Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner

This past weekend was the TD Bank Mayor's Cup in Boston and the official end of my racing season. Normally at this point I’d do a recap of the year, but I’m not interested in looking backwards. The first half of the season was a disaster; I struggled badly on and off the bike and considered quitting racing entirely. I never want to feel that way again. After the Intelligentsia Cup races, I asked for permission from Colavita to race independently for the remainder of the season. It was a sad moment but also a huge relief, like taking a 300-pound crap. I raced the Chris Thater Crits on my own and was overwhelmed by the warmth and support from the rest of the women’s peloton. Fearless Femme’s director Arounkone Sananikone asked me to guest ride for their team the next weekend at Gateway Cup, and after Gateway they asked me to stay ...continue reading.

Orange is the New Black: Gateway Cup Edition

Four weekends ago, I raced the four Gateway Cup crits in St. Louis, MO. Three weekends ago, I raced the Criterium National Championships in High Point, SC. Last weekend, I raced the Thompson Doylestown Criterium in Doylestown, PA. This weekend, I'm in Boston for the TD Bank Mayor's Cup Criterium. It's been a lot of time in the car (because why fly when you can drive and hit every Wendy's along the way) but I have used approximately none of that time to catch up on race reports. And so now here we are, four weeks past Gateway Cup and I'm just getting caught up. And really, even that's a lie, because I'm only posting a bunch of photos. If you want to read about the actual races, allow me to suggest a visit to CyclingNews.com, your #1 source for extremely light and intermittently factual coverage of women's cycling. So, brief backstory: After racing unattached at ...continue reading.

Boom Clap The Sound Of My Heart

When I went to registration at Chris Thater yesterday to pick up my race numbers, the man at the table looked down at his registration list and said,"Oh, your team name is blank. Do you want me to fill that in?" I teared up immediately because, duh, I cry over everything. "No," I squeaked. "I'm unattached." He didn't flinch, but I did for what was probably the hundredth time in the past few weeks, since everything went to shit and I bought my new unattached cycling license. It's hard to tell the story of how things unfolded this season without saying too much. Team Colavita has been my home for the past two seasons; my friends, my family on the road, my sole concern in races. I went from being a lone mercenary rider in 2012 hunting for results to being a part of a team plan and I loved the role. ...continue reading.

Tour of Utah Bicycle Awesome Fun Time

When it was time to fly to Utah last Saturday, I didn't want to go. Traveling this year hasn't been the joyfest it was in the past. I sat with my bike bag and backpack in front of the check-in counter for nearly thirty minutes, stifling tears and unable to find the motivation to get up and go. "Check in," came the blunt text from the friend I asked for advice. So I did. He was right. Check in. Move forward. Give things a chance to happen. I am so glad I did. This trip was wonderful. Team Colavita had a small squad for the Utah races consisting of Olivia Dillon, Whitney Schultz, myself, and a guest rider, Anna Grace Christensen. Everything about the trip was perfect - our group dynamic was great, we stayed with incredibly cool people, the racing was hard and fun, the scenery was beautiful, and we had so many ...continue reading.

A Month with Team Colavita in Photos

[caption id="attachment_5084" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mary and I showing just how hardcore we are(n't) in our Rudy Project skull sunglasses before the Sunny King crit.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5083" align="alignnone" width="600"] The view from the Team Colavita service course at our house on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There is not an inch of flat terrain in that region. NOT A SINGLE FREAKING INCH.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5085" align="alignnone" width="600"] We believe in representing our sponsors in a dignified and professional manner.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5088" align="alignnone" width="600"] Headed into Charlotte for the weekend to do some crits.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5089" align="alignnone" width="600"] Andrew and I were able to be together in Charlotte to celebrate our 6-month wedding anniversary. Despite having race obligations, we were able to take a moment to celebrate by having a massive pile of Italian food and a coffee date.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5086" align="alignnone" width="600"] A string of bad luck was punctuated (ha!) by a flat tire that left ...continue reading.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Leftover Fish

[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.