RL's

Twitter Karma

2011-12-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember when I was Tweeting about meeting my new friend Jo Allen of Think Pink Cycling...well if not, here's a little background. Jo met Martha Van (owner of Action Wipes and a great sponsor of WomenCyclist)via Twitter...Martha then introduced me to Jo, who at the time lived in London and was coming to the US to ride across America (then all the mountains of Europe) for charity. It was a radical sabbatical of the cycling type. Jo came to the US, visited Martha and me and then the karma gods opened up to us...she got a radio interview that day to promote her cause,then we went on a bike ride and met George Hincapie, who then promoted her cause at his movie viewing that night! Jo's trip was off to a great start.

Fast forward to now, Jo completed her tremendous goals and not surprisingly went back to London realizing life in California might be quite nice...and it helps that somewhere along the way she fell in love with Rob Panzera of Cycling Camp San Diego. Jo now lives with Rob in San Diego and is coaching too. I am very excited to have Jo here in the US as part of the women's cycling community. We've had lots of laughs since day 1. Meeting Jo was like seeing an old friend, not like meeting a stranger; so those who think Twitter is wierd...maybe so,but on the odd chance I meet one great person I'll keep tweeting--btw I've met many!

Jo is putting on a women's camp this January and I want to pass along the information to any of you who might be in the San Diego area (or outside the area and need to escape the snow).

I've attached the flyer with all the details, so you can contact Jo if you are interested in attending. Should be great fun, lots of beautiful roads to ride and sunshine everyday.

Good luck Jo and welcome to the neighborhood!
More women on bikes--xoxox
RaeLynn

The tiny world happenings at WomenCyclist.com

2011-10-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

I awoke this morning with a large amount of excited energy, anxiousness and a bit of anxiety about the upcoming week. It’s going to be a tough week; actually a tough month, but one of the most amazing in terms of emotional rewards, physical challenges and new beginnings. I also realized this morning how monumental this is in terms of women’s cycling world and how wonderful this time is for the future of our sport.

This week marks the Mike Nosco Memorial ride on Thursday. This epic ride commemorates Mike Nosco, who is a true All American man with a large heart who left the world too early in an unfortunate accident. Mike’s brother Jack shares the same heart and put together this ride to honor his brother, but also to give back to the world on what is sure to be a difficult day for him and his family. So, this year Jack dedicated the ride to Ronette Espinoza, wife of Zap Espinoza (long time industry media personality). Ronette fought an unbelievable battle against cancer and while she was taken too early from her husband and daughter, Xakota, I believe that every ounce of her time battling this disease is time and energy each and every woman I know appreciates. Her suffering and bravery will lead to research and information that will one day benefit each of us…for this, I and many others, am inspired. How do I know? This year we will see the largest number of women riding the Mike Nosco Memorial, they will “Ride for Rono” on this most difficult course because we know it matters; because we want to help the man ZAP who stood by his wife during this difficult journey and because we want Xakota to be supported as a woman, by women. Women from San Francisco to San Diego are joining including world, national, local champions and recreational cyclists—(going to be a heck of a PJ party at my house Wednesday nite!) Regardless of our level, we will be the strongest, we will push hard, we will help the cause, we will hope to give the inspiration Ronette gave us to Xakota’s and Zap’s inspiration bank so that they can draw upon it as they cope with difficult moments in their life without Ronette.

Directly following the Mike Nosco Memorial ride, myself and the women of B4T9 Masters Women’s Cycling Team will head to Los Olivos to coach at the West Coast Women’s Collegiate Cycling Conference. This, also incredible event is supported by USA Cycling, SCNCA, B4T9 Women’s cycling team and the University of CA. 15 Teams and 80 young female cyclists will attend. Once again women will join forces to grow the sport and it has already grown from what we originally thought it would be. Again, this is due to the women supporting the effort such as Ina-Yoko Tuetenberg of HTC Highroad who agreed to come when I asked her while we attended the SLO Grand Fondo….not only did she agreed with little to no information, she is also bringing champion Jessica Phillips to ride and talk as the event as well! WOW, I was so amazed by their generosity and willingness to participate—giving up a weekend day in the off season…so appreciated and largely responsible for jumping the participation from 20-80 attendees. Also joining in this generous participation is the amazing Amber Neben….what a line-up and such a great opportunity for these young collegiate cyclists to be exposed to incredible talent; true professionals in the business. That combined with hard work by Erikaceae Pearsons of WCCWCC, the women of B4T9, Jill Gass, MaryAnn Levenson, Sue Fish and the entire team,USA Cycling, SCNCA, and everyone else, this should be yet another overwhelming in a good way kind of weekend!

From that, I’ll go on to be motivated and educated at USAC Training Weekend for Level 2 Coaches. I’m already a Level 2 Coach, but this class offers on the bike skills training…perfect for a girl like me who spends 10+ hours a week teaching this! I am looking forward to increasing my bags o’tricks and torture These lectures are always a great time to be able to network with fellow female (and male) coaches, see friends from all over the country, test my brain and physical abilities at the hands of instructor extraordinaire: Michael Heitz! I also think that the need to include this in a coaching seminar points to the fact that the sport is growing and with more beginners getting into cycling, more coaches will enjoy (like I do) the rewards of coaching at this level.

As if that wasn’t enough I’ll hop a flight to Morgan Hill the next day for a week of BG bike fit classes with Specialized. Very excited to learn, try and see their methods and reasons for the BG fit system. Fit is such an important issue for everyone, it’ll be great to enhance my knowledge of this and see how it correlates with the geometry/engineering of the Specialized bikes for women. I have to admit it’ll be almost just as exciting to see the Morgan Hill campus….!!!I hope to get lots of pictures

And for my last “to do” of the season I will get my first lactate test and begin tracking/measuring a training program and the results for all to follow. Finally going to get all my ?s answered about testing, training and measuring the results….you’ll be able to read about it in Road Bike Action magazine once complete. I think women will be really interested and again hopefully it will lead us to new information as to how we can get to that next level; whatever that is specifically for you.

All in all I’m honored, thrilled, excited, exhausted and motivated just thinking about it…guess that’s why I had to write it out, feels more organized now.
Thanks for reading,

RaeLynn
Pedalanthropist

Happy Endings are new beginnings #ride2vegas

2011-09-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

Well I've put off writing that final blog long enough. I hate endings of any kind. I knew it was inevitable and the Specialized Ride to Vegas eventually did end some 500+ miles from Salt Lake city at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.

The journey was incredible. The people were as individual as snowflakes It certainly has changed me and I have many new friendships that I look forward to seeing grow over the upcoming years.

I have also gained a great amount of strength and learned a few things along the way. That growth and awareness came from the graciousness of the other riders, staff, coaches, soigneurs,chefs, drivers, mechanics, guides and the Specialized crew who without their attention to detail this would not have happened.

My thanks goes out to all with a few specifics I would be remiss if I didn't mention...

Nancy--Leader extraordinaire who executed a perfect event with a smile regardless of the stress she must have been under. Thank you for allowing me to participate.
Kim--congrats on your 1st century and for the invite to join you on this and so many other journeys. Love what you do for women's cycling.
Nic--For your smile, encouragement and endless ability to make me laugh--pure awesomeness.
Western Spirits--thank you for every perfecly poured cup of coffee, delicious meals, guidance on the road, sharing your gloves and your staff to lead a helping hand. I look forward to working with you again.
Ben Capron--for your warmth and willingness to help in Brian's Head. I will forever appreciate that.
Patty--my roomie and guiding angel; thank you for all your help, easing my fears and fun along the ride. You amaze me as a rider, a shop owner and a woman.
Rebecca--for the pushes along the way that made me a stronger rider, for encouraging me and for being such a fun, down to earth person to hang with. I know we will see each other again...thanks also for letting Greg pull me along:)
Sal-- my faithful domestique, soul friend and gifted conversationalist; I miss you already.
Dougie T--for the great massage that kept me going and your coaching advice along the way which helped so much!
Troy-- soigneur who not only gives a great massage but sacrifices his sweatshirt on the coldest day..you rock
Patrick--for the great chance to share toughts and ideas along the way, it was fun.
Anthony--For letting me admire your pink bike everyday, I look forward to seeing what your future brings.
Robert--I am happy to have been a part of the Right to Play/First Gear movement; it's great work lead by great people.
Glen--for always being there and guiding us on this amazing route.
Michael @Velodramatic, for the incredible memories and so much more.
Ryan--for keeping our bikes working perfectly every moment and putting up with my "techie blonde" questions

To my boss and editor, Zap, for being too busy to ride this and giving me the chance to participate--you are twice the lady I am::))

Much thanks goes to the sponsors of this event: Specialized, Skins, Hammer Nutrition,Beyond Coastal, Dermatone, Action Wipes, Veloshine.

Mike Sinyard--I hope someday we will meet, thank you for what you have built.

To the big dogs of the Peloton; Joe, Chris, Anthony, Johnny, Doug, Shane, Ben, Dan, Glenn, John, John, Greg, Mark and everyone else--thank you for leading me in to the FINISH LINE, it was an honor.

Ride 2 Vegas Last Big Day; Downhill Desserts!

2011-09-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

What can I say? Today was warm and sunny, just my style so I was about the happiest girl ever after yesterday's artic journey. Also, this was a really fun day on the bike. We had a few mishaps with directions, but that just makes it more of an adventure. My group missed a turn and ended up in a small and lovely town named Santa Clara. I have to say it was worth the trip as the bike path in this town is smooth as ice; which was a welcome reprieve from the bumpy roads we had traveled over the morning. Luckily for us, some kind gentlemen (who are the two in the photos) pointed out that we were going the wrong way....oops! Oh well, but they were kind enough to shuttle us back to the spot where we had gone astray. The peloton had also experienced a directional delay, so as we made the climb we saw many of the riders...the group was a bit more spread out today, but avg speed of the pack was 24...wow those cyclists hammer.
The scenery on the open road was so incredible. Joshua trees, big huge clouds, open roads, cactus, cattle and lakes...yes lakes in the desert. We went through a most unusual town called Gunlock,straight out of an old western, complete with a rodeo--I didn't stop to take a photo as I was alone through there and well...
Beyond that the curving road lead to some smoking fast descents, glowing red rock and absolutely no one in site....except for when your water bottle went dry and Coach Doug miraculously appeared from no where to fuel, hydrate and take your xtra clothes in less than 30 seconds...that guy rocks.
We rode through AZ into the Mohave onto Mesquite Nevada where we were greeted by an oasis waterfall pool at our hotel and of course the crew of Western Spirit Adventures were there ready to feed us.
Dinner was amazing once again. We gathered around and talked about our day,each having a bit of a different experience on the same course.
I spent some time chatting with Anthony Sinyard "the pink flame"...probably the only guy I'll ever meet who love pink as much as I do. I have been his "pink carrot" all week as the peloton chases us who have taken "the magic bus" just ahead....he calls me "hammer"...maybe because I'm hammering so hard so he won't catch me...not possible though the kid is fast and strong. I also think he's pretty smart and will follow his journey as he starts to produce a line of cycling clothing. Yup he loves pink and clothes...and he's single....ladies get in line (I suspect it's a long one)pictured below having dinner.
Kudos today go to Kim Hughes of Specialized who completed her first ever century ride!!! woohooo...and she didn't just complete it she rode it strong, fast and efficiently. Good job Kim that was awesome. Pictured below with her recovery tights on--thank you SKINS.
I'm also gonna give praise to the test Specialized Amira I am riding....after yesterday's incredible descent and today's high speed descents (38-40) this bike handles beautifully. At one point today I actually got air--not on purpose but just didn't see the dip in the road and it was nothing, the bike glided back to the surface without a twitch. I can say also that the 52/36 chainring set up I'm riding is awesome. I've finally dialed in on how to shift with SRAM RED...I'm a Dura-Ace girl, so holding out on my final comments until I've had more time on it, but SRAM is a bit more noisy and I find that annoying.
Enjoy these picks...last day tomorrow we should arrive at Dirt Demo sometime around 12;30!

It's about the company you keep-- Panquitch to Cedar City

2011-09-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

I think the work EPIC was ruined by Versus TV...now almost any ride has epic in the description and I like the word, don't get me wrong, but sometimes it seems not enough. Today was one of those days--for a lack of a better word: EPIC.

We woke to wet road and dark clouds, but another spectacular breakfast of pancakes, bacon and hot coffee got us rolling out of bed to set the course for the day. We delayed the start to 9:00 to let the road dry a bit, a good choice as they did and the storm seems to be blowing by.

Our route today would have a monsterously long climb; although not steep but starting at 6700 ft, climbing over Brian's Head Peak at 10,630ft and dropping into Cedar City, Utah. 58 miles but with that long climb at altitude then a seriously technical 20+ mile descent.

I had the great pleasure of getting on the magic bus with Sal Ruibal, lifetime journalist with USA Today. One thing I can tell you about Sal is that he is humble, good natured, has no ego, doesn't whine, make excuses or have anything to prove to anyone....he is simply enjoy the journey of life. Having him as my self proclaimed "domestique" for the day was quite an honor.

We started our journey ahead of the hammerfest and enjoyed feeling the pump of blood as we turned the pedals up to the summit (which for us was a 12 mile 2000 ft climb). The scenery was beautiful, we had a light rain and shared great conversation in between whispered breaths of the thin high air.

A few of the breakaway guys passed us just a half mile from the summit, so we cheered and waved them on. As we crested the summit the clouds turned black, the rain started to fall, at time even hail pelted our faces. The temperature dropped like a brick and there wasn't going to be time to stop for photos, we had to get down this descent in a hurry and hopefully safely.

I lost Sal on the descent my fingers numb from the cold when I spotted the western spirits van and stole another pair of gloves from Mark. Understand that I was wearing base layer, two vests, jersey, arm warmers and long sleeve jacket, two socks, shoe covers...I had prepared for the cold....so I thought.

I was alone now and hoping for a break in the rain. It was hard to see and the road was slick. Seeing signs for Avalanche area didn't help my confidence, but my hands had warmed up and I saw the sign for Cedar City it seemed doable. Again that might have proved wrong....unfortunately this is point where things went really wrong. Some ____hole with a water truck drove by me on the very narrow road completely unaware that water was pouring from the back of his truck and I got soaked through all my clothes...this was the death call for the cold 40 degree descent ahead.

I continued on seeing the warning signs for trucks to slow, steep pitches, narrow roads, brake pull outs. The road down from Brian Head is a two lane road--people drive fast and there is virtually no shoulder that is ridable...add to that the gusting winds and lack of guardrails in this (what I'm sure is a gorgeous canyon that I missed seeing) this descent was horrifying at times.

My body started shaking from the cold and I was really getting worried about being able to control the bike. I pulled over once then continued on...probably a mistake because now I was shaking uncontrollably and there wasn't anywhere to turn out so without being able to use my hands, my legs so knumb I feared I wouldn't be able to unclip. I tried a few times and couldn't get my legs out, so I just sort of was flying down this mountain feeling very out of control. The bike proved worthy and stayed upright, but my body was shaking like an earthquake. Finally I saw a turnout and decided gravel or not I must stop--the next turn was a hard left on a camber? and I would not make it. I managed to unclip and come to a somewhat sliding stop, barely able to place my bike on the sidewall. I stood there shaking uncontrollably in the rain, tried to hitch a ride but apparently I look like an ax murderer or people in utah just have a rule of not helping those who are clearly in visible distress. Time went on and I could not get warm, I knew the cars were behind me but surely getting all the riders swept up and motoring in these conditions had to be equally stressful for our Specialized drivers and support crew--who are amazing in all they do.

Finally Ben Capron (from National Interscholastic Cycing Association) came careening down the mountain and yelled you ok? All I could manage to say was "no"....the sound of his brakes as he attempted to stop on the wet roads made me fearful for him, but grateful. Literally he scooped me in, put his jacket and hat on me and sat me in his lap against the side of the embankment and warmed me up while I shivered uncontrollably. 2 more riders pulled in and we waited without cell service hoping for a vehicle...and alas in rolled Ryan and Troy to rescue me. Ben piled me into the car quickly, my bike loaded, my wet clothes stripped off and wrapped in the guys sweatshirts, heat cranked and food being put in.

Ben and the 2 others rode the final 5 miles down and I was happy for them to see the road conditions got better, but I'm sure they were freezing as we rolled into the Best Western where I was promptly put in the pool first then the hot tub ----where I finally stopped shivering. I was happy to see that Sal has also made it in and was in good shape.

All in all there wasn't anyone in this day that didn't speak of how cold it was. My roomie, Patty did the entire climb with Chris D'Alusio...WOW that woman is strong!

So my ROAD ID winner of the day is BEN CAPRON for saving me:) I will be forever grateful.

Thank you Patty for the image taken of me and Sal yesterday and the pic of Ben at Bryce Canyon to use on this blog.

Richfield to Panquitch

2011-09-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today was another flat day with approximately 80 miles of flat roads. I chose the 50 mile option and made it a goal to do a recovery ride pace after yesterday's hammerfest. There were 5 in my group today and we stayed ahead of the peloton all day. The breakaway group caught us just outside of Panquitch and the peloton rolled in right behind us. It was a really fun day, with breathtaking views and as always great support.

