Masters Nationals 2012 Race Report - Lisa Campbell

I couldn’t let this amazing week of racing go by without sharing this experience. I don’t really know where to begin, because this year’s master’s nationals did not just take place in 2 days. (I did the TT and the Road Race, but not the crit). This race was the culmination of a year’s worth of training, both physical and mental…Of riding around during the winter with a 7 to 8 pound water bottle filled with bb’s…of twice weekly visits to the gym (I HATE the gym) to develop and strengthen my legs for TT efforts. It was a lot of “No, I can’t go on a group ride…no I can’t do just 2 hours, my training program calls for 3.5 hours…no I can’t ride “tempo”, I have intervals to do”…you get the picture. 

I got a TT bike this Christmas (thank you Trudi Schindler for having a tiny TT bike that you wanted to sell, and thank you Mom and Dad for the great Christmas present) and started riding it in January, knowing I wanted to attempt the TT at Master’s. I also knew I wanted to do the Road Race. My 7^th place finish last year was disappointing to me, and I was not in the best form, having crashed into a parked car and rearranging my cervical vertebrae one week before last year’s race. I got some practice for the TT at this year’s Cascade Classic. However, I was not happy with my results and felt like the course got the best of me, rather than vice versa. When we arrived in Oregon the Sunday before the TT I did an easy spin and had a little discussion with the TT course…I let it know it was NOT going to beat me this time. I was so lucky to have Dotsie here to help me. Dotsie took me out on to the course and gave so much technical advice that I never would have thought of myself. I have to thank Kirk, who also raced the TT and RR, and raced brilliantly, for sharing Dotsie with me.

The TT is a 30K rolling course with some short power rollers, that don’t feel so short when you are on them. I had the most perfect warm up…I was relaxed, ready to go right on time. Dotsie, and James, on the other hand, were not so relaxed I found out later. But they did a good job of hiding how nervous they were before my race. I also am pretty sure the reason I won is because Dotsie let me use her super fast white booties…and she made me tuck my braids into my TT helmet. 

During the course I alternated between feeling like I had my rhythm, and feeling like I was pedaling through quicksand. Even though I passed about 7 people I had this sinking feeling over the last 5K that I was not going to win. I had to push those negative thoughts out of my head. For one, Dotsie was on the course screaming “Let’s do this”…and James was out there yelling for me too. I actually started yelling at myself “go, go go”…and slid so far forward on my saddle I almost fell off…As I passed the finish line I just kept pedaling…around and around. My warm up spot was right near the USA cycling trailer and I did not want to be there when everyone was looking at their results and find out that I had not done what I came here to do. I had myself pretty convinced that I did not win when I saw Dotsie riding towards me. She was having a hard time containing herself, and I didn’t know if she was crying because I won, or because I lost…but of course as we now know…I won…And I almost crashed into Dotsie as she came riding over yelling “you won, you won…oh my god you won by 2 minutes”. She hugged me so hard she cracked my back, which felt great, by the way, so thanks for that Dotsie. After celebrating I said “you are sure right…you are positive I won?” She said she pulled rank and went up the CEO of USA cycling just to confirm…it’s nice to have a coach who just won an Olympic Silver Medal and can do that.

Dotsie was not scheduled to hand out medals that day. I told her I didn’t want anyone but her presenting that medal to me. Dotsie asked, and USA cycling was more than happy to have her present the 45-49 medals. I cannot explain with silly words how mind blowing, amazing and special that medal ceremony was to me. It was the best celebration I could have asked for to have Dotsie put that jersey on my back and that medal around my neck. 

However, I had to come on down from the cloud I was currently sitting on (I’d say it was way above cloud 9, at least cloud 10 or 11) and prepare for the road race the next day.  There were many more women signed up to race that were not in my TT. At events like this, where people come from all over the US, you never know what kind of field there will be. I happened to know that one of the women in my category was an Oregon local and a climber…and she had just placed second in the road race at the master’s world championships in Austria. Winning the TT was my first goal, winning the road race would be icing on the proverbial cake. (Although I prefer French fries as my guilty pleasure of choice).

I had a mellow night, hanging out with James and the doggies (and Mr. Bilbo, our cat). A glass of Oregon wine was all the splurge I’d allow myself. No fries until after the road race, and only if I won! The road race wasn’t until 3:15 the next day. This is good, in that it allows for a leisurely morning and time to sleep in. This is also bad because it allows for nonstop obsessing about 1) what to eat, 2) how much to eat and 3) when to eat it. A morning spin calmed my nerves. Also helpful was the text I received half way into my ride from Dotsie saying “we just passed you, go home and get your feet up”. Talk about personal service. 

