Come and say hello in Little Rock, AR!
On Monday, April 23, 2012 at 11am, the Optum Pro Cycling Presented by Kelly Benefits Strategies girls will be doing a meet and greet at Spokes Bike Shop. Drop in and say hi! Our team director Rachel, and our multi-talented mechanic Adrian will be with us as well. Word on the street is that Spokes has great coffee too.
Here is Spokes' address: 1001 Kavanaugh Blvd. Little Rock, AR 72205
See you there!
Apr 19, 2012
Apr 18, 2012
Don't Dance When You Zipline!
Our team director Rachel Heal noticed a great bargain on a group purchasing site for ziplining. We hopped in the Optum team van and went to the 2 year old Beanstalk Journey site, an hour from Asheville, NC.
It was pouring rain on our scheduled ziplining day, but we're not woosies. We geared up in some of our Champion Systems rain gear, my teammate Courteney lent me some closed-toe shoes, I put my teammate, Emma's mom (who lives in England!) down as my emergeny contact on my waiver, and we were off.
I thought it would be funny to do a little butt-wiggle on the third zipline into our adventure (which was significantly slower paced than what we're used to racing our Orbea bicycles, mostly because of the clipping and unclipping from the ropes and wires on the course). Butt-wiggling is not aerodynamic though and I inadvertantly slowed myself down so much that I got caught in the middle of the line and had to be rescued. For the remainder of the ziplining adventures I took every piece of advice into account that our friend Dino from HED Wheels gave us on aerodynamics. I ended up flying into every landing with ease. Dino is a wise, wise man.
What a fun off-the-bike team activity. Here is a video:
Tomorrow's menu: A ride on and around the Blueridge Parkway (it's like a mega-huge Parc de la Mauricie!) followed by some motorpacing and "grilling out" with the girls. I've got to think about what kind of meat I want to bring and who I could get to help me cook it...I'm used to eating my meat out of a can. Gotta love smoked herring.
It was pouring rain on our scheduled ziplining day, but we're not woosies. We geared up in some of our Champion Systems rain gear, my teammate Courteney lent me some closed-toe shoes, I put my teammate, Emma's mom (who lives in England!) down as my emergeny contact on my waiver, and we were off.
I thought it would be funny to do a little butt-wiggle on the third zipline into our adventure (which was significantly slower paced than what we're used to racing our Orbea bicycles, mostly because of the clipping and unclipping from the ropes and wires on the course). Butt-wiggling is not aerodynamic though and I inadvertantly slowed myself down so much that I got caught in the middle of the line and had to be rescued. For the remainder of the ziplining adventures I took every piece of advice into account that our friend Dino from HED Wheels gave us on aerodynamics. I ended up flying into every landing with ease. Dino is a wise, wise man.
What a fun off-the-bike team activity. Here is a video:
Tomorrow's menu: A ride on and around the Blueridge Parkway (it's like a mega-huge Parc de la Mauricie!) followed by some motorpacing and "grilling out" with the girls. I've got to think about what kind of meat I want to bring and who I could get to help me cook it...I'm used to eating my meat out of a can. Gotta love smoked herring.
Apr 16, 2012
.jpg)
I didn't know how to get home on my own though. So, my teammates let me suck their wheels, or "sit on" as some prefer to put it. I did just that, and with some extra help from a syrupy caffinated drink, I managed to pedal the whole way through, and I enjoyed myself.
I got a lot of sweat in my eyes, hacked up a lot of phlegm, got blood all over my hands and face from an impromptu nosebleed that I chose to ignore, but I really, really, appreciated the rolling hills and the green landscape. Asheville is beautiful!
Apr 15, 2012
Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium
Two days after my 25th birthday I got hit with the flu. It's been going around like wildfire in my part of the country. I upped my nap quota to 3 or 4 a day, kept my legs spinning only easy, and hoped and wished to get over it as fast as possible. I only have a tenacious chest cold left to kick now, and I'm convinced it's on it's way out. Flying from Québec, QC to Charlotte, NC I was understandably iritable. So when a security agent asked me how old I was, I wasn't going to tell him for nothing. I asked why he wanted to know. Completely serious he responded that because if I was under 12 years old, I didn't have to take my shoes off and put them on the belt.
I raced the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium in Charlotte, NC with 5 teammates. There are huge cash prizes, great primes, a big, energetic crowd of supporters, and a pretty fun race course with 8 "on-the-tight-side" corners.
I was hacking up phlegm over myself for the race, determined to participate. And it was definitely good for the morale. Jade busted off the front solo, she scored some intermediate sprint primes too, Anna chased down an early break with everything she had, Annie and Emma stayed up near the front on guard, Courtney put in some crazy hard efforts. Jade finished 4th overall.
I like this crit a lot and I want to come back next year in full health.
