Superweek - Day 7

Superweek – Day 7
Saturday, July 25th
Cat 3/4 Women: Humboldt Park Crit (Milwaukee, WI)
Approx 16 miles, 20.6 mph average

Today we raced in Humboldt park near downtown Milwaukee. This venue brought out a very small crowd today. However, it was a great place to race and to watch a race as you could find many great vantage points that allowed you to see nearly half of the course. The course had a downhill finish into a near 180 degree turn which leads into a steady climb. Overall, it was a very nice course except for the rough pavement on the hill. On the 2nd lap, an ISCorp girl attacks hard on the hill. She quickly gets a very large gap on the field. She had not raced all week and so she had very fresh legs. Still, I was impressed that she kept gaining on us (and stayed away the entire race!). The race leaders were more interested in holding their overall position than chasing her down to finish better. About 5 laps later, a Wild Card girl attacks on the hill to try and bridge to her. Im boxed in at the time and then when I could go, with another woman who jumps with her, I hesitate a second too long and loose my good chance. I should have gone, but you can always “could have, should have, would have…” I decided to focus on the field sprint instead. I didn’t think it was going to stick. I somehow miss that there was another girl that went too and so there are 4 up the road and they were all working well together and stay away from the group. We were all about to sprint for 5th. No one wanted to work long enough to pull them back. On the final lap, someone jumps in the middle of the hill – much too early. I stand and stay with the surge with Teresa’s help. We go into corner 3 and 4 HOT. Someone else jumps, but there is a pretty strong headwind into the finish and even going downhill is an effort. I jump on one wheel and then another and then jump out into the wind and drive my sprint as hard as I can. I cant catch the two leaders in front of me, but I see someone edging up on my right side and I push a little harder so she doesn’t nip me at the line. I look over at the line and realize that it’s Teresa! I get her by a few inches and she looks over and says “That was really fun!” I smile and agree. We snag 7th and 8th (3rd and 4th in the field sprint). We move up to 5th and 7th overall. While I should have, could have, would have, gone with the break, I really enjoy sprinting and overall it was a very fun race!
Because of my work schedule Ive decided not to race tomorrow. I had an awesome time at Superweek though, and it was fun to see how much my fitness and race experience has improved over last year.

Superweek - Day 6

Superweek – Day 6
Friday, July 24th
Cat 3/4 Women: Chase Food Folks & Spokes Crit (Kenosha, WI)
Approx 20 miles, 22 mph average

I had done this same course last year. This was a very fast and flat 4 corner course. This course is a lot of fun because there is a carnival/festival in the middle of the course with lots of spectators and good energy. There were some, but not nearly as many attacks today. I was in the top 10 wheels toward the beginning of the race and less than 5 laps in, a girl in front of me takes herself out (slides out) on the outside of corner 2 and I narrowly avoid running over her head by an inch or two! I had to work hard to lower my heart rate after that! And, it really shook me up for a while. After that I had a really hard time positioning myself up closer to the front. I just felt like I was not mentally in the game. After fighting my way up toward the front, I would easily give up my position and end up back in the mid/back of the pack again. On the last two laps I tried even harder, but to no avail. On the final lap the Manitoba girl started moving up on the back side of the course and I jump on her wheel. She won the first day and had not raced every day, so I figured she would be pretty fresh. She moved us up from nearly the back of the pack to the top 15 wheels/mid pack. I wasn’t as far up as I had hoped going into the final turn, but I figured she would be a great lead out for the final sprint. After the final turn, she stands up and starts sprinting; however, about ½ way to the line, she dies and sits down/slows down. I have to react and go around her and all I can do is add gears and sprint as hard as I can. I make up a lot of spots and my legs feel better than anticipated, but I still only end up with 14th. I should have put myself up at the front long before that. I guess that narrowly escaping the crash just shook me up a little? I don’t know what happened today. I hope I can find my mojo before leaving the house tomorrow. I could really use it now!

