RACE TO THE ROCK 7K TT

Race to the Rock took place on Sunday at Lake Lure. This is a 7k TT that ascends Chimney Rock, a grade of 7%. Lake Lure is the site where Dirty Dancing was filmed. We stayed at the historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Spa in the "Beach View" room. We attempted to stay in the actual inn, in the Patrick Swayze room, but for 250$ a night, we opted out. We found ourselves, and another friend who rode up with us, around the back of the actual inn in a more moderately sized room. It was great!

The TT started at 7:30 from the Inn itself. We were up at 5am scarfing oatmeal and eggs hoping to get a good warm-up in before the actual climb. About 10 minutes before the start, we were told by the Setup Events crew that the TT would be a mass start! With not much time to dwell on this new information, 10 women approached the start line. The first mile of the course is flat to rolling. Emily set the pace and tried to pull off, but all the riders, including the winner from last year, Cara Applegate, followed her to the left, not letting her get off the front. Emily was doing all the work. Eventually, i was on the front, but not wanting to kill myself before the big climb, I just rode a moderate pace........

We eventually made it to the Chimney Rock Park entrance, turning left. We had a hair over 3 miles to go to the summit. I found myself with three or so women. The pace was full throttle now as we did switchback after switchback. We eventually caught up to a few men and sat on their wheels. It was down to Cara and I for the women. With about 1.5 miles to go, I was in front of Cara and she attacked me from behind, shooting up the left side. I countered and caught up to her and sat on her wheel. I eventually was riding side by side with her, woman to woman. It felt great. I was there as if to say, i can hang with you without drafting on your wheel. With less than 1/2 mile to go I started to pull away from her. The final pitch was somewhat steeper. I could hear the people cheering above me as I rounded what would be the last switchback. There would be no need to sprint against her. She was not in sight. I sprinted under the finish line as the first woman up Chimney Rock (19:17). Cara finished 2nd (19:37), and Emily rounded out the podium in third (20:13).

Emily and I won a combined 25$ for a 2nd and 3rd place finish at Paris Mtn TT. This race, we combined for 150$. I hope Greenville will continue to step it up for female racers.

After the TT, riders were only allowed to descend the mountain in groups of 12, following a golf cart with rangers, which was followed by an ambulance with lights going. It was quite a sight as we descended the mountain, switchback after switchback, the riders constantly having to slow as to not hit the ambulance that was there for "safety", haha.

After the race, we did a cool down with Cara around Lake Lure. For those of you who who rode the "cool down" after the last Paris Mtn. TT, it was anything but chill. We found ourselves riding very steep pitches, steeper pitches than what we had just raced! The Lake and sunshine was spectacular, soothing our sore legs and luring us into the beauty of creation. That afternoon we decided we would hike Chimney Rock, all one million steps to a view that was incredible. I think I am more sore today from the hiking than the actual bike event :)

I am thankful to Emily for the great pull at the start and also for letting me get in front of her as a car braked on the way towards the base of Chimney Rock. If she hadn't let me in, I would have most likely lost the group, getting trapped behind the car. THANKS!!!

Looking forward to State Champs!
Race on.

NC State RR Championship

OK, so……
It’s a sad state of affairs when your master’s riders are requesting hearing aids as part of the team “kit”… maybe this is why there are so few AARP USA Cycling members……..
I am not sure how it is you can mix up a simple 3 color code system up, but TEAM headstrong did….

Green….. I feel good and am going (you block)

Red………. Did deep…. let’s go (like closing a break down)

Blue……….Chill…. relax.. (let’s recover)

40+ riders lined up for the 50+ NC State RR Championship, including Dave LeDuc, Butch Holt, Dave Stevens, Gary Jackson, Peter Leousis…. and Joe, Randall, and myself….

Team plan…… relatively flat course with 1 little wall at the end of a 1 mile climb 2 miles in, numerous rolling hills… will end in a sprint… need to sit in and wait for final run in, but we cannot let a group with LeDuc get away, so we will close down the breaks if he is in it…….

