Lehigh Valley Winery Crit

When: Saturday, August 30th
# of Racers: 15
# of Sturdies: 2 - Sally and me

Course: This has to be one of the toughest crit courses in our area. It's not technical, there are NO corners, it is just a round loop. BUT, there are two major hills on the course. And, I mean, MAJOR hills. It is common to see everyone in the field shifting down into the little ring on both climbs, and it is the ONLY crit I know in which you can hit 44 mph on one section and 10 or 11 mph on another. And the loop is only just over a mile!

Race: The field was stacked - Kate Veronneau, Jackie Paull, Nonnie Howard, Lorraine Lipfert and Jill Wagget were the top names. Also on tap were last years PA Bar Champ Colleen Hayduk and Colleen Gulick. It was destined to be a tough course.

There were attacks from the beginning, with Colleen Hayduk shooting off the line. Kate launched a few attacks, as did I and Sally. Eventually, on a prime lap, Kate took off and Betty followed. Uh-oh! I chased. Unfortunately, when I asked the person behind me to chase, she essentially refused and wanted to let them go. I was not content racing for third, so I went off on my own. I realized after a few laps that I was not getting any closer to Kate and Betty and not getting any further away from the pack. Keeping the Marlton race in mind, I let myself get swallowed back up by the group. I knew that if I sat in, I could potentially pull my legs back under me and do well in the sprint.

It worked...thank goodness. I pushed it up the final hill (I should have worked it a bit harder, but oh well!) and sprinted to the line. Colleen Gulick got me at the line, so I ended up 4th on the day...3rd in my Category. Sally was 10th after working really hard to slow the pack and cathing up to me and trying to make a chasing break stick. It was a good day for us. We worked well together (as usual) and had a lot of fun!

What I learned:
- some riders simply WILL NOT race. The best thing you can do is try to get yourself with those who will.
- don't wait for others to do your work for you. When Betty jumped, I was expecting other riders to chase her. They didn't and it cost - big time.
- be patient and trust your instincts!

The Beginning of Bad Taste

This was in the cartoon section of my newspaper this morning. It's a section of the paper that is supposed to teach kids about science or math or history in simpler terms so that they can understand. You know, it's the place in the paper where you learn how to use a potatoe to light a lightbulb and stuff like that. Today, they tried their hand at Art History and the Romans. You will probably have to click on the image to blow it up to read what they have written there, but I am very amused by their description of the column capitals from Rome. In particular, their description of the Corinthian column as the "beginning of bad taste." Crap - I've been teaching it all wrong!

Hmmm...after getting an email from a colleague, I had to add to this post. I wonder if the new attention being paid to Roman architecture here has anything to do with this?

Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument

I was fortunate enough recently to be a part of a program at work that had us complete the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI). This test looks at teh specialization of your brain on a typical left/right basis, but also on a horizontally distributed upper and lower basis. Herrmann divided the brain into four sections: green, red, yellow, and blue, to determine someone's brain dominance and thinking style. Not only do you discover your dominant thinking style, but the test also indicates how that thinking style changes when one is placed under stressful conditions. I love the way in which it achieves this, too...the test begins to ask you questions that are framed in such a way that you become frustrated or annoyed. This increases your stress level and records the way in which your responses change. Brilliant!

Anyway...I received my results today. I was not really suprised by my scoring. If you look at my chart, you will see that I am predominantly right brained (creative and emotional thinker), and nearly balance in terms of upper and lower brained responses. When I become stressed, my emotional thinking decreases and is replaced by sythetic or conceptual thinking. Good to know. All in all, I am pretty balanced (haha, how little they know!) when it comes to my thinking style.

Here is my profile chart...

This is a really neat tool to have when working in groups, as I often have to do. It will certainly make me more aware of the weaknesses in my thinking style and how I can improve those weaknesses in a departmental or institutional setting. I look forward to figuring it all out.

Now, if I could just give Chuck the test...I'd LOVE to see where he fits!

WooHoo!

Tonight was GREAT! Greentree was fantastic this evening! It was VERY fast and very safe. There were not a lot of guys out this evening, so that kept things a little quieter than last time. We averaged between 25 and 26, with quite a bit of time hovering around 28-30!

