Melbourne World Cup . . .

The World cup season has officially begun.  I just spent the week in Melbourne with teammates Jen, Emy and Jessica, enjoyed my first ever visit to Aus (surely not my last), learned lots about the culture, as well as about world cup level racing.  It was so darn exciting to be a part of it! 
cycling news and fyxomatosis photos: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/uci-track-world-cup-i-cdm/session-2/photos/150680 and  http://fyxomatosis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=530%3Afriday-its-so-easy-&catid=66%3Ar-i-d-e-s&Itemid=97

Emy, jen and I rode the team pursuit well - 3:38, which would've won us the us title at track nats, not too shabby for our first ever ride together as a team . . . look for big things from this team as we get more experience riding w/one another and develop more trust and rapport and continue learning!!!

Then Jess and I rode the team sprint -my first ever TS -so why not try it at a world cup! We rode a :37 -4 seconds faster than my 500m time at nats! 

So as you can see, it was all forward progress and we've only just begun!

Visit to 2010 team sponsor ENERGY MUSE!

I am out here in LA taking my recovery day following 5 days of devo TP camp, and just before leaping into 5 more challenging days beginning tomorrow with the elite TP camp.  I knew our team sponsor Energy Muse was based out of Torrance, which is nearby, so I looked them up and sent them a note saying I'd be popping in today.  And I was so glad I made the time to visit!! 

Our 2010 road team was sponsored by Energy Muse with necklaces that brought us protection, focus and willpower.  Here a few of the girls modeled theirs at redlands:

So today I met Miranda, the marketing goddess at EM, and the woman responsible for our team's receipt of the cool necklaces we wore this season.  I also had the chance to see their collection in person and let me just say -the brochures and website don't do these amazing pieces justice. 

This jewelry isn't just gorgeous, it's purposeful.  The entire concept of EM pieces is to set an intention and to use the piece to channel your energies towards those intentions.  The employees there will tell you, should you visit, that certain items will jump out to you more, and when you put them on, you will feel an immediate connection. 

And so it was today.  I browsed for awhile, not really having gone there with any intention of purchasing any items.  But one necklace lept off the wall at me, and what happened when I put it on is difficult to describe, but I felt the connection that they spoke of.  I tried on another necklace and felt nothing.  So then I put the first back on again and wow.  I then had the opportunity to sit in their special intention room, to place my intention on my new necklace and to really meditate about it.  They encourage purchasers to own the vision - to see yourself already accomplishing that which you have set your intention to do.  It isn't an "I will do . . ." it's more of a "I already see myself doing . . ."   

"this one time, at band camp . . . "

i'm headed to LA this week.  again.  3rd time in as many months.  And each time I go I get a better feel for my way around town, making it just a bit less stressful to leave my home and my husband for training time on "the boards," aka the LA Velodrome at the Home Depot Center.  This trip is for my 2nd usac team pursuit camp, the last one being back in October.  I'm anxious to see how much improving I've done fitness-wise since the last camp, combined with all the new tidbits I learned last time i was there.  My back and calf are healed from my madison nationals crash.  My legs feel good, the weather here in Denver has allowed me to get in amazing training outdoors.  And oh yeah, I'll be on my new track bike for the first time -CAN'T WAIT. 

After camp I'm home for 7 short days during which we'll host the rents for turkey day and then I depart again to LA.  Except LA won't be the destination . . . i'll be headed through LAX en route to Melbourne.  First World Cup!!!  So while all of you roadies are enjoying your off season and time off your road bikes, think of me ;)  It's not only NOT my off season, it's THE season!

Home again, Home again

Hi All- I headed back to New England this Saturday for some time with my family and friends and a little Mayor's Cup action next Sunday.  Yesterday, I made the trek with my folks to the Smuttynose Portsmouth Crit in Portsmouth, NH.  Downtown crit in an awesome seacoast town.  In 2008, this was the first race I ever won.  Last year, I repeated the victory, and this year I was planning on making it a 3peat.

The race was fun and fairly active- Richard Fries was announcing which is always great!  Come final lap we headed into a field sprint and I thought I had it in the bag as I started to pull ahead before the line.  *I'm going to pause here and take it back to my soccer days.  In soccer, when someone was running down the field, no one around, and face planted it, we called that a sniper.* Well, imagine that in a bike race...full on sprint.  Let's just say the result of my back wheel no longer making contact with the ground was not pretty.  Catching the edge of a manhole cover- I did some nasty acrobatics and wish I had landed a little farther up the road.  A major bummer to say the least.  The race officials were kind to give me a placing (read pity result).

Pain and disappointment aside, here are some gems from the day:

-East coast racer, Susan Delaney puts on a phenomenal race.  Well organized, safe, great community support, and Dr. Jennifer!  Seriously, a sports medicine specialist at a bike race.  Dr. Jennifer did an awesome job taking care of me (and my mom who was getting a bit woozy).  Thanks!