Something Chandler said to me on Tuesday is ringing in my ears….. “race it .. poll to poll…..right Bird”

Go..

2 miles in we hit the climb…. at the crest I am at the front… a lone rider has gone off the front…. we roll along to the next “bump”… I attack… pass the lone rider getting a break going with 3 other riders…. maybe 20 yards…. pack coming up…. settle back in… LeDuc goes…. I jump and chase… close it down… Gary Jackson goes… chase it down… riding at the front ….. several riders launch attacks… we close it down…. even though LeDuc is not in the break…….. Joe goes and closes a break down on a little climb… that hurt….. heading back towards the Start/Finish… now LeDuc goes to the front and starts attacking…Randall goes to the front closes….. LeDuc goes again……… I am right there as we pass the S/F making 2 right hand turns to start the second lap…. drilling it at the front…….

Wait… what was the PLAN??? LeDuc going… … has 20 yards…. another rider and I at the front decide we are going to let him dangle off the front to try to wear him down….. so we control the pace…. Randall coming up ……. BLUE… I shout… Randall attacks I SAID “BLUE” Randall is going … as we head up the wall… spending quarters like a geriatric at the Las Vegas slots….. everyone now chasing frantically …. Randall closes it but has spent every cent….. I am redlining as we are nearing the top of the hill ….. riders passing me as a gap forms…….. I am OK, I am OK…. settle down…… close it at the top…..

Shit.... the wheel truck goes around me with 2 cars in tow forcing me to hit the brakes on the false flat….. pack slowing …. stand… pass 1 car…. I cannot get around the second car, which is behind the wheel truck… the peleton hits the descent and ………. is gone…. as the truck and car accelerate away…. chase … chase…. done… just done……
Randall blew…. I settle in and solo the rest of the race, praying that something happens to slow some riders down….nada… LeDuc drops the field heading into the final sprint and wins it solo….. Joe comes in 15th, he says (little does he know he actually placed 8th in the 50-54)
Post race… Randall wants to know why I wanted him to go at the worst part of the whole race…….. Blue…Chill…..!!!! not KILL….. (not to mention WHAT HAPPEN TO THE RACE PLAN? especially as it ended in a field sprint just like we thought)
Unabiding Loyalty……. ..... bordering on stupidity…..
Randall’s simple summary…. “Bird, we rode that like a B Donaaldson race, when it was actually an A race…….” very true… very true…..

SCTAC

We have many people that are new to racing. I always say when you start something new, you need to find yourself. How do you do that?

Answer: Ask yourself the right questions.

One right question: Do I like to go to SCTAC and ride/race in the A or B group?

Most tough questions don't have black/white answers. However, if your feelings about going to SCTAC are not largely positive, it is highly likely you are not cut out to bike race. It is bike racing in the safest, simplest, most convenient and cheapest manner. I realize it can be intimidating to get started out there as I made my debut at Donaldson only a few years ago. I had hurdles to get over....big ones!

As the season has progressed, some of you have stopped coming to SCTAC altogether. I realize we all have lots to do and life gets in the way. While, I may be SCTAC biggest fan, I am not there every week. Your total absence, though, tells me that you may really not like to bike race.........this is not a bad thing, just something that must be understood.......what you REALLY like and want to do in cycling is what is important.

From another perspective, I will tell you that I do not know one successful bike racer in a 40 mile radius who does not frequent, what I laughingly call, the Tuesday World Championship. As a long time student of learning, I believe there are 10-12 reasons why SCTAC is vital to becoming a solid bike racer.

That is all a moot point if you don't like it.

We will be forming the TEAM for 2011 soon. We will be asking for commitments to racing schedules for 2011. One of the commitments for racers will be participating at SCTAC five times a year! Before you make such a commitment, take time to think about what you really want to do. What are your goals?

We plan on having people involved next year as members........this involvement will allow participation without as much commitment. Much more on this at the upcoming team meeting in September.

