I was recently interviewed by Kensie Garber for this feature article on the VanDOit website!
We discussed my cycling background, some of the setbacks I’ve faced (and overcome), my State, National, and World Championship Titles, and how the #TeamTracyATX VanDOit helped to enable us to chase dreams and adventure in 2018, as well as our VanLife-ing Road Trip Plans for 2019!
I still feel super awkward talking about myself and my accomplishments on the bike during interviews. . . but it’s kind of fun to see the finished product when articles and pod-casts go live 🙂
I’ve just recently updated our 2019 Race and Road Trip Plans too! You can check them out here, and contact us ( admin@teamtracyATX.com ) if you’d like to set up a Van Tour or Meet & Greet when we’re rolling through your town next year!
At the start of the year, when I sat down with my coach, and we carefully reviewed all of the 2018 races that I could feasibly get to and race, while still working my 45-50 hr/week job, we decided to prioritize large UCI/PRT Stage and Road Races over Crits. . . my ultimate goal this year is to gain experience at the UCI/PRT level, and perform well enough to “get noticed”, and potentially picked up by a Pro Team for 2019 (ideally, a WWT team, or a team that races a lot of road/stage races, as my current strengths make me much more of an asset in long/hard road/stage races over multiple days than 60 minute crits).
Well, the best laid plans. . . Haaaa!!
For an itemized, brief summary of my revised Race/Travel Plans, you can check out the2018 Schedule & ResultsPage, or read below for all of the details!
Initially, we had chosen to forgo OKC Pro-AM, Tulsa Tough, and defending my 2017 TT Title at the USAC Masters National Championship, in favor of racing Cascade Cycling Classic in Bend, OR & North Star Grand Prix in St. Paul, MN – both of which would help to build my resume and help me to “get noticed” with solid racing/placements. . . . but unfortunately, both of these iconic races ended up being cancelled for 2018, with plans to return in 2019 . . . I was also hoping to race the UCI Winston Salem Cycling Classic Road Race, but unfortunately was not able to find a Composite Team or Guest Ride Spot.
Sad Puppy
Detour Not Dead End
But, you know what I keep saying. . . “Detour, Not Dead End“, right?!? So when I had a couple of teams offer me guest ride spots at Bike the Bricks Crit, the OKC ProAm Classic Crits, and Tulsa Tough, I threw all of those carefully laid plans out the window, and jumped at the opportunity!
Will racing these Crits showcase my strengths in the way that a solid GC Placement at Cascades or NSGP would have? Probably not (but possibly in a different way?!). If I’ve learned nothing else from the last several years of racing though, it’s that sometimes forcing yourself well outside of your “comfort zone” is just as important and necessary as working on continuing to improve your strengths. It’s sure as heck not comfortable most of the time, but it’s the fastest way I’ve personally found to grow, develop, and improve as a well-rounded bike racer, hopefully making me an even more valuable asset to a team down the road.
And the other bright side to all this?!? With NSGP being cancelled, my schedule opened up so that I’ll have the opportunity to try to defend my 2017 Masters Time Trial National Championship Title! Yipee!!!
Revised May/June Race Plans!
So, without further ado, here are my revised race/travel plans for Late May/June!
After returning from this month-long trip, I’m REALLY (really, really!!) hoping to find some way to get an invite to race the Kristin Armstrong Chrono Time Trial (along with the ASWB Twilight Crit and Chicken Dinner Road Race) in Boise, ID July 13-15. . . . however, I know that this is an Elite, Invite Only TT, and the chances of me acquiring a guest ride spot as pretty much an “unknown” are slim to none. . .
Since when do I back down when the odds are against me, though? LOL!