We also had the opportunity after the ride to fit in a little site seeing at Bryce Canyon,which is almost undescribable it's so beautiful. Because of this I'm going to make this blog mostly photos....you'll see what I mean.

Long flat road to Panquitch

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and found a superhero as I started my ride--just like the commercial my roomie Patty told me about the night before--wow! So yes I stopped, picked him up and took him with me.

Lunch at Bryce Canyon for one of the guys who rolled over a 100 miles today

Rebecca and her boyfriend waiting to roll out of Bryce Point

Sunset Panquitch

Full moon Panquitch

Inspiration Point
Good night, ride safe all
50 miles tomorrow 31 of climbing then all down hill they say......

Day 3 Nephi to Richfield

2011-09-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

I am almost at a loss for words about today's ride. Rebecca Rusch (3 time Leadville winner and known as The Queen of Pain) took it upon herself to help me out today; a flat 75 mile ride from Nephi to Richfield. Flat as in approx. 1500 ft of gain and of course there was a headwind. I worked hard the first 20 miles to stay in the peloton..which hit the road rolling at 27mph, it took many pushes by the Queen of Pain to keep me in there. Her incredibly handsome and patient boyfriend allowed me his wheel, so technically I had to was not blow up...easier said than done with the rubber band effect of the peloton and my trust issues. I also know that we have 4 more days of riding but the fear of being out there alone kept me pedaling for dear life. Let's me clear, Specialized has great support and I would not have been left alone, but let's face it we all think that!

Mark Howe, with Western Spirit, who is strong and can cook pushed Rebecca while she pushed me..it was my first threesome. (hahahaha)

I admit that being in the group was as exhilarating as it was scary. But rolling alone watching the miles disappear gave me great pleasure so I worked harder and harder, paced myself and took all the advice and guidance I could from Rebecca.

At mile 42 the peloton split and we were a separate group of 5. The last 35 miles zipped by and we entered into Richfield passing beautiful red rock mountains.

We are staying at a Holiday Express and my roomie Patty swears we will have Super Powers tomorrow...I so hope she is right---she's been a great helper on this trip and she kicks butt...she rode in the front group all day! WOW.

Tomorrow is a 78 mile ride from richfield to Panguitch. There 2200 ft of gain, so not too bad. Wondering which poor Specialized athlete will be assigned the back with me...

Having a great time, people and food is awesome. 6000 calories burned already!
Here are a few pics...the photographer got some great shots of The Queen of Pain and I "sprinting" it out at the front of the peloton...those will come; but above are a few.

Big shout out of thanks to Western Spirit who feeds us well, Action Wipes you are in my pockets and I am so grateful at those road side breaks (yes, I mean roadside literally), SKINS who gave us all compression wear today, Hammer products that are fueling us on the ride, Veloshine for their goodies (although I don't have to clean my bike here:), Bicycle John's for packing my bike, Jill Gass for coaching and of course to Road Bike Action for giving me this opportunity and Specialized for inviting me. Luv goes out to my hubby for letting me come on yet another adventure!

And for all of you who comment, text me or email I thank you--the encouragement helps.
SUPER POWERS for all!

Day 2

2011-09-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

Wow this first day of riding was amazing. Incredibly hard at first riding--- along the Salt Lake on the flats in the headwind. I stayed in my own tempo....listening to my super powers within that kept reminding me not to blow it all on day 1. Saw many who might not feel so great tomorrow.... but I think everyone had an awesome day. I managed 80 fantastic miles before the sweep vehicle took us off the climb... pretty much everyone picked up did not want to get in, but as we drove the final 8 miles of the climb everyone agreed it was time to go. Dinner was waiting! Western Spirit is fixing our fantasic meals...tonight's curry chicken hit the spot. Specialized provided amazing support for the ride and yes I'll admit it... those boys (Nic/Glen) and girls (Kim) pushed me, let me suck a wheel, motopaced, whatever it took to get me home and we had FUN on 2 WHEELS::)))

Special shout out to THEQUEENOFPAIN who absolutely amazed me and to PATTY from Action Wheels the Jersey girl that kicks ass!And of course Doug for the oh so needed massage.

Here are a few pictures of the day:
thanks to Patty for the start pic of me...scared to death!(at bottom of page)

a cow that looked like "is this the SAG wagon"..she didn't want to move off the road at all

Mr. Young Sinyard on his FABU pink bike

My roomie Patty from Action Wheels NJ (first pic)

The lake view

Day 1 "A Specialized Road Trip"

2011-09-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Today is day one of my journey with Specialized to ride from
Salt lake city to Las Vegas for Interbike. This 522 mile
Journey will prove to amazing--even though I'm hardly
Fit enough to ride the wheel of Rebecca Rusch (3 time Leadville winner).

That being said, stay tuned to this blog for posts from the
Road as I find some fun in suffering!

The ride starts tomorrow but tonight we'll attend a bike rodeo
And give some bikes to kids who have never had a bike...should be
Amazing to see the look on their faces:)

I'll be testing the 2011 S-works Amira and Oura seat for this journey.
Pardon the errors as I am
Posting from my iphone
Ride on,
RaeLynn

Ride for Ronette at the Mike Nosco Memorial Ride

2011-09-02T21:41:00.001-07:00

Ride with me on this epic course for an amazing cause:
Www.mikenosco.com

JasminesRace Questions answered IMO

2011-05-30T08:47:00.001-07:00

Good luck Jasmine...I look forward to following your journey.

Questions, questions and more questions….Posting links is acceptable.

The first person to answer this list with meaningful answers will win something:

1. What bikes are good for women? The best bike is the one that fits you best, regardless of women’s specific or not. Some companies like BH, Orbea and Specialized have made women’s bikes because they have listened to the needs of women and have done an excellent job at providing a product that works, not just adding small parts to an ordinary frameset. Find a bike fit specialist and let them help you choose the best bike for your body and your goals.

2. What clothes to wear during the summer? UV protection is very important, so look for it in garments. Also for long distance riding think about active compression riding and after ride clothing. Look for breathability and lighter fabrics. Sometimes it’s counter intuitive but a lightweight breathable white jacket can act as a cooler. Be prepared for micro climates—where you can encounter cold spots or light rain...Layers and pieces that can be removed easily while riding are best. Personal preference for me: bib short and full zip jerseys; more comfortable and easy to remove for potty stops. Brands I love: Castelli, Giordano Team, Exte Ondo and Primal Wear.

3. Good helmets? KASK vertigo...the fit system on this helmet is like no other and the antibacterial properties are a nice bonus.

4. The best sports bra for busty women? Bras by Athleta, they have a bra for every women, every size, every activity.

5. What should I pack for a cross country bike trip (besides the obvious such as water)? It. Depends if it’s a “credit card” tour or a supported ride. Obvious first needs are tools/bike needs, supplements/nutritional plan and a great GPS. Leave the spouse or significant other at home, but bring your BFF who can handle your emotional needs as well as support the physical challenges of driving across country, etc.

6. Where do I put a suit case on a bike ride across America? Again, if you have a support vehicle ride light and put all in the vehicle; if self supported get the appropriate bike with a great pannier system.

7. How many calories does a person burn on a 3,000-mile bike ride? That is dependent on a number of things...however if you use the basics 450-500 an hour for female riding 100 miles a day in 6-7 hours then it would be 105,000 at top end.....this is just ride time burn, not after-burn or any usual just living calories....there are many things to consider, but that’s a generic.

8. Other essential must knows for the trip of a lifetime…if you want great advice contact Jo Allen of Think Pink Cycling Challenge...you can find or on Facebook or via CCSD on Twitter..Cycling Camp San Diego...she recently rode across America and Europe...She will be the greatest asset and she is super SWEET.

Lastly, it must be FUN, ride safe and enjoy the journey!
RaeLynn

I can’t wait to hear your responses.

2011-05-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

W.O.W | CYCLING TRAINING SUMMIT

JULY 14-17, 2011 | Join the cycling experts of Revolution Coaching and WomenCyclist for an exciting four days of training in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country, just thirty minutes north of Santa Barbara. Whether you are a recreational rider, new to racing, or a seasoned veteran, this camp will take you to the next level. We focus on the unique aspects of cycling and training from the female perspective and our small staff to rider ratio ensures you will receive INDIVIDUALIZED coaching. Now in its sixth year, this popular camp provides you with a unique opportunity to be treated like a pro. We will combine riding, instruction, and training plan development with plenty of relaxation, food, and FUN.
Package Includes:
• Epic training rides, through the hills and vineyards of Santa Barbara County. These 3-4.5hr rides will make you think you are in Italy, but at a fraction of the cost.
• Lodging at the historic Skyview Inn in Los Alamos
• We provide breakfast, lunch, ride fuel. Package excludes dinners but we have arranged reservations at some of the areas premier restaurants.
• Hands on instruction including group riding, technical skills development, climbing and descending, time trialing, race tactics, training techniques, and more.
• Transportation from/to Santa Barbara Airport. Shuttle service available from LAX at extra charge.
• Daily lectures covering a variety of cycling topics including sports nutrition, mental toughness, goal setting, strength and flexibility training and women specific issues.
• One-on-one coaches meeting to assist you in developing your personal training plan and achieving your goals.
• Full mechanical support.
• Complimentary wine tasting and cool Swag Bags.
• More fun than you have ever had on a bike!!
COST $1,200 double occupancy
$ 250 additional for single occupancy
$500 deposit to reserve your space, non refundable after June 15.
Balance due June 15.
Sign Me Up! Limited to 18 participants.
Coaching staff ratio 1 to 2-3 riders.
RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY! E-mail: jill@revolutioncoaching.com
or raelynn@womancyclist.com
ABOUT THE STAFF

JILL GASS: A USAC Certified Coach, with a M.Ed. in Sports medicine and a passion for cycling, Jill is founder of Revolution Coaching. An avid rider and racer for over 20 years, Jill has won State and National Championships in all disciplines and competed in Race Across America on three occasions as a member of a four woman team setting a transcontinental record in 2010.
RAELYNN MILLEY: A USAC Certified Coach and owner of WOMENCYCLIST.com. RaeLynn is an avid cyclist and specializes in coaching riders new to the sport giving them the skills and confidence to ride with the big girls. She is also a contributing writer to Road Bike Action magazine.
MARY HERSHEY: Soigneur (swan-YOOR) extraordinaire. We couldn't have camp without her. Your best camp friend, Mary helps take care of your most every need from preparing meals, driving SAG, setting up rest stops, and making sure you get that extra something you need.
MARYANN LEVENSON: Better known as "MA" is both a Sports Nutritionist and champion master's racer. She is an inspiration having returned to competitive cycling following a severe accident and has dedicated herself to promoting safety instruction.
KATHY BROWN: Owner of Kalyra Winery (chief camp sponsor), Kathy knows our training roads like the back of her hand. Kathy has 15+ years experience as a rider/racer/team sponsor and will share all that with you.
SANTA BARBARA CA

October 2nd Ride Email

2010-09-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

RaeLynn’s ride email
Hello all,
Well Vegas swallowed me up for a little longer than I thought, but I got a great tan, spent time with industry friends, went gaga over all the new bikes/gear/clothing and of course, got shelled on a bike ride—life is good! Look for all the juicy pics and techy write-ups at www.roadbikeaction.com.
Back to reality there is soooo much going on I’m going to make a list..hope I don’t forget anything.
1. Saturday @Bicycle John’s ride 7:45 meet time 8:00 a.m roll out, all levels welcome, helmets mandatory and bring lots of fluid and fuel It’s Africa HOT! Our beginner ride is a no-drop 20-25 mile ride, so come on out and enjoy the journey.

2. Tonight (Thursday) Strong Body Studio Open House—remember Emily from our Le Tour Day..now visit her shop and check out the reformers…get strong, flexible bodies: http://www.thestrongbodystudio.com/open-house.html

3. Nov. 3rd is the 2nd annual Mike Nosco Memorial ride to benefit Andreas Knickman: This is the perfect ride to take the day off for, don’t miss it and don’t let the route scare you off—I will be doing a shortened version for those who want to join me. Here is the facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/womencyclist#!/event.php?eid=124335444281843&ref=mf

4. Jill Gass (www.revolutioncoaching.com) and I are putting on another clinic: Free Speed Time Trial 2 day (Perfect for triathletes or any cyclists that wants to improve their speed—Women only, sorry boys, but I am working on a winter training event for men….be patient it’s coming!
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events#!/event.php?eid=130641773649221 Ladies, sign up now by dropping a check made to Revolution Coaching at Bicycle John’s or mailing to RaeLynn Milley 3968 ashbourne lane moorpark ca 93021…$145.00 includes race registration and insurance. http://www.womencyclist.com/events

Ladies: Want an adventure cycling vacation? We are now booking a credit card tour for the 1st weekend in November, Los Angeles to San Diego credit card tour: 3-4 days of riding along California’s beautiful coastline, fully guided by USAC coaches, SAG, 50-60 gentle miles a day, endless hours of fun! Email me to get details (limited to 5 female riders): zenzyus@yahoo.com

Want to say CONGRATULATIONS to all of our triathletes from Moms in Motions, Kaiser Tri, Transcend, LA Tri, Malibu, SB Tri and Carp Tri for excellent results all the way around. Also a big high five to all those who rode California Coast Classic and the upcoming MS, CF, Arthritis and AIDS rides…you are our heroes riding for many worthy causes. Lastly, but not least, to all those riders who raced this season, male and female for supporting the sport that keeps all of us employed (especially those who promoted races e.g. Rock Store Time Trial)…and major hugs to Lynda and Bear Thompson for their incredible journey EVERYWHERE to support Arthritis Foundation.
Ride on,
RaeLynn

2010-07-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

Update to this post....Bear's and Lynda's adventure starts this week...Please follow Bear's ride via gps and don't forget to donate:) Good luck Bear and Lynda, ride safe! xoxoxoxo

There are times, like this week, that I've been utterly amazed at the generousity and ambitions of fellow riders...

~~with that written I'm shamelessly sharing some information about friends who, probably they will kill me for doing this, but have supported cycling in a multitude of ways and continue to do so..... I have cut and pasted my friend Bear's (yes, that's his real name) goals and fundraising story below to share with all of you...it's going to be an amazing adventure to follow and a huge effort to raise monies for the Arthritis foundation. I am proud to ride with and support cyclists like Bear and Lynda and I hope you too will join them, on whatever level you can to support and encourage this effort.

Here is their inspiring story:

The cycling season is well under way, and once again I am aiming to raise funds for the Arthritis Foundation. This year I have big plans, as you’ll see below, so read on. This will be my 6th year on the California Coast Classic ride; it just doesn’t get old. I keep making new friends and meeting new folks who either have arthritis themselves or have a family member who does. A number of them have kids who suffer with a juvenile form of the disease. I can assure you, any donation, large or small, will be truly and deeply appreciated by all of the patients that the AF serves throughout the year.

From September 25 - October 2, I will again be riding in the CA Coast Classic, a 525 mile bike tour from SF to LA that raises funds for the Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation to support research, education and programs for the 46 million Americans that live with arthritis every day. If you would like to help, please go to my personal fundraising page, Bear's California Coast Classic Page, to make a tax-deductible donation. If you’d prefer to donate off-line, you can print out the PDF form from my VeloBear web pages (see signature below) to fill out and send in with your check or credit card information.

New for this year, from September 12 - September 17, I will also be riding in the inaugural People’s Coast Classic, a 363 mile bike tour from Astoria, Oregon to Brookings, Oregon that raises funds for the Northwest Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation to support their efforts in funding similar research, education and programs. If you would like to help, please go to my other fundraising page, Bear's People's Coast Classic Page to make a tax-deductible donation there, or use the PDF form.

BUT WAIT! THAT’S NOT ALL!Between these 2 rides, from September 18 - September 24, I will be riding in the first-ever Bear & Lynda’s Insane Coast Classic, a 439 mile bike tour from Brookings, OR to San Francisco that Lynda and I have plotted out connecting the two rides. Lynda will be driving the Team Support Vehicle as Directeur Sportif, Soingneur, and local tourist along the way. If you would like to help, please go to either Bear's People's Coast Classic Page –or- Bear's California Coast Classic Page to make a tax-deductible donation to either AF chapter. If I’ve reached my goal for one of the AF rides, please consider donating to the other! And if I’ve met my fund raising goals on both, don’t shy away from pushing me over the top! Any and all donations go to the Arthritis Foundation chapters. Lynda and I are sponsoring our own little undertaking ourselves.

So there you have it: September 12 – October 2. Another cycling Grand Tour just like the Giro d’Italia, Le Tour de France, and La Vuelta a España. Three weeks of riding 1,327 miles down the West Coast to raise funds for the Arthritis Foundation. I hope you’ll join us!

Yeah, I thought you'd be amazed....incredible and I look forward to following this journey...if you have questions for Bear or Lynda follow the links above to reach him or email me and I will put you in touch:)

All I can say is 1327 miles....wow, wow, wow!!!! Let's get this party started!

Races, Rides & Parties: what more could a girl or guy want?

