Lindsey Jean Bishop

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

I technically live in the "Wonderland" area of Boulder where the recent snow fall transformed the area into a whole new type of wonderland to play in. It's been a mild fall with lots of great cycling and running weather, but now....(drum roll please)...it's time to ski!

With the help and encouragement of other cyclists in town I began embracing skate skiing two weeks ago and I am in love. It's not easy to get the correct form down but when I feel glimpses of "good form", it feels amazing. It's literally like a dance on the snow. The snow at the local parks in town is gone now, but Eldora, just up Boulder Canyon, will have great cross country ski trails all winter long! I underestimated how much I would enjoy skate skiing. It has added a whole new layer for why Colorado is such a fun place to live.

Before I began skate skiing, I was running mostly. On Tuesday, after about week straight of being on skiis, I decided to run. What happened? I don't know exactly, but something good because I ran comfortably for two hours! I haven't wanted to run that long since high school! And what's crazy to me is that I'm not sore at all from running anymore. SO fun. I may need to try an Exterra next year for kicks.

Also, I'm on the Pearl Izumi website right now!

I'm excited to be heading home to NJ in a few days for Christmas. Have a great holiday everybody!

Surprise!

2009-11-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

I felt like writing this the other day...

I am you

You are me

We are everything and

Everything is We (not to be mistaken with wee-wee ;-)

So interesting to see

The jumbles we've chosen to create

The tangles we've chosen to experience

So fun to witness

The jumbles we're choosing to expand

Finding our space

As the jumbles find theirs

So blissful to be with

The tangles we're choosing to untangle

As we choose to become clear

Holding our space

Our tangle watches (the teacher all along! ha!)

And laughing, it says, "YES, WE are ready to become clear!"

Inevitable unwinding

Purest love

The jumbles and tangles

Are laughing with compassion

At our mastery of complication

To their compassionate amusement

I bow

With smiling eyes

And choose

The simplest truth

Surprise! lol

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Cozy November

2009-11-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

November is a perfect time to embrace the cozy spirit of fall and winter...and I've been doing just that. After getting healthy from the flu, but not feeling quite 100%, I realized I'm walking a thin line between residual lung inflammation and potential walking pnuemonia. The answer? Get cozier, be more restful, embrace meditation time...yes, one of my favorite new hobbies is meditating. Last week I intended on meditating for 15 minutes and the next time I opened my eyes to check if my fifteen minutes were up, it had been 50 minutes! I was all, "WHAT THE WHAT?!" - Tina Fey

My nagging lung inflammation may mean few other cyclocross races this fall, such as this one from last weekend's UCI event [Becca and I in the sand pit!]. But the good news is steady, fun mountain bike miles are still a-ok. And I can feel legit in giving myself permission to be as cozy and cuddly as I'd like, just like this little doggie...

"Doing your best is the surest way to remind those around you to do their best. But to be worthy requires the continuing practice of mindfulness. That is a certainty. Only by practicing mindfulness will we not lose ourselves but acquire a bright joy and peace. Only by practicing mindfulness will we be able to look at everyone else with the open mind and eyes of love." Thich Nhat Hanh

Looking for a laugh? Check this out...

Brian Regan Phones and Codes

Long Time, No Blog!

2009-11-02T16:08:00.001-08:00

The motto for my new wave of blog posts? Short and sweet.

What's new? I love Boulder and I've been learning lots of great things here.

Last month my best friend got married at the NY Botanical Gardens (the same weekend as 'CrossVegas). I was lucky enough to be her Maid of Honor! It was an amazingly beautiful wedding and an incredible party. Rachel was gorgeous!!

My sister, Rachel and Me on the Dance Floor

My Mom and Dad :)

My two sisters and Me

Rachel is a Gorgeous Bride!

Cheers!

I got to reconnect with Colorado Springs the week after Rachel's wedding to help run our USA Cycling National Talent ID Devo Camp as ride leader, dorm mom and coach-in-training. We had forty 14-17 year old talented cyclists in attendance! Despite poor weather it was a great camp! Unfortunately I came down with the flu (yes, the infamous H1N2) the following week. And only now - about three weeks later - am I really feeling 100%, without any lung-congestion. Amazingly, after weeks off the bike, I was able to race well yesterday at the UCI Boulder Cup Cyclocross race! I guess I needed to lay in bed for a few weeks after all! Here are some pics/articles from the race...

This is a link the our Mafia Racing/Felt Website that includes our team's successes for the weekend!!

http://www.feltbicycles.com/USA/News/Mafia-overcomes-mud-mechanicals-at-NACT-Boulder.aspx

And here's me on CyclingNews.com!...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/boulder-cup-c1/elite-women/photos/94220

I'm looking forward to trying out skate skiing soon!

Crested Butte Mountain States Cup and CU Boulder Short Track!

2009-06-26T12:40:00.001-07:00

I finished writing my previous post just before beginning my warm up for the Crested Butte Mountain States Cup cross country race. At the time it was a pleasant 60-65 degrees and sunny. Very quickly, that changed. It became windy, the temperature dropped into the low 50's and bouts of heavy rain were followed by lighter rain which were followed by heavy rain. It made for very messy, slick conditions that made most off-camber sections of single-track unride-able. The first lap was great since I went out conservatively from the start and everything was still rideable. Over the course of the first 7mile lap, which climbed over 1600 ft, I made my way into 7th or so place. On the second lap, when it began raining harder, I figured they'd cut the race down to two laps, so I rode hard to leave it all out there...and forgot to eat a gel. Then when I came through the start finish area, expecting to be finishing, they said "ONE TO GO" at which point I was like, "WUH-OH!" I quickly got a Clif Shot and some energy drink in me. They also told me I was in fourth place! I'd made up a couple of spots on the long, tricky descent! I hadn't gotten a top 5 in the Mountain States Cup pro field before, so I was determined to hold my position, no matter how hard the last lap felt.

As I began my last long climb, it became apparent that the steep road they sent us up in one section was no longer going to be ride-able. Our tires were clinging to the wet dirt like it was their job and it got to the point that you could barely PUSH your bike up it. For a couple of minutes, the lack of glucose in my body and the pain of struggling to push my bike up an incredibly steep, long, muddy hill almost cracked me. I felt like this...

But soon enough the Clif Shot kicked in, I got into the single-track climb that you could still ride, and I regained my motivation to race my bike to the finish line. I rode well, especially on the climbs where I was able to maintain a strong focus and in the fun, technical, slick single-track. I lost one place on that final 1600ft of climbing - not too shabby - and finished in 5th! It was a great day. My high-altitude climbing and racing legs are really coming along. As I like to say, "Good job, legs!" They worked really hard.

I felt like a dorkus when I rushed to clean up, take a shower and get to the podium where they USUALLY call up top five...but this time they only called up top three. I had a camera and everything, all excited for my first Mountain States Cup podium. The sound to describe that is: BWAAA BWAAAAAAAAAA (higher note BWAAA and lower note BWAAAAAAAAAAA). haha.

I could've taken more time at the bike wash where my bike and my body needed some serious mud-removal! Luckily Shimano, one of my incredible sponsors, were supporting at the race and helped me with getting my bike in working order for the next day where I trained on the mountain. I needed all sorts degreasing, regreasing, grit removal and some new parts! Thank you Shimano for getting my bike working perfectly again!

That night I decided to camp out along a beautiful creek in Crested Butte... (see picture below...)

...but I should've checked the weather forecast. I woke up in a big puddle and had to laugh. I'm sure it looked funny. Needless to say, I was at a coffee house early Sunday morning and treated myself to some yummy hot beverage and scones as my pre-high-altitude-training-ride/post-hard-race-day-and-night-in-a-freezing-cold-puddle-tent fuel. lol. I actually was able to train really well, so maybe I should camp out in a puddle more often?!

This week has been a nice busy one, and I've needed to sleep a lot. I was either going to go to sleep at 5:00 wednesday night, or go do the CU Cyling Boulder Short track race...and it was the first one that wasn't rained out since I've moved to Boulder, so I went and raced. These fun, local races are a great way to get in good training and get to know more people. It was a great course and the event attracts lots of good people who love racing bikes. We had a solid field for our Women's A group; around 20 women! I worked hard off the start to get in a good position. I was feeling good but knew my fatigue level was going to kick in at some point in the 30+ minute race, so I got into the lead and just raced hard. I figured if I cracked I cracked, but if I got a good enough lead, I could potentially hold first. I got caught on the second to last lap and finished 2nd which I was still happy with!

After cooling down (my ride back home...all on bike paths :)!, I prettied myself up for a cruiser bike ride into downtown for a beer and burger with some Mafia teammates. What else could I ask for?! Yep, still lovin' on Boulder! Becca Blay, one of my teammates, and I decided to race the FireCracker 50 up in Breckenridge as a two-woman team next weekend, but I'm looking forward to having this weekend off from racing!

US CUP in Colorado Springs & USA Cycling Junior Development Mountain Bike Camp

2009-06-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I packed up for ten days away from home: Friday and Saturday I raced short track and cross country at the US Cup in Colorado Springs and Sunday through the following Friday I was a coach/ride leader/dorm mom for the Junior Development Mountain Bike camp. Both were nice successes!

My short track race on Friday evening began strong. There was a small but super stacked field including all of the Luna Girls, even Alison! But I MAY have gone out a tad too hard the first couple of laps and popped about half way through. It was a fun short track course though and a great opener for the cross country race the following afternoon. I recovered well Friday night with an ice-bath in a creek paralleling Cheyenne Canyon – while simultaneously enjoying a Date-Pecan-Bran muffin from Wooglins (the best muffins EVER), followed by a spectacular noodle bowl from one of my favorite Colorado Springs restaurants, Saigon Café. Bellissimo.

Saturday morning I pre-rode the cross country course as a nice, long warmup for the relatively short race – it took about an hour and a half. I got a great start and went hard from the gun knowing the course suited my strengths well. It was more technical and rocky than most US Cup courses. I loved it and pushed myself to stay with the group. We fell off the pace of the leaders by a bit on the first descent but I managed to keep my cadence high and pace strong for all three laps and rode the techy sections pretty well! I was all sorts of amped up after I finished around 20^th! (22^nd?) Here's a picture of me from the XC race (thank you Jesse!)...

The following day the campers began arriving at the Colorado College Campus by 10am and it was a fun, busy week with the 28 talented 14-19 years old mountain bikers. We had a packed schedule, breakfast by 7am each morning, ride by 8 and another by 2, followed by a different presentation after dinner each evening. Each ride targeted a specific skill or had a goal, such as our time trial day where we did field testing with them. Other days we worked on climbing, descending, cornering, switchbacks, race starts, bottle feeds, etc etc. Being dorm mom was easy since the campers fell asleep between 9 and 10 each night! I absolutely love helping with these camps. It’s a great combination of my love for riding/racing bikes and for teaching.

Right now I have two hours until my start time for cross country at Crested Butte which I’ll write about in the next couple of days! It’s unbelievably gorgeous here, and very very high. The start line is somewhere around 9,000+!

Teva Games XC (and a sliced sidewall :( ) & Denver City Park Crit (my strongest crit yet!)

2009-06-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't been hailing many taxis lately. Instead I've been in cruiser biking heaven on the incredible system of bike paths and lanes here in Boulder. But I liked this picture so, yeah.
I also liked this one. Plus I can make it relate to my racing...