And so I did what I was told. I relaxed back at the house with the doggies while James my forever faithful domestique and biggest fan cleaned and prepped my bike. The road race is the same course we do at the Cascade Classic, just a bit shorter, 84K total.  So I knew it was about 25 miles of downhill, mainly flat, with some rollers leading into the big climb back up the mountain. A warm up wasn’t going to be necessary for this race since we rolled with gravity for the first 20 miles. So, there was nothing left to do but show up at Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort and get last minute instructions from Dotsie. Which, consisted of “It is NOT your job to pull these women around for 40 miles to the base of the hill. It’s going to be boring for 40 miles but then it’s go on the hill. And if a break goes, is not going to stick on that course. It all comes down to the hill at the end. All of the races have gone the same way, anyone who breaks away before the climb is caught, and the field is shattered on the hill”.

The weather was perfect, and on the start line I felt relaxed, more relaxed than I normally am. I knew I had done everything I could to prepare for this moment. I knew that I had the best coach and mentor in Dotsie, the best support system in James and my parents (mom and dad were cheering for me from across the miles in so cal), and the best team in the world who were behind me and always there to boost me up when I needed some pep talk. As we rolled out of that ski resort I only let positive thoughts loose in my head. As usual, Dotsie was right. Forty painfully slow miles. I mean, butt numbing, and mind numbing. I had to literally close my breaks slightly throughout some of the race in order to keep my legs moving. To keep calm and focused I thought about my hard training rides. I told myself I was going to win, and I was not going to bring anyone to the line with me. I had visualized the way I wanted this finish to go down so many times, and I kept that picture in my head as we continued our stroll to the base of the climb. You could hear some muttered, nervous chatter as we neared the 40 mile mark, things like “where is the damn climb already”, and “are we going to ever race”…you could feel some tension and the pace picked up a bit…but no one wanted to do too much work. As soon as we hit the big rollers, about ten miles before the finish, right after the 20K to go sign I moved to the front and pushed the pace, not an attack, just started riding right at threshold. I told myself I had just started my uphill TT and there was no stopping now. It was time to get this damn party started. 

I was happy to be in charge and leading the pace, and the sun was just starting to come down behind the mountains, so I could look to my right and see the shadows of the women behind me. I could see that they were standing. I was sitting. I could hear them breathing, hard. I had been watching and listening to the peloton all race. There were some small efforts on some rollers during the last 40 miles and I noted who was in what gear, how hard they had to push, and how fast they seemed to recover. I kept my pace up and didn’t look back til I heard the word “gap”. I turned to take a quick peek and saw that I had 4 women with me, and a small gap, maybe 15 seconds. There were 3 women chasing us. I looked ahead of me and to my dismay…flat! I totally forgot that there was a valley in between the rollers and the final climb. For a split second I thought I had gone too soon and blown my chances, but I quickly erased that thought from my head. We had a pack of 5 with a gap and if we held it to the base of the climb I knew we could keep it. 

I was empowered by this thought and started encouraging my group to work together in a pace line. It was apparent that this was not possible just yet. Everyone was breathing really hard and I thought that if I pulled for a bit, gave them a chance to recover, that maybe it would help us build our lead. I did just that, not too hard, but I felt strong and knew I could stay out in front for a little bit without pushing myself over the edge. I needed my group to recover because I needed them to work through that valley and launch me from the base of the final climb. My plan worked. Or I should say, the painful VO2 intervals that Dotsie had me doing for the last month worked. After about 45 seconds to a minute of me doing the work the women started rotating. We worked together well. A few women had to sit out their turn now and again, as did I, but I could feel them getting stronger and more excited as we saw our chase group was not gaining on us. I have to say that this group of 4 women was awesome. They raced their bikes! I just kept saying “come on, we can do it, let’s keep this gap”. And thankfully, the road started to curve up, suddenly, and my last words to my group were “come on, we can continue to work together on the hill”…and I put my head down and away I went. Again, telling myself this was an uphill TT. After about 500meters I looked back and now I had a chase group. They were way too close for comfort. I did not want anyone coming across the line with me. I remembered all the rides I had done to prepare for this scenario and I kept my head down. After a kilometer I heard the Moto guy next to me, I kept looking at him, too oxygen deprived to say “what’s my gap”. He must have seen the look of desperation on my face because he said “your lead is 30 seconds and it’s widening” This was with about 5k to go. Those words pushed me to dig even deeper. I started to see some of the women from the 35-39 group that started ahead of us. I focused on catching and then passing them. I got in my drops and maxed out my heart rate, the road leveled out a bit and I picked up the pace…the Moto guy never left my side. I hoped that the fact that he wasn’t saying anything meant my gap was growing. As I made the right hand turn with 1K to go I snuck a final look back and didn’t see my chase group. I pushed one last time, and just about cried I was so happy when I saw that right turn into the ski resort. I knew that it was my race now and I got to FINALLY live out the finish I had been visualizing for so long. I was smiling, screaming “yes!!!!” as I rolled into the final 100M. I zipped up that darn jersey, threw both hands in the air and yelled and clapped and kept on going through the finish line, into the parking lot. I kept riding circles around the parking lot. I couldn’t stop, I was so excited. I heard Dave Towle say “and Lisa Campbell is still riding around the parking lot”. Dotsie and James were stuck behind the caravan and didn’t see me come in. After a few minutes of me riding around like a lunatic I saw Dotsie and then James and I think I screamed “I won, I soloed in, I threw my hands up in the air”…then the man from USADA came towards me and I’m sure he was thinking “what a nut” when I said “oh my god, I’m so happy to see you because when I see you it means I won!”…I practically skipped all the way to the USADA tent and peed away for them! 

