Observations from the Trainer

Posted on by Lindsay
The trainer has a bad reputation. I'd know; I've spent a solid chunk of time this winter on Twitter perpetuating it. It's an easy target: the trainer is boring, uncomfortable, sweaty, and tedious. It's cycling distilled to the pure mechanics, absent most of the camaraderie, competition, and stimulation that comes from riding outside. I say most because there is something unifying about sharing the misery of a trainer workout with somebody else, be it physically or only through commiserating. There's also some perverse thrill in comparing sufferfests: "You did two hours? I did four." For the record, I have never ridden four hours on the trainer. I don't hate myself enough for that. My historical max is 2.5 hours, at which point I basically wanted to get off and slam my head in the door a few times for a fun diversion. But for all the complaints, the trainer deserves ...continue reading.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Leftover Fish

Posted on by Lindsay
[caption id="attachment_4943" align="alignnone" width="819"] This is the 2014 version of the Colavita/Fine Cooking photo shoot we did at camp last year. Since I became violently ill less than an hour after the photo was taken that time, I was more than happy to sit back and provide creative direction this time around. Plus it was fun to see how long we could get Lenore to pretend to cut an onion.[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="576"] Team Colavita out for a final spin at the end of camp. We stopped by Flywheel to support our director, Jame, as he was participating in a class.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4933" align="alignnone" width="759"] Representing in our Stradalli/Jaco tee shirts while out on the town. Apparently I messed up the photo by being the only one in shorts with legs exposed. Dude, it's January and warm enough for shorts. WHY WOULD I WEAR PANTS.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4935" align="alignnone" width="614"] ...continue reading.

What happens at team camp now ends up on the Internet

Posted on by Lindsay
[caption id="attachment_4917" align="alignnone" width="819"] What makes me the happiest about this photo - other than seeing my team looking fierce in our new Colavita kits on our new Stradalli bikes - is realizing that it's January, I'm in shorts, and there are palm trees.[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="560"] Here's me with Tom, the owner of our new bike sponsor, Stradalli Cycle. I'd say more here, but the picture is doing a far better job than I ever could.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4914" align="alignnone" width="819"] Team Colavita rode out to support some of the Team Stradalli boys at a local crit. While we were there, we met some regional Colavita riders who agreed to jump in some photos with the team (although I hope that it wasn't too hard of a sell).[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4915" align="alignnone" width="819"] Cooking dinner with Colavita products at Tom's house. I can't think of better sponsors than Colavita and ...continue reading.

Prologue

Posted on by Lindsay
I'm in the air on the way to Fort Lauderdale, FL for team camp. People have spoken recently as if this marks the beginning of the season, but I'm not ready for that yet. This off season has been long and filled with challenges, but I'm not ready for it to be over. The beginning of the season means big things: nonstop travel, long stretches of time away from home, and expectations to perform. There's a time and place when all of that feels normal, but that's called the beginning of March. Nevertheless, this is the beginning of something. The same team but with new riders, new leadership, and new sponsors. It's comforting to have familiarity while exciting to have changes. At this point last year, I was a wide-eyed and eager neo-pro with no idea of what to expect. Showing up at camp felt like the first day of ...continue reading.

2013 Recap

Posted on by Lindsay
This retrospective post was supposed to have been written yesterday, the first day of the new year, but I was too busy wringing out my liver, collecting the car from where we'd left it the night before, and reflecting on how the first highlight of 2014 was a 2am tequila-sodden rendition of Moulin Rouge's "Elephant Love Medley" while my father-in-law drove Andrew and me home. Yes, I know all of the words by heart. Something important I learned in 9th grade has been forgotten to make room for this gem. So anyway, it's time to say goodbye to 2013. It went by fast, it was full of memorable moments, and it took my life in directions I never expected. Like Boise, ID or Tybee Island, GA or that emergency room an hour from team camp in Borrego Springs. There are too many high points to try to recall them all: moments ...continue reading.

An Unvarnished Life

Posted on by Lindsay
Somebody close to me questioned my choice to share some of my recent struggles here. This person couldn't understand why I'd want to broadcast this publicly and detract from what could otherwise be a nice image of a successful life. I was also asked if I'd thought about the impact on others in my life, if I'd considered that it might be uncomfortable for them to field questions or comments from concerned family members and friends. To be honest, I was terrified to open up about this to the world. What would it be like if everybody knew about this weakness? What would happen when I applied for a job or a spot on a team and the person evaluating me came across this part of my history? Would they think less of me? Would everybody think less of me? It took a lot of consideration. I wrote the initial ...continue reading.