The confidence and independence of this little goggie reminds me of how I felt when I was able to take care of my sliced-tire situation during the XC race at the Teva Games at Vail on saturday. I've only had a flat during a race a couple of times. Last year, needing to fix a flat would still rattle me a bit. Yesterday I was able to keep my cool and quickly figure out that with enough CO2, I'd most likely be able to make it through the second half of the race by refilling the tire every 2omin or so. I lost the group I was working on catching in the process of stopping and going, and just felt like I lost my rhythm and momentum = not a great finish. But the course was super fun. The descent was one of my favorites I've ever ridden! And our Mafia Racing team trailer made for a great spot to hang out at the venue! We had a nice group out racing yesterday!
THIS ONE relates...um...because...OH, because I come with two kiddos now! The family I'm nannying for now have a little girl and boy who are officially on summer break now, so I'll be training bright and early most days through the summer!

And this one is just to class up my blog a bit.

To get back to racing...my lackluster day at Vail made me hungry for more racing this weekend so a couple of hours ago I drove to Denver to do the City Park Criterium and finished fourth!

I wish I'd had a GPS on the way there (I'm still not completely familiar with Denver), but once I found the race, I knew I was going to like it. The course was pretty twisty and there was a strong field of women competing. I wanted to get in a hard hour of riding so I raced very aggressively and won two of the four preems. For the first time in a 1/2 crit I was able to attack and stay away for a few laps! And in the sprint finish, I worked super hard for fourth and got my power higher than I've ever done before! Pretty cool :).

I'm looking forward to US Cup in Colorado Springs next weekend, followed by a week in the Springs to be Dorm mom/coach/rideleader for the junior mountain bike development camp, followed by the Crested Butte Mountain States Cup!

To New Jersey and Back!

2009-06-01T05:46:00.000-07:00

Just after arriving back home from the Angel Fire, NM “Chile Challenge” Mountain States Cup last weekend, I unpacked and then repacked to hop on a plane. And I’m currently flying my way back to DIA. I’m having some unexpected bouts of giggling as I’m beginning to write this, trying to decide what to write about. My friends and family are absolutely hilarious. Not “ha ha, that was funny” type of funny. They’re more like the laugh so hard you keel over gasping for air, trying so hard not to pee-your-pants type of funny.

Rachel, my bff from baby-hood and reason for flying home this time, is no different. As kids at the Lake we never had a dull moment. Like this one time, we changed our beds into bunk beds so we’d have more room for activities. That was last summer actually. I can’t wait to be Rachel’s Maid of Honor in September!!!

She’s completely supportive and understanding of my current life as a bicycle racer. For instance, she’s okay with it sometimes taking me four days to return her call when I have no reception on mountains like Angel Fire. And when I call her after a bad crash or a tough race she never lets on that she’s sipping on margaritas with my sisters at the lake. And she just assumed it would be too difficult for me to get home for her Bridal Shower this past weekend. But I was not going to miss it. She was completely surprised and freaked OUT! And the shower was gorgeous. I may have come close to breaking a plate or two as I tried to simultaneously repackaged them as I handed her the next gift…but nothing even chipped! WHAT WHAT!? Fine china is not my forte. But anyway, I love you Rachel!

I even got to do some mountain biking with Audrey on our favorite trails that are right outside our door. The mountain biking in NW Jersey is seriously so much fun. The entire northeast has great technical, roller-coaster-ish riding. And the motorcycle sounds Audrey has mastered makes the riding that much more fun J. OH, we also saw a big black bear while we were riding in the woods yesterday! I also saw a beautiful little Red Fox up Left Hand Canyon in Boulder on Tuesday! Great luck with seeing cool animals. I’m getting off track here. ANYWAY…

Time to get back to my Colorado-an life! US Cup in Colorado Springs in two weekends is my next big event! Can’t wait!

I've Officially Moved to Boulder!

2009-05-17T13:05:00.001-07:00

These are a few pictures from my race yesterday that I'll talk more about below...

I call this one "Bye-Bye Colorado Springs":

Thank you Bill Broidy for this photo!

And this one is called "Hello Boulder! I Heart You!":

Thank you Bryan King for this great shot!

I seriously love riding and racing bikes. And Boulder is a spectacular place to be when you seriously love bicycles. From the spectacular places to ride to the cruiser-bike friendly culture of Boulder and the masses of of other people who love bikes, it doesn't get much better.

This picture spoke to me...and slightly relates to what I'm talking about...or maybe it's just funny:

So I haven't posted in over a week because I've been so busy during my last week in Colorado Springs and moving to Boulder. But I'll catch you up. Last weekend I did the Sand Creek Series Opener mountain bike race in the Springs. It is a SUPER fun course and I was racing well, staying with Kelli Emmet and Judy Freeman...until I took myself out in a random flat section for no reason other than figuring I was holding up Kelli who was right behind me. It had been maybe 20 minutes into the race so I yelled back "Do you want to get by?" Just as she was saying "No, you're good" I crashed really hard, straight down onto the gravelly trail. I have no idea what I did but afterwards Kelli and Judy said I wasn't holding them up at all and that I shouldn't have worried about letting them get past. Rookie mistake. I'll never do THAT again!

My face has some scratches and the next day my chiropractor had to realign my jaw a tad. But the worst part is a big deep scratch on my left hip, some big bruises down the side of my leg, a bruised rib and some deep gashes in my knee and knuckles. Owee! But we still had over an hour of racing so I jumped up and tried to catch on to them again and couldn't close the gap but kept Judy in my sights! I finished 3rd overall and 1st in the 19-29 female category :).

I'm still a little ouchy and I can't sleep on my left side yet but it was totally worth it...
So that was last Sunday. And now, just 8 days later, I feel like a month has passed. Lianne threw me a fun going away party, I did a farewell Incline (which I'm still a little sore from!) and got to spend some quality time with Leah, Sami and Rudy, my beloved first nanny family. I love you guys!

I also got fitted on my road and mountain bikes at RETUL in Denver on Wednesday. I feel SO much better on my bikes now. Thank you so much Retul. You guys are awesome!

On Friday morning I packed up for the last time, stopped at Wooglins for my last muffin there as a Springs resident and headed up the road to my new home and new life in Boulder. And I love everything about it. A wise individual told me it's "the gods apologizing for (some of the things I went through last year :)" and I think she's right. This is where I'm meant to be right now for sure.

Yesterday I raced at the North Boulder Park Crit, a mere five minute bike ride from my new abode, and I placed 10th in a super strong field! My new bike fit absolutely made a big difference! Here's me again...

Sharing is always good, so I just felt a connection with this...

And I also felt an affinity for this one, don't ask me why...

Here's to finding joy in all the moments that are life.

The Tour of the Gila Race Report: "CATTLE GUARD!!!"

2009-05-07T09:20:00.001-07:00

"CATTLE GUARD (imagine female cyclists screaming this out)" was the quote of the week for me. In hindsight it's hilarious. At the time, it was terrifying. There's nothing like 70 cyclists riding very fast in a big peleton, wheels nearly touching, and then suddenly experiencing a chain reaction of people hitting their brakes as they anticipated the upcoming cattle guard. I'm pretty sure we didn't need to slow down for them. But there weren't any bad crashes all week!

Another salient point?

Stage racing is challenging!

This is me one day before the start of the Gila, in my silly "can't wait to race" mode:

...and this is me the morning of Day 2 of 5:

Slightly shocked, clutching to my energy drink mix. If I could put a thought bubble over my head, it would say, "omg. i hurt. omg." Much like giving birth to a baby (or so I've heard- haha), I'm slowly forgetting the pain of the 5 day stage race and looking back fondly on my first GC road race. Now that I'm not exhausted from the insane amount of riding, I can say with confidence that I'll be doing many road races in the future! Mountain Bike will always be my first love though :).

My teammates on Colorado Bike Law are amazing women and I'm very very fortunate to be training and racing with them on the road. There were many other women in the peleton who were friendly and great to ride with also. There were a few mountain bike racers like Chloe Foresman and Kelli Emmet who were solid wheels to follow and learn from also...not to mention the many awesome roadies like Kristen Armstrong and Allison Powers! It was a very positive, encouraging experience for sure.

On the first day, my anxiety and relative inexperience with big pelotons got the best of me and I stayed on the side of the group far more than I should have. And when attacks would go off the front, instead of getting swept into the group, I would burn way too many matches unsheltered in the wind to feel "safer" from potential crashes. After 3.5 hours or so, we hit this massive, super steep climb to finish the stage and I felt cooked. I knew if I was going to survive the five days, I was going to have to A)get comfortable with the peloton to stop wasting energy on my nerves and tension while riding in the group B)stay sheltered from the wind better and C)not jump every time an attack went off but just get sucked up into the group.

Day 2 hurt the worst of all of the days by far. I didn't exactly follow my A, B, C and got dropped from the peloton when Kristen attacked at the base of the first long climb. Luckily I had two teammates and a few other girls to paceline with and we worked hard...but not hard enough to catch the peloton. The sweetest part of the stage was descending down the "Gila Monster". It was SOOOO much fun and it was the first time I felt very confident carving down a steep, twisty mountain like that on a road bike. Road tires can corner better than a mountain bike's, but I had always trusted the big tire more than the skinny. The Gila week helped me to finally feel comfortable pushing the limits on handling a road bike through fast, tricky turns. Butter. ALMOST as good as single track...but not quite.

Day 3 was the TT and I just couldn't get my legs to go. At all. I was horrifing. I just wanted to go to sleep...but when I'd lie down to sleep my HR wouldn't slow down, so I couldn't fall asleep. I was too exhausted to do anything productive so after the TT, I just talked with my teammates, laid in my bed, ate, and watched episode after episode of 30 Rock. We didn't have wireless in the house, probably a blessing in disguise.

Day 4 was the criterium. I think I really like crits. I felt very comfortable following wheels closely and did a good job at staying sheltered from the wind. Not until the very last little acceleration did I get popped off the main group, so I was psyched! The crowds were awesome since Lancy-pants was there and the pro men went right after us, so we had tons of spectators. It was pretty stinkin' cool.

Strangely, by the morning of day 5, I didn't hurt that badly anymore. I still wasn't sleeping well but I think my body was already adapting to the hard back to back to back to back days ;). AND I was actually completely comfortable in the peloton! HUGE win for me. My goal for the day was to stayed as buried in the field as possible with the least amount of anxiety over it. I did well I think. I had to swallow my nerves when I began hearing girls yell CATTLE GUARD - lol- but asides from that, it was a great day. Megan Hottman was my saving grace on the last long climb of the day - thank you SOOOO much for your encouragement and help Megan!!! It was another looooong day and at about 3.5hrs, we climbed for 30-40minutes. The finish was at the very top. I finished! I was around 40th overall...and placed right around there every day.

This is how 5 days of hard racing makes you feel:

Thank you Susannah, Lisa-Rene, Sue, Terrie, Alizabeth, Karla, Paul and Doug for all of your hard work, help and support! Colorado Bike Law, baby!

Sea Otter Cross Country Race Report!

2009-04-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

When I posted the last report I was getting sick and had little to no energy to write a decent report...but I'm on the mend now, so here's a better report!

(Being a full-time live-in nanny and a tutor at night is a great fit for me, but when I come home exhausted from a race weekend, it's hard to start the week running sometimes...and can sometimes lead to the need for antibiotics apparently ;).

XC Race Report:

This was my my first Sea Otter Classic as a professional so I was excited and nervous. It was also my first big race of the year, which is unnerving because you're never quite sure where your race fitness is yet. Luckily, my race fitness is where it needs to be! At Sea Otter, the venue is huge and there are SO many people everywhere that it's easy to get distracted. Having our Mafia Racing trailer at the venue as a home-base made a HUGE difference...not to mention having Shimano and Felt as second homes at the venue as well! Great seeing you all :).

I drove to the venue early in the morning on Sunday to see off my Mafia Teammates for their 8:00am XC start and to spin out my legs a bit. I got to head back to the cool of our hotel for a few hours before my 1:45 start.