I am happy to say that I got to have Dotsie place another jersey on my back and another medal around my neck. I am also happy to say that my group of 4 women shared the podium with me. All five of us got to stand on those steps. I hope they are happy with their race, because I had a great time working with them through that valley. Bike races are hard to win…really hard, and I never would have done this without the help of my coach, my friends, my family,  my first team Fast Friday, and my current and most amazing team, SC Velo presented by Empower Coaching Systems. 

Race Report: Aspen Blue Ribbon Challenge - 8/22/2012

From the camp that I was very lucky to attend at the OTC earlier in August, I was selected to race as part of a composite team for the Aspen Community Valley Hospital in a criterium in Aspen. This crit used to be part of a larger stage race that coincided with the men’s pro-challenge, however this year it was the crit only. The promoters and race directors worked very hard to create a women’s event that was raced just before the men entered Aspen. This meant huge crowds and vendors.

I arrived in Aspen early so that I could ride alongside my composite team members Abby Mickey, Lindsay Bayer, Jenna Kowalski, and Sarah Strum in a charity ride for Komen for the Cure. This gave me plenty of days of training in beautiful Aspen (“ahh, California”), “where the beer flows like wine and the women flock like the salmon of Capistrano” (no, I was not mature enough to refrain from making Dumb and Dumber references the whole time I was there- I am pretty sure that I saw Lloyd Christmas on a motor bike that he obtained by trading the shaggin’ wagon “straight up”).

First, I cannot express how beautiful the drive alone was to Aspen. If you know me, you know that I detest driving because I fall asleep in cars; so obviously, the best method of travel for me was to drive by myself 13.5 hours to Aspen. Yes, this was the best method. The drive was amazing- from deserts to canyons; my eyes were wide with amazement over our beautiful country the entire drive. Next, Aspen was stunning. A small town situated at 7,900’ surrounded by mountains, Aspen offers plenty of activities and great riding for those of us who enjoy the hills and the altitude. I was fortunate to be staying with Jenna and Lindsay and we were able to go on several training rides in the area. The Komen ride for the Cure took us through amazing places in Aspen (Lindsay saw her first marmot). Did I mention that there are beaver dams in and around Aspen? My point: I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to make this trip to a beautiful place with my bike. I met wonderful people, stayed in amazing housing, and saw beautiful scenery.

The day of the crit was hectic to say the least. Jake (who had met me in Aspen the day before) and I packed up the car early that morning so that we could leave for Humboldt immediately after I raced. I did my usual spin before the race then headed over to the course to warm up. It was a huge festival! The race director and promoter had really done a wonderful job of showcasing women’s cycling through our race. The course was a four-corner course with a nice riser after turn one. As we waited on the line for the start of the race, the dark sky began to sprinkle. I was surrounded with some of the US’s finest racers- Lauren Tamayo fresh from her Olympic silver medal in team pursuit, (Coach from camp!) Katie Compton, and several other huge names in women’s cycling. I felt grateful to be there.

The race started and I managed to stay at the front for the first few laps. This is big for me, because it was a large field with fast women and I did not feel intimidated by the speed, jostling, or damp course. Katie pushed the field hard and I tried to hold on to my position. I lost a few places and found myself mid pack when I break went up the road (lead relentlessly by Katie). I used the slower pace to move my way back to the front, primarily on the corners. When I made my way back up, the break had been caught and I felt fresh. Yes, I felt fresh. So I decided, “why not attack?” I attacked just after the start/finish and went hard into turn one and up the riser. I was caught by turn two and overtaken by the mushroom on the backstretch. As I worked to recover, I made the mistake of allowing myself to slip to the back of the field where I was gapped out by another rider who dropped out immediately after falling off the back. She later apologized for gapping me out, but as I told her, if it wasn’t her, it would have been someone else and my decisions had put me in the unfortunate position at the back of the field.