We are a racing team. We race road races, crits, TT's, mountain bikes and multi sport. Each of us approach all this with different emphasis and priorities. It is my desire to keep our focus as racing as opposed to just riding. We have had a great and fun year. I will be talking about next year with each of you individually in the next few weeks. I hope to discuss your goals and the team goals.

Our success will come from aligning those goals!

Oak Ridge Omnium

RR/TT/Crit in Oak Ridge, TN. My AG has 5 guys in it from Nationals. Saturday window:

6:00 PM - Warming up for the 8 mile TT and thinking of one word: REDEMPTION. I DNF'd the RR in the morning on a mechanical.

6:09 - Staging - Durward Higgins is starting 30 seconds in front of me in his National Championship Skin Suit. Sure he won the 65-69 AG in Louisville but the National Champion is the National Champion and this dude is a legend. Here's my chance.

6:11:30 - Durward is off. "I am coming for you, Durward."

6:12 - I am off and hammer is down!

6:13 -Headed up some rolling hills: "Oh my Gosh! I am taking him....I am closing."

6:22 appr - At the turn around. "He is only 10 secs ahead...my advantage is 20 seconds!"

6:23 - "You got him, u gotta go hard cause Ralph(Smook) was close at the turn."

6:27:52 - "He(Durward) is gaining- get a bigger gear...drive it drive it drive."

6:31: 36 - At the finish line - "I think I got him, maybe I got?"

6:34 - "What about Ralph and the others?"

7:14 - I am in anguish. The results come up from the course:

Randall Maddox - 1st - 19:36

Durward Higgins - 2nd - 19:48

Ralph Smook - 3rd - 20:11

REDEMPTION is sweet!

Sub 12

I can only speak for myself. My goal for the Paris Mtn. TT was to go sub 12 minutes. It is funny how when you are warming up for a race how fast the time goes by. At other times, time on a bike can drudge by at an ever so slow pace.

I found myself at the staging area far too quickly. I was seeded to start behind a gentleman who was wearing a very American TT suit. He looked serious, tall and lean. I had my garmin watch set to auto pause. Nicole Johnson did the official count down, and Captain America was off (this was a dubbed nickname by a few riders behind me). I was ready, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO! The first minute was brutal as my legs started to fill with lactic acid. I had had a great warm-up but even just the short amount of time spent in the staging area, it took a little while for the legs to kick in and loosen up.

I could see my moving American target up ahead. My goal was to gain ground, and I did. I used him as a pace bunny never taking my eyes off of him. I do not recall what was going thru my head as I ascended the mountain. Maybe I was thinking about the coffee I had had at Em's that morning and hoping for an extra caffeine turbo boost? Maybe I was thinking about puppies and kittens and how my HR was probably at 185bpm. I'm not sure, it doesn't matter. I had to focus. I was gaining on Captain America. I did not dare look at my watch until crossing the line. It read, 12:06, which was approx. the same time I had had at the last TT. I knew with the auto start option dialed in, I would be close to 12min. If you haven't done the TT before, it is a rolling start, you get a few seconds to clip in before the actual line and your official time begins.

Last night I was up at 2:30am with achy, cramped up legs. I layed in bed reading An Idiot's guide to learning Latin. I hobbled down the stairs to the fridge, had a snack and ascended the long flight of steps back up into bed. I can say this, my legs hurt, it was pure torture and joy at the same time. We are blessed to have the ability to push our bodies to the limits like we do. To exceed limits that we never thought were achievable. I work every day with those who have cognitive and physical limits. I am reminded daily to live for today. As Christina and I like to say, "I'm just thankful to be here." To be in this moment, to be on this team, to learn and grow from each of you.

I felt good on the climb, not quite as good as last time, but managed to eek out a sub 12. Sub 11 next year? Sure, why not?

Carpe Diem!

Paris Mt TT

I came back in from Oak Ridge and poured over the results. Brady went on line late Saturday afternoon and checked out the finishes but I had to see these numbers for myself. We had KP, Weinacker, Emily, Perry and Joe in the TT. Mel, Stratton(aka chipmunk) and others apparently joined for a couple hour ride after.

