Wisconsin State Road Race

Had a weekend at home for the first time in almost a month. Nice to spend some time with Dave even though we ended up driving all over the place for various gatherings. Sunday was the Wisconsin State Road Race. A fun rolling course in the southeastern part of the state, this race always draws a good field of women including many out of staters. With over 30 women on the line and several strong teams represented I knew it would be a good race.

We did 6 laps of a 6.5 mile loop which has a steep hill with about 200 meters of false flat to the finish line over the top. The first time up the hill I attacked trying to thin out the group. A mile later a group of 8 of us had formed - Kristen, Devon, and Madeleine from Team BH, Rachel and Kaitie from ISCorp, and two solo riders - a Minnesota Gopher and a Triple X rider from Illinois.

It was a big group and I wasn't real sure I liked the composition of it so I didn't immediately push for it to stick. But once BH organized themselves and realized how good their odds were we all begin to take turns pulling through. After riding that way for 2 laps Kristen threw in an attack which sort of threw a lot of us off guard. Not wanting to give her too long of a leash Rachel and I brought her back and proceeded to more carefully position ourselves and keep an eye on those rascally riders ;)

With two laps to go I attacked on the hill again hoping to maybe thin out the group even more. Riders were strung out and if a few of us had been able to push the pace it might have happened but a mile later we were back together. BH threw in a few more attacks but we were more watchful and as we approached the hill for the final time we were one big group.

I attacked the climb again knowing that was my best strategy as not everyone in the group was a climber. It's a long sucker and as I was getting to the top I struggled a bit to keep the pedals turning quickly and Devon started to come around me. I shifted to the big ring over the top and tried to catch her wheel but she was too strong. Just behind me I see Kaitie so I begin to sprint to the line and as we get there she starts to come around me. I throw the bike but Kaitie has just barely beaten me!


It was a great race and congrats to Kaitie on getting the state title. She's such a strong rider and at only 17 she's only getting stronger! Everyone in our break rode really well and it was fun to try to race smart when being outnumbered!

Thanks to Monique for coming out and cheering and taking photos once again. She's definitely our Superfan!

Now it's off to Minnesota for Nature Valley Grand Prix. Ashley, Ally, and I will drive up this afternoon and racing begins on Wednesday morning. I'll try to write some updates during the race - we'll see if I actually follow through or not!

And I leave you with one of my favorite cycling YouTube videos. I introduced a bunch of my teammates and friends to it recently. It's hilarious - enjoy!

St. Louis Adventure

So after the races in Tulsa I made the drive back home and Ally joined me for the ride to St. Louis. She had found a cheaper flight through that airport rather than in Tulsa so I was happy to have some company in the car. We had a fabulous road trip complete with a stop for burritos and coffee and DJ Ally played some life changing music from our Ipods. We were super grateful once again to Carrie and Chris from Team Rev for letting us stay at their place Sunday night.

Ally's flight left at 7:30 the next morning so we were up and out of the house by 6. Little did we know that some major road construction started that morning on the interstate my GPS wanted us to take. We had to go the city route and I swear we got stopped at every light. We rolled into the airport at 6:55 and Ally ran to the counter while I unloaded her stuff. No dice - they weren't going to let her on and she had to rebook and try to fly standby later in the day.

I felt horrible and told her I'd take her out for breakfast so we got back in the car and just drove. I figured we'd head towards downtownish and try to find some cute neighborhood. We drove for about 40 minutes through some pretty rough neighborhoods. Lots of desolate, boarded up buildings and apparently chop suey is very popular - we must have passed about 6 places advertising it! Finally we found our cafe.

A beautiful neighborhood with big old brick homes and a cafe offering crepes and Italian coffee beckoned us. Ally went with an omelette and I got the waffle.
We both agreed it was pretty much the best breakfast we'd ever eaten and at least redeemed part of the morning we'd had.

