Ducktown

Ok, I’m a little behind with the race reports. I’ll start with May 3, 2009 …Ducktown Tennesse, the first race in the Kenda Cup East series. Jeff and I set off on Friday evening and stayed the night with my family in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The following morning we continued our journey onto Ducktown, Tennessee where the race was to be held. Funny side story about Ducktown, my step dad and his father both worked in the copper mines there. Growing up my step dad said you could taste the metal in the air. (photo gleaned from http://www.mtb-uscup.com/) The smelting process emitted sulfer dioxide which had a dramatic effect on the landscape, leaving Ducktown looking more like Arizona than the mountains of Tennessee. (was that a run-n sentence?) It was also here that I spent many weekends in high school and college backpacking through the Blue Ridge Mountains. But I digress…

The relentless rains stopped long enough to get us through the first two laps of the race. I was actually feeling pretty good and would catch the lead ladies at the end of each lap, having a slight lead going into the climb. On the last lap I had a small gap on Janel going into the climb, but I let the knowledge of her stellar climbing skills get the better of me. Even if I could have stayed with her on the climb, my mind didn’t believe it …and so it was. Well, I’ll have to work on my positive affirmations for Bump n’ Grind down in Alabama. In the end I finished in 4th place.
As for Jeff’s race, he was in the lead until he flatted which cost him the win. Jeff was fairly pleased with his 3rd place finish considering the circumstances.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the rain …it rained all weekend …it never stopped …one continuous stream of water from the heavens. After the race we all went down to the Ocoee River in effort to wash our mud caked bodies. There is something very wholesome and good about bathing in rivers.

Greenbrier 2009

Ok folks, sorry for the delay on the race report. My professional life is now so fulfilling that I no longer feel the need to fill the void with blogging. Sometimes blogging is kind of like whistling in the dark. At any rate, this year’s Greenbrier Challenge had a slightly different feeling as there was not as big of a turn out in the pro field. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that Greenbrier conflicted with the Cohutta 100, which by the way, was won by our very own Jeff Schalk (details to follow the Greenbrier report).

Saturday morning I awoke with a sore throat and was not sure that I would be up for racing on Sunday. Lame as this may sound, I decided to ride the rollers in the apartment and spend the majority of the day getting some much needed rest. Sunday morning came and I was surprised to find that I was actually feeling like I might be able to race. I was especially curious to try out racing in my new age category!!! Woohoo! I’m now racing in the 30-40 category. This is a new chapter in my life. Quite honestly, I kind of wish they would get rid of the age category. Some how I find it devaluing.

So there were roughly eight women at the starting line. I believe it was was an even split between the two age groups (vets & seniors). I thought I had a fairly good start, but finally faded on the big climb. That’s were Janel passed me. She’s one fast lady. However, the big star of the day was Jessica Kutz , of State College. Jessica won the race after busting her rear derailleur, forcing her to single speed much of the last lap. I would also like to bring attention to the fact that she is a Freeze Thaw rider!!!! Yay Freeze Thaw!!! My State College pride will never be snuffed out by the sands of time. Jordyn and Justin have really built an empire.

In the end I finished up second place in my new age group. Janel had a good race, coming in second overall and first in our age group. I was especially pleased with my ability to keep it pinned for the entire course. Usually I have a hard time really holding my face to the fire the entire race …I think I made it hurt as much as I could. Oh, and because Janel is from Pennsylvania, I became Maryland State Champ by default. I'm finally starting to like the Maryland state flag ...I used to think it was a bit too busy.

Greenbrier results on CyclingNews >>>HERE

IN OTHER NEWS …Jeff won the Cohutta 100!!!!! Wooohooooo!!!! After spending much of the day in a two person break with Bishop, he was able to respond to Jeremiah’s attack on the final climb. Jeff’s counter attack was just enough to create a much needed gap between him and Bishop that eventually grew to 2.5 minutes. With a time of 6:23, Jeff set the course record and landed himself comfortably in first place. Sunday night we sat at the kitchen table and traded race reports …it was a long weekend apart. (photo taken from cyclingnews.com)

CyclingNews Report >>>HERE

Today we leave for the first race of the Kenda Cup in Ducktown, Tennessee!

