Catching Up....

So I have been slacking on the blog the last couple of weeks. So much has been going on. Work has been extremely busy, I have been riding every hour that I am not sleeping or working, and then recently came down with a cold. But I am on the rebound. Today, I am trying to get myself organized for the up coming race in California, the Redlands Classic. I leave Wednesday and there is no doubt in my mind that it is going to come very quick. And there is so much to do!

Let me back track here for a second and give a review of what happened last weekend. The weather was amazing and there was lots of riding to be done. Saturday was the CU crit in Boulder. The morning started out with Steve riding to the race with me. It has been great having his support at the races. His friend and my new bike mechanic, Erik, also came out to be a part of my cheering squad.

The women's field was huge, with over 50 women registered. Nine of those women were my DFT teammates. There was no reason for us not to have a good showing. With no major turns in the course the race was fast. There were constant attacks coming from all of the teams. I was able to get in a couple of breaks, but nothing that stuck. With Allison Powers in the field that was the wheel to be on. Megan and I were able to get in a break with her, but the power Allison can put out was unsustainable for me. So unfortunately I had to leave Megan and go back to the pack. I recovered in the pack waiting for the field sprint. Three girls from my team managed to get in breaks up the road. Megan finished 2nd, Tiffany 4th, and Gwen 6th . I ended up 13th after a not so well-played sprint finish. I am still getting in the swing of things. Overall, I am very happy with how the race went. It was a great finish for me considering the large size of the field. And wow did the team really show these girls what we are made of. This season is looking so great for us!

My sprint finish.

See more pictures at http://fastducatirider.smugmug.com/Sports/737922

After the race I went for a two hour team ride with the girls. Chatting about the race, upcoming races, and life in general our natural team bonding occurred. I am very blessed to be riding with some of the most outstanding teammates I have ever had. Once we returned to Boulder I still had to ride back to Lyons, but my liquids were on "E". I stopped by Ben's house, my coach, to refill and found out that he had won the Pro Men's' race. How sweet is that! Congrats Ben! So I rode home very pleased with my five hour day on the bike.

Sunday morning I was up and at it again. Another big ride, and this day was in the mountains and with my good friend/teammate, Lina, by my side. We headed up the canyon with a strong headwind all the way to Allenstown. From there we turned around, jumped on the Peak to Peak to Jamestown, then descended back to 36 and headed home to Lyons. Another four hours in the saddle to log. A total of nine hours for the weekend. And I felt amazing the whole time, with a smile that started at one ear and ended at the other.

I did an easy recovery ride Monday, took Tuesday off, and then.....the cough. This was not happening. I was getting sick the week before my big race. So, as coach recommended, I started inhaling the vitamins, getting lots of sleep and drinking lots of fluids. I was feeling better by Thursday, but I still have a lingering cough.

Thursday I had a new experience. I have been having a lot of shoulder and back problems on the bike. Ben recommended that I see Dr. Boynton, a chiropractor in North Boulder who is also a cyclist. It is great working with someone who understands my sport and wants to help me achieve my goals. Not much to really say about the first visit after my consultation. He did some work, and time will tell. But my hopes are high, and I feel that he is going to do wonders for me.

As for this weekend, I spent yesterday catching up at work. Things have been so crazy busy there we have all been putting in extra time to get us caught up. The weather is amazing today. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping. Ben planned a 3 hour ride, Carter Lake loop, for me. Steve and I headed out around noon. Twenty minutes into the ride Steve's tube blew a huge hole through his tire. I turned around, went home, grabbed him a new tire and tube and we continued on. We had to deal with the typical Colorado swirling wind, but we pushed hard and had a great ride. I am getting my tan lines back on my legs. So much for wearing a bathing suit this summer. LOL.

Ben has been so great helping me get ready for Redlands. My training program has been created to fit my personal needs. In just a months time I feel that I have come very far in my training. I can't wait to continue working with him and see my cycling progress to higher levels. He has been very supportive through stressful times, sick times, and even the good times. His constant encouragement helps me stay on track with my riding and lessens the feeling of being burnt out. The fact that he is so concerned about every detail of my training motivates me to give a 110% on the bike, and even off the bike. I am so grateful to to have the opportunity to have him as a coach. I feel like my cycling has a whole new spin on it. One that is working quite well for me. Thanks Ben!

Even better news, I just found out Ben took the yellow jersey at the San Dimas Stage race this weekend. He won the uphill TT on Friday, lost the yellow jersey yesterday in the road race, but gained it back today in the crit, along with the stage win from a teammate today. What a rock star!

Well it is Sunday evening, and time to relax. Chiro appointment in the morning, work all day, then start packin for Redlands. Be looking for my fun-filled postings after each stage at Redlands.

Cheers!
Mo

Dusted Off The Ole Mtn Bike

Today has been amazing! Considering it was suppose to be only 40 degrees and SNOWING!

