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!

Sleepy...Body hurts, HELP!

I am somewhat pleased with the way this weekend turned out. One of the most nerve-racking races of the season is now in the books. The annual Athens Twilight kicked off on Sat night with biggest and baddest girls/teams in the country in town to make a one-hour race freaking miserable or so i worried all day saturday that was going to be the case. Last year, I raced twilight in the pouring rain and got pulled. Granted it was my first NRC crit ever...so I had a lot to prove on sat night. Not only that i could finish but that I am different rider from last year. I decided to race this weekend on my power tap which was a great idea. The information was interesting and proved that I could have done more and well should have been more aggressive in the both races. Next time I won't just try to sit pretty and wait for the big girls to make the moves. The beginning was tough and I didn't get a good start. Those damn pedals never work for me. Maybe it's time for a new brand. Any suggestion?
So off the race goes and I am working like a dog to get moved up. Looked around and saw some girls i knew i didn't want to be around very long. Got out of that situation fast and continued to move up. Within minutes the field was becoming shattered and strung out. Had to close a few gaps but got in a comfortable position and pretty much stayed there the entire race. Athens is like no other race. Every corner you hear your name being yelled and it motivates you just enough to hang on and push just a little harder. With a few laps to go, you could feel the pace getting faster. This is where my legs just started to burn and from what the power tap reads my heart rate was around 192. Nice huh...Last lap girls are getting freaky and the peloton is making some jerky moves. Best thing to do is either get off the front or stay patient. I chose patience for once, not the time for patience. In retrospect should have made the million dollar move but I just buried myself for the last half lap and rode in a comfy 24th.

The Kenda girls were represented well. Alisha pulled out a 13th and Jenny Trew got 17th. I ended up 24th but still in the $$. That is always fun. Now i get to take that and get a massage, THANK GOD! Thanks to all you girls that sat up in the sprint so I could take home a couple of extra dollars to pay for tip on my massage...Thanks to Chris for helping me get ready for the race and being there to keep all the media away from me while i warmed up. It's such a hassle having to do interviews for cyclingnews pre-race, hah hah ;-)

Yesterday was one long damn day. The girls, Deb, Alisha and I got in the car with Veronica, the temperamental GPS device, and made our way to Roswell. Our not-so-loyal men abandoned us and headed for home. Funny thing, it took them 2 hours to get out of Athens and get on 85N. Silly boys! I swear they can barely find their way out of a brown paper sack! Serves them right for making us set up our own trainers amd pinning our own numbers.

The Roswell Crit is fun course but the field was huge. I struggled at the start again and found myself in a bad position. Being at the back of the peleton in a crit is not safe nor is it easy. In fact, it's the place where you work the most. Work I did, up to the top third and there i sat moving back and forth. According to the power tap, this race was harder and faster than the night before. It didn't seem that way but then again the adrenaline level was quite higher for Athens and there wasn't as much excitement. A small break got away and no KENDA represented. I must have been taking a little nap during that part. It stayed away and the sprinters did their thing. I rolled in mid pack and was pleased to finish. No money yesterday, guess that means no dinner for the week.


It's Monday now and I can barely keep my eyes open. I am sure i will fall right to sleep during my massage. Big week ahead. Getting ready for Joe Martin next weekend. Looks like there is a lot of climbing in my future. Got all the crit racing out of the way, bring on the mountains! Stay tuned for pics of athens. there are some floating out there just have to find them.

Big thanks to Tim Hall for letting me ride home in the Cumberland University Van yesterday. Felt like i was back in college heading to some sporting event. I jump in the van and there it is the "cosmopolitan", you know CHICK magazine. What else are a bunch of guys going to do on a long road trip but read all about how they can tell if they are pleasing their girlfriends. Good luck guys! I am sure you still have no idea! I finally get home around midnight. It was late but it was fun comparing power tap info. What a bunch of bike dorks we are with our little bike computers!

Tour de GA weekend

Here I am at the third day of the Tour de Georgia sitting in a car with Chris wondering when in it is going to quit raining. Got to Brasstown Bald "early" so we could get a good 2 hour ride in but things are looking grim. Really need to be on the bike today doing a long ride today but time is running out and the sun looks like it will be hiding most of the day. Last year when i was watched this stage it was 30 degrees and freezing. I watched from the inside of a car at an intersection that day as well. The outcome needs improve drastically or this will be the last time i will come to the mountain top finish at Brasstown Bald even though it is a killer climb to watch.