I had to bow out once right at the start, as we kicked off the first 10 minutes at an average of 26.7! OUCH! But, I got back in there and stayed in the pack until the end. I didn't stay in for the final sprint...even as safe as it was, I didn't want to take the chance of anything happening.

Bob and Ed both said that tonight was a particularly tough night and that the boys were really revving it up out there, so I'm really happy with how well Sally and I did! I may just hit the road there again next week.

I guess I can rip up that will now...

P.S. I'd like to recommend to anyone who likes Belgian White Ales (like Hoegaarden or Blue Moon) to give Victory Brewing Company's Whirlwind Witbier a shot. It's a Philadelphia-area bsed Micro-brewery and this one is particularly Yummy!

Last Will

I'm headed to Greentree tonight with Sally.

So, should I not return because some dumb boy knocks me down and I die...please make sure that you put the FUN in my FUNeral! :)

All my stuff can go to whoever! Chuck's in charge.

Not Hardly Working

I am definitely doing the first part of the question, "Working Hard or Hardly Working?"

I have been running ragged at work and at home this week in preparation for next week's inagural classes. Things are pretty good at this point, although I am sure that I am going to be thoroughly overwhelmed this semester. All I need to do is to make sure that I don't lose sight of me, my life, my hubby, or my health and I will be fine. I know, I know...so selfish. Oh, well...we have to be selfish sometimes. Especially when it's clear that one false move could send my brain over the deep end!

For now, I am trying to enjoy the quiet nights of summer. The end of the season of swing for me. My time to do what I want, when I want, without a job or school to tell me when to clock in and clock out. I'm astonished at how quickly August disappeared. The leaves are already threatening to change colors, the nights are blessedly cool (even cold at times), and the sun sinks below the horizon earlier and earlier every day.

I Should be Sleeping

It was "Back to Work" day today. My first day back at the office...no students yet, just the fantastic voyage that is Professional Development Week. In reality, the small workshops that are held are actually pretty fun. You get the chance to see what your colleagues have been up to, get caught up on the the latest pedagogies, and (of course) spend a lot of time bs-ing about the upcoming semester.

Unfortunately, the upcoming semester is going to be frought with insanity for me. I have so many things on my plate that I hope I can keep them all in the air at once. I have a full teaching schedule, prelims, Spotlight Lectures, Woodmere lectures, Leadership, PTK, GAHO, and, oh yeah, a LIFE! Wow...looks like I'm going to be a tad bit busy. It's no wonder that I can't sleep and feel like a bit of a shell of myself at the moment. I should be sleeping right now. Or should I be studying? Sometimes I'm not sure. Either way, I probably should not be blogging. But, what the hell? Might as well.

Tonight was the last Sturdy Girl monday night ride - complete with a stop for Water Ice! Dana and Sally led us out, with a huge group of 20+ in tow. It was great to see Dana out on the road with us tonight. And it's so nice of Sally and Dana to provide us with yummy treats at the end of the season! One of the many perks to being a Sturdy!

Racing is Fun Today!

Yesterday's "crit" left a few things to be desired for me. #1 - speed. It was slow. #2 - attacks. There were a few, but most were half-hearted due to the fact that the field was simultaneously strong and bored!

Today's race, however, was a totally different story! It started fast with Mo and I deciding that we wanted to push the pace from the gun. With a few others, we launched a few attacks to keep the pace up and try to spread out the field. It worked to an extent...with a little help from an unfortunate crash on the back half of the course that took 4 riders out of the race. Everyone got up, but Elaine was eventually taken away by ambulance. I hope she was ok.

The remaining racers stayed together through to the finish, despite from massive attacks from Mo, Beth Bonilla, Betty, and some less massive ones from me. :) It came down to the final sprint and I was in a decent spot. I just couldn't seem to get my legs fully under me leading up to the line. I still managed a respectable 6th place behind some great riders. Jackie's teammate Nina is a ROCKET. Holy crap can that girl sprint. I mean, it helps that she's 18 - but she is really great! She took the win - well deserved.

