PREPARATION FOR THE TOUR OF THE GILA

How do you prepare for the Tour of the Gila?andnbsp; Good question.andnbsp; I will let you know when I figure it out. Altitude. Winds. Heat. Snow. Itandrsquo;s got it all, and we have only done two stages so far. You can go up to altitude to acclimate.andnbsp; You can try to do VO2 max efforts while only breathing through a coffee stirring straw.andnbsp; You can purchase wind tunnel time and try to ride into a 45mph head wind to get a taste.andnbsp; You can go to the desert until your skin get scaly and cracked like a lizard.andnbsp; You can try to turn yourself into a mountain goat that thrives on climbs and oxygen deprivation. Or, you could just suck up your pride and go to the Tour of the Gila.andnbsp; Bam. What did I do in preparation? Trinity to Spring Mtn. I got to ride with one of my most favorite teammates ever, Lauren Tamayo.andnbsp; If I am allowed to be infatuated with her, I will be.andnbsp; Cheer for her at the London 2012 Olympics on the track with USA! *insert applause*andnbsp; The ri [Read More]

published May 3, 2012 at 11:54pm EDT

13-YEAR-OLD WINTER VINECKI: COMPETING FOR A CAUSE

It was May 1st, 2011.andnbsp; I was standing on the starting line of the Eugene Half Marathon beside a small, athletic-looking pre-teen with a neat blonde braid.andnbsp; When the gun went off, so did she.andnbsp; A man running beside me uttered between strides, andldquo;Youandrsquo;ll never see that one again!andnbsp; Most kids sprint and fade, but sheandrsquo;s tough!andrdquo; Tough she is.andnbsp; Her name is Winter Vinecki, and on April 29th, 2012, she will embark upon her quest to be the youngest person to ever complete a full marathon on every continent.andnbsp; But Winter isnandrsquo;t doing this just to hold a world record, which she will upon successful completion; she is competing for a cause and racing to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer, the disease that took her father on March 12, 2009. Winter has always been a determined athlete who wanted to find a way to give back.andnbsp; At the age of five, she discovered that she was a talented triathlete, and as she grew older, she wante [Read More]

published April 16, 2012 at 12:30am EDT

ALISON STARNES ON CYCLING: THERAPY OR WORK?

Therapy versus Work. Cycling is social, and if you know me, you also know I have the tendency to talk quite a bit.andnbsp; Sometimes a a couple of bikes and a friend is the best therapy there is. However, sometimes it isnandrsquo;t about therapy.andnbsp; It is about work. I become engrossed in my task, my structure, and my purpose.andnbsp; Some days riding a bike is purely freeing, yet other days it is an hourly job.andnbsp; Clock In. Do work. Clock Out. It is about rhythm, purpose and structure.andnbsp; On these days, I might not be a joy to ride with, and I apologize in advance for this.andnbsp; You will get the head nod or wave, but my attention is on power, cadence, and time.andnbsp; I am at work.andnbsp; I am focused. Grumpy? Nah.andnbsp; Only anxious about my next interval. andnbsp;Where is the fun in that?andnbsp; Tons of fun displayed in endorphins and those who like a little pain, structure and planning, will love it.andnbsp; It is fun to me. If you decide to ride behind someone else at their andldqu [Read More]

published April 9, 2012 at 11:55pm EDT

PRO CYCLIST ALISON STARNES: THE WIND HAS ITS REASONS.

The wind has its reasons.andnbsp;andnbsp; It isnandrsquo;t seen, but it is felt. Yesterday, the wind had a specific purpose as it swept down from the north, clearing out the clouds briskly and introducing a new season.andnbsp; Well, hello, Spring.andnbsp; Happy Spring.andnbsp; First day of Spring.andnbsp; Although the rains may still come, and will, it is now the vernal equinox and the hills of Marin are filled with green grass and orange poppies. Amongst the blustery weather yesterday, it was a fight against the wind.andnbsp; The fight to not get discouraged.andnbsp; The fight not to surrender to the wind.andnbsp; Yet instead, know that the wind has its reasons and relish in that .andnbsp; It was a time to notice the color of the green grass, that just andldquo;poppedandrdquo;.andnbsp; The type of color you just want to bottle up and make a sundress out of.andnbsp; The type of color you want to recreate and paint a room to bring back that specific feeling of warmth and elation.andnbsp; The type of color that you c [Read More]

published March 23, 2012 at 1:14pm EDT

ALISON STARNES ON CYCLING: WHAT I HAVE LEARNED LATELY

Spending time with my sister has taught me a thing or two the last couple of weeks.andnbsp; She is still the best training partner, although she does have to do two other sports after riding with me.andnbsp; That just leaves me plenty of time to capture the day. What I have learned latelyandhellip; 1. They say laughter is the best medicine, and I couldnandrsquo;t agree more.andnbsp; Laughter in its simplest forms flushes out the bad and brings in the good.andnbsp; Can it remove lactate in the legs while climbing? Quite possibly.andnbsp; Feel free to laugh while climbing, if you can.andnbsp; Jump on a trampoline.andnbsp; Make sandrsquo;mores.andnbsp; Play hide and seek.andnbsp; Sneak attack your teammates in the hotel.andnbsp; Just laugh.andnbsp; Laugh hard.andnbsp; Laugh often. Just giggling and climbing with the sister. 2. A cat knows how to relax.andnbsp; Follow the example of a cat.andnbsp; They stretch.andnbsp; They sleep.andnbsp; They eat.andnbsp; They play.andnbsp; If I could be any animal, I think I would be a cat [Read More]