2010-07-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

Events, Events, Events...that's what's news this week....lots going on in cycling through July, so get your calendar out and SAVE the dates----
First upcoming event is: our Saturday ride from Biycle John's (29041 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Agoura, CA)---this Saturday July10th: meet time 7:45 a.m. roll out at 8:00 a.m, Rides for all levels of riders: no drop-intermediate and fast & furious! Helmets are mandatory as is a proper working bike, fuel and clothing. Men and Women welcome. It's hot now, so bring lots of H2), electrolytes and of course sunscreen.
Upcoming races are fun for both spectators, first time racers and the seasoned racer, get out and join us at one/all of these:
1.) Bicycle John's Grand Prix This is a really fun 1.1 mile course with one big ring hill. July 17th in Santa Clarita. Come on out and race with us at our Bicycle John's owned/sponsored event!! One very special note about this race is that there will be 6 Junior categories with Awards--way to race juniors and they are fun to watch too--look closely, they are FAST! Thousands$$$$ in prize monies available for the other categories too---mens, women's, Pros & Masters....this will make for GREAT races.....so don't hesitate to come out and spectate if you haven't yet seen a race, it's really exciting stuff!! Register today at www.socalreg.com
2.) Rock Store Time Trial July 28, 2010 Last chance this year to put your official time stamp on our very famous climb....don't delay, this SOLD OUT last month! All proceeds benefit the Arthiritis Foundation. www.rockstorett.com Don't be intimidated, lots of first-timers at this race and no, you don't need to wear your SuperSonic Hedgehog TT helmet or a skinsuit to participate
3.) Piru Time Trial: July 10th and 11th, 2010 www.uncletren.com...2 days of Time Trials...40K and 20K courses on a beautifully paved road--smooth, fast and the every changing winds make this course as unpredictable as the arrival time of this newsletter! Lots of fun and a chance to see just how FAST can YOU go...."The Race of Truth, just you and the clock" Public categories for both men, women and juniors, so no need to be a pro, if you have a bike, you can race this one!
Not ready to race? Try a little altitude training with friend and fellow coach Rob Panzera before the snow flys in the hills: http://www.cyclingcampsandiego.com/High-AltitudeEnduranceTrainingCamp.html
Next up I'm sure you all have realized by now that the Tour de France is on Versus and whether you are watching on the internet, the television, or via www.roadbikeaction (for up to the second on site commentary on web and Twitter/Facebook) the racing has been riveting!!! Really exciting racing with some unexpected crashes, gnarly courses and an awesome chance to watch "seasoned" racers like Lance Armstrong, yes you know he is my FAVORITE. We are playing the tour via the internet all day, everyday at Bicycle John's so stop by and watch, recap or rewatch..... then we'll follow up all this exciting racing locally and abroad with nothing better than -----
A PARTY...yes our annual FREE Bicycle John's Le Tour and Customer Appreciation day/party/ride happens again this year August 7th at the Agoura location. Remember last year?...great prizes, a awesome ride and pulled pork sandwiches--woohoo. We'll do it all again starting at 4:30 p.m with a very special Benefit ride for "Mrs. Bicycle John, Shelly Fries". Those who know her, understand that Shelly has been fighting a brave battle against cancer this past year, so we want to show her and John our support as part of this community event. Details on our Bicycle John's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134572999899913&ref=mf rsvp so we can plan the food to jennifer@bicyclejohns.com 1st 100 rsvps get a special gift too!

That's the news for this week, now let's get out and ride, race and Party!!
See you Saturday,
RaeLynn

Photos of WomenCyclist/Bicycle John's Clinic

2010-02-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

Please credit Robin Karlson for these pictures if you use them...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moorpark-CA/Women-Cyclist/183785497458#!/album.php?aid=148981&id=183785497458&ref=nf

Girls and Bikes

2010-02-21T23:12:00.000-08:00

Girls and their bikes…

Perhaps you remember your first bike (mine was a yellow banana bike), or your first ride. Maybe you were young or maybe you aren’t, but it happened…you pedaled your bike and that feeling of freedom, independence and confidence come over you. Next time you went a little farther, then climbed that big hill, then rode a charity event and perhaps even have participated in a race or two. Now you can’t imagine life without your bike. This is the magic between a girl or woman and her bike.

Magic is what it felt like last Saturday at Bicycle John’s bike shop in Agoura, CA. Bicycle John’s graciously hosted a WomenCyclist (a.k.a.RaeLynn) Ladies Ride & Clinic. We met in the morning for breakfast and divided into two groups; one route was shorter lead by Jennifer(owner of bike shop) and Irene Johnson (Cat 2 racer). The second group rode a warm up pace with the first until the split in Westlake Village where we went on to practice paceline and group riding skills with the guidance of Kalyra RAAM 2010 Ladies Jill Gass &Sonia Ross.

If you haven’t experienced the thrill of a double paceline 40 women strong you must give it a try. It isn’t about the speed, but the incredible energy of the group. Truly inspirational from beginner to advanced rider. We were lucky to have sunny skies and quiet roads to enjoy this experience.

The longer riding group returned to Bicycle John’s in time to help the first group finish up a flat changing clinic, eat lunch and dive into our other topics of interest for the day.

Many of our riders took full advantage of Janis Burns; professional soigneur who worked out the kinks, helped stretch and relax the riders after the ride. I think Janis deserved a massage at the end of the day—she worked hard and we all learned a lot. Best piece of knowledge for me: the ice bath benefits—challenge is; actually doing it!

Jill Gass and Sonia Ross shared with us their goals for 2010 RAAM and experiences at past RAAM events. Amazing level of commitment/ planning and training…All to benefit Girls Inc. in Santa Barbara, even better! http://www.kalyrawomensracingteam.com/index.html

Next up on the podium we had Susan Farber, sports psychology coach from The Winning Edge: www.thewinningedgesb.com. Susan talked about goal setting and fears that hold us back, as well as answered questions about specific issues/challenges woman in the audience experienced. We learned that group riding poses a great deal of anxiety for women and hope to bring more clinics in to help with group riding skills, both mental and physical.

Irene Johnson explained the benefits and challenges associated with bike fit. How to overcome issues and the importance of bike fit to aid in injury prevention as well as improving performance. The right chamois and the right saddle top the list of most necessary items for our ladies.

We finished up the day with another flat changing clinic for those long riders who hadn’t had the opportunity to do that earlier.

I would be remiss not to mention that we even had our very own videographer filming this event—wow did we feel special, but I bet he felt like the luckiest man alive that day—haha… Thanks Michael.

And of course we ate again…after all we did ride!

All in all it was an amazing day, with amazing women who love to ride bikes, share their experiences and knowledge for the benefit of the movement: Get more women on bikes!

Days like Saturday inspire me…

Women I’ve met like Jill, Sonia, Susan, Irene, Jen, Janis and all the participants inspire me….
Indeed this is a long blog, but so much effort and time went into this event from all of our contributors it would be a shame not to spend some time sharing it properly.

Much thanks goes out to:
• All the participants for coming out to ride.
• To Bicycle John’s owners, Jen, Scott and Mike for the facility, food and support everyday
• To Kalyra RAAM 2010 riders Jill Gass and Sonia Ross
• To Janis Burns, professional soigneur
• To Susan Farber, sports psychology coach
• To Irene Johnson, Cat 2 racer
• To Bryan and Fabien for the mechanical support
• To Michael Rieder for videotaping
• To Robin Karlson for the photos that are attached to this post (please credit her if you use them on your socials/websites)

Pedal fast, but enjoy the journey…
RaeLynn

www.womencyclist.com
USA Cycling Coach
All a girl really needs is an open road,
her favorite playlist,
a beautiful, fast bike and
legs that let u never feel the chain:)

A Million reasons to ride..Upcoming Events

2010-02-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

‘Tis the season for Cycling Events so for this email I have gathered some to put on your calendars…

Of course I will start with the upcoming Ladies Ride & Clinic this Saturday Feb. 20th at 11:30 a.m. at 29041 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Agoura, CA @ Bicycle John’s.

There are so many exciting aspects to this day it won’t make a difference if it rains or shines; there’s something to be learned for everyone. Here’s a list of our featured coaches in no particular order with their topic in bold:

o RaeLynn Milley USA Cycling Coach, Cat 4 racer for Bicycle Johns (ride leader, flat repair, nutrition, safety)
o Jennifer Johnson; owner Bicycle John’s (ride leader &flat repair)
o Irene Johnson; Cat 2 racer for Bicycle John’s, Masters Worlds Austria Everest Challenge, Death Ride, Breathless Agony, (flat repair & bike fit)
o Janis Burns, Professional Soigneur for USA and International Pro Teams: Liquidgas, Trek U23, Kenda and more (massage & recovery)
o Jill Gass; State and National Champion, USA Cycling Expert level coach and Kalyra RAAM2010 team (ride leader, paceline skills)
o Sonia Ross of Kalyra RAAM 2010 team, Masters and National Champion racer, massage therapist (ride leader, paceline skills)
o Susan Farber: sports phsycology coach, Cat 4 racer for Echelon, The Winning Edge(The mental game/goalsetting/dealing with fears that hold us back)
• So don’t miss it or you’ll miss A LOT Email to rsvp or ?S raelynn@womencyclist.com
2 rides: one shorter 10 miles, one longer 35 miles

• Oh yeah; this is a FREE clinic, generously provided by Bicycle John’s) --even more reason to come.

But wait there is more---Ladies & Gentlemen of our 8:00 a.m. Saturday ride—this ride is still happening prior to the clinic and you will be joined by the ladies, Jill & Sonia of the Kalyra RAAM2010 team on the ride. This will be their training ride for the day, so rest up and show them a warm welcome to our hills—don’t be afraid of rain; Jill and Sonia aren’t—after all it could rain on their 3000 mile journey across AMERICA!!

Helmets are mandatory and it will be a PROMPT 8 a.m. start to get Jill & Sonia back in time for something to eat and the clinic! Start at 29041 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Agoura, CA @ Bicycle John’s bike shop.

Ok onward …if you are like me you’ve been awaiting the Road Bike Action April issue…heard today it’s in, so hoping to see that in shop and in your mailbox soon! www.roadbikeaction.com

April 3, 2010 is a big day with two events and YES you can do both…
Santa Clarita Century Ride: Starts at Valencia Town Center
http://santaclaritacentury.com Full century (get ready to climb), Half century, and Family Fun ride

and then……

"Women of Dirt” brought to you by MTBChick, Tonya Bray—this is going to be a fun night and I am hoping we can meet up at the shop and get carpools set up for attending. There will be a VIP section, open seating and 5 awesome women from So Cal will/are being chosen for their outstanding contributions to women’s cycling. Ticket info coming soon Men and women will love this thrill seekers/gravity lovers’ video! (Date night…think about it:)
Awesome Land: Women of Dirt screening in Hollywood" on Saturday, April 3rd at 6:00pm.

Event: Awesome Land: Women of Dirt screening in Hollywood
What: Opening
Start Time: Saturday, April 3 at 6:00pm
End Time: Saturday, April 3 at 9:00pm
Where: Cinespace Hollywood
Last but not least……

May 8th, 2010 Cruisin the Conejo ride is coming up so get registered for the best charity ride in our own backyard. 6 routes including 2 metrics and a full century—something for every level of rider! www.cvcbike.org for more info or for group rides to get in shape before the Cruisin’.

Then the BIGGY…Tour of California May 16-23rd..lots of events planned as we get closer to this great race.

So see you Saturday for all the FUN! And if you don’t see something for you, let us know what your TRI group, Cycling club, MTB group wants and we’ll be happy to put it together for you…

Ride safe,
RaeLynn

Bike racing 101

2010-02-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

The few, the brave, the unknowing, the anxious, the confident, the sexy, the fit, the best of the best came out for a weekend of bike racing in the San Inez/Goleta area this past weekend. The Poor College Boys race was on Saturday and what a course, what a day to ride and what a race. This was a road race, so not much opportunity to see a lot, but I got a good spot on a hill just after the start and had excellent views as they came screaming down the hill into the finish line. Too bad the camera battery died:(

Both the men and women were fired up for this first race of the year and all quads were firing. Love the sounds of racing and the views were spectacular:) CA Pools men were killing it, they are going to have a great season. Saw a bit of the women's and then lost track of which group belonged to which category so just cheered them all on. Scott Johnson of Bicycle John's pulled off a great race and bunny hopped a crash at the finish...great skills.

Sunday was all about women at the Mothballs criterium. Jennifer & Scott, Robb put up the Bicycle John's tent and made room for the ladies to warm up near the start line. Jill Gass gave a great clinic on criterium skills and Kim Anderson of Columbia High Road shared a few words of motivation for the first time racers.

This Cat 4 race was part of the Womens Cycling Challenge which is a movement to get more women to race. There were a few variations in the normal crit process but none the less everyone raced and had fun. Most received prizes or primes and everyone got a Bicycle John's WomenCyclist goodie bag complete with Gu, Shot bloks, Road Bike Action Magazine,Patch kit, wine opener, Action Wipes and chapstick:)

Team Echelon provided Susan Farber, sports psycology coach for before and after the race to help overcome some nervousness and learn from the race debriefing. A benefit that is beyond useful! Team Nexus ladies were in good form this spring as well. Avalon (Echelon) of course was her own force to be reckoned with---I think she used a bit of pent up anger at having her car stolen to motor down the course--she was a women possessed:)

We even had a fun ride on Sunday morning which I did ride and it was gorgeous, beautiful bike lanes and always a favorite to ride a double paceline with such skilled riders.

All in all, a great racing weekend and I was happy to be a part of it..even though I couldn't race. Until the next one: Congratulations to all the racers Men and WOMEN!

I posted photos on WomenCyclist facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moorpark-CA/Women-Cyclist/183785497458#/photo.php?pid=3200967&id=183785497458

RL

Rainy day Fun

2010-01-20T20:51:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I admit to being a girl that likes to have fun, is easily bored and has an attention span smaller than a pin head, so when it comes to facing a week of rain I have to find ways to fill the gap where I would normally be riding my bike.

Luckily, my friend and local trainer Mike Pincus has come up with a fun, challenging class that is perfect mix of strength, aerobic and flexibility work--oh yeah and add a dash of scary stuff too!

Myself and a few other women met Mike at the Victory Gymnastic Center in Newbury Park, CA. Here Mike had us take off our shoes and socks and warm up on this spongy floor (I'm sure there is a technical term for this but I don't know it). We did a variety of movements that; to say the least, challenged my cyclists' hips...it all felt good but the sideways movements certainly make you realize how pedaling all the time has some side effects.

If you haven't been on a trampoline in a while I highly suggest you give it a whirl. It's a little scary at first but as you get higher and more balanced it actually feels great--right up until Mike says ok now jump into the foam pit!! Yikes I'm not 10 anymore and honestly I never was a really brave kid; certainly I am less brave as an adult:) Ps..yes I did it but that's only half the challenge; to get out of the pit you must "swim" out. I admit to giggling the whole time so it probably took longer than it should have.

And hey why stop there, let's add some spring board trampoline jumping, straddles and hops; then climb HIGH onto the vault and jump into the pit again--yikes my heart was beating fast now. I admit it took 2 attempts to get me to jump from that high.

Next up my favorite part: the ropes. There's a set of 3 ropes hanging from the ceiling--no one to catch you and you need to climb up bare hands and feet. The first time I really struggled. But the second time I did much better and made it up.

Talk about empowering to be up that high, feeling strong and having the time of your life. I loved it. This was great fun and an incredible workout. I can feel muscles that have been dormant for quite some time waking up.

If you want something to do in this rainy season..join Mike at Victory Gymnastics M-W-F at 12:15 pm for this class..but hurry up it fills up fast and I'm already getting ahead of you on that rope::)))

a few pics above....details to the class below
Until the sun shines again,
RaeLynn

$25 for 1 class or $249 for 12 (must be used within five weeks)
No contracts or memberships.
Classes are 1 hour long.
This is indoors and fully air conditioned.
Drop in anytime as classes are held Mon-Wed-Fri at 12:15. Twenty people to a class/first come basis.
Classes are held at Victory-Gymnastics Academy
2330 Teller Road
Newbury Park, Ca 91320
805-558-7791

Put Some Coin in your Love Bank

2010-01-19T09:35:00.000-08:00

Cyclists are notoriously dedicated to the sport; slaves to schedules, obsessed with eating right, training hard and getting proper rest. This makes for great athletes, but what does it do for family and friends? We all know that there are times when we are adding to our “love bank” and times (like race season) when we are seriously on the brink of bankruptcy.

Rainy days are the perfect opportunity to put some coin in your “love bank” so take advantage of this time with these direct deposit activities:

• Buy flowers: yes guys, as corny as it may be, few women can resist a surprise bouquet –and make it special not a premixed grocery store bouquet!

• “Kid” nap your own kids…take them out of school early one day…go to a museum, the beach in the rain, indoor car racing, the mall, skiing, snowboard…whatever THEY want to do—get to know what they enjoy. A few hours can create a lifetime memory.