All in all, I would have liked to be a bit higher in the placing to grab some upgrade points, but I'm really happy with how I did. It was a tough, fun race. One of these days, I'll win me a state championship! :)

Speaking of the upgrade points - I haven't mentioned it because I'm still a little miffed - but my upgrade request was denied. Looks like I'll be a Cat 3 for a bit longer. I'm frustrated with the decision, because I have been racing at the top of my game and my category this year. But, if they want to play hardball - I'll get the biggest bat I can find and knock the damn upgrade out of the park. :)

Short but Not so Sweet

I raced in Medford today...the Tour de Medford. Not quite the biggest race on the east coast, but it has potential! The course was a really nice surfaced three turn crit, with an easy rise up to the finish line. I felt pretty good today despite a crappy night's sleep and a massive allergy attack yesterday. Still, I figured that it would be a good warm up for tomorrow's Crit Championships to go out and race.

The field was small - only 9 riders. Several from EPS/CSS Riptide and a few other strong riders made the field tough despite it's small numbers. Jackie Paull was there, as were Christine Wehlberg and Pam Wahl.

The miles were short - we only ended up doing about 13 miles (17 laps of a <.85 mile course). There was one prime lap about halfway in, but I was really not feeling up to chasing it, so I stayed with those who were, but sat in a bit.

The race was pretty uneventful and unfortunately slow. There were a few laps that we took at around 15 or 16 mph. Maybe this is why I prefer racing with speed-demons like Sonja and Davina! :) I got bored. And I got tired of attacking only to have no one counter attack and everyone simply tack on my wheel and do nothing. Anyway...I was doing ok until the lead into the final turn. I got boxed in and lost a good position. I had no wheels to grab, so I simply put on a bit of speed toward the finish. I ended up 7th. Pretty crappy finish, but at least I brought home $25! :) I'm hoping that I get a good night's sleep tonight for tomorrow's race!

Scary Movie Convention

My husband is a scary movie freak, uh, I mean enthusiast! I mean that in the most loving, affectionate manner possible. Every year, there is a Scary Movie Convention near our house. He loves to go, and he loves to drag me with him. He usually has a specific agenda in mind. Recently, that has been to collect the autographs of all of the guys who have played Jason Vorhees in the Friday the 13th series. Tonight we snagged the autographs of CJ Graham (Jason from part VI) and Derek Mears (who will be playing Jason in the upcoming remake to be released on February 13th - Friday of course). More importantly, Derek Mears also played one of the cursed pirates in the first Pirates of the Carribean movie! :) Here are some pics!

Chuck and CJ
Me and CJ

Us with Derek

Man, these guys are HUGE! :)

Olympics

I know that everyone has been watching the Olympics. It's no great news to hear that Michael Phelps scored 8 gold medals (gasp - sorry if I ruined it for anyone who has been living under a rock for the past week!)!

What amazes me more than the successes are the strange moments of utter frailty and vulnerability that seem to hover above some of these athletes.

Take for example, the track and field runners. Why is it that an EXTREMELY large number of them are suffering from cramps, pulled muscles, and other preventable injuries and maladies? It's terrifying to see someone sprinting along or jumping over hurdles suddenly stop, grab some portion of their lower body, and drop to the ground in agonizing pain. I just don't understand? If it happened once or even twice in the games, I could see it as simply part and parcel of this level of competition. But it seems to be happening once a day or more. Are they not stretching? Is the weather a factor? Are there other factors at work?

It's just as heartbreaking as watching Sarah Hammer hammer into the velodrome floor during her points race. Wrong place at the wrong time. Now I know why George always says "stay at the front - it's the safest place to be!"

Video!

Thanks to Kristy and Melissa for providing this excellent video of the Gayfer race!

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow!

I failed to mention that my parents were not the only things to leave for Michigan today. This morning, I said goodbye to my dearly beloved Athena. This is our last photo together! (Yes, I know that I am a GIANT dork!)

