Heya folks,
Dale’s working on a school project, so you get to hear from me (Anna M.) today. Yesterday’s race was the 4th race of the week, in Walterboro, South Carolina. Yesterday we woke up in Beaufort and spent a chill morning there. We went for a short spin in the marshland to open up our legs after the previous day’s race, then went back to Nora and Charles’ house to clean up and pack out and say our good byes. The ride to Walterboro was a fairly uneventful hour, and we got in to meet our awesome host, Reaves and to settle into his beautiful 1850s wooden house. We had a short while to relax before it was time to get ready for the evening’s race. We did the usual, rode over to pick up our numbers, rode a lap of the course on the sidewalks to scope out the corners, and then got a good warm up in.
Finally it was time to line up. The field was still a little smaller than the weekend’s, but Tibco was back on the line, adding another big team to the mix compared to Beauford’s race. It’s interesting, some courses, when previewing them look hard and then ride pretty well; Walterboro’s course was one that looked pretty good, but I found it a lot more difficult during the race. The front stretch had several raised crosswalks that come close to knocking your bars out of your hands, and the last two corners were so tight that if a couple of women towards the front of the field took them cautiously, the back of the field came to a near stop going through the turns. That made for a lot of repeated accelerations, every time we found ourselves drifting back in the field. Unfortunately, the bumps on the front stretch were putting a lot of pressure on Jennette’s back, so she decided it wasn’t worth doing further damage and pulled out to cheer for the rest of us. Kate, meanwhile was fighting a losing battle with her front derailleur and after it jumped gears on her for a second time, she was unable to chase back into the field. Dale, however, was having a solid race and managed to play around at the front for a while and picked up a prime sprint in the process. I went for a couple primes, but went a bit too early and was nipped at the line both times. Still, those efforts gave me some hints about where on the course I could move up, and where in the field I needed to be to have a clean sprint after the final corner. As usual, the pace ramped up the last couple laps, but I managed to move up to an OK spot moving through the final corners and ended up sprinting to an 11th place finish. Dale avoided getting taken out by some sketchy moves around the final few corners and rolled in with the field. As with every race, I learned a bunch of lessons and am always trying to figure out how I can improve, but it was another solid finish against some powerful riders. And, after the race, our host, Reaves, organized a little shindig on the course, so we spent the rest of the evening watching the men race and eating some Mediterranean chicken wraps and eating some beautiful piles of fruit salad and pineapple (one of my favorites). Quite a nice way to round out the evening!
Today’s another rest day, and we’re spending the day getting to know Walterboro. Tomorrow we’ll roll up to Spartanburg for the race, and I’m sure we’ll have more stories to tell by then!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Lemonade Terraces of Beaufort, South Carolina
After a fantastic ride with Duane round the stunning homes of Suwanee (near Roswell), we set off for the 5+ hour drive to Beaufort. After some van singing, sleeping and eating (White Lightening is our 2nd home), the girls got to experience some Kiwi driving…In New Zealand we drive on the other side of the road and our cars are right hand drive, so they thought their lives may have been endangered letting me behind the wheel! However, we safely arrived in the gorgeous, historic, seaside town of Beaufort.
Beaufort is quintessential Southern style with beautiful old homes- hundreds of years old, with fantastically big surround terraces/porches on two or even three levels of the house. We have named them lemonade terraces as they are perfect for sitting in rocking chairs, taking in the view, sipping on home made lemonade or iced tea. We have tried this activity several times and can highly recommend it as an effective relaxation technique!
We were warmly welcomed in Beaufort by my friends Nora and Charles, who hosted me to stay in 2007. It was so fantastic to see them again and they promptly spread the table with healthy, homemade snacks before we took a walk around the historic town – many of the huge, big old homes have been in movies (eg, ‘The Great Santini’, and ‘Cape Fear’) – I took lots of photos so will try and put some up.
