24 Hour Champion Challenge

Seven Springs Ski Resort

Seven Springs, PA

September 3-4, 2011

Four years ago our team had it’s beginnings on the road. Coach Suzanne gathered a group of women, who for some reason or another, wanted to try bike racing. Few of us had ever raced our bikes, so this was completely new to us. As you can see from posts, the team grew into a group of women (and later men) with a passion for bike racing.

Looking to expand our bike experience, this past year, a group of women took their riding off road, and started mountain biking. Spearheaded by Stacie and Kate, and supported by Coach Suzanne and Pam (who have some mad skills and passion for the mountain bike) the women joined up with local area expert mountain bikers on Girls Rule Boys Drool rides, and started to get some skills – mad skills. Skills led to expansions of the bike repertoires, and fun in the woods led to thinking about competing in this new sport.

Stacie was the first to race in the mountains in a Month of Mud TT last Fall and then at Cranky Monkey this year with JR, and she was soon followed by Kate at 6HOP. On the men’s side, Dustin – a true ace on the mountain bike – rode his first 24h race at Seven Springs last year. With more SCE women riding and racing their mountain bikes, the pinnacle for 2011 would be the 24 hour Champion Challenge at Seven Springs (7S).

To prepare for the 24hour race, Kate and Stacie rode their bikes a TON this summer. At least twice per week on the mountain bike, riding in the heat of the summer on their road bikes, they honed their skills and confidence for the challenge that lay ahead. In fact, it was rare to see Stacie off the mountain bike – she took to it like a natural! Pam Milavec, who came to biking on a mountain bike, and had raced 7S in the past, was a natural anchor for the team. In their rides they picked up Greta Daniels, racer with DPS Penn, and one of the funnest people you’ll meet. It soon became obvious that this would be the foursome for the race, under the appropriate name, Team One Non Blonde. Joining the women at Seven Springs were Kate’s husband, Aaron, who rode with Dustin on a 4-man team. Greg Flood rounded out the competitors doing it solo.

Mountain bike racing carries with it a different vibe than road racing. Yes, it is strenuous (in some ways more than road racing), but when you’re at these events it feels like a celebration of the sport. Racers and spectators tent out in a tent city, where people relax, refuel, and recuperate in between laps. When you race and ride the trails you can’t help but think one of two things (at least as a newbie): 1. This is plain scary, or #2. This is plain fun. When you think #1 too much, you figure out a way through a tough section – even if it means running up a steep, muddy switchback, and then you’re back to thinking this is fun again.

The day before the race, our team forged an amazing camp with JR and Gina and the Dynamic Physical Therapy Team on the mountain. Tents, Christmas lights, fire pit. Water, water, ice, and more water. And food and beer. What more could one need? Fans – yeah, I was one of the many groupies, as Doug, Coach and I went up and camped overnight just to hang out and experience this cool event. Pam’s family was there, Rob Riddell. Our friend, Gray Patton rode her cross bike to 7S (Gray = tough) and hung out with the Trek team, cycling friends, and camped out with us. It was really a ton of fun.

On Saturday, the race began at high noon, with Greta elected to run the Le Mans start. It was HOT. When I say hot, I mean HOT HOT. In fact there was a rider down on the first lap due to heat stroke. Despite the heat, Greta rode steady and strong for the ~11-mile lap, and pulled an awesome lap time, just under 2:20 – incredible for someone who had ridden the mountain bike for less than 6 months! Next up was seasoned veteran, Pam, and now everyone was feeling the heat. Pam rode a blistering 1:40 lap time, and she was followed by Stacie with another blistering 1:41. On the men’s side, Aaron and Dustin were riding fast, and – like everyone – feeling the heat. Dustin came in carrying his rear deraileur hanger in 2 pieces in his hand, but Anya came to the rescue and restored his trusty steed to racing form. Greg had issues with cramping, so he tried to recover, refuel, and be smart. He set off on a dusk lap to see if his recovery helped. With this crazy heat, the teams looked forward (even though fatigued) to the cooler night laps. Kate, the anchor of Team One Non Blonde, set out on the women’s dusk lap and finished a 2:05 lap taking the race from daylight into the evening. Incredible – the women’s team was now safely 4 laps in in the first 8 hours of the race and into night riding.

Yes, night riding. This is a 24h race, afterall. At night, you hear crickets, tree frogs, and see the racers roll down the hillside between the trees with headlamps and handlebar lights. It is one of the coolest things in the sport. The night is filled with pulling a lap, eating and recapturing calories, and trying to sleep.