It was incredibly hot and humid by 1:00, so I did the shortest warmup necessary and headed straight to the start line. David Janoweic, our Mafia Racing team manager, had a big umbrella for me and Abby. Thank you Dave! Catherine Pendrel shared the umbrella with us and also shared a baggie of ice water that we got to pour down our backs. It felt amazing. My call up was in the late 30's or early 40's somewhere. Better than expected, really. As I rolled up to my start spot, I got to meet one of my sponsors, Dylan from Clif Bar, for the first time in person (he was standing at the barriers right next to my spot)!

The five minutes just before the start, after being called up, are a tad nerve racking. Everyone just wants to start the race. But once the gun went off, I was feeling comfortable and confident about my positioning. Unique to Sea Otter is how the cross country course begins on pavement for a 1/2+ mile before entering into double track. As we exited the pavement, some deep ruts presented themselves which jumbled up the field. I was lucky to skirt the jumble and pass at least ten women right there! I found myself on Chloe Foresman's wheel. Since she's a superb rider, and I hadn't had time to preride the course, I thought "perfect". I could follow her line with complete confidence.

The first windy single track section was a ton of fun, undulating through a lush green area. We were riding so fast through there and it's pretty narrow, so one slip of concentration can mean your bike and/or body flying off the trail. Luckily I kept my cool and really enjoyed that section on Jack, my beautiful new Felt hardtail (oh how I love thee).

The course flowed nicely and was all about sustained power and maintaining momentum efficiently....and making sure to eat and drink enough. My HR was around 189 for a good long time so, yeah, you burn through some serious calories and water out there! As I came through the feed zone I had the realization that I was doing well, in the top twenty somewhere. But I made the mistake of only taking one full bottle from the neutral feed instead of two. Thirty minutes later, I was out of water and had heat chills pretty badly. Sue Butler and I began working together and stayed together until the last few minutes when she put a surge on and I just had nothin' at that point. I just kept thinking "keep going, keep going". Before I knew it, I crossed through the finish line.

17th in an incredibly strong field of 50 pro women! The strongest finish of my professional racing career so far! And the announcers even said some nice things about me as I rolled through the finish line. It was just the best.

I was only eleven minutes off of first place and 3 minutes outside of the top ten! I was thrilled. And needed a drink badly. (lol, just re-read this and realized I should clarify, a drink of water!)

After hanging out at the venue for a bit, taking a quasi shower at the bike-wash and helping David break down the team tents, another teammate and I headed to the ocean to play in the waves for a bit. Bellissimo.

I traveled back Monday morning and jumped back into my nanny and tutor routine. And then quickly realized I was getting sick. But I almost neevr get sick and when I do it doesn't typically turn into anything bad. I was put on antibiotics and I feel WAY better today than yesterday :).

It's a good thing becuase I've been looking forward to The Tour of the Gila since receiving my Cat2 road upgrade last month! Can't wait!

Great weekend at Sea Otter...Heading to the Gila!

2009-04-22T19:05:00.001-07:00

This ridiculous doggie-captioned picture is apt I tell you...because I've been ravenously hungry after the hardest 90+minutes of riding I've ever done at the Sea Otter Cross Country race this past Sunday. And yes, 90 minutes is relatively short for a cross country race, but not when it's 85-90 humid degrees. It was uncomfortable to say the least. I had heat chills pretty badly at about mile 14 and had to back off the pace to be able to even finish the race.

I was on my gorgeous new Felt hardtail (see below), who I have decisively named Jack. Anyone who knows me well will tell you I'm quite decisive...with the exception of ordering Indian food or wine, but I digress. Jack rode beautifully.

Jack and I needed to become better acquainted after the short track race on saturday, during which I needed to hop off of him three different times fix some mechanical hiccups. But thanks to Shimano, Jack was all dialed in for the cross country race on sunday. He rode like a champ. (Scroll down to pro women :).

A week from today The Tour of Gila starts, so I need to shake this bad sore throat/cold I started feeling yesterday :(. But my immunity has been super strong this past year, so I'm feeling pretty optimistic about getting back to 100% healthy soon :).

Heading to Sea Otter!

2009-04-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sea Otter Classic is a massive UCI cycling event in Monterey, California every April. There is mountain and road racing although I'll only be doing the endurance mountain bike events: short track on saturday and cross country on sunday. I'm so looking forward to my first race weekend on my new baby...

You can read all about him here.

I still haven't settled on a name yet but I have a feeling Sea Otter will help us become better acquainted so that naming him will be easier. Perhaps Jack? Lol. In all seriousness, it's important to find the right name for your bikes. They work better and live longer that way. It's akin the studies on how talking to plants in soothing, loving tones made them healthier and grow faster ;).

Here is another picture JoAnn took at Moab; Rachel prompted me to point in the direction of where we were heading on our ride while showing off my MAD triceps. Don't you see them? Well, they're under my thermal, I can assure you.

And now, a profound deep-thoughts section...

I'm not on the award committee or anything, but
I can pretty much guarantee a Nobel Prize to any
scientist who makes cauliflower taste like bacon.
-Brad Wilkerson

Women's Development Camp in Moab!

2009-04-06T18:41:00.001-07:00

I'm ready for the Gila now :). I learned so much about road racing and, as importantly, laughed till my stomach hurt more times than I can count. What more could I ask for?! We had an incredible group of women attend the camp; a huge range of experience levels, ability levels and motivations for getting into road racing.

I was also in charge of taking lots of pictures which is typically not my forte. The scenery in and around Moab is like no other. We had sub-par weather for the most part, but made the best of the cold, wet weather and took advantage of any sunshine that came out! Every day included one to two rides, skills work...and some climbing with Susannah Gordon which is always a fun challenge! The camp was also attended by a few spectacular speakers who capitalized on the rainy parts of days to teach us about everything from training effectively to sports nutrition and managing race-day anxiety. Mari Holden, Kimberly Baldwin and Sima Hart, three retired super star pros (World and National Champions and National Team members!) gave us priceless advice and insight as well!

Here's Susannah and I just before one of our drier rides of the week!

We also did some LT testing thanks to Corey Hart. Your ear gets pricked every few minutes to measure the blood-lactate in your system at increasingly difficult power outputs. I'd never done such a formal test before. It provides you with solid data to figure out where your current strengths and needs lie as an athlete!

Here's another picture from icanhazcheezburger.com just for kicks...

Spring Time Fun

2009-03-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

Cult 'Cross (picture below) was one of my first few races of the season...and yes, I just love 'cross. My other races have been criteriums and a TT on the road, which have also been fun. I received my Cat2 upgrade a few weeks ago! I also received my Level 3 coaching license! I've been feeling great on the bike and life is good :)...albeit busy.

I'm leaving for Moab early tomorrow morning for a road camp where I'll learn how to race road, and will feel far more prepared for racing the Gila in a few weeks!
I'm also racing the Sea Otter for mountain bike on my brand new gorgeous Felt hardtail!!! Yum. Thank you Shimano for all of your support in helping build my bikes!
I'm also moving to Boulder next month which I'm pretty excited about! OH Colorado Springs, I'll definitely miss a lot about you! :)

2009-02-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

I'm on the cover of the new Peak Region Cyclist, coming out next week!

And I'm also looking forward to the 2009 racing calendar! I'm still trying to figure out what my "race schedule" will look like, but I guarantee it will have many road and mountain and cyclocross race weekends on it.

My first race of the season will be this sunday ! It is a local criterium road race, put on by Colorado College that includes categories outside of collegiate. I'll be on my new road bike (thank you Shimano!), and will be in the W3/4's...with hopes that I'll do well and be given my Cat 2 road upgrade soon :).

A couple things about what it means to be fulfilled individuals...

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." --Mark Twain

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." --Dr. Suess

The summit of happiness is reached when a person is ready to be what she is." --Erasmus

Between Mark Twain, Dr. Suess and Erasmus,

I think we've got

some solid words

to live by.

Cheers.

Nap Attackz!

2009-02-14T17:48:00.001-08:00

I've been needing to obey my nap attackz lately, on account of a nagging cold. I'd thought it was an allergy to something for a week or so. Turns out, not so much. It's a cold. But I'm hoping/planning on being back to 100% soon...like tomorrow morning?! You never know! (I'd like to do a good group ride ;)!

Just last week I found out the Peak Region Cyclist, a sweet local cyclist magazine, has a website, and a great website at that! They did an interview with me in their October issue. If you click on this hyperlink, you'll see Alison Dunlap lookin' hot on the cover :). My interview is on pages 8 and 9. I'm also excited to see the new Peak Region Cyclist March issue. It will have yours truly on the cover! I'll be in my road racing getup, and the photo will show the transition cyclists make from winter to spring. You'll see!

Another fun thing the great people at Mountain Bike Action Magazine made happen are these pictures from Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park $5000 Tri-Flow Cross Country race weekend, three weekends ago (see previous post :). Mountain Bike Action will have a 6-8 page article on this event in their May magazine issue, which comes out in the end of March! Here's one of the pictures of me doing the stunts:

Catharine Pendrel also sent this short video clip of us trying out the "elevator" which was in the same stunt section of Ray's MTBike Park...here it is! Thank you Catharine!

Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park!!!

2009-01-29T17:12:00.000-08:00

I just had one of the coolest bike race weekends EVER. This is me in my TT which i'll tell you about later (a friend just informed me that a few pictures are on Cycling News, thank you Cycling News :). Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park is the sweetest place to ride mountain bikes inside, especially in the dead of winter! It's in Cleveland Ohio and was started five years ago by Ray, who is truly an inspiration.

Left to Right: Judy Freeman, Catherine Pendrel, Emily Batty, Lindsey Bishop, Melissa Thomas

You tube has some great videos of the park, but honestly, nothing does it justice until you go there and ride. I'd heard a lot about it and was psyched when last thursday...exactly a week ago actually, I was lying in bed just like I am now, exhausted from a few hard days of training when I found out I'd be flying out to Cleveland eight hours later. Jenny Smith got sick (hope you're feeling better Jenny!), so I took her place, hopping on a 6am flight the next morning! Luckily, the great network of Felt bike dealers and reps enabled me to have a near-replica of my Felt MTBike waiting for me in Cleveland when I arrived (thank you Spin Cycle!)

Left to right - Lindsey, a great native-Ohio rider, Catherine, and Me, on Sunday

Friday evening I was able to orient myself to the park a bit and was walked through the course by Nat Ross who helped organize the event and announce for us while we raced. I got to meet lots of other local riders friday through sunday who taught me a lot about riding different areas of the park!! One of my favorite parts of the weekend was signing the Subaru cow-bells of a big group of 3-8 year old girls who could TOTALLY rock the track on their mini-bikes.

We were up nice and early saturday to pre-ride our TT race course. It didn't take long to realize a typical xc race outfit was less suitable than baggies...so we tried to adapt. I don't have a pair of baggies yet, but I put my jeans over my skinsuit and rolled up the legs. It was sweet. Once noon rolled around, and we'd gotten a solid 2 hrs to get situated and warmed up, they closed down the park and suddenly we had a ton of spectators waiting for the TT to begin. Us five girls were gathered under a big Tri-Flow banner, where the start/finish area was. And we took turns one by one, doing our TT, with all eyes on us! The course consisted of 7 technical lines, which you didn't want to fall off of or you'd get a 15 second time penalty, and 4 "xc laps" which wound around the entire park and even went up to the second floor. First Judy went, then Melissa, then Catherine...and none of them fell off any of the 7 techy lines, so I was determined to follow suit. (Just in case anyone is concerned, "falling off" one of the tricky sections doesn't mean actually falling...your bike just rolls off the narrow line onto the floor a foot or so below :)...so don't worry mom!! hehe) I was a little nervous because line #4 was particularly tricky for me, so once I began my TT, I knew I needed to stayed as focused as possible to ride everything cleanly. And I did! I finished fourth and took home $500 in race winnings!! (I'd thought I was just behind Catherine's time, but it looks like I was actually 6 seconds off of her and 12 seconds off of first place!)