After a full week at work, well it was time for my weekend job...ridin my bike! I tried to pretend I was a full time pro bike racer today. Slept in til 8 o'clock (that's late for me), made a big yummy breakfast, chatted online with some friends, then suited up for a fun 3 hour MTB ride with my coach, Ben. Realizing I didn't give myself enough time to ride to our meeting spot I rode all out up Picture Rock and Wild Turkey and then hauled ass down to the Heil parking lot. Luckily, I was only a few minutes late, but by then already tired. From there we headed up Heil, as I suffered to keep up with him on the climb. Did I mention Ben is a pro road cyclist. Yeah...uh huh. I have to say I was quite relieved I made it to the top. From there we did the loop to the backside of Heil where it started to snow just a tiny bit, but it still felt so warm. After rockin it down Picture Rock, we head to the Stone Cup in Lyons for a nice hot cup of coffee. It was so nice to finish the ride and hit the coffee shop. I could seriously do this every day. After that Ben still had to ride back to Boulder. And lucky him it started to snow pretty heavy. Of course that didn't stop him from training. Me on the other hand, I was already home. So I took a hot shower, ate some lunch, caught up with my friend Claudia, and took a nap. And now it is time for training ride #2. So I have to hit the trainer for an hour. No racing this weekend, so no race report. Just some good ole fun on the MTB. Tomorrow I will be putting in some miles on the road with sunny skies and warm weather I hope. And tomorrow I get more sunlight for the end of my day. Yippeee!

Dad and Mo

Thanks for all your support Dad! I love you!

Cheers!

Mo

A Bit Over Zealous Today

I think these 50 hour non-stop work weeks are making me a little crazy. Now when I can be outside all I want to do is ride, and not ride slow. After yesterday's fiasco, I came home and nursed my calves, hydrated, and ate a lot of pasta and chicken. After a good nights sleep I was up at eight, and on the bike at nine. I headed up South St. Vrain Canyon (hwy 7) for an hour, getting my climbing in for the day and testing out the calves. They felt pretty well, but still a bit sore. After two hours of riding I headed home debating about today's crit down in the Springs. I knew it would be fun to join Megan, and the prize money was decent. So I said "Screw it I am goin." Probably shouldn't have, and should have just stuck to coaches plan putting my miles in. However, I was just feeling ambitious and stubborn to make up for yesterday. I packed up quick and met Megan in Morrison to catch a ride to the race.

The field was slim, only 7. But it was not an easy 7. Amanda Miller and Allison "Powerhouse" Powers lined up. I knew this was going to break apart this tiny field. Right from the start Amanda attacked. We let her go, and of course Allison bridged that. And soon after that Megan put her head down and bridged as well. As for me, three laps in and the lactic acid was flowin. I had nothin. So after getting blown off the back I decided to put myself in TT mode for the next 30 minutes. I figured I came all this way I might as well push myself. I settled in happy to just finish the race with a smile on my face. Megan worked hard to finish third in the sprint after being dropped my Allison and Amanda. I have to say it was quite impressive to watch Allison just ride away from Amanda like she was not even moving. I am pretty sure one of Allison's quads is the size of my waist. She is insanely powerful, and not just with the women. She jumped in the Men's 1/2 right after are race and hung in there just fine. Guess that's why she is the U.S. National TT Champ. All in all a good day, but I need to keep my focus and not over do it. Got to keep my eye on the big races. Its a long season. I am just so happy to be in love with my bike again.

Well I am worked, and nearly passed out. Back to the daily grind tomorrow. And getting serious with training. Oh so sleepy...must go to bed.

Cheers!
Mo

Once You Learn to Ride a Bike...You Never Forget

Game on...race #1 of the season CSU Crit

I woke up this morning quite nervous about hitting the race scene again. I lay in bed for about an hour wondering...am I going to be as aggressive, as smooth, and as tactically intelligent as I was during my college race career? I was already prepared for my speed not quite being there, but I knew that was something I could get back. However, it was the mentality of racing that I was not quite sure I had retained. Was it possible I could lose that? Its been nearly two years since I had my "A" game on the bike.

So after some oatmeal, toast, and coffee, washing my bike, and loading up the car, my new roommate, Steve, and I headed to Fort Collins. I was so grateful to have Steve along, as he helped me get my things together for my race. I was also fortunate to have friends from work and a bunch of the DFT Cat4 women out there for a cheering squad. Once registered, I set my bike up in the trainer and warmed up while watching the Collegiate A Men finish their race. After some hard efforts to get the legs going I jumped on the course to get a feel for the sweeping and 90 degree turns that were involved in the race. Then caught up with my two other teammates, Megan and Rachel, who were racing with me today to talk over the game plan. And then it was time...to the start line.

