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.

On coming up for air

Posted on by Lindsay
Things have been better lately. You might think I'd have melted down over Thanksgiving, what with it being a holiday focused on food. Sure, there are themes of gratitude and family and sales on off-brand electronics, but all of these are commemorated with eating, which has the potential for disaster when you're a neurotic, anxiety-prone bulimic. (Side note: I LOATHE THAT WORD. It's right up there with "panties" and "Portugal" and "cockroach", the latter of which is so vile I can barely stand to see it in print.) To mitigate the urge to hugely overindulge on Thanksgiving itself, I made and snacked on extra versions of several of my favorite dishes in the preceding days, so when it came time for the big meal itself, I was less inclined to dive face first into all of the food. It was more like going to a strip club where half of ...continue reading.

In which I revisit milkshakes one last time

Posted on by Lindsay
I don't want to make every post about this eating disorder, but frankly, it's the most interesting thing in my life at the moment and, gravity of the issue aside, it's fertile ground for dark humor. When I'm crying over a pancake or bonking on a recovery spin, it doesn't exactly seem funny, but in retrospect the absurdity is entertaining. In a sense, I'm laughing at me, not with me, but it brings perspective and makes me want to skip the mockery-worthy behavior in the future. Case in point: I rode extra long last Friday, cracked hard from lack of proper food, acknowledged this and vowed to be better, went out that same night for toasted marshmallow milkshakes, panicked, and hurried home to throw up. I know. Terrible thing to do, etc. It was awful in the execution, not least of all because of this:When I throw up, blood vessels ...continue reading.

In which I finally churn out one last race report

Posted on by Lindsay
The Race: TD Bank Mayor's Cup Criterium The Course: 60 minutes of racing, 0.7 mile laps The Field: Pro Women The Finish: Jen in 5th and the rest of us completely cashed Arriving in Boston (a city I love) after leaving Vegas (a city I do not love) was a huge relief. I'd only been to Boston twice before, both times just for racing, but it's my kind of city and I'd happily move there if not for winter. It was also exciting to deplane and see Andrew, who had left work in DC and flown directly to Boston to spend the weekend with the team. The race was the following afternoon, which gave us just enough time to settle in, get a little sleep, have a dozen cups of coffee, and head out for the race. Since this was almost a month ago, the details are somewhat blurry - I remember feeling ...continue reading.

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.

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.