2008 Race Season Starts!

The Touchstone W's Cat 4 Team, as well as members of M's Cat 3, 4, 5 (masters and elite) and W's Pro/1/2 Teams, are looking forward to another fun, challenging and safe race season. Race reports coming soon!

San Ardo Road Race

We were on the fence with this one, deciding at the last minute to drive the three hours to make the race. It was a typical Anne and Vanessa show- lots of chaos but somehow it all works out! Anne forgot her kit. Luckily I had two pairs of shorts (who brings two pairs?!) and she had a long sleeve jersey and vest so we could make something work. We had mechanic/manager/coach Fritz on board. Turns out this was very handy as Anne was all set to race in her vest, but evidently you are not allowed to race without sleeves. Did anyone beside Fritz know this?! So Anne made a last minute change to her long sleeve jersey (even though it was in the 80's at the start). There were nine tri-flow girls in the race, making up a third of the field. Somehow though it was me, Anne, awesome Denise from Norcal and a few others who were on the front the majority of the time. There was a bad crash caused by an inexperienced rider who unfortunately took out some great girls including Kelly from Dolce and Melissa from EMC. Very lame as they were riding well and definitely would have been in the mix for the finish. Anne was amazing the entire race (so strong!) and we had a great time despite obstacles like trucks, sketchy riding and charging pit bulls. We broke the field down to about 15 from 30 about halfway through the second lap. Then came the finish- an uphill with a left hand turn at the crest and a short straight runway to the end. Anne stomped it, rocketing up the climb in her big ring. I was trying to hold on but almost died on the hill (ouch!). At the turn, instead of giving up, I got mad. This helped to get my legs back under me for a sprint and I managed to pass several girls just in time to witness Anne duking it out for first with a tri-flow girl. It was so awesome to see her cross the line! I was squealing. It was totally Anne's race. She is riding super strong and it is a joy to see her in action. The tri-flow girl won by a hair but I think Anne is the true winner. Our placings: Anne 2nd, me 4th. Check out the video!

Mt Diablo TT & Lafayette Crit Weekend July 14th & 15th

Mt Diablo Hill Climb/Time Trial, Saturday, July 14th














Warming up.....






Lisa leaving the start ramp....
















Anne making her way up beautiful Mt Diablo...

The Crit
Lafayette
Sunday, July 15th:

Anne finished 8th in a full 3/4 field -

Pacific State Bank Grand Prix & Burlingame Crit Weekend

PACIFIC STATE GRAND

PRIX:
After the debacle at Mt Hamilton where I crashed out of the race before even reaching the second mile (argh), I took several weeks off to recover. Decided to get back into the game with a couple of criteriums this weekend starting off with the Pacific State Bank Grand Prix in Stockton. While warming up it was a bit disconcerting to see two crashes each take place at the same corner in a men's field, so I was glad that our group took the first lap at a moderate pace to scope out the course. Our group was pretty small (a total of 10 racers) so it felt like a manageable field-a good first race to get back "into the mix." A note for those thinking about doing this race in the future: There are quite a few corners in this race, which I found challenging. Some of the corners are paved unevenly, like the one where the two racers went down. Relatively speaking the straightaways on this course seem on the shorter side, so cornering skills and getting well positioned going into corners are key to win primes or finish well in this race. I was glad that we were in a small field. The race really got started when the strong Webcor racer (who I believe had already taken at least one prime) went for a breakaway, bringing along with her another racer. Although only two of them broke away, they did achieve a nice gap and one that the rest of the field was concerned with.

