She Cycles by the Seashore

Coydogs, Quarter-Showers, and Schmores

Day 2

A rider crosses the Newburgh-Beacon bridge

Julia and I are up early, and leave breakfast before the first riders arrive. (I make do with fruit and cereal, and have to get out of there before the eggs start cooking!)(The smell of eggs makes me nauseous). But we are not out for long before C, a 70ish year old man and winner of the Great Comebacks award, catches up with us on the road. I am in awe as I watch him climb up a steep hill. He has been living with an ostomy for over 20 years, and is in better shape than everyone I know, save the racers at Chris' races who are not even half his age. And did I mention that he also runs marathons?

Riders at a rest stop (C not pictured, of course)

Riders are supposed to check in at each stop, so we know if they run into mechanical issues or get lost. When we don't hear from C for a bit, Julia calls his wife, who is woman-ing a support van. She cheerfully tells us he "didn't need" to stop at rest stops 1&2, but has called in to her and will arrive at lunch shortly.

Madge

Speaking of lunch, the crew has outdone themselves with their 50s lunch room theme. G has become "Madge," complete with pointy cat eye glasses, hair net, and support hose. The other rest stops and support vans also have themes that elicit smiles from the tired riders, like a Hawaiian Luau and a biker bar.

After lunch, more portable facility issues for Julia -- the company has neglected to retrieve them from a rail trail site/rest stop where opening ceremonies for the trail are to occur the next day. She is playing phone tag when this fox-like creature appears along the roadside, pointy ears and a long ratty tail. We look at him, NYC native and Suburban Girl, wondering what he is and if he poses any danger to our riders. Is he rabid? Will he attack anyone on a bike? She calls the local police, and we are told it is probably a coy-dog, a cross between a coyote and a wild dog. (No it's not -- when looking for a photo for this, I've discovered it's probably a jackal).He's probably harmless, but they'll send out a cruiser. We call all the support vans to warn them to be on the lookout for this thing just in case.

In addition to the deer and the coydog, we've encountered a zillion squirrels and rabbits, a turtle or two, and groundhogs. It's a regular Wild Kingdom out here. Unfortunately that also means a lot of roadkill that the riders must navigate.

The gear truck

Julia and I arrive mid-afternoon at camp #2, this one a more lively setting with RVs parked everywhere, and lots of kids swimming in a (green) lake. As we round the turn, one of our riders is standing outside the shower "shed", shivering in a towel. I pull up and she informs us that she has put her quarter in but no water is coming out of the shower. We circle back to the opening of the camp and Julia talks to the woman at the front counter. Then we drive back to the shower shed, and as our rider is now getting into the back seat of my car to be driven to the other showers across camp, a cranky woman yells out of the door that she's got the water running and our rider should hurry before she runs out of time.  She rushes back in -- I hope she did get her quarter's worth!

Chow time!

Back at camp for dinner and conversation, and then Judy our ride director sends me on a grocery store run for fruit, soda, and the graham cracker/marshmallow/chocolate combo that we know as smores. Someone has built a bonfire and people gather round, a little sad that tomorrow is already the last day of the ride. They are excited to see the treats, one or two risking the chocolate (many IBD patients are lactose-intolerant). T, a tall Belgian rider ("I come from Belgium, the land of Eddy Merckx and Tom Boonen!") is instructed by a friend how to toast the marshmallow properly over the fire. "I am going to be a schmore expert!" he declares, and he is. We all crack up laughing, enjoying the easy company.  Some English words are just bizarre!

Schmores

There is an instant bond as people share their stories of medications, surgeries, and side effects because of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. But it's a sharing with triumph rather than self-pity.  Some of the riders were diagnosed at 2 or 10 years old, others in their 30s and 40s. They have suffered constant abdominal soreness, and some had to learn to enjoy food again, post-surgery, after years of eating=pain. School was a problem, and one couldn't attend college because at that age he was in and out of the bathroom all the time. If you saw these people today, as I did, pedaling their bikes up monster hills and then sailing triumphantly down the other side, you would never guess in a million years what they've been through. Chris was in and out of the hospital in 2003 with lots of pain, and had one surgery that December to remove some extra intestinal scar tissue. With new medication, he's been in remission and has had a relatively normal life since that time. Some patients can only hope to be that healthy, and none of them know when their intestines (if they still have them) are going to flare up again. They savor this time with each other, knowing that everyone at camp understands and accepts them, and the ride is a victory for all.