I saw women falling off left and right (and center, and everywhere really). Many were simply rolling off of the course, but I decided to time trial. I turned on a steady hard pace and chased, picking up a few other stragglers along the way to hopefully catching back on. Alas, it was not to be and this would be my first crit that I did not finish. The field, lead by Katie Compton, Allison Powers, Carmen Small, Jade Wilcoxan, and Mara Abbott continued picking up speed. Several riders were dropped and pulled. My teammate for the week, Lindsay stayed near the front the whole time and raced incredibly well. The race came down to a field sprint which Optum expertly lead Wilcoxan to the top spot on the podium. Lindsay finished fifth and Katie Compton who had driven the pace the entire race finished sixth.

Whew! I learned so much in that race and I was happy with the experience that it left me. I finished mid-field, then I immediately showered and jumped in the car to drive 24 hours to Northern CA. Special thanks to the Talent Id Camp for placing me on this team, to Jan Koorn who helped to organize us and direct the race, to Jessica van Garderen for putting on the spectacular event, to my teammates for the week, to my team SC Velo/Empower Coaching for helping to get me to Aspen, and to Jacob my biggest fan and supporter.

USAC Women’s Talent ID Camp - By Amber Gaffney

August 1-5, 2012 

On August 1, I set off for Colorado Springs to attend a Talent ID camp at the Olympic Training Center (OTC). This was one of the first times I had flown over this region of the United States during the day and/or while I was awake. This allowed for an amazing view of the Grand Canyon! Seriously, from the sky, the Grand Canyon looks as if the Earth forced herself open: flat, flat, flat. Bam! A gorge in the Earth. Amazing. 

Upon arrival at the airport, an OTC employee shuffled two other bike racers and me to the training center. We promptly set about building our bikes and then set off for a spin around the area. This region of Colorado experiences predictable thunderstorms starting at about 4pm and lasting to about 5pm. As we rode, we could see the thunderstorm approaching us as the breeze grew to gusts. Lightning shattered the gloomy sky and a small shower fell upon us. We headed back to the OTC, but I will admit that this weather was beautiful! 

There were about 13 women in attendance at this camp. I knew the two other California riders (Katie Donovan, formally of our team and now a member of Rouse and Emily Kachorek of Primal). The rest of the riders were from CO, NC, PA, DC, and SC. I learned later that USAC had identified us through either our race results or word of mouth. 

Our coaches for the camp were Renee Eastman (head coach), Ainslie MacEachran (tactical coach), Katie Compton (of cyclocross and mountain bike fame), and Alison Dunlap (of road and mountain bike fame). Each coach had something special to offer the riders, whether it was race strategy from Ainslie, bike handling and general race knowledge from Katie, or Alison’s real life experiences on the road, each coach had a different way of explaining things and a different experience that enhanced our learning potential. At the end of each day, we met in a classroom for sessions on nutrition, race tactics, and round table discussions. 

Our first riding task was to re-con Cheyenne road where our field-testing would take place. The coaches prepared us for dry heat (actually my favorite riding conditions given where I live and train!) and we were off up the mountain. Cheyenne Rd. is a 5-12% grade (average approximately 8%). When we reached the top, we had our first skills class: descend a dirt road on our road bikes. Coach Katie gave us a quick and helpful session on how to descend in the dirt (always pedal!) and we set off down the hill. My first thoughts were filled with confidence as we started down the dirt road. I’m always getting lost on crazy dirt roads with loose soil- no big deal, right? I started my descent confidently and promptly fell down. I got back up, without a hint of shame and no confidence lost and started down again… and fell again… and again… and again… This was good bike handling experience for sure! 

The next day we did our field-testing up Cheyenne Rd. Our first test was a one-mile hill climb time trial. I rode the course first and decided how I would start (e.g., gearing, pace). I went off third (30 second intervals), starting in my big ring and got myself up to speed as quickly as possible. I worked to hold my highest effort for the whole one-mile. I finished with no clue how I performed (they later told me that I broke the course record with a time under four minutes, followed by former SC Velo-er, Katie with a time of just over 4 minutes- not too bad for SC Velo and alumnus!) The next time trial was a true hill climb- approximately 4 miles of climbing. I had decided that my goal would be 18 minutes and this time I started in the small ring and built my effort as time progressed. When I reached the top, I felt happy and perhaps a little too refreshed. Katie and I switched this time: she took the quickest time (of course), followed by me. 