Superweek - Day 5

Superweek – Day 5
Thursday, July 23rd
Cat 3/4 Women: Racine, WI Crit
Approx 18 miles, 22 mph average

I had raced Racine last year and besides the terrible pavement, it was a fun race. I realize on race day that they have changed the course and added a different section giving us better pavement on all but one section and more corners. More corners is actually an understatement - it now had 8 corners (instead of 4) in a 0.7 mile course! Geesh. Fortunately my cornering felt a lot better this year than it had last year. That was something I had struggled with last year. I used to gap on corners and then have to stand up and sprint out of them to get back on. This year, I felt better motoring though corners and holding my line, etc. The attacks started early and often on this mostly flat course with a strong cross wind to the finish. My legs weren’t feeling super fresh, on this 5th day of racing. They actually felt pretty dead and I tried my best to stay out of the wind and just stay on a wheel towards the front in order to avoid all of the yo-yoing in the mid/back of the field. I head a pretty good position most of the race. Though, I had to put up with a lot of bumping and got pushed so close to the barriers once that my shoulder brushed against it. We were also taking the corners so fast that once, I was pedaling though one and clipped my pedal on the pavement…a little scary! No attacks stuck until the end but we had chase after chase going though most of the race. I had held a pretty good position the whole race but then found myself on the front at 5 to go and had to slow way down to pull off and then of course someone attacked and strung it out for most of the rest of the race. I found myself way too far back on the final lap. It was still strung out and really hard to move up and I was not where I needed to be. I worked my way up a little bit, but still only ended up in 15th place for the day but still holding on to 4th overall. Sigh. I think I raced a good race, especially considering how bad my legs felt, I just need to work on those final few laps!

Superweek - Day 4

Superweek – Day 4
Wednesday, July 22nd
Cat 3/4 Women: AltoLab Lakefront Road Race
Approx 21 miles, ? mph average


Today was a road race format again. It was a 4.2 mile dumbbell shaped circuit with two climbs and one windy descent and an out and back flat stretch along Lake Michigan on Lincoln Memorial Dr. (which was rather windy). It was dry at the lake front until the start and then just as the whistle was blown, the rain started coming down. I immediately wished I had put less air in my tires. On the first lap, coming down the first curving descent, two girls on the front take themselves out. One goes into the guard rail and the other is smack in the middle of the road. I ride between them and take it very easy the rest of the way down the hill. It rained for the first two laps and there were a couple more crashes that I could hear behind me. I tried to stay in the top 5 and avoid getting mixed up in anything crazy. Unfortunately that meant that I did a lot of work. Only about 5 or 6 women were willing to do any work out of the 25 women in the peloton. As the rain stopped, the descent dried out and a few riders began descending faster and faster and would create a gap on the field every lap. I couldn’t quite stay on their wheel (too worried about keeping it on 2 wheels) and ended up having to chase each of the last 3 laps. At three to go I actually tried to attack (off the front - generally not a great idea) on the first hill and my bike started ghost shifting up the hill and so I had to sit down and forget about that. Right before 2 to go, we were neutralized so that the mens field could pass and so the gap our front group had created on the rest of the field allowed them to catch back up to us. After starting again, I think some of the front of the field were angered by this and went back out the flat stretch very hard. The field was pretty strung out for about a mile. I managed to move back up though and tried to stay close to the right wheels. On the last lap I had expected someone to attack on the first hill, but they didn’t. Right before the 2nd hill, one of the Dolce Vita girls attacked and strung out the field again. I think I would have climbed that hill better in my small ring, but I had such a hard time shifting back into my big ring the first time, that I ended up doing all climbs in my big ring to avoid dropping a chain. Anyway, I do my best to hold on, but end up at the back of the group going up the hill. Fortunately, I end up at the back of the field with the overall leader! And, I hear she is a very good time trialist (Jeannie Collins – Atlantic Shores Velo/Golds Gym)! I promptly jump on her wheel at the top of the hill and she works very hard to pull us back to the middle of the group on the straightaway. I tell myself that this is the wheel I need to be on and I hold it for a long time and then I feel like Im out in the wind too much and tuck back on the back right side of the group to do so. This means I loose her wheel and as we approach the final sprint, Im on a terrible wheel AND Ive boxed myself in. Arrrrrrgh! All I can do is do my best to get around and jump out in the wind. I finish 14th and curse myself b/c I knew what I was supposed to do and I didn’t follow through. Needless to say, I’m not so happy with my finish today, but because of the low turnout today, Im still in 4th overall and only 1 point behind 3rd. I hope I can pull out some magic over the next 4 days! Fingers crossed.

