72... redlands recap

so this is s little late on the posting. this last week has been very very hectic. we finished redlands on sunday- drove the 7-8 hours back that night to los altos (andrew came with me- he decided to stay out here for another week!!!)... then monday and tuesday were spent trying to get ready to go to europe and meet with my committee members. i had to run around like a chicken sans-head trying to get signatures on forms and whatnot. since wednesday- we got BACK into the car and drove 8 hours back down to indio... so that we could get up at 5AM and do a TV interview thing for the local news channels... it was fun, but holy cow! non-stop! next up--- we race in indio on saturday, then stay the night here. then sunday, we get up at, oh, maybe 4AM to drive to ojai (3-4 hours) and race there on sunday. THEN... i drive back down to my parents house to catch a plane for europe on tuesday morning at 6AM.

i will sleep on the plane.

but i did want to do a bit of a write up about redlands. i have not been posting race reports on my website since we have been posting them on the team website. www.teamtibco.com. i think that they should all be up there now. the recap? the team did great! this was the biggest race that we have raced all season, and i was really happy with how the team raced. we had 3 top ten finishes and stacy and marissa finished 11th and 12th in the gc. not bad for a team that is new on the block!

i did have a couple things to share from my own personal experience this weekend... the first was the prologue time trial. now, time trialing is VERY hard for me. i am a sprinter in that when you tell me to go as hard as i can- it is a sprint. pacing myself is not easy. it never has been. anyway, so this one was short- only 5K and finished on a hill that i could normally do well on. a power climb. so, there was a bit of expectation that i COUD do well on this course.

well- last year... i had thought that i had done well only to realize that i finished 71st. i was SO bummed. there were only 80-something riders and i had gone as hard as i could. it made me feel like i just sucked and was a hopeless case! so this year, i jokingly said, “well, as long as i beat 71st it will all be good!”...

starting this time trial- linda had told us that on a 5k tt, you can’t hold back and have to go as hard as you can and not hold back at all. 20/20 hindsight now tells me that as a sprinter... that rule does not apply for me. not holding back is for 30 seconds. longer than that, i HAVE to moderate my effort. at the time though- i didn’t. i went as hard as i could and, not surprisingly, i blew up before i even got to the hill. when i hit the hill, i was barely able to turn over the pedals. i had people telling me that i was totally overgeared on the climb, but when i told them that i was in my 39:26.... they just didn’t know how to react. i was blown. that is all there i to it. i was blown.

despite knowing that i blew myself and was barely able to finish the small hill- i was still feeling good about my effort. i was in a good mood... then i heard from linda how i did. she was not quite sure how to break it to me... “brooke, you, uh, finished 72nd”. of ALL the numbers that i COULD have finished! 72?! was she kidding? sadly no. i cried and then proceeded to laugh, although the laughter at the situation was not exactly quick to flow forth! but it was too funny... a healthy heaping dose of humble pie served up with the special number 72. the silly thing is that there were 120+ riders this year, but that did not matter. i was fixated on a number, and i drew the wrong number on my not exactly stellar time trial. i won’t lie though- it was hard to take. it really was.

afterward though- we realized what had happened. linda asked me what my max power was on the TT.. 831 watts. that was not at the finish line either! i am a sprinter. when she says go as hard as you can- i do. it is just not sustainable. 800 w is not a sprint for me, but it is certainly a LOT more than i can put out for more than a few seconds, for sure. lesson learned... i have to learn to moderate my efforts no matter HOW long the tt is.

fortunately- that evening i was distracted as yukie and the team made me a surprise brownie birthday cake! they decorated it with candles and powdered sugar and gave me a tiara and a balloon! i needed it too! a good stuffing of browning helped alleviate the trauma of a bad time trial for sure.

the oak glen road race was me getting dropped on the final climb- as expected. i had a job of moving my climbers up into position and had a lot of fun working on doing it. i moved vic, stacy and marissa up before the final climb as best i could and then blew from the effort (i had also made a REALLY stupid move of bridging up to a break about 30 minutes earlier that ended up popping me, so i was spent before hitting the climb anyway). our girls did great with marissa taking 10th. i was totally fried on the climb and just went as hard as i could, giving it everything i had, just for my own personal training and mental sanity. i will never get to be the climber i want to be if i don’t take opportunities to push myself. so, i pushed. with 5K to go, i was barely able to turn the cranks. linda was on the radio giving direction to our riders up ahead and encouraging me to keep going. with 3K to go, i was not sure i could finish. linda was telling me that i was doing a great job and that i could just soft pedal on in. instead, i radioed back, “linda (voice breaking as i was on the verge of cracking), tell me to go harder. tell me to go.... harder”. she did not get that radio transmission and did not know that i needed someone to push me. i was cracking. i was closing my eyes for short stretches to try and tune out the pain as i pushed on. this all sounds so dramatic for someone climbing at more than 10 minutes down the road from the race winners and so far out of contention that it was laughable. just as i was cracking, i was starting to sway and could not hold my line and my throat was closing as i fought back tears- katie lambden came up behind me and encouraged me on. she broke me through my rough spot and helped me push on. she used a combination of positive encouragement with a dose of bootcamp... i needed both. i hung with her for a while before i got dropped, but still managed to limp across the line. it felt great. i LOVE to push hard and burry myself- even if it is frustrating that right now... i can’t be a climbing force. i want to get there. this is how i see it happening. that race was not against anyone for me- it was against myself. and i am glad that i did as well as i could.