When morning broke, the teams were all now 2/3 through the race. Although the team was tired from the heat of Saturday and a long night of racing, there was this vibe of, well, coolness in the camp. You see, these folks were just getting it done, racing in one of the most physically challenging events in their racing careers. And cyclists are just, well, cool people. For Greta, this was her first mountain bike race ever – why not a 24h race? (Damn!) You look at these folks and you realize how tough they are. And a piece of me that morning, as a true fan of these peeps, really wished to be suffering alongside them.

As the day wound down, and the clock approached noon, Stacie and Dustin set out on a final lap. Stacie ended up bringing it home for the women, Aaron followed Dustin and pulled the graveyard lap for the men. The team was spent, they gave it everything they had, and definitely deserved the post-race beers, post-race DQ, and whatever the heck they wanted. Team One Non Blonde came in 2nd in the women’s 4-person division – mad props to the women! So proud of Dustin, Aaron and Greg for putting it all out there this beast of a race as well!

It’s exciting to see Team SCE moving in new directions – from road biking to cyclocross and now mountain biking. And I had a blast this past weekend just being a groupie for my team. As a fan watching from the outside looking in, I can say for sure that on Team SCE, no matter the event, no matter the terrain, it is all just tons of fun.

Coach Suzanne continues to expand opportunities for women to ride and race bikes. In addition to continuing to support the development of the Steel City Endurance women’s team, she has now started Velo Femme, a new bike club for women new to the sport. With new faces at the track and on the trails, we are also excited about more women’s teams hitting the Pittsburgh scene.

Check out the article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review published on August 20, 2011.

Pro Bikes Criterium Championships

July 30, 2011

Aliquippa, PA

So the end of JR’s inaugural ABRA crit series took place in our very own hometown. Steel City knows the Aliquippa Industrial Park like the backs of our hands, and we were excited to finish up the series here. These races were a couple of the most fun to ride and watch in a long time.

Going into the finals, Kate Bennett was in contention for winning the ABRA crit series, so my goal was to ride for her, stay at the front, attack and counter where needed, and see how we could turn out.

As we toed the line for the Women’s race with the Juniors, we saw a lot of new and old faces, as the women’s field filled out nicely despite the heat.

The race started and Stephanie Swan and I traded laps for awhile. Fine with me as I was trying to keep the race pace up, get a workout, and make sure Kate was tucked in. At a couple points there were moves made, and I looked at Kate to see if she’d grab my wheel for a leadout. She had good position though, and she was in good position and form to definitely take the field sprint among her category, so she signaled me to go after Stephanie. Towards the end of the race Shawn Geiger took off, Stephanie on his tail, then I took off after her. We came around the final corner and I made my move, sneaking by her out of her slipstream, ahead for a few seconds, until her massive speed caught up and passed me by a bike length at the finish. It was exciting, but man, she is a beast! Kate came through the finish at the lead of the Women’s 4 field, no problemo, sealing up the Cat 4 win and series victory! Stacie was right behind friend Greta Daniels, taking 3rd in the race and 3rd overall in the ABRA Crit Series. So exciting to see Team SCE on the podium and Kate in the championship jersey!

After the race, I went for a ride and came back to watch the men’s 3/4 race. EJ put the hammer down a few times, but this race would have Quigley’s name all over it. They raced in the absolute heat of the day, with ebbs and flows in the peloton speed as they did. In one of the most exciting finishes ever, we saw Mike wind up behind Keith, and the two of them go in the final sprint with amazing speed. It was such a close finish that video confirmation was required, but Mike took it. Confirmed and for sure. Quigs for the W!

For full ABRA Crit Series standings and results, check out this page: http://www.abraracing.com/Results/2011ACSstandings.html

Congratulations, team, on races well ridden!!!

July 8-10, 2011

Eastern OH

Tour of the Valley weekend is a team favorite race. Promoted by the Quinlans and Carbon Racing, it is a weekend many of us Pittsburghers drive just 90 minutes fora weekend of fun. This year was a super fun year for the Women’s team, as we made a ton of progress and truly rode as a team. Here is a recap:

Going into the Tour of the Valley, I wasn’t sure where my fitness would be. This has been a crazy year, with swings of racing followed by deserts where work took over completely. To be honest, I was a little nervous about the upcoming stage race, until the nervousness was replaced by excitement upon hearing that my teammates Anne-Marie and Rachel were signed up for the 3/4 stage race. This changed everything, and now I was pumped to go out there and do my best to support our team.