Superweek Day 3

Superweek – Day 3
Tuesday, July 21st
Cat 3/4 Women: Whitnall Park Crit
Approx 20 miles, 22 mph average

Today we were back in Whitnall park for a shorter crit course. Part of the course went backwards on the previous days course making for a very different but fun course. It started with a sharp, greater than 90 degree turn into a small 5%ish grade hill. The back side had a false flat to a small downhill into a longer false flat with a small headwind. After that, it was an easy sweeping downhill to the flat and fast finish. The first few laps were pretty mellow, it kind of seemed like everyone was warming up and seeing how their legs felt on day 3 of racing. There were a few attacks but they did not stick for long. It was a very hard course to find a good place to attack and stay away. We didn’t have any primes to mix up the race, so that also seemed to keep the attacks down. Because of the width of the road, it provided lots of opportunities to move up on the outsides. When the pace slowed down, that meant positioning would have to be fought for. Everyone seemed to be vying for position from lap 1 and some folks were more aggressive than others. One woman tapped my hip to let me know she was on my side (where I couldn’t see her) because we were all so squeezed together in the front of the field. Later, that same woman would do the same to another rider who apparently didn’t want to be tapped b/c she yells “don’t touch me!”. Then, the verbal altercation ensued! Back and forth they went, and I knew there was one way to stop them from yapping at each other – ATTACK! I was just contemplating attacking when the SRAM girl attacked from the back left of the pack. YES! I had worked hard the last two days to bring many of the attacks back, and I decided today I would let others do the larger share of the work. If someone went, I jumped on their wheel, but I didn’t initiate the chase. The last couple of laps, I found a good wheel 3-5 back and worked hard to stay on it. Then, on the last lap we were all together and I was holding my position and then an unexpected attack from a rider came from the back of the field on the left side and the field went crazy! I try not to panic b/c for one second I think there is no way I can ever make up all the spots I just lost. I look for a wheel. I find one and hang on, the pack sort of yo-yos a bit as we crest the false flat and go down the small decline and I just keep pedaling and adding gears. I find an opening on the outside left and sit a second or two behind a group of 5+ riders. I jump around them in the final 200 meters and just give it all I have. Im out of gears so I spin as fast as I can. I cant believe I have made up this many positions. I somehow manage a 4th place finish! Wow! Where did that sprint come from?! Very happy today! :)

Superweek Day 2

Superweek – Day 2
Monday, July 20th
Cat 3/4 Women: Whitnall Park Road Race
Approx 20.5 miles, 22 mph average

Today would be a different day. This was a course I had done last year. It was a 2.3 mile course I was glad to see that they had patched some of the really bad parts of the road, but the pavement still left a lot to be desired in some spots. Fortunately it’s a very nice park and a fun place to watch a race. The trickiest part of the course is a slightly greater than 90 degree turn into a big two tiered hill to the finish. Good positioning into the turn and good gearing on the hill could make or break your race. Today the Dolce Vita team turned up with 5 racers and they were strong! The race was fairly uneventful until the last 4-5 laps. Dolce Vita set up some attacks. They sent a girl off up the hill with a strong attack. Our group doesn’t organize well at first. Then someone yells, “pull through, we will all work together, this is bike racing!” it was kinda cute, but it worked, and the pace lifted dramatically. Me and the front of the field worked very hard to pull her back. Then, we catch her right before the hill again and they send another off the front. Now we only have two to go. Some others attempt to bridge and I go with them. Three of us (I think three) are gaped off the field and working hard to pull her back. We finally catch her and the XXX girl in our group, Greta, (who is totally kick ass for racing with one arm!) goes off the front on the back side of the course. A Dolce Vita girl looks back at me as her and I lead into the hill and she says “wanna get her” and I say “sure, lets go”. We quickly close the gap on her 1/2 way up the hill. One to go and I need to tuck in a bit after that. I find a good position and the Dolce girls start lining up their lead out train. They have all 5 of them lined up on the front and drilling. I think to myself, self, this looks just like what Team Columbia does in the Tour de France. The only way to stop this is to disrupt the train! So, I put myself out in the wind and push my way into 3rd wheel to break up the train. It sort of worked. Im third wheel leading into the hill but the girl behind me goes to my left (outside) instead of my inside where Im expecting. I end up on another Dolce Vita girl’s wheel, who I also expect to be a good wheel, but then I see a buzz of people on my left just flying up the hill. Im TOTALLY taking the wrong side of the course for this! Ahhh! All I can do is find a hole, grab the best wheel I can find and finish. I end up in 10th. Still in the money, but not where I had hoped since the road races award higher points. Oh well, hopefully Ill know better next time!