the next day- we had the crit. i will leave it to the race report for the details, but i definitely had a lot of learning occurring out there. long story short- i read the race well and got into the right move. i knew that it was the right move the second it happened... a rare break with two of the race favorite sprinters and a top GC contender and top time trialist. ina teutenberg, laura van guilder and christine thornburn. and me. man- i felt like SUCH a rookie out there in that group of world class riders! i have never been in a break like that in a big race. i have nothing to compare it to. but i can tell you this- i have learned a lot. not just at the moment, but in the days that followed as i reflected back on what happened and how i rode.

from the moment the break formed, i knew that it had the very strong potential to stick and did not wait to be told by linda that i could work. i pulled through as hard as i could and worked as hard as i could. i was afraid that i would not be able to hang on... when the break was establishing, i had to just focus on the wheel in front of me and do everything in my power just to hang on. the whole time we were in the break (over a half an hour), i didn’t see my heart less than 178- and that was only once... other than that little hiatus from the pain, i was pegged at over 180.

those women probably have close to 40 years of race experience on me. they had done this before and been in a break like that. for me? this is my second year of really racing and i had not been in anything even close to that before. when it was clear that the break would stay, i knew that i had to watch ina and laura. i knew that christine would not be contending the sprint, but would be likely to jump with a few laps to go. she didn’t, so i was watching ina and laura. laura attacked and ina followed with me on their wheel. the final corner lead into a short, fast sprint and in my hindsight, i learned that the sprint was to that corner. i lost focus and as we went into the corner, i was thinking about the line. my minor mental laps allowed me to get gapped and the race was over for me with laura and ina taking the top spots. i don’t know if with my legs and my positioning, i would have been able to beat either laura or ina at that moment, but i know with certainty that by not focusing on that corner, i did not give myself the chance to try. i was really happy with how that race went and i was SO glad to have made that critical break. it reinforced to me that i AM learning. i AM getting better at reading the races and knowing what to react to and what to not react to. but still- there is a lot to learn ahead!

the following day was the sunset circuit race. i had some high hope in this race in terms of wanting to hang on for the first of the 9 laps! but my legs did not show up that day- not after what i had done the previous two days. my job was, once again, to move my girls up to the front before the first climb. i did my best and then it was up to them. they did great!!!! but, just taking a little bit of wind- combined with the fact that they threw a QOM on lap one, making it a fierce all out battle from the gun, i was spent and unable to hang on. i got dropped. i was SO frustrated that i could not hang on. it was a hard one for me. i really wanted to show that i CAN climb. that i CAN hang on. but, that day- it was simple... i could not do it.

going up that climb, it was interesting that my heart would not get above 165-170, but i just could NOT go any harder. my legs would not respond at all! they were totally shot. i shifted my focus from racing to turning it into a hard training ride. it was. at one point, i was whining into the radio as i passed linda at the top of the climb and she radioed back, “suck it up! it is good training for europe!”. i laughed SO hard! she knows me well... it was just what i needed to hear and it got me up another couple of painful laps! in the end, i was only able to do 8 before our group was pulled- but i got a good workout in... or at least it felt like it. i was absolutely dead tired afterward.

then we got into the car and drove 8 hours. it was insanity. but a great weekend for the team.

Why the spring equinox is a good day...

because it is my birthday!

i am just about out the door... stacy and i are heading to redlands to pre-ride the TT course and the sunset loop. am getting REALLY excited! i have started doing some of my big race pre-race routines of going over the course maps in extreme detail... twitching when i sleep at night and cover attacks... stuff like that.

but for now... i am out the door. but i am 3-ONE years old today! wow. time flies. especially since i am at my parents house and i still remember when the counters were tall... bye!