• We all have a support person; someone who takes care of things while we are off to the races or pedaling out base miles…maybe it’s your mother-in-law, wife, husband, lover, sibling or neighbor. Whoever it is, give them the ultimate gift by asking,”What can I help you with?”…be prepared to fix light bulbs, take down an aging tree, or buy a massage.

• Have coffee with a friend that doesn’t ride a bike. Order a dessert, don’t wear cycling clothes and genuinely ask, “How are you?”

They say; Time is Money, so spend some time with those who love and support you. Guaranteed it won’t be expensive. I’m sure your friends and family just want time to spend time being with you. It’s an investment that will pay off and it’s raining today---so start filling your love bank today:)

Double Peak San Elijo

2010-01-06T22:48:00.001-08:00

16-17% grade OUCH! time 39:17

Words cannot say

2009-11-17T17:14:00.000-08:00

Watch this video...it's from the Mike Nosco Memorial Ride. Funds were raised to help Andreas Knickman with his battle against cancer.

Best piece of work ever--this is who we are as cyclists--people with a cause:)

Such a great day, this brings tears to my eyes...can't wait to do it again with these and more awesome people next year.
RaeLynn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDw_sHHZSDg

What's the Rush?

2009-11-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

Today is Sunday; a day of rest. I slept late, then went to a recreational “fun” ride. Less than a mile into the ride a lone rider shoots off the front of the pack. He looks back a few times as if to say, “hey come on” and honestly I felt sad for him. I kept my thoughts to myself (ok until now) but I had to wonder if he was in that big of a rush to finish something “fun” he must be missing out on a lot in life.

We didn’t see him again on our ride, but I noticed that thousands of Christmas lights/decorations and YES even a Christmas tree had appeared on the landscape of this route! I had to check my watch—did I miss Thanksgiving? Why I ask, in a nation where we spend millions on exercise, wrinkle creams, and supplements to look and live longer do we try to rush through the journey that is life? Even Starbucks can’t put up with waiting in their own lines; they now provide you with individually wrapped instant coffee packets perfect for mixing in the car as you speed to work.

I’d like to go back to the time period when October owned Halloween, Thanksgiving was practically an entire season of its own and Christmas only happened once a year. I don’t want to go shopping the day after Christmas for the Next Year—next year hasn’t even arrived yet…. If we keep progressing at the current rate we might just as well yank that groundhog out his hole in December, put a Halloween costume on him and let him lead the Macy’s Day parade.

I’m not against going fast on a ride or enjoying a good Hammerfest, but just sometimes I think we need to take a turn down that road you’ve never ridden, go slowly up the hill, stop to enjoy the view, take the time to finish a conversation with a fellow rider. Slow down and enjoy the journey …you just might find your bicycle leading to places you’ve never seen, with people you may have never had the chance to meet in a world that is, at least for that ride, not in a rush to get to tomorrow.

Is there anything more lovely?

2009-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Fast, beautiful, fun women on bikes---there is nothing better::))

Photo courtesy of @brightbulbideas.com

Why I Ride

2009-11-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

It's a question I'm asked a lot..."Why do you suffer, ride so hard, want to climb that big hill on a bicycle?" I always find it hard to answer -- until today. This was the 1st Mike Nosco memorial/Andreas Knickman fundraiser ride; a new event, for people I didn't know and a route that matches on the road what the Leadville 100 is to mountain biking. This ride would cover 80 miles and go up and down the mountains for 5000 +ft.
I first learned of the ride via my friends at Road Bike Action magazine, who started the buzz about the ride to help Jack Nosco (organizer and brother to fallen rider Mike Nosco). I began the grass roots twittering and emailing riders/friends asking them to join in the cause. The ride was a way to remember Mike and help a local family, the Knickmans whose son Andreas is battling cancer.
Surprisingly, I arrived early and many riders were already there. Although this was a fundraising ride, clearly this was a ride about community. The parking lot was filling up fast with the "big dawgs" of cycling. Road Bike Action, Campagnolo, Firefighters, Fast Friday team, Newbury Park Bikes, two state champions (teens, yes girls:), etc. As if I wasn't already nervous enough....having lost my riding partner because her daughters were sick--uggh.
Club riders began showing up and soon there were 200 riders in the park...The energy was amazing, everyone hugging each other, long-time-no-see relationships rekindled, and a general happiness to be together.
The national anthem was sung by a beautiful little girl, we met Andreas and we were told of the route, SAG, etc. and sent on our way. Rolling out in a peloton that size is an amazing feeling of oneness. This moment when we started to pedal was the beginning of building a bond like no other.
Rider after rider chatted, everyone wanting to know your route of choice (I was very popular since I had decided on a 50 mile route, shortcutting some of the more brutal climbs). People grouped up naturally by speed, route, and riding style. We rode along getting to know one another and this is where the magic happened.
Pedal stroke after pedal stroke you learn about the person next to you, then as the pace changes you do it again; sometimes moving forward, sometimes back, but like a school of fish in a fluid movement. All walls come down and the "big dawgs" set a pace comfortable for all and come back to check on the riders. You learn about someone in a split second--not their job--not their bike--not their religion, but what is deep in their heart. Some knew Mike Nosco before he was killed, some have family and friends suffering from or who have recovered from cancer, some just wanted to help, even though they didn't know anyone on the ride.
Just a short way into the ride came a technical, windy descent with nasty curves and new pavement that is smooth, but slick. It was on this road that it came to me in the form of a short, quick, gently spoken set of words: "Be careful, RaeLynn". Three words that made my day, spoken by my new friend at Campagnolo in the SAG car that made me realize why I ride---it's the people I've met. The people who've inspired me, the good things that can be done with cycling and being a part of such an inspirational group--just look at what Lance Armstrong has done via cycling to better the lives of cancer survivors.
What we were doing today would better the life of Andreas and his family; he will survive and be strong again. This ride will help Mike's family remember and celebrate his life with the good they can give back to families like the Knickmans. We will all appreciate what we have a little more today than yesterday.
The day was filled with many more "why I ride" moments. Reconnecting with a local shop rider who had been in Wisconsin for the summer, seeing the two women who rode on mountain bikes finish, spending time catching up on the climb with club rider and friend Mitch, being inspired as the first group of hardcore riders came spinning by us, being greeted by Jane's Dad at the first fuel stop--his cheery face and jokes were reason enough to climb that hill!
We helped one another through the day regardless of what route you took. Whether it was encouragement to keep pedaling, some food or water, a push or a tube for a flat we worked together with Mike and Andreas in our conversations, our thoughts and our hearts. Nothing in this day would be as difficult as the loss of a loved one or the battle Andreas faces every day against cancer. We could and would pedal through the pain with Mike as our angel, Andreas our inspiration along side our leaders extraordinaire: Jack and Jane, who I thank for giving me the chance to put into words, why I ride....to meet and spend time with amazing people all connected by the greatest invention in the world; the bicycle.

Meeting Chris Carmichael

2009-10-04T19:17:00.001-07:00

I know it has been busy and I haven't yet told you all about Interbike last week---so much, so little time...but--

I got to meet Chris Carmichael this week--WOW!

I was very fortunate and grateful to be invited by the Kaiser Thrive Triathletes I work with; Ann, Michelle, Carrie, Eugene, Al and Karen took me to Los Angeles for a special engagement they had with Chris Carmichael.

He was very warm, personable and engaging. Chris also has great cycling camps, events, and products coming in 2010 for women cyclists--yipee!!

Here are some pics to enjoy...

RaeLynn

ps..to learn more about Chris Carmichael Training go here: http://www.chriscarmichael.com/folders.asp?uid=1

LIVESTRONG DAY RIDE @ Bicycle John's

2009-09-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

Friday October 2nd was LIVESTRONG DAY across the world and since I was no longer crewing the Furnace 508 (rider injured, but ok) I took the day to promote this grass roots cause.

We had 3 rides starting at Bicycle John's Agoura Hills shop. First one at 7:30 a.m. to Malibu Lake, next one at noon was the Kanan city loop, and last one at 5:15 p.m to Westlake to allow working people to fit it in. All rides were one hour.

Jennifer (owner of Bicycle John's) and I worked hard to pull it all together considering we had 24 hours. Jen made the great flyer above and some awesome brownies for snack. ..then she bought pizza for all the hungry staff after a long, busy day::)) Even her daughters came out to ride: Camille, Katie, Sarah, and their friend Lindsay--yeah go girls!

I got busy sending the annoucement to the WomenCyclist list while hubby Robb cooked up a batch of Mom's HI-NRG bars::) He also was photographer extraordinaire throughout the day, uploading and creating smilebox slideshows for those to see via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

All in all it was a great success with 30 or so riders showing up throughout the day and more cyclists who came by to say hello or add a little to the LIVESTONG pot.

Look for this event next year..mark the date Oct. 2nd 2010--with a year to plan who knows what might happen!

Until then check out the video:

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d5445324e7a4d784d544d3d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_instructions_directurl_makeyourown

Ride on,

RaeLynn

Women's Cycling Camp November Solvang, CA

2009-08-23T22:11:00.001-07:00

Jill Gass is an amazing coach, bike racer, endurance athlete and friend I've met through racing. Jill's resume is impressive, but it's her smile, her warm personality and her love of teaching that I admire so much. Even with all of her accomplishments and wins Jill has never forgotten the "beginner" cyclist. I've watched and learned from Jill at both races and clinics; her desire for you as a cyclist to improve is absolutely genuine. Jill partners with other greats: the very sweet Dotsie Bausch, Lisa Tonello and Sonia Ross to bring a Women's Cycling Camp to Solvang, CA this November.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the best how to be your best:)

Tell Jill, RaeLynn sent you:)

August: Loads of Biking

2009-08-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, sorry it's been so long since the last blog....August has just been a great month of cycling. Coaching has filled every day and it's been so much fun to see my clients grow and become more confident on the bike. I've had both men and women, as well as coached junior girls at the Redlands Women's Clinic!
I've also spent some time learning a few new things---yes you can teach an old dog new tricks:)
I've been exploring moutain biking, criterium racing and most recently cyclocross riding. All of these various forms of cycling are unique and I've found have great benefits.

Here are a few of the take-aways from each:

Mountain biking's biggest win for me was the scenery. It was so amazing to ride without traffic, to stop to take in the view, and to be challenged but without the pressure of the peloton. I was lucky to be coached by my friend Andy (who had the patience of a God)! Beyond that my bike handling skills improved. Having to ride over rocks, trees roots, and through ruts gives your confidence in your bike and forces you to push away your fears....at the same time managing to get over those things give you a huge sense of pride of accomplisment.

Criterium racing...this is a scary place for me as the pack travels at a fast pace and in tight quarters. We are lucky to have a local "training" crit where the guys and gals race around a D shaped course in an industrial part. Everyone is welcome here and it's a great group. I started off just trying to stay with the group for the first 10 neutral laps and have worked up to doing all 50 laps. The benefit is this race lasts only an hour, so you can go all out for an hour at max thus improving both your speed and endurance. My last time there I averaged 18.9mph..fast for me:)

Cyclocross...WOW I just finished my first clinic on this...I had never been on a cyclocross bike--this is a modified road bike with knobby tires. Cyclocross is a mix of running, cycling, jumping over barriers and after ward--beer drinking. It's such a great fitness sport as the races last an hour, some are relays. Cross racing requires a great deal of skill, some luck, and a great plan. Most of all it requires a desire to have fun. Sure you may fall down on this one, get a little dirty, you will definitely sweat and it's guaranteed to be enjoyable. Courses can be grass, dirt, flat, hilly, muddy or a combination of all of that. I plan to do more of this--why? Because I know I'll become a better bike handler and that's the key to safety on the bike:)

So, that's what's been keeping me busy....what have you been up to? Write me and let me know what you would like to try or learn...

Always ride safe,
and have fun,
RaeLynn

Beginner's Spirit

2009-07-23T06:46:00.000-07:00

Lance's bike designed by Hirst...photo came from Lance's twitter; I can't help but share it. Lance gets it: "beginner's spirit"...it's so inspiring.

Breaking into the 30s

2009-07-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

Finally I managed to get out of the 40 minute mark at Piru Time Trial. This past Sunday gave us near perfect conditions with little to no wind, warm and sunny and no traffic. Brilliant day to TT. I felt good, except for a very stupid fall off my trainer before the race started...yup I go to a race where you are supposed to be fast and fall standing still...go figure.
Well aside from my pride being hurt and a bunch of ugly bruises to my leg I am fine. Perhaps the fact that I was so mad about it made me push harder at the race.
Whatever it was everything went great today...the turnaround was good, my TT bike felt great for the first time and I was powering down the road in the big ring at 19 mph.
Time Trialing is by far my favorite type of race..just love everything about it:)

39:00

Come on girls...get out and give it a try!
RaeLynn

Le Tour Celebration at Bicycle John's

2009-07-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here's an invite to all my readers for a cool cycling event in Agoura Hills, CA at the new Bicycle John's location. Join us, it'll be fun!

Hi Everyone – Two months have sprinted by since my last note inviting you to join the soft opening of our Bicycle John’s in Agoura Hills. That event was a lot of fun and we had about 50 people come out. Thank you for supporting us!

Two hundred bike repairs, three dozen beach cruisers, and cases, and cases of inner tubes later we are ready to celebrate the grand opening of our bike shop as well as what is shaping up to be an epic Tour de France.

Many of you know that my long term goal is to grow the sport of cycling and in doing so share with others the beauty, challenge and elegance it offers all of us. In that spirit we have developed an event designed to get you and all your friends out to ride with us! This event is intended to draw a crowd – let’s get 200 people out on their bikes - and in doing so introduce new people to our sport, make new friends and encourage those close to cycle to ride more.

Here’s the idea.

We are going to do a (short) group ride in the late afternoon on the penultimate day of the Tour de France. While we won’t be climbing Mont Ventoux, there will be primes (awards) on the road during the ride, jersey’s awarded and the team (club) that shows up with the most people in their team kits (matching riding outfits) will be awarded a major prize! There will be a big party with a BBQ, stuff to do for the kids and raffles at the shop.

The ride is not limited to just roadies. If you’re in a mountain bike club, bring your mountain bikes; if you’re in a tri-club, bring your tri-bikes; if you’re not in a club, well, I would enjoy introducing you to one!

Here’s the detail.

Bicycle John’s Agoura Hills cordially invites you to “Le Tour Celebration 2009”

· 20 mile ride through beautiful Agoura Hills – ride start is 4:30 pm sharp, route slips handed out that day

· Free BBQ dinner after ride

· Raffle every half-hour for Cycling Accessories

· Club Contest (see below)

· Prime Competitions – announced at the ride start

· Activities for the family during the ride

When:

Saturday, July 25th, from 4 to 10 PM

Where:

Bicycle John’s - Agoura Hills

29041 Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Agoura Hills, CA 91301

818-597-8330

How:

Please pre-register by emailing Jen: jennifer@bicyclejohns.com

And forward this email to your club members and friends

Prizes:

1st 100 pre-registered get a FREE Bicycle John’s Podium Hat

All Pre-registered guests receive an extra raffle ticket

Primes won on the road will be awarded at the shop after the ride

Club Contest:

35% OFF COUPON* to Club with most members “In Club Jersey”

*Coupon issued to each club member attending the event (of winning club), valid for 35% off one (1) item, cannot be combined with any other offer, excludes bikes in store, coupon expires 9/30/09

Enjoy the ride!