Superweek Day 1

The new Team Rev mascot! Bea-Ver! :)
(a pix of the new mascot!)

Superweek – Day 1
Sunday, July 19th
Cat3/4 Women: Evanston Crit
18 miles, 23.5 mph average

Crit course in downtown Evanston, IL was fairly technical - Lots of manhole covers to dodge and 6 corners, but completely flat. It was cool weather for July, in the upper 60’s and breezy. The crowd was abundant and downtown Evanston was bustling. Very cute area with many cool shops and restaurants.
Lined up with 27 Cat 3/4 women at the line. I was a little nervous but surprisingly not as much as last year. I was excited this year to be a Cat 3 in a 3/4 field and not a 3 in a 1/2/3 field! Big difference! The whistle sounds and we fly out of the gate right away someone starts pushing the pace though the 1st corner and the pace is high for the whole first lap. Things settle down a bit, for a second, and then the attacks start. Im holding a good position in the top 5 of the front of the field. Maybe a little too close to the action though because I had to help cover many of the attacks. I wanted to be there for a break, but did not necessarily want to burn myself up on a bunch of attacks that were not going to stick. There were a lot of attacks on the finishing stretch, which did not make a lot of sense at all. There was a tail wind to the finish, and it was a long 3-4 block stretch with the start/finish pretty much right smack in the middle. A very long stretch to the finish after the last corner! There was a crash to my left at corner 4 midway through the race. Im well clear of it but see a couple girls flying into the padded barriers. Someone attacks while everyone is distracted (tacky if you ask me) and I have to chase back on the strung out field. I try to find a good position for the last 2 laps and I do and I tell myself I have to hold it. Im doing a good job and just as we are starting our final lap we start lapping dropped riders. With all of the corners, its getting very hairy. Its hard b/c the main field needs to get through and they are also trying to race their own race and place as best they can in the final lap. It gets even more dangerous on the 5th and 6th corners. I loose my wheel in the name of safety and have to work VERY hard to make up some spots on the final stretch (at least 600 meters). I find a wheel and move up with her and then pull out from behind her and give it all I have. I hit the giant manhole cover right in the middle of the finishing stretch and my back wheel jumps all over the place. I loose a pedal stroke, which doesn’t help. I regain control of my bike quickly and drill again all the way to the line. I pull out a 5th place finish even with all the craziness of the last lap. Ill take it!

Tulsa Tough 2009

Got to Tulsa, OK late on Friday night with my teammate Teresa. We headed straight to the Blue Dome crit in hopes of seeing the final laps of the pro women's race - no dice. The air was electric through the "Blue Dome district". People lined the figure 8 course cheering and having a great time; sounds of cowbells were plentyful. There were many bars and restaurants along the course and a double decker party bus that was statigically parked at the start/finish. We quickly found Chris and Carrie right after and got the low down. Sounded like a tough race and they both did great! Had some food, met some other pro women and watched the end of the pro mens race. Wow! Talk about fast! St. Louis native, Brad Huff took the win! What an amazing sprint he has!


