What are Champions Made Of?

This past week Katiki Forrest and myself underwent scientific lab tests just to find out what a champion is made of. Administering the tests with only the Mammoth, doctor, and lab assistant, we've broken it down to this :

1. a Champion takes every opportunity to "work" a camera when presented with one.

2. a Champion takes a bite out of every medal of honor...strictly to display their inherent strength and to be intimidating...

3. a Champion can ignore the paparrazi with such unwaivering focus even under the most stressful conditions...as viewed above...

1st race of the season tomorrow. let the angels sing...

Romantic training in the South of France

Keeping with yearly tradition, the Wooly Mammoth squads met briefly by private jet in the south of France (somewhere near Fayetteville, TX) for a secret training camp and round of "supplement" dosing before the early season races begin.

Here: dressed in our handmade kits, the women's team awaits for another brisk morning of leg shredding and general conversations of the size of our quads and the relative diameter of our glutes compared to that of our handsome male racing companions. Quite a romantic setting, no?




The training camp routes brought us to many small villages and rural areas where we as a team were able to meet our fans face to face. Until this point we have only been a beakon of light and motivation for this simple folk. The tears and hugs were endless, and the cheers from the valley farmers will be cherished by all the Mammoths...

It's going to be a great season...

When the training gets tough, the tough get training

Doing an interval workout is one thing...

Doing an interval workout in 20 degree weather with 18 mph winds is another...

Which is why the Wooly Women chose a crotch killing, 2hr indoor workout yesterday...

Don't let the coy looks lure you to thinking we're not working hard. It's a known fact that the Wooly Woman's suffering goes undetected and is often disguised by bright smiles and laughter.

You know when the jokes start rolling the hammer is just about to drop...

You've been advised.

Climbing to 2010 - New Year's in Leakey, TX

To close out 2009 and reintroduce climbing into the quads, some friends and I visited the nearby woodland area of Leakey, TX over New Year's.

2hrs southwest of Kerrville, Leakey boasts deserted roads and long, sometimes steep hills and the perfect addition to any winter training program.

Day 1 I climbed around 1,800 ft in a 60 mile loop out from Leakey through the towns of Utopia and Vanderpool keeping cadence high and paced by BF Jed Rogers (GCCA/Toyota). Our legs were much in need of a cold dip in a Frio River fed pool after that!

Day 2 still met us with gradual grades and around 1500 ft of climbing with cool switchback descents and a need for more winter gear ordered from DeFeet. Temperature at roll out was 25 degrees! This is Texas, y'all. Bring on the sunshine!

Incognito Winter Training Tactics....

Take some advice from Katie "katiki" Forrest: When base training begins, let the passersby think you're nothing but a touring enthusiast out enjoying the weather...

This usually works if the weather is sunny, clear, and around 65. Unfortunately for the ladies of Team Wooly Mammoth, we did not encounter such favorable conditions on our training ride yesterday...

Participants :

Betty "Bettina" Hodges

Katie "Katiki" Forrest

Amy "Mickey" McNair

Conditions :

49 degrees and dropping w/a north wind gusting against our faces

The weather caused for remininscing of our days as Eastern European racers, conversations about our new Defeet sponsor and their fabulous, Ukrainian grade shoe covers, and general banter of the condition of our toes and fingers...

A romantic ride indeed...

Final Stage: Dipping into my bag of courage!

Last day from Bodega Bay to Sausalito met us with climbs are quads could barely overcome. From steep and short with little descending in between to long and gradual that forced you to find your tempo and maintain it. I had the honor of leading the group into the city with my GPS2009 navigation system (aka writing all the turns on a strip of paper and then taping it to my top tube) with no wrong turns along the way! Some pretty attractive bike paths along the way, but none too attractive than the riders on them. Welcome to San Francisco!!

The final count: 786 miles for me (about 820 for Gia b/c she didn't have to sag,wah)

Quad measurement : 21" even (somehow I lost a 1/4 in, probably on the climb above)

Things I've learned from road signage:

"Passing lane 1 mile" means you are starting a climb

"Vista point 1/2 mile" means you are almost done with the climb

"20 mph slow w/curve symbol" means sweet descent ahead, don't hit your brakes

7% grade with semi-truck symbol sloping down means "yeah! I just did that!"

Things I've learned from Paolo:

"I'm feeling mellow today" means he's going to hammer

"My sleep was marginal last night" means he's going to hammer

"I'm going to take it easy today" means he's going to hammer

But what can I say? HIS quads are huge and he's yet again conquered another ride on his fixed gear. A reminder that age doesn't mean you have to get older. 

It was a great journey with unforgettable terrain, beautiful views, and refreshing company. Riding your bike for this long is kinda like the road of life itself: sometimes it sucks, sometimes it's exciting, scary, frustrating, but at the end of the day it's just a blessing to be alive to do it all over again. 

A slight setback turns to conquering switchbacks!

Day 9-10-and 11: from Scotia to Bodega Bay...

There were 4 mile climbs, hairpin turns, sweeping descents, and a whole lot of chamois butter over the last 3 days.

Entering California brought steeper climbs like the Leggett hill. On day 9 I completed the route but with wincing knee cap pain caused from all the cumulative riding.

Day 10 we awoke in Leggett to tackle it's fabled "hill". I slammed some ibuprofen and enjoyed the climb over 1800 feet. It was spectacular. However, the pain didn't stop so I sagged the rest of the way in the mothership motorhome that's been following us all this time. Out of all the terrain, hills, and weather, choosing to rest was the hardest thing.

Day 11 was a spicy 99 miles from Mendecino to Bodega Bay, CA. I can't upload pictures right now because of no service, but this was the most beautiful coastline vistas of the entire trip. So beautiful that tears came to my eyes not from the grade of the pavement but from the no shoulder "I'm on the edge of the world" winding road we were riding. It was stunning. Took my breath away but not enough for me not to finish. A great comeback.

Day 12 (today) knee is feeling great and we have a 64 mile route to our final destination Sausalito, CA.

More soon! Particularly pics from the GG bridge!