The Tour so far has been pretty exciting so far. Lots of Nashvillians down here to support cycling. Yesterday we were in the town of Dahlonega. After the finish we got in a great 2.5 hour ride in the hills and valleys. My parents met at the small school North Georgia College in Dahlonega so we went to visit the campus. That took a whole 5 minutes to see. We spent Saturday night in the bustling town of Dawsonville where we went out and had some dinner at the local Mexican establishment. Not much else to do besides get to bed early and get ready for tomorrow's long stage.


The stage at Brasstown Bald got significantly better. The duel between Landis and Danielson was classic. I had my $$ on Danielson the whole time, unfortunately he didn't get the 4 seconds he needed but Landis deserved it and rode an excellent stage. After walking down that crazy hill, by the way my legs are SOOO sore today, we decided to take a quick one hour spin to get the legs moving before getting in the car. The area around Brasstown Bald was incredible. A beautiful place to ride. Very scenic with long rolling hills and it was great because by the time we rode, everyone was gone. I think we were the last people to leave the area.

After the mountain stage, we were very lucky to run into Mike and Patti Mead. They invited us to spend the night at their little hideaway cabin up in Bryson City, NC. After getting lost for several hours and not knowing where in the world we were, even with our aggravating GPS a.k.a Veronica, we finally made it to the cabin. After a short recap of getting lost we hit the hay so we could get up and do a long ride in the scenic mountains.

We woke to a beautiful morning and ready to ride. Mike, Chris and I started our ride with a 20 mile climb. 13 miles in on this road that felt like Paris Roubaix, Chris broke a spoke. This area is not exactly where you want this to happen. We debated the safest way to get back, which was me time trialing to the car and coming to get Chris while Mike finished the intended route. All turned out well but that meant i still had to get back on the bike once i got home to finish my ride. Big races coming up this weekend, Athens/Nalley, can't skip workouts just because...

Finally we made it home. What a great weekend! The Tour was a nice change of pace. Typically it's me who is stressed about racing and all the little things that come with it. Now it's back to working on a very important race, the Edgar Soto Memorial www.sotomemorial.org, and getting ready for the big weekend in Athens. If you have never watched the Athens Twilight, you are missing out. It is one of the best CRITS in America. I highly recommend coming out and seeing this race, oh yeah, and PRAY for NO RAIN!!!

Lots of driving and getting nowhere!

Since one week from today, I have logged SOO many hours in my car I have lost count! All i know is that from Sunday till this morning, I have been in my car more than i have been on my bike or anywhere else for that matter. I am in some serious need of sleep and solid bike time. I have 3 stage races coming up in the month of May, Joe Martin, Tri Peak and Edgar Soto, and ATHEN/ROSWELL next weekend. Got to get away from the car. It's bad for the form!

Yesterday was the Komen Race for the Cure crit in Macon, Ga that opened up the Tour de GA for the men's finish. I drove down to ATL monday night after just getting back from the mountains early monday morning. Got to my aunt and uncle's house late and fell asleep literally in 5 minutes. It was a good thing nobody was up because i was in no mood to be social.

I woke up at 6:30 and went out for a light spin. My coach, Dave Brown, warned me that my legs may not feel good after all the riding I did over the weekend in the mountains but I felt pretty good considering. I did a group ride Sunday afternoon that i thought would be mellow. It was far from mellow. These guys and girls were trying to kill each other. Normally that would be fine and i am all for ripping your friends legs off but since i had to race on Tues, i was getting a little freaked. You know the feeling when you KNOW you can go hard and push yourself but you know you will pay for it dearly in the days leading up. Well, there i was trying to be conservative while 2 girls were in the lead group. It was killing me, finally i decided to just sit on their wheels and make sure they weren't going anywhere without me. I hate how the bike makes you do silly things like that.

The picture of me in the creek is post group ride COLD MOUNTAIN Creek. I figured the only way to make sure i would be good to go for Tues was to take an ice bath O'NATURAL...it worked.