Saturday 5/30/09: Main & Brady Crit
Woke up after tossing and turning all night. Nerves were plentyful. I knew there were going to be at least 35 racers in the womens 3/4. This was the biggest womens field that I have raced in since Superweek last year. The money was good, so I knew the competition would be high. I had NO idea how well I would hang with this group. New racers and I didnt know the good wheels from the bad ones. This would be a learning process.
The course was an L shape with 6 corners and had a long false flat on the back side. It was also about 30 degrees warmer than just the day before. At the start I was a ball of nerves as I realized there were actually 44 racers in the pack! Wow! Once the whistle was blown, I was quickly focused on the task at hand and forgot about being nervous. There were some squirley bike handlers in the pack and so I tried to stay as close to the front as possible. Still, I almost got taken out in a corner at least 3 times. Our front group lapped three different groups on the course some were lapped 3 times! We averaged 23 mph - not too shabby! There were some great primes offered, but I opted to save my legs for the final sprint. Then, someone got off of the front (Kelli Mente - Punk Rock Cycling). She was strong and not enough people would work to bring her back, so it stuck and she finished a good 15 seconds in front of the pack. The final three laps were brutal with the pace driving higher and higher. I started to fade back into rear of the pack. This is NOT where I wanted and needed to be. I made up a lot of spots on the final gradual downhill before the last corner. I took the inside corner hoping to jump on a wheel, but couldn't find one to save my life. I stood up and sprinted from the final corner. It was about 300 meters, but it felt like 3 times that. All I could do was try to stay ahead of anyone else behind me. I managed 13th place out of 44 riders. Im happy with that, but that sprint set up really needs some work! I tell myself this will be my goal tomorrow.
http://www.tulsatough.com/site/tulsatough/download/144?disposition=inline

Sunday 5/31/09: 13th and Riverside Crit
Our race was early and so I woke at 7am after a great night of sleep (thank goodness). The nerves were there much more subdude today. Everyone kept saying that this was the course that deems Tulsa Tough well, Tough. I quickly learn why. There only 4 corners, but you assend a steep hill into the first corner that is a block long (at least 10-12% grade), the top of the course is rolling, and then you basically descend the same sized hill on the other side into a sharp 90 degree turn to a flat straight away start/finish.

I did not get a chance to ride the course first, so the first time up the hill I was trying to figure out my gearing. Everyone seemed to be setting up for the small ring, so I follow suit. With the right amount of momentum and the right gearing, it wasn't a bad hill. Get on the wrong wheel, and you could be killing your legs each lap. My legs surprisingly felt really good! Ok, I can do this. Down the steep hill you have to break if you want to make it around the hair pin turn on two wheels, the first girl into the corner slides out and into the curb and someone uses the distraction as a great time to attack. She is quickly caught. I stay in the top 5-7 riders and often times Im the first one up the hill. Im feeling great! I look at the lap counter and much to my demise, we still have 9 more times up that hill. I hate it when I look too soon. Ok, put it out of you mind. Some really good primes come, but Im feeling so good, I feel like I could win this thing and the pay out is $325! Im saving my legs. 3 to go - Im perfectly positioned 5th wheel. 2 to go - Im 3rd wheel but as we go through the 90 degree turn into the start/finish, I give up 3 spots. Darn it. I pull myself out of the draft and make up my spots on the straight away. This must have burned up my legs just a little too much b/c that last time up the hill someone attacked hard and I DIED! NOOOOOOO, this is MY race. I put my head down and try to catch them on the back of the course but my heart rate is maxed out and I cant get enough air. Im starting to get tunnel vision. I tell myself, breathe. Ill make up some spots on the final downhill. Nope. They were hammering. I end up in the back of the group into the final corner and my legs are totally burned up for the sprint. I look back to make sure there is no one else there to pass me, nope, Im it. I sit down and cross the line in 12th out of 37. Im not happy about my placement and my final lap, but I feel really good about my fitness. This was a great learning experience and a lot of fun. I cant wait until Superweek!
http://www.tulsatough.com/site/tulsatough/download/130?disposition=inline

Tour of STL and Slyvan Springs Crit

(Velo Force: Alane Carder, Jamie V, Teresa Sedlacek)

The Tour of STL was a lot of fun at the TT above). We had windy but warm weather and great courses! We only had 8 in the womens open group - I always wish there were more. It was a weekend of learning. Working on team dynamics and trying to remember how to sprint again!

The Saturday morning crit went really well. We had a couple of new racers to mix it up and Vanessa McKenize (Peoria Bicycle Club) really laid it out there and went off the front very early in the race. It took is a while to pull her back, she is a strong racer. Our group wasn't organizing well and no one wanted to work. This is my least favorite thing about the open races. On most of the the Cat4 races I did last year there were a larger group of people willing to do some work on the front. But, we got her back. Right after we caught her, I attacked but it did not stick. Even Vanessa was right there! Wow. Kudos to her! My positioning on the final lap was poor to say the least. I had a terrible sprint setup and sort of fell off around the last corner and barely got 6th. Ok, better work on that sprint!

