USA Cycling National Championships in Augusta, GA by Cinthia Lehner

What a weekend. First up was the crit Friday night. I felt great and I had a good starting position. Unfortunately right as the women line up, nasty clouds rolled up above us and the wind picked up. Rain was only minutes away- crap. Quickly it seemed like every woman let out a little air of her tire, and thanks to some mechanic, I was able to get some air out of my tubulars right before the start. Before I knew it, we were off. For some odd reason, I simply could not settle down. There was constant reshuffling in the back side of the course and it was hard to hold a good position. Just after 20 minutes of racing, when I finally got a feel of the race, the announcers called 5 laps to go (due to the weather). At that point, the race simply turned into a crash fest. For the first time, I was horrified and did not even bother trying to fight with anyone for position, I just wanted to cross the finish line alive. Somehow, with 2 laps to go I moved into the top 10. Just hold it, just hold it! But on the backstretch everything was reshuffled again, and I got pushed back. Then in the last lap unfortunately a crash happened on my left and on my right and I lost connection to the leaders. I was still able to roll through the finish in 15th/3rd U23 and most importantly, all in one piece!

On Sunday, the road race was up. The course had a few rollers, but luckily no climbs. I figured the distance/heat is what would narrow the field down. The first 3 laps were slow. Unfortunately in the 3rd lap there was a huge crash that took a lot of riders out. In the last 2 laps there were constant attacks going on. This fast-slow-fast pace ended up causing a few more wrecks and narrowing down the field even more. In the last lap a group of 6 women got a good gap on the rest of the field and I was just hanging on the single-file line of chasers. Going into the last Kilometer (which was mostly uphill) my legs were hurting pretty bad. I gave it my all to the finish. Turns out I finished 30th among the elite women and once again 3rd in the U23 division. Kinda cool, turns out, for the first time I beat my friend Coryn Rivera, a 33 time national champion! It’s just very sad that USA Cycling does not do a U23 women’s podium, even though there is a U23 Men’s. Would have been very cool to get 2 bronze medals....

I was so glad to have Linz and Giselle with me at the starting lines. It makes such a huge difference starting such big races with a teammate, it is definitely very comforting!

Next, I will be traveling to France with the USA National Development Program. There, I will be competing in two 4-day stage races. I’m so thankful for this opportunity! Good things like these definitely make up for all the hurdles and bad luck I had to overcome in the last two years of racing.

NAPA WINE TASTING and a LITTLE RIDING

Teenie is in Napa Valley and while it is not a cycling trip, she is managing to get out for some rides. Her guide, Omar has been a joy showing her the beautiful countryside.

Yesterday, they hit a nice 8 mile climb. Her girlfriends on the trip, not athletes, can't exactly figure her out?

It takes a little more to be a champion.

On the lighter side you will realize that Teenie has taste. She enjoys good looking, young tour guides and fine wine.

I am grateful, she also goes for an older serious racer who doubles as DS for a great cycling team.

Back for July 4th at Tryon!

Getting Down to Business

Emily and I put on our serious faces and zipped up our State Championship jerseys for a training ride that consisted of an 1:15 minute TT effort. Not even the squirrles could keep up with us as one darted out of the woods, nailed Emily's wheel and was shot headlong back to its mama's nest where it had to be coddled for hours. The birds and the bees buzzed by as our wheels hummed along, fast and furiously covering the undulating terrain. In all actuality, this was a chill ride, but we rode it like pros gaining confidence in our respective aero positions.

Champions, HeadStrong, Victory bound!

:)

2 HARD WEEKS B4 WE TAPER FOR FBC!

If you are racing any of the FBC weekend races, the time is now to put the finishing touches on your training. For me, I am going VERY HARD or very easy. Here are 3 chances to go VERY HARD:

SCTAC - goes for 7 laps this week. I will only be in for 3-4(full race effort) and a cool down. Chipotle after.

POA Crit - Women go early (before 6). I am gonna do the 4's if Brian and Ray are out.....maybe I can give them a hand? If not, I will be in the Masters 35+. You can't beat the entry fee....$15. Spin out ride after with the TEAM.