I am very sad to see her go, as she was a good steed to me for several years. We had some great adventures together, including several triathlons, my first road race win at the Lehigh Valley Winery Crit last year, and my upgrade to Cat 3! While I am very sad to see her leave, I am so happy to know that she is going to be well taken care of by my brother!

After his visit last week, he started joining a local ride out of a bike shop near his house...on his MOUNTAIN BIKE! He's been loving it and is thinking that he might want to try racing next year. I figured...she's really too big for me, she's lonely sitting in the basement and only being ridden in crappy weather, and she'd be a great bike for him to start out on. So, I packed her into the van and my parents took her to Michigan.

So, to my dear Athena...I hope that you are happy with your new home. Take care of my big brother for me! :)

Quiet House...Too Quiet!

My mom and dad left this morning. We had a lovely breakfast before they hit the road to head back to Michigan (aka America's High Five). I have a tendency to get very lonely after having visitors for an extended period of time. So, I went out for a ride soon after they left in the hopes of avoiding my normal sad time. It worked - for a little while. But, then I had to come home to an empty and far too quiet house! :(

I think my mood is not helped by the fact that summer is quickly coming to a close. The dozens of emails from work and school have begun to flood my inbox, my syllabi are looking like they need a quick revise before the first week in September, and my prelim exams are now looming in the VERY near future. There is much to do...and I'm looking forward to the return to a normal schedule - even if I lament the loss of long, warm days and cool summer nights. The only great part about the summer ending is the return of my hubby! Soon, I'll have my bubs to cuddle with on a nightly basis, rather than a night or two a week! HOORAY!

More pictures from the race this weekend can be found HERE! For now....I am off to study!

Alaric Gayfer Crit Race!

Today was the Alaric Gayfer race at the Rodale Fitness Park. This is one of my favorite courses. It's sooo much fun! It's a 1.3 mile loop that runs on a banked strip of road specifically designed for bikes.


Before I give my race report, I should say that the Cat 4 race was AWESOME! Not only was the field swamped by pink, but a few of our recruits for next year came out to race today. They did GREAT! I am so proud of the new riders and our team. It was an awesome day that saw Beth Fayant finish 2nd and Jen Sands in 4th. EXCELLENT finish, ladies!!!

Cat: 1,2,3
Race: 20 miles
Field: Small! Only 6 of us lined up at the start, but it was a strong six that included one gal that I didn't know, Kristy Swope, Morgan Farnsworth, Betty Tyrell, Sally and me.

As expected, there were a lot of small attacks from Kristy and from me and Sally. Sally and I spent a bit of time at the front, trying to keep the pace up. Sally worked her BUTT off the last couple of laps especially. It was relatively uneventful with so few riders, but we managed to shed off two riders before the finish. With only minor attacks and counter attacks being launched, we headed into the finish in a small bunch for a sprint. At the last curved toward the finish, I gunned it. I figured that I might be able to out power the field if I took control a little early, so I did. I managed to hold everyone off to get my first win of the season! Hooray!

Even though it was a small field, it was a tough race. Sally was incredible. She is so smart and so patient and so powerful. She teaches me loads every time I get on the bike with her! I simply love racing with this team!




This last picture is the finish. I was 1st, Kristy 2nd, Sally 3rd and Betty 4th. Great day - and my mom and dad were there to see it and take TONS of photos!

Parental Visitation!

The Parental Units have been visiting for the past week here in NJ. It has been great! We went to the beach, we did some shopping, we watched the Olympics, and today they came with me to my bike race! It's been a blast having them out for a visit, and I'm sad that they are leaving tomorrow morning. More about their visit later!

Spinning in Circles

Last night was my first venture over to the Velodrome to watch some races. I went over with Lenore and her friend Cat. It was really interesting. It looks fun, and horribly scary! But the speed....oh, the speed...that looks glorious!

In part, we went over because it was Davina's last day of racing in the States. She is currently on a flight back to Australia. And by back to Australia I mean several hours of domestic flying, 10 hours to Tokyo, and another 10 to Melbourne. I do not envy her the odyssey, that's for sure!