But, the times! KP-11:30, Wein-11:58 and Em at 12 and change?? You have to be kidding. How fast can these hill climbing wonders get?

Let's talk TEAM headstrong 'racers in training'! John Dias, who just signed on with Les Amis, cranks out 11:33!! Jeffrey Lehner- 10:57. Is Jeffrey even out of high school.......I am talking genetical predisposed! Wow.

I hope one of you participants will give us a blow by blow!

Big Birthday

My birthday is today but last night was the real celebration. Some guys have parties and go to bars etc. I went to SCTAC with Bird, Mel, Joe, G, Gillespie, Sam, Tom and Lindsey. Despite 90 degree temps, threatening rain and high humidity we put an all out assault on the A Group.

There were all the 'Usual Suspects' on the warm up and pack speed came up quickly after GC Hill. We were averaging 26mph. People were going backwards and flying 'off the back'. I know how it feels because at times that has been me.

Bird bridged to a breakaway. Lindsey was off in the next break(is she amazing?...later she told Bird that I taught her to set out the first break and go on the second one...did I say that?). I took 3rd wheel as a really strong guy closed about hundred meter gap to a breakaway. Wow, that took it out of me. I almost snapped and at the end of lap 2, I went to mid pack to rest.

In lap 3, we neared the back side hill with the red brick building on the right, when all hell broke loose. People and bikes were flying. I went left to the grass and a guy was down in front of me. People were running into my back. I stayed up and rode to a stop!

Tom was down. A young friend, Brian, was down along with 10-12 others. It was carnage but everybody started to move. Bloody, bent wheels and bruised. I pray Tom's hip is not fractured.

Bird and I hightailed it to the car to come back and get Tom. Everyone else was on their bikes. We caught the back of the B Group and it started to rain. I was done for the day.

Later, Bird took me to dinner at High Cotton. We talked a lot about cycling, the TEAM and other things.

So, what is like to be 61??? Well, riding in the A Group at SCTAC with your team mates/friends and having dinner with a great friend is pretty sweet. People congratulating me on Nationals and that was pretty cool, too. It was the first time I realized that how placed there did not matter as much to me as the fact that I had the cohones to go. I think I will remember this birthday for a long time! Thanks to those of you who shared it with me.

Team Headstrong in the Midwest

Ok, Randall told me to update you all on what I have been up to. I went up to Indy this past week to visit my family one last time before Christmas, and to help my mom as she had surgery last Monday. On Sunday, August 8th, I raced a local crit. It was a .6 mile course with three turns, and one very technical almost 180 degree turn. When I showed up at registration, they told me I was the only women who registered. They told me I had to race cat 4 men under 35. So, for my first official circuit race I had to race cat 4 college guys. The first twelve minutes were extremely painful--I hung on, but it was all I had. Then the paced settled in and became somewhat manageable. Then we hit the preem (?-sp) lap. There was a break of five guys, and the guys in front of me weren't going. They told us if we got lapped we would get pulled, and I wasn't abt to let that happen. I went on the chase. I barely caught with everything I had (it took about .4 mi to catch)--unfortunately when I went, many jumped on my wheel. It settled in to a manageable pace again until the last couple laps. I position myself fifth with .3mi to go and headed on the inside track on the very technical turn. The guy in front of me went wide and then cut to the inside--I had to slam on my breaks to not nail him. Everyone started passing on the outside while I was stuck on the inside behind this guy who wouldn't go. Finally, on the last turn before the finish line another guy cut me off and I just had to follow him in. Craig said he heard me yell at that guy for almost taking me out--he said 'honey you got to understand, not one of those guys wanted to live with the thought of being beat by a girl, and they were going to do whatever it took to keep that from happening.' So I finished in the pack, but 14th overall. After a week of taking care of my mom, I decided to take my hand at a Ohio RR on the way back to SC. I had been warned about these Ohioan girls. They lived up to their reputation. The field was small but intense. This race had way less climbing than FB, but it hurt worse. The course was a 10 mile looped course for a total of 40mi. It was a women's open, and three of the women were very good. Within the first climb--(abt 2 miles in) that was 2 mi long, there was attack after attack. After the climb, there was rollers, and then a sharp winding decent on the worst roads I have ever seen--I really thought I was going to wipe out. The last 5 mi on the looped course was a very long slight uphill with a headwind. At this point there were four us in the break. They started a rotating pace, but when I got up there they left me there and would not come up to pull. Finally, they waited until they thought I was tired and attacked me. I responded and we went through the same thing again when I started pulling they wouldn't help, and then they attacked again. I barely caught, but I was really feeling it. This went on and on until we hit the climb on the second lap. One of the girls tried to break and I noticed the other two couldn't respond--I had a little, but not much. I went after her, but she kept such a hard pace on that climb I couldn't hang after she had intentionally used up my legs on the first lap. I kept her in my sights for the rest of that lap and the next, but I couldn't catch her. I finished the last lap all by myself--knowing she was ahead, and worrying that the other two could catch if they started working together. I finished second overall, and first for cat 4. I was told I finished 50 seconds behind the leader and 5+ minutes in front of the next girl (finished in 2 hours). Anyway, all the Ohioans wanted to know who was Team Headstrong--so between the team's European adventures and all of our southeast races, and now racing the midwest--our name is getting out there!
Kristi Stratton
ps Congrats to all for Master's Nationals. The gal that won today knew all about Giselle!