Time Trial

July 8, 2011

Mastropietro Winery, Berlin Center, OH

Leading up to the TT, I was obsessing on my TT bike and position. A lot had changed since I’d first started riding my TT bike. I was more flexible, and to be honest, I had not yet taken it outside off the trainer. The week leading up to the race, I took the bike out to work on saddle fit, sitting forward (which gave me power), and just not killing myself falling off that speed machine. I knew that in a stage race, the time trial would be an important place to just lay it all down. It is the start of the event, and initial points here would potentially set us up – good or bad – for the weekend. I figured this event was made for AM, as she is the Ironman athlete between us. She rides a TT bike like nobody’s business. I had also seen Rachel racing strong at the track lately, and with her tri roots, she would also put it down on the course. So that left me working hard to do what I could to put it all on the line, and just work on recovering, Sat/Sun, after the TT.

Last year’s TT was horrible for me. I wasn’t mentally ready, and I even almost missed my start. I also had fuel left in the tank at the race’s end, which came from inexperience at knowing how hard to push, losing the fear that you’ll bonk and not make it back. TTs are challenging. It is just you and your bike against the clock. Go too fast out on the first half, and you burn yourself up and lose gas on the way back. Go too slow, and you’re just slow. There is a happy medium. It’s finding that sweet spot that is the challenge.

So this year, I would be ready. I had practiced the 8.5 mile distance so I knew how to meter my efforts. I had worked on my seat and position, making minor changes which altogether were key. And – most importantly – I wore a watch to get me safely to the starting line.

On the course I pushed it hard. Passed 3 women along the way, who had started each at 15min increments before me. The turnaround was a total momentum-killer, but it was for all racers, so I did my best. On the last uphill stretch I broke 30mph for a bit, pushing pushing pushing hard. When I passed the finish line, I was sick at my stomach, so all-in-all I can say I left nothing on the course. After my finish, I cheered on Rachel, then took a cool down ride with a rider from OH. Our team hung out at the winery, ate dinner, and waited for the results. I was not sure where I finished, but I was certain I had done my best on that day.

When the results came back, I was completely astounded at the finish. I took 1st, beating Jane Geisse by 3 seconds. AM was 6th, and Rachel 9th. As a team we finished well, and now were in contention for the yellow jersey. I just didn’t think I’d be the one wearing it. Now what? We headed back to the hotel, and I was buzzing with a mixture of excitement and exhaustion, and in our suite fit – barely – 4 women and Eric, and 9 bikes. It was a blast.

Road Race

July 9, 2011

Columbiana, OH

After a semi-restful night’s sleep (it was tough to sleep with the endorphins in one’s system), we got up, packed up, and rolled out to Columbiana for the road race. I had looked at the finishers from the TT, so had an idea of who to keep and eye on. The biggest threat, of course, was Jane, an awesome competitor, and great sport. The women 3/4 race raced with the junior boys, and our strategy was to keep up toward the front and be in a break if/when it happened. We needed at least one of us in the break, and hopefully 2. AM and Rach started out towards the front, and I tucked behind AM’s wheel. While the course for our race did not have killer climbs, there were small hills where people picked up sped to get a gap. At one of those points, Rachel got trapped behind another racer, while I jumped around AM, she caught my wheel, and we made the jump into the lead group. The rest of the race it was this group of 2 boys, Jane, AM, and myself. For a time we had Mary Weinholt with us as well. We rode strategically, taking short pulls, and working to keep out of the wind. My main concern was keeping an eye on #2. If she beat me here, she’d likely take the yellow jersey.

Coming into the final turn, we started jockeying for sprint position. It actually slowed slightly until A-M just wound up and went. She was fast, and gained speed rapidly. It was awesome! I tried to catch her wheel and go go go, and about 25m from the finish hit a pothole, catching air, and almost going down completely. I recovered, managed to stay ahead of Jane, and finished proudly behind my teammate.

Meanwhile Rachel, after misfortune with getting caught behind a rider who opened a gap, raced smart. Coming into the sprint finish, she tore it up – classic Weaver winning the bunch sprint.

We celebrated our races with a nice post-race lunch at the Lazy Bean Café, and Coke Classic to help cure “race gut.”

Criterium

July 10, 2011

Youngstown, OH

Our team felt strong after a good two days, and now we were ready coming into the crit. Our strategy was to defend the yellow jersey. I had to mark Jane, and go when she went or get in the break. We also had our eye on other teams with multiple riders, waiting for team counter strategy. As we were wearing yellow, and riding strong, Rachel stepped up to the front of the peloton and drove the pace for the first several laps. I tucked in behind Anne-Marie, and just stayed towards the front, but it was Rachel who took on the responsibility of putting our team in the front. It was unspoken, but important to do. If you are the largest team in the field, and one is in yellow, the team had to put someone on the front for us to ride with pride. Rachel did that for us. At some points she tried to pull off and have someone else pull, but the field was not really up for the task, so it was a bit cat-and-mouse for awhile.  My gut told me to go up there and help out, but Kate, riding next to me, reminded me that was not my job today – I had a different role today, and had to ride smart for our team. The course itself was FUN. Big sweeping descent, nice butt-kicker of a climb into the finish (uphill finish would be suited to me). Rachel took this no problem, and we worked to follow suit.