Anyway...I took some photos of the races. I warn you, it was my first time shooting at the track, it was dark out, and these riders were DAMN FAST! :) Anyway...here are a few of the better shots:
Davina - making it look easy!
The field coming through the scratch line.
The field on the apron - this was during the "Missing Out" race, where one woman is eliminated on each lap - whoever crosses the line last. Very neat race.
"Big Kate," aka "Fast Kate," aka Kate Veronneau out fromt!
The field on the back stretch...the rider out front, just below the light on the left hand side of the pic, is Kate. She got caught a few laps later - but she looked good out there!

Davina said that she didn't have a great night...but I was just really impressed with all of the girls (and the guys, too!). Cycling becomes a different monster when you take away the gears, throw folks on a track with banking turns and tell them to go REALLY REALLY fast!

There was one crash in one of the men's races. OUCHY! You could hear the crack of his helmet and bike hitting the track as it echoed throughout the velodrome.

Anyway...the evening was a blast. I'm glad we went out there. Thanks to Lenore for the ticket! Now, we have to keep our promise to Davina and find out about the Women's Track Workshop that Nonnie (and others) are doing!

Aaron's Visit

It was so great to have my brother out to visit. It's been so long since he and I have had time to hang out like we used to. And, we had such a great time together.

He came to both of my races over the weekend, and was not only a great photographer, but a great cheerleader! Hearing him yell, "Go Rieder!" through each lap was aweseome! Even if Rieder isn't REALLY my name anymore! And he just seemed to excited and happy to be there. We had a great lunch at the Cloister Restaurant across the street from the Ephrata Cloisters after the Hammercreek race. As we were finishing our meal, the folks sitting across from us got pie for dessert. It looked so incredible that we ended up buying a $20 Blueberry Pie from them before we left! I assure you, it was worth every single penny...and MORE!

Saturday night was pretty mellow...we picked Chuck up at the train station and went to bed pretty early in order to get up for Doylestown on Sunday. We headed home that night for a BBQ at the house with a bunch of folks. It was a really fun night and we champagne toasted to Lenore's upgrade, my upgrade, and to the general rockin' quality of Sturdy Girl this summer.

Aaron and I spent the next two days exploring the city and New Jersey. We went to Olde City and visited the Liberty Bell, the Customs House, and the Eastern State Penitentiary. We also checked out some of the local junk shops in NJ, looking for old baseball stuff for Noah's new room. It was a blast. More pics can be found in our Photo Gallery!

We ate water ice, sushi, and the biggest chicken salads known to man. We drank some great wine and beer, and rode bikes together. I offered to sell him Athena at a very low price (he is my brother) and he said that he would think about it. He called me today to let me know that he was probably going to take me up on the bike. He was very excited that there is a bike shop near him with a race team. Oh, no...I've created a monster! :) Liz is going to KILL me! At least the bike will be cheap - at least the FIRST bike.

Gelato Ride Part Zwei!

I'm not going to recap it here...but I am going to send you to Anne's Blog. She took a bunch of pictures, and reflects on the evening's parade through the city with her standard witty repartee! Gotta love The Rock!

Don't Understand It

I've never really understood the hype over celebrity babies. I mean, particularly when there are these insano tabloid folks paying big bucks to have the first photo of said swaddle-monster. It's not the obsession with celebrity life that I don't understand, or the fact that someone justifies "buying" a photo op for millions of dollars, it's the aftermath and commentary that I don't get.

Yes, we know...Brad Pitt is hot. Angelina Jolie is hot. Their offspring are going to be hot. But at first born, they look like everyone else's babies. I know that every child born has specific features, but c'mon...90% of them look EXACTLY the same! Will the Jolie-Pitt kids probably be hotter and sexier than 90% of the world's population when they're teenagers? YES. But, for now...they pretty much look just like Jack Black's kid when he was born. See my point?

(Editor's note: No offense to the child or wife of Jack Black...the kid is actually pretty cute!)

Podium Picture!

This is my first podium picture! They took one last year when I was 2nd in the Cat 4s, but I never got the chance to see it! Here we are...I didn't think they were going to have me stand up there, so I'm sorry that I don't have on my pink Sturdy shirt! Please forgive me, ladies!