On our return home, Nora cooked up one of THE most delicious and healthy meals you could ever imagine, using local seafood. So much so they we decided the recipe warranted an appearance on the blog!
Sauteed Shrimp with Tomato and Basil
1 pound of fresh or frozen medium shrimp (could also use chicken)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup thinly sliced onion
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup chopped basil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups baby spinach
1) Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add shrimp(or chicken if using this), cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside. If using chicken, ensure chicken is cooked through before removing.
2) Add onion to skillet, cook about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute more. Return shrimp or chicken to skillet. Add basil and vinegar and heat through. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
3) Divide spinach among four dinner plates. Top with shrimp or chicken mixture.
DELICIOUS!!!!
We can’t really express enough how wonderful Charles and Nora are, how welcome they have made us, how much fun we have had and how sad we will be to leave! We have been spoilt beyond belief and I know we can’t wait for them (as with all our host families along the way!) to come and visit us in our part of the country and world so we can return their hospitality!
Today - race day, we had a healthy breakfast of fruit, cereal and multigrain toast before heading out on an easy ride to explore the district. I think every second person waved out, tooted hello or wished us luck for the race – we love this town!! The atmosphere in town is electric –everyone is excited about the race and right in behind it.
Race Report:
Well now we have sung the praises of Beaufort and the race is done and dusted, I can fill you all in on how it went!
Our plan was to take a more aggressive approach to this race, however the pace was so high from the start that we were hanging on for dear life for the first part of it (well, I am speaking for myself here!). We eventually settled in and set about trying to ‘mix it up’ a bit.
Kate rode fantastically, took a mid race prime and positioned herself well, coming in 11th in the final sprint.
Anna, for whom the plan was to look after herself in the bunch a little more today and try to go with something a bit later in the race, rode very smartly and while the later break didn’t work out, she was once again so strong, coming in 10th.
Once I finally got used to the high pace, I had a few go’s off the front before getting swallowed up. I struggled to recover as the pace increased for the finish of the race but hung on to roll in 27th….my legs are starting to feel a bit faster!
Jenette didn’t start today, her injuries needed rest and I was proud that she recognized that recuperation was more important than any bike race. She stepped in as our super helper and was fantastic in getting us ready on time and making sure we had everything we needed.
So, there you go! We are continuing to have a lot of fun, laughs, enjoying the racing loving each others company and the company of the people around us, and appreciating the opportunities we have! Life is good!!
Beaufort is quintessential Southern style with beautiful old homes- hundreds of years old, with fantastically big surround terraces/porches on two or even three levels of the house. We have named them lemonade terraces as they are perfect for sitting in rocking chairs, taking in the view, sipping on home made lemonade or iced tea. We have tried this activity several times and can highly recommend it as an effective relaxation technique!
We were warmly welcomed in Beaufort by my friends Nora and Charles, who hosted me to stay in 2007. It was so fantastic to see them again and they promptly spread the table with healthy, homemade snacks before we took a walk around the historic town – many of the huge, big old homes have been in movies (eg, ‘The Great Santini’, and ‘Cape Fear’) – I took lots of photos so will try and put some up.
On our return home, Nora cooked up one of THE most delicious and healthy meals you could ever imagine, using local seafood. So much so they we decided the recipe warranted an appearance on the blog!
Sauteed Shrimp with Tomato and Basil
1 pound of fresh or frozen medium shrimp (could also use chicken)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup thinly sliced onion
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup chopped basil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups baby spinach
1) Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add shrimp(or chicken if using this), cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside. If using chicken, ensure chicken is cooked through before removing.
2) Add onion to skillet, cook about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute more. Return shrimp or chicken to skillet. Add basil and vinegar and heat through. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
3) Divide spinach among four dinner plates. Top with shrimp or chicken mixture.
DELICIOUS!!!!