We took a couple of turns chasing down the break successfully, which I must say was really a good workout for me not having ridden at race pace for several weeks! Unfortunately, the race was cut WAY too short (we were supposed to stop at 40 minutes or thereabouts) and the final lap was upon us much sooner than most of us had expected. Although a fun race and great workout, disappointingly, our race ended at about 31 minutes. I ended up with a 6th place finish and $10 which paid for lunch at a local burrito shop.
BURLINGAME CRITERIUM:
Burlingame was an exciting fun course! Our race started early (7:50a) which meant one early wakeup (more coffee please!) . Cat4 was a full field (34+ racers starting) and the entire race was fast from the start. All of the corners were pretty nice except for one on the western side of the course which had some dips, and where the pavement was uneven and went from pavement to brick back to pavement again. A little unnerving at first, but I found that after the first couple of laps I felt good riding on the inside of all of the corners. The stretch before the start/finish line is nice and super fast. Getting positioned well before that final corner is key going for a prime or the finish. The pace was strong for most of the race and the race went by quickly. From my vantage point there were no crashes in the field, however, one woman dropped her chain going for a sprint on a prime (ouch!) but she manuvered herself out of the way really well so the field was not impacted. There was a nice-sized crowd and it was exiciting coming in for the last lap. This race definitely has an "event" type feel to it and its easy to see why it's so popular.

Berkeley Hills Road Race Report

What a relief when last Saturday rolled around! I had been thinking all week of the BHRR, all the in's and out's, dips and bumps of the Bears loop. I train on this loop. Anne and Vanessa won the Pinole TTT for WCat4 on this course. I could visualize exactly when the burn was going to set in (well, you never really can visualize that exactly). And now it was finally going to get underway. I was stoked to see Vanessa and Anne at registration. At this point of the season, we've done enough races to know that the next two hours were going to be tough. Unfortunately, we were missing our comrades Jess and Amy, but knew that they were with us in spirit - or in the case of Jess, cheering us on at the Bears. The race got underway at a decent pace but things started to change right after the first turn on to Castro Ranch. That first hill on Castro Ranch may be short - but there is something steep about it. After that little hill, the pace picked up. We rode in bursts to Mama Bear. The decisive break was made by a lead group at the mid-way point of Mama Bear. Vanessa and I had the lead group in site and raced to get back on. We were joined by Kim from EMC and a couple of gals from NorCal and Pegasus. We fought hard to catch up. I heard friends on the sidelines saying in encouragement "Looking good!" I thought - wait a minute, I have chocolate Gu and snot all over my face, how can I look good? But anyways, I digress.
Coming down Pumphouse for the first time we were fighting hard to catch back on. At probably THE most technically worst spot possible on this course - at the twisty river bed crossing just before coming back up the little hill to make a right on San Pablo for our second lap - we were passed by a men's group, forced to slow down, and then....Kim's chain dropped. What a bummer!! Amidst all the riders and the chaos, Vanessa and I were able to get with the NorCal woman and the rider from Pegasus. Approaching the Bears the final round, I was feeling the burn in my legs bad.

And now I have to say its amazing how collected and poised Vanessa is in moments like these when you need strong words of encouragement the most. Just when I didn't think I had it in me to kick it in more, Vanessa's words of support made me want to ride faster. Thanks Vanessa. By the time we got to Papa Bear, I think both of us were seriously stoked to be so close to the finish line - to see it in sight. We crossed the line and Anne was just behind us!

Lessons Learned

Madera Stage Race - More photos!

I got my first taste of being in a lead breakaway group this weekend – what fun! If not for the flat I got at mile 37 (of 51), on the final lap, I’m sure I would have been gunning for the finish with the other five riders in the group. Ah well – it’s enough to know that I did what I wanted to do at this stage race: stay upright in the crit (came in 7^th), finish with the fastest speed at the end of the time trial (11^th place?), and work to stay in the lead pack no matter what in the road race (came in 8^th – the flat cost me two spots). Went into the RR in 10^th place in GC and finished with 8^th in the end.

Being the first race I’ve been at without teammates, I took Pat and Kelly’s advice and focused on my own race skills: being safe, moving up to a better position at the optimum time, how to pace in a time trial (this needs work and aerobars!), and how to just stay tucked in. All of their advice worked to perfection…almost.