At one point, on an uphill climb, Rach dropped her chain. She pulled off, and A-M and I moved to the front. We tried to slow the pace just a bit, and – badass that she is, Rach caught back on. No free lap.

In the first points prime, the field took off. A-M won it, Jane was 2^nd (I think), and I think I was behind her. We were still okay. At about 6 laps to go, Jane decided to make her move, and she went. I was at the front, talked to some of the women and said, “Hey women, we gotta go get her.” Nobody jumped, so I took off, about 100m behind her, and just laid chase. I caught her and saw nobody had taken my wheel, so now it was just the two of us, in the break. Jane is a beast – totally strong. I knew she had a tough TT, and wondered what would happen in the crit. We traded off pulls lap after lap. We both knew the finish was better suited to us in a break than getting caught up in a hairy bunch sprint. So we worked together and stayed off. I’m also knew my ‘mates were back there holding the pack in line too. Each time we took the steep hill, I tried to get my pedal stroke right, tried to sort out where I would go for it, and tried to gauge her strength.

At one lap to go, I was pumped. We were close, it was now or never. Jane slowed on this lap. I was going to be the leadout now. I slowed a little too, but she would not take 1^st wheel – I imagine she felt it better to have a leadout into the finish than to be the leadout. Oh well, I thought, I’ll just have to ride her off my wheel. Coming out of the final turn I put the pedal down just before the climb so I would get my momentum and to save her from getting a jump on me. Hands in the drops, standing on my pedals, I sprinted with everything I had left. I knew she was right there, but crossed the line, maybe a bike length ahead. After shaking hands, we pulled around to see the pack finish – A-M bounded up the hill to take 3^rd, and Rachel 4^th. Kate also finished top-10. All-in-all a strong finish for Team SCE.

Having our team win the individual and team GC was one of the most exciting moments of the season. We worked hard, studied our competition, made strategic attacks, and – most of all – worked together to pull it all off. Everyone contributed uniquely to the weekend’s success. The wins were the icing on the cake, but the feeling of racing as a team was the most exciting aspect of this whole experience. I may have had the fortune of wearing the yellow jersey, but I know for a fact that we all earned it. It is an honor – and a heck of a lot of fun – to race with these women.

Many thanks to Mike Briggs for these photos. Check out his website here.

JR Petsko’s Hilly Billy Roubaix is a rite of passage on our team, just like his Tour of Tucker County. It’s something you train for. It’s something you do. On June 25, Team SCE sent Stacie, Greg, and alum Aaron Bennett to the starting line. And at the last minute I decided to join them. Here’s my race report.

Hilly Billy Roubaix

June 25, 2011

All around West Virginia

You know how you get an idea in your head, and you just can’t shake it? It’s this thing that keeps gnawing at you, even though the logic side of your brain says “No, don’t be silly.” Well, for me, Hilly Billy Roubaix (HBR) was just that. You see Hilly Billy Roubaix is crazy. It is. It is just “stupid fun,” as JR, the promoter, says. It is a 70 mile bike race on the back “roads” of West Virginia, on which several I could never drive my car. These roads have climbs, gravel, mud, streams, craters, fallen trees. I mean it is INSANE.

Months ago, when I was training and planning on racing a ton this summer, I had planned on doing the Ohio crits this weekend. So at that time HBR was off the table, not even a thought. Then, real life got in the way of training, so the crits were now not really an option. Not having ridden consistently much in the past month or so, HBR should have been off the table too. In fact it was, till I started seeing JR’s viral marketing campaign on Facebook with photos, and kept hearing teammates talk about it. The little voice in my head telling me to do HBR got a little louder. Then, last week, I saw cyclists race across America in RAAM. They were doing something incredible, pushing themselves to the limits, and in that moment, I was completely inspired to do something (although on a different scale from RAAM) to also push my body to its limits too. Besides, if you gotta get back in shape, no time like the present (to ride a 70 mile backroads race in WV). And last but not least, my ‘mates and friends were totally fired up about this race, so I just

wanted to go to the party too.

I made this decision on Thursday night, and registered at 7:58PM, 2 minutes before registration closed. I spent Thursd

ay evening contemplating which bike (as all HBR racers do). This race is a crazy race on which you could ride

completely different bikes, and over which cyclists will spend hours debating the what and why of their choices.