While on the start line I realized I had forgot my gloves. How do you forget your gloves?! With all my nerves this morning I can honestly say I was not thinking fully. Luckily, Jennie, a DFT teammate, offered a pair and I was no longer gloveless. Thanks Jennie! As I stood on the line I looked around realizing there were twenty some girls, including some big names such as Amy Dombroski (Webcor), Lea Davison (Trek/VW), Amanda Miller (LipSmackers) along with a large squad of Vitamin Cottage girls. Holy crap, this first race was not going to be a walk in the park. Right from the start the girls started attacking. Megan, Rachel and I took turns covering attacks, and within ten minutes of the race Megan was off the front with Amanda Miller and Lea Davison. This meant I needed to sit back and let the other teams chase. I played quite an aggressive role sticking second or third wheel hoping to slow up the pack as one girl pulled off and another had to pull through. The tactic seemed to work, as I grabbed each new wheel pulling through. Sitting in such a good spot I was also able to cover just about every attack. Rachel was also in the mix covering the attacks that were coming from further behind me.

Sticking to Amy Dombroski's wheel as she tries to chase back the break.

Then all hell broke loose...or so it felt like. Twenty minutes into the race I experienced something I had never had to deal with before. Strikingly bad cramps in both calves. I kept thinking "My first race back, its going so well, why now?!" I moved myself further back in the pack as I did not know what to expect next. I grabbed my calves trying to rub them, standing up and stretching them in hopes the cramps would go away. The next attack came from Vitamin Cottage who was desperately trying to chase the break down. I could do nothing! My legs were throbbing in such intense pain. I sat up for a minute, stretched again, put my head down and chased back up to the group. I was able to sit in for about five more laps with the cramps coming and going after every attack. With ten minutes to go a strong attack came from Beth (Vitamin Cottage), as I stood up to follow my right calf froze solid. I could not even turn the pedals. I actually screamed in pain, and to make matters worse it happened right at the start/finish in front of a fairly large crowd. I came to a stop, lay on the ground as some nice gentleman helped me get out of my pedals and comfort me til my friends/teammates arrived. It felt like forever before my calf released, with my pain scale easily reaching a ten. Once it did, I hurried over to my trainer and did an easy spin while watching the finish of the race.

Megan sprinting for the finish line.

Megan, Amanda and Lea were still off the front nearly lapping the field as the bell rang for the last lap. With a solid sprint Megan took second. What an awesome way to start the season. Even with my cramp mishap I am still extremely happy with how the race went. My confidence is back and I never lost my aggression, flow, or race smarts. Now its all about putting my head down and putting in some solid training. Redlands Classic is less then a month away. I am so thrilled to be back on the bike again and racing. I had no idea how much I missed it til today, as I kept pushing through the pain wanting to finish strong. Its early season...I will get em' next time!

Thanks to all those who were there to support me, as well as those who support me from afar.

Cheers!

Mo

The Blog Is Back.....

Well it has been over a year since I deleted my blog "Monique & Benson's Great Adventures." A lot has happened in the past year. I started a new job doing research, took a number of months off the bike, fell more in love with Colorado, and became closer with my two boys Benson and Mauser. Now with a new year just starting and being back on the bike, I figure it is time to turn over a new leaf, and therefore, a new blog to intrigue, inspire, and inform my wonderful family and friends.

This year I am turning my focus to road racing. Something I have never given much attention to because it has always been about the mountain bike. I am very excited to be taking on this new challenge. Even though I raced road in college, I never really took it to the next level. And this year I have been given the chance by DFT p/b Treads Elite Women's road team. We are a well rounded Cat 1/2 team with ten strong women working together for the win. The team is also solid with full Cat 3 and Cat 4 women's squads. 2009 is going to bring a great season of aggressive and intense racing. I plan on spending my year working towards fine tuning my sprint again, as well as being a valuable all-around rider.

My racing season begins next weekend with two women's open crits. Saturday will be the "Oval Crit" on the campus of CSU, followed by a crit on Sunday down south in Colorado Springs. It will be so great to finally feel some speed in my legs after so much time off the bike. I started training again when I visited my friends in San Diego over Xmas break, and realized how much I do love the sport of cycling. Since then I have been riding the trainer daily after long days at work, and on the weekends getting out for group rides. The weather has been surprisingly decent for winter in Colorado. Now with the season starting I am hoping to get back into shape quickly. My first big race will be the Redlands Classic at the end of March. I have never done this race, and I am very excited about it. I am also planning on getting out to Bend, OR for the Cascade Classic in July. This season is going to be quite full with the team also looking to win the Colorado BAT (best all-around team), as well as the BAR (best all-around rider).

As for today, I am headed down to Morrison to meet up with a few teammates for a training session in the mountains. The day has started out well, the sun is shining, I am cuddled up on the couch watching "The Office" and drinking a cup of hot chocolate. I am happy with where I am in life, with just a few minor complaints, but nothing I can't fix. My boys are happy, and they should be considering how much fun we have here in Lyons. Summer is just around the corner, meaning less layers and those wonderful tan lines that make me not want to wear a bathing suit. I am so ecstatic about what this year is going to bring for me. And even more excited to share it with my family and friends. I want to finish by saying thanks to all those that have supported my racing through the years, and those that are there for me now during my return to the greatest sport that ever existed. Thank you!

Mauser and Benson

Cheers!

Mo