LUNA Mountain Bike Team Dominates UCI World Cups

From the backyard patio of Alison Dunlap. I've decided to change the format of our team race reports. I want to make them more interesting and exciting to read, instead of the usual play by play you get in Velo News. I will share the stories of my teammates from my window on the mountain bike world, complete with expert commentary of course. (Sorry for the typos) Enjoy!

World Cup #2: Offenberg, Germany
After a successful first round World Cup race in Houffalize, the team was on the road again, travelling to Offenberg, Germany, a small town situated between the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland. This was the fourth year of hosting the World Cup and the first year it didn't rain. Many of the riders complained about the course last year, but when the crowds are over 30,000 strong, the race organizer isn't inclined to listen. In 2007 the course was dry and fast only to be wrecked the day before with rain. The technical drops that were once sort of rideable became terrifying. It can be incredibly stressful to ride up to the top of a drop that is so steep it looks vertical and you wonder how in the world you're going to get down. And that's when it is dry. Now throw in heavy rains and mud that is as slick as peanut butter covered ice and that's when things become a real challenge. You literally lay awake at night thinking of those sections, feeling your heart rate start to climb and the anxiety building. (One of the many reasons I retired!) That's what the course became known for. Now in 2008, it was time to go back. This year the course stayed dry and everything was rideable, albeit still quite challenging. The girls finished the event ranked #1 in the women's team World Cup rankings and continue to be the #1 ranked UCI team in the world.

Georgia had this to say:
"Europe has been great- with the exception of my sucky race in Offenburg! Oh well, sometimes you just don't have it. Pretty frustrating. I was hoping to redeem myself after last year's rainy, muddy fiasco. I had a great start and was in the top three heading into the 1st lap, but I never managed to find a rhythm (or go very fast). As the race went on I lost more and more places, eventually finishing 13th- not the worst race I've ever had, but not what I was hoping for either. It was a frustrating race for sure, but sometimes you need a bad race to get you fired up for the next race. We still managed to win the team competition (and A LOT of beer). I'm looking forward to better things in Madrid!

Three time Olympian Katerina Hanusova has been struggling at these first World Cups due to a nasty injury she acquired in the National Mountain Bike Race in Phoenix, AZ the first weekend of April. Going into the first turn of the Arizona race she slid out and put a large gash into her knee. After spending 5hrs at the emergency room she came back with 4-6 stitches in her knee. After a few days rest she resumed training, hoping to maintain her stellar form. Adding to the stress was the fact that the Czech Olympic Team was being decided after the first three World Cups. There was only one other woman Katerina had to worry about. If Katerina could finish higher than the other rider in two of the three World Cups she'd be going to Beijing. But it was not to be.

Here's what Katerina had to say:
"Sorry for not getting back to you but I haven't been online much and really did not feel like communicating with the world the last couple of days. I did not make the Olympic team and you know how much it sucks. My leg hasn't been hurting but has not been super strong either. I felt like things were getting better before last weekend but I sort of rode the same lifeless pace. I hope to ride better soon just to prove to myself that I can. I have not found my optimum form yet, but trust me, I am still looking and will be back soon. My teammates are doing a great job at the front of the field, which helped us to win the team competition again and that was great."

In only her second World Cup with the LUNA Team, Catharine Pendrel finished eighth. For a rider so new to the sport and the European racing scene, finishing in the top ten is a HUGE result, especially when each rider out there is trying to make her country's respective Olympic Team. It is scary to think of what she'll do in the next few years as her experience and confidence grow.

And Catharine said:
"After last weekend in Houffalize, I tried for a more conservative race and the pacing paid off. After getting up into the top 8 on lap one, I settled in until the 4th of six laps and then stepped it up. I was able to finish the race feeling strong and capable of more - a welcome change from last weekend. The course in Offenburg was exciting and there were thousands of people lining the entire course creating an amazing atmosphere."

