Hello Everyone!

 

For over a week now I have had the luxury of training and racing here in Chattanooga, TN.  My coach Mark and his wife Kym have been my host, and the riding here is terrific.  The weather has been pretty cold, and  for yesterday's 5 hour ride it never got above 30 degrees, but with no ice and snow on the roads all you have to do is dress for it!  The time flies by on these rides, as it is so good to have a great  group of people to ride with -- especially when they are on the same page as you in their training.

 

Kym is always looking for new adventures on her road rides, I guess so that they compare somehow to mountain biking, which she races at the pro level.  Yesterday we climbed a hill called Sulphur Springs Gap that was dirt and gravel, topping out at some ridiculous grade.  I was in my 34 x 27 about three pedal strokes into the climb, which for me lasted 25 minutes.  The challenge was to keep the bike moving forward, to avoid getting sidetracked or lose traction  in all of the rocks and gravel, forcing you off the bike.  I made it to the top without walking, thank goodness. My pride was at stake!  This climb would have been hard enough on a mountain bike, but it was really a challenge on skinny tires and road gearing.  (For those in the know -- I felt like I was on a combination of Hang Glider Hill and Mt. Washington!  This made Potato hill look short, although I have not been up it in a while and may have forgotten its length.)  There were other climbs on the ride as well, but the best part was coming down the switchbacks of Lookout Mountain, back down into Chattanooga.

 

It is cyclocross season here, so I raced 2 races last weekend and will do another 2 this weekend before I head home.  The weather has turned cold here, and Sunday's ride was sloppy.  It was only Kym and me in the 1/2/3 race, so I got second.  Saturday's race weather was nice, and there was definitely competition in that race.  I held on to third, beating out a very strong girl on a singlespeed.  What a treat to be racing cyclocross in January, or to ride outside for that matter.  The cross scene here is similar to that in New York.  The difference in Tennessee is that their Local Association -- TIBRA -- has been in existence a lot longer than our LA in New York so there is more continuity within the state.  A few promoters are putting on a series of races, and all of the results are tabulated into one big state series.

 

I know the weather has been pretty mild at home.  Phil has been giving me the rundown of all the road riding he has been doing.  He stayed home so he could snowmobile, but has managed to log in a lot of road riding instead.  I selfishly hope the warm trend continues, but it looks like it will be pretty cold when I return home on Tuesday.  Time to get out the studded tires or to break out the skis. 

 

Life has not been without work here.   Mark and Kym are both coaches, and the three of us are usually on the computer when we are not riding, often at the same time, taking care of of business.  Eat, sleep, train, work, it is all about cycling.   Lucky me!

 

OK, I miss everyone.  But Chattanooga is a great cycling community, with gifted riders and a climate that is friendly to winter training.   A nice place for me to visit, that is for sure.   I hope that all is well in your world. 

 

See you soon!