At the risk of oversimplifying, the choice comes down to racing a heavier mountain bike with skinny tires (which helps in the technical sections with craters, mud, gravel and such), or a lighter cyclocross bike with fatter tires (which gives racers the advantage over paved road sections and smooth dirt sections). My choice was between my Trek Portland, making changes to it to turn it from commuter into a cross beast, or the Turner Flux full suspension mountain bike, with appropriate adaptations. I hadn’t ridden the Portland in over a year. I had been riding the mountain bike (albeit for much shorter distances) a lot lately, and with the Seven Springs 24 hour race on our team’s to do list (Holy smokes – I have my work cut out for me, but that is for another blog on another day), this long race would help me become one with this bike. So the mountain bike it would be! I brought the bike into Todd at ProBikes, and they hooked me up with summer race tires and Ergon grips, shortened the handlebars, and gave her a little tune. I locked out the forks, and she was ready for this race. It was quite beautiful. I knew my bike was race ready, even if my body wasn’t.

On Friday, the night before the race, I was completely amped up. It was tough to focus on work that day, but in the afternoon did manage to get some work in the lab done. Got home from work at 9PM, and started to mentally pack/prepare for the next day. Team kit? Check. Perpetuem, Hammer Gel, Endurolytes? Check. (Nutrition would be KEY for this race as those who bonk have a hard time surviving to the end.) To be honest, I really couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t nervous (although I probably should have been), just excited to ride my bike, and – most of all – see my teammates and friends again. I really missed my bike friends. Out of character for me, I did not look at the race course map, did not tape the milage markers for certain climbs to my top tube. Nope, this would be a take-every-climb-and-obstacle-as-it-comes type race. I had no idea how I’d feel on my mountain bike for that distance, so my goal was just to finish this thing.

Saturday morning included the pre-race ritual with a huge breakfast – pancakes, eggs with broccoli, blueberries, just a half cup of coffee and water. Enjoyed breakfast with Sharon, and we carpooled down to the race, each of us pumped up and sharing pre-race stories. And of course we (even as newbies on the scene) had our discussion over bike choices and adaptations (tires, bars, etc) for this race. We arrived about 30min prior to the race, and quickly got ready. Starting line was like a reunion with teammates and bike friends – great to see everybody again. Then, before you knew it, the race was off.

As we descended the first portion of the race on the paved roads, I went around a very small puddle. My teammate Greg laughed at me and said, “PG, by the time you’re done with this race, you’ll see why I’m laughing. That is nothing compared to what comes.” He was correct. The “roads” that followed were insane. As we descended gravel roads, traversed dirt and water-filled craters, and mud, I soon learned what my mountain bike

was capable of. Seriously if you trust in that bike, it can do a TON of things that would crush my road bike. So cool. For some of the race, I was lucky to ride with Stacie and MJ – honestly I didn’t believe I was keeping up with them even for this long, as they are super fit and super skilled on these roads.

I also met Tricia Lewis, super racer who lives in Morgantown, and was riding her mountain bike with the fork locked out as well.  So as we were riding mostly at the same pace, we buddied up and rode this beast of a race together.

When I say ride together, I have to give her props. It was definitely awesome riding with a buddy to experience this all with someone. At one point after the unofficial aid station, I started to cramp. Just started, but almost out of Endurolytes (salt replacement) I had to slow down. Thank goodness I didn’t full-on cramp. They subsided (fortunately this has not ever happened to me on the bike). I told Tricia to go on, but she waited up – so awesome. We rode the crazy potholes, and I would follow her lines through technical stuff, as she was the more experienced mountain biker, and excellent at picking good lines. When I followed her, I made it through. When I chose my own path, would lose momentum and get stuck in mud. That is the difference (well one of the differences) between a skilled mountain biker and a novice. So glad I had her to help show me the ropes.

I forged my first stream on the bike. Yet something else new on this rig. I first got up to the edge and stopped, but I saw people ride through it, so I backed up the bike, got on and pedal-pedal-pedal (feet under the water at the bottom of each pedal stroke) made it across in up the muddy bank onto the other side (SOOOO COOL). “So this bike really can do anything,” I thought.

We kept saying we felt like we were on an adventure, because it was just that beautiful. There are many places in West Virginia that you may only ever see from these country roads, and that is one thing that is truly awesome about this race. The climbs had awesome payoffs – from ridge line roads with gorgeous panoramic views of rolling farmland, to dense canopies and beautiful forest (even a forested canyon at one point), it was awesome. We loved the race course where it took a turn right past the “road closed” sign by the coal mine. And ate up the fun descents (the payoffs for the climbs) after some of the toughest climbs I have done.

JR planned a perfect race, complete with amazing volunteers at aid stations to refuel water, grab a sandwich, or whatever you needed (and had put into your goodie bag). We also enjoyed the unofficial aid station by Kate and Greta, where you could have a jello shot (didn’t though I was tempted), or a nice slice of the best tasting watermelon in the entire world ever ever (did).