Oh, and I forgot to bring my camera.

OPC

Spending one’s weekend in an office park seems like a funny use of time when you consider that most of us spend roughly 40 hours/week behind a desk. And yet, here we all are, suited up and ready to race circles around some of the most generic office parks to grace our country. Office parks annoy me most because they are just one of the many atrocities in urban planning that render us entirely dependent on our cars …couple that with strip malls and subdivisions and you have yourself a pretty bleak landscape with very little in the way of pleasant roads to ride ….hence the endless parade of office park crits.

On a more positive note, I will say that I find it rather beautiful to reclaim this space for the purpose of a bike race. A place that is usually overflowing with cars and devoid of any kind of physical activity, becomes alive with the chatter of enthusiastic racers who pour their hearts out every weekend in hopes of coming just a little closer to reaching their goals. Like a dandelion growing through a crack in the sidewalk, we continue to try to find a way to live in an environment that has become quite unhealthy for human habitation. It is a testament to our spirit that we can bring cheer to even the most depressing of office parks.

Wow, that was so melodramatic. I need to stop listening to Morrisey.

Oh yeah, so I raced the Syn-Fit and Carl Dolan Crits this past weekend. It was good to hash things out on the bike …I’ll save the real race report for our New Team Blog!!!!

LAB

Yesterday was the first day at my new job! I can't think of a better place to work.

Season Opener

Jeff and I rang in the beginning of another season at the WABA Gala on Saturday night at the German Embassy. It was a lovely evening of silent auction (I got out bid on the hair cut at Bang and the breakfast with Bluemenaur), delectable finger food and a copious supply of Gladiator wine. With the Rockburn race the following morning, we decided to make it an early night and headed home just as the dancing got started.

Sunday morning Jeff and I headed off to Rockburn for our first mtb race of the season. It was a pretty fast course with tight turns and short punchy hills. My original plan was to stay with Melanie ...turns out she's pretty fast right now. Hmmmm ...I wasn't too excited about the race results, but it's still fairly early in the season and I've got time to get in some more intensity before racing season really gets started ...hopefully last weekend is not indicative of what's to come.



Oh, and Jeff won! Yay!!!! Rather than try to give you a second hand account of his race, I'll just refer you to the above clip provided by cyclingdirt.com.

Click HERE for results.

New Job!

Today was my farewell luncheon! Ending one chapter and opening another is always bitter sweet. I couldn't ask for a better group of folks to work with ...they sent me off with a little Mexican flair.

Set the Date!

Friends and family, we invite you take part in our participatory approach to wedding planning. For those of you who might be able to attend, please help us select a date by clicking the link below:

Click Here to Vote

(Wedding to take place in Frederick, Maryland)

Here are some things you might want to consider when making your selection:

Sept 19, average high 75

This day in history (1984): Britain and China complete a proposed agreement to transfer Hong Kong to China by 1997

Sept 26, average high 70

This day in history (1960): Longest speech in United Nations history (4 hrs, 29 mins, by Fidel Castro)

Oct 17, average high 65, typ peak fall colors

This day in history (2006): United States population reaches 300 million people

Oct 24, peak fall colors

This day in history (1982): 12th New York City Women's Marathon won by Grete Waitz in 2:27:14

Oct 31, average high 60

This day in history (1992): Roman Catholic church reinstates Galileo Galilei after 359 years

Nov 7, Frederick 1st Saturday Event

This day in history (2007): Al Gore wins the popular vote but loses the electoral vote to George W. Bush

Nov 14, average high 55
This day in history (1993): 23rd New York City Women's Marathon won by Uta Pippig in 2:26:24

Office Art

This has to be my favorite piece from our office art collection (currently hanging in the break room on the 4th floor). I especially love how it makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.

