Bike racing 101

The few, the brave, the unknowing, the anxious, the confident, the sexy, the fit, the best of the best came out for a weekend of bike racing in the San Inez/Goleta area this past weekend. The Poor College Boys race was on Saturday and what a course, what a day to ride and what a race. This was a road race, so not much opportunity to see a lot, but I got a good spot on a hill just after the start and had excellent views as they came screaming down the hill into the finish line. Too bad the camera battery died:(

Both the men and women were fired up for this first race of the year and all quads were firing. Love the sounds of racing and the views were spectacular:) CA Pools men were killing it, they are going to have a great season. Saw a bit of the women's and then lost track of which group belonged to which category so just cheered them all on. Scott Johnson of Bicycle John's pulled off a great race and bunny hopped a crash at the finish...great skills.

Sunday was all about women at the Mothballs criterium. Jennifer & Scott, Robb put up the Bicycle John's tent and made room for the ladies to warm up near the start line. Jill Gass gave a great clinic on criterium skills and Kim Anderson of Columbia High Road shared a few words of motivation for the first time racers.

This Cat 4 race was part of the Womens Cycling Challenge which is a movement to get more women to race. There were a few variations in the normal crit process but none the less everyone raced and had fun. Most received prizes or primes and everyone got a Bicycle John's WomenCyclist goodie bag complete with Gu, Shot bloks, Road Bike Action Magazine,Patch kit, wine opener, Action Wipes and chapstick:)

Team Echelon provided Susan Farber, sports psycology coach for before and after the race to help overcome some nervousness and learn from the race debriefing. A benefit that is beyond useful! Team Nexus ladies were in good form this spring as well. Avalon (Echelon) of course was her own force to be reckoned with---I think she used a bit of pent up anger at having her car stolen to motor down the course--she was a women possessed:)

We even had a fun ride on Sunday morning which I did ride and it was gorgeous, beautiful bike lanes and always a favorite to ride a double paceline with such skilled riders.

All in all, a great racing weekend and I was happy to be a part of it..even though I couldn't race. Until the next one: Congratulations to all the racers Men and WOMEN!

I posted photos on WomenCyclist facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moorpark-CA/Women-Cyclist/183785497458#/photo.php?pid=3200967&id=183785497458


RL

Rainy day Fun

Ok, so I admit to being a girl that likes to have fun, is easily bored and has an attention span smaller than a pin head, so when it comes to facing a week of rain I have to find ways to fill the gap where I would normally be riding my bike.

Luckily, my friend and local trainer Mike Pincus has come up with a fun, challenging class that is perfect mix of strength, aerobic and flexibility work--oh yeah and add a dash of scary stuff too!

Myself and a few other women met Mike at the Victory Gymnastic Center in Newbury Park, CA. Here Mike had us take off our shoes and socks and warm up on this spongy floor (I'm sure there is a technical term for this but I don't know it). We did a variety of movements that; to say the least, challenged my cyclists' hips...it all felt good but the sideways movements certainly make you realize how pedaling all the time has some side effects.

If you haven't been on a trampoline in a while I highly suggest you give it a whirl. It's a little scary at first but as you get higher and more balanced it actually feels great--right up until Mike says ok now jump into the foam pit!! Yikes I'm not 10 anymore and honestly I never was a really brave kid; certainly I am less brave as an adult:) Ps..yes I did it but that's only half the challenge; to get out of the pit you must "swim" out. I admit to giggling the whole time so it probably took longer than it should have.

And hey why stop there, let's add some spring board trampoline jumping, straddles and hops; then climb HIGH onto the vault and jump into the pit again--yikes my heart was beating fast now. I admit it took 2 attempts to get me to jump from that high.

Next up my favorite part: the ropes. There's a set of 3 ropes hanging from the ceiling--no one to catch you and you need to climb up bare hands and feet. The first time I really struggled. But the second time I did much better and made it up.

Talk about empowering to be up that high, feeling strong and having the time of your life. I loved it. This was great fun and an incredible workout. I can feel muscles that have been dormant for quite some time waking up.