World Cup #3: Madrid, Spain
And then it was off to Madrid for the third World Cup. The trip down south is usually a welcome change from the cold wet weather of Germany and a chance to eat food that isn't drowning in a dark gravy. Of course both years I raced in Madrid it was sunny in Germany and pouring rain in Madrid. Travelling around Europe can be an exhausting challenge. Usually on Monday after the race, the team packs up and drops the girls off at the airport. The drive to Madrid is huge and most of the teams will either send their riders home for a few days, (only the Europeans) or fly them down, to be met by the team truck a few days later. Finding the hotel and places to eat in the chaotic city of Madrid can take hours. Katerina has been studying Spanish in her spare time so I'm sure that helped.

The course was in downtown Madrid at a giant city park called Casa de Campo. It is a beautiful park with lots of paved roads as well as bike paths and great trails. It is also quite seedy. There are hookers all over the place. And we're not talking women sneaking around in the bushes. The women, in groups of five to six, were "advertising", very minimally clothed, on the main roads through the park, even as the race was going on. The year I raced in Madrid there were used condoms hanging from the bushes and the occasional naked couple fooling around in the more secluded areas of the course. Some of the mechanics even found used condoms under the awnings of their team trucks. By race day you don't see any of this because the 40,000 very enthusiastic, and very drunk Spanish fans screaming "Venga venga venga" (Spanish for go, go, go!) make it difficult to solicit for sex. Haha!

The race course is super fast with lots of short steep power climbs. Not much technical riding, but that doesn't mean the course is easy. You could have a World Cup race in a parking lot and it could be the hardest thing you've ever done. The riders definitely make the race, not the course. Start position is crucial because it is almost impossible to move up when the fields are large and the speeds super fast. The riders do multiple loops of the course which means getting to fly through the start/finish line as well as suffer up the "wall"; a short climb with a 25% grade, between 4-6 times. At the end of the day, the LUNA women had achieved a remarkable first. All three riders finished in the top ten of the Madrid race and maintained their #1 ranking in the team competition. First time in the history of the LUNA team!

"World Cup #3 in Madrid was a tough one," said Catharine. "The course was very fast which meant time gaps were tight and a rider was always there to take your place if you went wide on a high speed corner. I rode consistently in the top 10 with only a minute separating 6-12th position at the finish. Having three LUNA riders in the top ten all day was pretty incredible." Catharine's 8th place finish is a career best.

And Katerina had this to say about her much improved race. "Yes, my legs are back and it feels great. The injury is off my mind and is history. I had a super good start, moving from 3rd row to 6th place by the end of the first lap. The course here in Madrid was fast and had several steep hills. I felt like I was racing cyclocross at times." Katerina's 10th place finish is one of her best World Cup results.

Team on podium in Madrid Georgia found her mojo and rode to an outstanding 5th place finish. "I had a good start and was riding in the top 4 for most of the first 2 laps, " remarked Georgia. "During the second lap I was a little bit sloppy on a couple of the downhills, and I got dropped from the front group. A few riders passed me, but I was able to move back up to 5th by the finish. My legs felt good (the pre-race espresso Waldek brewed for me didn't hurt either), and I am happy with another solid result at the World Cup. It was great to see the whole team riding at the front of the race. Three LUNA riders in the top-10: hopefully this is just a taste of what is to come!" Georgia's 5th place finish in Madrid and Houffalize make her the leader in the Olympic points chase.

What's next for LUNA:
After a much needed rest week at home, the girls will join forces again this coming weekend in Santa Ynez, CA for the third round of the National Mountain Bike Series. Then it is back to Europe for two more World Cup races and the prestigious World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy. With the conclusion of Worlds, the Canadian and US Olympic Teams will be officially announced, so stay tuned.

That's all for now. Have a great weekend and happy trails!

Alison

5th Annual Tour de Skyline

Hurtin. Home last night from the RATS 5th annual Tour de Skyline.

What is the Tour de Skyline?

The Tour de Skyline (TdS) is two-day ride from Front Royal to Waynesboro (day one) and back (day two) along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Said another way, TdS is two days, 220-miles, 20,000 feet of climbing, and too much fun. Even though TdS has a nice three-letter acronym, it's much more casual than you would think. Roads are not closed, there are no aid stations, and there are certainly no t-shirts.

This year was a big year for TdS...with 50 or so people signed up to go. Kona Kev did an excellent job in organizing the whole event. We were going to have 2 SAGS (Kevin's truck with Peter, the massage guy, and the Bonzai van driven by Andy and later Frank). And also a few cars.