We can’t really express enough how wonderful Charles and Nora are, how welcome they have made us, how much fun we have had and how sad we will be to leave! We have been spoilt beyond belief and I know we can’t wait for them (as with all our host families along the way!) to come and visit us in our part of the country and world so we can return their hospitality!
Today - race day, we had a healthy breakfast of fruit, cereal and multigrain toast before heading out on an easy ride to explore the district. I think every second person waved out, tooted hello or wished us luck for the race – we love this town!! The atmosphere in town is electric –everyone is excited about the race and right in behind it.
Race Report:
Well now we have sung the praises of Beaufort and the race is done and dusted, I can fill you all in on how it went!
Our plan was to take a more aggressive approach to this race, however the pace was so high from the start that we were hanging on for dear life for the first part of it (well, I am speaking for myself here!). We eventually settled in and set about trying to ‘mix it up’ a bit.
Kate rode fantastically, took a mid race prime and positioned herself well, coming in 11th in the final sprint.
Anna, for whom the plan was to look after herself in the bunch a little more today and try to go with something a bit later in the race, rode very smartly and while the later break didn’t work out, she was once again so strong, coming in 10th.
Once I finally got used to the high pace, I had a few go’s off the front before getting swallowed up. I struggled to recover as the pace increased for the finish of the race but hung on to roll in 27th….my legs are starting to feel a bit faster!
Jenette didn’t start today, her injuries needed rest and I was proud that she recognized that recuperation was more important than any bike race. She stepped in as our super helper and was fantastic in getting us ready on time and making sure we had everything we needed.
So, there you go! We are continuing to have a lot of fun, laughs, enjoying the racing loving each others company and the company of the people around us, and appreciating the opportunities we have! Life is good!!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Historic Roswell Criterium, Georgia
Today was the Roswell Criterium– 2nd race in the Speed Week Series and our 2nd race in Georgia before we head to South Carolina.
After our delicious blueberry pancake breakfast at Pam and Bruce’s, we dragged ourselves away from their slice of paradise and hit the road towards Atlanta.
We had enough time to quickly call in at our next host, Duane, who is putting us up in his absolutely beautiful house just out of Roswell – he is so lovely that he is giving up his own bed and sleeping in the basement so that we each have our own room! I tell you, we have been blessed with super hosts this trip!!
We unpacked White Lightening (our van/cavern), and had a bite to eat before heading to the racecourse. The race was at a more reasonable time – 4.15pm, and the temperature was perfect – mid 80’s….We were ready to go!! It was a bit of ‘wait and see’ how we were feeling, with Kate and Anna nursing bruised bodies, Jenette an injured back/knee and me, well, just not very fast legs at this early stage of the season!!
The race was fast and furious again, I had a bit of go off the front early (which hurt my legs a lot!), then poor Jenette got caught up in a crash - she got back on again after getting a new wheel, and rode exceptionally well for the rest of the race considering the pain she was in. She ended up rolling across the line in 27th.
Anna had another great ride – was away in the penultimate break which was caught and the counter attack was the successful move which ended up winning the race. Anna was 5th in the bunch sprint to take 15th overall. Great effort!! The race was run by the local girl - Tina Pic. A legend of the peleton!
Kate, sore as she was, lined up and was riding exceptionally well before getting caught up behind the crash Jenette was in. I was so impressed with how gutsy she was even lining up today. She is looking forward to a rest day tomorrow to give the body some more recovery time!
I had a much better race and am feeling like I am starting to come up. Rolled accross the line somewhere in the 40's......quite a few places to make up in the coming week!
We had such a great evening hanging out in Roswell after the race – it’s such a picturesque town and we watched the men’s race over our delicious meal on the terrace at the ‘Swallow at the Hollow’ restaurant – fantastic! I was extra excited to catch up with my good Kiwi friend Heath, who won the men’s race last night in Athens….if we thought our race was crazy last night, theirs was absolute mayhem….200 men!!
