers. We lost a girl during that section. Into the decent Jenny T decided to change a flat. She got back on and we decided we needed to make things more interesting and try to get someone up the road. With a series of attacks and counter attacks we managed to launch Chamblee off the front. Once she was off and out of sight our group slowed. We had managed to wear the others down with some very good attacks. We rolled all the way to the base where I took over. I started the climb with a decent tempo and kept it throughout the climb. Eventually I was alone on the climb and with 1k to go passed my teammate, Chamblee. She had a tremendous ride that day and finished 2nd in the stage. With 200 meters to go I rounded the corner and spotted the finish. I zipped up my yellow jersey and rode in for the win. It was a great way to end the stage race. I was super happy from the performance of my team. They worked so hard all weekend and did everything right. I even was lucky enough to get some local publicity through the Tennessean. Here is an article from this past weekend: click here

All in all Edgar Soto was a great success because all the local racers/clubs from TN did a great job in supporting this event and spreading the word to the surrounding states. I have no doubt next year will be bigger and better. The positive feedback we have received has been very overwhelming. Of course, there are many things we can do better next year but in the short-term; I think the it was a fantastic first year race.

Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success!

This Saturday I am off to Philly for the Wachovia Liberty Classic, the one day race with the ever-popular Munyiak Wall, and then onto Nature Valley Gran Prix for another exciting stage race. Stay tuned for more race news and new picutures at www.robinfarina.com

I would like to add, I was particularly proud of a certain former PRO racer aka the "Sheetah" who came out of a 13 year retirement stint to race the Edgar Soto Race.
Not only did he finish up 13 overall GC in the Masters category, he even had a podium finish sprinting the field for 3rd place in the Stage 3 Circuit Race. And if you weren't quite sure the above photo seems to show somewhere around 40 extra lbs but he still can "gut" up a result. See the attached picture to see if you recognize him from a long time ago at the '89 Tour de l'Avenir when he rode for the US National Team in the stars and stripes. Yes, that is really Bob Roll chasing him...

TRIPEAKS or 3 mountains over and over again

It's been like 2 whole weeks since i have had a chance to sit down and recap. A lot has gone on since last time i wrote. First let me start by saying 3 stage races in 3 weeks is something you seriously need to consider before attempting. I thought it would be no problem and that my body would be able to handle it, well it's 4 days after and i still feel like i have been hit by a train.

SO today i am taking a much-needed day off. Thanks to my very kind boss I am sitting in my pajamas, drinking some yummy coffee and typing away on the computer. AH the life of a wanna be PRO, this is what they get to do EVERY day. For me, it's a much needed treat.

So here it goes, back to TriPeaks two weeks ago. I wasn't sure i was going to make this trip back to ARkansas. TriPeaks is held in the little town of Russellville, with apparently 3 hills/mountains that surround it. Yes, you guessed it that is what we would be racing over in the back to back stages. This stage race was not as heavily attended as Joe Martin but would end up be just as challenging. The first stage started out on Friday night. It happened to be the hottest day I had encountered yet this year. It was 93 degrees when the crit started at 6pm. The crit started fast. The course was pretty flat but had a couple of technical turns. There was an also a harsh side-wind blowing on the long straight away. After several attempts to be in different breaks, a winning break was made. Unfortunately i wasn't in it. I truly believe i worked too hard at the beginning. That and also being behind that one rider that "always" opens up gaps. I knew this while sitting on her wheel but at the time was too tired to move around. That's what you get for being lazy. So the break went off and I ended up getting on the front and starting a chase. A few of my teammates tried to help but we weren't successful. By the end, my group was a minute and some change down from the leaders. Not the way you want to start going into a 3 mtn climbing day on the next stage.

Stage 2 played out how i expected. I would get caught by myself on the climbs. I have come to the realization that I can not yet climb with the lead group but i am a better climber than the rest of the field, which can be quite frustrating. I always find myself in the middle of the race thinking, should i kill myself and try to hang on to those top climbers and maybe be able to hang on or should i conserve and make it over the climb feeling much better and then go on the chase. Still haven't figured that one out. I guess it all depends on how much you got left at the end for the finish. Stage 2 was 92 miles. 92 miles is a freaking long day of racing. We finished with a time of 4 hours and 45 minutes on the bike and again in the 2nd group. A couple of minutes down from the leaders.

Stage 3 was 82 miles and finished on an 18% 3 mile climb. Most everyone was tired by the 3rd day so the pace was a little slower. We climbed two of the climbs from the day before but we climbed these at a much more mellow speed. Victory Brewing, local Kat Carroll's team, had 10 riders in our pack and had the GC leader. Knowing it was going to be a very long day, the pack let Victory do all the work, I mean all the work. On the first climb, a Cheerwine rider went off the front. Nobody felt like chasing and the pack didn't consider her a threat since she was quite a bit behind. We should have paid more attention. She ended up staying away the entire race and won the stage. It was a remarkable finish. After she went, there were several attempts to catch her later in the race. Kat Carroll put up a great effort to catch her and was off the front from the beginning of the 2nd climb till the final steep climb. Her efforts should be commended. It takes lots of guts and determination to solo off the front.