published March 14, 2012 at 12:18am EDT

IRISH CYCLIST FRAN MEEHAN ON WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WIN GOLD AT THE WORLD PARA-CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Irish cyclist Fran Meehan and her partially-sighted partner Catherine Walsh won Gold at the World Para-cycling championships in Los Angeles recently. Here Fran describes for us what itandrsquo;s like to race at that level. This training camp was all about recovering from jetlag, resting and#40;lying around the hotel between track sessionsand#41; hydration and the dreaded weighing scales. The fact we are self-catering really helps to keep the weight down, but just takes that extra bit of planning and teamwork. The track sessions are very intense but short which builds speed in the legs without inducing fatigue, unlike the last camp in Palma Majorca and#40;in Spainand#41; when we were doing anywhere up to five hours a day. The goal is to keep the goal the goalandhellip; as our strength coach would say while he batters us in the gym. The goal is to stay calm, focused and go very fast. The morning of the 3km pursuit we eat a light breakfast, preload race fuel, and then head to the track to warm-up.andn [Read More]

published March 8, 2012 at 3:00am EST

STORIES FROM MY LAST RACES OF CROSS SEASON

Since last i posted in January, i have raced a couple of World Cups where i finished 26th and 34th and#40;Liandeacute;vin, FR and Hoogerheide, NL respectivelyand#41; and a handful of other races mainly with results in the teens.BUT more interestingly, here are links to my rider diary on CYCLOCROSS Magazine detailing the last two races of my season :Celebration Cookies at OostmalleCycling under disco lights I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as i had fun living them!Thanks ever so much for your continued support - and for reading my blog!!! It means a lot to know that I am not alone in my adventures. [Read More]

published March 5, 2012 at 1:00pm EST

MOUNTAIN BIKES FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES

Tara Llanes and her new wheels. Photo from CBC. It is not often that I get to write about something that actually brings a smile to my face on this blog so I relish those opportunities when they arise. andnbsp;Yesterday morning, while watching the news I saw a segment about a custom mountain bike that is making it's Vancouver debut at the Bike Show this weekend, and this is no ordinary bike. Tara Llanes has guts, and heart. andnbsp;She's won many championships while racing BMX and mountain bikes. andnbsp;During a 2007 race in Colorado, she crashed and broke her back and neck, which put her in a wheelchair. andnbsp;Now, thanks to a little help from her friends, she's got a new three-wheeled bike and she'll soon be ready to hit the trails again with the people she loves. andnbsp; North Vancouver bike shop, Obsession Bikes, has helped customized the bike to Llane's body and needs. andnbsp;It features a chest pad that helps steer the bike when she is leaning on it. andnbsp;There is also a motor tha [Read More]

published March 3, 2012 at 2:24pm EST

THERE IS A REASON WHY I DO THIS SPORT.

There is a reason why I do this sport.andnbsp; There are moments and days that I question that, yet then there is that moment of clarity.andnbsp; I am reunited with teammates, with friends, with passion. Today was a beginning at the Merco Cycling Classic.andnbsp; But on the asphalt was not where I kindled my love. It was with my team, my peers, my competitors, my supporters, my friends.andnbsp; There is a reason why I do this sport.andnbsp; It isnandrsquo;t the raw power, the sheer speed, or the adrenaline rush.andnbsp; It is for so much more. Today was a start.andnbsp; A start is sometimes just that.andnbsp; A start.andnbsp; It will be a different start to 2012 then I ever anticipated, but each day I get to pedal my bicycle, I know there is a reason.andnbsp; Sometimes it is best to be cautious, but at least I know there is a reason. [Read More]

published March 3, 2012 at 1:31am EST

THAT’S A WRAP. BEST. TEAM. CAMP.

And thatandrsquo;s a wrap. Team Camp is complete. Swiss Miss, Me, and the Joshua Tree. Match made in heaven. Photo by Greg Erwin. Although it was a chaotic week of hard riding, challenging drills, and extensive learning, it was a resounding success.andnbsp; The best team camp ever. Period. My Highlights of Team Exergy TWENTY12 Team Camp: Palm Springs. Palm Desert. Palm whatever. I love this place, and I think I will retire there, starting next week, or maybe even today.andnbsp; Warmth.andnbsp; Good training. Tough terrain. 1000 Palms. Date Palms. 29 Palms. Palm Terrace. Palm Tree. You name it. I love Palm andldquo;blankandrdquo;. Joshua Tree National Park. What an amazing place! Riding through there was an entirely new experience for me, and one I will never forget.andnbsp; The scenery was so incredible and clear, I was waiting for the computerized backdrop to turn off to prove it wasnandrsquo;t real.andnbsp; Yet, it was as real as could be, and kept getting better. Big horn sheep scaling a rock [Read More]

published February 14, 2012 at 12:17am EST