After the race we watched the United Heathcare men's team control the men's 80km criterium, which was an impressive show. The Optum Pro Cycling boys were not here because they're racing the Battenkill UCI race.
We're off to Asheville NC, where we'll ride the Blue Ridge Parkway (my favorite road south of the Parc de la Mauricie) for a week or so, before heading to the Sunnyking crit in Alabama.
I raced the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium in Charlotte, NC with 5 teammates. There are huge cash prizes, great primes, a big, energetic crowd of supporters, and a pretty fun race course with 8 "on-the-tight-side" corners.
I was hacking up phlegm over myself for the race, determined to participate. And it was definitely good for the morale. Jade busted off the front solo, she scored some intermediate sprint primes too, Anna chased down an early break with everything she had, Annie and Emma stayed up near the front on guard, Courtney put in some crazy hard efforts. Jade finished 4th overall.
I like this crit a lot and I want to come back next year in full health.
After the race we watched the United Heathcare men's team control the men's 80km criterium, which was an impressive show. The Optum Pro Cycling boys were not here because they're racing the Battenkill UCI race.
We're off to Asheville NC, where we'll ride the Blue Ridge Parkway (my favorite road south of the Parc de la Mauricie) for a week or so, before heading to the Sunnyking crit in Alabama.
Apr 9, 2012
What's Next?
After coming home from the San Dimas Stage Race and Redlands Bicycle Classic in California, I spent some time in Québec City, Montréal, Mauricie region, and a quick visit to Toronto.
Racking up some mileage outdoors, I made the most of practically the entire extent of my Champion Systems wardrobe, it is CHILLY here in Québec! I spent some quality time inside on my Kinetic trainer as well though. I celebrated my 25th birthday with a ride that lasted the entire day, and finished it all off with a trip to a sugar shack. Only going about once every 4 years is a good rule to stick to...
Next race (in less than a week): Presbyterian Invitational Criterium in Charlotte, NC with some of my Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefits Strategies teammates. Afterwards, we'll ride the Orbeas out on the Blue Ridge Parkway for seven days, then head to Alabama to race the Sunny King Criterium.
The Tour of the Gila in New Mexico (a windy stage race, at altitude) and then finally the Joe Martin Stage Race will finish off my next racing block.
It's always nice to be home and sleep in my own bed and use my own coffee maker, but it gets old pretty fast. One thing that's for sure is that I'm pumped to get back out into the race peloton...
Racking up some mileage outdoors, I made the most of practically the entire extent of my Champion Systems wardrobe, it is CHILLY here in Québec! I spent some quality time inside on my Kinetic trainer as well though. I celebrated my 25th birthday with a ride that lasted the entire day, and finished it all off with a trip to a sugar shack. Only going about once every 4 years is a good rule to stick to...
Next race (in less than a week): Presbyterian Invitational Criterium in Charlotte, NC with some of my Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefits Strategies teammates. Afterwards, we'll ride the Orbeas out on the Blue Ridge Parkway for seven days, then head to Alabama to race the Sunny King Criterium.
The Tour of the Gila in New Mexico (a windy stage race, at altitude) and then finally the Joe Martin Stage Race will finish off my next racing block.
It's always nice to be home and sleep in my own bed and use my own coffee maker, but it gets old pretty fast. One thing that's for sure is that I'm pumped to get back out into the race peloton...
Apr 5, 2012
Thanks for Taking Care of Me
Just over a month ago, I took a nasty spill that left me with a concussion. Concussions are dangerous, they can have long term consequences especially when they're not treated properly. Concussions are mysterious too, their signs and symptoms are sometimes hard to recognize, diagnose, and evaluate.
Taking time off of training is imperetive to recover from a head injury. A precocious return to physical exertion can delay the recovery process substantially. A small investment of a week or two "off" from regular training is a price well worth paying...otherwise recovery can drag on for months on end.
It is counterintuitive not to train when we're not feeling well. A lot of the work-outs I do hurt, and are crazily uncomfortable. Pushing through them until the end is part of the fun. With a concussion, my legs don't even hurt, my heart rate doesn't race, and I don't sweat buckets all over the place. I want to go hard, but regardless, I can't, and I know I shouldn't try.
A lot of people helped me get through this bizarre and unfortunate period. A teammate from last year, and a fellow cyclist who has had rock star mountain bike performances both shared their mistakes, experiences, and first hand expertise with me. Their stories struck a chord, and prevented me from making the same wrong choices by trying to "come back" too quickly. The Conseil du sport de haut niveau de Québec looked after me by promptly setting up appointments with sport concussion specialists. I had advice from coaches from the Québec provincial team and the Canadian national team. Friends encouraged me and shared contact information with other individuals that could help.
I am extremely fortunate to have fully recovered, and I thank every single person who helped me get back on my Orbea bike a few weeks ago to train and race the way I like to. A little lag in fitness was the only price I ended up paying...but I'm not so sure that it would have been that way without your help. THANK YOU!