The Saturday afternoon TT was SO windy. We were getting 20-25 mph wind gusts! Out of the gate it felt like I was shot out of a canon! There was a massive tail wind and I was easily hitting over 30 mph. The sad and spirit breaking part was when I turned into the cross and then head wind. It was really hard to stay arero and focused. Had to do a lot of gear shifting and a TT bike sure would have helped out. But, I finished. I was a little disenheartened by my time and place, but when I looked at how I would have placed as a Cat 4, I was a little more happy. I was still placing better in the 4's than I did last year, so an improvement I should be excited about!

The Sunday circuit race was fun as well. My legs strangely enough felt great eventhough they felt like total crap on Saturday. I attacked 3-4 times as I really wanted to work on this. It was fun, though nothing stuck - it would have been hard in the wind. A few other women attacked at various times and overall it was a good race. The final jump came a lot earlier than I expected and I had a hard time staying with it as I was AGAIN not on the right wheel. Darn it. But, I managed 6th....again...still lots to work on...

Slyvan Springs Crit was a really fun course. Flat stretch to the start/finish, long gradual downhill, sharp 90 degree left, down some more, small climb to a false flat, and then another short gradual climb. Would have been more fun if I had fresh legs. I decided to go on a really long training ride on Sat and my legs were cooked. I counter attacked once, but knew that it wouldn't last. Just wanted to tire some folks out! In the end, I had a really hard time staying with the front group. I knew I woulnt have anything left for the final sprint, but if I hung on I would have 4th (pay out to 5) so I was happy with that. Forget sprinting on that one! Good race though!

I was kickin' it in the tall socks - they are damn cool!

Tour of Hermann - Stage Race

Welcome to race season, and what a great (ahem, rainy) weekend to get it going! I just finished the Tour of Hermann which included a time trial Sat morning, a crit Sat afternoon and then a road race on Sun at noon. All races only offered me a Women's Open category, which meant I had to race w/ the 'big girls'. I wasn't sure how my leg would do as this was the first race after the injections. Actually it felt really good on Sat but my hip was pretty upset with all that hill climbing on Sunday, however, I survived and actually did better than survive, I managed to place in the GC! How did that happen?? I guess I just embraced the pain!

TT: 10 miles
Well, not much to say here. It was half raining/sprinkling for part of the race. Not bad really. At least it was 55-60F all weeekend and not a cold rain! There was a headwind going out, which meant a nice tailwind on the way back. I used this as a good opportunity to test my lactate threshold as I have not done that in a while. (It really didnt change much.) The small hill up to the bridge on the way back to the finish was a total buzz kill. Manged a 21.8 mph average and finished in 27:31 which was approx 30 sec faster than last year. Though, I think there was more wind last year, but Ill take it. Finished as I always do in TTs, middle of the pack.

Crit: 7 laps (only approx 8 miles)
This course was fun/challenging. was flat out of the start/finish until you rounded to a 12% bumppy downhill, which gradually leveled out before a few quick 90 degree turns. Short flat/false flat for 2 blocks and then 2 more 90's to a 7% grade hill which was probably 400-500 meters long (to the start/finish). Add rain to the mix and you have a strung out field! The downhill could make or break your race. If you got freaked out going 40 mph down a bumpy wet hill, forget it! I just decided that no amount of breaking on that surface was going to do any good and might actually cause me more problems, so I just held on, tucked and flew down that hill. It was actually quite fun! The uphill was more troublsome to me! Ouch! Im not the best hill climber. Not bad, but not great either. If I lost a wheel on the hill, I was able to make it up on the flat or downhill. But I knew It would hurt my finish. I manage to get in a group of about 4-5 women. We were the 2nd group behind the leaders. I managed to stay until the last lap when a couple of them attacked hard on the hill. I was smoked, but still managed to hang on to 8th place! I can live with that! Here is a great pic of me finishing the final hill. I obviouslly cant really breathe!