ROAD TRIP!!

Elizabeth will be headed to Oakridge, TN on August 21/22 to arrest the SEW Jersey at the SEW season finally. The race is Oak Ridge Velo Classic and is a full Omnium event.

G is considering this event as she has a chnce to win a pair of Zipp wheels!

I will be headed up on Thursday, the 19th, to catch the Asheville TT Series and the 20.5K TT. I will drive to Oak Ridge Thursday night after the TT and ride the courses on Friday.

This is the last big omnium of the season.

I am hoping for other team members will join us!

Please reply if you are interested.

Master's Crits and Other Thoughts

Well, G is at the beach with the Fam and Teenie is off to Hawaii with our grandaughter, Sam. I guess it is up to me for the final installment.

As for the results:
Giselle - 2nd - Perfect race but nabbed at the line.
Teenie - 13th - Seperated 4x from the field and fought back each time for field finish (13th).
RM - DNF - Pulled after being dropped with about 19 laps to go.

This was the most amazing week of competition. I would recommend this to take your game to another level. Next year, the race moves to Bend, Oregon.

G has established herself as a top teir competitior and Teenie and I are second tier. I can't say for sure if I will be there next year or not. The courses look to be those for climbers....am I a climber??

This type event is like a high stakes poker game. You might not win on your first attempts, but you will never compete unless you get in the game.

Many of the headstrong team members could have been very competitive. You know who you are. Once you ever wrap your mind around the possibility of a STARS and STRIPES jersey, it is tough to let go.

If you can dream it, you can make it happen.

Master's Crits - prelude

It is 10:42 and nerves look good today.....we are getting battle hardened. G goes at 12 and Teenie at 1:15. Crit is pancake flat with 2 straights. One is on Riverside Dr just feet from the Ohio River.....wind will be a factor on the straight away as it will be in the riders face. Forget anything you might think about women's crits. This will be war from the start.........35k and 30k respectively.

I know many of you are with us!

Report will follow.

Master's Nationals Womens Road Races

Thunderstorms threatened the day but gratefully, also brought a drop in record high temperatures (read: heat index at 117 degrees yesterday). Our Greenville friends, Catherine James and Nicole Bossie Johnson, both of Team Kenda had their race shortened today and, I hear, both took a tumble in their 35-39 AG race.

Giselle Weeks, our women's team captain and our most seasoned racer also had a tough day racing in her AG of 45-49. The rain stopped pre race for "G" but left a slick course causing several crashes--including her. G must bounce as she came back to the main pack and sprinted in for a bronze finish! Congrats to Giselle for another podium placement.