T the Belgian Schmore Expert, M, and Bambi (J)

Next: Day 3: Chalking, Riding Tandem, and Graduation

It's More than a Ride

Chris and I returned home late last Sunday night from our journey up the Hudson River (NY) valley. The tag line for Get Your Guts in Gear couldn't be more true -- it's more than a ride. It really is an adventure!

On Thursday night, we gathered at a hotel in NYC for orientation with our friends, all riders, in the photo above.  They were given information about the next day's route, and as a crew member, I was given my assignment: driving Julia, the assistant ride director, along the route to check for signs and obstructions. We would leave ahead of the riders each day and provide warning of potential problems or fix missing signage. In addition, we would run errands and assist riders along the road as needed.

Day 1-- Friday

Looking remarkably awake at 5 am, Chris and I arrive at the pier. Note SpokesCat badge on Chris (mine is on my nametag, out of picture). Julia and I leave before the opening ceremonies, driving through NYC. Scary stuff for this suburban girl, but thankfully there was little traffic at 6:00 am. The riders will cross the George Washington Bridge and then head through New Jersey for a bit, before coming back to NY. Photo of Chris below, on the bridge.

Julia and I pick up lunch for the approximately 150 of us, and deliver it to the lunch rest stop. Here is where things get interesting. On the way out, we are flagged down by a rider with a flat tire. We call for the mechanic to come, and wait until he receives assistance. We travel further, and are then flagged down by one of our support vans -- a rider was hit by a deer! Thankfully he is upright, sitting with his brother on the guardrail as we pass by. Later on we find out that after a trip to the hospital, he has no broken bones, but a sore shoulder in a sling, an injured wrist, and a few stitches by his eye. Terrible road rash. He now becomes part of the crew, and is affectionately nicknamed Bambi for the rest of the ride.

As I drive along that afternoon, Julia fields one call after another, mostly regarding missing portable facilities at the night's campsite. We take turns hopping out of the car to add or change out signage put up by the route marker folks so the riders don't get lost. We only occasionally see riders, because we are far ahead. It is a relief when we finally arrive at the camp: I am tired and hot, and worried about Chris and our friends after the deer episode. I help to check in the first few riders as they arrive, and admire the precision with which the camp crew unloads the gear trucks and sets up the tents and the kitchen.

Home Sweet Home (before the storm)

Bike Parking

Stay tuned for Day 2 -- Coydogs, Quarter-Showers, and Schmores...

I Got Guts*

Yes, that says 70 miles. 70.06 to be exact. I spent Memorial Day riding my longest ride ever!

Some friends from our local bike shop, and friends from our upcoming Get Your Guts in Gear ride, gathered together for a long welcome-to-summer/training ride. I was nervous about it because I haven't been on my bike much in the last two weeks (OK, one short ride Friday night!) and didn't sleep well the night before. Not a good way to start your longest ride. I thought that if worse came to worse, there was a "bail-out option," as a few of the riders had to leave early, and I could ride back with them.

The blue speck in the middle is me (click to enlarge) riding through a shoreline town on the other side of New Haven, CT.

Mr. Suitcase and I, with the mighty Atlantic Ocean in the background. *My post title comes from the slogan on the back of his jersey: I got guts. Shortly after this photo was taken, those who had to leave early stopped for lunch and headed home. Our friend Larry wanted to know if the rest of us still wanted to continue on for the original 70 mile route. I was one of the first one to say, "I'm in!"

On the way home.

We finished! Chris, his father Bob, Aaron, Larry, Felipe, and me in the park at home. Mr. Suitcase (my Chris) took the photo.

If you will pardon a little shameless bragging, I am so proud! I finished 70 miles for the first time in my whole life. I was the only woman in our group to do that. I did not fall once with the clipless pedals, and I did not whine once the entire time. Not even on the hills.

I am dedicating this post especially to Larry, who has been a constant source of encouragement to me through the pain that was NYC Five Boro, and this ride, and who I am proud to sign on with for the Tri-State Seacoast Century in September. I am also dedicating this post to the GYGIG riders (Chris, Bob, Felipe, and Carolyn (who hurt her knee and couldn't join us), who are just absolutely amazing in facing IBD themselves or for a family member/friend. They Got Guts and then some.

