An Update in Pictures

Posted on by Lindsay
[caption id="attachment_4639" align="alignnone" width="517"] Nobody cares about this except me, but my car hit 50,000 miles and I felt like it was a special moment. Not special enough to warrant pulling over for the photo, evidently, but still special.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4635" align="alignnone" width="491"] I joined my parents at the beach for a few [BICYCLE FREE!] days and decided one afternoon to walk to the Starbucks in a nearby town. Several HOURS of walking later, the old folks were going strong while I was lagging and limping and complaining down the beach. Apparently a career professional cycling prepares you for absolutely no other physical activity.[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="467"] My father generously held my bag on the walk back so I could get in the water. I got new bathing suits recently at my mother's insistence ("A sports bra and shorts are not swimming apparel!") and after she watched my first ...continue reading.

#christhater: still winning as the most questionable race hashtag

Posted on by Lindsay
The Race: Chris Thater Memorial Circuit Race The Course: 36 laps of a just under 1-mile loop with a small uphill/downhill section The Field: Pro Women The Finish: Jen on the podium in 3rd, me in the Transitions Out-of-Sight jersey for the longest breakaway I wrote the Team Colavita press release for this race and that took a few minutes of real hard work and I can't let that effort go to waste, so instead of writing another report on the same event, I'm going to reuse that one. Recycling! So good for the Earth. And good for the time I'd rather dedicate to playing Dots. "Team Colavita's sprinter Jennifer Purcell landed on the podium in 3rd place after a solid display of teamwork at the NCC Chris Thater Memorial Race in Binghamton, NY this past Saturday, August 24th. Throughout the 30-mile, 36-lap race, teammates Mary Zider, Jamie Dinkins Bookwalter, and Lindsay Bayer ...continue reading.

I heart MABRA

Posted on by Lindsay
The Race: Dawg Days of Summer Circuit Race The Course: 1.2 mile loop on smooth, wide roads The Field: Open women, Men 1/2/3 The Finish: 1st, 29th Open Women My coach instructed me to sit it during the race and sprint for the finish; she wanted me to practice setting up and executing a successful finish in a bunch sprint. Then Joe Jefferson (announcer) called a $50 cash prime a few laps in and, well, CA$H MONEY. So I got that prime and then went for the next one as well, but didn't go for the gambler prime because no amount of money could make up for having to call my coach and tell her I blew the finish because I was trying to increase my Starbucks budget. When the pace picked up at the final corner, I got on a solid wheel, waited until the point I'd chosen, and then sprinted ...continue reading.

Expect the Unexpected

Posted on by Lindsay
The Race: NRC Tour of Elk Grove The Course: Prologue - a 4.78 mile TT, Stage 1 - a 51.8 mile (14 laps) circuit race, Stage 2 - a 44.1 mile (7 laps) circuit race The Field: Pro women The Finish: Stage 1 - 19th, Stage 2 - who knows, Stage 3 - 4th I took a few days entirely off the bike after being an exhausted mess at Crit Nationals. When I started riding again, I took it easy and did everything possible to preserve my legs in the few days before the next race began. I didn't know what to expect at Elk Grove - I was concerned about being physically worn in a way that would require more than a few days of recovery, so I knew I needed to be conservative, minimize unnecessary efforts, and rest as much as possible between the stages. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614"] Team Colavita ...continue reading.

The word I am looking for here is nadir

Posted on by Lindsay
The Race: USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships The Course: 90-minutes on a 1.2 mile, 8-corner course The Field: Pro women The Finish: Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh After Cascade ended on a Sunday, I went home on Monday and rested for two days, then jumped into a group ride to do an "easy" spin, did openers the day before the race, and headed to High Point, NC for Crit Nationals that Saturday. I felt a bit rough during my openers and race day morning spin, but kept thinking my legs would come around soon. After 90 minutes of racing, I was still waiting for that moment. It was ugly. From the gun, I knew I was in a bad way. When Alison Powers (NOW) and Amanda Miller (Tibco) attacked 10 minutes in and put a gap on the field, I was too far back to do anything more than repeatedly fight to get back to the front. ...continue reading.

10 hours and 32 minutes of JOY

Posted on by Lindsay
The Race: NRC Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend, OR The Course: An all-you-can-pedal buffet of climbs spread out over six stages The Field: Pro women The Finish: Dead tired but alive Oh jesus, I'm still like three HUNDRED race reports behind schedule. UGH. The only reason I'm even bothering with this one is because I took the time to stick photos and course maps into a draft of the post weeks ago and it would be a shame to let that tiny trickle of motivation and effort go to waste. [caption id="attachment_4487" align="alignnone" width="574"] Driving in the team van from the crit in Boise, ID over to Bend, OR.[/caption] Tetherow Prologue TT (2.5 miles) I rode as hard as I could for a few minutes and then it was over. Teammate Laura ended up on the podium in 3rd! I ended up relieved to be done with the first stage and amused ...continue reading.