I’m going to throw my hat into the Lottery with the Zwift Competition on May 30th . . .getting up at 5am to knock that out before hitting the road to meet up with the Pickle Juice Ladies in OKC! Time Trials & Crits go together, right?!? hehehe 1 lucky woman who completes the 10 mile TT in under 27 minutes will be given a spot in the “real” TT on July 13th. . so it’s a long shot, and based more on luck than anything (random drawing of qualifiers), but I’ve got to at least ante up! (#All-In, right!?!? )
I’m making the Pro Nats TT on June 21st my “A” Race, and my coach and I are tailoring my training between now and then (around Crits! lol) in order to peak my performance at Pro Nats TT. In a perfect world, I’d post a Top 10 time, turn some heads, and possibly earn a last minute invite to the Chrono TT that way. . . .
This is another Elite, Invite Only, UCI Stage Race that I’ll need to secure either a Guest Ride or Composite Team spot for. . . I haven’t really put out many feelers yet because I was focusing on finding a spot for Winston Salem, but hope to be able to secure a spot at the Colorado Classic Stage Race this year!
A Stage Race in the Green Mountains of Vermont! This one overlaps with The Gateway Cup, but I think I will have had my fill of Crit Racing after Tulsa and OKC, and look forward to racing this challenging Stage Race in the mountains instead! This one isn’t UCI, so I’ll be able to register for it without hunting for a Guest/Composite Spot 🙂
September/October – Ultra Time!
After returning home from Vermont, I hope to defend my TX State Champion Road Race Titles in Mid-September, and then will switch my focus back to Ultra Racing through the end of October. I’m planning to race the 12 Hour Time Trial at the Texas Time Trials in Glen Rose, TX in late September, am considering the NCOM 383 Mile Anton Chigurh Ultra Race on Oct 13th in Alpine, TX, and will be returning to defend my 12 Hour World Time Trial Championship Title in Borrego Springs, CA on October 27th!
2018 Zwift Academy?
And who knows. . . I may even try to juggle the Zwift Academy again as I take on these late-season races. . . I really enjoyed the workouts last year, and the camaraderie built with other ZA Participants!
Quick Reader’s Digest version race report: 72 women lined up & started LOTOJA at 7am this morning. A local girl & well known “billy goat”, Marci Kimball, attacked at the base of the first climb. 3 of us were able to go with her. By halfway up, 1 girl had fallen off, so we had a solid break of 3. I popped 3/4 of the way up, but field was still out of view at the summit so I buried myself in TT mode (my specialty) …& chased my heart out. Managed to complete the bridge after maybe 10 miles of chasing. The girl that had initiated the break had an unfortunate accident maybe ~50 miles in and was unable to continue, so the break was now just me & Lindsay Stevenson. We worked well together, & put about 40 minutes on the peloton by the finish line. It came down to a sprint finish between the two of us, and she got me by about 1/2 a wheel/ 0.02 secs (I’m an engine & have a lot of work to do on my sprint… ESPECIALLY after 202 miles off the front!!) Now I’m going to go eat ALL THE THINGS…
Added After the Fact:
LOTOJA 2017 (my 1st, but certainly not last!) is a wrap, & what an experience it was! Breathtaking views during the preride , Meticulous planning & prepping, start line adrenaline, making the break, getting popped on a climb & chasing back on to it, miles (& miles & miles!) of building the gap with my stellar breakaway partner, Lindsey, all culminating in an epic 1K sprint after 202 miles of racing… Finishing 2nd Place Overall Woman & 2nd fastest up the QOM climb…every last bit of this adventure was just amazing. I accomplished goal of sub 10 hrs w an official time of 9:35:15, & accomplished goal of finishing on the Podi A little bummed to miss the top step by 0.02 secs, but VERY happy with my race today. And now I just have to come back next year, a stronger sprinter
FREE CREMIES at Packet Pickup!
I couldn’t have possibly pulled off this trip or race performance/results without the support of these amazing people & businesses:
Obviously Hubby Extraordinaire Jamie…. my #1 sponsor & supporter. Without his unbelievable support, there is just no way that I could train and race at the level that I’m able to… there just wouldn’t be enough hours in the day!