FAB 4 - on the 4th out of Tryon is the ride I hate (because it is so hard/hot) but keep doing. I do it because it is perfect training for the FBC RR. I will be going at race pace........look for about 3:30 elapse time unless you are as fast as Jason. Then it will take you about 48 minutes!

Hope to see you out!

Elite Nationals in Georgia

Linz (crit), Cin (crit and RR) and G (RR) are set to race in the National Championship this weekend. This race will highlight the nation's top women racers. Notably, Olympian Kristin Armstrong will be in the star studded field.

A year ago, I used the word 'elite' when I characterized the members of our TEAM. I know some of you chuckled. Teenie and I sometimes speak in 'affirmation form'. We speak of the future in present tense. I realized when I said it that it was who, I visualized us being, more than who we actually were.

In August, 7-8 of us will be in Bend........another 'elete' event.

I guess, "If we can dream it, we can make it happen".

Good luck to you 3. I wish safety and success!

We are very proud of you.

FBC RR Training Ride

Saturday/ 9:00 AM /Zuma Cafe, Marshall, NC/ 3:30 - Ride the FBC RR Course - hard endurance pace!

Looks like we will have strong group. Perry, Tom, Jason, Sam, Bird and I are committed...........still time to jump in!

Hum...Might have missed Em.....not sure if she is in or not?

Hope to see you out there.

Oh, Teenie won't make it. She will wine tasting in Napa Valley, CA? Can you believe it?

On another note....

Lauren got a call last Wednesday from one of  Thomas Keller's restaurants in Napa  and  flew out on Thursday to spend 2 days working in his restaurant AD HOC, which resulted in them offering her a position which she has accepted.... so Team Headstrong's 2010 camp launched another career..... she wanted to let everyone know that that event told her what she wanted to do, and thanks to all of you for helping her find her true passion.

Go Green Events Short Track Mtb Race

Last week Thursday was the Go-Green events short track mountainbike race at the Equestrian park near Furman University. So, this is a very delayed post, and since it's old news, I'll keep it short.

This is an all-out 30 minute dirt crit, where there's no drafting, no time for drinking, and eventually no daylight either. Go! Pedal like hell! Stop.

Cinthia, Ray and I were out there representing the team. The next one is on July 14th. Thanks to Eddie Helton for the great action shots.

What a Weekend?

Seven podium finishes in three venues this weekend! Wow! But, this was the real highlight for me:

We (Joe, Ray, Cin, Teenie, Perry, Linz and me) rolled from Furman at 7AM, in a two by two pace line. The last year has brought serious changes in the TEAM and it was highlighted today. Setting an 18+ MPH pace to Caesar's Head, it almost felt like ART. We moved easily and swiftly in rotation. No words spoken to guide the pack. Everyone was taking turns on the front. Each knew the pace that was working and we rode handle bar to handle bar. Have I told you our women are awesome?

At CH, we went our own pace up the climb to the Ranger Station. Joe, Ray and Teenie set PR's.....Joe did 39:45. That is fast!

We regrouped after the ascent and again settled in a fast pace, two by two. For a very long time, Cin and Teenie rode the front with Joe and I behind them respectively. Joe and I did not comment but I am sure he shared my joy. Even though we were moving quickly, they talked and laughed.......I could not hear the conversation but I thought it was wonderful that a 20 and a 53 year old could have cycling and other things in common. I realized today that our TEAM, transcends age, gender and winning bike races.

Perry commented about many points of joy in the ride..........maybe you just had to be there?

I almost missed another point of joy. Cin is leaving in early July for 16 days in Europe with the USA Cycling Devo Team.

58 miles

3800 ft of climbing

3:37 on the bike

A butt load of fun!

Hope to see you out soon.

Next Saturday is another chance!!!!!!

LUCKY #69

It is 4:30 in the morning and I'm headed out the door to my first ever triathlon in Greenville at the YMCA. It is a sprint one with a 300 yard outdoor pool swim, 9 mile bike, and 5k run on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. I get to the parking lot and find the last spot right next to Katie Malone's SUV. I'm hoping to absorb some of her speed by parking so close to her. I busily do what triathlete's do, setting up in transition, rechecking their set-up, go to the bathroom and repeat. I head to the marking area where I am swarmed by teens holding Sharpie's. They say to me, what number are you.....? And, I meekly says, #69. Oh great, I got the golden ticket. They all laugh when I give them my number and happily write it on both arms and calf. I have been branded indeed like a calf.

