What do you get for the guy who is everything?

Posted on by Lindsay
Hi Dad! Happy Father's Day! Remember last year when you gave me a helpful suggestion for what to get you for this special day? Once again, that did not happen. I'm sorry. Surely it's some consolation that I left my M Coupe at your house a few months ago with strict instructions to drive it regularly. Happy Father's Day, here's my car to babysit? Children really are a gift that keeps on giving. When I thought about other things I could get you, I drew a blank because you already have the one thing you wanted most over the last few decades: I didn't think "the more the merrier" applied to rubber chickens, so I did not get you another one. Besides, I'm pretty sure you already have one of everything else in the universe: Instead, I made you a card and dinner (although we both know I ordered the ...continue reading.

Fail to Win

Posted on by Lindsay
I raced Philly. We packed Kobe into the car to join us for the trip, I showed up and only cried three times, and then I raced. It was somewhat surreal; my first World Cup and I couldn't even engage enough to feel anxious. At one point during the race, Lauren Hall made a comment about how I wasn't smiling and so I replied, "my dog died," and started to cry. She then pointed out the moto with the camera that was filming us. Good times. Before the race started, I noticed my teammate had "FAIL" written on her bars. That seemed like an interesting tactic and for a moment I thought about writing "YOU SUCK" on mine in solidarity, but instead asked for an explanation. "It's a reminder," she answered. "Fail to win. It reminds me to go out and give everything I've got to win." I mulled that over ...continue reading.

Racing at Half Mast

Posted on by Lindsay
Tomorrow is the first World Cup of my cycling career, the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic. While I've done this race every year since 2011, this is the longest, hardest version yet and also the first time I'll be doing it as a World Cup. You can learn more about the significance of the World Cup series here. I have been eager and anxious all season to step up to competing at the highest level of the sport with the best women in the world. But to be honest, I am struggling to give a shit. I miss my dog. Racing my bike seems frivolous and empty at the moment, as does just about everything else. Work? Ugh. Training? Ugh. It feels like a chore to even care about things like getting the mail or shaving my legs. I just want to sit on the floor with Kobe and wait for time to pass. The ...continue reading.

To My Dog

Posted on by Lindsay
Dear Scout, When I first met you, you were tubby and fluffy and covered in filth, trotting down the driveway of the family that was giving you away for free on Craigslist. Some guy had gotten there first and was taking you home, and even though we'd known each other for about fourteen seconds, I knew you needed to be my dog. I followed the guy's truck as he drove away with you, flagged him down into a parking lot, and offered to pay an inordinate sum of money if I could have you. Then you vomited and pooped in my car. We were off to a great start. You were quiet and reserved when you first moved in, spending a lot of time in the armchair with your back to us and peeing on the corner of the bed so often I had to buy a new one. I ...continue reading.

These are a few of my favorite things

Posted on by Lindsay
Over the past six weeks, I spent a lot of time living with a family in Yucaipa, CA that were old friends of our team director. You may know them as the family with the pig. While I fell in love with the pig instantly, it didn't take much longer to become deeply attached to the entire family. Jamie, Pete, and their three daughters started to feel like my own family and I spent so long there that I'm probably one step shy of being added to the mortgage. It was a privilege to spend so much time with them, to join in family dinners, do school and sports practice pick-ups and drop-offs, and to feel like I had found a home on the opposite side of the country. I've missed them since the moment I drove away last week and cannot wait to go back. [caption id="attachment_6095" align="alignnone" width="600"] My home away ...continue reading.

And Then Every Race Is A Win

Posted on by Lindsay
Why do you race your bike? Sometimes (okay, usually) I race for results, whether team or personal. It's easy to get caught up in the placing on the results sheet. Did I win? Podium? Beat that one chick? Was everybody, like, totally impressed? Did I get beaten by that person who I cannot believe was faster, WTF, OMG? Should I hide in the team trailer? The problem with this approach is that you can win one day and come in 48th the next. It could be a crash, a mechanical, poor preparation, crap luck, or just that your legs forgot to show up. I raced the San Dimas Stage Race a few weeks back and had a disappointing time trial, a strong road race, and a crash that broke my bike and ended my chances in the crit at one lap to go, despite feeling great and being in the right position to ...continue reading.