Tuesday in the warm up, I felt great. The race started fast. I actually attacked on the first lap. Sometimes i just love doing that to get everybody in the red zone in the first few minutes, including me! Aaron's had a decent number of girls there along with Victory Brewing having a few girls. Kenda, my team, had 4 so we were looking good. Attack after attack went but nothing stuck. I tried several times to get in something but Aaron's had a plan for their big sprinter and it worked. Everytime a break went they would shut it down. The last few laps were fast with the pace picking up. I knew where the attack was coming on the last lap. Backside on a little rise. Sure enough i saw it and jumped out to the side. Should have gone earlier since i am not known as the best sprinter, or for sprinting at all. So i caught a wheel sitting very nice, maybe 12 deep. Came around the last corner into a small downhill finish and passed a couple more riders within the last 200 meters. Finished with a strong 10th. Not great but not bad considering most everyone in front of me was a sprinter. Man, if I could just learn to get up out of the saddle at the end of the race, I am almost certain I could have picked up a few more.

If anyone gives lessons on sucessful sprinting and would like to teach me...you know how to reach me!!!

Sunny outside and I don't want to be sitting in this office!

Another weekend of racing goes by, except this one was a little disappointing. Raccoon Mtn is typically one of the bigger regional women's fields in early spring. This year we had a whopping 15 in the women's 1/2/3 field and it wasn't b/c there was a lack of prize $$. This race is what i like to call a bad sorority meeting. A bunch of girls out for a sunday afternoon stroll. My power tap will attest to that. You gotta hate when the numbers won't lie. The race drug on. A few attacks nothing substantial. One lap down, tried to tire the field out a little by setting a decent pace up the climb. Guess we dropped a few. By the end of the 1st lap there were only about 8 of us left, 4 of those girls were from BMW Bianchi. There were 2 of us from kenda and 2 from random teams. One would think this is not a good situation to be in and that this lap could get a little hard. But with numbers, sometimes bring laziness and that's exactly what happened. On the stair stepper climb, we were basically crawling. I had enough, with one more step to go, I attacked and left everyone back. One bianchi girl finally bridged and we kept the break for about 10-15 minutes, right before the finishing climb. It was just enough time to sit back in for a couple of minutes and recover. With a little less than 1km to go i picked up the speed again. Should have attacked with more committment but was a little tired. Lori from Moab made a jump and i stuck her wheel. The finish was literally right around the corner into a small decline. Who the heck picked this for the finish. DOWNHILL. I was sure we had about 100 meters to go with a slight uphill so i just sat on her wheel. Wrong answer, I literally sat back and watched her win...I hate it when i make stupid mistakes but i guess that is all about learning the sport.

It's tuesday and since the race was SO SLOW, now i have a SCARY workout waiting for me when i finish work. Thanks COACH, appreciate it...Sandy, one of my athletes is coming into town to do the workout with me. She is gonna freak when she finds out what we get to do! So that leads me back to it's beautiful outside and I am sitting here working on the Edgar Soto Memorial Stage race, which is one of 3 stage races in 3 consecutive weekends for me. First Joe Martin, then Tri-Peaks and back to Nashville to do Edgar Soto, www.sotomemorial.org,. Which will all have some major climbing in them. Luckily i get to go to Boone this weekend and climb until my legs want to fall off. Sounds like fun, huh? But ya gotta be ready to climb or else be ready to CHASE for 3 weekends in a row. NO THANKS!


Here is a picture where all the day dreaming happens.

Full on Racing

Monday after a long weekend of racing and an ever longer drive from South Carolina, the most important task at hand was to build my new Blue Bike (www.rideblue.com) and get the Power Tap Pro to work with the bike. Have i told you just how excited i am to be using a power tap? There is no guessing and no cheating on the power tap. You are either generating the watts or you are not. This afternoon as soon as i can get out of this office, I am headed out on the road on my new bike to do a field test. It will only be 30 minutes of all out HELL to see what i can hold.

Anyone looking for a good race this weekend should do the annual Raccoon Mountain RR. It's this sunday. I love this race. It's got a nice little climb in it and a break can get away. Not to mention the women's purse is HUGE for a regional event. Check it out at www.tbra.org.

NZ wrap up

I have been back in the states for one whole week. It feels like months since I have been in NZ. Finally, over the last couple of days it really sunk in as to what a great experience it was for me to race with fastest girls in the World.