The New Victory in Community

Community Gardens: reinventing the Victory Garden. I was actually thinking about that a few weeks ago and was excited to see that the Economist also took note of this notion in their most recent issue (Feb 28 – March6). Inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt during WWI, Victory Gardens were created in effort to reduce demands on public food supply and improve national food security. The cause for Community Gardens is slightly different. Today people are waking up to the atrocities of our agricultural system and are looking for healthier, more environmentally sustainable alternatives when it comes to food. Self sufficiency is also becoming more of a priority during these turbulent economic times. The revitalization of patriotism has brought a new energy to the American people who have been lost in a complacent slumber for so long. This is the perfect time to sow the seeds of hope in our communities.

Exciting developments:
The WHO Farm (or White House Organic Farm) is a grassroots movement aimed at convincing Barack Obama to preserve a corner of the White House lawn for an organic garden ….just as Eleanor Roosevelt did over 60 years before. click here>>> The WHO Farm

Also, don’t forget to stay updated on the progress of our very own community garden here in Frederick, Maryland!!!! click here>>> Frederick Gardeners

"Eating is an agricultural act" - Wendell Berry

Old News

As many of you may have already heard, David Zabriskie's home was burglarized while he was off racing in the Tour of California (VeloNews ). Among the list of stolen items was his collection of seven Marvel Sideshow statues at a worth of $11,000.

I'm still trying to decide which is the bigger tragedy ...losing thousands of dollars worth of prized possessions ...or going public with your Marvel Sideshow obsession.

Zabriskie's Marvel Sideshow Roster Includes: Hellboy, Ash, Lara Croft, Ironman, Gears of War, The Punisher, and Alien.

Complete list of stolen items from VeloNews:

• Black 2008 Subaru Outback, Utah plate A189NC
• Black 2006 Toyota Scion, Utah plate 094VWM
• Giro D Italia Race Medal (approx. 6" circumference)
• Olympic Seiko watch
• Beijing Olympic ring (silver) with initials "DZ" engraved ($4,000)
• Olympic Time Trial Bike, plus 12 other bikes (combined value of $100,000)
• Cervelo (black/red) bike frame - team issued ($5000)
• Tag Heuer watch ($6,000)
• Bose Speaker/Receiver System ($15,000)
• Sony 52" flat screen TV ($4,000)
• Two Mac Books and one Mac desktop, plus hard drive ($8,000)
• A pair of Space legs, a recovery compression system for legs ($5,000)
• 7 Marvel sideshow statues ($11,000)

A Visit Home

With the racing season just around the corner, I decided to take full advantage of my rest week and spend some quality time with my family down in Miami. I was especially eager to see my grandparents as they are now in their mid 90s and I never want to feel like I didn’t fully appreciate these precious years.

My mother, grandmother and I enjoyed a lazy Friday morning sitting around the kitchen table, sipping coffee and catching up. With an afternoon to kill we decided to go to the mall …yeah, I know …the mall. In any other time and place I would normally boycott the mall for three primary reasons:

1) Its promotion of useless crap, that no body really needs and will eventually wind up in a landfill in the not too distant future, makes me sick.

2) Malls suck the life from “Main Street America”. Malls pull people away from the center of town and eventually lead to the demise of local business.

3) Materialism is a product of Ego and Ego ties us tightly to our desires and attachment to our desires causes human suffering.

That being said, we are in Miami, the LA of the east. It is a sprawling mess of poorly planned concrete and asphalt. In addition, there are very few things that three generations of women can agree on doing together. (I even indulged in some over priced lipstick …but don’t worry, they didn’t test on any animals)

Friday night we went to the Women’s International Film Festival (WIFF) held at the beautiful Gusman Theater in downtown Miami. (According to my father, Maurice Gusman made his fortune in condoms) The festival opened with the The Brothers Bloom, a beautiful film about being the author of your own life. Although, I must admit I was a little disappointed to learn that it was actually directed by a man. What kind of message does that send?