I raced 50-54 AG and bellied up to the start line with 16 other riders. These women were seasoned racers. One didn't need to ask--you could tell by their calves, their quads and the way they sat their bikes. And, did I mention, I swear I heard them talking about what Olympics they were in? or what Olympics they knew one another from. I need to research that. Whoa, was I in over my head! Yikkeeees.

I should tell you that even mental coaches get mental and it took EVERYTHING I had in my quiver to get myself to that start line. It is safe to say I was at the edge of my comfort zone. Definitely pushing the envelope. But there I was and off we went. I had a mechanical 8 minutes out on a 15 minute lap (My AG was doing 6 laps for a total of 30 miles). My chain dropped and wedged itself in requiring I dismount to correct it. Back on I was racing to get to the peleton. Because we were warned about the numerous crashes of the prior two groups, we gave some respect to the course. But try as we may to stay vertical, there was a crash just beyond my mechanical on the first lap. Hmmm...my advantage here as I wove my way around the fallen riders and grabbed a wheel of a competitor that was looking back to see who she had to work with. She saw me racing for her wheel and hollered out an "alright" and off we went.

About the time I was thinking about what a great bike handler she was as she maneuvered around the extremely curvy course, her wheels slid out from under her, she was down and was sliding across the road and I was weaving around her. I picked up another racer. Linda and I worked together lap after lap until the final lap when she dropped me on the final climb to the finish. I did not have enough left to chase her sprint but was pleased to take 10th.

So, what did I learn?
1. Keep in the game. Do not give up. One never knows what lies around the corner.
2. The anxious, nervous energy I expended pre race was a waste.
3. Cornering and handling skills are invaluable.

Crits are Saturday for us ladies and Randall races his Sunday. Stay tuned.

Masters Nats RR

As I get on the trainer, a guy walks up and introduces himself......Kenny Fuller. He borrows our bike pump and I help him with a funky air valve. Kenny is the defending Nat Champ and I later learn, the owner of 40 Stars and Stripes jerseys....yes 40! I pumped up his tires.

It is 10AM and 42 of the top bike racers(60-64) in the US are staging. The temp is 96 already and the official told us there would be a 10 minute delay. I look around and see 41 guys with an average body fat of about 8%. From the neck down, they look like Airborne Rangers.

At the gun it goes fast. We have 7x5mile laps and I am suffering in the first mile! The two 'selection' hills are near the end and they are brutal. We go up Cochran Hill at about 20mph, a fast downhill and the climb to the start finish. At the finish of the first lap, I am off..........who is with me?? Ralph Smook, Jim Cunningham Sr and one other guy. We are still flying and we soon pick up Angelo Cilli (the Wilier Distributor for the US).

When come back again, I hear my team mates cheering(if you ever go to Nats, go with your team mates, they are essential to success)and telling me that my group is 16-20th. We ride the ensuing laps harder than I previously believed I could ride. We catch stragglers and drop a few. In the last lap, there are 9 of us. I sense two are off on Cochran and one guy makes a break. The other six of us, are together. I tell myself, I have it.

We hit the final hill, over one minute of pain. Jim(gets 15th) clips me by a few seconds and I am 18th. My disappointment at not beating Jim, is quickly overcome with the relief of just finishing. Cool down, are you kidding?? I ride over to Teenie, Kenny and Pam Fuller. They help off the bike and I collapse in a chair...not talking....still shaking. Teenie pours cold water over me. Kenny tells me I did great! Kenny had just gotten the 40th jersey with his win.

I hear him tell a guy he had raced this course for the first time in 1976 with the Olympic Team. Wayne Stetina(55-59) and John Howard and him had raced 24 laps of 120 miles on the course. He says today was hard and he did not want to go one more lap.

It is the hardest race I have ever done. I am just proud to have finished. I am thrilled to have been here.

TT at Masters Nats

Giselle reached the podium today with a solid second. Teenie got 10th and I captured 12th. The competition was wicked strong. The temp as 98F while we were on the windblown course.

Very tough day. I road race tomorrow as does Bird. Temps expected to reach 100F.

We both face large star studded fields on very technical hilly course.

Teenie and Giselle rest for Thursday RR.