Here is the group of five women, from left to right, me, Judy Freeman, Melissa Thomas, Catherine Pendrel and Emily Batty. Catherine placed fourth at XC MTB Olympics this past summer, and the other women all have sparkling pro-career-highlights, so, yeah, I had to get my game on - hehe.

Then the rest of the day saturday and all day sunday we got to ride for fun, meeting new people and trying out more of the challenging technical tricks. I became a big fan of the elevator, the seesaws and the rock gardens! The pump tracks were also pretty sweet and my shoulders are still all sorts of worked over from it!

A big thank you to Ray, your spectacular employees and your local riders, Mountain Bike Action Magazine, Subaru/gary fisher, and Tri-Flow!

Something you might like...

2009-01-06T15:09:00.002-08:00

itakethevow.com

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. - Deepak Chopra

Life is a field of unlimited possibilities. - Deepak Chopra

Welcoming in the New Year!

2008-12-28T13:27:00.000-08:00

I've been back in the northeast for a week now and have made some pretty nice looking snow bats, if I don't say so myself! The snow meant no mountain biking. Although I did get to ride on the Kinnelon/Denville roads a couple of days. Mostly though I've been fast-scrabbling, Pictionary-ing, cooking and hiking with my family and old friends. It's been a great trip home!

I'm looking forward to celebrating New Years back in Colorado... along with nordic / tele / alpine skiing. And I know it sounds ridiculous, but I've been missing pretty badly on the Incline. It's this unbelievable hike straight up an old cog railway at the base of Pike's Peak. That'll be on the top of my list when I get home Tuesday!

CX National Championships!

2008-12-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

CX racing rocks. So does Mafia Racing. I just got home from a long weekend of road tripping to Kansas City, fun riding, solid racing, and lots of cowbell. What more could I ever ask for?!

The course flowed beautifully. And while I'd wished for bad weather and messy conditions, the tough course definitely pushed you to your limit. I felt incredible pre-riding the day before, and was raring to go on race day, but didn't quite have the legs I was looking for. I was all sorts of amped up to work from the back of the starting line up into the top twenty - I was SO close to doing that last year when I finished 21st. The closest I got, I was told, was the low thirties at by the middle of the race. But I lost steam by the last couple of laps and finished 40th, just about smack dab in the middle of the field. I'm realizing what a huge help some UCI points will be for a starting position for next year! Perhaps a few CX weekends in the northeast next fall will be in order :)!!

What else...the BBQ there was incredible, along with some great local beer. Mafia Racing put on a fun party at a sweet bike shop in Kansas City where there were a lot of cool peeps. The after party at a nearby pub was also a good time. Fun people!! Thanks to my team for a great weekend!

Colorado State Championships...and flatting in a really bad spot

2008-12-08T20:40:00.001-08:00

When you have really good race days, you MAY feel like this....

AND it's funny, albeit slightly unrelated.

Colorado State Championships were yesterday in Boulder and the course was a lot of fun! It was perfect weather and I was psyched to run my new wheels that I'd made into tubeless. Turns out, without a rim-strip inside them, it isn't 100% reliable. My bad.

There was a nice field of women and after a good start it was shaping up to be a solid race. And I felt really good...but then halfway through the first lap I heard a loud noise come from my rear wheel. And what stinks is that I was passing right by the neutral pits as I heard it, so in hindsight I should have just pulled in to make sure everything was ok. Yup, my bad.

Instead, I kept going and 30 seconds or so later, the wheel had burped out more air and the bead wasn't holding on the rim well. The tire didn't have the tightest bead to begin with... once again, my bad. (Note to self: If I'm Stans'ing up a non-tubeless tire with a non-tubeless rim, make sure the bead is super tight).

This is where I could use some info...it definitely would have saved time for me to run backwards on the course, back to the pits, but are we allowed to go backwards? I just assumed we can only get back to the pits by moving forward through the course, so I ran all the way around to get back to the pits. But after the race I had a few people say they think we might be able to run backwards. Anyone know this rule fore sure?

Anyway, I didn't want to get DQ'd, (although if the abbreviation was for Dairy Queen, I would've had no problem with it) so I ended up running for a few minutes to get back to the pits. I figured a podium spot wasn't going to be in my cards anyway, so might as well lose a little more time by running in order to save my tire and wheel...both of which I need for Nationals next weekend :)! My friend Meghan from Colorado Bike Law came up on me as I was almost to the pits and gave me her bike to use, (another thing I'm not sure is legal?) but we basically were at the pits already, so we swapped back and I just got a new wheel put on. Thanks for trying to help though Meghan!! You rock!

It turned out to be a great opener for Natls because once I was rolling again I was determined to catch as many girls as possible. I was definitely in last place once I got my wheel changed, so it was disappointing to not get a good result at States, but MAN being so far off the back with nothing to lose is great motivation to really ride.

Becca and Kate both had good days though - MAFIA REPRESENT! Good job girlies!!

We're heading to Kansas City for National CX Championships this weekend which should be a blast. And I'm looking forward to keeping air in my tires this time!

(I haven't proofed this and I'm going to bed, so I hope it's written okay!)

A New Interview!

2008-12-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

Check out 303 Racing.com to read a new interview on me :)!

i has tuf.

2008-11-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like Cyclocross Racing to make you tough.

So cx race reports, eh? Let's see...the races start fast, then you keep going fast and at the end, you go even faster ;). More detail, I know.

This past weekend was the Boulder Series CX Finals and there were 65 starters in the Women's open field! 20+ of those women were 1/2's so it was a great group to race with. I was lined up second row back but got a nice hole shot when the gun went off and found myself second wheel right away. It was a long, gravelly starting section that the men's 3's had a big crash on in their start, so I was happy to be at the very front! Starts in cx races are pretty intense and sometimes sketchy but I've been enjoying them lately and having some luck too.

I held my position pretty well, but didn't feel springy that day. I always enjoy the more technical parts of these courses, which out here amounts to occasional tight turns, bumpy sections and sometimes sand. The mud, ice and cold of east coast cx is calling my name! Next year!!

There were two steep climbs in the course that I could have used lower gearing for. (I have a 53/39 crank and need a smaller compact to have ideal CX gearing. ) On the first lap I knew I was in trouble when I had to stand up and gnash my easiest gear to get up one of the steep climbs without falling over. The girls around me had low enough gearing to spin up those sections. I don't think it's such a bad thing for now though since it's just making me stronger. This gearing is forcing me to stand up more and use a lower cadence...which used to be SO hard for me to do last year. So while more appropriate gearing could help with maintaining better position in these races right now, in the long run, my lower gearing could be exactly what I need to help develop the power rider in me :).

So needless to say, the gnashing tired out my legs pretty quickly and over the course of the 45 minutes, I fell back a little and finished 8th. I'm still happy with how I raced and left it all out there for sure. Last year I was a bit timid and afraid of cracking, so I'd hold back more. Now I just go for it and figure if I crack, I crack...but usually you don't. It's a really freeing feeling. Racing kicks booty.

Racing news and more...

2008-11-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

I've had a few requests for more detailed race reports...which are really hard not to make boring. I will try to add in some more race-details in my next post, but first, a few fun things...

1)I have a new team for my road racing season, Colorado Bike Law! We had a delicious dinner for the women's team on saturday and it was great getting to know some of the women better. Most of them I've met or ridden with in a few of the road races I did this year, or at some of the recent 'cross races. They're an experienced group of racers who I'm looking forward to learning a lot from!

2)I have a road bike!!! Through ColoBikeLaw I now have a gorgeous Bianchi to train race on for the coming season. My perception of climbing on the road is changing drastically; for example, I can't wait to do another field test up Cheyenne Canyon. Yes, I'm SO happy to have this bike!

3) Pearl Izumi invited me to do a photo shoot for their Fall 2009 catalogue. I was pretty surprised and flattered that they'd pick me, but apparently the nice photographer - Rob Odea - had taken shots of me racing at the UCI Boulder weekend and said my photos turned out well. So last Wednesday I drove up to Boulder to do the shoot. It was more exhausting than I thought it would be. We road around in circles and did mini accelerations for hours. But I became less self-conscious over the course of the day and had a lot of laughs....although we weren't supposed to smile during the shots, which was also pretty hard. I was urged to think sad thoughts like "dead puppies". It was definitely a fun time. Thanks Pearl Izumi!

4) I need to go do my nanny thing now...but I'll write more about my latest races soon!! Saturday was a pretty good day for me at the Boulder Series Finals...here are the results (this website has pretty much all the Colorado 'Cross results on it).

One of those simple joys...

2008-11-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

Santa came to my house early this year ...and I'm one happy girl. Cruising around town in my "real people clothes", on my beautiful bike named Jules, is my absolute favorite thing right now. It makes me love Colorado Springs that much more.

I've also been successful fulfilling Clif Bar's 2 Mile Challenge each week. Changing the world, one cruiser bike at a time. Try it! You'll like it :).

Bike to work (or for work ;). Work to live. Live to Bike.

Let's Catch Up!

2008-11-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

Cyclocross with Mafia Racing

Two months ago I had been hopeful about ending my blogging hiatus...but it turns out I needed more time away from blogging. Let's back up to where I was at my last post:

My second Cyclocross season hadn't yet begun. Having taken a few weeks off after my mountain bike season, I was anxious to get my race on once again. Pike's Peak Supercross, the Colorado Springs series, kicked off the year. It was also my first as a Category 2 racer. Since then I've competed almost every weekend. One of the greatest things about living out here are the deep fields at 'Cross races. They are filled with fast, experienced racers who really push me and put me deeper in my pain cave than I ever thought possible!! Luckily, the Aspen's brilliant yellow fall colors have been providing an incredible back drop and a bit of distraction from the beautiful suffering that is distinctly Cyclocross racing.

The one weekend I didn't race I instead was a ride leader for our Junior National Development Talent ID Camp...

USA Cycling National MTB Development Director Marc Gullickson and

ride leader Lindsey Bishop prepare the off-road athletes for the day's activities.

It was an incredibly fun and educational five days. I rode primarily with the Mountain Bikers, a fun and highly talented group of teenagers...nearly all of which who had more experience racing bikes than I...but that's not important ;). We did many great mtb rides, listened to expert speakers at the Olympic Training Center, ran skill clinics, competed in track-stand-world-championships at red lights, and got to play in the Bear Creek Bike Park one morning. I'm proud to say that morning included my biggest step-up and drop-off I've ever done :)!! Helping to run the camp was a wonderful experience and I look forward to racing with these blossoming racers in the coming years. It has also awakened the coach in me...and now I'm working towards my coaching license.

Onto my racing...

This past weekend was my biggest 'Cross weekend of the season so far. They were the Boulder Cup UCI races = the fastest racers in the country are in attendance = I had to have my game on. Many of my teammates of Mafia Racing were there, making the weekend that much more fun. Our team trailer was also in the venue for support - thank you Dave! My races both went relatively smoothly although I made some mistakes that I didn't know were mistakes at the time. Lots of lessons lately for sure! I raced as hard as I could and finished 19th on both days which I was pleased with. Now I have some UCI points to help with better starting positions in the future! I was lucky to not have any mechanical issues or flats either day and I was happy with my skill work over barriers and through the deep sandy sections. Here I am in a few Cycling Website articles...

CX Magazine: Boulder Cup Day 1 (scroll down to see me in my Mafia Racing getup!)