If you whack your head, take care of yourself, and ask for help!
Taking time off of training is imperetive to recover from a head injury. A precocious return to physical exertion can delay the recovery process substantially. A small investment of a week or two "off" from regular training is a price well worth paying...otherwise recovery can drag on for months on end.
It is counterintuitive not to train when we're not feeling well. A lot of the work-outs I do hurt, and are crazily uncomfortable. Pushing through them until the end is part of the fun. With a concussion, my legs don't even hurt, my heart rate doesn't race, and I don't sweat buckets all over the place. I want to go hard, but regardless, I can't, and I know I shouldn't try.
A lot of people helped me get through this bizarre and unfortunate period. A teammate from last year, and a fellow cyclist who has had rock star mountain bike performances both shared their mistakes, experiences, and first hand expertise with me. Their stories struck a chord, and prevented me from making the same wrong choices by trying to "come back" too quickly. The Conseil du sport de haut niveau de Québec looked after me by promptly setting up appointments with sport concussion specialists. I had advice from coaches from the Québec provincial team and the Canadian national team. Friends encouraged me and shared contact information with other individuals that could help.
I am extremely fortunate to have fully recovered, and I thank every single person who helped me get back on my Orbea bike a few weeks ago to train and race the way I like to. A little lag in fitness was the only price I ended up paying...but I'm not so sure that it would have been that way without your help. THANK YOU!
If you whack your head, take care of yourself, and ask for help!
Apr 3, 2012
Redlands Went Out With a Smash
Redlands went out with a smash.
The four stage race finished with a circuit race of 9 laps around the "Sunset Loop". It has a reputation for being the toughest stage of the entire race. Optum Pro Cycling raced it hard and raced it well.
On the first lap, Joëlle hiked the pace up, scoring the only precious time bonus to be won during the stage. This caused the field to shatter, and only at the beginning of the race. 6 of the 8 Optum riders made the selection. Thanks Joëlle, you made my legs burn. But I stayed in for the fight. I wanted to race this puppy. Later, Leah who was part of this group as well, went off the front for a few laps with another girl. Jade scooped up some extra Queen of the Mountain points securing her jersey, as Leah was brought back into the group.
With a couple of laps to go, I skidded out on a downhill, regained control of my bike, then skidded out and crashed only meters further. After just recovering from a concussion only a couple of weeks earlier, I felt lucky that I didn't whack my head. It would have set my training back considerably, for a second time this season. I was adamant about getting back on my bike but I couldn't move my arm. Some paramedics and a firefighter named Kevin came to my rescue. I was mangled, but alive and relatively well. Just not in shape to ride.
I got a ride back in a cop car to the feedzone to join the Optum staff until the end of the race. I asked to sit in the back, like a criminal. It was fun.
The girls finished the stage without me, and with 5 remaining Optum riders in the lead pack, Joëlle sprinted to a 2nd place stage finish, and got up on the 3rd step of the GC podium with the help of the Optum Pro Cycing presented by Kelly Benefits Strategies women's team. Jade kept the Queen of the Mountain Jersey, and Joëlle the sprinter's jersey, as well as the Best Young Rider, and Sprinter in the Women's Prestigue Series.
Good job girls!
The four stage race finished with a circuit race of 9 laps around the "Sunset Loop". It has a reputation for being the toughest stage of the entire race. Optum Pro Cycling raced it hard and raced it well.
On the first lap, Joëlle hiked the pace up, scoring the only precious time bonus to be won during the stage. This caused the field to shatter, and only at the beginning of the race. 6 of the 8 Optum riders made the selection. Thanks Joëlle, you made my legs burn. But I stayed in for the fight. I wanted to race this puppy. Later, Leah who was part of this group as well, went off the front for a few laps with another girl. Jade scooped up some extra Queen of the Mountain points securing her jersey, as Leah was brought back into the group.
With a couple of laps to go, I skidded out on a downhill, regained control of my bike, then skidded out and crashed only meters further. After just recovering from a concussion only a couple of weeks earlier, I felt lucky that I didn't whack my head. It would have set my training back considerably, for a second time this season. I was adamant about getting back on my bike but I couldn't move my arm. Some paramedics and a firefighter named Kevin came to my rescue. I was mangled, but alive and relatively well. Just not in shape to ride.
 |
| All wrapped up to immobilize my bashed up shoulder. |
The girls finished the stage without me, and with 5 remaining Optum riders in the lead pack, Joëlle sprinted to a 2nd place stage finish, and got up on the 3rd step of the GC podium with the help of the Optum Pro Cycing presented by Kelly Benefits Strategies women's team. Jade kept the Queen of the Mountain Jersey, and Joëlle the sprinter's jersey, as well as the Best Young Rider, and Sprinter in the Women's Prestigue Series.
Good job girls!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)