NVGP: Failure to launch

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Nature Valley Grand Prix Cannon Falls Road Race The Course: 74ish miles, or so I heard The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: The parking lot Thursday morning dawned cold and wet, but ever the optimists, the women of the Nature Valley Cycling Team prepared diligently for the road race scheduled to begin at 5pm. This included fretting, checking the weather obsessively, and eating everything in the host house that was not nailed down (excluding the cats, because life here would not be the same without those assholes precious little bundles of joy). Can we talk about the cats for a second? On the whole, I don't mind cats. They're fascinating; while I'm told they have bones, personal experience suggests this is a lie. One minute a cat is sitting on the floor and the next minute he's on top of the refrigerator. No matter where he is, he's silently judging you. ...continue reading.

NVGP: In which I neither cried nor panicked

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Nature Valley Grand Prix Downtown St. Paul Crit The Course: 28 laps, 5 corners The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: 10th This was my first double day and I wasn't sure what to expect from my legs in the crit after a hard TT in the morning. There was enough time between stages to go home, shower, eat, generate more magical team moments, and head out again, so I'd nearly forgotten about the morning's race by the 6:15pm start. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] The start/finish stretch in downtown St. Paul.[/caption] Our team plan for the race was to make sure Brianna stayed in the Best Amateur jersey, maintain my standing in the GC, and make sure everybody survived the first crit. I stayed on the trainer to warm up while the rest of the team went to check out the course, with a plan to jump off at 6:00 and get ...continue reading.

NVGP: In which time trialing turns out to be oddly satisfying

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Nature Valley Grand Prix St. Paul Time Trial The Course: 7.7 miles, gently rolling terrain, out and back style The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: 24th Today started brutally early when my alarm (and my roommate's alarm, which blared with an intensity more suited for a nuclear holocaust warning) went off at 4:45am. The two of us needed to get to the time trial venue early for an interview with the local Fox news channel. As we waited to get started, another news anchor came over and asked to use my bike as a prop. He asked how much it was worth and was afraid to touch it after that, even after I explained that I beat the shit out of it in races. I heard him tell the cameraman, "If this falls, drop the camera and go for the bike." Then he announced on camera the bike's value, ensuring that ...continue reading.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Bibs

Posted on by lindsay
Are you familiar with the Hunger Games? If not, climb out from under your rock, take a second to do some Googling, and come back. Also, Michael Jackson passed away. Sorry to break the news. I thought the Nature Valley Pro Chase would have an element of Hunger Games-esque drama. After all, many of us are here because we want to ride as professionals, there are only so many spots to go around, and this is a race. It's a recipe for wanting to kill and eat your competition, especially because we are cyclists and we eat everything (and then put on spandex and stress about being fat). Before I came here, I was worried about how it would be to live with the other pro chase qualifiers while calling them teammates. It turns out that those concerns were unnecessary. The other women on my team are funny, smart, interesting, ...continue reading.

It’s never a bad idea to jump into a pool in your clothes

Posted on by lindsay
[caption id="attachment_3135" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Yesterday was my first attempt at motor pacing; today was my first try riding with a radio. Tomorrow I enter the Tour de France."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_3136" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Mid-ride tea party on the side of the road."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_3137" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="When chicks get together to ride, we stop to save turtles and take photos. Not pictured: pillow fighting, nail polishing."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_3138" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="I was on my way to the shower and somehow ended up in the pool in my clothes."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_3139" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="My fellow campers are not ones to sit out a good time. We even had bubbles."][/caption]

It’s actually rather easy being green

Posted on by lindsay
[caption id="attachment_3125" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="The team rolling out for a ride."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_3126" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Our kits match our team car, which is stocked with bottles, food, and a team director. I've never felt more pro."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_3127" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Our kits from Decca are comfortable and well-made, but I'm not so sure about the look of a double-sided chamois. I prefer to keep my girl parts inside my kit."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_3128" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Contemplating a career as a John Deere saleswoman."][/caption]