Cycling News.com: Boulder Cup Day 2 (scroll down to the picture links and find my name :)

RANDOM FYI:

At our Mafia Racing team party saturday night I won this guitar (imagine in black)- thanks to one of our team sponsors, First Act!- and I have a new ambition...to learn how to play it! GAME ON. Another team sponsor, PBR, was also in attendance at the party.

That's a bit of an update, and there's much more to come, so stay tuned!!

Some Meditations on How Riding Bikes Makes us Feel...

2008-09-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

#1...As in, BEST TRAIL EVER!
#2...As in, the fun with long term goals and racing tactics...SNEAK ATTACK!

#3...As in, WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Have you ever felt like this after a hard ride?

2008-09-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

I definitely have.

A few hours ago I rode my Mountain Bike up into the canyons just west of Colorado Springs. Riding back into town, I was asolutely famished. So what did I do? I stopped at Chipotle for a nice, big burrrrrrrito (roll your tongue there for some style points), rode home and promptly fell asleep...at 7:00.

There's nothing like a great end to a great weekend! I'm up from my snooze and figured, with my blogging hiatus officially over, why not post something up?

I've been getting some great riding in lately and loving every moment! After taking a few weeks off from training and racing, in preparation for 'Cross season, I'm feeling stronger, tougher and happier on my bike than I ever have. The first 'cross races of the season are coming up this coming saturday (here in Colorado Springs) and Sunday (in Breckenridge). Looking forward to them!

Also, my plane ticket to Interbike/'Cross Vegas, two weeks from now, has been booked...and although Vegas isn't exactly my fav city ever, it should be a great time with my new team Mafia Racing! Fabo.

'Cross skillz practice time? Game on. Tomorrow AM. Sweetness.

:)

Gearing up for Cyclocross!

2008-08-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

And my blogging hiatus has officially come to an end.

FYI, interspersing my posts with humorous and/or relevant pictures is a go for my 2008-2009 blogging season.

It has been an incredible summer. I feel so fortunate to have experienced so many important lessons, so soon into my professional cycling career. A big thanks to everyone who has taught me so much. Your models have revealed a thorough spectrum of ways to be, here in Colorado Springs and in the world of bicycle racing. You pushed me to find my own path, which will undoubtedly make all the difference in the long run. Thanks again!

Looking ahead to cyclocross, I just received my Category 2 upgrade for Cyclocross racing and I am so excited for the 2008 'Cross season to begin!

And I certainly enjoyed my first professional mountain bike racing season! Plus, in June I was invited to join a new team called Mafia Racing. You can see our team kit in my picture to the right...that's from Mt Snow National Championships where I placed 29th in cross country, 6th in Super D and 20th in Short Track! It was one of my favorite weekends of the season since my entire family was there which always means tons of laughs. You guys are the best family EVER :).

And here's another silly picture for kicks...

Blogging Hiatus...

2008-07-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

I've taken a hiatus but I'll be writing again soon. If you aren't on my email-update list and would like to be, let me know :).

PS-For more of these hilARious cat and random-animal pictures, click "I Can Has Cheezburger?" on my link list to the right. Here's another recent favorite of mine...

Hugo Road Race: My Strongest Road Race yet!

2008-06-01T18:28:00.001-07:00

Road racing...I'm getting hooked!

Yesterday I did a road race in Hugo, Colorado in the Open Women's field and I had a great day!

My goal for the race was three-fold:

1) To be smart with tactics (which I've been reading up on - HEYO!)
2) To get into the lead break
3) To finish in the top five
**and to NOT rip my derailluer off of my bike with three miles to go**

The website said it was a 63 mile race, which was going to be the longest race I've ever competed in...but at the start line I found out that we'd be doing the 78 mile loop! It was around 80 degrees, so thankfully they provided two neutral feed zones. I went through 4.5 bottles over the 3.45 min race, and should have eaten more, but it was so windy that I didn't want to take my hands off the handlebars much!

So the group began with 20 women or so and we got organized into a pace-line. That meant everyone was doing some work, which was nice, and we definitely weren't just putzing along. There were a bunch of rollers which took it's toll on some early on, but the group basically stayed together until about 40+ miles to go when there was a longer roller. And all of a sudden, eight of us were off the front: 5 from the "Colorado" team, two others from different teams and me. It was still super windy so we all began echeloning to make sure we put more time on the group behind us. It was a circular type of echelon, which I'd only heard about prior to this, so I was psyched to be in one, doing my thing...but we were not going slow and it was not easy. 80 miles is a lot of miles.

With about a mile to go, one girl from the Colorado team attacked from the front-left of our group. Meanwhile I was in the back right corner, so I tried to come around the group to catch up to her but that didn't happen. I let myself drift back and with 1k to go, I gradually picked up the pace again until we were sprinting and crossed the line in a big bunch. And I finished fourth!

It was a great day of racing and I'm excited to keep gaining more experience and expertise in road racing!

Angel Fire, NM MSC Race: Not my strongest performance!

2008-06-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my XC race at Angel Fire, NM didn't go very well... it went pretty well for about 10 minutes, until I realized I'd been going way too hard from the start. By the time my heart rate caught up to my perceived exertion, I knew I was in trouble. I began downing Clif shots and backing off of my pace, but no matter how much I backed off, I just couldn't recover. The second half of the first climb and then the entire second lap felt like I was going backwards. It felt terrible, but all I could do was keep plugging away as best I could, so that's what I did!

I've "blown myself up" like this before, but I was surprised at how epic-ly I managed to do so last saturday, since
A) I've been getting good experience under my belt, so I should know better and
B) I've been going out just as hard at all of the other mountain bike races I've competed in since I got upgraded to pro, and I've been fine in those races. This caught me off guard.

I'm thinking the altitude and extended climbing had something to do with it. But despite a bad race, it was still a fun weekend.

And for those of you not familiar with the mountain, Angel Fire is a pretty awesome course, all above 9,000 ft. It's a 9 mile loop that climbs straight up the mountain (but relatively gradually) and then back down on incredibly fun trails! We did that loop twice, which includes some technical climbing and descending sections. Plus it's gorgeous there! I can't wait to redeem myself on that course next year!

The Beauty of Colorado Springs

2008-05-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful town, filled with beautiful people. There are the unbelievable mountain trails, our majestic Pikes Peak, and the endless sunny days. Training here is bliss. And our large cycling community consists of people who love riding and racing bikes, and who act solely with integrity and the highest professionalism. Those are the people within our community who I find myself surrounded by. For that I am incredibly fortunate! But let's not forget!! Nothing can be perfect without some imperfection...and we all know how even the smallest of imperfections tend to stand out! I'd say the super hot days, and the intense afternoon thunderstorms qualify, no? Yes, the crazy weather patterns and the few imperfections can be downright BFZ: Buh-Freakin'-Zar. YOU do the math!

But as a 24 year old who is loving her first few weeks as a professional mountain bike racer, those tiny imperfections do nothing to taint my perception of this place. They've only made me wiser and tougher. For instance, now I know to ALWAYS wear sunscreen, especially on one of those super hot days. And even if a thunderstom rolls in, I can always muscle through at least one more muddy interval! The teacher in me always appreciates a great lesson, all thanks to those imperfections.

Getting Into the Thick of MTB Season!

2008-05-23T15:39:00.001-07:00

I've been training a lot on the great system of mountain bike trails here in Colorado Springs lately and it continues to blow my mind to have such incredible mountains right outside my front door. My training has been picking up quite a bit lately, demanding solid nights of sleep, good meals and resting as much as possible. I haven't been to Core Power Yoga as much as I'd like, but two to three days a week still does wonders for keeping my body flexible and strong; strong in the ways riding bikes doesn't always develop. Stretching and strengthening the sides of my torso has probably had the most positive influence on my riding, physically. But even more important, I think that the mental aspect of yoga - the intense, calm focus that you need - tranlates into being a better racer. Plus, yoga class is just fun!

Racing has been picking up to! I decided a few months ago that I would use this first half of the season to upgrade to pro and get my racing legs on, competing in the Mountain States Cup races and other local events. For example, last weekend I raced up near Denver at "Battle the Bear" where I attained my goal of top five, with a fifth place finish. It was the hottest weather I've raced in in a while. The course was all power with little technical aspects or recovery time. It was hard! I'm pretty sure it was the hardest I've ever been able to go for a steady 2 hours...because it took a few days to feel right again. But I've been feeling great the past two days and I can't wait to race in Angel Fire, NM on Sunday, the third Mountain States Cup event!

During the second half of the season, I'll be attending the last four of our National Mountain Bike Series races: Deer Valley, UT; Windham, NY; Mount Snow, VT and Brian Head, UT. Brian Head is an incredible place, so I am so excited for the finals to have moved there!! It was the first high altitude race I competed in, two summers ago when I temporarily moved out here for six weeks. It was when I began racing competitively, between graduating from my undergrad program at Syracuse and beginning my Master's program. I was given an internship at USA Cycling and was provided some support to drive to many of our National series races (at the time I was too young to be secured a rental car :). Being a part of the traveling circus of our NMBS series made me realize I wanted to be a bike racer. Brian Head, UT was an incredible introduction to the scene. I haven't looked at what course they have us racing on this year, but that summer it was one big loop that was all at very very high altitude. It twisted us through pine forests, steep rocky grades and sweeping singletrack through Aspen. I absolutely loved it there! I'm pretty sure I didn't do very well in xc and I definitely remember doing even worse in short track (I remember the short track anouncer reading off my name as I passed by on one of the laps, saying something like, "Lindsey Bishop of Team Bulldog from...NJ, wow,she must be hurtin'!")...but I was hooked! I can't wait to return!

Reconnecting with my Beloved Northeast

2008-05-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

My previous entry was written on the plane flying back to NJ last week. Now I’m on another plane, flying back to Colorado Springs, after a wonderful weekend with my family and some of my closest friends. Beverly and Jim’s wedding was an absolute blast! Things went off without a hitch, including the “tag-team” speech Audrey and I put together as Beverly’s Bride’s Maids ☺. It was nice to get to know Jim’s family better. Luckily, many of them live in and around Denver. I’m looking forward to seeing you all soon! Thanks again Mom and Dad for hosting the wonderful celebration - I love you so much!

I’d forgotten how beautiful the northeast can be this time of year. Everywhere you look there is another Dogwood or Cherry Tree in full bloom, smelling sweetly. And then there are the Forsythia, Honey Suckle and Mountain Laurel, not to mention the endless light-green baby leaves on every other tree. Spring is BOOMING there. The woods are gorgeous as ever. I was able to fit in a few fun rides while I was home, riding the roads to some of my favorite, nearby, mountain bike spots, like the Tourne in Mountain Lakes and Split Rock Reservoir. There is nothing like east coast mountain biking!

But there was sad news from the weekend too. My family’s dog died just before I got there. Up until my third grade birthday, I’d wished for a dog every time I blew out the candles on my cake. Literally. But that one morning, my parents surprised me and my sister’s with the adorable bundle of joy...a Cairn Terrier puppy we named Sammy. I was in heaven! Sammy was maybe half the size of a bowling ball (that’s all I can think of to compare him to right now!). And he had the cutest eyes.

During those first few days of Sammy’s new life with us, my parents and sister’s and I worked hard to pick a good name. It was harder than expected, so to satisfy everyone, we added in a few middle names. His full name became Samuel Pudgekin Rufus Bromley Bishop. “Pudgekin” because he was SUPER fat as a puppy (hence the bowling ball comparison – his little legs barely kept his tummy from dragging when he walked) and Rufus because I think Audrey wanted to name him that. Bromley was the name my Dad wanted. He would have given it to a boy if he and my mom had had one ( and my mom was in charge of naming girls). But since my parents got three girls, Sammy was the first “boy” my Dad could use his name on.