I then dropped her back off at the airport where she'd spend most of the day. Note - American Airlines has crappy customer service. They were rude and kept giving Ally mixed messages. She ended up not getting on the first flight opportunity and finally made it back to NC at 11pm. Whew - what a day for her - flying can be really frustrating! But . . . moral of the story - get to the airport really early!!! :(

My drive back was uneventful and now I'm eagerly looking forward to the next road trip up to Minneapolis/St. Paul for the Nature Valley Grand Prix. My hands down favorite stage race of the year. 6 races in 5 days with nearly 150 women on the start list.

And this begins my whirlwind ambitious racing schedule of 20 races in 26 days. Three days off after NVGP and then begins the 10 day America's Dairyland Series in Wisconsin. Awesome races with a solid payout for the women. I went and did a loop of that Blue Mounds course yesterday and all I can say is WOW! It's pretty much all up and down with 2200 feet of climbing per 22 mile lap. What a way to kick off the series!

After that series I'll have 2 days off before I head to Louisville for the Masters National 30+ TT and then fly out to Massachusetts for the 4 day Fitchburg-Longsjo stage race which begins the next day! I'll be ready for a break after that :)

First up is the Wisconsin State Road Race this Sunday though! Ashley and I are going to throw down!

Tulsa Tough Day 3

Whew - what a weekend! Sunday's race was another scorcher and the course was super fun (at least in my opinion!). After the flat start/finish you took a right turn onto a steep little climb that turned right again and continued to go up before a slight downhill, some flat/gradual climb and then a fast descent with a scary corner. This would be a course that wouldn't suit many riders and we all figured there would be plenty of DNFs on the day.

The first time up the hill riders were dropping chains or in the wrong gear. You had to navigate through them and it was tough to try to stay up near the front. After a few laps things settled down a bit but plenty of riders had been shelled from the pack. Ally and I were both up in the main group and there were some riders who were attempting to get off the front of the race.



About midway through the race a $200 prime was called and I took advantage of my positioning when I got on the wheel of a rider who sprinted up to the front over the top of the climb. I was sitting 4th wheel just before the fast descent and sprinted around so that I could be first through the scary corner and take my own line. With about 200 meters to the line from that corner I was out of the saddle and sprinting and was pretty pleased to snag the cash without too much of a fight.

As the race wore on I was feeling pretty bad. The spectators were amazing and there was a rowdy bunch on the hill spraying us down with hoses and giving us bottled water. I definitely took advantage of that! With about 10 laps to go I was dangling off the field which had been whittled to about 40 riders. Finally I got back in contact and tried to conserve as much as possible. I started to feel a little better but still not great. I was hoping I'd get a second wind and could try to move up on the last couple of laps. Ally was riding strong and looked comfortable in the group.


As we came through with one lap to go I was in the front third of the group and was determined to push hard in these final moments. Up the climb I sort of spaced out and didn't try to shift out of my big ring until I was onto it and the strain on the drivetrain wouldn't let the chain down. I kept hitting the lever but nothing happened. Finally (this all happened in just over 5 seconds!) it went but I was now just off the back of the field and I was chasing to try to catch back on. They were flying and I was too trashed to make it there. I finished 28th and was happy to have stuck out the race and thankfully gotten that mid race prime! My teammate Ally was riding so well and took an amazing 11th place - way to go!

This was a total race of attrition and only 33 of the 80 some starters even finished. It was such an incredibly fun weekend. The Tulsa community was so supportive of these races and the organization and turnout was amazing. Ally and I hung out with an awesome group of folks from Tom's Bicycles after the race and they were so much fun to talk to. They gave us some cold beverages, some sweet cycling caps, and we even got adjustments from a chiropractor. Thanks so much to everyone associated with these races!

And huge thanks goes out to our wonderful host Beth!


She was so generous and spoiled us with espressos and tasty muffins in the morning. We had a lot of fun spending time with her and the dogs - here's little Boogie - a sweet, energetic Snorkie! (that's a Schnauzer/Yorkie mix!)


Beth's son Alex rides for the Junior National Team and her bicycle themed decor throughout the house was so cool. Check out her amazing backyard!