Scott & Mike
RL

Race Debrief

2009-07-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

Once again I learned a great deal at this race and yes it was brutal, but I still managed to have fun! Everything was perfect as the day started out, great breakfast, perfect weather, awesome warmup, etc.
At the start gate I was really nervous, the field was big and we weren't allowed to pre-ride the course--this is something that is so important in my opinion. As the start time moved back and the announcer continued to warn of the dangers: potholes (these were bike swallowing size), wildlife(yes giant turkeys), cattle crossings (multiples), and newly tarred holes that heated up and were now sinkholes for tires....lovely...my adrenaline was pumping.
Finally on the road all was good, I was staying with the pack until mile 1.2 when my chain came off, at first I was pissed at myself thinking I misshifted but then it happened 2 more times--I was furious and now dropped on the big climb.
Again my adrenaline was pumping, I was angry and now climbing like a mad woman. I knew I wouldn't catch the group as the downhill was not far off and with a national champion leading the group I was history.
However I don't give up, so I continued on spending most of the day being the "carrot" for the men's pack, racing the downhill side with the men's groups, getting dropped and doing it again. Just a love for punishment I guess.
Finally at the finish of lap 3 the champion lady lapped me. I spent the entire race thinking I was last, however I wasn't, I was second to last:)
The finish line was a complete cluster-- as the men 1-2 were lined up to start and I was trying to finish along with some of the men's 5s so that was a pretty hairy moment with lots of confusion and bikes going every which way.
This course left everypart of my body sore. The cattle crossing were tough on the back and constant rough roads and the pressure of downhilling dodging rocks and potholes with the men took a toll on my neck and hands. My legs have never been so sore.
I guess looking back on it this race put some fight in me and I really did race this one not just ride it, so for me it was good. Any race w/o injury is a good one for me.
Live to ride another day--crit tomorrow, but I'll be watching that one,maybe next year.
Ride on
RaeLynn

SLO Road Race

2009-07-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

I feel pretty good for this race. I would have liked to be a few pounds lighter but that won't make or break anything for me. This past week I spent tapering my training and getting plenty of rest as well as staying hydrated. I have never done a one day RR, so it will be interesting to see how I do mentally and physically. I am racing the Master class here, but judging by the registered ladies, they are hardcore, some Pro 1 last year that must be "young" enough for Master this year. It's probably going to be the hardest 35 miles I've ever ridden...however I had one of my best rides up here in San Luis and got a 22 mile break-away, so I'm going to put my mind where it was that day and fight to stay in/on the peloton's wheel.
One thing is certain: with each race I learn a lot,have always achieved some sort of Personal best, meet new friends and leave it looking forward to the next...what more could a girl ask for?
So let's hope for fireworks from these legs and lungs:)
RaeLynn

Pre-race jitters

2009-06-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is my first season racing and so far it's been a lot of hard work, great fun and few big disappointments. As I approach my next race; the SLO Road Race I am once again competing in an event that is unlike any of the others. This time I will race the Masters class 35+, we will race with 3/4 but be scored separately. This is a one day race. The course is a 7 mile lap (we do 5 laps), with a hill of 600 ft at mile 1.5 to mile 3 than downhill from there.
My goal is to manage to stay on the wheel of the peloton and not get dropped. With this course description that could be hard. I need to be with the pack at the top of that hill, if I'm dropped on the downhill the peloton will build up so much speed I'll never catch up.
So I need to:
Grab a wheel and stick.
Grab a wheel and stick.
Grab a wheel and stick.
and don't crash...
wish me luck:)
RL

Tour of California City Council Meeting Details

2009-06-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

The local organizing committee for the Amgen Tour of California is proposing that the race starts and ends in the Conejo Valley next May. Thousand Oaks and Agoura are very supportive but Westlake Village needs a nudge. Nothing would be more impactful that a large and supportive crowd showing up at tonight's Westlake Village city council meeting.

Please take 20 to 30 minutes to come by. Please forward this email and tell your friends to come by too. Bring the family -- it is a great experience for the kids to see government in action!

The Westlake Village City Council is committed to the ideal of a quality community and seeks the input of community residents to maintain this objective. The City Council meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

City of Westlake Village
31200 Oak Crest Drive
Westlake Village, CA 91361

www.amgentourofcalifornia.com

No virus found in this incoming message.

Rock Store Moments

2009-06-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

I love my gal Sheri's Wednesday afternoon rides. The ladies are great and occasionally some boys join us too...like tonight Robb rode along. We meet at Bad ASS of course and there's always the route discussion..where to go, is there a hill, what time to the kids have to be picked up, etc. I love to suggest Rock Store every week...it gets the discussion fired up and always I'm shot down...but not tonight; Sheri was leading the push to Rock Store and I was all for it. Jeanne and Laura had never been so the timing was perfect. No traffic, late date, it was cool (cold for me) and the only sunny spot was at the top of the climb, so we rode to the sun:)
After yesterday's intervals and a twig in my chain I was shot out the back like a cannon...it was great though, they were going for it and I could hear them laughing and talking and encouraging one another.
This is the great thing about ladies rides...the fun. Even when I've raced I've noticed is that women talk more...imagine that....they cheer and hoot and really get into it. They compete and they want to be first, but are not sore losers and they cheer for the last gal up as much as for the first!
It's rides like Sheri's that remind me to have fun on my bike, turn off the GPS & HR, laugh, enjoy, and just ride; it's not always a race...and most importantly that lip gloss in your toolbag is okay, but remember to re-gloss at the top of the climb:)
If you must suffer---at least look good...
RL

Photo provided by Laura...

Pink --not only for Girls!--updated

2009-06-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

This guys might have looked good but it has been announced that he in fact is a doper-a cheat! Doesn't deserve to have worn the well respected Pink jersey....LOSER!!!!

Women in Cycling

2009-05-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished up a conversation with Susan; racer, coach and sports pyschologist in Santa Barbara. Every time I meet someone new in women's cycling I am overwhelmed at the open attitudes and willingness to share information/knowledge.

We all share the same love of cycling and an genuine desire to help women overcomes their difficulties, fears, and to achieve their goals as cyclists; whether that be a race, an ironman event, a time trial or just getting up the local hill on a ride with the family or husband. It's all good.

This is a growing sport and we are seeing more women cycling than ever, better/equal prize money for female racers and hopefully soon..more race categories for beginning racers. And my dream...an all women GRAN FONDO:) That would be sweet.

Keep it coming ladies..the bigger the bond...the bigger the movement -- Ride On
RL

2009-05-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

The T-shirt

Support crew trophy

Uphill TT mountain

Wrong Way Award

Road Race #1 warm ups

Road Race #1 Start

First day Time Trial Hill

Stage One: 10 mile Time Trial (Friday) This hill (photo above right) doesn't look so bad until you imagine it at the end of a Time Trial and without that oh so faithful 27 on the back... Actually it was a good moment for me as I actually passed people on this hill--then the ladies started passing me on the flat stretch into home which gave me an awesome carrot to chase down, so I finished with a great time for me and under my goal of less than 40 minutes; not last place. Cool today of 99 degrees.

Stage Two: 38.7 mile Road Race (Saturday) Temps were well over 100 degrees for the start of Saturday's road race...as you can see from above sports bras showing is acceptable for warm-ups at a women's race...the guys didn't mind it either, but it did make me think that this event is a great opportunity for women product sponsors--hmmmmm. The one shaded spot above became the start line. It was also up the hill from a bull that decided to chase down some riders warming up, so we thought we'd stay up here until he was back in the pen! Course was approx(distances varied from race bible often) 7 mile loop through beautiful, but barren countryside. The long stretch on the backside was brutal with manure piles steaming on each side and swarms of bugs that clung to your skin, shorts, face, eyes, ears, etc. It was like riding through a locust swarm until you rounded the corner, but it did make you speed up.

Did I mention the corner..oh yeah don't make a left....this is how I earned Trophy #1 above "wrong way" award. Yes I preroad the course, yes I knew it was all right hand turns, but hey...I made a mistake. Not to worry the 55+peloton carried me back and I continued on..losing time yes but not lapped until the 3rd lap. I managed to make up time--wierd how I was getting faster and feeling better at mile 30, enough so that I finished behind the pack and ahead of some keeping my GC place. Very fine line to warming up too much and/or not enough...I need to dial this in better as I tend to be afraid that I won't have anything left after the warm up.

The road race ended at 11:00 a.m at which point we started to devour food, wash down and try to stay cool, legs up until the next race this afternoon which was...keep in mind this is a really remote location..no going back to the hotel, your car and whatever shade you find is all you get.

Stage Three: 13 mile uphill Time Trial (2500ft) ( yup, Saturday) I wish I had a photo of this mountain road to show that was better, but I was too focused and hot to take one. The one photo of the climb is above if you look at the one with the mountainous scenery you will see a diagonal line in the mountain range..that is part of the road, we went from the bottom to the other side of the top on this road. 2500 feet of elevation gain, mostly in the first five miles. Brutal temps of 104-106 now at 3:00p.m. for the start time. The key to this climb was simply to finish. After the morning road race and sitting around in the heat I wasn't sure that would be possible. For many it wasn't and watching them turn around and descend, knowing many of these women have raced way more than me caused the climb to be more of a mental battle than a physical one. It was steep, granny gear (27 on here) kind of climb. The key was to hydrate well and keep the calories going in/electrolytes too. I had soaked my clothes in the cooler water and was grateful that I had. I wasn't the fastest one up at all, in fact I was the last one to come in of those who finished the climb. The other racers weren't allowed to descend until the last lady finished so they were happy to see me, but wonderful about cheering me in for the last 50 meters which seems like 50 K... The ladies were great spraying me with water, forcing me to eat and congratulating me.

Then the moment we all waited for ..a screaming decent back to the cars and a air conditioned restaurant..unfortunately that was 1.5 hours away, but none the less a reward.

I was totally cooked on the descent, my body covered in sweat, salt and sunscreen. I can't remember most of it, but I was happy to have finished 3 of 4 stages..two more than I had imagined.

Stage Four: 48 mile Road Race on Iron Mountain (Sunday) My 4:00 a.m. wake up call came way too early and I could hardly lift my head from the pillow. This is where I believe I made a mistake...I tried to eat and it was impossible to get the food in or water. I just wanted to puke. So I got in the car and drove to the start area not feeling very well at all and in a daze. Mr. RM was pretty worried as I didn't sound like myself on the phone. It was already 100 degrees at 6:30 a.m. and we had 48 miles of road with no shade and few support vehicles. Once on my trainer I realized I would be a fool to start this stage. I knew I could not keep the 20 mph pace my CAT 4 racers were going to do and that would put me out alone without water support for a very long time. Still I tried to eat and drink, but there was no way I would have enough in for this level of endurance and heat.

Looking back I think if I had waited to eat after I was on the trainer and early on in the race I would have probably been okay to finish it--note to self for next time. Also this is where I realized that a support crew/person is crucial. I should have had help the day before, someone to drive so I could sleep, someone to think for me, set up trainer, etc. Next time for sure.

But here I was in the middle of nowhere, so I decided to run support for my fellow CAT 4 ladies. Afterall they had been great to me all weekend and I knew in this heat it would be a great help. And it was...one flaw with this race was lack of support vehicles, but my trusty suburban was ready. I still had 8 gallons of water, gu packs, electrolytes, bars etc. so I stayed with the pack and kept them hydrated and fed, fixed a chain and did a wheel change. It was actually a really great learning experience and I have to say when the 4s over took the 3s I was really cheering them on.

These women were amazing riders and mentally tough. They never let the pressure off and raced right to the end! We were rewarded with a picnic under the shade trees and a really fun award ceremony. This is where I earned Trophy #2 for best support crew:)

In the end I was awarded the thing we all wanted and fought for -- the Kern County Women's Stage Race T-shirt...apparently with my times and factoring in those who didn't finish the hill climb, etc. etc. and other race things I don't understand I earned it. I'll take it.

It was, as a blogger I read wrote; "Hit yourself over the head with a frying pan hard!" mhernandez

a definite must do again for next year,

Bike Week Pasadena-Women Cyclist will be there!

2009-05-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Bike Week Pasadena Presents...Ladies Night at One Colorado: A Progressive PartyWednesday, May 13th: 5pm-9pm

The historic One Colorado will be the host for Bike Week Pasadena's Ladies Night, an evening featuring bicycle rides, a bicyclist fashion show, demonstrations, shopping and dining. Participants will be treated to a progressive party that travels from store-to-store and will receive discounts, free treats and other goodies courtesy of One Colorado merchants.

You Go Girl!
It's all about the ladies at One Colorado. Special merchant discounts, "The Ladies of Leisure: Pedal de Pasadena" ride, mini-clinics, fashion show, live music, free champagne and awesome raffle prizes. Free bike and shopping valet available! And don’t miss the Velo Vixen Fashion show featuring fashion and accessories from: Pasadena Cyclery, Trek WSD, DeTours, Elisa B, Evomo, Fuel Belt, Fun Reflector, Harlot, Ibex, In SOHO, Luna Sport, Revolution Cycle Jewelry, Sheila Moon, Sporteve, Sock Guy, Swrve, Timbuk2, Totally Tubular, Third Eye Mirrors, Twin Six, Voler Team Apparel, Velowear and Zoic.

At the conclusion of the fashion show, don’t miss the raffle for some fantastic prizes from our Ladies Night supporters including at Trek Allant bicycle!

Meet us in the central courtyard at One Colorado. The One Colorado is bounded by Fair Oaks, Colorado Blvd., DeLacey and Union St. in Old Pasaden a.

Schedule of events:5 PM Progressive party kicks off featuring special offers and goodies, courtesy of One Colorado merchants.5 PM - 6 PM Basic Bike Mechanics by Pasadena Cyclery6 PM C.I.C.L.E. Ladies of Leisure: Pedal de Pasadena Bicycle Ride—short, relaxed, scenic and fun! Ride leaves promptly at 6:30 p.m.7:15 PM Live music by Fear Mia8:15 PM Velo Vixen fashion show presenting sassy velo-wears for everyday cycling and living.8:45 PM Raffle with prizes

Ladies Night is part of Bike Week Pasadena! Bike Week Pasadena 2009 encompasses a week of festivities and rides that celebrate and encourage bicycling as a healthy alternative to the automobile, May 11 through 16, 2009. All Bike Week Pasadena activities are free and open to the public.

More info on Bike Week Pasadena can be found at: http://www.cicle.org/

Kern County Women's Stage Race

2009-05-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

On the Calendar for this weekend....

10 mile Time Trial (Friday)

38.7 mile Road Race (Saturday)

13 mile uphill Time Trial (2500ft) ( yup, Saturday)

48 mile Road Race on Iron Mountain (Sunday)

CRAZY

YES....I need the Ultimate Cyclist CD 24 /7 to do this one....oh my what was I thinking?
RL

Cruisin' the Conejo

2009-05-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

62 Challenge metric 5700 ft of climbing...my kind of ride. Met up with everyone at the Bicycle John's tent for coffee and delicious homemade baked goods--thanks Jen an John! We partnered up, grabbed route slips and off we went.

Kelly, Robb, Corrin and I set of together but were quickly separated--mostly wanting to make space from the somewhat inexperienced riders. It was chilly and foggy at the start, but by the first rest stop we were together and taking layers off.

Robb and Corrin took off while I help Vicki with her bike position then Kelly and I set off. Kanan was a mess of crazy cyclists going way to fast, so we quickly made a left and detoured slightly from the route--why they don't go this way I don't know. Met back up with everyone at the next water stop.

Rock Store was the first climb of the day, then Mulholland to Encinal, Lechusa, Three bitches (where I kicked ass) then Portero, Lynn, Dos Vientos back to Newbury Park after numerous freeway crossings.

Kelly and I were done after 5 hours on the bike and multiple stops to fix chains, massage cramps, fix helmets, etc, etc. People are really unprepared for these events! A nice lunch by Whole Foods and of course the very helpful Boy Scouts.

Then it was time to get home to Barkley (a Goldendoodle puppy we were dogsitting)..I figured after 5 hours away Barkley would be done with the house remodeling:)

She was actually very good. Good day, nice company and Kelly and I decided that a women's trip to wine country was next on the agenda for this summer---of course on our bikes; what else?
RL

Pet Peeves #1 People Trying to Kill Me

2009-05-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

We all have pet peeves when we ride our bikes...such as I hate when snot rockets come from all directions, or people half wheeling, or riders that show up with no food or gel for the ride then bitch about bonking....
But today I reached a whole new level of agitation shall we say, so today's pet peeve is:

"I hate when people purposely try to kill me!"

Our first (yes first there is more to come) near death experience happened on Rock Store. A group of 4 of us headed up on this gorgeous day. We were riding for intensity, so not fast and we were single file. A very RUDE man in a silver BMW convertible license # MLKH8N nearly took each of us out...he was driving purposely slowly and getting as close as possible--to the point where I thought his car would touch my leg! So unbelieveable. He had plenty of visibility and room to move over and not do this. One good thing about this was there was a cop at the top of Rock Store ( I know, what luck), so he took the description and went on after the guy...hope he found him.

We continued onto Latigo and back with a stop at the vineyard for water...yes really just water and then headed back via Mulholland to Westlake/Decker.

This is when RUDE turned to RAGE from our next attacker. As I descended Decker a small, silver, SUV, 4 door vehicle approached slowly but aimed right at me in my lane (I was going down, SHE (yes SHE) was going up. I looked right at her (dirtly blonde hair, big glasses) and noticed there was a flag (green, red and white stripe or shirt? hanging from the back window behind the driver). I slowed and got tighter into the wall thinking she was going to purposely hit me...she was less than two feet from me when I saw a gun (for a moment of shock I wasn't sure what was coming) then realized--- I was shot directly in the face by a Super Soaker. I was blinded and in shock at this, as I made my way to the side to stop.

The vehicle went on up the hill and I was unable to see for that moment to get the plate # and couldn't ride up fast enough to catch up, but I did call it in. Sure, I've had moments of rage from cars before, but never such a blatant attack that felt like this person was trying to kill me. One has to realize that it could have ended that way had I lost control of the bike because I couldn't see.

I'm happy I had glasses on and that what came from the super soaker was only water. I was definitely afraid of what it was since at that close range it stung pretty bad.

What should have been a great day was ruined by humans being mean to other humans. I hate to think of it, we all have to coexist in this world...hell even lions and their prey respectfully share the few small watering holes during the daylight! If we can't have respect for one another what's left?
RaeLynn

Get yours ladies

2009-05-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

On the shelves today; Road Bike Action Magazine with an awesome new section for women...

