Little Pepper...Back in the Game

***RESULTS***

Overall: 1:26:36 1st in age group, 5th overall
Swim: 10:49 1st in age group, 3rd overall
Bike: 49:25 1st in age group, 5th overall
Run: 23:02 1st in age group, 20th overall

***PRERACE***

After a late night and fun at my sister's GW graduation ceremony/dinner...I woke up and headed out to Culpeper, VA for Lil Pepper Sprint Triathlon about 5am on Sunday morning. The drive over was pretty uneventful..a coffee stop and 2 bathroom stops (yes, it was only a 90 minute drive). Mary and Steph caught me on the road and I tagged along behind them for the rest of the way. It was about 62 degrees...a bit on the chilly side. ehh. Got everything together and headed to packet/chip pick-up. I was asked if I was an Athena or something else. I was confused. Saw a lot of familiar faces...this was going to be fun. Then went to set up transition. I was ready by 715am..race was not to start until 8am...ughh too much idle time. I mingled with friends and started to get anxious. Mary could sense my nerves and came over for a pep talk. "KATIE...this is what we know...this is what we do best...and on a normal basis...this is FUN!" I smiled and said "I know, I just have not really done this whole deal in a long time...once I get this first one over with I am good." I love Mary D. :)

***RACE***

SWIM - Got my full sleeve wetsuit on and headed over to wait for the start. Found Justina and Jeff and hung with them till it was time to go. Justina and I were in the same wave (35 and under females...YES, pink caps). We waded in the water and positioned in front as the wave in front of us went. It was kinda deep and mushy...YUCK...and COLD. Cripes. Then it was GO. I swam fast to get away from the ladies behind me. I battled with a girl on my right for maybe 100 yards and then I was out in the lead and did not see anyone. I tried to settle into a rhythm. It was really cold. They said the water was 70...felt like low 60s to me. I was able to settle into a rhythm and felt pretty good. About half way I started catching up the the previous wave of 35 and under males. My face was feeling numb and cold...so I swam faster to get out of there. I rounded the last turn...swam to shore and ran into T1. Fun being the 1st in my wave out of the water!

T1 - Got the wetsuit off fast but then could not get my shirt on. Finally was all set and off on my bike. Went without arm warmers or leg warmers. Slow transition.

BIKE - The bike course happened to be somewhat hilly...it was good. My legs felt somewhat stale and I had a hard time staying warm and settling into a good pace. I passed some more guys. I was still in my groups lead and started to get worried about ladies coming up from behind....felt like I was weaving all over the place...it was windy. There were no mile markers in site anywhere and my computer is busted...I had no idea how fast/how much longer and I had not worn a watch. Finally asked someone and he said 1/2 more mile! Great...I busted it to the end. 1st in my group into T2...but I cold see someone behind me. Now the run.

RUN - So I had decided to wear the Newtons. I got them in February..wore them for the 1st time then and had a hard time walking for about a week after. They really force you into forefoot running, which puts a lot of pressure onto your calves. However, they were FAST and once I got more accustomed to forefoot running...the best way to go for me as forefoot running seems to cause less pounding and pressure into my hips. Since I had worn them I knew what it felt like to forefoot run and have been slowly transitioning to running that way in my Asics. I was maybe 80% forefoot running lately. So I decided to wear them. As I started off I noticed my right toes were totally numb...weird. Maybe my shoes were too tight. I stopped for a second to loosen the laces. I was off to VERY slow start..this might be ugly. A girl passed me. Boo. Then I started to feel really good...like I was prancing...the Newtons are AWESOME. Then I even passed some people and picked up speed. On the way back I felt like I had too much energy and pushed it all the way to the finish. I had finished somewhere between maybe 3rd and 5th. After I finished the girl who had passed me, Alex, came up to say Congrats. She was really cool...hopefully our paths cross again. She thought I was endurance runner. :) Hopefully soon.