The local bike shop crew is the best support I could ever have; they waited patiently for me at intersections when I lost a few minutes on the hills during yesterday's ride, and made me feel part of their group. You have no idea how much this means to me. Last but not least is Mr. Suitcase of Courage himself and husband extraordinaire, who, after only a few dates 16 (!!) years ago, took me down to that local bike shop and had me buy my first real bike so I could ride with him. At the time, I thought I was out of my mind to spend several hundred dollars on a bike, not knowing where the relationship was going, or if I would even like cycling. We will celebrate our 12-year anniversary in a couple of weeks (during GYGIG!), and I'm on my third bike now, planning & training for that century ride with him. Who would have guessed?!

To Clip, or not to Clip?

Some do. Others don't. Some would like to, but they haven't the nerve. Others have tried, fallen too many times, and gone back. What am I talking about? Clipless pedals.

It's been two weeks since the New York Five Boro, where I took my old hybrid bike with toe clips or cages to do a 40-mile tour. I took the old bike because I didn't want the new one to get  wrecked on the train traveling to the city. Since then, I've gone on two rides, one with the road bike and clipless pedals, and one on the hybrid bike, now with bare pedals. An interesting phenomenon occurred: I became worried I'd fall off of both bikes.

Before the Five Boro, Judy Pacitti, the ride leader for Get Your Guts in Gear, suggested that I take the straps out of the toe cages. Since I had been learning to ride with the clipless pedals on my new road bike, she thought that it might be easier when riding the hybrid to be able to twist my feet out sideways from the toe cages, as I'd been learning with the road bike, rather than pulling them straight out as I do when the straps are on the cages. This worked -- to a point. What I hadn't planned on was that the treads of my touring shoes would get stuck between the grooves on the pedals and toe cages, making it even more scary to release my feet to stop. At the NY ride, there was a lot of starting and stopping. I was scared to death I was going to fall, and take other people down with me. My husband and a friend took the toe cages off completely at one of the stops, but by then the mental damage was done. I was now as afraid of riding my old bike as I have been with the new one.

The following Wed, I met up with a GYGIG rider after work to get in some miles on the road bike. At that time, I was feeling slightly safer riding it than the other bike. At least those shoes and pedals were meant to go together. I took a spin around the parking lot before we went out on to the road, to get my groove with the shoes and the stopping. While I didn't fall during the ride, I became more worried rather than less at intersections, that I would go down in front of a car (the drivers where I live are not usually tolerant of cyclists). I was beginning to worry how to get past this mental wall so I could just enjoy riding again.

Last Saturday, we were with my husband's parents. They wanted to ride their bikes, one of which is a cruiser. As in, heavy with no gears or hand brakes cruiser. After some discussion, we decided that we would take our hybrid/mountain bikes and wear regular clothes and sneakers instead of cycling gear. I did wear my helmet and gloves, just in case. And you know what? It was wonderful.

The ride was about 10 miles, some of it uphill. The scenery was beautiful, vistas of fields surrounded by the ocean. Without having to hold on to the handlebars for dear life, or worry about upcoming intersections, I could just enjoy the ride, with the sun on my back and the breeze on my face. Yes, the jeans were uncomfortable, and reminded me of the joys of padded shorts. While my Keds with the smooth, non-stiff sole were perfect for this ride -- as they had been in the past, because they didn't caught in the pedal treads -- I knew from semi-recent experience that on the longer rides, my feet would go numb. I know I can't go back to this type of riding if I want to do half-centuries and centuries, but it reminded me of the importance of enjoying riding for its own sake. I've felt so pressured to learn these clipless pedals to keep up with the cool kids that cycling wasn't fun anymore. Isn't that what it's supposed to be -- fun?

In a recent (May?) issue of Cycling Plus from Britain, there is a feature article on clipless pedals, different brands and prices. The author says that clipless pedals are actually safer than the toe clips/cages for beginners. I suspect that's because in theory you're supposed to clip or tighten the straps of the toe clips over your shoes (I just pull my feet in and out), while with clipless pedals your foot is actually "free" on top to move as needed. Fair enough. What I don't think he says, but I would like to, is that along with these clipless pedals or toeclips, everyone should have the freedom to learn and improve their cycling at their own pace. I have discovered that balance and quick reaction time are skills just like math and writing. Some of us master them faster than others. When we feel pressure to keep up with the group ride leaders or the club racers, they are not doing us any favors. As I know some of the readers here will agree, there is a very real possibility that you can fall and seriously hurt yourself. We need to be able to take our time, feel sure of ourselves on the bike, so we can have positive experiences that build upon themselves, rather than negative, defeating experiences that will turn us off riding. We need, no matter what pedals or shoes we're using at the time, and no matter who we're riding with, to have fun.