Once the race was over it was time to hit the road and get riders to the airport. It was quite an adventure and I'll give the story it's own blog post . . . maybe later today ;)

Thanks for reading!

Tulsa Tough Day 2

Just a quick update as we're about to head out for our final race this afternoon. Yesterday's race was pretty ridiculous. It was in the low 90s so the heat was definitely going to be a factor. The course was a wide open L shape and was less techincal than Friday night. Roads were mostly flat with one small riser on the backside and a slight downhill before the last corner.

We start the race and things are going smoothly - the pace is high but manageable. Ten minutes in as we come through the start/finish stretch I'm in the front third of the field near the right side barriers. All of a sudden I hear that horrible sound of bikes crashing in front of me to my left. Carrie from Team Rev is right in front of me and is nearly able to miss it but goes down and I have nowhere to go but into her (sorry Carrie!!) The pile up is huge and girls are everywhere. I immediately jump up and try to find my bike - it's nowhere in sight. Finally I find it about 10 feet up the road from where I landed. All the girls are scrambling to get up and get to the pit which is just in front of where we crashed. The officials are yelling that the race as has been neutralized so we all try to calm down and assess the damage.

My finger is bleeding from getting caught on a chainring - it's really not that bad - and my left forearm is pretty scratched up. All in all I'm incredibly lucky and everything is okay. It's sort of chaotic and the pit is full of girls trying to get their bikes working. Luckily all of my teammates are fine so we go get some cold water and find some shade to stand in. Ten minutes later we're back on the line to restart our now shortened race.

I admit to being a bit nervous after that and my position was not the greatest for the rest of the race. There were a few moves off the front but you could tell this race was going to end in a bunch sprint. With two laps to go I tried to move further up but couldn't crack the top 20. Catherine rode great all race and finished an awesome 12th. Ally was also riding well and ended up just out of the money for 22nd. I came across 35th and Jill (in her first NRC 1/2 race ever) rode like a rock star and finished 36th. Kat was also riding strong and was 46th. I am so glad that none of us were seriously injured. Carrie unfortunately didn't get back in and had some pretty serious rash on her hands, elbow and shoulder.

Today we've got a technical course down on the river with a power climb in it. I'm always a sucker for those power climbs so I'm hoping to crack the top 20 today! We race in the heat of the day and with temps in the 90s again it's going to be pretty steamy! I'll hit the road after the race today so next update will be from home in Wisconsin!

Tulsa Tough Day 1

Friday night was the first race in the Tulsa Tough bike races. Three days of crits with nearly $40,000 on the line for women. It's great to see a race offer up so much prize money and important to come support these races. I left Madison Thursday afternoon and stayed over in St. Louis (thanks so much Carrie and Chris from Team Rev!) and finished off the drive Friday morning.

Kat, Ally, and I are staying in host housing with our awesome host Beth. Tulsa is a really great city with tons of recreationally minded folks. We've been really impressed with the bike paths, the friendly people, and the cool downtown.

With over 90 women signed up for the races and the start list was stacked with big names and teams. Friday nights course was a fast, technical 8 corner hour glass shaped course. You never like to think about crashes but given the field size and all of the corners we knew they were likely. Positioning would be key as gaps would probably be opening and the pace would be kept high.

I managed to be in the top 20 right from the line and moved my way up to the top 10 in the first few laps. I sometimes struggle with my positioning so I was happy to be up there and tried hard to stay near the front. The fluid dynamics of a 90 woman peloton gliding through corners of a course like that is always a beautiful thing. The whir of the chains and being inches from riders on all sides is always an adrenaline rush. Five laps in I found myself losing my good spot and drifting further back. I settled in mid pack and tried to keep moving up.

Cool picture of Kat!

There were multiple primes and some riders were attacking near the front. About 15 minutes in I heard the first crash - it was just behind me and I was happy to have avoided it. 10 minutes later there was one in front of me and luckily I had enough time to avoid it. I had to come to a stop though and rolled over to the SRAM tent to get pushed back in. There was another serious crash on that same lap and a Vanderkitten rider was down on that corner for several laps before medical was able to move her off the course - hopefully she was okay.