Later this day, we headed out to the flats to work on pacelining, echelons, and team time trials. We split into teams of four- three campers and a coach. My team consisted of Coach Dave, Emily (an experienced TTTer) and Lindsay. This was my second TTT, as Ruth, Lisa, Dotsie and I took the state jersey and the course record earlier this year at Lake LA. As my team chased down the other teams (we started last), I pictured Dotsie at the Olympics with her team on the track. This was very motivating. My team was strong and well organized (thanks to Emily’s experience) and we definitely took the win here. After we finished, we learned that Team USA had made it through the first qualifying round in the women’s team pursuit. I was receiving detailed text updates on Dotsie’s Olympic run from Jacob, who had apparently decided that Earthquakes are second in line to Dotsie’s Olympic performance (he was right). I fed all of the information I got to Katie who was also keen to have spoilers on Team USA’s performance. 

In addition to our field-testing and TTTs, we also did a lot of skills work. This was really beneficial for the non-graceful and skill lacking me! We bumped elbows, which I know will come in handy in the big races, we bumped wheels, we scooped up water bottles from the grass while riding (yes, I even managed to do this), and we learned to bunny hop and stop quickly. I am very grateful for these skills because I know my deficits in bike racing are experience and skills! We also practiced taking feeds in a feed zone and from a car. I was grossly un-prepared for the push that Ainslie gave me from the car that sent me straight to the front of the peloton. Again, these are skills that I know I will use and I am happy to have practiced. 

Our long ride day was also through the flats. I am from the mountains. I grew up in the mountains. I have since traveled outside of the mountains, but I am always amazed at how naked I feel in the plains. To the East of where we rode, there were open sky and a horizon that spread as far as my eyes could see, unencumbered by a single mountain or hill. Crazy! We pacelined and echeloned through the flats and in-between, I got to talk with Alison about her amazing career and the time she spent with our very own, cake frosting loving and crazy strong Pam! This was a great ride to end our camp experience- it was mellow with some learning moments and a few hard efforts in the paceline. Near the end of this ride I got the text update that Team USA had taken second in the pursuit- Dotsie is a silver medalist! 

In general, I learned some great skills from this camp that I will certainly put to use in my own racing. I also met and got to know some wonderful cyclists and great people. While I know that my skills and experience are sometimes lacking, I felt strong and well prepared for this camp. The coaches were incredibly helpful (Katie Compton really has a way of explaining and demonstrating bicycle maneuvers that makes sense to me!) Being at the OTC during the Olympics was a great experience. I was a little star struck being at the place where our Olympians live and train- the pools, the cafeteria; everything was built specifically for athletic excellence. We were well taken care of for our entire stay. I headed back home to share my experiences with my team and finish up my first full season of bike racing.