Hell of the North, U.S. version, or, These Shoes are Going to Kill Me

On Sunday, Chris, Sarah, Jeff, two non-blogging friends Larry and Hector, and I went to New York City for Bike New York's Five Boro Tour. The 40+ mile ride travels from Manhattan to the Bronx, Queens then Brooklyn, and ends at Staten Island. Most photos courtesy of Chris (click to enlarge for full effect).

Sarah and Jeff on the train platform

  Chris and I (photo courtesy of Larry)

  Hector (photo courtesy of Larry)

Larry (photo courtesy of Larry)

Our special 4:30am bike train was canceled with no explanation, making us about 45 min. late to the start line. The conductor seemed furious that all of the bikes had invaded his train (without advance notice?), making his movement between cars very difficult. We and all of the other cyclists in our car bonded in the face of this adversity. We helped each other leap frog over the seats, and when Chris fit yet another bike into our car, we broke out into applause. One couple even ran outside at a stop, down two cars, and boarded, since they could not walk through. Later, at another stop, they ran outside again and back to our car. We joked about it being the running portion of the triathlon.

How many bikes can we fit on the train? A lot.

March of the Cyclists, on a Mission to Take Over the World. I almost cried from joy at the sight of this. Seriously.

Taking Over Grand Central Station. Too bad we weren't allowed to ride our bikes in there!

Have you ever seen 42,000 cyclists in one place before? Me neither. They are as far as the eye can see, and then some.

One of the fun things about the day was seeing the items people strapped to their helmets so they could identify each other if they got separated. We saw plastic dinosaurs, crabs, soda cans, red feather boas a la the Romans, faux gerbera daisy stems, pinwheels, balloons, national flags from different countries. But this was one of our favorites (Jeff in right front with plain helmet):

And they're off!

Because we were at the back of the line, there was a lot of congestion at stoplights and intersections, and we were constantly having to stop and walk the bikes as much as we were riding them. It got very frustrating -- a few times people stopped short in front of me and I had narrowly missed hitting them.

What made matters worse was that I had taken the old hybrid instead of the road bike, because I didn't want Grace thrown around on the train. Also, I'm still not confident of making quick stops with her clipless pedals. Unfortunately, removing the straps from the toe clips on the hybrid was not the help I thought it would be. I still kept getting my foot stuck in them, and also the treads on the bottom of my bike shoes kept getting stuck in the "teeth" of the pedals. With all those riders so close together, there was not a lot of room for error -- if I went down, others around me were sure to go down too. Thankfully, I had only seen two minor crashes. I had expected to see a lot more.

Walking the bikes through Central Park. "Squidknits? Jersey Knitter? Where are you????" These are two blog friends we had hoped to meet, had the train not been so late. Around the time this photo was taken, a woman in front of me on a cruiser was trying to ride. With flipflops. Her front wheel kept wrenching left to right as she tried to balance on the bike, and I was terrified that I was going to run into her. This ride attracts many non-cyclists, or those without a lot of experience, and there are a lot of weavers and kids and reckless teens as well. It makes things very dangerous at times.

More walking. More getting yelled at by the marshals, though you can't ride if the people in front of you are still walking. Where are you going to go? And what if you're just tired and need to catch your breath?

Because we were delayed with all the walking, the rest stops would close just as we arrived. We barely had time to use the facilities or grab a banana before we were barked at to leave, forget getting any rest. It was nearly inhumane. The views over the bridges were amazing, however. The Queensborough Bridge was super-windy; my favorite was the Staten Island bridge -- maybe because once I crossed it, I knew I had completed the ride? Here are Chris and I (in bright yellow) and Sarah in blue on the bridge (photo courtesy of Larry):

As soon as we got to Staten Island, we ignored the festival and got right in line for the ferry to go back to Manhattan. We waited at least an hour, maybe more. The wind off the water was pretty chilly. Otherwise we could have swam across, completing the "swim" portion of the triathlon. Here is Lady Liberty, framed by the car deck of the Staten Island Ferry. Chris takes awesome photos.

Once we got to shore, we still had to ride up a zillion blocks on the bike path to 42nd street, and walk with the bikes half a zillion more blocks across to 5th Ave to get back to Grand Central Station. By this time, I was really and truly contemplating throwing my bike into the East River and giving up cycling a nice hot dinner or at least a cup of tea! I had to settle for some fruit and a square of coffee cake, standing up on the train. I was deeply grateful to get home with no broken bones and no missing teeth.