Bad legs, bad luck... wammies out!

ok- just real quickly since i have to get back to writing... today is my day off, hence, THESIS DAY! anyhoo...

so this weekend, we had a time trial and a crit. 30K TT with a 400ft. climb on the way out and another 300ft climb (or so) on the way back. i am training for redlands- it is a BIG race for me... one that i am really gunning for. and VERY excited for. that means that i was training through this weekend. so, i have been going hard for the last couple weeks- knowing that when i back off for a couple days, i come back VERY strong. dead legs feel alive... so, that is the plan. train hard and back off for the races that REALLY matter. this was a great race weekend, but not one of the ones that we, as a team, are particularly focused on. so, we race hard, do our best, but we keep on training for the big fish that is the next weekend.

so, the TT- time trials for me are hard. i have to confess- for all my joking, i really do like them. i really appreciate the art and beauty of the solo race against the clock. it is something that i am learning, but it is not my natural strongsuit. i get VERY nervous before them still and am still figuring out how to keep my focus and moderate my efforts. 30K is long. for a sprinter with a dash of A*D*D... it is hard to stay focused for more than a few minutes (LOOK! COWS!)... anyway, so trying to keep my mind on my effort and go hard and steady... that is a challenge.

well- last time, i did a great job (for me) and was focused about 80% of the time and finished 25th. i could not have possibly put in more effort. it was hellish. this time though? i just didn’t have it. my legs were thrashed and i could NOT get them to go any harder. with my legs not pushing, my mind was wandering too. i tried to salvage as much of the race as possible by challenging myself to focus for short stretches, to push harder for a few miles... but really... my legs were just dead and not-responding and i could not do it. before i was even to the half-way mark of the race, i thought that i could not finish. i didn’t think that i could even RIDE that far- nevertheless RACE that far. i saw some motorcycles heading my way up ahead and i caught myself thinking, “please run me over!” that way, i would get a ride home in the ambulance, sympathy and most importantly, i would STOP riding!!!! a bit unfocused? hummm... sprinter, we need to work on that! but i did snap out of it and i erased the visions of hitch-hiking home and raced for the car. “if i keep going hard, it will all end more quickly”. i was racing like a barn-sour old mare, heading for the feedbag!

i can laugh about it now. i DO love time trialing though and have FAR from given up!!!! i LOVE getting better with my weaknesses and this is one of them. but it won’t always be. i am getting better with every race (save for the ones where i beg to be hit by a harley!)... and am looking forward to doing more.

and now for the crit...

THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST FUN CRITS I HAVE DONE!!!! t-mobile was there with a full squad except for sprinting legend ina teutenberg... and they were looking for a win. the entire race was SUPER fast, strung out and i was very very impressed with how well my team was racing. at one point, linda got on the horn and told the team, “tibco- everyone get in front of brooke” and i was immediately swarmed by my entire squad! then when attacks flew- as they did nearly every lap- blue and pink sailed in hot pursuit.

i was having a blast and my legs felt like a million bucks. after how thrashed they were in the tt the day before, i was not so sure. but i just felt great. my legs were snappy and strong and i was SO excited out there.

but, with only a few laps to go, i had a mechanical mishap and was not able to get a free lap for it. i was SO bummed, but still high from JUST how much fun i was having out there... so, that sidelined me while i watched the rest of my team with confidence. we had a new sprinter out there and i knew that she would shock some people with her speed. next thing i knew though- she was down in a corner with two other teammates and a pile of riders! and then ANOTHER crash took out ANOTHER teammate! soon, we only had stacy, liza and caitlyn (who had to chase on after one of the crashes) left. despite the lack of sprinters, stacy and liza still posted 10th and 12th and caitlyn was up in the mix too.

we were not down after the race- quite the opposite. everyone was OK- HUGH relief- and we were thrilled with how well we HAD been racing. things are really starting to gel and the timing is good- since redlands is next weekend and it is one of the biggest races of the year. we KNEW that we raced a great race and that ^%$* happens. all you can do is just pick yourself up, learn your lessons and race again! and in this case... the “race again” is a big one!!!!

SO EXCITED FOR REDLANDS!!!!

just a ps... last year, i was a guest rider for Ford Cycling team at redlands. in the crit, i raced against ina for the first time. i had NO clue what i was doing out there and chased her down TWICE in the first half of the race (the first time by myself! and the second time with two other Lipton rider). she is an awesome rider and the power she puts out is incredible. i will never forget the look of bewilderment (and perhaps disgust) as she gazed back at me, this unknown rider on a pink bike, chasing her down... i botched that finish, sitting on the wrong wheel and thinking that a leadout train would form when it didn’t. in the end, i finished 13th and was THRILLED! but when i replay that race, and the mistakes that i made toward the end in particular (not to mention the mistakes of chasing ina!!!!), i realize that i could have done much better. i have been replaying that finish for a year now. this race has ina, tina AND laura... these are the big fish sprinters all in the same pond. i want to win this. i am going to race this to win it. if i do, great. if not? i mean.... it IS a pretty tough field out there!