July 29, 2012 - San Marcos Circuit Race

The course for the San Marcos Criterium is a 1.3-mile course with fairly wide corners and a power climb with 72 feet of elevation gain before the finish. PC, Bonnie, and I were out representing SC Velo/Empower Coaching and the weather was perfect for a race (clear with a slight head wind on the false flats of the course, and warm). At the start of our pre-race meeting, Bonnie asked me how I felt and told me that she saw no reason why I shouldn’t solo the win (Bonnie, thank you for your vote of confidence). Bonnie used tails of past team wins on this course to motivate us as we finished up our last GU chomps and headed to the start of the race armed with a set of plans and back-up plans. As we lined up, I felt glad to be home. I have dedicated the last month and a half to traveling for races and for a friend’s wedding, so being surrounded by two of my teammates and the usual suspects of some of my favorite local riders put me at ease on the start line. On the whistle, I moved to second wheel and pulled up along side PC to inform her that my brake was rubbing. She thought I was joking when I told her it could be my excuse if I did not perform well- I wasn’t joking, but it wasn’t bad and my Cannondale loyally saw me through to the end of the race. The race started into a turn and a descent, then a second right-hand turn, followed by a straight, very slight descent into a right-hand turn and then a long and fast straight section. I sat second and third wheel throughout the first lap and made sure to not hit the pace too hard after the last right hand turn into the climb before the start finish. PC and I worked together near the front on the second lap and when we rounded the last turn into the climb, I picked up the pace to test out the field. I could hear huffing and puffing, so I kept my pace consistent. There is a short false flat before the last little hill into the start finish on which I sat second wheel. PC and I both picked up the pace nearing the start finish. It was a prime lap and PC yelled to me to take it- I did and I rounded the corner into the descent hard. A voice behind me told me to pull through hard and as I snuck a peak behind, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Joy McCulloch (Helens) was on my wheel and we had a gap between the field and us. Following Joy’s instructions, I took a hard pull. When she pulled through, I was happy to see that Karen Meske (Revolution) had joined us. The three of us worked through the backstretch and finished the third lap together. I am not sure when we lost Karen out of the break, but she left us around this time, I think. On the fourth lap, Suzanne Sonye (Helens) joined us and shortly after PC was with us. I was happy that PC had joined us and I stayed at the front of the break, preparing to do the bulk share of the work to save PC’s legs for the sprint. Soon though, I noticed that Hillary Crowley (Revolution) had joined us. While PC is one of our best sprinters, being in a break with Hillary and Suzanne meant that we was outnumbered by sprinters and our team’s odds of a win were narrowing. I attacked near the last kicker before the start finish and took Joy with me. The two of us successfully broke away from the break away and I was satisfied knowing that Suzanne and PC would do everything they could to protect Joy and me. At some point, Becky Siegel (PAA) joined Joy and me. Becky rotated through with us for at least one lap before we lost her. I made sure to take pulls on the first kicker after the last turn and the last kicker before the start finish. This allowed me to keep the pace up and to keep the other riders in the break a little tired. At some point, I noticed that we were passing a lot of riders and it became apparent that we would lap the field. When Joy and I came upon the main field, I rode hard up to the front. Joy had two or three teammates in the field and Suzanne was somewhere behind, not out of striking range. I could not stay with the field for two reasons: 1) Joy had more teammates in the field than I, which would mean more work for me; 2) if the field stayed slow, Suzanne would catch us and use her caginess against me. At this point, Bonnie got on the front of the field and pushed hard. She took me into the final turn at a good pace and I attacked hard. I heard Helens working to chase me, but I went harder. When I crested the top, I noticed that I had Trina Jacobson (Revolution) with me. I pulled hard down the descent, took the first turn at a mellow pace, hit the false flat hard and pulled hard through the turn. At some point, I looked back and realized that Trina was gone, but Karen was with me. Karen reassured me that there was no one close behind us, and I finished the lap with Karen on my wheel. I should note that at some point, Jacob made sure to yell to me that I had two laps to go (always helpful, because I tend to not hear the announcer and I miss the lap cards). The last two laps, I worked hard, always pushing the descent and on the flats, I practiced my time trialing. I even tried to work on my bike posture (I sometimes feel as if I’m the cycling version of a “fixer-upper”- there is always something new for me to work out to improve my cycling). When Karen and I came into the last turn, she took the last pull to finish her final lap and I crossed the start/finish line with the win. Joy came in a well-earned second place, Suzanne came in third after working hard to protect Joy, and PC came in fourth after sprinting around the other members of her group. As a team, Bonnie, PC and I executed our plans perfectly and most importantly, we had fun! The women’s 1-2 field showed camaraderie and reminded me how fun So Cal racing can be (especially with a long course and a hill- sorry PC, but you love it!)