Features by Gail Bernhardt on the unique needs of female cyclists
New gear reviews
And a very nice spread of mountain bike/road racer Suzanne Karklins on racing bikes and being a new mom:)

You can get the issue in digital or print here:
http://www.roadbikeaction.com/fly.aspx?layout=sectionindex&taxid=175

If you like it, hate it, want more female oriented information or have suggestions or topics you would like to see covered just write the editor: brad@roadbikeaction.com...
tell him RaeLynn sent you his address::))
Cheers,
RL

Personal Bests

2009-05-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

I've learned a lot about being and achieving your personal bests this week. Wednesday I attended a clinic by Josh Horowitz of Liquid Fitness. The clinic was hosted by the local club; CVC.

Josh explained the process of erasing negative images, thoughts and attitudes from our minds in order to become better athletes. It made such sense to me and many of his points were things I do everyday--well not any more.

Josh led our group through a meditation and visualization exercise using his CD; The Ultimate Cyclist. It was strange and Adam's gum chewing was distracting, but I managed to visualize my ride to Rock Store the next day; as I would like it to go....

Well amazingly I had the greatest night's sleep and that morning I said my affirmations, replaced negative thoughts with positive, especially when I learned a one-one ride was now a group ride of faster riders than me and went for it.

Not only did the group not drop me, I achieved a personal best on Rock Store.

This has definitely opened my eyes to the brain as a tool that can be trained just like my legs and my lungs. I purchased the CD and will continue to monitor/report on my progress.

Negative thoughts I used to have:

My knees will get hurt

I'm not fast enough

I'm going to get dropped

I'm not a racer

I'm not fit enough

My legs aren't strong

I'm not a racer

I'm not fast enough

I'm going to get dropped

see the theme here......?

This is the last time I'll ever write, speak, or think these things. I'm throwing out that broken record.

BTW...last night the CD arrived, I played it as I went to bed...I have no idea what it said (this is how it works...but I stayed awake long enough to visualize my Time Trial ride today and hey guess what - - Personal Best AGAIN::))

You try it, let me know your results!

One last note to the ladies...WE CAN RACE AND HAVE FUN...here's a pic of Sheri and I today ---it was her 1st race:)

California --the way life should be

2009-04-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Bikes, Bikinis, Beach and Bar---what a day.

Sandy, Sheri and RL in photo...

Set out on the bike early from Ventura to get in some not so hard mileage on the bike. Ventura to lake casitas, ojai and back. Of course it turns out to be one of the hottest days of the year so far...just the way I like it--no warmers and finally the chance to get some of those cyclists' tan lines going.

Ended at the beach, put on the bikini to enjoy the surfers and the dolphins. Beautiful day and the beach was packed with people and dogs; everyone was outside having fun!

Finished off the day with dinner and a cold one at the Irish pub.
Sweet!
RL

Ladies night

2009-04-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

Sheri and I decided to enjoy some sunshine on a late afternoon ride today. Mulholland was breathtaking, green and there was a even a deer in the field below. What a great ride...then a picnic by the lake with some great wine and wonderful friends.

Life IS Good:)

Lots of Climbing and some surprise Cyclocross

2009-04-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Somehow the guys always seemed to have time for site seeing! (photo by gravityh)

A group of us headed out to the hills today lead by adventure racer friend; gravityh. H isn't the type of rider I can normally hang with...but he was going to ride a century or something before the ride to wear himself out a bit:) in order to ride with us. I intended on picking his brain about fueling for endurance. DN, RM and the pilot came along too.

My girl KG came along for her first long ride of the season and a chance to climb some news hills too. It was great to have her along; great company and we had a lot of fun. The photo is KG at the top of Piuma in black; I am, of course, in pink. The guys...well they are resting.

Piuma was as usual absolutely beautiful, that's one long hill that is worth every pedal stroke. Schruen gave us a suprise opportunity to practice some cyclocross where the road is being rebuilt. It was a blast navigating the rocks and dirt-- felt appropriate for the week of the one day classics; our very own Paris-roubaix...mini!

The best part was cresting that rough road to see a bunch of tough motorcycle types on the other side contemplating if they could make it through or not--didn't their jaws drop to see KG and I ride over on our road bikes:) Priceless laugh.

All in all we didn't get quite as many miles as planned but ended up with 42 and 5300 ft of climbing. It's all good when you get to spend the day out on the bike.

Time to get back to the hills once or twice a week now.

Spring Fitness Test

2009-03-25T23:26:00.001-07:00

So it's officially warmed up and time to get the fitness level on the old body. Headed out to Rock Store this morning; it was gorgeous - no warmers needed.

Decided to take it easy on the way out and time myself on the climb...my best time last year was 23 minutes. I wanted to ride it like a TT and go gently letting my heart rate ramp up to be maxed at the finish.

I did that and it felt great, practiced a lot of deep breathing too--have a bit of a habit of shallow breathing...push and pulled on my pedal stroke.

Not so bad at 24 minutes. Definitely would like to see 20 minutes in the near future, so I'll keep pushing. Maybe if I can lose that last 5lbs of winter fat...

Beautiful day to ride:)
RL

San Dimas Stage Race Mission Accomplished

2009-03-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

I have returned from my first 3 day Stage Race; what an experience! It's really hard to describe how I feel right now. Part of me is proud of the fact that I did it, part of me is disappointed in my performance and a large part of me just had a blast meeting all the great people.

I had set a few goals for the race....

1. Show up -- I did that; and as easy as that sounds I procrastinated so long (because I was nervous) I left the house late, was stuck in evening traffic and didn't get there until late...which of course made me more nervous since coach had mandated EARLY to bed!

2. For the Time Trial race (day 1) I wanted a time of less than 28 minutes since I had done this hill once before in that time, not in a race and I love TT, so I really wanted to do well here. Well this didn't happen. This course is a 3.77 mile uphill TT at approx 7% grade---doesn't sound bad right..well it's wierd. I do hills harder than this a lot, but at a race it's a different game. I was on target time wise until mile 2 when I got a cramp in my left calf (1st time ever). Not only was this painful, I didn't quite know what to do except keep pedaling. I had to finish today or would not be able to start day 2 Road Race. So, I one legged pedaled for 3/4 of a mile til it seemed to work its way out, then continued on. I was determined to give it my all, so I red lined it (HR 184+) the entire time. Final time was 30.19. Not what I wanted.
Things I did right; started in the right gear, warm-up was perfect, and had the right clothing for the temp of the day.
What I did wrong; didn't take into account the fact that I arrived at the course early 8 am or so which meant hours would pass before my 10:54 start time...I should have had more hydration and eaten again, this may have been the reason for cramping. Also, I should have chosen a different drink with more electrolytes because it was so warm when I went up the hill.
Ended up 53 of 55..at least not last; my usual place.

3. The Road Race (Day 2) this day was foggy and cold, not wet. Start was 8 am. Woke up really nervous, had a hard time to eat, but forced it down. Warm up was good, but probably not long enough--fine line on how hard to warm up and still have enough left to complete the 28 mile circuit. At any rate my goal was two laps without being lapped by the peleton~ I did that but they were right behind me as I sprinted past the lap marker. I was "cut" at this point and then 8 seconds later the peleton crashed ....so perhaps this all worked out.
I was glad to achieve my goal but very disappointed to not be able to stay with the pack. I couldn't seem to catch them for anything. I was downhilling at 35-40 mph and still couldn't get them in sight. Amazing. Overall they had an approx speed of 21 mph avg for the race...mine was 14mph avg; which for me is still a good run.
Group riding skills are really weak...I need to work on this. Big ring endurance too`` those ladies could push some big gears up the hills.

5. Start Crit (day 3) if possible for one lap. This would have been great to make it to this day, however I did not. Being cut day 2 meant I could not start day 3. This was the scariest part of the race and considering it rained this day, it was probably safer for the others to not have me on the road with them:) based on the fact that I have never done a criterium. But I will do one eventually.

4. Have Fun. This I did and I met the nicest people. Both men and women were helpful, encouraging and happy. The race environment is great and the community seemed to welcome the event and cyclists. The views of the mountains for the TT were amazing and the road circuit felt safe and well managed.

All in all I would suggest that with the right prep and mental attitude everyone should try to race. I would love to find a race where I could compete with those on my level. Here I had to race liscensed Cat 3/4 and that put me in with 98% of the field being experience racers...tough crowd. Men have so many more choices in classes; women only have 2. I would seriously rally for a 40+ category at more races.

Next year I think a good goal would be to go with a "team" of ladies and a good strategy for the event, that way we might be able to help one another remember the little things like eat, drink, pee, etc.::))
'til the next race
RL

Where I like to ride

2009-03-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Happy girls:)

The sprint to the finish.

Almost to the dam.

Getting steeper.

Just keep pedaling.

Looking down..we are the two tiny riders...

There's nothing like a slow climb up a beautiful mountainside...the road to Piru Lake...my new favorite spot.

Me and The Chu..

photo credits to Robb:)

Strength, Power and Control

2009-03-01T19:10:00.000-08:00

Amazing, wish I could do that!

Ladies don't write for his number..he's married to my sister.

Body by CrossFit--gotta try this soon:)

More photos of the gang

2009-02-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

Oh..now I know what really cold means...

2009-02-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

Butt Huggers

2009-02-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

Today Erin got her uniform for the Class L track meet...."butt huggers"

and that they are....couldn't have wore those even in my best days!

~rl

A Beautiful Day

2009-02-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

A few more photos. Fresh snow last night, beautiful sunshine and blue skies today. Got to the gym for spin, running and an hour of weights. That felt good. The clean air here is really amazing...predicting really cold air coming in tonight--what is REALLY cold?---colder than 17?

New Hampshire photos

2009-02-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

I am too tired to write a long memoir but enjoy the photos:)

Agoura Cycles Going out of Business

2009-01-25T11:24:00.000-08:00

Yes after many years of serving the community Agoura Cycles and Boulevard Cycles are closing the doors. It's a sad day, for me, for Joel (owner), for the dozen employees who will lose their jobs and for the clients who rely on the shop for gear, advice, repairs and more.

As you can imagine, we all are emotional and shocked. I'm disappointed, angry and sad about the whole thing. I am not in denial, mistakes have been made, but as an entrepreneur also, it saddens me to see this. America is built on the entrepreneurial spirit, people like Joel who risk everything in h0pes of giving something back to the community. Sure everyone wants to make a few bucks that's in our blood too, but rarely is that the main focus.

So, yes there's a big sale and you can get great deals and you're in shock too. Part of me feels for you and the loss, part of me thinks in all honesty (in my mind) "where have you been, I've been here two years and never seen you." Part of me knows that this will hit everyone hardest in a month, when we are gone, and you have a flat, or need a little valve stem or some obscure part that only Joel would have in a drawer that only he can find.

The other part of me sees all of our regulars, the die-hards who show up in the rain to ride, who've been so helpful to me as I learned to cycle, those who ate pink cake and celebrated with us, cried with us, those who have worked and are working all day at the sale w/o pay helping us physically and emotionally, bringing us lunch, coffee and hugs:)I will miss these friends and doing shop things with them, although we will always be friends in a different location maybe- they are amazing.

All in all, everything happens for a reason and this too shall pass.