In the morning we are going for an easy spin with Duane, then heading to the absolutely beautiful, quaint town of Beaufort, South Carolina, to stay with some old friends of mine on the beach front……it’s a good life! Our next race is in Beaufort Tuesday night.
Till then
D.T :-)
After our delicious blueberry pancake breakfast at Pam and Bruce’s, we dragged ourselves away from their slice of paradise and hit the road towards Atlanta.
We had enough time to quickly call in at our next host, Duane, who is putting us up in his absolutely beautiful house just out of Roswell – he is so lovely that he is giving up his own bed and sleeping in the basement so that we each have our own room! I tell you, we have been blessed with super hosts this trip!!
We unpacked White Lightening (our van/cavern), and had a bite to eat before heading to the racecourse. The race was at a more reasonable time – 4.15pm, and the temperature was perfect – mid 80’s….We were ready to go!! It was a bit of ‘wait and see’ how we were feeling, with Kate and Anna nursing bruised bodies, Jenette an injured back/knee and me, well, just not very fast legs at this early stage of the season!!
The race was fast and furious again, I had a bit of go off the front early (which hurt my legs a lot!), then poor Jenette got caught up in a crash - she got back on again after getting a new wheel, and rode exceptionally well for the rest of the race considering the pain she was in. She ended up rolling across the line in 27th.
Anna had another great ride – was away in the penultimate break which was caught and the counter attack was the successful move which ended up winning the race. Anna was 5th in the bunch sprint to take 15th overall. Great effort!! The race was run by the local girl - Tina Pic. A legend of the peleton!
Kate, sore as she was, lined up and was riding exceptionally well before getting caught up behind the crash Jenette was in. I was so impressed with how gutsy she was even lining up today. She is looking forward to a rest day tomorrow to give the body some more recovery time!
I had a much better race and am feeling like I am starting to come up. Rolled accross the line somewhere in the 40's......quite a few places to make up in the coming week!
We had such a great evening hanging out in Roswell after the race – it’s such a picturesque town and we watched the men’s race over our delicious meal on the terrace at the ‘Swallow at the Hollow’ restaurant – fantastic! I was extra excited to catch up with my good Kiwi friend Heath, who won the men’s race last night in Athens….if we thought our race was crazy last night, theirs was absolute mayhem….200 men!!
In the morning we are going for an easy spin with Duane, then heading to the absolutely beautiful, quaint town of Beaufort, South Carolina, to stay with some old friends of mine on the beach front……it’s a good life! Our next race is in Beaufort Tuesday night.
Till then
D.T :-)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Athens Twilight Criterium, Georgia - McLoon 11th!
Hey everyone!
Well, here we are in Athens, Georgia….and man it is HOT! It was in the late 80’s today and while we didn’t race till 7.45pm, it was still roasting at that time and we are still sweating as we get ready for bed!! The South is turning on the heat for the week and preparing us for the season ahead - perfect!
Anyway, going back a step - Kate V, Anna K, Jenette and I all congregated here late last night, at the absolutely stunning home of our fantastic hosts Pam and Bruce Barker. Host families are such an enjoyable and integral part of our racing season – these amazing people volunteer to have us crazy cyclists stay for a day or two while we are racing and generously provide us with a bed, use of their house and their fine company. Meeting these fantastic people is one of my favourite parts of bike racing – for me, it is a taste of the ‘real America’ - hearing their stories and life experiences is priceless, and of course spreading the New Zealand story is fun too! (I really should be working for the NZ Tourism Board!).
Pam and Bruce live a little out of the beautiful town of Athens, and their amazing home is surrounded by forest and a lake and is so incredibly peaceful – we had a great day chilling out before the race!
The race itself was fast and furious. The field of 70 was full of rockstars and the atmosphere was electric. It was all go from the time the gun went off and didn’t let up till the finish line was crossed an hour later.