Chris was able to complete the ride last year with a friend and be home by mid-afternoon. This time, we all got home at about 9:30pm. Though we hadn't had a real meal all day, we were too tired to eat. It sounds like Squidknits and her family and Jersey Knitter had similar experiences (click on Sarah's and their names for their versions & photos). This is one ride that you have to do just for the experience, so you can tell the war stories afterward. It's no Paris-Roubaix, bit still not for the faint of heart.

Training for GYGIG

Last Saturday, we met a bunch of local riders for a training ride for Get Your Guts in Gear, which will take place in NYC, June 8-10. (There is also a ride in Seattle in August). Chris is third from left in the official orange jersey, and I am on the end in the headache-inducing safety yellow windbreaker. We rode for 30 miles along the shoreline; the sun came out at the end and the views were really pretty. The best thing about the ride was meeting other cyclists and also our ride leader and head of GYGIG, Judy Pacitti. There was lots of laughter and thankfully minimal pain and suffering a.k.a hills.

This Sunday will mark my first big official group ride, the NYC Five Boro Tour (click link under Ride Schedule on the left). There are 30,000 cyclists riding the 40 miles through the city. The roads are closed to other traffic. Views from the bridges promise to be spectacular. I'm taking my old hybrid bike because we have to travel there by train -- I'm planning to put a pink ribbon on the handlebars, so if you see me, please introduce yourself!

Floyd Landis' case is getting stranger by the day. If you haven't kept up with the new developments, please hop on over to Trust But Verify or Rant Your Head Off (see links on the right). What USADA is trying to get away with is just unbelievable.

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. We're getting our house ready to sell, and have been spending most of our nonwork hours doing home repairs and some packing. I intend to keep posting ride reports and photos, but the cycling biographies and pro news will have to wait until I have a little more free time. Thanks for your patience!

Pedaling For Charity

Charity rides are great motivation for a cyclist to get to their next level. Nothing provides more inspiration while pedaling those final grueling miles uphill than knowing you're doing it to support an important cause.

My first and only charity ride so far took place last September - Folks on Spokes. Funds raised support the community's local mental health services. There was a 10-, 25-, and 40-mile route. Having been inspired by watching my very first Tour de France the previous July, there was no choice but that I had to do the 40-miler. Since I rode 35 miles -- once -- a few years ago -- I didn't think it would be too much of a challenge. Right?!

Here I am, on my hybrid bike, slogging up a huge hill:

Here is a photo of my husband, Chris, Suitcase of Courage, consoling me for being the very last rider to arrive, when the barbecue was over and the band was packing up to leave congratulating me for finishing the ride, and not having to get off and walk once (Theresa, note inspirational Stage 17 Ride of a Lifetime T-shirt, purchased for the occasion):

It was this ride that turned me from a leisurely weekend rider into a cycling addict. It was also this ride that finally convinced me a new, lighter road bike -- and proper cycling shoes and glasses -- were definitely in order.

There are lots of charity rides all over the U.S. and in other countries that raise funds for many important causes. Most cyclists are familiar with the MS150s, and rides such as Tour de Pink, which benefit breast cancer patients. Another important program for cyclists is Team in Training, which benefits those with leukemia and lymphoma. But I want to share information about two more rides which you may not have heard about, one of which is near and dear to Chris and myself, and our new friend Jim.

Tour de Cure is a national ride that benefits those who cope with diabetes. Millions of people around the country, and the world, struggle daily with the disease and its side effects. Our blog friend Greeley at Ride Knit Read is raising funds for her local Tour de Cure ride in honor of her family members, so if you have questions about this for her, or would like to support her ride, please click on over.

Get Your Guts in Gear is a new-but-growing ride that currently takes place in only 3 U.S. cities: Austin, New York, and Seattle. Riders tackle 210 miles over 3 days to raise awareness and funds for those that struggle with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, most commonly Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

In 2003, Chris was in and out of the hospital with intense abdominal pain from Crohn's Disease. After having surgery and taking a new medication, he now has a much better quality of life. Some patients are not as fortunate. It was this experience that inspired him to pursue a goal he'd always dreamed of: having a road bike and trying out some racing. When we discovered the GYGIG ride last fall, we knew we had to participate. Chris will be riding, and I, knowing my limits(!), will be assisting this year with the NYC crew, June 8-10. We'll be wearing a photo button in honor of our cat Charlie, who also has IBD, and takes the same medication and has the same tests that human patients do. If you'd like to see a photo of Charlie or support our ride, please click on the GYGIG button on the upper left-hand side of this blog.