The weather was not looking good (rain and only about 60 for a high...where it would be at least 10 degrees colder in the mountains). I had been checking the weather all week and looked like it should clear up around 12 on the 1st day. Then when I looked at the radar that morning it looked like we were going to be rained on the entire 1st day and now also a chance on the way home. Ughhh...I don't do well in cold but tried to stay positive. Matias, Andrea, and I headed out from Reston about 6am to be at Dickey Ridge Ranger station ready to go at 8am.

We arrived at the Ranger Station where everyone was getting ready and seeming quite positive for the crummy conditions. We took some pics and were rolling. I had put on as much clothes as possible and felt pretty comfortable. It was raining and very very foggy (visibility of maybe only 100 feet in some spots). The ride starts out climbing so I quickly became hot. People started to settle into groups. I stayed toward to front with about 6 others. My legs were feeling solid...a very good thing for the start of a 110 mile ride today. Only thing not so great was the conditions which seemed to be getting worse. We hit a few downhills, which were pretty scary in the rain and fog. I got cold. At about mile 20 Andy drove up and told us the police were kicking us off and the ride was being canceled. WHAT?! Hmm Part of me was sad...and the other part was thinking yea this is going to get pretty miserable. We turned around. Some pretty steep downhills...I got really cold...cold in my bones and was so glad we were turning around. A mile or so later another group flew by and yelled "Its OK we can keep going, turn back around!" WHAT?! Andrea and I looked at each other pained. We were both so cold. We turned around not sure what was going on...caught up to this group and they said we were riding to the 1st rest station at mile 24 and would then be shuttled to the halfway point and then try and ride the rest into Waynesboro. EEhh. During the ride to mile 24 I became FREEZING. We arrived at Elk Wallow (mile 24) and there was the Bonzai van ready to shuttle some to Big Meadows (mile 50). We threw our bikes in back and about 8 of us jammed in. Andrea and I huddled in the front near the heater. We were both cold and miserable and unsure of what was going on and unsure about how we could continue at all with cold and wet clothes.

Somehow everyone managed to get to Big Meadows (mile 50). I changed into normal dry clothes but was still chilled inside. The weather report was that the bad conditions continued to the end. A lot of guys decided to chance it and continue. I was done...so was Andrea. We decided to SAG it and start fresh on day 2. SAGing was somewhat fun but I was disappointed to not continue. Once we were past about mile 60 things really cleared up and warmed up a bit. Oh well. Everyone made it to the hotel in Waynesboro safely around 6pm. We showered, dryed our clothes, and all headed to Scotto's for dinner. I really hoped for good weather the next day. They were calling for a 30% chance of rain and highs in the upper 50s.

Woke up the next morning to clear skies! I was feeling really sore and a bit drained of energy from being so cold the previous day. Leave time was on one's own...but a pretty big group of us (Matias, Andrea, some other strong riders, and I left at 8am. Five miles of climbing to do before we even entered Shenandoah National Park...huh. I was feeling pretty good and actually almost overheating. Once we got into the park I started feeling a bit tired (great feeling at the start of a 110 mile ride...shoot). My whole body just felt wiped and sore. The previous day had completely drained me. It was going to be a long day and I was probably going to be sick after this. I was keeping with the group but felt the pace might be a bit fast and not sure I would be able to hang. Why do I always think I can ride with the big boys? Some days I can...but this was a long and difficult freakin ride. About mile 90 a rather large climb started and I got dropped. Beep. The mental battles were to begin. I told myself...you have 90 miles to go..if you don't think positively this is NOT going to happen. A few miles later on a downhill something fell off of me and Bananas and busted into a million pieces. hmm hope I did not need that...I went back...it was just a light. Doug Steele (man of mystery) came around the corner and we rode together for awhile. We caught up with the group at the next rest station (mile 80). They were heading out. Doug and I left shortly after. Then Doug decides to drop me non a downhill. I am not much of a riding partner (passing on the uphill and dropping on the downhills). Alone again. A few miles later came up on the Bonzai van...people were putting on more clothes...so I was back with the group again. Mile 70...dropped again. Damnit. A few miles later, Andrea caught up...she had been left behind at the van. We were both tired and decided to stick it out together. We then came up on Dave, Marty, and John. We all rode together then. I was seriously hurting. My legs were past sore and now just hurt to touch. And my upperbody was a mess (from the stress of being so cold). It hurt to keep my head up. And I was cold. I decided around mile 60 I would be done at Big Meadows (mile 50).