Rolling is gross things was something Sammy really excelled at. It was his strength, for sure. He didn’t enjoy following instructions and could be as stubborn as a little ox. But he was a saint for putting up with three girls who frequently dressed him up in little doggie outfits and smothered him in hugs and kisses. Oh Sammy, we’ll miss you!

Onto lighthearted things again…and bike related things…I found an outstanding deal on a Power meter recently so I bought it up and I’m learning how to train with it. It is an incredible tool. My goal for this plane trip back to Colorado was to read the book “Training and Racing with a Power Meter” by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan. I just finished it. Good stuff! It will take some time to know enough in order to fully utilize the sophisticated functions. But I’m excited to see how this new tool could positively affect my training. If nothing else, it adds more accountability to every ride and race, since it’s like having your coach with you on every ride!

Road Racing Tactics: 101

2008-04-30T16:13:00.001-07:00

Right now I’m on a plane flying home to NJ for my sister’s wedding! I’m super excited for it!! And as the title of this post suggests, I’ve also dedicated my travel hours to reading “Racing tactics for Cyclists” by Thomas Prehn. I just finished it and I’m more amped than ever to try my hand at another road race! Prehn’s book is solid. It includes a ton of important information, insights and diagrams.

Here’s a great introductory quote:
“Tactics are not unlike the psychology of sports. It’s amazing but true. If you surveyed top athletes on the difference between winning this really close one or losing it, most would say something along the lines of “It was mental.” If you asked how much of your ability to win over the opponent is mental rather than physical, they would probably say almost half! And yet how much time is actually devoted to training the mind, either psychologically or tactically? Little. Precious little.” (xv, Prehn)

Prehn delves into the need for mental preparation as well as the logistics behind the tactical nature of road racing. It brings me back to the tactics of running the 800m in high school. I loved the 800m in large part because of how tactical it was. But I also loved it since I wasn’t as good with the super short or the super long distances. I wonder if that means I’m halfway between a sprinter or a climber in cycling?? TANGENT! Anyway, I can’t wait to apply this new knowledge I’m gaining about tactics in upcoming road races, not to mention redeem myself from the exploding-derailleur mishap I experienced last Saturday at Deer Trail, CO!

Road Racing!

2008-04-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

For two months I've been trying to fit a road race into my schedule. The two weekends that were going to work both were cancelled because of bad weather. Yesterday became the first road race I've done since an Eastern Collegiate Season two springs ago. I was caught in a crash in the last race of that season and I've been trying to let go of my fear of road racing crashes ever since.

Before any race I usually feel "good-nervous," a mix of excitement and pressure I put on myself to perform well. But before this road race, I felt a different type of nervous - a fear of being in a pack again. My fears were eased halfway into the drive out to Deer Trail, Colorado as the winds picked up. There were 25mph sustained winds, with temperature's flirting with the 40 degree mark. So the conditions weren't ideal. I figured that meant my relative inexperience with pack-riding wouldn't stand out so much... that we would all be thrown around by the wind. Therefore, my bike handling skills and general knowledge of drafting wisely would keep me safe. And it did.

There were about thirty women in the open field including a number of solid racers. It was pretty funny how slow the start was, compared to mountain bike starts! Everyone was chattin' in the pack and spinning. For most of the race I felt super antsy and worked my way up to the front so I could pull for a while and stay warm. And then after 15 miles or so, a pee break was called! I was definitely surprised at that. There are no "pee breaks" in mountain bike racing for sure.

My goal for this race was to get experience, break through my fear of road racing, focus on drafting practice and get in a good workout, so that's what I did...and I still had plenty of energy for that last part of the race anyway. Plus, some of the experienced racers gave me great pointers. The feeling of mutual respect with the other women around me was so encouraging. It's led me to believe that I could get hooked on road racing for the "team tactics" component of it. I got a taste yesterday of how fulfilling it can be to A)have teammates and B) work together to accomplish shared goals. I'm sincerely looking forward to eventually having that.

Overall, I know I didn't do the best job at "not doing work" since all I wanted was for the pace to move quicker. I seriously tried to play it cool and sit in, especially after being urged to do so by other women here and there. But I allowed myself to dork out a lot, pulling at the front for no good reason other than "wasting energy for the finish". When the pace would slow down to a silly-slow pace, I just wanted to say COME ON! No one was to fault, since basically nobody wanted to work, and everybody wanted to save energy for the end. And I know it comes down "tactics." But if this "saving energy tactic" is something that happens consistently in women's road races, maybe we should shorten the races to the 10 or 15 miles where we'll actually get to ride hard.

So how did the race turn out? Physically, I felt great. Once we hit the rollers, the last 10 or so miles in the race, my legs felt super springy and I found myself in the lead group with four other women. They were definitely going hard then. No more chattin'! I felt good about still being able to hold my own, and was starting to get really excited about the fact that a top-five finish was the most likely probability. With about six miles to go, my rear derailluer suddenly exploded into my wheel and was no longer on my bike. It bounced off into weeds on the side of the road and my race was over. I was very disappointed, albeit fortunate that the support car was right behind us and was able to give me and my bike a ride. It was cool how, after the race, a bunch of women were concerned for what had happened to me. And I'd never had so many of my competitors be so generous with offering me compliments and positive feedback for how I'd ridden during a race. The other women added to an incredibly positive experience during and after the race, which I feel so fortunate for. Mountain Bike Racing...AND now Cyclocross racing, will always be my first love. But I'm getting more and more excited about what road racing could hold for the future of my bike racing career!

Pueblo Mountain Bike Racing Fun

2008-04-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Pueblo, Colorado has some rockin' fun mountain bike trails. The Southern Colorado Trail Builder's Association put on a race there this past Sunday, which I thoroughly enjoyed. They had a solid turnout of racing enthusiasts, and the race loop was like a roller-coaster. There were tons of tight turns and gorgeous views overlooking the reservoir. There were as many goat-heads as there were miles of loopy single-track...and luckily I avoided flatting, thanks to ample Stan's in my tires! My brand new tires as of the Fruita race two weekend's ago now have eight or so goat-head punctures, each :(. But the punctured tires were totally worth it. It felt great to win a race and do well within the men's field too - 9th!

I was also able to even out my jersey tan lines a bit! My sister's wedding is next weekend and I'm wearing a strapless dress as a bride's maid. It would be nice to avoid what happened last summer, when my other sister Audrey got married. I had really bad jersey-tan lines for that occasion, where I was also a Bride's maid in a strapless dress. To prove to Audrey how much I cared, I did something I never thought I'd do as her wedding approached. I did the unthinkable. I went to a tanning booth. I KNOW! It was horrifying. It didn't help at all anyway. But I'm still making an attempt to redeem myself for Beverly's wedding. SO, during my warmup for the Pueblo race and as soon as I finished, I wore a tank top to address this ever challenging bike-racer issue of tan lines. It's a hard life ;).

The other issue is wounds. I thought I'd be a-okay on the wound-front, until my chain ring jumped up and bit me. During the Pueblo race they sent us through a fence opening that was way too narrow for our handlebars. So I awkwardly twisted my bike through it and my chain ring gnashed (is that a word?) into my calf. After I finished the race...and put on my tank top of course...I realized how bad the chain ring had gotten me. It's really deep and it looks pretty bad. This new wound will definitely show in my Bride's maid dress and will likely be an interesting scar for some time. Poop. Occupational hazard I guess. No matter what though, I can't wait for Beverly and Jim's wedding next weekend!

But before I leave for the wedding weekend, I get to do a road race up near Boulder! It's in two days, and it's the first road race I've done since collegiate racing. I'll be on my Felt cross bike and I'll be working hard to swallow my fear of being in a pack. Should be good!

My First Sony...I mean Professional Mountain Bike Race Weekend!

2008-04-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

And I was nervous. And tired from a 5 hour drive to Fruita Friday night which turned into a 10 hour drive because of icy/snowy mountain passes. Luckily, a few friends and I arrived safely in Fruita around 2:30am saturday morning but it was quite the adventure, to say the least. My car -whose name is Kat- was initially talking big...all, "After driving through Syracuse winters for four years, this is NOTHIN'," until her little headlights spotted the icy mountain passes ahead and her tires began spinning and sliding. But Kat (and her brand new transmission) did beautifully. Others on those mountain passes were not quite as lucky. Scary stuff.

Our bikes, which had been impeccably prepped for the Time Trial the following morning, were mounted on Kat's roof racks. They were equally distressed...and quickly became covered in magnesium chloride, or whatever concoction they put on the roads here. I mean, I know salting icy roads isn't good for the environment, but good god, those mountain passes could have used some salt!

In any case, the stressful drive ended well, at a nice little house in Fruita. A bunch of other Colorado Springs mountain bike racer friends and I rented it out for the weekend. It was luxurious as we all had beds to sleep in (as opposed to sleeping on the floor or camping). And having a kitchen to make your own food in is always a beautiful thing.

The races themselves went well too. I was hoping to see some solid results from myself, as evidence that my dedication to training since the fall is paying off. And I wanted to know that I made the right choice in upgrading. I did everything I could to block out everything else once got on my bike for warmup, and to hold myself in that calm focus until the end on my races. It would have been really nice to have had the time to preride the time trial and cross country courses, but I was still really happy with how I raced. And the trails in Fruita blew my mind. What a gorgeous weekend we had! Out of 18 or so pro women in the time trial, I finished 7th, and on sunday, I finished 8th out of 25 pro women!

These are the results:
http://www.racemsc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=16&Itemid=62&func=class&eventid=38&raceid=89&year=2008&classid=102

In september I entered into this new life as an aspiring bicycle racer with an understanding that it could take years for my development to manifest into successful professional racing ability; that while there is potential for my ultimate dreams as a bike racer to come to fruition, there is also a chance that those dreams aren't meant to be. What I see now is how the process of those goals and dreams -the infinite number of small moments which amount to the big picture- is what needs to matter most.

Track Cycling? Road Cycling? Why not!?

2008-04-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

Mountain bike racing and cyclocross racing are hard disciplines to top. And no, my posting title is not alluding to track cycling or road cycling trumping my first two loves, BUT I've had a bit of a revelation over the past few weeks. I'm opening up to the possibility for becoming more involved in other forms of bicycle racing, because, let's face it, as long as we're riding bikes, it's always going to be pretty cool.

So I've spent the past week living at the Olympic Training Center, working with the Junior Women's Track Cycling camp. It's been a great learning experience with tons of laughs! The three 17-18 year olds were accomplished road racers who, like me, had no prior experience with track racing. They were fast and hilarious to hang out with.

The track turned out to be more fun and way more challenging than I had imagined! For one thing, a track bike is a single-speed fixed gear without brakes. Having never ridden one before, the most basic rule took some time to nail down: "always pedal". Yes, sounds simple but if you forget for one instant -which was a few instances over the course of the week for me- you can get thrown off your bike in an instant. Although I never got tossed, a few times it felt like I would. I'd let out a little yelp and feel like a dorkus.

What was the hardest thing? Tight pacelines. I'm still working on becoming comfortable in roadie pacelines. But it was even more scary on the windy track where you don't have brakes to control your pace. The three girls were clearly comfortable in them, as relatively seasoned road racers, so I was doing all I could to swallow my pace-line fear and up my game. HOLLA!

What was the easiest thing? Amazingly, not falling off the steep embankment. Just looking at the velodrome, it seems like your bike will slide right off the walls, but it doesn't! YOU do the math.