7/22/2012 Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 5

22 July 2012 - Written by Guest Rider Melina Bernecker Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 5 Circuit Race The last Stage of the tour (and by reputation one of the hardest) this year the Circuit Race had been cut to 3 laps instead of 4 which was a welcome change by all. The 81km (51 mile) circuit race started and finished at Summit High School before heading out onto Schevlin Park Drive where the circuit started and descended its way into the Tumao Reservoir Park before heading up the first climb (approx 1.5km) to the Feed zone> The second climb was Archie Briggs Road which is a 1.6km climb with a short very steep section at the start (approx 200 meters) with a max gradient of 18% before flattening out to about 3-4% before the last little kicker (200m) at the KOM which has a grade of about 10%. From there road offers only a few more little rollers before either turning right (and downhill) onto the next lap of the circuit or straight through the roundabout and the final 2km to the finish line. Excited to have made it to the final stage of the race we waited in the shade for the start. It was a very hot day with temperatures around 38 degC (104 degF) so staying as cool a possible was important prior to race start. The Pro Men’s race headed out at 1pm and the Women’s Pro race only 5 minutes later. Standing at the start line ready to go many of the girls had ice packs in their jerseys in an attempt to keep them cool. As we rolled out in neutral until the circuit started there was already a lot of pushing for position as nerves began to take their effect prior to the first descent. People stood on the side of the road with water hoses spraying us down with cold water (which was a fantastic relief). The peleton stayed together for most of the first lap until we hit the second climb at Archie Briggs Road and the field began to dwindle and tired legs were taking their toll! I managed to hang in there for the first climb (counting the meters of suffering I had ahead of me). Surprisingly I got over the KOM and I was still with the group. Lap two was a similar story as each climb I just hung in there trying to ignore the burning lactic building up in my legs and trying to stop my heart from exploding in my chest! I saw Jenny and Lisa ahead of me in the group and as we suffered together over each of the climbs as we hung on (amazingly each lap seemed to hurt a little less (this could be because I was suffering heat stroke) but amazingly I was still with the group on the final climb as we crossed the KOM mark. From the KOM I knew it was only 4 km to the finish line and I mustered up all the effort I had left (and some I didn’t know I had) to move up in the group as girls began to fall off the back. Through the final roundabout the pace picked up with only 2km to go as we seemed to sprint at full pace to the finish line. Jenny was next to me in the peloton and we both rode as fast as our legs would take us to finish. The feeling of relief and exhaustion at crossing the line was in sharp contrast with the surprise and excitement I felt with finishing in the front group as Jenny and I had big smiles on our faces as we headed back to camp. Kristen McGrath (Exergy) won the final stage in a solo sprint in 2.11.30, the bunch was only seven seconds behind with team mate Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Exergy) taking second in 2.11.37 and Alison Powers (Now) taking third. SC Velo did well with all the girls finishing despite a mechanical mishap with Amber suffering a flat in the final lap. I finished in 12th place with Jenny Rios finishing 14th in the front bunch in a time of 1.11.37. Lisa Campbell who had ridden an amazing tour finished only a few minutes behind in 52nd place in a time of 2.17.32, Holly Breck finishing 72nd in 2.36.43 and Amber Gaffney finished in 73rd place after suffering an unfortunate flat in the last lap and having to wait for a support vehicle to eventually bring her a new wheel. Note; A big thank you to all the support provided by James, Charlie, Sharon & Jakcob each day in getting us to the races on time, setting up our equipment each day, listening to our woes, supporting and feeding us through each race and just generally being there and providing a smile along the way! It makes such a difference to have a support team at a stage race such as Cascade and your work was very much appreciated. Thank you also to the girls and SC Velo for inviting me to ride with you, I had a fantastic time despite some personal trying times throughout the tour… The team camaraderie was second to none and I am humbled by the friendships I have formed form racing with you.

7/21/2012 Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 4 Criterium

21 July 2012 - Written by Guest Rider Melina Bernecker Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 4 Criterium The Stage 4 Criterium was staged in Downtown Bend. The four corner 50 minute Rectangular course crit has only 1 technical section with corner 3 narrowing into a tight turn leading up a small rise, before the 4th turn took you onto the finishing straight which was a long wide run approx 300 m to the finish line. On arrival the crowds were already in place watching the armature and master crits that has been taking place throughout the day. The atmosphere was amazing. The women’s pro crit was scheduled to start at 5.45 and the temperature was still nice and warm. Starting position was essential with a big field of 90 women, The SC Velo girls managed to get relatively good position in the first couple of rows. Kristen Armstrong (yellow jersey tour leader) had left the tour to head to London for the Olympics so the yellow jersey had been passed down to Alison Powers (Now) who was 2nd on GC. As the rolled out for our race the pace was on from the whistle. We all had tired aching legs at this point but that didn’t seem to stop the girls as each lap seemed to just get faster and faster with an average pace of 42kph (26 mph). Both Beatrice and Jenny managed to get a cash preem sprinting to the line ahead of some stiff competition. Trying to follow Jenny’s wheel to move up the peloton and trying to position myself around the Yellow Jersey I managed to stay in the front third of the field. Despite some scary moments around corner 3 in particular the race was incident free. The final few laps of the race were particularly scare as the front group surged and slowed like a harmonica and I had to dig deep and use up all my energy in an effort to move up the field. I managed to catch the wheel of an Exergy girl to make up about 20 spots following her wheel around the last corner before sprinting home as fast as I could. The crit was won by Carmen Small (Optum) in a field sprint, second was Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Exergy) and third Loren Rowney (Stevens Bikes). The SC Velo team did well with all girls managing to get through the race unscathed. Jenny Rios came home 13th in a monster sprint, Beatrice Rodriguez finished 23rd, I finished 26th, Amber 32nd, Lisa Campbell 45th and Holly Breck 67th. As always our support team was amazing helping us prepare for the race and yelling support from the sidelines. Where would we be without you!!!