We all will look forward to what a new beginning will bring
~~~RaeLynn

Rock Store Moments

2009-01-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

The morning before my Velodrome experience was wonderful...a big group of riders at Agoura Cycles, the sun was shining and Rock Store was the destination---a first time for several of these ladies::)) What fun we had!

Can't wait to do it again,
RL

Velodrome riding

2009-01-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, Velodrome...I attended a women's clinic at the Encino Velodrome last Saturday. It was scary to think of getting up onto that concrete ramp on a bike with no brakes, no gears...and I'm scared of heights.

I waited after the orientation and let Deanne go first, we would share a very small bike that fit her. Luckily KK was there and he gave both of us a "private lesson". Without him I would have never made it up that ramp:)

Deanne rocked the house getting all the way up to the rail with KK...she did experience a few moments when she stopped pedaling for a second--only to remember the briefing "don't stop pedaling or you'll cartwheel over the top". Not what you want to do at those speeds and with all that concrete.

I took quite a long time on the warm up track. KK was so patient explaining the track to me and what to do...finally he convinced me to get onto the track and off we went. I was like Nemo ..."just keep pedaling" the whole time this was in my brain.... Girls were flying by us like we were standing still...they yell "stay" as they approach, you better just stay or else it will be ugly.

Fun thing was that each track has rules and everyone has to ride a certain way. Unlike group rides when you have no idea what the riders are going to do. The velodrome is very predictable and it's a really great way to improve your pedal stroke.

I would definitely do this again, perhaps find a time when KK can do another lesson and when the track is fairly empty. I don't think I would race this type of thing...but never say never.
RL
Here are the pics Deanne took...

http://breakawaycycling.shutterfly.com/

New Year Goals: Conquer my Fear of Failure

2009-01-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here's an article I think was written for me....

http://www.roadbikeaction.com/fly.aspx?layout=content&taxid=97&cid=1015

HEALTH AND FITNESS: CONQUERING THE FEAR THAT SLOWS YOU DOWNKatharine McCoyJanuary 9, 2009
Use your brain to conquer fear, and become a better riderFear is good. A healthy fear while riding your bike is what keeps you alive. Everybody from the time they first start to pedal their bike needs fear. Good fear is what keeps you from charging into the street without looking, putting on the brakes in the middle of the pack during a group ride or cutting in front of the teenager who looks like they just got their driver’s license.However, there is another kind of fear; a fear that slows you down and keeps you from doing your best. Many people don’t even recognize that it is fear. They never stop to questions if it is fear that keeps them from making a breakaway when they are feeling strong, keeps them from attending a group ride or that sends them back home when a ride starts to seem a little too hard. There are two factors in the success of any sport: the body and the mind. We tend to just focus on the first because it seems like it is easier to control. It might sound like a bunch of psychobabble to some, but any successful athlete will tell you that it is the mind that separates the mere talented from the standouts. Cycling is an especially mental sport in that injury, and often pain is always just a bobble away. Even the best riders have experienced an unexpected crash resulting in at least a serious case of road rash. Our brains tend to remember these experiences and often times it takes a while after a crash for a rider to feel confident again. But physical pain is only one aspect of the way that fear can slow you down. There is another type of fear that is some times harder to spot. Often times it is simply the fear of failure or even embarrassment that keeps us from reaching our potential.RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEMMaybe you think that only wimps have fear. Not true. AA has it right when they say that the first step is admitting that you have a problem. The truth is that this is a problem that affects in someway almost everyone. You don’t need a fancy therapist or sports physiologist to figure out if fear is one of you’re the things holding you back. A little self analyzing and learning to recognize the symptoms are a good start. Ask yourself what you would do if you weren’t afraid? Is there something that you have avoided doing because thinking about it makes you feel apprehensive? Have you avoided committing to that 100 mile ride that your friends do because you really are too busy or because you fear that you can’t make it. Do you tend to ride towards the back of the pack because you are afraid of making a mistake or even becoming involved in an unavoidable crash? Do you avoid riding with anyone who might be better than you? Have you wanted to enter a race but keep putting it off? Be honest with yourself about what your real limitations are and what you fear that they might be.Learn to recognize the signs that fear is holding you back. Are there points while you are riding that you tend to tense up or feel like you could push yourself harder but instead hold back? Once you acknowledge that there is fear you can learn to control it rather having it control you.USE YOUR IMAGINATIONMost of things that we worry about or are fearful of never happen. And even if we do experience what we are afraid of it often isn’t as bad as we thought it would be. At the same time if you have suffered a bad crash your imagination often replays the incident in your mind, causing you to experience the crash over and over. The first step in conquering a fear is finding the good in the fear. What have you learned from that crash that you won’t do next time? What is you brain trying to protect you from? If it is a real issue acknowledge it. Yes, riding a bike has risks, but so does spending your life on the couch. It is one of the oldest mind tricks in the world but one of the best defenses against fear is to replay the positive in your head. Imagine the best thing that would happen if you found that you could ride 100 miles, or if you did enter that race or if you did decided to brake-a-way and it worked. Just thinking positive thoughts won’t make it happen, but the opposite is often true as well. Thinking negative things will often times keep the good things from happening, many times because you didn’t even try. TRAIN PAST THE FEARIf a certain part of a ride always makes you shaky then train there. If you really want to try that 100 mile ride start to train for it. Telling yourself it is achievable goal. Ask another experienced rider if they will help you set up a training program or if you can afford it get a coach to help. Knowing that you have the physical tools and have done the work will give you the confidence to do it. Having the help of a more experience rider can inspire you to workout at a new level. It may take your brain awhile to adjust but when you begin to do whatever it was afraid of your brain will see it as something that can be done rather than an overwhelming task. STAY FOCUSED ON THE NOWAccording to studies done on successful athletes one of the things that they are able to do is to focus on the here and now and not ten minutes from now. A football player who is thinking about a Superbowl ring instead of the current play or a baseball player who is worried about his next at bat while he is covering first base tends not to do as well. The same holds true for riding your bike. When you are on a big hill don’t worry about the decent and when you are in the flats don’t worry about the next climb. Don’t allow the fear of the next thing rob you of the energy that you need for the here and now. FEAR: IT’S NOT ALL IN YOUR HEADThe fear response of the body does not stop within your brain. We are all very aware of the way that adrenalin can affect the body for the good as well as the bad. Any experienced rider knows that a good dose of adrenalin at the right time can be the very thing that propels them to the finish line or over the top of hill past their riding buddies. Adrenalin can give our muscles an extra does of energy, but too much over longer periods of time can also wear our muscles out and cause us to be tense, off focused and feel drained. That is why you often see riders at the beginning of a long race working on relaxing their muscles and calming their thoughts rather than pumping themselves up as they might do before a sprint. The more we learn about the way that the mind affects the body the more we learn about how some of the processes can be controlled for our benefit. Using music, positive imagery and relaxing breathing techniques can actually have a real impact on your brain and therefore the body. MRI’s have shown that these things can affect the way that our brains function. When we are tense and fearful our breathing tends to be quick and shallow not allowing our bodies to get the oxygen that they need. We are in an age where calming music and proper breathing techniques are just a download away. Listening to your mp3 player or even your walkman (do they still make those?) can actually help you to learn to relax so it can be a trained response when you are undergoing unhealthy fear.Acknowledging and letting go of fears that are holding you back can make a huge impact on the way that you ride and whether you reach your full potential in any area of your life.

Mini interview with my fav girl racer Liz Hatch

2009-01-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

Check it out here.....

http://cycleto.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=700

Breakfast with the Pros...

2009-01-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

Breakaway Cycling Launch

2008-12-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

My friend Deanne just launched this new site; http://breakawaycycling.blogspot.com/

Great rides for women--and guys too.

We can all use more opportunities to ride right?

See you there Jan 11th...

Here's a pic of Lady D at one of my Pink Train rides:)

Back to the Dark Side

2008-12-25T14:50:00.000-08:00

The rain is not keeping me off my bike any longer.....Christmas Day mountain biking...

A few repairs....

What Champagne--it's drinking and driving that's bad right?

I love mud puddles!

No traffic

No noise

Nature

Just freedom to breathe fresh air

Think without distraction

Fall and not care

Get dirty and love it

Mountain biking has some really great things to offer--I'm going to do this more often

~rl

PIRU Time Trial

2008-12-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

5 a.m. wake up alarm to get ready for Piru Time Trial today...really hard to motivate..it was cold, chance of rain, but I needed to do this so after a pancake, banana and some coffee I headed out.

Warm up was short and I was really trying to talk myself into not doing it...but I had put the aerobars on and was determined to give it a try, hopefully without crashing.

All in all it ended up good; I started early with a push off at 9:09. First mistake right out the gate--being in too big a gear, so I got out of the saddle and pushed out, then settled in a bit down the road, but my HR climbed pretty good.

I knew I had to get it back if I was going to keep enough gas in tank for the end, so I just remembered what the plan was..spin like a bee for 20 minutes. I hit the turn around mark at exactly 19:57...so that I was pleased with.

Unfortunately, I misjudged the distance and was crawling up the last hill...I looked for the last downhill and dug deep. I was happy to see that I came into the finish line doing 24 mph--I had nothing left and that's how it should be. I had taken 2 minutes of my last time on this course; happy with that.

As usual I learned a lot of what not to do and I was able to stay in the aero bars the whole time except uphills, so I'll take that as a small success.

~rl

Hidden Gems

2008-11-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

Hidden gem...this is one of those precious places to ride a flat, smooth road without traffic (on weekend); short, but still a great spot to practice TT position/pedaling. I love the quiet, it makes for a nice break on my 50 miler local ride...especially since the end of this route makes me ride on the sidewalk like those who shall not be mentioned, then weave my way down LA ave. like a NY messenger!

Today was fabulous weather for riding and it felt great to work off that Thanksgiving feast:)
~rl

Lost without training

2008-11-19T14:04:00.000-08:00

Forget Lance, let's talk about me--

I've been out of "training" mode now for three weeks and it's awful. I feel lost. I don't know which direction to turn. Don't get me wrong, the down time is great, lots of wine, chocolate and fine meals at my favorite places. Also I've enjoyed riding with friends I haven't seen for a while.

Now I'm not a racer (at least until next year), but I've had a hard time putting my thoughts into words about how I miss training until yesterday, when someone did it for me: I'm a big fan of Selene Yeager, Bicycling Magazine's "Fit Chick"; Ironman athlete, puts it like this:

http://fitchick.bicycling.com/2008/11/mad-season.html

For those of you unwilling or able to read the entire article here is the part I could relate to:

"So, some folks are just hitting their peak, while the rest of us are desperately trying to hang onto our fitness while our speed and power are hitting the skids. It's a cluster of confusion as we're alternately racing, riding, hitting the gym, recovering, watching football, getting ready for the holidays, and, of course, drinking at every opportunity. As one of my friends recently put it, "I'm gonna need a new liver if this keeps up...."It's not that we're lushes. We're just athletes. That means we're obsessive, intense, focused and disciplined to the point of being sacrificial--at least while we're in season. Once we cross the line of the last race of the year, it's straight off the rails until we find a new goal to get us on the straight and narrow again. It makes perfect sense really. Many of us fell into cycling as a way to stay sane. I'll be the first to admit that riding, training and racing helps keep me from spiraling into a mental abyss."

So there, I'm trying to stay out of the abyss...
~rl

RM160 SAG HAG

2008-10-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

My friend at Road Bike Action Magazine; http://www.roadbikeaction.com/ puts on a annual ride called the RM160 and since I'm definitely not riding 160+ miles on my bicycle, I got to be the SAG HAG. Der- was smiling.

The crew, including one awesome woman, started from Thousand Oaks at o'dark thirty on Saturday morning. I soon learned that this isn't your ordinary club ride... pace was up there right from the start and didn't let up the entire ride. Der-was smiling.

It was a beautiful route through Filmore, Ojai and Santa Barbara and the group continued to smile and have fun the entire trip. Myself and cowboy Bruce drove along behind snapping photos, handing out bottles and gel paks and I wondered if I'll ever grow up and be able to ride like these folks. Der- was smiling.

Lunch in Santa Barbara was wonderfully sunny, so the crew had a nice picnic at the park before continuing on. Remarkably, the day was uneventful with only a few mechanical issues and most vehicles seemed to yield to the group. Der- was smiling.

As late afternoon approached I wondered if they would make it back before darkness, especially since the dreaded climb (dreaded only by me) was the last climb of the day...at this point the guys realized it might be more than 160 miles...Der- was still smiling.

I gave one rider a ride back to his car, grabbed an espresso, and drove back to the coast to see who was left. On the way I ran into a rider I hadn't seen since the start??--he was crazed with hunger and thirst, so I filled his water and hoped he wasn't going to chew off my arm if I gave him a ride. No ride for him--he was going to finish and he DID!

Back at the last pit stop on Lewis road, my friend was spinning to warm the legs before the climb. One by one the guys rolled in desperate for Red Bull and whatever caffinated, sugar loaded, carb, energy burst they could get. Der- was still smiling.

The climb up Portero was/is brutal, but the remaining 6 or 7 guys all made it up--Der- smiled the entire way up.

At the end of the day, the guys were worn out, needed showers and real food. RM treated everyone to dinner at BJs, which was great to recap the ride, but most of them looked like they were 2 seconds from being face down in the pillow. Der- wasn't there but I know he was smiling.

All in all a great experience to watch; not gonna rush out and do that, but maybe someday:)

Fiesta Island

2008-10-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Fiesta Island Time Trial, San Diego

2nd time trial--had to beat previous time of 44:56 which I did by 2 minutes 39 seconds

It was brutally cold, I was shivering so bad at push off I almost couldn't stay steady

I found it impossible to warm up on a flat course--45 minutes and my legs were still cold

I took 5th place, same as last time trial, the other women in my category all had TT bikes

Gotta get me one of those....also would like to do this again in the summer.

The hubby beat me by 5 minutes; this was his first time trial. Good job.

Wheels, wheels and more wheels

2008-10-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

I went to the Carp Tri to cheer on some riders with a friend. It was cold, foggy and wet...did I mention cold! I could not warm up and my glasses kept fogging up--I was dreaming of a fireplace and big hot chocolate, maybe a baileys. After lagging behind up a hill my friend swapped my wheels for his tubulars and wow-- a monster was born.

Even though the wheels weren't matched quite well with my brake pads, I noticed a difference right away. It was like rolling on ice; really smooth.

Since then I've tried several other kinds and researched more...I definitely will be lighter and able to climb better with a new wheel set....of course they will be great on my new bike. Tha is if I can ever decide on one.

Last night I used zipp 404 which I will take with me to the Time Trial this weekend in San Diego. Don't know if it will make me faster but I will look cool.

Three days to go....wish me luck; I need to ride 20 K faster than 44:56 to be happy
RaeLynn

Yerba Buena

2008-09-29T09:42:00.001-07:00

So after being deathly ill, I managed to pull off the biggest climb of the year: Yerba Buena. 10 miles of up and up and up. The road was brutally rough, with cracks that swallowed my skinny tires and bumps that made my bladder scream for help.

The view from the top was of course amazing, but there was no time to stop for a photo. The entourage was already at the top and I have no idea how long they had been waiting, but it must have been a while.

It took nearly 2 hours to complete the climb with the overall 45 mile ride time being 4 hrs 30 minutes. 4000 ft of climbing and I burned off 2200 calories.

The good news is that this ride completes my summer goals of coastal climbs;
Latigo
Decker
Fernwood
Topanga
Mulholland
Encinal
Yerba Buena
Stunt
Piuma
7 minute hill

My coach said no champagne--haha I'm definitely celebrating
rl

Down for the count..

2008-09-16T19:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I encountered some kind of germ and today I'm down for the count, flat on my back in bed with the nastiest sinus headache, pressure you can imagine.

It sucks. I've always heard that an athlete's immune system is like a delicate flower but wow--one would think; and wrongly, that being healthy and fit would make for a strong system!

Spent the night suffering but went to the Dr. this morning 1st thing; x-rays, antibiotic and painkillers.

The rest of today was/is a blur and I don't know why the floors won't stop spinning...

Hoping for a better tomorrow.
rl

Rewards

2008-09-03T18:42:00.001-07:00

I have a riding buddy that says it's all about pain and desire...I say it's about rewards---

Like not having cellulite on your thighs...

Being able to eat anything you want...

Feeling strong...

And this reward after a hard climb today...the view of the clouds and the Channel Islands as I crested the top of Stunt Rd...

Amazing!

35 miles 4156 ft climb to what looked like the top of the world

Ladies Ride Labor Day

2008-09-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

So nobody knows labor better than women, so we scheduled a Labor Day Ladies Ride. Eight of us took off from Gelson's heading for 7-minute hill. Jan did a great job picking the route, leading us out and making stops at appropriate places.

For some of our riders it was a rest day/easy ride, others a chance for their longest ride, and for me a chance to test my hard training work against the real women of cycling. We all had one thing in common...PINK; we were definitely well dressed and I've never seen more happy male cyclists in all my rides:)

We had one person who showed up but didn't finish--I won't elaborate, but thanks to L's hubby she got in the car and got a ride home...probably saved all of our lives.

All in all it was really fun. I hope we can do it again.
RL
next time I'll take a photo:)

Morning beauty

2008-08-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Like I said Sunday I was exhausted, overtrained and had a migraine but somehow when my phone goes off at 6:30 a.m. with a text that says, "get your lazy ass out of bed and come ride" I can't resist....

Now, just to clarify Robb was away for the weekend at a paragliding comp or I would have never left my nice warm bed.....

Secondly, my bud who sent the text had set up a ride earlier in the week and I had to cancel on him--he's a really nice guy, but has an edgy side that doesn't take no for an answer, so off I went. Met up with him and several other riders, but of course in my condition I only rode a few miles then ventured back to the safety of my bed. Surely he'll make me suffer for that later:)

I hate to quit and was totally embarassed, but hey the guy gets one day to ride with the buds; I wasn't going to hold him back to my pace all day.

Silver lining of the day is that if I hadn't gotten out of bed I would have missed seeing this incredible spider web covered in dew.

Catching up

2008-08-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since I posted so here's the catch up...

I've ridden some 400 miles since the last posting. Needless to say I've been a bit busy. This includes the Cool Breeze Century ride (100 Miles). I took an hour off my previous century ride time and finished this one in 7 hours 17 minutes, with 2000 more feet of climbing.

I've been totally frustrated at GARMIN-they suck; my gps unit froze my computer, then "technical" support managed to delete all of my history--yes every bit of it and off my backup--f___ing idiots. Now the damn thing thinks it's 2013 and is recording god knows what....Losing all that history is heartbreaking--nothing to compare to; nothing to use to set new goals with or look at progress. UGGGUGUGHHH!

This week has been really hard. I need a rest and I need to have some fun.

RL

Masochist

2008-08-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

Today was my first time going all the way to the coast and back...The route started in Westlake Village, out to Malibu lake, up Mulholland, up Rock Store (this is where I believe I turned into a masochist with 30/30s intervals--8 of them in a row) then past the vineyards down Mulholland to the PCH and back via the same route.

I was totally cooked at the end. I was an emotional wreck all weekend; then I performed really poorly today and that took an emotional toll on me--so my mind and body were a wasteland.

Came home, ate, took a bath, had a good cry and I feel so much better. I put in an order for some vitamens and supplements; maybe I'm just depleted from all the training.

Maybe it's a full moon. Oh yeah, and we saw the biggest snake--not sure but I think a king snake-yuck
RL
40 miles way too many ft

Easy day tomorrow.

Hill Intervals

2008-07-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today was hill intervals training--7 (5) minute intervals up Encinal Canyon Rd from the coast at a cadence of 70+! Absolutely the first one was brutal...the second came a bit too soon, but the third felt really good--if you like pushing beyond your limits.