We rolled into Big Meadows and met up with the guys we had started with and found Matias...he looked cold and like he was hurting too...looked like his eyelashes might be frozen. Poor guy...everyone was looking rough...I decided to get some food and see how I felt. I got some vegetarian chili, gluten-free pretzels, coffee, diet pepsi, and felt a little better and decided I would continue...if it came down to it I would get in the SAG. Andrea and I headed out on our own...Matias was a little behind, but he would catch up. I was feeling a bit refreshed...musta been that chili. I was a little nervous...on the drive the day before we saw lots of construction from about mile 45 to mile 35. Some off-roading might be going on. Matias quickly came up to us and passed us. Then we were on our own. Came up to lots of construction...which watching and dodging made this part of the ride go more quickly. Then the tunnel around mile 35...tunnel vision on a bike...makes me nauseas. I got hungry again...had a new gel (Clif Vanilla)...this was the best gel I have ever had. We were nearing Elk Wallows (mile 24)...I started preparing myself for the 3 mile climb out of there. My legs were in pain but my spirits were lifting as we only had about 20 more miles! We stopped for a quick bathroom break at Elk Wallows and were off and climbing. We hit mile 23...still climbing...mile 22...still climbing...I was going to fall over and I did not care. My legs hurt. I did not look up. We rode with our heads down. Each bend we rounded I thought it would be over...no...kept on climbing. Finally it was over and we were coasting downhill. I was so happy. Now only about 14 miles to go. I started to feel nauseas and was seeing spots...I slowed a bit and told Andrea I was not feeling to great. But then the real downhills started and I could just coast...and tried to think positively and snap out of it. We were both so happy the last 5 miles. Then we were done. My legs were beyond done. Hope I did not do any serious damage. Well...what does not kill me only makes me stronger.

Day 1: ~30 miles and pulled out
Day 2: 110 miles

Andrea, thanks for riding with me...would have been ugly without you. Kevin, thanks for organizing. Matias, thanks for the motivation and the laughs. Bonzai, thanks for the SAG. Riding on Skyline is one of the most gratifying feelings. A lot of times I was thinking this is crazy and why am I doing this...I am never doing this again. But each time I say these things I always come back for more :) Each time I ride on Skyline I realize that so much of the sport we do is all about mental toughness. I am going to make an effort to work on my mental toughness in my future training and racing...I think this could be a huge factor in ones performance. Especially mastering pain and fatigue by keeping focused and controlling negative thoughts.

Up Next: missing Jim McDonnell this year, Lake Placid training/fun trip May 29, 2008

Pike's Peak 10K

This is my first blog post using the tag running!

Anyways, after many attempts at running races, not only did I register this time...but I actually made it to the event and raced! First time in 3 years. I am running now.

On the drive to the race I thought...this is pretty cool...I really have no expectations of myself. I am nervous...but not because I hope to do well but because I did not want it to hurt. I made it to Rockville about 7:00am in time for packet pick-up and to get situated. I was cold. It was in the upper 50's and raining. Awesome. I had overdone it a bit by riding 62 miles on Saturday morning and was unsure how running would feel...but usually riding the day before running is good for me and helps get my hip warmed up.

As the start time (8:00am) approached I hung out where my wave (wave?! are we swimming?) was positioned. There were A LOT of people. It was go time. Not a fast start with so many people. I tried to bust on through the crowd. I got out of the jumble and was off. My legs felt cold...but quickly I warmed up. The 1st mile (8:00) marker came up pretty quickly. My goal was under 50 minutes, so I was on track. I was unsure of how to pace myself so held a bit back. At about mile 3 I was starting to feel good so picked it up a bit...started hitting the miles at 7:15 to 7:30. I really feel I am getting more used to forefoot striking. Most of my runs I alternate between forefoot and midfoot running, while I seem to be leaning towards forefoot now. This is good...it seems a lot less pressure on my hip. Mile 5 came up (1 mile to go). I picked it up all the way to the finish. Hooray my 1st ever 10k.