Like an addiction... i miss my blog!

ok... so i KNOW that i have to work... but i just had such a great day- i had to write about it. just quickly... just one more entry. come on... just a little bit!

in all seriousness- i had a great day! what a rough life... man, i am lucky! i started with a fabulous (as always!) dave stahl ride- really is the best group ride out there- with four hours of beautiful day, hills, good company and bike love! just a great day on the bike!

so then, i got back home, took a nap- since i NEEDED it! linda has been pushing me hard and the last couple weeks are making me tired! it feels good to push hard... but after yesterday’s effort- today’s 40 minutes of hard climbing were no cake walk! but i felt great on the bike and i am very happy with where my training is. i know that i am riding strong, but feel like we have barely scratched the surface and i still have a long way to go. i am not worried about blowing early season for a disappointing summer- as happens so often to riders who are riding strong now.

but i digress... so, after having a great ride, a fabulous nap, some good leftovers for lunch... i even managed to get some good thesis stuff done. i am going to write up a first pass at my chapter 2 abstract tonight- but i already feel good about what i have done so far. i got some good editing done on a part that i had been meaning to go over. and i had originally thought that it would really suck- i wrote it quickly and was writing more to put words down on paper (electronic though it may be!) than to REALLY write. i had thought that i would have to scrap all of it... but really? it was not all that bad! so, that was good.

and i am getting exciting about the next two weekends... of course, i don’t want to get ahead of myself and am focusing on this weekend first... but this weekend is small potatoes next to NEXT weekend! REDLANDS!!!! i hear... it could be true... rumors abound... that INA will be there! ha ha ha! ina, for those of you who don’t know her- is a sprinting legend. she is T-mobile’s speedster and is really one of the fastest women in the world. last year- she put on quite the show, attacking REALLY hard twice in the first half the race. stupidly- i chased her down both times... not knowing what i was doing. i ended up killing myself that race and finishing a thrilling 13th place (i was SO excited to be top 20!). this year? i want the whole thing! i am not going to lie- i want to win. tina is there, laura van guilder and ina. that is about as strong a sprinting field as i am going to get in the states and it is an honor to race with those women. but to beat them? oh man, that would be special! so, i am getting ahead of myself here- but redlands baby!

not to mention... redlands has the first REAL climber’s course... and i get to show off my super star climbing teammates! so, it is just exciting all around. and my hubby is going to be there! and my family... ok, brooke... calm down.

this weekend- i think that tina is going to not be there. she was not pre-registered. but laura van guilder is! that should be super fun. she is scary fast too. so, i get to try and set it up to go toe to toe with her. should be fun. she is a VERY different sprinter from tina. so, i get to do some homework. not to mention... with a $10,000 purse- there is going to be a big, strong, fast and aggressive field to contend with. i know a couple other names on that start list that i have to keep a sharp eye on! there are some great riders making cameos this weekend!

ok, for now... my question is thus... how many times can brooke write OK in a single blog? too many. i sound like an idiot- but really, it is my mind going at about 10 million miles per hour when i should be ramping DOWN for bed. that is what the abstract is for... i will 1. get some work done and 2. wind down this energy that is only wasting itself... that is what you get from a good-day high!

Pinch me...

i can’t believe it. i won again. on saturday- i called andrew and told him i won. he said, “AGAIN?!”. then i called my mom... and she said, “AGAIN”? i laughed in shocked dis-belief to both of them. yes. i won again.

but it is not just me. there are a lot of factors that go into winning. this weekend- my team was amazing. we are all very new riders and are stacked up against some very tough veterans. but we had a plan- and we executed. the plan was to keep it together and bring me to the line for the bunch sprint. they did their job. they did it well. the race was easy for me... they MADE it easy for me. i was sitting in, resting, watching them work their tails off... and they set me up so that i COULD win.

then they did it again on sunday... i got to sit in and they chased and chased and chased... all to make sure that the race came down to a bunch sprint. it did. i did my job. we won... again. 5 for 5. my head is truly spinning. i can’t make heads or tails of it. it just feels unreal.

the field was really great this weekend... the NRC opener. over 100 women. but, i will not neglect to mention that the two best sprinters in the US were not there. nor were some of the top american riders. they were in austrailia- kicking some serious butt, might i add! so, i will be tested more fully this weekend. but holy cow. it is just amazing. i still can’t believe it!

thanks to my team, my director and our incredible sponsors. they made this all possible for me. there is a video clip to check out if you want...
http://www.deltavelo.com/mpegs/2007race_videos/07mclane_crit/pro_women.mov

oh, and check out this picture!!!! it was SO beautiful out there! this was from cyclingnews. the valley was really very very beautiful.