When did I feel the most ridiculous? When I would forget to pedal and yelp as I got tossed up by the pedals. But it was funny too. Er, no, I felt more ridiculous at the very end of our last day on the track, when I was super drained from that day and the previous week of training, and I got slap happy. Whenever I get overtired, or after racing, I just can't stop laughing.

Road racing and my new excitement to give it a go almost came to fruition on Sunday, but Boulder's Koppenberg Circuit Race was cancelled. And then next weekend's road race near Boulder has been moved to August. SO it looks like my first race of the season will be a MTB Mountain States Cup race in Fruita, co in two weekends. It will also be my first race as an official Professional Mountain Bike Racer! I just got my upgrade today :). Time to get my game face on!

"YOU do the math."

2008-03-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Just for kicks, let's tip the saying, "YOU do the math!"

It's a solid phrase. You can use it anywhere, anytime, as an effective closing statement. Try it! You'll like it. I've certainly been enjoying it's usage lately.

...and read The Tipping Point.

Finding Inspiration on the Start Line

2008-03-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

What could be more important?

I was relieved to hear that it's typical this time of year to feel lost among training days. I've heard myself explain to people the "vast wasteland" of training days...which isn't exactly true. It has been vast, but it has not been a wasteland (since I can climb way better than I could in the fall - yay!).

Rather it's been the first space of my new cycling career where I'm training a lot and feeling strong but yearning to be on a start line again.

I hadn't realized how much racing feeds training. It feeds us with direct, real-time feedback before, during and after races; it tells us where we are, how we're doing and where we're going. When a race goes well, you can pat yourself on the back and revel :). But you learn even more when things don't go so well. Why? Because those not-so-stellar races provide honest data, pushing us to reevaluate things and make adjustments to ensure progress for the next weekend. And often those not-so-good days are a great time to remind ourselves that taking a step backwards is often a step forward in disguise.

Last year, "training" felt very different. It kept me sane during my ridiculously busy graduate program. It prepared me to race last summer, but riding really equated to a daily stress reducer. Now things are different. Riding my bike feels like a part-time job each morning with my tutoring business as my other part time job each afternoon. And getting myself to races no longer makes me a stress-ball, trying to juggle what had seemed to be a million responsibilities. Nope! I'm SO looking forward to lining up on the start line again!

Something to Keep in Mind?

2008-03-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

The cosmos does not hinge on a race result or how fast we can go... in a circle... on a bike... against others doing the same. But it IS a great challenge -physically and mentally. And it IS a perfect platform to develop ourselves as racers but mainly as people. The further I get into this world of cycling, the clearer the metaphors become. Every day it gets a little easier to apply the lessons found in those metaphors to life on and OFF my bike. What a beautiful thing riding-in-a-circle-as fast-as-we-can, can be!

I'm 24!

2008-02-24T17:03:00.001-08:00

As Beverly pointed out, I'm in my "mid twenties" now. And this was an extra special birthday since I turned 24 on the 24th. Thanks mom, dad and my sissies for a great weekend home! And it was great to reconnect with Team Bulldog! RUF RUF!

Daisy Scout Troop + Mountain Bikes...

2008-02-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

Who: Me and a Daisy Scout Troop (Kindergarten-aged-girl scouts)
What: Their "Strong and Courageous Badge" and me being invited to teach them about mountain bike racing.
When: Last Wednesday evening
Where: Their elementary school
How: Through an interactive story telling session I made up that involved being "strong" and being "courageous" often (I teacher'd out on planning this)...and then many personal stories that started like this: "K, so oooooonce? I was riding my biiiike? And theeeeen?..." etc. I love Kindergarteners.
Why: Five years olds can more easily relate to the obsession for riding bikes fast than most other populations out there.

A Great Weekend of Riding!

2008-02-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

I rode to a town called Decker's for the second time with Sarah Uhl on saturday. It's a long and beautiful ride -about 85 miles with some good climbing, especially out of Decker's- which I did for the first time in August. That first time, it was "beautiful" for about three hours until I bonked hard. I wasn't acclimated to altitude at all and had taken six weeks completely off the bike as I finished my master's. On saturday I felt WAY better than in August... for the entire ride too :). Climbing out of the Springs on rt24 isn't terribly fun on account of the busy, winding road with no shoulder, but once you finish that climb the roads are rolling and gorgeous. Then you descend for 20+ minutes along a rushing creek into Decker's. My favorite part of the ride was climbing back out with a strong tailwind so it felt like you were flying!

And then Sunday was a fun mountain bike ride in Pueblo with an other fun group of people - Brian, Alison and Greg, Katie and Mark, Kelli, and Blain who recently moved to town too. It's nice not being the newest new person on a ride. The first time I was in Pueblo, last saturday, it was super muddy. But not this time. The trails were bone dry, fast and fun. I forgot about getting back over my seat however; Greg was right behind me at the beginning of the ride when I came super close to endo-ing. I can't believe I didn't crash. Just needed some brushing up of my mtb skillzz. That's right. Double z. And double z = serious. Long story short, it was a great ride despite being pretty cold and windy. We could see Colorado Spring's snow storm cloud in the distance for much of the ride, so at least we avoided that!

After about six weeks of solid, long training rides, I am ready for some rest. My "training" for the next few days consists of townie-coffee house- cruiser rides. Sweetness. I'm flying to New Jersey on Thursday - can't wait to see my family!

When You Know You've Been Riding Bikes a Lot...

2008-02-14T08:35:00.000-08:00

...when you're driving your car, you see a pothole ahead on the road, and you feel yourself pull up on the steering wheel.

I'm totally serious, for those of you who think that's completely ridiculous, or for those of you who don't know what that means (it's okay Bev). I felt myself do this for the first time two summers ago, and I just did it again yesterday. I'm thinkin' fatigue level MAY come into play here. And when it happens, you MAY want to get home and go to sleep asap.

Newest Motto...

2008-02-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

"The truth will out." It just seems to fit somehow.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

...AND it's only ten days until my birthday!! Not that I want to minimize Valentine's Day...the holiday that has become an annual version of a stimulus package (like the one our government passed last week). But I'd rather not get into that. I'd rather talk about my birthday :).

But as a precursor to talking about my birthday weekend:

I'm just oh so excited about spending three hours next saturday in New Paltz, NY, taking the last certification test I need to finish up my Master's certification. It wouldn't have been so bad if I could have taken it online from Colorado instead of needing to fly back east...or if I knew I wasn't going to be insulted by the "caliber" of test questions - fellow educators know what I'm talking about, eh? BUT, on account of it being Valentine's Day and 10 days till my birthday, I'll let these things slide and instead focus on...

...the fact that I'll be with my family for my birthday weekend! When I fly in on Thursday, I'll get to see my sister and her fiance's place in Hoboken. Shoot. I just realized I'll have a bike in tow, so I hope the car fits it? AH, traveling with bikes. The hassle is definitely worth it though. Especially since I'll get to ride with my other sister-and-brother-in-law-team, Audrey and Mark, EH? EHHHHH? And perhaps I'll get to reconnect with some Team Bulldog peeps for some riding too? EH? EHHHHHH? I'm hoping some trails are clear, hint hint.

Wow, how did I get back on the topic of riding bikes so quickly?! Okay. Back to birthday. How about birthday presents? My mom asked me if I wanted anything, and I told her the truth. I now have a birthday-voucher to fly my bike - Thanks guys :)! Wow, I'm back on the bike topic. Seriously, am I a bike dork already??!! What will be will be.

In any case, I can't wait to see my family and my beloved northeast!

Have a great Valentine's Day everyone!

Fort Collins!

2008-01-29T14:35:00.000-08:00

Fort Collins is called Fort Fun for good reason! Sarah Uhl's interview with New Belgium Brewery was the initial impetus to drive up. But the trip also included multiple reunions, enormously motivating training rides and uncontrollable laughing.

My first few hours there included a relaxed 'cross ride. Sarah and I happened upon a rolling bike path and fun dirt roads to explore. Then I got to see Brett Bovee and his girlfriend Lindsay who were great hosts to us. Brett, for those of you who don't know, is an old family friend who is like my long lost brother. And then Erin Bovee, Brett's younger sister, also came to town to visit. We hadn't seen each other for over six years!

Thursday night began with the showing of "The Tour, Baby" -benefitting the Davis Phinney Foundation and the Collegiate Cycling Association- at Colorado State University. A solid group of people convened for the event, complete with a silent auction and yummy local treats. Georgia Gould and Dusty were there, along with a few others I've also known for some time through the tightly knit world of cycling. The film covered the 2005 Tour de France, displaying greatness in the world of men's road racing and the beauty of european cycling fans. It had way more focus on scantily clad young women than necessary...but Scott Coady's hard work showed. The event was a fun way to become introduced to the cycling culture of Fort Collins and meet new people who I'd run into a number of times before driving back to the Springs on sunday.

On Friday my love for road riding came back! The gorgeous, low traffic roads around Fort Collins were incredible. Sarah and I began a ride on our Cyclocross bikes on the sunny Friday morning. We found ourselves climbing and descending along a jagged shore of a frozen reservoir. Her bike was having some mechanical issues so I continued on to Masonville on my own. It was one of those rides where you feel great, lose track of time and just keep wanting to find out what is around the next bend. Over the course of the day I ran into small groups of other cyclists who I'd ride with for a while before our paths would part. On some of the climbs my note to self became "bring road tires next time." I haven't had that much fun on a road ride in a while, so I'm determined to find more roads here in the Springs...and travel up to Fort Collins for more rides!

Along with a strong cycling community, fun weekly events and great riding, I also liked the following things about Fort Collins:

1)There's a new Core Power Yoga there!
2) Full Cycle, a great shop in town, is a Felt dealer!! And they were super friendly :).
3) The local coffee houses
4) Lucille's is an incredible breakfast restaurant / Backcountry Provisions is an east-coast-ish deli!

I hope to travel back there soon!

Thank you Brett and Lindsay for being great hosts!

The Culture of Telemark Skiing: Hot or Not?

2008-01-24T08:58:00.000-08:00

Last week a friend admitted something like, "When I think of tele skiing, I think of 50-something men in outdated, blindingly bright eighties ski jackets, awkwardly working their way down the green runs." And looking back on it, I think I had somewhat of a similar idea. But I'm rethinking things.

I described my first experience with telemark skiing over New Years. With more exposure to tele skiing and other tele skiiers, a new culture of outdoor enthusiasts is crystalizing before my eyes.

Why hadn't I noticed this culture before? Well, I'd say all of my focus was caught up in remaining upright...or in alternating lunges... all the way down the mountain.

My introduction to tele skiing has been filled with friends who are nice enough to give me their guidance, encouragingly yelling out things like: "Knee to ski", "Lower your center of gravity," "Skiis closer together," "Shoulders pointing downhill", "Twist that torso," "Keep your torso more upright," "More power out of the turn," "More power into the turn," "More weight on the back ski," "More weight on the front ski"...a tad overwhelming at first, especially when I keep falling down, bruising my body and my ego ;).

The good news? This past weekend, I was lucky enough to have back-to-back tele days, one at Breckenridge and one at Beaver Creek. Beaver Creek is absolutely beautiful!!!

The bad news? I kept falling alot, and I am falling at faster speeds now, as my confidence builds. I wish I had video footage of a few of them. The stares and astonished gasps from Texan skiiers riding the chair lift above me led me to think some of my crashes were entertaining.

More good news? Despite the falling, I am starting to get it and having a lot of fun with it!

And still more good news? I've begun to see beyond simply surviving on my Tele-skiis. I'm now seeing into the World of, and the multifaceted culture of, Tele skiing. Deep, no?!