Anna came down in a crash in the early laps, took some time out in the ‘pit’ to get her bike straightened out, then, being the tough little Muscle McLoon that she is, got straight back into the race again – elbow and knee bleeding. She ended up 11th in the race in a top notch field and had a fantastically strong race – we were so proud!!!
Kate raced so strongly and positively – then had the terrible luck of coming down in the final straight on the last lap while heading for a top 20 finish. She is has a lot of ‘road rash’ and is sore and stiff, but is already looking ahead to the rest of the week. She is super fit and has such a great attitude, so I think she will bounce back no problems!
Jenette and I – victims of Athens crashes in previous years, are telling the girls they have been ‘Athenised’ now – almost every cyclist can tell a tale of crashing in this crit at some stage over the years!
Jenette and I, in our first race of the season, stayed in as long as the high intensity would let us – our bodies screaming at the shock of racing again. But now the first race is under our belts we are set for the rest of the season and hungry for more!
We are all having great fun and lots of laughs – another reason to love bike racing!!
Well that is all for now – we are well and truly ready for bed, and what’s more, have a breakfast date with our superhosts in the morning – Pam and Bruce are cooking us blueberry pancakes! Mmmmmmm
We head to Roswell, Georgia for the 2nd race of the series tomorrow. Stay tuned!!
Well, here we are in Athens, Georgia….and man it is HOT! It was in the late 80’s today and while we didn’t race till 7.45pm, it was still roasting at that time and we are still sweating as we get ready for bed!! The South is turning on the heat for the week and preparing us for the season ahead - perfect!
Anyway, going back a step - Kate V, Anna K, Jenette and I all congregated here late last night, at the absolutely stunning home of our fantastic hosts Pam and Bruce Barker. Host families are such an enjoyable and integral part of our racing season – these amazing people volunteer to have us crazy cyclists stay for a day or two while we are racing and generously provide us with a bed, use of their house and their fine company. Meeting these fantastic people is one of my favourite parts of bike racing – for me, it is a taste of the ‘real America’ - hearing their stories and life experiences is priceless, and of course spreading the New Zealand story is fun too! (I really should be working for the NZ Tourism Board!).
Pam and Bruce live a little out of the beautiful town of Athens, and their amazing home is surrounded by forest and a lake and is so incredibly peaceful – we had a great day chilling out before the race!
The race itself was fast and furious. The field of 70 was full of rockstars and the atmosphere was electric. It was all go from the time the gun went off and didn’t let up till the finish line was crossed an hour later.
Anna came down in a crash in the early laps, took some time out in the ‘pit’ to get her bike straightened out, then, being the tough little Muscle McLoon that she is, got straight back into the race again – elbow and knee bleeding. She ended up 11th in the race in a top notch field and had a fantastically strong race – we were so proud!!!
Kate raced so strongly and positively – then had the terrible luck of coming down in the final straight on the last lap while heading for a top 20 finish. She is has a lot of ‘road rash’ and is sore and stiff, but is already looking ahead to the rest of the week. She is super fit and has such a great attitude, so I think she will bounce back no problems!
Jenette and I – victims of Athens crashes in previous years, are telling the girls they have been ‘Athenised’ now – almost every cyclist can tell a tale of crashing in this crit at some stage over the years!
Jenette and I, in our first race of the season, stayed in as long as the high intensity would let us – our bodies screaming at the shock of racing again. But now the first race is under our belts we are set for the rest of the season and hungry for more!
We are all having great fun and lots of laughs – another reason to love bike racing!!
Well that is all for now – we are well and truly ready for bed, and what’s more, have a breakfast date with our superhosts in the morning – Pam and Bruce are cooking us blueberry pancakes! Mmmmmmm
We head to Roswell, Georgia for the 2nd race of the series tomorrow. Stay tuned!!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
McLoon on the Podium
McLoon snags an impressive 3rd place at last weekend's Batenkill Road Race! Nice racing Anna!