I want to wrap up the rest of my trip for you. The World Cup race was on Sundy, March 5th. Over 125 girls were on the start list. The course was hard, riding the course a couple of times was hard but the World Cup was 20 laps long, the longest a world cup race is allowed to be. World Cups are races of attrittion and maybe I wasn't exactly fit enough to be in the top 20 for one of these. If NZ was trying to prove that they can come up with a nasty and daunting course, well they win the award. The race started on the steps of Parliment. All 126 racers lined up and headed off into the cobbles. It kind of felt like we were really tough. We went diving into the first turn and you are faced with a tight city street with a head wind you really don't want to even imagine. The street narrows right before the first climb, so everyone is pulling their best bike handling moves to push the other girl out of the way. Once you get through that you make a SHARP right hand turn into the climb. If you have ever been in a big pack before where there is any type of sharp turn, then you know if you are anywhere in back half of the group, you will almost come to a dead stop and then have to sprint at max effort just to catch back on. At this point you hear all kinds of yelling and curse words in every language as to why the girl in front is slamming on her brakes and causing a HUGE gap. Of course I would never yell, that wastes way too much energy. After this little hair pin turn you climb and then you make another turn and climb some more until you reach the top where half the crowd is yelling and watching you suffer up this steep pitch. Once you reach the top, you get NO recovery b/c there is a massive head wind that makes you work all the way down the decent to where you start the other climb on the back side of the course. This is where the feed zone was located but you really can't slow down and the chances of you getting a feed were slim. So the pace is being pushed through the feed zone the top of the 2nd climb and then you get another small rolling flat into guess what ANOTHER full on head wind that about blows you off your bike. You think i am kidding, look up the city of Wellington, NZ on google and what comes up "WINDY WELLINGTON". You get the point. The pace was blazing. All the teams expected a break to happen in the first or second lap, just like last year. It didn't go until the 7th lap. For the first 7 laps of 20, the fastest girls in the world were on the rivot. When they are on the rivot for that long, racers like myself are sucking their dust...So i got popped and found myself chasing with other large groups. Sounds familiar doesn't it. I got to finish 16 laps out of 20 before they pulled me. I still consider it a great experience. At the end of the day only 40 girls out of 125 finished. That is a very small number and I think it shows just how hard the course was. I am not making excuses. I knew going into this week it would be tough. I was hoping some of the Europeans wouldn't have their best legs yet but it didn't matter b/c the New Zealanders and the Aussies were in peak form. The winner was Sarah Ulmer, she is New Zealand's golden girl. She broke away by herself on lap 7 and some how kept it, it was considered a suicide mission. She is a TRACK gold medalist who is giving a run at road racing. I would say she can just about have her way on any bike...

After the race, I had a day to relax, walk around Wellington and pack up for my long trip home. Besides the racing, I was really lucky to have such a great host family. Charlie, the Wholly Bagles owner and sponsor of the team i raced on, has a wonderful family. They treated my like i had lived there for years. They had 3 small children and I spent lots of time with them and even read them bed time stories, I know it's crazy! I got to learn so much about New Zealand and their culture. It is a wonderful and beautiful place. The riding was fantastic, the traffic is minimal and everyone i came in contact with was super friendly. If you get the chance or just need a vacation, VISIT NZ.

As for me now that i am back, last weekend i raced the Greenville training series. I placed 2nd in the RR after several attempts to make a break stick. On that course you really need several people in a break but it never happened so I had to sprint it out. I was pleasantly suprised since i though for sure my legs would be dead from all the traveling.

This weekend, I am taking off from racing and doing a block of killer climbing. Brooks in ATL was tempting but there is plenty of racing in the near future. Speaking of, can't wait till next weekend's training races, wwwtbra.org, around Nashville. I look forward to riding with my favorite group of Nashvillians. Feels like I haven't seen you guys in forever! Take it easy on me, I will be in the "A" races sucking your wheel! Don't forget to check out www.robinfarina.com for my weekly blogs, updates on my season and other important STUFF!

On the Road Again...

One would think that you recover from jet lag in a couple of days, I am walking proof that it lasts more like a week. It's been exactly a week since I left NZ and I have already been over to Greenville, SC to race, Boone for a training ride and back to Nashville to rejoin the Juris, Inc. workforce. I slept for a full day on Friday and some how felt like a million bucks in the race on Saturday morning.

Hincapie Sports put on a 3 weekend series and this past weekend was the final weekend. This particular course didn't seem to be in my favor for the first four laps. A Cheerwine rider and myself kept trying desperately to break away on the 2 small climbs but the pack kept chasing hard to bring us back each time. Finally, I decided on the last lap to give it one more try but still no break. I decided to take a rest and sit in for the last couple of miles so I could be ready for the bunch sprint. I got lucky and the sprint worked out the way, I planned. With about 500 meters to go the group got restless. I let girls jump but just stayed patient on a wheel. Finally, the one girl who sat in the pack the entire time came from nowhere and pulled away. I jumped with her but she had a little more to give at the line. I took 2nd. It was pretty satisfying since I thought for sure I would be completely worthless after coming off the long trip.

