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...