Some race tidbits from McLoon:
- 5 ft. How close my car came to hitting a moose on Friday evening
- 70 the approximate # of women in the field
- 2 the number of covered bridges I saw during the race
(sadly, we only rode through one)
- 45 the mile at which I got a flat tire
- 500 the watts it felt like I had to hold to chase back in
(not really, don't worry I'm not inhuman)
- 0 the number of raindrops I felt during the race
(the menfolk weren't so lucky)
-1 net waterbottle influx/outflow for the weekend.
- 3rd final place.
- 1 big ol' bottle of chocolate milk for being on the podium
(it was quite tasty)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
ATeam @ RTR Part II
Sunday's Ride
Contributor - Kristy Scheffenacker
When you are in West Virginia enjoying the unbelievable landscape and clean mountain-air (well mostly clean except for the differing manure aromas that waft in your direction from time to time) there will inevitably be those “Deliverance” moments. DA NA neer neer neer neerneer neer neeeeeeer. So Sunday the Altarum women’s cycling team got off to a leisurely start. It was quite the ladies ride that day, full of mechanicals,giggles, singing, rest stops and posing for pictures. I believe within the first 5 minutes we had a flat and within the next 5 minutes I discovered I needed a new wheel because my cassette was rattling itself loose- easy enough fix if you have the right tools on hand -but we didn’t, so it was easier just to send our fearless leader and team director Kate, who was supporting us in the follow-car, back to the Lost Ri
ver Barn for a whole new wheel. But we neglected to tell our fearless leader Kate what direction we were headed in exactly and she was on a mission to take photos of us in action. So, that meant that the one, the only, Michele, AKA Mama, had to wait on a corner in hopes of intersecting her on the way back down the mountain to steer her in the right direction. Remember it is West Virginia; cell phones don’t always work here, only when they feel like it. DA NA neer neerneer neer neer neer neeeeeeeer.
Contributor - Kristy Scheffenacker
When you are in West Virginia enjoying the unbelievable landscape and clean mountain-air (well mostly clean except for the differing manure aromas that waft in your direction from time to time) there will inevitably be those “Deliverance” moments. DA NA neer neer neer neerneer neer neeeeeeer. So Sunday the Altarum women’s cycling team got off to a leisurely start. It was quite the ladies ride that day, full of mechanicals,giggles, singing, rest stops and posing for pictures. I believe within the first 5 minutes we had a flat and within the next 5 minutes I discovered I needed a new wheel because my cassette was rattling itself loose- easy enough fix if you have the right tools on hand -but we didn’t, so it was easier just to send our fearless leader and team director Kate, who was supporting us in the follow-car, back to the Lost Ri
ver Barn for a whole new wheel. But we neglected to tell our fearless leader Kate what direction we were headed in exactly and she was on a mission to take photos of us in action. So, that meant that the one, the only, Michele, AKA Mama, had to wait on a corner in hopes of intersecting her on the way back down the mountain to steer her in the right direction. Remember it is West Virginia; cell phones don’t always work here, only when they feel like it. DA NA neer neerneer neer neer neer neeeeeeeer.So we manage to find our way onto the Lost River race course and do ½ a lap and Kate and Mama find us on the course and flag us down for pictures and so I can swap out my wheel. But what is that awful smell. Is it Kate? Is it Mama? Is it that New Zealand chic? God that is anawful stench…Oh. It is the road kill, a dead deer. So, I change my wheel and we take some team photos by the road side with the roadkill. Charming. Then I notice it, further back off the road, I noticewhy the stench is sooooo bad. It is not just one deer by the roadside….but many many deer carcasses, maybe 10 or more all lumped together with an old crumpled up blue tent that has just been left there by the road side. Why? If people were hunting deers theywouldn’t leave the carcasses. What are they all doing here? What went on in that tent with those deer? Hmmmmmm. DA NA neer neer neer neerneer neer neeeeeeeer.