Time: 47:16 (7:37/mile) 126/1317

Results

After the race Matias and I headed back to Reston and went out for a 50 mile easy/stretch out ride. In the end my legs were done and I barely made the last 10 miles home.

On top of all the training, work has been ridiculous...I am spent.

Georgia Gould 5th at UCI World Cup

Georgia Gould 5th in Opening Round of World Cup Competition. Sea Otter Classic a Huge Success for Honorary Teammate Angela Mysliwiec
Berkeley, CA: The LUNA Pro Team was busy on many fronts this past weekend. Waldek Stepniowski, the team soigneur, and Zeph Wadsworth, team mechanic, joined Georgia Gould, Katerina Nash, and Catharine Pendrel for a three week trip to Europe to contest the opening rounds of the Union Cycliste International World Cup series. Chris Mathis, and past mechanic Zac Demeritt were joined by Alison Dunlap, Marla Streb, Chloe Forsman, Danelle Kabush, and Shonny Vanlandingham for three days of fun at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA. Angela Mysliwiec (pronounced "my sleeve itch"), winner of the Breast Cancer Fund Auction, was also on hand to experience the excitement and chaos of being a LUNA Chix for the weekend.

Houffalize, Belgium World Cup #1: Houffalize is a small town in the Ardenneregion of Belgium. It is historically significant because the town was decimated during World War II at the Battle of the Bulge. In the mountain bike world, Houffalize is better known for its beer, rice cakes, and the World Cup race. It has become an annual event and is embraced by thousands; thirty-five thousand fans to be exact. It is one of the premier races on the World Cup circuit, and this being an Olympic year, the race was a qualifier for almost every rider.

In Georgia's own words: "I knew it was going to be a long race, so I didn't want to blow myself up at the start. Maybe I was a little too conservative. I had a decent start, but by the top of the climb I had been passed by at least 20 women. I had to run a couple of the downhills because there were so many women off their bikes. The nice thing about the course at Houffalize is there is plenty of room for passing, so I was able to move up steadily through the field. I was riding in 4th for the last two laps, but was passed at the beginning of the last lap by the woman who went on to win the race. Overall, I felt good and rode a solid race to end up 5th- my best result in a European World Cup. I'm looking forward to next week!"

In Katerina's own words: "Houffalize is a very cool place to race and the fans are unbelievable. I was riding well but with every lap I was loosing more places and more power in my leg that got injured in Arizona. Those are the tough times for athletes to go through but I know my strength will return soon. With some good training this week and good Euro coffee I will be ready to fight again."

In Catharine's own words: "I felt fantastic in my first World cup of the season....well till about 1.5 hrs in then I really started to suffer! I had a great start and found myself in the top 7 by the end of the start loop. From there I moved up to 2nd, but rather than being patient I burned all my matches early and it became a fight to just finish. I feel confident as the team heads to Offenburg, Germany, that we will be holding onto our position as the top women's team."

The LUNA girls are ranked #1 in the team standings after the first World Cup.

Sea Otter Classic: The rest of the LUNA mountain bike and XTERRA team was busy competing at the Sea Otter Classic, a three day event at the Laguna Seca Raceway outside of Monterey, CA. Also joining them was Angela Mysliwiec, winner of the Breast Cancer Fund auction.

Super Downhill: Marla Streb was the only one slated to compete in the Super-D event on Friday afternoon. Super-D is a combination of downhill and cross country racing. The best courses are designed so that neither rider is favored. Sea Otter was a mass start event, meaning everyone started together. Marla had this to say about her race. "After three practice runs and all warmed up for the Super-D, I was pedaling to the top before the Le Mans mass start and my right thumb stopped working. Then, I noticed my trigger finger stopped working too. Immediately I was imagining some sort of delayed onset fast acting nerve agent from an exotic Haliconia that I had brushed up against back in Costa Rica, or maybe it was a parasite that was crawling along my forearm taking over my manual controls. I was just about to check on the status of my pinkie finger when I glanced down and saw that my derailleur was dangling. It had sort of exploded into springy bits and twisted metal the like a wind-up toy gone bad on Christmas morning. So, I sprinted down to the Luna pits, and Chris expertly repaired everything in less than 5 minutes. I raced back through the sea of Sea Otter crowds convincing myself that the effort was a good way to open up my lungs for the race, only to find that the pro women had already taken off. The first (and hopefully only) time I've ever missed a race due to dangly bits."