I was very excited to see my teammate Kimberly Morgan entering the transition area. She came in with confidence and answered a myriad of questions that I would entertain her with. Thanks Kimberly!

The race. Over 200 triathletes assemble on the pool deck in numerical order. Every 5 seconds, athletes are sent into the pool. You jump in and just go, as easy as that! NOT! I jump into a pool of chaos, it is a tidal wave. I feel completely overwhelmed and start to panic. I'm panicking in a POOL, where I can touch the bottom at all times. This is crazy! I feel like I'm going to throw up and start breathing way too fast. I stopped at one of the walls in the pool, regrouped and told myself to calm down. I hated to waste the time, but I physically and mentally had to as the pool walls were closing in on me. I exit the water 23rd out of 91 women with a very slow swim time.

On to transition which is actually the 4th event. You can save precious seconds here and luckily everything was still where I had left it. I have never done a swim to bike brick and was dreading getting on my bike wet. Seriously :). But, it felt good to get on and my wet skin enjoyed the cool air. The bike course was approx. a 3 mile loop. I rode in my drops and felt great. Good safe, fast course with 3 turns. The two best things about the bike portion were passing people who had TT bikes and aero helmets and Giselle yelling at me near one of the corners. Thanks G, that was awesome!!

Back to transition I go, I made up some good time on the bike course and was 9th ranked. I throw on my running shoes and head out for the last event. The course is uphill for a bit then flattens nicely. I feel good and keep my chest up, passing a handful of women which just motivates me that much more. I place 4th in the run, which is ironic because I have done zero sprint work lately opting to do some long easier runs instead.

I think I'm hooked. I can easily see where I can save precious seconds. The pool panic, the non aero bike, and by doing some speedwork I will get faster. Anytime I do a 'first' event, like a marathon or something notable, I frame a picture and my race number. Lucky for me, #69 did end up being good to me. I won my age group and placed 5th overall.

BEND....HERE WE COME

The Master's National Team met last night at HQ. The meeting included Linz, Emily, Joe, Sam, Teenie, Steve Baker (Coach/saunier), and me. Absent were G (still a 'maybe') and Stratton. We covered:

* Individual and TEAM goals

* Listed all responsibilities

* Assigned them

Team goals included:

* Safety

* Fun

* Two Stars and Stripes Jerseys

* Two other podiums

Members discussed strong yet attainable goals.

On the fun side, Teenie and Emily are designing TEAM shirts and visors for the event! I am going to bet they are pretty cool!

We will also be scheduling several weeks of training rides that will specifically prepare us for the courses we will face at Bend. This will all be up on the BLOG. All TEAM members will be invited to these rides.

We are off and running!

More to come.

THE SHOOTOUT

Tucson - Saturday morning at 5:45, Teenie and I lined it up with 50 other riders for the SHOOTOUT- B. This event starts every Saturday on University near the AZU campus. Imagine about 40 Masters Racers and 10 CAT 1/2/3 Women and you have the picture. With a name like the SHOOTOUT, this is no ordinary ride.

The is a loop of 60 miles with the 27-28 miles headed out, uphill and into the prevailing wind. The climb is only about 1500 ft but it is relentlessly slightly uphill. About 4 miles out (the last red light), the ride ramps up and each little hill or pitch becomes an accelleration. Teenie and I comfortably passed the bailout at Helmet Peak but the last very hard selection was in front of us. The hill was .4 miles long and 4.6% grade.......it really turned up a the end. I attacked and was about 4th wheel at the top. I pulled over as riders were strung out. Dan, with Echelon Racing Team, told me Teenie was good but she had fallen just off and could not recover.

We rode back very fast as it was again a gradual gentle grade but this time down. Average speed was 21.1 and that is fast with all the stops.

Not sure if the SHOOTOUT is a ride or a race? I am sure I like it!

The SHOOTOUT-A leaves at 6:00AM. They did not catch us, but I saw the group as I was headed to STARBUCKS.............wow! They looked like they could fly.