The rest of the race was mostly about just staying safe and trying to move up whenever possible. All the corners made that pretty difficult and I found myself too content riding in the back half of the group. Team Kenda all finished safe and sound anyway with top finishes by Catherine in 26th and Ally in 27th. I was 53rd - not real happy with that and hopefully today's race will go a bit better. Not quite as many corners so perhaps that will be a good thing! The 90+ degree temps will not be pleasant though!

Thanks to everyone in Tulsa for putting on such a great event. We hung out and watched the mens crit last night and it was pretty fun to watch the action on the Jumbotron while we got some food at a deli. The community really supports this race and it's cool to see everyone come out and watch the races. Thanks so much to Beth for letting us stay with her too! She's been keeping us well fed and her espresso machine is our new favorite toy! I think Ally is on her 4th cup now!

I'll try to get an update in after today's race! Thanks for checking in!

Oh - and I have to mention how excited I am that the America's Dairyland Series has extended the racing by one day to include the proposed 2016 Olympic road race course on June 18th. The course is a ridiculously hilly loop (1800 ft./lap) out near Blue Mounds (roads I ride all the time - beautiful!) and finishes on a steep 1 mile long climb. I'm super stoked for this race even though I know it's going to be really tough. You should come do it if you can!!

Memorial Day Racing in Iowa

Krystal, Mike, me, Monique, and Ashley before Snake Alley

Had a great 3 day weekend of criterium racing down in Iowa. Solid fields of riders came out for Snake Alley, Melon City, and the Quad City crits. Team Kenda had a crew of 4 riders in the 1/2/3 races with myself, Ashley, Catherine, and Krystal. The racing was fast and fun and we had some great finishes throughout the weekend.

Ashley, Monique (who is still recovering from her injury but came to support us!), and I (plus the Cider dog!) left Madison Saurday morning and got to Burlington just in time to see our mechanic Mike race the Cobble Climb. It's a ridiculously steep cobblestone alley that riders race up on mountain bikes. Mike did it in a kilt and rocked it - he finished 2nd in his age group - way to go Mike!

The clouds were moving in and there were a few sprinkles but luckily it stayed dry for our race. With almost 40 riders this was the one of the most talented fields this race has seen in 5 years. After winning in 2006 and 2007 and then finishing 2nd last year I admit I was hoping to go for the win (I mean this is the goal of racing right? :) But realistically I knew that would be extremely tough given the caliber of riders. Just 12 laps . . . 12 very painful laps.

From the gun Iowa native (Lipsmackers rider) Amanda Miller pushed the pace and had the group strung out with gaps opening quickly. Within the first two laps a group of 5 of us had formed - Amanda, TIBCO's Meredith Miller, Team BH's Devon Haskell, myself, and Mercy's Kim Eppen. By lap 4 I found myself gapped with Kim on my wheel. I tried to stay connected to the group of 3 but every time up the climb found that they slipped further away. They were in sight until about 4 laps to go. I'd look back to see that there were no chasers within sight. Kim never took a pull and I just tried to keep the pace high. With one lap to go as we were about to enter the Snake I see Devon being pushed as she had dropped her chain. I was nearly on her wheel and she got a small gap over the top. Through the backside of the course I got closer to her but as we neared the finish I decided to not try to outsprint her as I hadn't had "it" to make that front group. As we approached the line I was just behind her with Kim still on my wheel. I expected we'd finish in the order we had pretty much been in the entire race. Kim popped around me at the last second to take 4th.