Short Track Cross Country: With the top US and Canadian riders racing in Europe, the Short Track Cross Country event was wide open and it was anyone's guess who would get the win. LUNA's Shonny Vanlandingham finished in 5th after a slow start. Shonny is like a diesel truck. It takes a while for her to get warmed up, but once she gets going her power and speed are amazing. With her focus on XTERRA, the STXC races are more for training. Chloe Forsman had a strong ride finishing 10th. Danelle Kabush didn't have a great start position which made for a difficult race. The STXC is only 20 minutes long which doesn't give riders much time to move up through the field. Despite being pulled she rode well and gained valuable fitness for the upcoming XTERRA races.

Circuit Road Race: Angela Mysliwiec did her first event of the weekend on Friday. She entered the Category 4 Women's Circuit Race. Riders negotiated the racetrack of Laguna Seca for 50 minutes. It was a challenging course with one steep climb followed by the famous corkscrew descent. Being new to the sport of road racing, Angela struggled on the descent and came off the back of the field. However, she continued to fight and got faster each lap, using less and less brake down the corkscrew descent. She finished with a big smile on her face.

Sport Cross Country: Angela raced one lap of the cross country course for a total of 20 miles. In only her second mountain bike race, Angela rode like a champ and finished in 2hrs 13min. She loved it and thought the course was awesome.

Pro Cross Country: The conditions were much improved for Sunday's race. The 30mph winds had died down and the skies were clear and sunny. The women went off at 12:25pm for two laps of the cross country course. The LUNA girls rode hard. It was a long race thanks to the winds that picked back up during the second lap. Shonny in 9th and Danelle in 21st gained valuable fitness for their first XTERRA event in Temecula, CA in May. Chloe, despite severe back cramps, finished in 3hrs 16 minutes.

Dual Slalom: Marla had this to say. "Saturday was the Dual Slalom, and in a stacked field I qualified 10th, my right foot popping out of the pedals both runs (my last Dual Slalom happened when gas was $1.75). So, I tightened things down for the next round. During the intervening years, the courses have become much more technical, and the turns much more aggressive. In my qualifying runs I felt the turns were coming at me so fast that I was not surfing down the course as much as I was being tossed up on the beach like a seal carcass. The next two runs went well, and I slipped past European Anneke Beerton both times, mainly due to muscle memory. Then, I was up against World Cup winner Rachel Atherton. She beat me the first run, so the second run I wanted to go brakeless. Usually thinking "No brakes!" while I am getting sideways on a berm takes my mind off how I will get down off the berm. But this time I almost two-wheel drifted into some fans from Bakersfield. Barely saved it, but lost valuable seconds. Rachel took the round, which sat me down on the sidelines early to watch everyone else like it was prom night back during the slow Duran Duran song."

Alison Dunlap: "I spent four days taking care of Angela. I picked her up from the airport and we laughed the rest of the weekend. With Waldek in Europe I got to play soigneur , minus the massages. I also led a clinic for 20 girls from the Northern California High School Mountain Bike League, of which Clif Bar is a major supporter. High school clinic It was great fun watching these young women learn things they never knew how to do before. I gave each girl some LUNA Moons and a signed poster. You'd think they died and gone to heaven. It was great!" feed zone

What's next: Katerina, Georgia, and Catharine will race in Offenburg, Germany at the second World Cup event this coming weekend. Marla heads back to Costa Rica and the rest of the team is home training. The LUNA Pro Team will be reunited at the National Mountain Bike Series event in Santa Ynez, CA in late May.