Anyway …it was a good visit. I just wish my grandparents lived closer …or that Miami wasn’t such a horrible place to live for cyclists.

Michelle!!!!

Michelle Obama paid a visit to the EPA today! Her message reemphasized the importance of addressing pressing environmental issues during her husband's administration. In addition, she identified climate change as a primary focus for the EPA, which received an enthusiastic response from the crowd. She then ordered us all to get back to work ....gotta go. (left photo: EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackon) (right photo: Michelle Obama)

Dumb Rules

I am a true believer in following rules and guidelines …except, of course, when those rules and guidelines are dumb. The MARC Train bike policy happens to be one of those dumb rules I refuse to follow. According to MARC policy, only folding bikes are permitted on the train. (photo: bike ...what bike?) Upon further research into MARC policy, I learn that there are no rules restricting the size and/or weight of one's luggage. If their logic for the bike restriction is based on the possibility that everyone might wish to bring their bike on the train, this should also apply to large luggage. So …theoretically, I could climb aboard the Brunswick Line with my collection of beach balls and a case full of anvils without any problem, but trying to smuggle on a cross bike could get me in trouble? What kind of unjust world do we live in?! (photo credit: photobucket source)

The first few times I just tried to get by on charm and wit. This only lasted so long before I was finally turned away (trying to board the 5:15 am train I might add). Then I tried taking the wheels off and putting the whole bike in two garbage bags …I just barely got by, but was warned not to bring my bike on the train again. My last attempt; however, was very successful and I believe I have found a solution to my problem.

This is how you do it:

1) Get an old soft bike case off of ebay
2) Take out all the foam padding
3) Take the wheels off and put the entire bike in the bag
4) Get on the appropriate train
5) Call your grandmother
6) As the conductor approaches to give you a hard time, you say “Grandma, let me call you right back”. The conductor insists that you not hang up …and then he kindly asks what you have in the bag. You concede that it is in fact a bicycle. He smiles and nods, takes your ticket and moves on down the aisle. And you’re golden! (photo: my grandmother in her early 20s)

Everybody wins. You get your bike on the train. Your grandmother gets a surprise phone call (be sure to actually call her back). The conductor feels like he’s been a good Samaritan and that guy on ebay can finally unload his old ass bike case. Yay!

Refer to "My New Commute" for further information on this bike/train commuter combo.

Pop-tarts & Nascar

Why has it taken so long for these two things to come together? I think this might be more American than apple pie.

Training with Music

“She had them apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur, the whole club is lookin’ at her” …who wouldn’t be inspired to do hill repeats while pedaling to the tunes of T-Pain? Yesterday was my last big day of training before a rest week and I was feeling rather uninspired. My legs felt flat, I’m having a hard time getting my heart rate up, and I can’t stop thinking about eating food in my pajamas on the sofa while watching the Tour of California. It’s on days like these that I am reduced to the musical taste of a fourteen year old …perhaps it has something to do with the cerebral oxygen deprivation that results in this hypoxic state of pop culture craving.

“She hit the floor, next thing you know, shawty got low, low, low , low, low, low, low, low” …Oh yeah, I’m so ready to bust out the intervals. I think I would be mortified if anyone ever saw the songs that comprise my playlist entitled “long rides”. (photo: http://www.highsnobiety.com/)

Speaking of training with music, this reminds me of a conversation I had with the lesser known of the brothers Gwadz. (photo from DCMTB) Marc seems to think that training with music is a dissociative technique that is only a distraction from associating with the stress of training and pushing your limits (thereby weakening your workout). However, I really don’t think I would have been able to get through my hill repeats yesterday without the help of the Beastie Boys, The Rapture, Kanye West, and of course …T-Pain. Is it possible to use music when training as motivation rather than dissociation? It would be interested to conduct an experiment designed to quantify the benefits realized from intervals with music versus intervals without.