Sunday was spent in Blowing Rock, NC. The riding in this area is some of the best I have ever experienced. The roads are rolling and flowing and the traffic is amazingly light. If you have never been up here, take a weekend and bring your bike. There are so many scenic rides that will leave you wanting to ride longer and climb better. I will go ahead and warn you, don't plan to come out here for a flat ride. They don't call it the high country for nothing. Let's just say if you want to find your climbing legs, there is no doubt you will find them here. Sunday I only did a 50 mile ride. The route was part of the Blood, Sweat Gears course, a killer century in June with over 13,000 feet of climbing in one day.

After a great day in the mountains, I drove back early Monday morning to Nashville. My first day back in the office since mid Feb. Let me just tell you how hard it is to come back to work after being gone for a month. Back to the office and my first responsibility is to complete the Race Bible for the Edagar Soto Memorial Stage Race, www.sotomemorial.org. Life could be worse, I did get to take a 2 hour break for lunch to ride with my boss and a co-worker.

Stay tuned for more race action and cycling news in the upcoming week. This weekend MAY be an off weekend from racing but after that it's pretty much every weekend till October, or so it seems!

Good to be Back!

Finally after about 24 hours of airports via 3 different airlines and at least stops in 6 different cities I arrived back in good ole Nashville. I don't think I have ever been this happy to come back home. Of course I miss NZ already, who couldn't? It's one of the most beautiful places on earth but it's definitely not home. It's funny how different 2 countries can be. I guess that's what happens when there is a huge ocean and an international date line separating the two.

I have officially been off the bike 2.5 days but I feel like I have raced just yesterday. I can honestly say I have never experienced jet lag until now. It basically feels like you got hit by a semi truck! Last night I was so tired but couldn't fall asleep. My body clock was telling me it was breakfast time and it was only midnight. This madness has to STOP soon! I have decided to race this weekend in Greenville, SC at the training races that Hincapie Sports puts on, the site is www.teamhincapie.com if you are interested. The women's fields are 40-50 in size which is small compared to last week's World Cup but still competitive. I am really looking forward to testing my fitness against the regional competition instead of World Champions this weekend. Next weekend there are races in Nashville that I am looking forward to doing to, www.tbra.org.

Today I have a long ride ahead of me. Sleep would be nice but that isn't going to make me any fitter. I am really looking forward to getting back into a regular routine. My season is off to a good start even though New Zealand was tough. I expected that and kept into mind many of those girls are in the peak of their season. I am just coming off of winter and my peaks are still to come.

Off to ride, then to sleep and then time to work!

Last Day in NZ

Just got done with my last ride around the bays of Wellington. My plan was to ride for about 2.5 hours and get the legs worked out before I get on the plane for 20 hours. It didn't go according to schedule because the winds in the city are the worst I have encountered. As a matter of fact I literally got blown off my bike. I headed out to the TT course for the Tour and had to stop because I could go any further into the head wind. When I turned my bike around I was actually frightened as to how fast I would take off in the tail wind. I made it half way around one of the bays and got blown into a ditch. Luckily I didn't wreck but had to walk the bike about 200 meters until I could get back on and ride again.

I called it a day on the bike and went for a bagel and "long black" coffee at my favorite hang out, Wholly Bagels, aka my sponsor here in for the races. I met up with Charlie, the owner and person I am staying with, and he got a huge laugh out of my story. He's the one who told me I really should get out and enjoy my last ride in Wellington. He also knew how bad the winds were today. I was getting some rather crazy looks while out today.

Going back to the house to get packed up and I fly out of here at 5:30 p.m. and arrive in LA at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday as well, so I get that day back that day i missed when i first got here. Want to make sure I don't miss anything.

Looking forward to getting back to Nashville and training a lot more where the wind isn't so bad. Also can't wait to come home and test my legs against the US girls. We'll see if they are as fast or as fit as the girls in the World Cup...