After the last aid station, we continued on pavement, but knew there was a final tough climb coming. And we met it head on at around mile 62 or 63 or so. It started on pavement then a switchback onto dirt/gravel with ridges and leaves and mud. At two points I chose wrong and got stuck in the mud, forcing a dismount and walking a few yards to a level/firm spot to remount the bike. Got on though, caught up to Tricia, and we wove our way through these craters and mud – SO FUN. This is the kind of fun that you shout out Woo hoo! and – in the spirit of Hilly Billy – Yee haw! like a kid because you just can’t help it.

At around mile 65 or so, admittedly we started feeling ready to be done. It had been a long race, and we were wondering if it would really be 70 miles, or longer. If 70, we thought we would make an unofficial goal of under 7 hours. If over 70, it’d be tough. The official goal was to finish that bad boy, and we were definitely going to do that. Then, in the distance we saw the light posts at Mylan Park. Then came the final climb.

As we approached the chute to the finish line, we rode side-by-side, finishing together, after having raced an awesome adventure together. I was so pumped, teetering on emotional, and just so excited to see Coach Suzanne, Greg, Kate and Stacie. Huge hugs to teammates and my new bike buddy Tricia. WE ALL MADE IT!!! Everyone hung out, cheered for the next riders to come in, and just feasted on pizza, beer, and more. Good times with good people. What an incredible day! On days like these I felt like I was really living life.

Many thanks to JR and Gina for a spectacular event. Thanks to the volunteers for keeping us alive. And thanks to all my ‘mates and friends who inspired me to do something crazy this weekend.

Ride fast and have fun!

Facts about Hilly Billy Roubaix:

Distance – 70 miles

Time on course (per my Garmin) – 7:00:20

Total elevation gain – 8,369 feet

Calories burned – 6,507

Fun had on the course – Immeasurable

Amity Training Races

March 13 and March 20, 2011

Amity, PA

After what seems like a long winter, SCE racers are gearing up for a new season. If you haven’t seen a lot of posts from us, it’s because we’ve been out riding and racing our bikes. Although we still see occasional snows in March, and have had our share of cold weather, SCE racers geared up and went to JR’s Amity Training races to stretch our race legs.

In the first Amity Race, Patty George represented SCE and placed 1st in the women’s field, followed by a tie for 2nd in the next practice week in an exciting sprint with Stephanie Swan from Iron City Bikes. Rachel Weaver also showed her climbing legs are ready for the season at Amity race #2.

Team SCE appreciates JR’s support of local PA racing with the Amity Races, and we are definitely looking forward to Morgantown!

If you thought racing in the snow and ice was crazy (See Garycross I race report from 12/6), how about swimming in December? On a cold December Saturday, that is exactly what many of our Steel City teammates and friends decided to do. While one must admit there was certainly an element of insanity to this gesture, we are proud of Team Moe Szyslak for raising money for a good cause. The team raised $1505.00 for the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Chapter, and so their efforts in the Polar Plunge have certainly warmed our hearts.

Polar Plunge athletes on Team Moe Szylak:

Dustin Wehler

Jason Berardinelli

Ryan Coll

Greg Flood

Carrie Hammack

Tim Mould

Mike Quigley

Michael Roth

Todd Schoeni

Stephanie Swan

Stacie Truszkowski

Mike Walther

Butler County Stage Race

July 17-18, 2010

Butler, PA

Race Report by PG

On the weekend following Tour of the Valley, Steel City racers lined up again for a second stage race weekend in a row! Last year the Renfrew Ras was so much fun that we were sure that extending it into a stage race would not disappoint. The Butler County Stage Race was a 2-day race with a 6.5 mile time trial and criterium in Butler on Saturday, followed by the road race around Butler County airport on Sunday. Racers included Quigley, Kate, Greg, Jim and me.

The time trial may have been one of the most fun time trial courses I’ve ridden. Instead of a traditional out-and-back, more-or-less straight course, this one had twists and turns, went into a park and over brick pave. It was a scorcher, and at 6.5 miles, all you do is just pedal as hard as you can, all the way until you’re back at the uphill finish. Many of us rode it Merckx style, as it was so technical that it was not known how helpful riding an aero frame would be. For Quigley, this was his first time trial, although by his solid 3rd place performance you would never have known. In the women’s TT, Alaina Gurski (CAWES), from Philadelphia, rode a scorcher, and took first, almost catching me before the finish line. Kate rode fast and placed solidly in the middle of the field, feeling good about her race. After the time trial, the team recovered in the shade, and drank cold water all morning and early afternoon. It was HOT – so keeping cool was key. Then in the afternoon it was time to line up for the criterium.

