Trying times and trials...

There's a point in an athlete's training that you never want to encounter...

Over-reaching (also related to, but not quite as bad as: Overtraining).

It is in this condition that what once was a normal, happy go-lucky girl on bike turns into without notice a lackadaisical, whiny baby, that could be clinically diagnosed as bi-polar, but won't be because a day or two off the routine or maybe some chocolate would fix the problem.

While I don't feel as if I reached the point of over-reaching, my body did say "no" to the whining and complaining this week by acting out and slapping me with a bladder infection. Looking for comfort in a blog entry is what I've resorted to, understanding that no amount of support from friends, hugs from lovers, or antibiotics from the team doctor are going to turn my mood around. I've made the conscious choice to say "yes" to some tender loving care...

What does that look like?

Let me illustrate...

I don't who coined this phrase, but "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"

Introducing the newest of quad powered machines to my arsenal. The Time Trial bike.

This extremely fast, well fashioned apparatus will assist me in my goal of top 10 finishes in the mid-Spring stage races. Not only does it look bad ass, but I look TOTALLY bad ass riding it.

Who's got time to be a big whiny baby when there's new bikes to tinker with in the evenings??

Definitely not this happy go lucky girl...

TWM Ladies Quad Squad Dominate!

Decorated with medals of glory, quads of steel, and hearts of gold the members of Team Wooly Mammoth's womens squad dominated this past weekend's annual Pace Bend Road Race.

Because of its crowd pleasing race course and ample availability of sand volleyball courts this event brings out the most fierce competitors. As you can imagine the Wooly Ladies are of no exception.

After a brief warmup on the sand volleyball courts, the ladies staged on a slick and rainy course :

Katiki Forrest
Bettina Hodges
Jessica "Der Hammer" Russellini
and myself.

Grueling attacks and counterattacks resulted in a strong 1st place finish and automatic upgrade to Katiki Forrest. The rest of the ladies won't be far behind with Bettina placing 4th, and myself placing 9th and Jessica 10th. As we accepted are medals we were escorted to an impromptu "warm down/photo op" next to the finish line. (pictured below)

There are already rumors of a TWM calendar coming out. With ladies like this....who wouldn't want one??

Crashes, Champions, and Competitors...it must be racing season

The guns have been fired, the wheels are turning, and legs are being blown apart. My first official racing season started with a crash at the Tour of New Braunfels at the end of the month...crashing is one of those things that comes with racing your bike and it's best to get it out of the way first thing. It's the most ultra way to compete. My teammate, Katie Forrest, came back from the peloton and we worked hard to complete course. Success.



The injuries were minor and gave me the opportunity to try a different role as podium girl in the following week's race, the 138th Edizione of Belterra's Romantico Classico. The Wooly Mammoth women took 2 podium spots in both races this weekend, so even from the sidelines...I was a WINNER.



With a little help from our sponsor's at Austin Manual Therapy, I was able to get my shoulder and hip up and running to participate in another romantic event, the Valentine's Day University Oaks Criterium in San Antonio. Rubbing tires with the pavement and coming out incident free were the goals. Seeing Prancine and hearing my love, Jed, cheer me on each lap helped pushed me to the podium with a 3rd place finish.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.




MOST INITIMIDATING NEWS OF THE WEEK!
Jessica Russell, the final member of our quad exploding ladies team, is back and ready to thrash up some hills and destroy the flats. More on the outcome of this past weekend's races as soon as the photos and autographs subside...

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!