Team Ride

Cinthia, Emily, Linds, Brian and myself went on a great trainings ride today. Here are some of the details: 58.7 mi in 3:32. Max speed 44.8 mph and 8458 ft. of climbing (Saluda, green river cove, etc.). I was so tired on the last decent that I got girlies by all three. Let us do this again soon.

Le Metier.... a good read..

"Over the hundreds of thousands of kilometers I've ridden, I've slowly come to realize why my desire developed and became an obsession.  Without it, I struggle.. I am anxious, unfocused and tense.  Cycling has become spiritual, as it is a passion that I can pursue in the natural environment.  I can pedal away angst, find calm and clarity with the rhythmic motion and freedom.  The commitment gives me a focus; the love gives me panache.  Whether it is pedaling to victory or training in the mountains, I find peace."

Michael Barry, Le Metier: the seasons of a professional cyclist

NC State RR June 4th .....

·         With the SC State RR under our belts and fresh in our memories, DS, Perry, and I head over to Graham, NC for the NC State this past Saturday.  Joe F had DS on a hard week of training and I had decided to ride hard throughout the week.   Which turned out NOT to be a good idea if you want to race with the senior citizens of North Carolina……  (Perry of course was coming of tough duty of hanging out in Hawaii with no training).  50+ field …but it is the old 60 Dave LeDuc who will once again set the tempo and capture the overall win for the day.    That guy is just amazing. 

      3 laps of 13 point something… 40 mile race with a 1 mile climb shortly after the start/finish followed by a series of bumps then a run in to the finish.  The race went  out at a moderate pace climbing the wall at a reasonable pace…. Then the attacks started…. We rode a smart race staying the near the front and going whenever the Big Dogs went…. All together coming through the S/F and heading for the second trip up the wall….. accelerates to 22mph on the climb.. then goes at the top…. Big surge as a selection is attempted……we all hang …. Then attacks… go bring it back…. Attack… go bring it back…. DS yells “on your right”  LeDuc is moving up…. Gary Jackson goes we follow….  No one gets away…. Past the S/F for the final lap…. I feel good …. We head towards the wall…. Pace is getting higher… we start up the climb … LeDuc goes up the right…. Perry chases around the left with a pack behind him closing …. I am heading up the right… crest . at the back… it accelerates again… Perry is gone…. Gap forming… I am redlined…DS comes around “lets go big guy”  … I try but no legs.. heart is spiked … DS rides away glancing over his shoulder… I tell him to GO… he latches on to some riders and I am falling back… recover, recover… DS is with a group but have lost the pack,   I am further back and losing ground…  hitting rollers…. Descent … right turn…. Feeling better… pick up 2 riders… DS and a group of 3 are a 400 meters  ahead.. the pack another  500 meters… the gaps growing bigger…   Back on stride… starting to close.. dropped my riders and slow up so we can work… pick up another rider we now have 4 riders working together… pacelining… catch DS who has spent all his quarters as we are heading towards the run in….. 6 of us….   2 in my age group, DS and 2 in 50-54…. I tell DS to go to the front for a lead out at 500….. he misses the sign for 1K then for 500,   I move to the front and go right before the 200m mark….. accelerate and hold it to the finish… passed at the line by a 50-54 guy….. well out of placing for my age group. 

      But a great race.. Perry did a great job over the first 2 laps and DS tried to get me back…  Big thanks to them, but not enough… in that small window that decides a race…..   DS’s wisdom “we did a helluva a lot better than last year….. a hard race, a very hard race”… DS’s powermeter shows he has set a new PR in Watts, HR, and just sure pain for a RR… 40 miles in 1:38.   Me … I rode well, finished strong with a 36 mph sprint…. But 90 seconds cost DS and I with 10 miles to go…..

That’s bike racing.

Linz Cats Up! Elite Nats Planned

Linz has upgraded to Cat 2 and will compete in the Crit at Elite Nats coming up in late June in Georgia! Right now, plans are that she and Cin will race in the Crit and G and Cin will take on the RR.

Go Linz! Go Cin! Go G!

This is really big for our TEAM.

Wowee!....

...Y'all took home the hardware while I was in....Maui!

Congrat's to everyone who raced the SC State RR Championships!