LUNA Pro Triathlon and XTERRA Teams Dominate Early Season Races

Terra Castro 11th at Ironman Arizona and Shonny Vanlandingham Wins Lavaman, Berkeley, CA: The LUNA Pro Triathlon and XTERRA teams were in action this month with Terra Castro representing at Ironman Arizona and Shonny Vanlandingham making her debut at Lavaman in Hawaii. Terra battled fierce headwinds, 94 degree temps, and severe cramping to finish 11th in her first race of the season. Shonny competed in her first ever road triathlon; she had a great swim, did her first road time trial, and clocked 6:30 miles for 10k. Not bad for a mountain biker.

Ironman Arizona: In Terra's own words...

"Tomorrow I will be better than I am today... better as a golfer, as a person, as a father. That's the beauty of tomorrow. There's no such thing as a setback." - TIGER WOODS

The magic of Ironman is that no matter how prepared you are or how mentally strong you toe the line- race day is another beast. There are many things outside of your control and also physical challenges that arise during the event that test what you are made of. I came into Arizona with the best fitness to date, prepared for battle both in the mental and physical arenas. After LUNA Pro Team Camp, I was excited to make the team and sponsors proud with a big finish in the strong international field. Race day finally arrived after a week of hanging out in Tempe with my grandparents, cousins and Aunt. After carbo loading and resting all week with the legs up, race day hits and you are READY, almost antsy. Into the water at 6:45am Sunday, April 13th, and the battle began. After a bit of a slow swim, I flew through transition and got on my "hot rod" Ordu, to start working through the field. The strong wind storms had other ideas though, as we all fought a nasty headwind one half of each loop (3 loops for a total of 112 miles). It was awesome to fly back to the start/finish at 32 mph but boy, the way out was all about putting the head down and grinding out the gears. n the end, I crossed the line in 11th and collapsed into a wheelchair that got me water and directed me to my awesome family support team. It was a solid effort on the day, against a very large international field. I woke up today, one day after the race knowing that it is "tomorrow"- that what happened yesterday was not a setback. I chose to be a better racer today than yesterday. So onward to the next race, knowing that I am a stronger athlete from this race, that I am more hungry for the performance I see in training each day I step out the door.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE LUNA TEAM AND ALL OUR AMAZING SPONSORS- I am blessed to be supported by the best companies in the world, the best support crew, and the best nutritional products an athlete could want. Thank you for always being there, no matter the end result.

LavaMan: In Shonny's own words...

The Lavaman Olympic distance race in Hawaii was my first road triathlon and was a great experience. Starting in the 3rd wave on the swim start with 350+ women was great practice for my upcoming target XTERRA races. I was pleased to have an improved swim time due to all the ocean swim training I've been doing this winter. The bike portion was not as fun as I am used to since it was an out and back on the Queen K highway, but that Mavic disc wheel sure felt fast. The 10 K run was mostly road but I did feel at home the last 1.5 miles running on top of lava rock and along a beautiful beach to the finish. The tri training is paying off, I actually won and was offered a spot in the Ironman World Champs in Kona. I turned it down due to my focus on the XTERRA World Champs that happens two weeks later. Plus those Ironman distance triathletes are crazy! I'll stick to the dirt and leave the Ironman distance to my crazy teammates: Cathy, Terra, and Linda!

And a quick update from Linda Gallo:

Folsom Mountain Bike Race: (march 16th or so) As I am looking forward to racing a few XTERRA triathlons this year, I decided to do a mountain bike race for some good training. I honestly can't say if this prepared me for the steep hills on the XTERRA Temecula course, but it was the most fun I have had on a bike in years! Lots of fun fast twisting single-track. I was 1st in the Sport 30-39. Perhaps it is time to consider an upgrade to Expert..

CA 70.3 Half Ironman:
This race is the start of the long course triathlon season in North America and always brings a stacked field. That was no different this year. I had a great swim and led everyone out of the water solo by almost a minute. I led for the first portion of the bike, before being passed by the eventual winners. The wind really picked up on the latter half of the bike which made for a still first half and a strong headwind on the second hilly half. Go figure.. I held steady on the two loop out and back run (one direction was really fast with the tailwind!), but started fading towards the end. This was a good test of my early season fitness and showed the need to work on a bit more speed for my coming races. Finished 20th.