So we managed to actually get back on our bikes and actually ride after our 50th pit stop – like I said it was truly a ladies ride, Jay was off racing for the day. Most of the ladies headed back after we finished the 1st lap of the race course because they had to head homeor in Lorena’s case because they were pregnant. Thank God Lorena headed back early…nothing like getting your butt kicked by a pregnant chic. The rest of us Kate V, McLoon, Kelso, Mama and myself decided to try to follow the ride that Jay had mapped out for us. We had did have a map and thankfully not only does McLoon have lots of brawn she has a big brain too and she was able to steer us in the right direction. Good thing, because we realized as we were peering at the map, we had parked ourselves right in front of one of Lost River’s finest residences. You could have gone shopping for pretty much any appliance you might need right there in their front yard or hunted for your dinner for that matter. You had to cross a stream just to get up to what resembled to be a house. And off in the shadows something was rustling around behind the No trespassing sign… DA NA neer neer neerneer neer neer neeeeeeeer.
OK, so McLoon saves the day with her mad directional skills and we make our way into Virginia along a beautiful rolling country road. Our goal is to make it to the store that Jay says definitely exists once we get into Virginia, so that I can get a 
Coke. So we find the store and strike up so conversation with the local folkon the porch. … DA NA neer neer neer neer neer neer neeeeeeeer. And wekeep it a true girl’s ride by yet again posing with Smokey the Bearfor some more photo ops. So we survive the store stop and head back to Lost River. It is abeautiful day, the sun is out and we have truly had a great girly dayon the bike, singing and sun bathing as we pedal along and then…BANG!!! What was that? Was that a shot gun? That was a shot gun. That was a shot gun and it is really close because that was really loud. Is someone hunting us? Are we going to be someone’s dinner? … DA NA neerneer neer neer neer neer neeeeeeeer
Coke. So we find the store and strike up so conversation with the local folkon the porch. … DA NA neer neer neer neer neer neer neeeeeeeer. And wekeep it a true girl’s ride by yet again posing with Smokey the Bearfor some more photo ops. So we survive the store stop and head back to Lost River. It is abeautiful day, the sun is out and we have truly had a great girly dayon the bike, singing and sun bathing as we pedal along and then…BANG!!! What was that? Was that a shot gun? That was a shot gun. That was a shot gun and it is really close because that was really loud. Is someone hunting us? Are we going to be someone’s dinner? … DA NA neerneer neer neer neer neer neeeeeeeerATeam @ RTR
Saturday's Ride
Contributor - Anna McLoon)
I was a bit apprehensive going into camp; what if the team decided that I’m a nut and that they didn’t want to ride with me? Luckily, it turns out that our team is an awesome group of women, and were totally friendly even though I’d never met them all before. SO, I was quite excited Saturday to put on my cool new Altarum kit and to get ready to ride! The plan was to get some solid riding in on some of the rolling roads surrounding the ranch, and we did a good job of doing just that!The weather was cooler than we’d anticipated (I flew south, so goshdarn it, it should have been warmer than home!) but after adding abunch of jackets and vests and armwarmers, we rolled out into thesunshine.
We started with a long, twisty descent off the mountain,which was quite fun. Then, for several hours we wound our way between farms and streams and cliffs and mountains. I think everyone enjoyed the weather and the opportunity to watch cows and horses and hawks and deer and woodchucks scampering around at the sides of the road. I was glad to note that several of my new teammates also enjoy trying to identify birds from the bike saddle, even if it can be a bit hard todo at 18 miles per hour!
We stopped several times during the ride, once at an artisans cooperative (not open) for some team pictures and a chance to sit onan antique tractor (and we even made the local paper) and then anothertime for drinks and snacks. A
nd, I shouldn’t forget about the hills.Jay Moglia from Raw Talent Ranch was showing us the best roads andthought we probably climbed 8,000-9,000 feet over the course of the ride.