World Cup

World Cup is over and all I have to say is that was one of the hardest and fastest races I have ever done. Maybe it's beginning to be a trend. Every race I enter is the hardest and fastest but I am pretty sure they can't get much harder or faster than yesterday's World Cup.
All the team directors were predicting a break after a lap or two. The one-woman break didn't happen until 7 laps had passed. That is a huge amount of time at MAX heart rate. If the break would have gone when it was expected then the pace would have been manageable and maybe more than 40 racers out of 120 would have finished. The hills were daunting and the wind was relentless. No time to recover. The whole course was tiring but I guess that is what makes it a World Cup. I finished 15 of the 20 laps and then was pulled. A trainer who looked at my knee the day before told me I had strained my ligament in the back of my knee. I knew something wasn't right with me when I starting feeling a lot of pain in the Thursday night crit. I am taking the next few days off the bike and giving the knee a rest and some icing.

Today has been a great day in Wellington. It is picture perfect and I am getting the opportunity to walk around the city and do some window shopping and drink some very yummy strong coffee. This afternoon I have rugby and cricket practice with the 2 young boys I have been staying with. The family I have been staying with has been taking great care of me. The 2 boys who are 4 and 6 years old have thought that I am a whimp for not playing yet. It's hard to explain to them that I just don't want to play Rugby and Cricket after the racing a 3.5 hour World Cup but today I have to give in. Apparently President Bush was giving Cricket a try the other day. Surely I will be better than him!

More tomorrow on how it goes. Thanks for reading. Picture of the race and pictures of my trip will be posted in the upcoming days!

Bad day at the office...

Since the last time you heard from me, so many things have happened on my visit to New Zealand. First off let me start by saying this is a beautiful country with very friendly people. I would recommend coming here for a vacation to hang out by the ocean, take a hiking trip, take a bike tour, or anything your heart desires. You will see from the pictures I have sent, the city of Wellington, where we are racing, sits in the heart of several bays and the wind never stops. The nickname is Windy Wellington, how original…It is a city of roughly 300,000 with a big city feel but traffic free and everybody here is doing something active.

My first few days were spent riding and walking around the city. I was lucky enough to be staying with the Wholly Bagel sponsor, Charlie and his family. Charlie is an American bloke who has a lovely wife Justine and three very lively kids. They have been wonderful to me. Fed me non-stop and gave me this wonderful king size bed. I am very lucky to be staying with them and they made the transition to New Zealand very easy.

A week ago today, was my first time to really open up my legs. The Wellington Criterium Championships were taking place and I decided it would be a good way to get a few of the Wholly Bagels team together and see how we race. About 15 local girls showed up and WB had 3 riders. The odds were in our favor. Early into the race, I got into a break with a girl from another NZ team. She and I worked hard and kept the break alive and I out sprinted her for the win. It was a great way to start my year off.

Coming off my cloud into reality, the real racing started Wednesday night. 126 of the world’s best riders flooded the streets of Lower Hutt to start the New Zealand Tour. The first stage was a one hour + 3 laps criterium. This race started out very fast from the gun. There was no slowing and everyone was trying to get into the corners first. After several near crashes the peleton settled in. I raced a very smart crit by staying near the front and behind safe riders. There was an 8 man break that got away and stayed away. The wind was the worst I have ridden in and riders were getting blown everywhere. I continued to ride smart and ended up top 20 in the pack. In a small course there isn’t a lot of opportunity to make break and it is very difficult to move to the front. You have to fight and concentrate to keep your position the entire time. I was pleased with that finish and 3 of my other team members finished in the pack as well. It was a very successful 1st stage for the Wholly Bagels team.