Road Race: 30 miles, 7 hills of Hermann
Well, from a short 1 mile neutral start, we end up at the bottom of a giant hill and the Mercy team attacks hard. I knew it was coming, but as my HR spiked, all I could do was try to breathe and hold a wheel as best I could. The first hill kind of leveled off a bit and then continued up again, maybe 2-3 times. I think on the 3 time I managed to hold the wheel of a Punk Rock Racing girl and there was a Big Shark girl w/ us too and we stuck and manged to catch another Big Shark racer. The 4 of us had a strong break from the rest of the pack and held them off the whole race. Every hill hurt and it was a struggle for me to hold their wheels all 3 of them were great climbers. After the first hour, I started to get pretty fatigued. I wanted to work more for them, but my pulls got slower and slower. I knew that if I pulled too much, I would eventually not be able to hold on for the last big hill. I somehow managed. The Punk Rock Racer girl attacked very early as we approached the first turn going into the finish. There was still 3 corners and a long sprint, but she stayed out there. I had little to nothing left and had hoped to hold off one Big Shark racer, but she got me close to the line. Oh well. I was very happy to finish with this group and hold off the field. Wow, that was a kicker! We averaged 18.4 mph (in the hills) for 30 miles! I manged to get 9th place!

General Classification (GC):
With my crappy TT finish, I wasn't sure Id get anything for GC. But, not everyone raced all 3 races. So, I manged to get 8th overall! I was very excited and happy about that!

My Velo Force teammates also performed awesome this weekend. Teresa ended up with 10th in the GC and Suzanne kicked butt in the TT and crit, if only she had done the RR too! Great rainy weekend!

PRP Therapy

Yep, Im doing it. Had major pain last November in my right knee while running and found out that its tendonosis - not a good thing. Tried rest - didnt work, physical therapy, yoga, stretching, massage - nope, not those either. Then I found out about platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) injections from a friend of mine. Went to see his Dr., Dr. Crane (Crane Clinic in Chesterfield, MO) and had my first injections don on May 2nd. Ouch for a few days! Then it felt like it did when I first injured it. Doing the yo-yo thing right now (good day/bad day) but waiting and hoping to see good results! Still training as long as it doesnt hurt any more than it did normally. 2nd set of injections yet to come - June 2nd. See interesting article published in the NY Times!
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A new medical procedure might be the cure for stubborn cycling injuries such as knee and Achilles tendinitis. Called platelet-rich plasma therapy, it's already being used successfully for pro athletes. The New York Times reports, "The method, which is strikingly straightforward and easy to perform, centers on injecting portions of a patient's blood directly into the injured area, which catalyzes the body's instincts to repair muscle, bone and other tissue. Most enticing, many doctors said, is that the technique appears to help regenerate ligament and tendon fibers, which could shorten rehabilitation time and possibly obviate surgery." The procedure costs around $2,000, or about 8 times less than surgery, with virtually no risk of infection. The NYT article concludes that "its largest effects would be on the amateur, weekend-warrior athletes for whom sports is recreation and healthy lifestyle." Read the details at http://tinyurl.com/c2zw57

Married in Costa Rica! Feb 17th

Yep, I tied the knot! My biking friends are amazed that Jason proposed in August (7th), in the middle of racing season! He IS a very amazing and understanding guy! He actually had a hard time finding an opportunity to propose with my crazy schedule.

We decided to run off to Costa Rica with just one other couple and get married on the beach. It was perfect in every way! No stress, just pure bliss and very special! The pictures prove just how amazing it was. The entire trip as also amazing. We spent the first week with our friends and then the 2nd week was just us. We did lots of scuba diving, some hiking, a day of mountain biking, took surfing lessons, and even went white water rafting the morning of our wedding day! It is so awesome that Jason and I enjoying being active together, I feel very lucky. :)
Well, enough gushing, but had to share this very major event in my life. We just had a party back home for the family and friends and it was a blast! That was the way to do it! Loads of fun having all of our favorite people in one place!

Jefferson City State Championship Crit

Shame shame shame on me for not posting about this crit! I just read my last entry again and realized where I left off. The Jeff City crit had a very small turnout, but was a lot of fun. I raced with all of my Team Rev girls and a couple others whom Ive raced with many times before.

The pack held a strong and steady pace the whole race and then with 2 laps to go, I attacked on the small hill leading out of the final corner. (see photo) I made a solo break and stayed away for the last lap and won the race! It was a hard final lap, but Im so glad I really eared the title! check out the cool pics from www.ficksphotos.com!