And, of course we saved the best for last. The last half-hour or so of the ride was climbing up the steeper side of the mountain we so energetically rode down in the morning. It was a tough climb, butsuper fun, too. Each time we rounded a corner or climbed up aswitchback, we thought “OK this has to be the last one” but then
there was another…and another. As we got higher and higher up the mountain,we started to have awesome views of the valley below, and knowing that some tasty food was waiting for us at the barn gave me that much more incentive to hurry back up. I definitely wanted to be the first one back so I could take the first shower! Of course, I was so anxious toget a snack and a shower that I went flying past the barn…by a couple miles…SO in the end, I was the last person back, BUT I can happily report that there was still hot water and I just had less long to waitbetween riding and dinner! .
Contributor - Anna McLoon)
I was a bit apprehensive going into camp; what if the team decided that I’m a nut and that they didn’t want to ride with me? Luckily, it turns out that our team is an awesome group of women, and were totally friendly even though I’d never met them all before. SO, I was quite excited Saturday to put on my cool new Altarum kit and to get ready to ride! The plan was to get some solid riding in on some of the rolling roads surrounding the ranch, and we did a good job of doing just that!The weather was cooler than we’d anticipated (I flew south, so goshdarn it, it should have been warmer than home!) but after adding abunch of jackets and vests and armwarmers, we rolled out into thesunshine.
We started with a long, twisty descent off the mountain,which was quite fun. Then, for several hours we wound our way between farms and streams and cliffs and mountains. I think everyone enjoyed the weather and the opportunity to watch cows and horses and hawks and deer and woodchucks scampering around at the sides of the road. I was glad to note that several of my new teammates also enjoy trying to identify birds from the bike saddle, even if it can be a bit hard todo at 18 miles per hour!We stopped several times during the ride, once at an artisans cooperative (not open) for some team pictures and a chance to sit onan antique tractor (and we even made the local paper) and then anothertime for drinks and snacks. A
nd, I shouldn’t forget about the hills.Jay Moglia from Raw Talent Ranch was showing us the best roads andthought we probably climbed 8,000-9,000 feet over the course of the ride.And, of course we saved the best for last. The last half-hour or so of the ride was climbing up the steeper side of the mountain we so energetically rode down in the morning. It was a tough climb, butsuper fun, too. Each time we rounded a corner or climbed up aswitchback, we thought “OK this has to be the last one” but then
there was another…and another. As we got higher and higher up the mountain,we started to have awesome views of the valley below, and knowing that some tasty food was waiting for us at the barn gave me that much more incentive to hurry back up. I definitely wanted to be the first one back so I could take the first shower! Of course, I was so anxious toget a snack and a shower that I went flying past the barn…by a couple miles…SO in the end, I was the last person back, BUT I can happily report that there was still hot water and I just had less long to waitbetween riding and dinner! .
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Blog Opening!!!
The Altarum Racing Blog is finally underway!!!!Objective
To promote and influence healthy lifestyle choices among pre-middle school aged students through an interactive, educational, and fun professional athlete and mentor-supported environment that utilizes technology to engage and keep kids excited about being active and making healthy lifestyle choices while helping them develop research, presentation, and leadership skills.
Mission
The Altarum National Women’s Cycling Team will serve as a Vehicle for the Altarum Institute to:
- Increase the Effectiveness of Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs;
- Educate Policymakers on the Benefits of Investing Resources in active and healthy living for kids through a Strategic, System-Based Approach; and
- Bring Attention to the Increasing Health Disparities Among Children.
Vision
- Provide kids with powerful tools– leadership, communication, research , and presentation skills that are proven to be the foundation for making sustainable positive health behavior choices
- Build a Sustainable Athlete-Ambassador Program that can be Replicated Across the Country
- Add to the Body of Research that Supports the Use of the Participatory Model as an Effective Tool for Long-run, Sustainable Change in Health Behavior
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