Thursday would be a very challenging day that contained 2 stages, a 99km RR and another 1hour + 3 laps criterium. Stage 2 was the 99km stage race from Martinborough to Masterson. This would be a very difficult stage with a climb similar to the Munyiak Wall in US Pro, except this one is longer. I even changed my cassette from a 25 to a 27 after pre-riding this climb. I felt really good at the beginning of this race. The pace was fast and the peleton was full of nervous energy. The speed picked up and I found myself in very good position on the right hand side of the peleton. With 12km under our belt the first wreck occurred a couple riders in front of me. I slammed on the brakes to avoid the girl in front of me and sure enough a second later, I get nailed from the back of the bike and go flying into a ditch with another rider who happens to be my teammate. This wreck happened very quickly and all I could see from the ditch was the peleton flying by. I pick myself up off my teammate along with both of our bikes and try to help her. She is screaming that her hand won’t move and it’s broken. I scream into my radio, OLI GET UP HERE NOW. I AM DOWN AND SO IS PERNELL. After a quick body check, 2.5 minutes and a wheel change I jump on the bike to chase down the peleton. There was only one other girl that was able to continue besides me and she was still way behind me. Luckily this nice car in the convoy gave me a ride for about half a mile and then had to leave me. So here I am about 14km into a 99km race and I am all alone. My team car finally reaches me and tells me to hop in the Wholly Bagels van and to save myself for the World Cup on Sunday. I give my team manager the look of death and say forget it I am going to finish this race. Several team cars pass and they tell me to slow up and let the girl catch on and we can work together. I agree and she and I work are tails off and catch up with one of my teammates that had been popped off the peleton. So she jumps on and then we catch about 4 others. So everything is working well until I get a message on my radio telling me that during my wheel change they gave me a BLOODY 21 gearing, mind you I had put a 27 cog set on to get up the climbs. My team car then tells me I have to change the wheel or I will not make it up the climb, so I pull off. My group leaves me and continues on never looking back. I scream, “WAIT UP” but nothing. So here I am again at 20km all by myself at the very back of the race. With only 79km to go, I decide to bury myself and catch. With 2 climbs leading up to the MOTHER Climb, I pass each rider that left me. They all decide to take the sag van but not me. I catch this one chick at the top of the 2nd climb and we work together for 10km until we reach the base of Kiaruria. I tell her that the decent is brutal and after we reach the top we only have 30km left and we should work together to make the time cut. I tell her to wait for me at the top. I was being nice. I start the climb and never look back. On the way up, I pass the biggest Chinese girl I have ever seen walking her bike up the climb. When I reach the top, I look down and both riders have decided to join the sag wagon. The feed zone was supposed to be at the top of the climb but of course when you are the last racer on the course, there is no feed zone for you. With a _ of a bottle of water left and no food, I decide to put my head down and go hard for the last 30 km, hoping this is just some kind of bad dream I will wake from.

With about 15km left I start gaining some friends. The Wellington Motorcycles Police Force decided to surround me and give me a little parade to the finish. The first sign I see that lets me know I am somewhere near the finish is the 8km to go mark. Being a US rider, we really have no idea what 8 km is, so I put my head down and start burying myself to the finish fighting the biggest head wind I have ever encountered. Finally I cross the line and hear cheering. Apparently all the Commissioners had never seen anything like this before. I was told they were shocked that someone would continue on with that much to go in a race and being left so far behind. The race directors told my team director I would be allowed to start the 1 hour + 3 laps crit that was supposed to start in 1 hour, because I inspired them with my lonely 87km race. I’ll take it how I can get it was my response. There was no way I was coming all the way to NZ and going to end up in the Sweep Van. Once I got to my team camp, I cried a little, more out of sheer pain than anything and then hit the closest café for as much food as I could shove down my throat, probably not a wise decision when I look back on it but I thought I deserved it.
The crit started just like the night before, fast and furious. I found myself feeling remarkably well considering the race I just finished. Half the race goes by and all of the sudden my legs went dead. I couldn’t move them. They felt like bricks and I quickly moved from a very good place in the peleton to the worst place, off the back. At this point I could do no more. I went and sat down on the side of the road. Upset b/c my legs had failed me but more upset b/c I had stopped pedaling.

I got word later that night that I wasn’t allowed to start the TT the next morning and it really made me angry. It is now Fri night and I have had a whole day to let it soak in. I am still a little upset but in retrospect I had a really “BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE” on Thursday but a bad day on the bike is still better than a day at the office! I have an extra day of recovery for the World Cup and a lot of anger built up that needs some channeling. I am hoping/wishing Sunday goes a lot better for me. I know, I know, it’s just racing but I didn’t come all the way to NZ to watch the race go by. Stay tuned and find out how the World Cup race goes on Sunday and how the rest of my trip unfolds.

New Zealand here I come!