-Friend Kevin Wolfson, who had a stellar day in the break during the pro men's race and who can always be counted on to make me laugh and brighten my perspective, said I looked like a super hero getting up from the crash- straight out of a disney sports movie.  As Tiff might say, "Ahhh, s***..." (chuckle)

-Friend and coach Steve Weller (BellLapCoaching) rocked it in the pro men's race as well- getting 7th!

-Friend and former teammate Danielle Ruane kicks it to take the win in our Pro race!  *Actually, I believe she led herself out too.  I'm so psyched for her.

-Having some post-race ME doughnuts with the folks- DELICIOUS.

To sum up, racing with east coast dudes is wonderful.  Our community here is great and it's such a joy to be at home with friends and family.  Thanks to all you New Englanders who rock it.  Looking forward to some SWEET racing action next Sunday at the Mayors Cup in downtown Boston and some post-race/end of season hang time in the city.

Thanks for reading,
Kat "Get off my wheel or I'll take myself out" Carr

Some links to pics:
http://gallery.me.com/acanniff#100554/Portsmouth_Crit2010D3003_-516&bgcolor=black


http://gallery.me.com/acanniff#100554/Portsmouth_Crit2010D3003_-499&bgcolor=black

SLC satellite Treads.com/DFT

Posted by TiffP:
Teammate Kat recently moved to the 801 so its been super cool to have a teammate out here!  We downward dogged together on Monday at a yoga studio near my house and then did the boys training race together last night.  It is really neat-o to have another stars and stripes of the blue and yellow variety out here since (like you girls in NB, NM and SW CO) I am normally a one-woman show out here! 

And if yoga sounds off-season-y, don't be fooled.  Kat heads to the east coast for a crit in Maine and then I'll join her for the TD Boston Mayor's Cup the following week (and THEN the road season is officially finito!)

Rough Ride

...today was a rough day on the bike. The riding and training part were going great. Until I got a piece of glass stuck in my rear tire and flatted. No big deal, I pulled over, switched out for a new tube, inflated and thought I'd be on my way. Except: new tube wasn't holding air. Ugh. I only carry one spare tube because in all my years of riding, that's all it's ever taken. So today I tried calling my husband. No answer. I tried emailing him, hoping he'd be on his itouch or laptop at work and could see I needed help. No response.  I called again and left a VM just to be sure.  Still no call back.

Well, where I'd flatted was about 2 miles away from his workplace, so I coasted downhill standing up/ riding both brakes with my body over my front wheel, trying not to ruin my rear wheel or tire as it flopped around with the flat tire on it. This totally stunk, esp since I had to keep the speed really slow for fear the tire would roll off the rim. Finally I make it to his workplace. I run inside and, they inform me, he's just left. AAARGH!!!

His co-worker overhears my plight and says "here take my keys and run to the nearest bike shop for a new tube." So I load my sweaty self and bike into his car, drive like a maniac to the nearest bike shop, they put in a new tube and sell me another spare for good measure. This was the sort of day I was planning for when I memorized my credit card info. (I only carry a few bucks when I ride so I wouldn't have had the dough to cover 2 tubes). I drove like a maniac back and returned the car (whew!!!) and then got back on my bike and started riding like a bat outta hell to get home (as by this point i was under a time crunch for afternoon commitments).
Moral of this story? Perhaps there are 3: first, definitely memorize a credit card # just in case (be sure to get the exp date and 3-digit code off the back too). 2nd- consider carrying 2 spare tubes. And 3rd- always have at least TWO people you can call on for a ride home, in case the first one goes MIA like my plan A did today. If I'd flatted just about anywhere besides where I did, i would have been in big trouble - thank goodness for his sweet coworker who lent me his truck!

-megan

Racing is an addiction!

By: Kasey, a recovering addict

So, after the road season ended for me on Labor Day weekend with the fantastic Steamboat Springs Stage Race, I hung up my road bike.
Just to take down my mountain bike!
And do 2 races this past Saturday in Breckenridge!
What started out as a mini-vacation to the mountains turned into a 1-day, 2-race whirlwind.
I decided to sign up Friday night for the Breckenridge Fall Classic Circuit Race, which was 5 laps on a 2.2 mile course. If this had been a road race, we would have been done in under 30 minutes. As it was, I took an hour to do it, falling over in the switchbacks, and generally having a blast!
I finished 2nd in my maverick class. This was so much fun that I went straight from the finish line to the registration tent, where I proceeded to register for the time trial (hill climb) which started in 1 hour.
Lots of chamois time . . .
The hill climb was much better, because turns out I'm better at going uphill on a mountain bike than down, compared with all the pro girls who have been descending crazy trails all year.  It was a 3.6 mile hill climb, took me 29 minutes, getting 2nd again.
So sad that the mountain bike season (locally) is over :( 
Hmmm, most people would probably recommend cyclocross or therapy at this point!
I choose neither! But I am so happy to have made my 50 races this year!
Here's to next season!!!