If you want something to do in this rainy season..join Mike at Victory Gymnastics M-W-F at 12:15 pm for this class..but hurry up it fills up fast and I'm already getting ahead of you on that rope::)))

a few pics above....details to the class below
Until the sun shines again,
RaeLynn



$25 for 1 class or $249 for 12 (must be used within five weeks)
No contracts or memberships.
Classes are 1 hour long.
This is indoors and fully air conditioned.
Drop in anytime as classes are held Mon-Wed-Fri at 12:15. Twenty people to a class/first come basis.
Classes are held at Victory-Gymnastics Academy
2330 Teller Road
Newbury Park, Ca 91320
805-558-7791

Put Some Coin in your Love Bank

Cyclists are notoriously dedicated to the sport; slaves to schedules, obsessed with eating right, training hard and getting proper rest. This makes for great athletes, but what does it do for family and friends? We all know that there are times when we are adding to our “love bank” and times (like race season) when we are seriously on the brink of bankruptcy.

Rainy days are the perfect opportunity to put some coin in your “love bank” so take advantage of this time with these direct deposit activities:

• Buy flowers: yes guys, as corny as it may be, few women can resist a surprise bouquet –and make it special not a premixed grocery store bouquet!

• “Kid” nap your own kids…take them out of school early one day…go to a museum, the beach in the rain, indoor car racing, the mall, skiing, snowboard…whatever THEY want to do—get to know what they enjoy. A few hours can create a lifetime memory.

• We all have a support person; someone who takes care of things while we are off to the races or pedaling out base miles…maybe it’s your mother-in-law, wife, husband, lover, sibling or neighbor. Whoever it is, give them the ultimate gift by asking,”What can I help you with?”…be prepared to fix light bulbs, take down an aging tree, or buy a massage.

• Have coffee with a friend that doesn’t ride a bike. Order a dessert, don’t wear cycling clothes and genuinely ask, “How are you?”

They say; Time is Money, so spend some time with those who love and support you. Guaranteed it won’t be expensive. I’m sure your friends and family just want time to spend time being with you. It’s an investment that will pay off and it’s raining today---so start filling your love bank today:)

Double Peak San Elijo

16-17% grade OUCH! time 39:17

Words cannot say

Watch this video...it's from the Mike Nosco Memorial Ride. Funds were raised to help Andreas Knickman with his battle against cancer.

Best piece of work ever--this is who we are as cyclists--people with a cause:)

Such a great day, this brings tears to my eyes...can't wait to do it again with these and more awesome people next year.
RaeLynn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDw_sHHZSDg

What's the Rush?

Today is Sunday; a day of rest. I slept late, then went to a recreational “fun” ride. Less than a mile into the ride a lone rider shoots off the front of the pack. He looks back a few times as if to say, “hey come on” and honestly I felt sad for him. I kept my thoughts to myself (ok until now) but I had to wonder if he was in that big of a rush to finish something “fun” he must be missing out on a lot in life.

We didn’t see him again on our ride, but I noticed that thousands of Christmas lights/decorations and YES even a Christmas tree had appeared on the landscape of this route! I had to check my watch—did I miss Thanksgiving? Why I ask, in a nation where we spend millions on exercise, wrinkle creams, and supplements to look and live longer do we try to rush through the journey that is life? Even Starbucks can’t put up with waiting in their own lines; they now provide you with individually wrapped instant coffee packets perfect for mixing in the car as you speed to work.

I’d like to go back to the time period when October owned Halloween, Thanksgiving was practically an entire season of its own and Christmas only happened once a year. I don’t want to go shopping the day after Christmas for the Next Year—next year hasn’t even arrived yet…. If we keep progressing at the current rate we might just as well yank that groundhog out his hole in December, put a Halloween costume on him and let him lead the Macy’s Day parade.

I’m not against going fast on a ride or enjoying a good Hammerfest, but just sometimes I think we need to take a turn down that road you’ve never ridden, go slowly up the hill, stop to enjoy the view, take the time to finish a conversation with a fellow rider. Slow down and enjoy the journey …you just might find your bicycle leading to places you’ve never seen, with people you may have never had the chance to meet in a world that is, at least for that ride, not in a rush to get to tomorrow.

Is there anything more lovely?

Fast, beautiful, fun women on bikes---there is nothing better::))

Photo courtesy of @brightbulbideas.com