New Zealand here I come. Here I am sitting on the first flight of my epic journey across the world and of course I get stuck next to the biggest 16 year old boy I have ever seen and he happens to be a very heavy breather. I keep telling myself this part is only 5 hours and if I can just keep my head buried in my laptop long enough maybe he won't lean over here and breathe on me. So here it goes along with a little background on me.
Last night, I waited till 11pm to pack my bike and gear for the trip. If any of you know me, I am sure this comes as no surprise. Normally, I would wait till the morning of my trip but I thought I would get a head start on it. It's midnight and it occurs to me that this monstrosity of a bike box might cost me a small fortune on the LA to Auckland leg of the trip. I call Qantas Air at least 10 times waiting for a live person to pick up. Finally, a guy answers and in his best auzzie accent gives me a number but turns out it was to a fax machine. GO FIGURE...I give up and decide it might be a good idea to get a couple of hours of sleep. I hit the hay with way too many thoughts running through my head, but the main concern was OH PLEASE GOD let Nashville airport be up and running tomorrow. We all know Nashville isn't know for it accessibility in the snow and "black ice" plus I just can't stand one more day in these Arctic temperature. It's just not good for the racing legs!
I wake up ready to go, finish packing and head for the door when i realize I can't find my wallet which has my passport, cash, VISA card and most importantly UCI license which allows me to race. I have a major freak out, tearing through my bags, car and every bag I was taking. After 10 minutes of pulling all my hair out, I find it neatly stashed away in a side pocket of my ever-so-huge piece of luggage. During my late night packing I had put it away to make sure i wouldn't forget it. Instead I hide it from myself. I get in the car with my mom and drive in silence as I decompress from my meltdown. All is well now and I am ready to be there. Too bad I am only an hour into my first flight of three and 18 more hours of flying to go.
The reason for this trip around the world is that I have the wonderful and quite possibly the chance of a lifetime to race in the 2006 New Zealand Tour and Women's World Cup race March 1-5th. The last week in Jan, may team director from Kenda Tire got word that a NZ based team, Wholly Bagles, was looking for a guest rider from the US. I sent the director an email along with my race resume and the next thing i knew I was planning the trip for the race. Once the Wholly Bagels director and I started discussing the race and the caliber of riders that would be present, I knew this would be a fantastic way to break in the legs and lungs for the 2006 season. I say that now but in a week when i report back and tell you how my legs are being ripped off from numerous attacks on the climb of stage 2 of the tour. Oh by the way, if any of you are familiar with the US PRO's Munyiak Wall they say this climb on stage 2 is very similar. OH JOY! It's a good thing I have spent some time in the mountains of NC working on climbing. Hopefully that will pay off.
I have realistic goals for this race. I am not kidding myself about getting big results as a 3rd year racer. I am looking to learn as much as possible and tune up before I come back to the states and race the NRC's. Some of the best riders in the world will be here and this is one way to test yourself against them.
For those of you who don't know me, I am 28 years old and live in Middle TN for most of my life. I have played just about every sport and went on to play volleyball and tennis in college. That didn't last too long and I decided to pursue the business side of sports. Out of college I moved to Atlanta to work with the Braves and then came back and worked for the Nashville Sports Council. This past month I have taken a position at Juris, Inc. otherwise known as the TriStar Cycling family. This opportunity came at a very good time. This job is allowing me flexibility to train on the bike, travel when there are races and keep my foot in the corporate door.
I started riding in 2004. Cumberland Transit, the very popular outdoor store and greatly improved bike shop, took me in as their lone female rider and were kind enough to let me train with the guys. Cumberland Transit Cycling has been very instrumental in allowing me to pursue bike racing at the highest level. I started out as a Cat 4 racer and Expert mountain biker in 2004, and with some local success in 2005 i was picked up by the DeFeet, a southeastern women's based team. I soon learned that road racing was my strength and it is very difficult to be highly competitive at both disciplines. I progresses quickly last year by starting as a cat 3 and making my way up to cat 1 by the end of the season. 2005 was a good year for me but with moving up quickly comes a much higher level of cycling. When you ride with the best racers you find that everyone in the peleton has a killer instinct. For the 2006 season, my racing schedule is much more demanding and will require me to be in the best shape of my life. I have worked hard this past winter and believe I have what it takes to be highly competitive in the NRC's this year.
With that being said, I am going to quit yapping and start riding. Now i am sitting here at LAX International and have about 6 more hours before heading to Auckland. I will get there around 6:30 am and then catch a flight to Wellington where a teammate and team director will pick me up. It will be Wednesday when I arrive and it's monday now. I have never skipped a whole day of my life before.
My next diary will be during the stage race. I hope to have several pictures for you to see NZ. Quick thanks to everyone who helped make this possible! The party/fundraiser that was thrown for me was great and the support from everyone who came was overwhelming. I am so excited to represent the US and Nashville in this tour and World Cup race. If you get a chance, you can check out my website at www.robinfarina.com