Criterium: (1.1 miles, good surface, flat, four turns and one railroad crossing) In a mixed field of Cat 4’s and 35+, our field was about 35 women strong—and a bit scary, since my last crit was the early bird in February. Lots of Left Coasters and Velo Bella’s. It was a lonely morning for the sole Touchstoner and thus really difficult to hold on to a good position in any of the early laps. Any time I managed to get near the front (but still tucked in) all of the sudden the field would accordion and it was chaos. Within seconds I was in the back. Frustrating. Fortunately, on the final lap and two turns from the final straight away, I fought to get up to the front third. Going into the final turn, I pushed a little harder expecting the sprinters to take off and kept a line that allowed me to pedal through. While I couldn’t find a good wheel to grab (people were either too fast or too slow), I did manage to pass a good number of people. Phew! Safe and through the finish and on to the next stage that afternoon…

Time Trial: (10.3 miles, ok roads, three turns, headwind, mostly flat) The sun was unbearable. The small Touchstone contingency (Ken, Pat, Kelly, Steve, and my dad) found ourselves setting up shop in the almond orchards of northeast Madera. “Hot” couldn’t describe the temps in the sun. Any thoughts of not carrying water on the 10.3-mile stage for “aero” purposes quickly evaporated – literally. Seeing everyone in their TT helmets, aerobars and disc wheels (some even with TT-specific bikes), I was a little envious. At 2:35, I took off with a heart rate already above 170…way too high. The racer 30 seconds ahead of me started to get bigger and bigger and I thought, “How cool would it be to catch someone?!” Well, I eventually caught him, someone who was just out on a ride. Oh well. A few seconds later, I myself got caught by someone with aerobars, Starla from Dolce Vita (who eventually took second or first overall). It was a painful 10 miles. The heat emanated from the pavement and I was almost out of water. My HR was way above LT and I still had 5 miles to go. (This sucks.) I came into the final turn and knew I had just one mile left. I took the last of the Enervit and started to increase speed. At the 1K marker, I saw the white tent--the finish, Shangri-La, an oasis that seemed forever out of reach. (Man, I feel like shit.) By the time I crossed the finish, I was barely breathing and yet couldn’t stop pedaling in fear of instant cramping. Shade, all I wanted was shade.

Road Race: (17 mile loop, mostly flat, headwind area, bad road section, steep section of rollers to finish – a course that suited me well!) I attribute my fast recovery and strength I felt in this 3^rd stage to the Chili’s steak and potatoes breakfast I had a 6:45am (leftovers) and the PBJ sandy I had at 9:30, two hours before my race started. Come 11:30, I was feeling good and the weather was ever-so-slightly cooler. With a two-mile promenade to the course, our field of 15 or so, “agreed” to stay together for at least the first two laps. Once the race started, one rider was immediately off the back with a flat tire. About 12 miles into it, on the worst piece of road you could imagine, we lost another rider whose seat popped off (!) which we all ran over but escaped unscathed. (My dad said he saw her finish the lap out of the saddle. Impressive since that meant she had to ride 5 miles or so standing.) Once we hit the rollers at the end of the lap, I sensed our “agreement” was about to become null and void -- not intentionally but just out of pure attrition that happens when you hit the climbs. Immediately, my HR jumped and Pat’s voice came down like the voice of god, “Just hammer to stay with the lead group through the rollers – it’s short and you’ll be glad you did.” I was. Once I crested the first roller with the pack, I was able to draft enough to get through the next few with very little effort. By the time we reached the last, our group was down to six and stayed that way for the next full lap and for a bit into the third – until visions of actually getting some point for this race came to an end with a damn flat. I pulled off and watched the group of 5 ride off. I had the new tube in-in record time (for me)-only to find that it was a short valve. I couldn’t get air in. Now what?! Cry? I looked down the road and saw a cyclist – no spare. The five cars that passed were all locals – no spare. Another cyclist! And, he was unclipping! A Sierra Nevada rider from Sac who got dropped from this Cat 3 field saved my ass. While I knew I had already lost my 6^th place by maybe two riders, I just had to finish. The Sierra Nevada rider (Andrew?) and I rode side by side pretty much to the end. He was good company and a nice way to get my mind off the oppressive heat and the loss of the race.

I spun my way up the rollers and to the finish line, coming in 8^th for the stage and 8^th overall. I’m pretty happy with that. Definitely looking forward to this race again next year.

