Sunset on the Season

Posted on by lindsay
As a result of the Talent ID camp, I have been selected by USA Cycling to race on the Aspen Valley Hospital Composite Team at the Blue Ribbon Alpine Challenge crit in Aspen, CO on August 22nd. The Aspen race was originally supposed to be a three-day stage race in conjunction with the men's US Pro Cycling Challenge, but lack of funding forced the promoters to cut the race down to a one-day crit that runs on the same finishing circuit the men will use coming into Aspen at the end of that day's stage. I knew going into the camp that a short-term result of successful performance would be selection for a composite team for the Aspen race, but when the announcement came that it was no longer a stage race, I assumed that the composite team would no longer happen. It came as a pleasant surprise to get ...continue reading.

This One Time, At USA Cycling Talent ID Camp

Posted on by lindsay
It's been a while since I've written here. Things got a little chaotic in life and I lost my voice, so to speak (although not my taste for bad puns). At first I just didn't have time to write, then I was distracted by the things happening, and then I had a lot of feelings that were not blog-friendly, unless this blog were retitled, "Times I Have Held A Serious, Exhausting Grudge That Is Refueled On A Near-Daily Basis." The good news is that throughout this period of being unable to find words to share a lot of what is going on, the bike is still making me happy. Sure, I had some boring-ass rides before I went off to Colorado, rides where I slogged around the same local roads watching the minutes crawl by, but even despite some minor mental burnout, I'm still deeply in love with the bike. ...continue reading.

Giro di Coppi: I successfully launched a solo attack…off the back

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Giro di Coppi The Course: 5 laps, 62.5 miles, holy balls that was more climbing than expected The Field: 1/2/3 men The Finish: 38th Since my focus lately has been on improving my climbing and overall stamina, it seemed like a great idea to race Coppi - a course I remembered from last year as never once being flat - with the 1/2/3 men's field. Going into the race, I had three goals: climb well, finish the race, don't get dropped. I accomplished two out of three. One of my goals was NOT to watch Rugg pee off the side of his bike and then hear him talk about his chest hair, but that happened. I felt good at the beginning. Two guys took off right after the neutral rollout, one of whom was on my team, and the field seemed intent on giving them a huge head start. We coasted through ...continue reading.

In Which The Light Dawns

Posted on by lindsay
I had a life-changing revelation the other night and I keep meaning to do a post about it, but every time I sit down to write, somehow that turns into sprawling on the couch watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy. This feels lazy and bad in theory, except that my body is bordering on dead from all the riding lately and I think the couch time counts as recovery. It just sucks that the fridge doesn't deliver. But back to my revelation. The last time I posted, I was all dark and anxious and moments from putting my furniture in the dumpster in a quest for clarity. And then, while lying in bed late on Saturday night, it popped into my head: I have been desperately seeking the answer to the wrong question. The question that matters is not, "How can I get a pro contract?" The only question that matters ...continue reading.

The Juice: Undetermined As To Whether It Is Indeed Worth The Squeeze

Posted on by lindsay
Whenever I think about making a plan, I immediately think "a man a plan a canal Panama" because it involves the word 'plan' and is a fascinating palindrome. It bothers me that "palindrome" is not a palindrome itself. Also, whenever anybody says "15 minutes" in any context, I can't help but parrot, "15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance." It used to be something I would do impulsively, but now I do it because I've been doing it impulsively for so long that to stop would feel like breaking tradition. Whatever Geico is paying The Martin Agency, it's probably not enough. This is my brain on stress. My life is currently a series of what we popularly call "first world problems". (Add to that list an apparent inability to generate a thought that did not come from the Internet.) I want a pro cycling contract. To ...continue reading.