Finally, we reached the base of the 3rd and monster climb. My teammate, Jenny Trew, Alisha Lion and our host family for the weekend were staying in a cabin on top of Mt. Nebo. We got to see the climb everyday from the car. This climb consisted of 9 tight switchbacks and a long straight away at the top to the finish. After riding this several times in the car and dreading the climb, it was time to put an end to this epic stage. Victory Brewing set a hot pace going into the base of the climb, once we hit it there was an automatic split. Everyone would climb Nebo at their own pace. Alisha Lion set the pace, which was blazing. She is definitely a climber and was planning to make her move at the base. She did and left most of us watching her ride away. I got into my rhythm and found a good pace. I passed several girls on the way up and finished 15th for the day. At the top, i was so tired and freaking hot all i could do was pour cold water on my head. I swear i thought i was having a heat stroke. Luckily the cabin where we were staying was only 100 meters away. I headed straight there and went and laid down. You just can't find climbs like that in Nashville. It's too bad b/c it nice to know what 18% mountain top finish feels like before you try it for the first time!

I finished up 14 in the GC for the race. I wasn't super thrilled but it was a decent effort for a rather hilly race. As soon as the race was over, my teammate I headed to Nashville. Lots to do before Edgar Soto. Stay tuned for my recap of the 1st Ever Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race.

JOE MARTIN STAGE RACE AND ELVIS DIES!

First off, let me explain my title. Obviously i am gonna give you race report of Joe Martin but on top of everything else, the best DOG in the whole world died yesterday. Elvis was our family Boxer. He was the sweetest most RIDICULOUS dog I have ever been around. The pictures attached are of him. He was a terrible swimmer but a great cuddler and knew exactly how to take up 99.9% of the bed. He will be GREATLY missed.

One would think if you are doing a stage race all weekend, you would have plenty of time to sit around and write a race recap or even just write a short blog, well i was wrong. I lugged my 20 pound lap top with me all the way to ARkansas and didn't get logged on once.

So here we are on Tuesday and I am finally getting around to giving a recap of the weekend's TOUGH stage race. This was my 2nd year to attempt Joe Martin. I went in with something to prove. My goal was to finish top 25. I ended up 30th on the GC. Top 25 doesn't sound so impressive but this particular race this year was significantly harder than years past. The women's field was stacked. All the big teams were here with all their big guns. On Friday when we lined up for the first RR stage, it literally was a who's who of women cyclist.

Back to why i was seeking revenge from last year. In 2005 I crashed in the 2nd stage of the RR with 2 miles to the finish and wasn't able to continue. Not only was my bike completely screwed my body was beat up as well. I had no other option but to head east back to Nashville. That was my first stage race ever...Fast Forward a year, I do believe i am a different rider. I have finished some big crits but still hadn't conquered a finishing a stage race. This was my chance.

Friday's stage had a nice 9 mile climb in the middle. Once you got over the "bumb" it was rolling the rest of the way. From the get-go, the well represented teams were attacking left and right. The pace was being pushed. These were all just preliminary openers waiting for the base of the climb. As expected as soon as we hit the base and the steepest part the climbers went to the front and did their thing. I hung on for a mile or so and had to find my rhythm so i could climb the rest. I found myself in no man's land. Off from the top climbers but not with the rest of the peloton. I continued my pace and decided to regroup with the main field. A group caught me and I paced the climb along with one other rider to the top. At the feed zone, we revved up the pace and went on the hunt for the leaders. As expected others had popped from the lead climbing group. We caught small groups of riders until our chase group was in fact the biggest pace line i had ever been a part of in a race.

The finish was fast with a small pitch. I went to the front and sprinted for a good finish. I learned my lesson about doing this. Apparently i wasted energy b/c they all gave us the same time and my results looked like i came in at the back of the pack. That was aggravating!

2nd Stage was a rather difficult circuit race with a couple of long rolling climbs that would shatter the field pretty quickly. I was more prepared for this race and felt stronger the 2nd day. The pace was nasty up the climbs and on the 2nd lap i found myself coming off the main pack but i wasn't the only one. After we topped the climb we put in a serious chase group and caught the leaders in time to have a group finish. It was intense but the sprinters did their thing and I came in a decent position.

That afternoon we did a 2.5 mile uphill TT. 3 minutes before my start I got a rear flat. Talk about stress. I went straight to the SRAM Neutral Support tent where JOSE, the wonderful SRAM guy and not to mention the support person for the Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race - www.sotomemorial.org, gave me a PHAT Zipp 404 to ride. (By the way, I WANT A SET OF THOSE SOOOOO BAD! I am taking donations...) The TT was miserable and I had no idea where i was on time. I basically went tempo during the TT. Bad idea and my results showed it. I dropped in the GC to 34th after that. Guess I need to learn how to go hard up hill.

The final stage was Sunday morning. This criterium always had the reputation of being hard but I thought this would be the perfect opp to move up some spots in the GC. Sure enuf, I stuck out this BRUTAL crit. There is a steep little pitch at the start finish line where riders literally where dropping like flies. The pace was fast and there were several crashed all around me. I stayed up right and stuck with the group till the final climb with 3 laps to go. I fell off but so many had been dropped by then I actually moved up. I finished my 3 laps with a Colivita rider and called it a day.

All in all, it was a decent race for me. I have a lot of things to work on but for my first stage race of the year and my first stage race to complete, I am satisfied.

This week I head back to ARKANSAS for Tri-Peaks, a brutal 3 day stage race with finishing stages with 18% climbs OR i may just stay here in Nashville and have fun at some local races like the NASHVILLECYCLIST.COM/Cumberland Transit Criterium and Hot Sumner RR, visit www.nashvillecyclist.com for more info.

Stay tuned for more race recaps and blogs by visiting my website at www.robinfarina.com
In the next couple of weeks, I will doing several big races such as Wachovia Liberty Classic in Philly, Nature Valley Grand Prix, Tri-Peaks and Edgar Soto. Hope to see you on the bike!