The others didn't matter I was so spent I couldn't do anything except keep going. Then a rest stop over some other little climb down Mulholland and up Mullholland again. WOW.

Perfect overcast day for this route but it didn't stop me from sweating;
I really smell bad after this one...time to hit the showers.

RL

Bloody Saturday

2008-07-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've finally gotten to the point where I've learned enough to know that other riders can be very dangerous. Today's ride was a real troubling one; a woman fell from her clips (a constant problem), then a man passed out from the site of her blood, then the poor CHU who was helping me with my bike so I could help the wounded got a gash on her leg that looks like JAWS got her!

Such a bad day...I knew I should have taken that rest day. Should have gone with my gut instincts.

RL

Lovely Latigo

2008-07-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today I climbed Latigo from the PCH. What an amazing view. I've been warned about this climb so much I thought I might never try it. What I found out is that it's a great climb:) Yes it's long, but not as steep a grade as some others...I'm sure it would be a bear to race up, but I'm enjoying the journey.

I kept my heart rate under max and trained at a lower instensity, which is supposed to help me gain speed. It's counter-intuitive, but I have this knowledge from someone who knows, so I'm sticking to it.

The PCH part definitely sucks and that short section definitely raised my adrenalin levels because of the traffic; it's a wide bike lane, but the vehicles just whiz by so fast....uggh

Here's a couple of views looking down at the road I climbed up from.
RL

The Gang

2008-07-14T09:38:00.001-07:00

Faiz

Bad Brad & Robb

R&R&R

Carlos and The Chu

Ron & Riss

My Birthday

2008-07-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our last day in Oregon and my birthday, so I got a wild idea to take a rest day (Ron was ordering up a hammerfest for today). Naturally rest days are just days to get into some other sort of trouble--which I had no problem doing.

Soo.....I got inked! Yup, my first tattoo. Three bike chain links with the middle link pink placed on my lower back. Okay yes I wanted to be able to cover it up; call me chicken...

The place was called Epic Ink in Medford and after checking them out for safety etc. I went for it. The whole thing took less than an hour...then I had to meet the gang at headquarters. And of course, tell Robb what I had done. It was a nervous morning, as I wasn't sure what he would think.

Robb just laughed and perhaps he thought I had a moment of insanity. It was definitely not premeditated.

But now I have it- - forever.
RL

Paddle, Paddle

2008-07-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Friday's adventure was kayaking. We loaded up the biobeast and headed back to the lake for a day of paddling. It was the perfect day for it. The wind was low, temps over 100 again. Glennie and Jen had put aside a few kayaks for us, so we stowed the cooler with lunch and a bottle of wine and shoved off to explore.
Paddling a plastic, open kayak was a bit different then the ocean fiberglass ones I've been used to in the past. It didn't take long and we were in the zone. We explored all the coves and inlets and at some spots the quiet was amazing.
We made it to the end of the lake, pulled up on shore where there was a bit of shade and enjoyed a bottle of pinot noir, some lunch and power bars. It was so peaceful. We swam and relaxed while checking the air for our pilot friends; contemplating where they might have flown for today's task.
Time past and the wind came up strong; we should have left a half hour earlier. Going back was brutal. The first hour we made little to no progress against the wind. Finally we made it to a sheltered inlet and Ron had a plan.
We tied the kayaked tail to nose and tandem paddled into the wind. This was far more effective and we made much more progress.
It was really hard for me to keep pace with his paddling, but a great workout. Finally we could see the campground and Faiz on a standing paddleboard with Robb in the lake. Yipee! We were home again after yet another 5 hour adventure. 18-20 miles of paddling; that's a real back and arm workout. I looked like Arnold afterward; my biceps were hard as rock and SORE!
What a great multi-sport vacation this has been....and I made a new friend for life.
RL

Ride on the Dark Side

2008-07-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

After a day of rest my riding buddy and I decided to take on a new challenge--a mountain bike ride. Well, it's nothing new for him, so of course I felt it would be fine for me--haha

We rented Giant Trance 2s and set off for Glenny's campground in the biobeast (base camp for the day). It wasn't quite as hot today and we were fired up...at least I was until I started.

The first 1/8 of a mile was on the ledge, all shale and all up hill. Geez I was scared to death to wind up over the edge and into the lake. It got a bit better but it was definitely not a beginner trail. The entire way on on the edge of this 30-50 foot drop to the water. It was narrow enough for just a tire and at times it was difficult to walk forget ride the trail. Perhaps this was the reason we didn't see any others on the trail?

The scenery was glorious and midway we hit fire road and I had a chance to relax a bit. My buddy is directionally challenged so like our other rides we got lost. Our first challenge was a STEEP hill in which you had to climb one hand on the cable to get up; the other arm carrying your 30+ pound bike...not going to work.

So we doubled back, refound the proper trail and spent another several hours on the edge. Funny thing was we've seen so many deer road biking and out here in the mountains not a single form of wildlife.

Long day with four and half hours of grueling work for twenty miles. What an experience. The end reward was worth it...we got back to the ECO beast, changed into our suits and jumped in the lake. Aaaaahhhh it felt so good.

Met back up with Faiz, Robb and Riss at headquarters. Robb had a great day of flying; very technical as well. Riss made goal on right turn day--not bad for a guy recovering from a broken wrist.

My only hope is that I don't wake up covered in poison oak--it was everywhere on the trail!

I don't think I'll become a big mountain bike chick:)

Day 3 Dark Hollow Road

2008-07-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

Today the temps were at 100+ and I really had no interest in anything, but I had talked big to my riding partner and wasn't going to quit first so I selected what I thought would be a flat route.

Ron was gracious enough to lube my chain this morning due to yesterday's dust, so I hoped it would be smooth sailing, flat terrain and a breeze to keep us just below the fry point.

Wrong on all accounts. The map we had was totally wrong and we climbed hill after hill only to find a dirt road at the other end. We were in the land of no where. We hit hills from 14%-18% grade; one short one in particular put my heart rate at 190...I was shaking like a leave at the top...and yes on the other side--dead end to no where. At least we went down..another fastest for me-37.2 mph.

Temp 103; lost and running out of water both of us were spent. We'd been going in circles forever. Finally we ran into another cyclists who gave us directions--we were almost back to the road where we parked but we had to climb one more monster hill. Bring it on...so I thought.

We sailed up the hill like horses to the barn only to realize it went on another few miles! The last part was killer. We were both out of water, used up all our food and Gu. My GPS shows the grade at above 20%...not sure that is accurate, but this hill did me in....I cramped in my left calf at exactly the half way point. Really dumb and I was kicking myself knowing I'm dehydrating. I barely got unclipped; another second and I would have been down. I stretched the calf but couldn't push down to clip in. One legged pedaling was not an option on this grade, so I walked 10 steps and turned back down the hill, clipped in and drove it to the top. Thanks the stars there weren't any cars because I needed the whole road.

We melted into the car, cranked the AC and tried to recover. Ron and I agreed; Wednesday would be a rest day. Our flat day ride turned out to be 3000 ft of climbing in 25 miles. With this heat that is unbelievable.

Lunch, ice cream then a nap.

3 days; totals thus far--90 miles--8090 ft --4316 calories used--
now I sleep.
RL

Day 2 Cady Hill

2008-07-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

Today we set off for some hills and it didn't take long...within the first 6 miles we climbed 1500 ft and it seemed like this hill would never end. My legs were like leaded fire balls from yesterday's ride and hitting this hill cold was brutal.

I muddled through while Ron proclaimed "this is the crest" at yet another hilltop...it was never the crest; just a bump before another bump.

Finally we hit the top and it was an exilarating 32 mph downhill...until a deer jumped out behind Ron (he never saw it); and I decided it was time to slow down. The deer here are like mosquitoes in Maine--they are everywhere!

We were completely alone--no traffic--which is the most amazing feeling to ride without the stress of traffic. The scenery was breathtaking, the smells so fresh and everything was so quiet. We just pedaled and took it all in. We were definitely in the zone.

As we made our way back into Ruch ( I got a long 20mph draft off Ron) we could see hundred of paragliders overhead. The competion was on. I quickly spotted Robb's yellow and orange glider--he was way high and I knew he must be stoked to be flying so well. To the left was a pilot low and Ron and I watched as I explained that this person should land or get out of that spot; quickly this pilot was overhead yelling "hey Ron"; it was Faiz landing out.

Ron sprinted back for the Eco-beast vehicle, we loaded the bikes and took Faiz back to re-launch.

Our bikes were on the back and I've never seen my road bike so dirty. It's going to be a long night of cleaning it.

Lunch came really late. Ron and I were about the chew thru our own arms, but a 22 oz Arrogant Bastard took the edge off.

Ready to do it again tomorrow:)
RL

1st day Oregon riding

2008-07-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

I spent last night drinking too much wine and talking cycling with Ron, my riding partner for the week, then promptly decided "I'm going to get an ass whooping."

So, this morning I woke early, loaded up my pancakes with fresh raspberries and blueberries provided by Riss. Energy and fuel for the day.

And what a day it was. Ron and I took off for the Applegate lake early. It was still cloudy, but the day was predicted to be hot so we enjoyed the coolness while it lasted.

No route map, no road map, just me and Ron on the road for the day. The roads were fairly empty and the traffic that was seemed fairly cycling friendly. Ron was leading, setting the pace at 16 or so right off the bat. I held on and hoped I could make it without embarassing myself. The day just got better and better. The scenery was breathtaking and I learned so much from Ron. He improved my pedal stroke, taught me to ride without hands and improved my cadence. I was climbing hills at +80 cadence..something I've never done and it felt great to not climb at a snails pace. We also had soooo much fun. We were very compatible and enjoyed the day...even laughed when out route dead-ended on dirt roads to no where.

We made it back just as the hunger rolled in...luckily Ron's place was just around the corner from a restaurant/pub, so we changed out of our sweaty duds and popped the top off a few Arrogant Bastards. Returned to the landing zone just in time to see Riss and Robb landing their paragliders after a rockin' and rollin' day in the air.

Totals were 45 miles, 3:15 time, 13.7mph (yes my fastest ride yet), max speed 33.5mph, 3007 feet of elevation--oh yeah and I earned that beer--2000 calories burnt:)

Conquered the Coast

2008-07-03T06:41:00.000-07:00

Finally I made it to the coast! I drove to Leo Carillo beach, parked and made the climb up Mulholland from the PCH. And what a climb it is, but not as scary as I worked it up to be in my mind. It's difficult, but not too steep, just a long, long 8 miles up.

We were a group of three and took our time, but didn't make any stops; total time to Little Sycamore 58 minutes. Then we topped it off with the climb up Little Sycamore. The descent was amazing--no cars and the canyon was ours. AMAZING!

I pulled a CHU and forgot to take a picture--loser:(

Another fear gone...yipee!

ps the PCH still scares the piss out of me.

RL

Six days of riding

2008-06-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've had six days of riding since my last rest day. Really bad I know. Somehow I have to get my schedule back on track. Also need to get back to focusing on my summer goal--to the coast.

The heat's been brutal; forcing me to ride at o'dark thirty and the lack of sleep has taken it's toll. I did my Purple ride today and had to have a two hour nap...I was practically sleeping on the ride. Lots of new women showed up today though, so that's really awesome, they all had a fun time. I had some of the nicest guys helping with this ride too...they were really encouraging the ladies and their draft was a big help!

Had a nice swim in the pool; what a great way to cool down. Robb rode today too, so that's always nice.

Saw The Chu out in Hidden Valley with the "bonhomme of the jeure" and A-man of course joined us after already riding 66 miles.

Tomorrow rest and gym, then Tuesday train, maybe a long ride Wednesday by myself to clear the head and not have to worry about anyone but me on the bike. Yeah, that's what I need--some zen with the Dama:)
RL

Rest Day

2008-06-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

I've had a busy weekend with rides on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

I managed to get in my first sprint against The Chu--it was so much fun to ride hard, so close to the Chu, both of us pushing as hard as we could. ... I got slightly ahead (only because I called the sprint), but we kept it on and it was easy to tell we were both loving the competition. Of course in the end The Chu had more endurance, but we were both happy; happy:) Not bad since I'd been riding for two hours before this--hill intervals; which I'm really liking. Wish we had photos, but you know The Chu; have camera, but never take photos:)

I can feel the training I've been doing is working...I'm hoping to see some serious results and improvements through the summer.

But for today, I think I'll take a second nap.

Ride on.
RL

Palos Verdes

2008-06-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Was in Palos Verdes this weekend so I decided to set off on a ride around the Pennisula. You can see from the photos it's a beautiful spot, ocean views and a great breeze.

I started a bit late since I had a morning meeting. This area is definitely one to cycle early in the morning because there was ALOT of traffic. Fast traffic too. It was definitely nerve racking so I decided to venture off the route, toward the cliffs and ocean to relax. This was great, except that it meant I was lost all day--not to worry I met so many lost cyclists one could have made a killing selling the Garmin 705 on the sidewalk. It was quite hilarious since we were all supposedly going in a circle...

Many of the cyclists were quite concerned with the hills. I kept being warned; don't go that way there's a big hill. Never did hit anything that seemed like a big hill compared to here. I hope that means I'm getting stronger:)

At any rate I did make it back safely and I would like to return and ride this with friends early morning. Really nice folks in Palos Verdes and a great little coffee shop called the Coffee Cartel.

Just Keep Climbing

2008-05-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Another set of hills conquered! A-man posted a relaxing, long ride for the Memorial Day holiday, so I signed on. The route Mulholland/Piuma/Stunt/7 Minute Hill back via Calabasas. 50 miles, 5000 ft. approximately.

It was a good group, although Robb went to the mountains with his mistress (Rhonda the weather station) instead of riding. BH came along too, he was tired from a 70 miler the day before which made it perfect for him to slow down and ride along with me. The Chu joined us for the climbs, but then buggered off for a hot date:)

The weather was perfectly cool with a light wind and sunshine. A-man promised great views from the top and he didn't disappoint--well maybe, when he said 3K to go to the top of the first climb and I thought we were at the top!

It was slow going, but the grade wasn't the issue; these climbs were long--7 miles, then 6 miles, then 2 miles, one after another. My quads were on fire. Near the top of Piuma a young man was playing a guitar and singing all by himself; he was really good too--BH got his CD. Probably be the next Jack Johnson.

The descent down Stunt was pretty wild with one curve after another. Even with brakes I felt like I was flying and it was cold. By this point I was getting pretty hungry, but we continued to 7 minute hill, which really didn't feel like much of a hill after Piuma and Stunt. Ended up in Calabasas, but only got to potty, nobody wanted to stop for food--ugghggh I was chewing through my muscles at this point and had eaten all my banana, gu, BH's shot blocks, and both electrolyte drinks.

Luckily BH was pretty hungry too and he stayed back to encourage me home. Thank goodness because I was melting. Got back to the start where A-man was waiting with that look on his face that says "I'm going to ride another 100 or so miles."

I could hardly walk when I got off the bike and my ass was really sore--massage please:)

BH and I headed for Jack's Deli to amaze the onlookers by woofing down huge plates of food.

Then a food coma....hurried home for a shower and a nap. Pics to come--The Chu has them and you know how that goes with her and pics:)
RL

Happy Hour Ride

2008-05-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

My hubby, Honn, The Chu and I skipped out of work earty to meet at Bad Ass Coffee for an evening Rock Store climb. It was Robb's first time to the Rock. It was raining when we left our house--really strange, but Westlake was clear.
As usual I started off a bit slow needing my 3 mile warm-up, but by Cornell I started to feel better. At the 4 way stop I peeled off my base layer and sleeves, did some GU shots and we started around the lake.
The boys were ahead, then the Chu, then me at the rear. When Chu and I made it to the Rock Store the guys were up ahead resting.
We all started the climb at 5:55. Slowly, slowly The Chu and I went. Robb and Honn were way ahead.
Honn did his first run up in 15, then rode back down and encouraged me up to the top--love that about him and it made that last leg easier for me:) Robb made it up in 18 minutes (amazing for a virgin) and The Chu and I at about 26-27 minutes.
Took some pics at the top (will post when The Chu sends them). Made our way past the winery and over to Decker with plenty of light left in the day. Then a stop to check out the camels. Robb had an exciting descent; locking up his breaks--needs to get used to the responsiveness of that new rocketship he's riding. I went down slow and was nearly pushed into the hill by a wind gust...scared me! The Chu was waiting for me at the bottom and it felt so good to see her there.
I had so much fun riding with The Chu again; it's been awhile. Of course, Honn and my hubby top it off as the perfect group.
All in all it was a great ride: A-man will be jealous as he had a family thing and couldn't join us.
We joined Jan's picnic after the ride for a bit of wine, cheese and fruit.
Lots of fun on bikes.
RL

What am I doing?

2008-05-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ever had those days when all the voices in your head are screaming...today was that day for me.

Today I was on my way to ride and as I filled my tires with air-wham, sheared off the valve. Damn. So I made a quick jaunt to the shop and begged the guys to fix it up; which they did. Ended up later than I wanted to start, so I just rode from there, did some hill intervals and found myself really wishing I had my Garmin. (Sent it back for repair, so 10-14 days w/o-ugggh).

My head was a real mess of confusion and the ride did me good. I think I figured out why I'm so frustrated...I need a new goal. First I was training for distance, then speed, then the century, then the time trial, then Rock Store, and now--nothing. I never do well without a plan.

I've got to figure out what's next and write it down. I think I want to lean down and build muscle for speed. I'm going to have to ask for some advice. I want to do all the coastal routes too, but I'm afraid of the PCH.

I need some chocolate cake.
RL

Cruizin'

2008-05-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

After two days of hard riding I decided to add a little fun to my cycling. I showed up for the Thursday night picnic ride with this purple Retroglide cruiser- one of the benefits of moonlighting at the bike shop.

It made me feel like a kid again as I cruised around the lake. Single speed and coaster brakes took a bit of getting used to...and it's an unbelievable workout for the legs:)

Really fun--if it weren't for Portero I'd take this out for the Purple ride, but there's no way I'd make it with these fat tires.

The seat was made for me; lots of room for the junk in my trunk:)
RL

LadyLance does the wind tunnel

2008-05-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hidden Valley was blowing for the Wednesday afternoon ride. It was hard to get above 8mph and felt like I was in a hot, wind tunnel--wonder if this is what Lance feels like?

As usual A-man was doing laps around me and what a show-off; one legged hill climbs-geez! She-She, L, and A-man went over the back while GW and I headed for shelter around the lake.

Couple of laps, 22 miles total and I was done. All finished within minutes of each other.

My honey comes home tomorrow-yippee; it's been a long two weeks.

:)RL

Back in the Saddle

2008-05-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

The sun was up yesterday and the road was calling, so I decided it was time to get back on the bike. I expected it to be a slow, not too far ride since I've gained weight and my muscles would be hurting. Turns out I was wrong...it was an awesome ride.

It was warm (just the way I like it) when I got to Chesbro to start. I wasn't quite sure where to go, so I just started of with an easy warm up, a few small hills. I felt surprisingly good. Many cyclists were out and that led me to follow the pack--from way back of course.

I ended up in Malibu, of course, is there a more gorgeous place?, and around the lake then--oh what the hell --Rock Store next. It was stunning and quiet, this was just the mental health moment I needed. It was also Africa hot and I realized it's time to put the knickers away for summer. 23 minutes up--two fastest than last time--but I did get a few pushes on the way up.

Cycling is the one sport where a stranger can put a hand on your butt, give you a little push, and you don't mind...as long as you're on a killer hill like the Rock:) Amazing how much it helps; although I think they help as they pass by more to feel powerful themselves or because they feel bad that I'm moving so slow. It doesn't bother me and I've learned a lot from riders who are willing to share to help me improve. At any rate we all end up at the top and it feels GREAT!

Next, I was brave and made a left at Decker to an unbelievable smooth, curvy mountain road. Heaven on earth and a view all the way to the ocean. At the end was a sign for Little Sycamore--took it right and again, amazing vistas and nobody else in site; not even cyclists. The quiet was so good. Epic spot.

At this point I really didn't know where this might lead, so I turned around to head back. The descent was fun and the ocean breeze was so welcome as the day boiled. Of course, that fabulous mountain road has a name --3 bitches and oh how--3 small, leg melting hills on the way back up. Burn baby burn.

Out of water, so back I went down the e-ticket descent of Decker at 29.9 mph, the curves were awesome and no cars--the road was mine. I was able to follow another cyclist's line down, so another great learning experience.

Ride back to car was really hot and I had to stop for water. Cannot deal with dehydration. Over all a 40 miler with 3800 ft of climbing.

Not bad for a lard-ass.

RL