Ken did great with an impressive 3^rd place in GC (and $5!). My dad did well too, taking 26^th in a tough field (Masters 45+). Not sure how Kelly and Pat finished but I'm sure they did well.

"Windy" Wente Vineyards RR & Crit

Wente really reminded me of how much FUN this bike racing thing is. Both courses were a blast (literally and figuratively!) to ride, both courses doled out challenges and lessons, and both courses provided us all the opportunity to ride like a team!

The RR: Anne and I tried a new technique for this race, it's called "warming up." We actually worked up a sweat and did some crazy sets of ME's or LT's or something... I think this helped but in the end, I just didn't have the juice (or rather forgot to drink enough of it during the race and ended up cramping and hitting a wall I couldn't overcome). Anne definitely gets the bad-ass, tough-as-nails trophy for getting back on the bike after being knocked down and sprinting for the finish despite serious injuries. Awesome! Amy was a freaken bullet down those technical descents- I could barely hold her wheel even though I outweigh her by at least two 8 year old boys... And Lisa climbed like she was riding the flats- smooth and fast! Despite missing the top 10, I think we all rode really well in a really hard race; and for me it was great just not riding alone like in Ward's and Snelling (ugh). Having a teammate's wheel to sit on, forming a great little pace line to divide and conquer that wind, friends to pass the grueling time with- that was the best! But I am seriously looking into a way to put a motor on my bike...

The Crit: Waking up the day after the RR was hard. I was sore. I was tired. And it wasn't raining (damnit!). This meant I had better get my butt up and race the crit. I got up. I made scones. I ate them. In bed. With a latte. Bad idea. Scones are crumbly..
It was a lonely drive to Livermore and I was missing Anne, hoping she was OK. It was windy and cool at registration and I was definitely not feeling it, but then I saw Lisa walking up in her jazzy Touchstone puffy jacket smiling and ready to race! This helped me kick it in gear. Teammates are the best! We watched the women 1/2/3 go round and round and saw them fighting one seriously evil head wind (legs groan here). Then we set up our trainers and started the warm up (legs really start groaning here). But we both saw our heart rates come up pretty quick (good news!). After debating at length clothing options, food choices, warm up times, etc. we had to bolt to the bathrooms and then to the course (where does the time go??) to make our race. Once we were in it I felt better but not great. There was the usual sketchy racers, the usual bullys, the scary 12 yr. old, but the course was by far the funnest I have been on! Lots of curvy turns, smooth pavement, and not really any braking on the corners! I was really wishing I had fresh legs because it was a perfect course for me and I was dying to tear it up but knew I didn't have the stamina to stay away... On the backside there were quite a few attacks, especially by the velo bellas- they had at least 4 girls including Marian Hunting (great rider who got 3rd in the RR). I stuck to their wheels like glue though, 'cause I was determined to be in any break that tried to get away or die trying. At one point I was pushed off a wheel and shut out. I couldn't find any safety from the wind so I went to the front, right before the turn into a major headwind- the worst place to be. I was up there all alone in a roaring head wind, burning through the last of my matches, and then up pops Lisa! Right in front of me and I take her wheel. It was just what I needed to get my legs back. She pulled me through the wind tunnel and saved me from certain defeat! We set a nice pace and let the pack come back up around us on the next corner but stayed with the front girls. From there things got a bit fuzzy and I didn't see Lisa so I thought she may have done herself in for me, but coming around the corner and into the last lap there she was on my left! I was soo stoked to see her. And, she looked great! Relaxed, smooth, and in it! Whoohoo! I was starting to think it was gonna be a good day! Coming in to the sprint finish I was in a pretty good position, and was looking for wheels to jump on and stay protected. I had a line and was going for it and out of nowhere some chick hits my left arm and hand several times, pushing me to the right! WTF?! That was not bumping, that was pushing! Hitting! It threw me off and rattled me but I tried to dig in and go for the finish. Sixth! And Lisa came in right behind me! Top ten! How cool is that?! It was a really fun day and a great race. No crashes and great results for two very tired Touchies! All I have left to say is stay tuned for the next crit- Lisa is racing super solid and smart and can take it. I'll be there to support!