The criterium was an entertaining course as well: downhill into a 180 degree hairpin, then uphill (the finish of the TT) into a nice 6 90 degree turns on the brick pave. Again, Quigley put down a solid performance in the Men’s 4/5 30 minute criterium, coming in 3rd. Early in his race, James Thompson (unattached) took off off the front, and was not caught the entire time. The rest of the race was contested by a group of 4 guys, of which Quigley was one of them. After the scorcher, in which many men pulled out of the race due to heat or were pulled from the race after being lapped, Quiqley came in a solid and fast 3rd. (In case you haven’t noticed, this man’s on fire, people!)

In their races, Greg and Jim both suffered from an upper respiratory infection, and due to the heat and poor ability to breathe, they wisely pulled themselves from the mix and the remainder of the stage race. While a midsummer cold is highly unfortunate, we know they’ll rest and make a solid recovery for the remaining races and Millersburg!

The women’s 35min crit was exciting, as Alaina Gurski, rode super aggressively, taking off off the front, got reeled in, then went off the front again. Having taken first in the time trial, she again “TT’d” the crit, and took first in the second race of the series. While the race started with a chase group of myself, Emily Mackey (TriState Velo), Stephanie Swan (Iron City Bikes) and Jackie McKay (Team 53×11), Emily was next to plunge off the front, and having just pulled a lap, I didn’t quite have the legs to go with her. She finished second, and took 2nd in the GC standings. The 3 of us worked together and went for  the bunch sprint in the end, myself taking a tough 3rd over Stephanie and Jackie. Kate Bennett also had a SOLID performance, hitting the corners well and conquering the heat that day.

After team dinner, Saturday night was dedicated to recovery, as Sunday brought a challenging road race. Having ridden Renfrew Ras last year, I knew that the climbs would break up most fields and decide the race. If you check out the elevation profile (see map to the right), you’ll see what I mean!

Again, Quigley had an amazing performance, working with the chase group after rider Thompson, and taking 2nd in the road race. His superb performance placed him 3rd in the GC! Our women’s road race was exciting as well. The race stretched out each lap on the climb, with a break forming and chase groups behind us. Emily Mackay climbed the QOM like a gazelle, with me taking 2nd and Gurski, even after her outstanding work the day prior, taking 3rd. Major props also have to go to Stephanie Swan from Iron City Bikes, who fought her way into the lead group every lap, and totally worked to help keep us off the front. In fact in the 4th and final lap, after the climb, when the rest of us started to feel it in our legs, Swan picked up the pace at 5k to go, and kept driving our train towards the finish line. The break held till the end, and as we came around that final corner into the uphill sprint finish, Stephanie even still picked up speed. Had the finishline been any earlier, she would have had it for sure. In the end I crossed the line first, then Emily, Stephanie, and Alaina. It was a fun road race, and left the women’s GC top 5 finishers as: Alaina Gurski, Emily Mackay, me, Stephanie Swan, and Jackie McKay.

All-in-all this was a great race weekend. It was such a great time hanging out with ‘mates and cycling friends and racing the streets of Butler. Steel City Endurance would like to thank Ed Johnson (Ag3r) for all his hard work in hosting a fantastic stage race in Pittsburgh. With challenging courses that were closed to traffic, as well as rolling enclosure racing in the road race, this is definitely one of the region’s highlights. We can’t wait until next year!

Final Results can be found on the BCSR blogspot here.

Photos courtesy of Fred Jordan. More of his photos can be found here.

Tour of the Valley

July 9-10, 2010

Youngstown, OH

July brings stage races, and our first stage race of the season presented Team SCE with three days of fun in and around Youngstown, Ohio. The Tour of the Valley, organized by Carbon Racing, is one of the areas biggest and most well-run stage races, and this year it did not disappoint. Located less than 2 hours from Pittsburgh, the commutable distance made it even easier for our team to compete. This year the racers included Kate, Barb, EJ, Greg, Jim, Stacie, and me (PG). From the Time Trial to the Road Race and the Sunday criterium, this event was fun-filled from start to finish.

Time Trial – Friday Night, Mastropietro Winery, Berlin Center, OH

The race began with a 9.6-mile out and back prologue time trial on Friday night. Starting from the Mastropietro winery, the setting for this event was spectacular. This was an out-and-back TT with one 90 degree turn about 1 mile from the start/finish, over rolling hills and smooth roads. Barb and Greg laid down the best times in the TT, Barb coming in 8th in the women’s event (23:00), and Flood taking 7th in the Men’s 4/5 with a time of 22:04. These initial performances were crucial in an event where the GC was scored on overall time.