***POSTRACE***

After the race hung out and talked to everyone. Julie Clark completed her 1st race...she was smiling...I am really proud of her. She did AWESOME. Only good things to come. Then I started to feel nauseated. I sat down...then my eyes started feeling strange...oh wow...maybe a migraine coming on. I went to the car to get my sunglasses (even though it was very overcast) and as I was walking yes for sure a migraine. Julie was coming back and I told her I was going to leave. UGHH hopefully I would be OK driving home. I just wanted to get home and shower and lay down. I had my prescription with me...took one and hoped the spots would go away. The did shortly...but my vision was still off and then another one came on. GEEZ...this was the worst. Somehow I managed to get home. I felt like a mess but I was so happy with my race.

***LESSONS LEARNED***

-Start working on heart rate training and be more aware of my times.
-Start out a bit faster on the run...I always seem to have to much steam left at the end.
-Work on the mental state. Migraine during/after a race...2nd time this has happened. They always seem to happen as a stress relief. I do think I can relax now that I have got that 1st race BACK IN THE GAME over with...

Up Next: Lake Placid training/fun trip May 29, 2008, Eagleman June 8, 2008

Julie's first triathlon--Little Pepper race report

Racer:	Julie Clark
Race:	Little Pepper
Date:	Sunday, May 18, 2008
Location:	Culpepper, VA
Race Type:	Triathlon - Sprint
Group:	Athena
Time:	1:53:42
Overall Place:	88 / 157
Age Group Place:	7 / 14
Comment:	my first triathlon, AND a PR :)

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Race Report:

Pre-race:
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The night before the race, we stayed with a friend just a few miles from the lake, which was great. We also had steak, and while it was very yummy, it's not exactly what I had in mind for my pre-race dinner! Oh well, at least I drank more water than wine, and was in bed early. Up early too, but felt like I should be sociable, making me at least 15 minutes later to the race site than planned. This made for quite a rush, since there was a decent packet pick up line at this point, and it was my firs time doing any of this tri race business. But, it all got done...

Swim 22:03(138/157)
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Boy do I hate swimming, and this was no exception. The start was fine, my friend Moe and I stuck off to the rear of the group and waited for the speedsters (Katie D) to get going first. Getting through the first few buoys was manageable, but then the next waves starting passing me. First I saw the first wave behind, then even some from two waves behind! Oh well, just get through this. Then, SMACK, into my left eyesocket. It was almost in slow motion, which somehow allowed me to grab my goggles before they were sent off into oblivion, which was good, since they are prescription and would have made for a blind swim! I was pissed and treaded for a bit, thinking, I could stop. I hate this. Then, of course you're not stopping, you haven't even gotten to the parts you enjoy. Onward, and inward, SLOWLY.

T1 2:50 (76/157)
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I remembered my number easily (369!) and found my spot quickly. I got the wetsuit off with very few problems, and into the bike shoes and helmet. My glasses were easy to find, which worked well! Only complaint was who put that lovely hill right before the mount?? That was no fun.

Bike: 58:09 (59/157)
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Onto the bike, yay!! There was a bit of a hill getting started on the course, oh wait, there were hills everywhere. But, some great downhills to use my athena-ness to fly past quite a few riders. I did notice that I passed mostly mountain bike riders, with a few road bikes, while expensive tri bikes were passing me like crazy! I was fine with that, and pushed myself the whole ride. Only issue was the gel I taped to my bike fell off in the first third of the ride. Oh well, I just made an effort to drink more Accelerade!

T2: 1:43 (74/157)
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Found my stuff easily after running down that same hill between the dismount and my transition spot. Yay for yanks, shoes went on very easily.

Run: 28:59 (91/157)
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I got to do most of the run with my friend Moe, which was fun. We had to convince each other at a couple points that we CHOSE to do this and boy would it be nice to be done! The first few uphills killed me, I walked at least twice :(. But, I finally got into a rhythm half way through and picked it up a bit to the (downhill, yay!) finish.

Lessons learned
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1- be much more early to the race site, esp with race-day packet pick up
2- swim more, even if I hate it
3- don't use scotch tape to tape gel to bike.
4- more bricks! more hills!

Overall:
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I'm finally a triathlete! Or a newbie one, at least. Thank goodness the first one is done. Now on to the next 5...including races with LUNA chix!

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