Rolling rolling rolling, keep them wheels a rolling!

I've had some interesting riding the past few weeks. Since I now work in Atlanta, I've gone seeking someone to ride with on Tuesday to afford myself two power workouts per week. Tuesday and Saturday. Sure, other days are utilized to ride, but at an easier pace rather than a "lets overtrain!" pace.

So, Tuesdays have been finding me riding with the amateur racing men of Aaron's Home Furnishings. Make no mistake, calling them amateur doesn't mean they're not damn good and damn fast, it just means they're not getting paid to do it. Aaron's also supports a pro women's team y'see, so I made a distinction here.

Anyway, the Aaron's guys have gotten used to me over the past three weeks of hooking into their ride. Like many rides in Atlanta, much of it could be confused with a really odd criterium due to the number of riders, turns (though one route doesn't turn as often), and traffic. This past Tuesday we included Piedmont Park for a little added excitement. Let me just say that 30 or so cyclists going at speed (we slowed down A Little) through a crowded park where walkers and dogs vie with cars, then throw in the occasional planter or pole in the middle of the road, and you get some serious need for bike handling skills. The guys have apparently decided I'm "ok" though and ride with the assumption that I can handle whatever they throw at me. This time, for instance, I found myself having to jump a curb (the ramp was taken) had a near miss with a pole, and one of the guys bumped into me in his attempt to avoid getting hit by oncoming traffic. A move like THAT could easily have sent me into the guy on MY right, but I held steady and no one wrecked.

This was a good reminder course for today's ride which started with 24 and dropped to 15 as we continued on, most dropping off to avoid the second mountain climb, that took us over 70 miles of Tennessee Back-country. As we shot down the first mountain, the guys discovered that my downhill muscle knows no peer. As I was flying down with a gleeful grin, one of the guys tried to come around me on my left. I was already coming around another dude on my right, and a third was on my wheel taking advantage of my draft to improve his own time down the mountain. He said he thought there would be trouble when the dude on my left ran into me on a turn. Most women he knows that ride would have reacted badly to that. Me, I just kept flying without skipping a beat.

I think that one act alone secured my name in his "wow" memory banks. I noticed after that I had a New Friend on the road.

Now, if I could get the rest of my teammates comfy with a little knockaround....

Plans Come Together

The VeloVixens second race of the season was the Raccoon Mountain Road Race near Chattanooga, TN.


We went in with a plan, and I had the immense pleasure of seeing it unfold exactly the way we wanted it to. It started neutral, with all the CAT 4 women riding easy in the pack together. Once the referee flagged us forward though, all bets were off, and it wasn't long before my teammate Dreama and I took the front. Once again, once I got up there, none of the women on the other teams allow me back into the peleton. They were quite content to sit on my wheeland let me do all the pulling. Here I am at the front of the pack once again.



Those girls behind me didn't know what we had in store for them. Dreama and I bounced them fast slow fast fast slow, surging ahead as if to make a breakaway, then easing way back as if accepting that we couldn't shake them, only to jump forward again hard and fast. Worried that we were strong enough to make the breakaway and stay off the front, they couldn't afford not to chase each time we surged up. What they didn't realize was that sitting behind them following comfortably and never having to work themselves to do it were our teammates. We hit the stairstep climb on Cummings Highway fast and hard with one last surge, and Dreama bounced them a little more in the first step of the climb, just to ensure they were well exhausted. That's when our girls Gina and Colleen made their move. Climbing sure and steady, practically floating up after being able to sit back and enjoy the ride for the first half of the race, they passed all those girls we'd just beaten up like they were standing still while I sat back and let the race go on without me. I'd done my part, it was now up to the climbers to bring it home.



Bring it home they did, too. By the time they hit the bottom of the last climb, no one could touch them. Gina took first, Colleen took second and both were a good minute ahead 3rd place as the first chase kept hanging on to Dreama's wheel. I, using my incredible descent, caught another teamate, Cathi, and working together nearly caught that chase peleton. At the base of the second climb I had Cathi get in front of me and let her shoot up after them.

In conclusion, our results made the effort and sacrifice worthwhile and overshadowed the miserable weather we rode in. Perhaps if I'd not been pulling and surging into a massive headwind for the first half of the race I'd have had enough git-up and go to catch that chase group. As it was, I just didn't see the need to waste the energy for it. I'd done my job, and I was happy to sit back and enjoy the ride.

King of the Mountain?

Who would expect me to go on a ride with the guys for "King of the Mountain" points? Not ME, that's sure! I hate climbing, largely because its not easy getting my 6' 185lb frame up over anything resembling a climb. At least I have a GREAT descent muscle... mah belly.

Blackberry winter combined with Easter weekend to create a small pack for this evil ride. Dean, Larry, Tom, Elwood, Dave and I headed into an awful wind and began our "KoM" ride together. I had no illusions of being first up any climb, but at the same time that which does not kill me, will make me stronger. At least, that's the theory. I wonder about that at times. Regardless, there were points as well for several sprints and I did gain a few on those. I didn't beat anyone on them, and I didn't know where they were, but at least one I saw, I responded, and if I coulda gotten around I could have had it. I just didn't manage to get around as I was playing by the centerline rule and not going into the oncoming lane. Perhaps I should have ignored that, since it wasn't an actual race. Being brand new and silly, I asked "Did I do that right? Did I do good?"
My boys are so patient with my silliness on these things. Yes, I did good. Still, at the end I had to dig deep, and the final climb about killed me. In fact, I found myself having to stop for a second partway up. My legs were shaking so badly I wasn't sure I could stay upright. Thank the Gods tomorrow is a recovery day. I think I'll sleep.




Wake me when its warm.