Road Race – Saturday, Columbiana, OH

The next day brought the road race. In this race the women and the men’s 4/5 did one lap, but EJ’s and Jim’s race did 2! Unfortunately Jim was stricken by a bad upper respiratory infection, and had to pull out of the race, and EJ suffered back spasms on the 2nd loop that would disallow him from continuing on competing in the GC. This left the women and Greg to carry forth in the SCE quest to completing the tour. The KOM/QOM climb proved to be the deciding ground for many racers in this race, and Greg and Barb put in more than respectable performances, keeping them in the GC. Stacie and Kate raced well with fellow Pittsburger, Donna, and helped guide her through her first road race.

Criterium – Sunday, Youngstown, OH

On the final day, the streets of Youngstown were closed off and the course delineated, as racers took to the streets. Greg, a crit specialist, looked amazing as he crossed the finishline 5th. While Kate unfortunately suffered mechanical issues, Stacie was amazing, working to help both Barb and me in the women’s crit race. I took 11th, and Barb finished 12th, maintaining her top 10 position in the GC.

Great job SCE racers who competed in the Tour of the Valley! Our team overcame health and mechanical issues to rally together and put in strong performances, with Barb and Greg each taking 10th in the GC. This race was a lot of fun. We’re definitely already looking forward to next year.

Overall race results can be found here.

Tour of Tucker County

May 29, 2010

Thomas, West Virginia

For many on Team SCE, the Tour of Tucker County, affectionately known as “Tucker,” has become a rite of passage. There is no other race like it. If you’re a racer that likes to climb, you definitely sign up for this race. If you still like to climb after this race, then yes, I suppose you really are what people label “a climber.” When talking about the West Virginia races, if you ask someone “Have you done Tucker,” there is inevitably a story, or at least a groan that emanates from that person’s core.  This year, in addition to veterans Stacie Truskowski, Pam Milavec, and myself, we had Dustin Wehler sign up to get to know the pleasure and pain that are Tucker! The location of this race is beautiful, on roads amidst the Monongahela National Forest.

For me, the goal of this race was to finish on my bike and not be completely cooked going into the last climb, so that I could make it up and maintain my pace. Like the rest of us, I just wanted to finish this race. In my mind, that would be beating that hill, that race, and victory. In the almost 1 year since the last time I raced this race, I had managed to forget the details of the course. I remembered the neutral coast down the mountain to the starting line, and I remembered the last ~ 5 mile climb, but I kind of forgot all the parts in between. One aspect I forgot was the fact that more than the first half of the race was a climb, and that there was really no flat aspect to it. Unlike Morgantown, you never really get to a ridge with a series of easy rollers. No this race just keeps you working the whole way. There are an awesome few miles of descent, with nice winding turns, and then a little bit of flat back in the valley around mile 24-25 or so.

However, from mile 28-32, you start to climb Sugarland. Initially there is a little kick in the climb, but then, as you’re going, you realize that the grade is kicking up, and you realize that to maintain your consistent power output or pace, you’re breathing a little harder and definitely going a little slower. You also get a little disheartened when you see guys up ahead weaving their bikes or walking, because there is a part, right next to the cemetery, where you are almost sure you can’t do it. Walking a few feet and getting back on your bike is sometimes called upon here (heck, even the Pros occasionally walk their bikes up some crazy grades), especially if you had burned many matches earlier in the race to stay on someone’s wheel or try to stick with a group. Once you’re past that one part of the climb, which some people reported was around 22% grade (at least), you keep steadily going up, and after one more tough patch, you near the finish line. When you see the windmills, you realize you’re practically there, and the legs go a little faster as you feel it near.

And then, at the end of Tucker, you cross the finish line. And sitting there under the tent is JR Petsko, the race organizer, smiling and congratulating you on your finish. Ah yes, that friendly smile, underneath which there must lie maniacal pleasure in putting a whole group of racers through one of the most arduous courses in the country. This is one race where you have to plan out your hydration strategy to the T, because if you’re short on fluids, you’re in a heap of trouble. Every decision you make in this race (that early attack or early chase) can have major consequences at the end. In short if you cook yourself early, you’ll pay for it on the final climb. This is truly a race that finishing is an accomplishment, as very few people in the country could even attempt such a feat.

Major props to my teammates for beating the mountain, and finishing strong in Tour of Tucker County! So proud of Dustin for finishing that race (and having the courage to start the next day in the Oakmont Crit – whoa), Stacie, and Pam, who climbed strong and managed to finish with a smile.

The funny part about Tucker is, after the finish, and after rehydrate and recover, you soon start to forget again the pain and the details of the mostly uphill struggle, and start to think about next year…

Results found here.

Thanks to Ben Stephens for the awesome race photos!