What charity rides have you done? Which ones are you considering? I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

Debby

U.S. Open Cycling Championships & Tina Pic

Did you get to see the U.S. Open Cycling Championships on NBC last Saturday? Wasn't it amazing to see pro cycling on regular network TV? I hope that the ratings were good, and that NBC and the other networks will offer more cycling races to viewers in the future. I for one would love to see our Tour of California and Tour of Georgia given the TV fanfare of the NFL, MLB, or NBA.

One thing viewers might not know is that there was a women's race as well. The 27-mile circuit race was won by Tina Pic, of Colavita Sutter-Home. You can read about the race details here, if you scroll down to the bottom of the article. It's sad but frustrating that the men's prize was 3-4 times more than that for the women's race.

Tina is a four-time U.S. National Criterium Champion, in addition to her other accomplishments. What I love most about her is that she is 41 years old this year, and at the top of her race. She exemplifies the  adage "getting older, getting better," and is such an example to all of us that you're never too old to ride and race. And win!

Here is a January 2006 interview with Tina in Cycling News. Velo News has also promised an interview with her in their upcoming April 23 issue as well. Here is her bio on the Colavita Sutter-Home website.

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Two quick notes: First, I wanted to thank Natalie for her comments left on this site, and to let her know that when I try to reply, I can't seem to get the email to go through. I am sorry about that, and hope that you will still continue to visit and share your opinions with us.

Second, I apologize for the lack of riding content lately. Our New England weather has been so disappointing this spring, unusually cold temperatures and nasty winds. We had a fierce downpour this morning, and another nasty storm (not sure yet if it's rain or snow!) is predicted for Sunday. As the riders in last Saturday's snowy U.S. Open will attest, it's been difficult to get out to ride.

My goal for this site, in addition to the cycling news, is to share ride photos and experiences as I train for a century in September. As it is, I'm starting to worry about the first major ride, the NYC Five Boro, which will be on May 7. It's 40 miles, and I've had almost no training in the past two weeks. So I ask your patience with these text-heavy posts, and promise some good photos and ride descriptions as soon as nature cooperates.

Stay upright! Debby

Cycling Concepts Weekly Ride

Cycling Concepts, the bike shop where I had my bike fit a few weeks ago, hosts weekly rides for cyclists at all levels. On Wed. nights, they have A, B, and C rides, though I suspect that it is still so cold yet, that the few riders to come out and brave the wind are all together in one group, with a sweep rider to assist anyone who falls behind.

Here is a photo of a group of us at an intersection, from last week's ride. I'm bending down to get my water bottle and trying not to fall on anyone!

If you are a new rider and looking for support and encouragement, as well as a way to get in some miles, I highly recommend trying the group rides at your local bike shop. There's usually a ride to meet every cyclist's needs; you can meet friends, be a part of the local cycling community, and build your confidence as a new rider. I can't say enough about the Cycling Concepts staff and their rides. I'm only sorry I'll miss the one tomorrow night!

***Don't Miss the U.S. Open Cycling Championships***

On Saturday, April 7, from 2:30-5pm eastern time, the first race to be broadcast on a major U.S. TV network in over ten years will be broadcast on NBC. The U.S. Cycling Championships (men's race only) will feature national pro teams such as Toyota-United and Jelly Belly in an afternoon road race. The women's crit race, alas, will not be broadcast, but since there haven't been any cycling races on any major TV channels in such a long time [even the Tour de France is hard to find, hidden on cable channel Versus), we've got to start somewhere.

At last! First Outdoor Ride

On Sunday, Grace and I went out for our very first group ride of the year. Seven of us from the local cycling club braved 40F temps and winds to enjoy a 24 mile loop along the river and shoreline. Here are a few photos of our ride:

The center photo is of a nature preserve, with stands for osprey nests. If you look closely, you can see a lighthouse in the background. This is going to be a beautiful ride once spring arrives!

On Saturday, my husband (center) placed 2nd in the local training races. The first place winner was a pro, who took off so fast that no one knew he was there (he was mixed in with lapped riders). It doesn't seem fair that he raced with the amateurs, but they do allow that in training races. This photo is from a random lap. If you'd like to see the very cool photo finish, please click on the link above!

Yes, that white stuff in the background is snow! Thankfully it's almost all gone now. I hope you are able to ride outdoors too and enjoy the arrival of spring.

Congratulations to Amber Neben, who won the overall GC at Redlands this weekend!!