From left to right: Me (4th), Jackie Paull (2nd), Sonja Evers (1st), Tricia Carnila (3rd), and Allison Fisher (5th)
Me during the race!

Doylestown Circuit Race

Another day, another race!


This was the Doylestown Circuit Race. A 20 mile race on a beautiful rolling course. I like this course and having raced here last year, I knew what I needed to do to have a good race as far as positioning was concerned.

It was a GREAT day to wear pink! We were out in force for Sunday's race...Sally, Lenore, Sands, Jenny, Candace, Jody, Naomi, Anne, M, Doreen, Bonni, and me (boy, I hope I didn't forget anyone!). George counted 36 women on the start line...pretty sweet, I say!

As was expected, the start was quick, with Sonja Evers shooting off the line and pushing the pace. It settled down a bit, but remained high paced with a lot of attacks from the C3 Gals again and a few from the Sturdies as well. Lenore launched herself off the front for a preme lap, and Naomi chased down the second preme a few laps later!

There were a few rough spots in the race. On one tricky, chicane-style turn, Pam Wahl came in to the side of my bike and lost control. She went down, and while I unclipped both feet in preparation for my own crash, I somehow managed to stay upright. Davina tried to get around her and seemed to do so, but then she also lost her balance and went down. Pam was ok, although she had a bit less skin on her body after the race than before.

The race continued with the C3s pounding the attacks and we eventually headed into the last lap still in a bunch. I finally got a good position on the 2nd to last turn and felt ready for the sprint. Sally pulled up to the front to lead me out. I jumped from her wheel to Allison Fisher's and then pulled around Allison to just touch her out at the line for 4th place!

Naomi's preme!

It was a really great weekend for me. I felt really good in both races. I worked hard to chase breaks, make attacks, and contest sprints. For a while, I was unsure about upgrading. I really wasn't sure that I was ready for it. I think I am. I still have a LOT to learn and a LONG way to go...but I feel really good about my season and I LOVE racing my bike!!!!

Hammercreek Report!

Hammercreek Road Race
Lancaster County, PA
Field: Started with 21 - 2 Sturdies - me and Lenore
Distance: 25 mile road race

Course: Beautiful roads - really lovely surface, although they were very narrow. A few notable big-ring climbs and one nasty, tight turn from a descent that led instantly into a small climb.

Weather: Great at the start. Cool temps for August, hovering right around 82. At lap 4 a massive rainstorm came through, pelting us with ginormous rain drops. It was over quickly with just wet roads to greet us for the finishing sprint!

Race: As was expected with a field that included 7 or 8 C3-Sollay riders (including the formerly-Vanderkittened Sonja Evers), Davina Summers, Kristy Swope, Jackie Paull, and a field of others, it was a series of attacks from start to finish. The C3 gals launched one rider after another after another. Eventually, they were successful in getting one lovely chica off the front for good. I don't know where I was at the time, but I was absolutely clueless that she had gone off the front and that we were the chasers. By the time I wizened up, it was a little too late for us to do much. Not to mention that with the remaining C3 team in the chase, we had a really hard time getting anything going.

Eventually, and unfortunately, we all finally settled in to race for 2nd. Coming around the final lap, I was feeling great and just knew that I had to be in the right position for the finish. I put myself up front, took a leadout from my great teammate Lenore (who ROCKED today, by the way), and eventually jumped past her to try to beat Jackie to the line. I ended up 4th on the day, 1st in the Cat 3 and 4 points closer to my upgrade. All in all, it was a splendid day...plus, my big brother was there to share the joy! :)

Lenore was awesome today. A bunch of us teased her about this being her first "big-girl race" - a race with a heck of a lot of Cat 2 and Cat 1 racers! Until today, she had done mostly Cat 4 or Cat 3/4 races. In her first gig as a Cat 3, she showed that her time in that category will be short. She is strong, aggressive, powerful, and very competent in her bike handling - even a trip to the gravel couldn't keep her out of the show! She ended up a solid 7th place on the day and, if I am not mistaken, 2nd in the Cat 3s?

Here are some pics - courtesy of the big bro, thanks Aaron!!! - of the race!