Up Next: The LUNA Pro Triathlon Team will compete in the Wildflower Triathlon in May while Shonny, Danelle Kabush, and Linda focus on the XTERRA West Championship event in Temecula, CA. The mountain bike team sent Katerina, Georgia, and Catharine over to Europe to contest the first three UCI World Cups. The rest of the squad is at home, recovering from competing at the Sea Otter Classic. Look for more action at the next National Mountain Bike Series event in Santa Ynez, CA May 17-18th.

Triathlon training makes me healthy!

So, I had the lovely opportunity to do my annual physical this morning. Despite all the not-so-pleasant things these involve for women, it was actually a good experience. I've lost weight, lowered my blood pressure and have a 'shockingly' low pulse.

Now, outside of the endurance world, my pulse may be low, but inside, it's nothing even remotely shocking. Check out this Canadian article ranking the healthiest sports, and note that triathlon and its three components all rank highly in terms of calories burned, injury risk, cardiovascular benefits, muscle strength, and accessibility.

It is nice to see that my hard work (however inconsistent it may be--I'm working on it) is paying off in terms of my health.

Play on ladies, and reap the benefits!

2008 Luna Summit

Last weekend I attended the 2008 Third Annual Luna Summit. This was my first time attending the Summit, as I only just joined the Luna Chix DC Tri team earlier this year. Several months before the Luna Summit, Katie - the team leader asked if I would be interested in joining the team. She mentioned that she thought I might be a good role model – a notion that made me chuckle. I love triathlon. I love the way it makes me feel physically and mentally. I love the social time and I love the "me" time. My motives for doing triathlons are selfish and hardly qualify me as a role model. Still, I asked her all the questions you might expect from a working mother of three young children, who also indulges in triathlon, including: "What is the time commitment?" and "What will I be responsible for?" Her answers to my questions seemed reasonable, so I agreed to join the team.
We started making our plans to attend the Luna Summit as a team. I had a twinge of guilt as I made the final flight reservations. Attending the Summit meant I would be leaving my husband to navigate school, soccer practices and baseball games. But he encouraged me to go – so I did. I wasn't sure what to expect, so my expectations for the weekend were not grand – but I was far from disappointed. All weekend, I found people with whom I connected and quietly identified with the causes that were presented.
The Luna Chix mission - to inspire women to "Get out and Play!" was embodied by Linda, an elderly woman in her eighties who I met during a swim at the Summit. Linda slowly shuffled past me in the locker room - she was hunched over and had a sizable swollen mass in her right ankle. My initial reaction was to feel sorry for her. As she walked passed me I wished her a good morning which she took as an opportunity to start a conversation. I learned that she was a former model but was hit by a motor cycle nearly fifty years ago – ending her modeling career. After several surgeries, the doctors informed her that she would spend the rest of her life in a wheel chair. But she was adamant that she would walk, and with great determination she did. She told me she was an avid swimmer before the accident and has continued to swim nearly every day since. She wanted me to know that she was certain that she was walking today, despite what the doctors said, because she was physically fit before and after the accident. Linda was not a Luna Chix, but she may as well have been. I no longer felt pity for this woman – I was inspired by her.
The Luna Chix teams seek out women who may otherwise be intimidated, and encourages them to participate in sport as a means to a healthy, fit lifestyle. Luna Chix also works to raise awareness and money for the Breast Cancer Fund. This partnership with the Breast Cancer Fund has a personal significance for me. In December 2007, I discovered a lump in my breast. It was several excruciating days before I learned that the lump was not cancerous. I often turn my personal experiences into story telling opportunities. Yet, nearly a year after I found the lump in my breast, I still do not talk about this experience. The thought of not seeing my kids grow-up was inconceivable –yet for those very long days over the Christmas holiday, it seemed possible. Even now the emotions, as I reflect back, are real and still very raw. I realize now that this is a story that I should be telling. During those several days of not knowing my fate, I promised myself that I would combine my love for triathlon with charitable fund raising opportunities. Being part of a team that works to raise money for the Breast Cancer Fund so that they may seek out causes of the disease and develop ways to prevent it – makes perfect sense.
I can be a role model for other women and like Linda I can inspire them. I can tell my story to help raise awareness and money for the Breast Cancer Fund. I can reach out to women, particular working mothers, and encourage them to swim, bike, run. And I can fulfill my promise to myself.