2012 Cascade Cycling Classic - Stage 3

20 July 2012 - Written by Guest Rider Melina Bernecker Cascade Cycling Classic – Stage 3 Cascade Lakes Road Race Starting at 1951m (6400 ft) elevation at the Mt bachelor Ski Resort Parking Lot today stage would take us on a long descent through the Deschutes National Forrest for the first 19 km (12 miles) to 1340 m (4400 ft) elevation. Once at the bottom there were only a few big rollers that would challenge us but mostly just flat roads with just the elements to contend with and some of the most scenically beautiful landscape I have ever ridden through. The 77 km (46 mile) marker was the start of the climb back up Mt Bachelor and also the last feed-zone. The climb started very gradually and slowly building to a steeper pitch before easing into a false flat and another steeper climb for the last 5 or so km (3 miles) of the race before turning back into the Mt Bachelor Si Resort Parking Lot where the finish line was located. Arriving at the top of Mt Bachelor car-park it was freezing cold with snow still lying on the edges of the car-park . We all sat in the cars with the heaters on trying to stay warm until it was time to warm-up. Rallying up every last piece of clothing we had (in July) we feebly attempted to warm up (knowing it would be freezing cold during our long descent). One of the Tibco Coaches felt sorry for us standing around shivering and offered us some Embro Cream to rub on our legs to keep warm… in our moment of extreme weakness we accepted with glee (except Bea who rubbed herself down with Vaseline) Feeling a slightly warm glow now we rode a few laps of the car park before heading out to the starting chute. Due to the still big field of 88 girls we all wanted to make sure we were towards the pointy end of the field for the descent giving ourselves plenty of space as the roads were still slightly slick in shaded areas. I was glad to be wearing a wind vest and arm-warmers as the air temperature on the way down was very cold, I could barely feel my finders at the bottom. Once we hit the flats we all stripped down ready to dump our gear in the feed zone which was coming up on the next little climb about 12km (8 miles) away. The pace was fast with girls attacking even on the descent. Our average pace on the flats was over 42km (26 miles) per hour. For the next hour or so we flew along the highway through the forests and past the cascade lake network. Attacks were constant which resulted in the fast pace. The Tibco and Optum girls were doing a lot of the pace making whilst the Exergy 21 girls focused on protecting their leader in Kristen and chasing down any breaks. At about the 65 km (40 mile) mark there was finally a successful break with 5 girls getting up the road (one from each of the big teams). At that point things finally settled down a bit with the break gaining about two and a half minutes on the peloton, which was mostly still intact. Our legs were on fire from the Embro cream, it felt like someone was ripping off the skin, I think in some ways though it was distracting me form the pain my legs were feeling from riding though. Once we hit the climb and the second feed-zone the pace picked up again. Kristen was not in the break and could not afford to loose too much time so the Exergy Team picked up the pace to ensure minimal time was lost and Kristen would retain the Yellow Jersey. The next 16km (10 miles) started to hurt as the pace picked up along the climb, there was only one short section of about 4.5 km (3 miles) where the gradient got steep and the legs began to hurt before the road flattened out 5km and we hit the 10km to go marker. The peloton stayed mostly together until the last 5km climb where the road gets steep and the group splintered apart with the gradient between 6 -8%. Before is flattened out again and made the final turn for the finish line. My legs hurting (and burning from the Embro Cream) with my heart about to explode, I stomped down on the pedals determined to keep any time lost to a minimum. With Jenny & Lisa just up ahead I managed to stay with the group until the last 3km at which point both Jenny and I propped back a few seconds with a couple of other girls. The 1km to go sign came as a huge relief as I mustered up any last energy I had to make it to the finish line. Lex Albrecht (Optum) crossed the line in first place in a time of 2.53.26. Andrea Dvorak (Exergy) was second and Beth Newell (Now). Kristen Armstrong (Exergy 21) managed to hold onto the yellow jersey overall on GC with a marginal lead. THE SC Velo Girls did really well with Amber Gaffney managing to hold onto the leaders group the longest crossing the line in 25th place in a time of 2.55.14, Lisa Campbell finished 42nd in 2.55.52, myself in 44th place in 2.56.38, Jenny Rios 46th in 2.56.38, Beatrice Rodriguez 69th 2.57.54, and Holly Breck 80th 2.59,57. Post race we all hopped around trying to get the damn Embro cream from our legs without much success, we covered them in ice but as soon as the sun hit the skin it felt like a blowtorch… we tried washing it off in the bathroom (much to Bea’s amusement) but nothing seemed to work! It took 12 hours and 3 washes with dish-soap to get the cream off – major rookie error!!! Thanks to Team SC Velo support (Charlie, James, Dennis & Jake) you guys were awesome out there!!!