Now I know the phrase "that's bike racing" can apply to numerous scenarios. Riders get mechanicals, some riders choose to conserve their energy as much as possible, crashes happen. All of these things can drastically change a race and the finishing results. I made my choices, I knew the possible outcomes. But I still wasn't real pleased at getting pipped at the line by a rider who sat on my wheel nearly the entire race. I know I'm not the smartest rider and perhaps my racing ethics are a little stupid. Oh well, the difference between 4th and 5th place is slight . . . no hard feelings - that's bike racing! :)

Catherine raced great and finished just behind me for 6th and Krystal rode amazing to take the final money spot of 12th. Ashley unfortunately dropped her chain on the first lap and had to run up the snake but fought through the race to finish 26th.

Sunday's race was the Melon City crit which is a one mile circuit with a short climb, and a crazy speed bump through a park. Over 50 women started this race. Several teams were well represented and it was a fun race with lots of attacks by Lip Smackers, Alderfer Bergen, and Team BH, and us. With so many teams represented and several strong solo riders a break never really formed. The group was whittled down to just over 30 riders and with 3 laps to go Meredith Miller went clear of the group for a prime and that was that. She's such a strong rider and once she turns on the gas she's gone. On the last lap I was trying to get in good position but was a bit far back and the usual last lap shenanigans forced me to have to slow down to get around on the outside and try to move up. I ended up 11th and my amazing teammate Catherine managed to get 3rd behind Amanda Miller. Both Krystal and Ashley rode really well and finished strong in the group.

We had a great afternoon spectating races in the park and socializing with other racers. It was really fun to catch up with people I hadn't seen in awhile and it was a beautiful day to be outside. Also thanks to some local DICE riders (and former Kenda rider Deb Wood!) we got in on a tasty pasta dinner - thanks for having us over Hammer!

The final race of the weekend is the Quad Cities Criterium in Rock Island, IL. Known as the "cage race" it's an hour glass shaped 8 corner course with wire fencing surrounding the course to prevent ignorant spectators from ambling out onto the road. It's totally flat and generally there are some crashes. The finicky spring weather can also add rain into the mix which it seriously threatened to do on Monday.

We got out early to watch Krystal in the womens 2/3 race - a unique category and a great race to watch.

****** I'll add the last part of the report soon!! ******

I forgot my camera (doh!) so thankfully Monique came out to support and take tons of great shots - I'll post some once she passes them on to me.

HUGE thanks goes out to our amazing team mechanic Mike and his wife Mary for all of their help throughout the weekend. We are so spoiled when they're around! And it's always nice to roll back to the car post race and have your pick of cupcakes, rice krispie treats, oreos, and frosted animal crackers :)

What a fun weekend! Thanks to everyone who came out to race/spectate/help out!

I leave tomorrow afternoon for 3 NRC crits down in Tulsa, Oklahoma - a new state for me! There's nearly $40,000 on the line and with 90 women signed up the racing is going to be pretty ridiculous. We'll have a team of 6 Kenda riders - should be a blast!

Denzer RR - Wheels on Willy Crit

picture thanks to Monique

What a great weekend of racing in Wisconsin! Team Kenda only got stronger this weekend with Ashley joining us after coming back from her freshman year of college. Ridiculous winds, cool temps, and plentiful sunshine were the conditions for Saturday's road race in Denzer, WI. An undulating course through the beautiful Baraboo bluffs with two nearly mile long climbs per lap.

Jill, Ashley, and myself were representing Team Kenda with about 15 other girls on the line. Our plan was to just sort of see how the first lap went, knowing that all three of us climb well. Four miles into the race the climb began and I was feeling good so I rode near the front. I pushed a bit harder through the false flats and over the next rise and when I looked back only Ashley and Jill were immediately behind me with the strung out field several seconds behind them. I continued to keep the pace high and we began to work together. We were pretty excited by the possibility of the three of us staying off the front but it was still very early in the race.

Thanks to John of Peloton Pix

We could see a chase group of about 5 riders back in the distance. The head wind/cross wind sections were horrible - it felt like we were going so slow. The next mile long climb came and we could see the chasers gaining on us. We all encouraged each other and as we got to the top Ashley had fallen off. We saw Julie from Planet Bike just behind us and I knew Jill and I should give it a go with just the two of us. Ashley is a smart racer and I knew she would try to grab Julie's wheel as she came through.