Austin Tri-Cyclist – the best mechanics in town, & a great bike shop to boot. They keep my bikes in tip top shape, & keep me fueled & supplied with all the supplements & gear that I need to train & race.
Matt Seagrave: World’s best coach! Okay, maybe I’m a little biased, but Matt does SO much more than just lay out my workouts. He takes my health, fatigue (both physical & mental), work & race schedule, and “life stuff”, all into consideration when writing my programming to keep me healthy & sane, & peak my performance at just the right times throughout the year. He’s coached me back from multiple collarbone breaks, & through periods of ill health & high stress at work. He’s helped to pick me up from my low points & taught me to soar to my high points. Knowing that I can trust his advice & programming to get me where I need to be, & never having to second guess him or myself does a ton to reduce the mental stress of this demanding sport . I attribute much of the success that I’ve seen on the bike during this amazing dream of a season to Matt’s guidance & coaching.
Cryo Wellness: I’m no longer a spring chicken, having only found cycling at the tender young age of 34, so it is imperative for me to maximize my recovery efforts in order to stay at the top of my game & keep up with the younguns . Cryo Wellness (off Far West) & Cryo Fire Health Spa (in Cedar Park) help me do just that. They have all the best recovery tools in one convenient location, so I can reduce inflammation & get a jump start on recovery with Cryo, flush my lymphatic system & legs of toxins & lactic acid with Normatech Compression boots, and top off my Oxygen Stores / improve blood oxygenation in the hyperbaric chamber all in one convenient place
BEMER Mat: I’ve had the opportunity to keep & demo a BEMER Mat over the last week in preparation for LOTOJA. I’ve used it twice a day (AM & PM), & slept on it in the sleep cycle every night for the last week. I also used it on level 10 (max) the morning of LOTOJA & immediately after the race on level 1 to help flush the lactic acid from my legs. I’ll be honest: upon hearing about BEMER Mat technology I was extremely skeptical… sitting on this Mat for 8 minutes twice a day would emit a frequency that opens up capillaries, improves blood flow, & maximizes blood oxygenation … it just sounded too good to be true, especially since I don’t really “feel” anything when lying on the mat. But I’m now a firm believer in the technology, as it significantly reduced the negative effect of altitude for this flatlander racing at elevation in UT against a ton of locals! My legs felt amazing throughout the race, & while I’m definitely feeling the effort today, they aren’t NEARLY as sore as I expected them to be after a 202 mile race at high altitude with tons of climbing, & ~170 miles spent working the 2 girl break! Anyone interested in learning more about BEMER Mat technology can contact Sherri Kirklin for more info, & to set up a demo.
nuun hydration: I’ve spent ages experimenting & trying to figure out a good fueling source that gives me the electrolytes, salt, & carbs needed to fuel my Ultra Races, but doesn’t weigh me down, over-salinate me, give me “carb gut”, or upset my stomach. I’ve finally found my perfect fuel in the new Nuun Performance , alternated with Nuun Energy & Nuun Active. I used this combination exclusively during LOTOJA, in addition to a few GU Rocktane gels chased with water, & never once felt a bonk coming on during the entire 202 miles of racing. I never felt weighed down & didn’t get “carb gut”, and always felt like I was plenty hydrated. Super stoked to finally have figured out a formula that works for me!
Workout ✅ Errands run ✅ Packing complete ✅ Drs Apts & clean bill of health (phew!) ✅ Cryo, Hyperbaric Chamber, Compression Therapy, & Bemer Mat session ✅ Food prepped for travel/racing ✅ 4 hrs of tying up loose ends at work before checking out for the week ✅ Phew! BED TIME, & when I wake up I’m headed to Utah… YIPEEEEE!!!!! LOTOJA here I come!!! 😃😄😈
My reminder to myself to smile & enjoy the experience, even if I’m in the pain cave on my way up a mountain 🙂