Before heading off to my tele-skiing weekend last Friday, I went to Mountain Outfitters, a great store in downtown Colorado Springs, to rent a pair of boots. What did I find? A gaggle of weekend-warrior tele-skiiers who were looking to rent setups for the coming weekend. Mountain Outfitters doesn't even rent alpine set ups - just nordic, skate skiis and tele! The other clientele were clearly more experienced than I, enthusiastically explaining to me where in the backcountry they were heading. I could probably go uphill in powder, but downhill? Nope. Not yet, anyway. These people were clearly happy to share their excitement with other tele-ers, who all seemed to mirror their zeal. It reminded me of backpacking enthusiasts, one of my favorite kinds of enthusiasts.

One couple was happy to hear I was just learning and shared hardships they'd had as beginners. Another customer handed me a Telemark Skiing magazine to take a look at. I didn't know such a magazine existed. Reading it I realized there is all sorts of things I didn't know -the intricacies of different tele skiis, boots and poles; telemark ski racing where a few young girls were featured (reminding me of mountain bike racing which I'm sure is as foriegn to many people as tele ski racing is to me!); and the eclectic mix of personalities and passions behind the sport. Who knew?! Not I, said the goose (I've been brushing up on my Children's Lit.)- that's for my fellow K-6 teachers and Literacy specialists out there. You know who you are! TANGENT!

Back on track...Beaver Creek was the first mountain where I saw the telemark skiing culture in action. Over the course of the day, there were four strangers on tele's who gave me advice and helped me with my form. And I'm pretty sure I got a "nice work!" from a few tele-skiiers on a chair lift above me. Perhaps it was sarcastic...but judging by the supportive nature of the tele community, and my soft tele-skiing ego, I'm going with their sincerity. Moreover, I saw tele skiiers out in force, working the bumps and rocking the terrain.

And as for my original assumption of what a tele-skiier is like? My friend and I couldn't have been more wrong. Lo and behold, there's a great culture of telemark skiers out there who definitely stand out... but not because of hideous, outdated gear. Rather they stand out because of their incredible athleticism, their infectious enthusiasm, and their generous support of beginner-tele-skiiers like me. Hot.

Check out these Books!

2008-01-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

"Flow" and "Finding Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Snow + bikes - cars = :-)

2008-01-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

Riding in snow is tons of fun, as long as you're on trails. Determined to minimize indoor trainer time, lately I've been bundling up and heading up the bike path that goes through the Academy for my endurance rides. Once you get into the Academy, it is almost never plowed and can get a bit tricky. Layers of hard packed, foot-printed snow are often covered by new powder. It's bumpy. And slow. Just when you start feeling confident, thinking to yourself, "I'm totally getting the hang of this," you get tossed around and suddenly are crisscrossing all over the trail, looking like a total sketchball.

Two days ago, while I was being a sketchball, three coyotes ran across the trail ahead of me. They were smaller than the coyotes I've seen in the northeast and I've heard they can be more ferocious too. I thought, "Do they think I'm an injured animal?", as I kept clunking along with my jerky correcting, than recorrecting of my front tire. There weren't any other people around and I was a little nervous, so I tried to up my game and ride faster and smoother...to no avail. I'm pretty sure I did look like an injured animal, but luckily the coyotes just kept romping along, giving me only a brief glance.

In any case, it feels great to be back in my routine here in Colorado Springs. I treasure having time for training and sleeping and eating well! Plus, tutoring each afternoon is so energizing. Tomorrow I'll be going to a local middle school to observe a class or two that two of my tutees are in. Seeing students in a different context can shed some light on how to better problem solve around their needs. Sometimes very small adjustments, or additions to a student's school day, can make a massive difference for them; for their engagement levels, their feelings of success and therefore in the way they "behave" in class. On a side note, my sister Audrey is doing a spectacular job in her first year as a science teacher and has all sorts of good stories that I enjoy living vicariously through :). It isn't the time for me to be a full-time teacher, but I can't see myself ever being separate from working with children.

What was so special about last year was that Syracuse University afforded me the opportunity to work with adult learners, sophomores and juniors. During my Master's program, I TA'd for two undergraduate special education classes (which could be called Inclusion classes). Fifth and sixth graders are typically my favorite ages, but the undergraduate ages forced me to develop into a more well-rounded educator. My role primarily was to help students tease out assumptions they had regarding this thing called disability (aka dis/Ability, my preferential spelling). I miss that role! But at the same time, all last year I struggled to find time to develop into more of a bicycle racer. That's the trade off I guess. So right now I'm still working to find a happy medium where I can give my all to becoming a better bike racer while staying connected to the world of education.

A New Year!

2008-01-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

New things are great. New people. New bikes. New rountines. All great. I've been lucky enough to have tons of new things coming into my life these past few months, and the past few weeks have followed suit. Here they are:

New thing #1? Electric go-carts. They are sweet. Audrey - my sis - and Mark - her hubby- took me go-carting in NJ, just hours before I flew back to Colorado. And, not kidding, I got an endorphin high. Those things go super fast. And I love that they're electric!

New thing #2? Tele-mark skiing. I learned, or atleast began to learn, at Breckenridge the past two days. It is difficult. I didn't realize how much is going on in a tele-turn, and how much strength and balance and coordination you need.

New thing #3? Happening upon bears in caves. My dad and I took a great hike around Lake Hawthorne in NW jersey, which is one of my favorite places on earth. We were walking along a narrow section of the lake-shore. It had with a thirty foot long and twenty foot high rock wall(I measured it exactly) edged up beside the lake. I hear my Dad say, "UH...Lindsey...okay, walk fast, but stay calm..." which prompted me to turn around. I found myself face to face with a big black bear who was emerging from a small cave at the foot of the rock face. Luckily, he wasn't too grumpy from being rudely awaken and strolled off in the opposite direction. It was awesome.

New thing #4? I've saved the most exciting for last...More oats and whole-foods. I love cereal. I'm hooked on Grain Shop right now. I know the cereal name doesn't make it sound all that great, but -good god- I love it and eat it a lot. BUT I am thinking that taking more time to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner would be good for my body and my mind. My now-next-door neighbor, Sarah Uhl, has become my cooking-good-food-inspiration. So as my New Years resolution, I'm going to nurture a better cooking routine.
#4B New thing? Quinoa, especially red quinoa. It's a beautiful grain that I never knew about until friends here introduced me to it. I think it's pronounced KEENWAH, and it's yummy. Also, it takes far less time to cook than rice. You'd like it :).

AH, new things. Hope you're enjoying new things in your life too! Happy New Year!

I still really like mini bikes.

2007-12-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

Yup.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T09:36:00.000-08:00

Going to Grandma's! Have a great holiday everyone!

**Thank you Core Power Yoga for the online yoga classes this past week; I love starting my day with it, although I'm missing the Colorado Springs studio.**

My Updated Academic and Racing Resume...

2007-12-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

Lindsey Bishop
2008 Racing Age: 24
Contact: ljbishop@syr.edu
Education
Syracuse University, 8/02 – 8/07
The School of Education, The College of Arts & Sciences
*Double Major: Inclusive Elementary Education and Medieval and Renaissance Studies
*Graduated as Syracuse University School of Education Class Marshall
*Studied in Florence, Italy in 2004 for the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Major
*Funded MS Program for 2006-2007 academic year concluding in August ’07 & TA for two Undergraduate Inclusive Education Courses

2007 Racing Highlights

Category Place Field Size Notes
05.20.07 Battle The Bear, Lakewood, CO - XC Expert 19-29 2nd
05.27.07 Mountain States Cup #1, Angel Fire, NM - XC Expert 19-29 2nd
06.24.07 New Jersey State MTB Championships - XC Open Women 2nd
06.17.07 NMBS #4, Park City, UT - XC Expert 19-29 5th
07.07.07 H2H Campmor #4, NJ - XC Expert 12-34 1st
07.14.07 H2H Campmor #5, NJ - XC Expert 12-34 2nd
7.21.07 National MTB Champs, VT - XC Expert 19-24 1 1st National Champion!
7.22.07 National MTB Champs, VT -STXC Open Women 7th

CycloCross
9.22.07 Pikes Peak #1 - First Cross Race! Cat 4/OpenElite 1st/6th
11.03.07 Redline Cup - First Weekend as a Cat3 :) Cat3 2nd
11.18.07 Pikes Peak Supercross #2 Cat3/Open Elite 1st/6th
11.24.07 Boulder CX Series #4 Cat3/Open Elite 1st/7th
12.02.07 Red Rocks Velo Cross Series #4 Cat3/Open Elite 1st/2nd
12.08.07 Colorado State Cyclocross Championships Cat3/Open Elite 1st/3rd Colorado State Champion!
12.14.07 National Cyclocross Championships Open Elite 21st

Home for Christmas

2007-12-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

AH, I missed real bagels and pizza. There's nothing like the ny metro area. AND I love seeing my family! Not necessarily in that order. The endless days of sunshine in Colorado are easy to get used to - so far, my five days in NJ have had zero sun...but, again, it's been great to see my family! I have definitely been productive. Today I made bread AND Christmas cookies with my mom. Busy day, for sure.

I spent some time in NY with my sister Audrey and her husband -and fellow cyclocross racer- Mark. He's starting his own bike riding and racing team with Muddy Cup coffee shops with some hot looking clothing designs. If sponsorships don't work out for this upcoming season, I'll be psyched to race in the Muddy Cup get-up!! Finger's crossed on the skinsuit. Good times.

Cyclocross is Addictive

2007-12-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

Who knew that I would like Cyclocross racing as much as racing mountain bikes?! I'm quickly becoming a cyclocross addict and I'm loving it.

Thanks to Felt bicycles, I was able to start up my first cyclocross season on a beautiful bike. And then thanks to some great friends and fellow cyclists in town -Alison Dunlap, Sarah Uhl, Kelli Emmet, Charlotte Miller, just to name a few- I was taught how to do cyclocross skills; the hop off, the hop back on, the don't-face-plant-into-the-barrier, the shouldering of the bike on run ups, etc. Kelli and I even practiced some bunny-hop-the-barrier skills, which we may break out for in an upcoming 'cross season :).

Yes, barriers and run-ups are still a work in progress, but no longer do I feel the need to run for twenty feet before reaching the barriers...or slow my bike down to a snails pace just before hopping off. Progress!

What I'm most excited about are signs that I'm ready to be a Cat2 or maybe Cat1 for 'cross next season. These past two race weekends have been the most successful of my entire racing career, finishing right with some really strong women -racers who are some of my heroes in the bike racing and mountain biking world. I was really psyched when I was winning my the Cat 3's since there are some really fast girls in that category. And then placing 2nd overall at the Boulder 'cross series finals last weekend and then 3rd overall at the Colorado State Championships this past sunday felt like I was dreaming. I mean, let's be honest, these women were killing me at the beginning of the season in September.

I just feel so fortunate because so many great people have given me their time and their support. Alison Dunlap's support has been absolutely priceless. She's been my mentor from day one when I was a novice mountain bike racer three summers ago. I wouldn't be living in Colorado or the expert women's national MTB champion if it weren't for her. And having just finished my Master's in August -concluding one of the most stressful years- my life now is enabling me to develop myself as a bike racer. I began a tutoring business which I love; I was really missing working with students when I first got out here. And plus it is working out to be a good job since I have enough time to train each day!

If my sisters and my family lived here, it would be perfect, but I don't think that is going to happen. I definitely miss seeing all of them a lot, but I think being in this town is really important for me right now. There is such a strong cycling community here and they are quickly becoming my second family. Plus, living right down the street from the Olympic Training Center where I do some training as a development mountain bike athlete is an awesome help and is super motivating.

Lots of sponsorship stuff is up in the air right now. But for now, I'm just focusing on National 'Cross Championships on this coming SUnday in Kansas City. And then I'm flying home for ten days. Can't wait!