As Jill and I worked together I looked back and saw Ashley sitting on Julie's wheel. The rest of the chasers had gotten strung out on the climb and I could not see them. Jill and I were working well and our gap was getting bigger. Through the head wind section I looked back to see Ashley alone and time trialing her way up to us - Julie was no where in sight. Jill and I immediately sat up and once Ashley was up to us we turned on the gas and tried to give her a break from the wind. Julie had been pulling the entire time and dropped her chain. Ashley attacked her and was able to make it back up to us.

We were determined now to stay away and the three of us practiced our team time trial skills for the next lap. It was really fun to ride with my two teammates all day off the front of the race. It was such a beautiful course too and the views of the hilly countryside were stunning. Both Jill and Ashley were riding really strong and as we finished off the lap we decided to give Ashley the win on the day. Her determination and smart racing kept her in that break and she deserved to take the W.

Here's a picture of the finish . . . we'll have to get Ashley to practice a better victory salute ;)

Thanks to John of Peloton Pix

Sunday brought a criterium around the Capital in Madison. Generally this is Wheels on Willy weekend but because of some road construction the race was relocated to around the square. I've never gotten a chance to race around the Capital so I was pretty excited. It's always fun to race on home turf and have lots of friends out there cheering for you. Thanks to the Brazen Dropouts for all of their hard work putting on this great race.

It was a picture perfect day with calmer winds, lots of sun, and warmer temps. A talented field of over 30 riders on the line. A few more teammates today with Shelley, Theresa, and Imelda coming out. Monique (who is still recovering from the Iowa City crash) was our cheerleader and photographer for the day and it was great to have her there. The race was fast and furious from the start as Madeleine from Team BH attacked and was off the front for almost two laps. BH rode a really good race with her teammates Devon, Kristen, and Anne riding smart and aggressively. Jill and I were also doing some attacking of our own trying to get a break off although nothing seemed to stick.

thanks to Matt Cook for the photo

I took the first prime by just nipping Devon on the line. The field split at about this point and a group of about 15 gapped the rest of the pack.

thanks to Matt Cook for the photo

About mid race the Superweek prime (free entry to the entire 14 race series) was called out and I happened to be in a good position with the field strung out. I came around Devon before the last corner and took it. Hmmmm . . . I hadn't really planned on doing those races as I have a busy race schedule in June/early July. Regardless, it's worth a lot of money and either myself or one of my teammates will be racing the series. Attacks kept flying as the laps counted down. Jill was riding really well trying to get something to work.

thanks to Matt Cook for the photo

It looked like a move with Devon, Jill, and two others might stick but Kristen M. tried to bridge and I wasn't going to sit by and let two BH riders dominate the break. I got on Rachel's wheel as she chased down the group and eventually we were all back together.

As we came through with one lap to go we lapped the remnants of the field and Devon was at the front stringing out our group with Kristen on her wheel. I was just behind them and didn't feel like I had enough power or time to move up before the last corner, which is 200m or less from the line. We rounded that corner and as Kristen came around Devon I tried to move up on her but she's too fast and the line came too soon. picture by Monique

Kristen took the win, I was 2nd, Devon 3rd and Jill finished 5th. What a great, fast race - the primes and constant attacks kept the pace high and we averaged just over 24mph for the 40 minute race.

picture by Monique

It was a really fun day and it was great to chat with people who came out to spectate. Mo, Jill, and I grabbed some drinks and snacks at the outdoor seating at an Irish pub on the square and watched a few of the afternoon races. It was a blast.
Thanks again to Monique for coming out to cheer us on and take so many great pictures!

This upcoming Memorial Day weekend includes one of my favorite races - Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa on Saturday. The short but intense race goes up the steep, cobbled switchbacks of the "Snake" and it feels as much like a TT as a criterium. The field is going to be stacked this year with many incredibly strong riders making the trip for this legendary Midwest race. It's going to be a really fun weekend of racing and I'll try to get in an update if I can!