Vegas: A Loathe Story

Posted on by Lindsay
I managed to write some semblance of a report for every race I did this season, so even though this trip happened nearly a month ago, it's at least worth putting up a quick summary. Because it was SO AWESOME and I never want to forget these magic moments. And by that, I mean UGH. The Race: USA Crits Finals at Vegas The Course: The Mandalay parking lot converted into a course resembling an endoplastic reticulum The Field: Pro Women The Finish: Never going to happen Since the expression "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" probably only applies to people who stay up past 11pm and drink something more exciting than $6 lattes during their visit, it doesn't feel like breaching protocol to write a report on my Vegas trip. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614"] Once upon a time, Whitney, Mary, Tina, and I went to Vegas for Interbike. It was my first time ...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.

That race from forever ago

Posted on by Lindsay
The Race: NCC Andersen Banducci Twilight Criterium in Boise, ID The Course: Flat, short, 4-corner crit The Field: Pro women The Finish: 3rd place finish for the team This race feels like so long ago it might as well have been last year. (In reality, it was on July 13th.) To recap: there were a lot of attacks from other teams, especially Exergy/TWENTY16 since they had a full squad in attendance. Whitney and I did a lot of bridging and chasing throughout the race to keep the field together so Jen could sprint at the end. When it came down to the finish, we set up a leadout and Jen crossed the line in 3rd. I crossed the line ready to barf from fatigue; it was great. The announcer interviewed me briefly at the end of the race and remarked, "You were working so hard out there! Every time you went by, you ...continue reading.