tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80337123575394864282011-10-18T19:04:50.986-04:00Washington, DC area elite women's cycling team.PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.comBlogger891100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-47916252387429718922010-01-23T20:45:00.000-05:002010-01-23T20:46:24.312-05:00

We've Moved...Come visit us at our NEW blog:CAWES Cycling!

Choppahnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-30358335560970150912009-12-19T14:08:00.003-05:002009-12-19T14:41:01.075-05:00

It has been snowing for the last 15 hours, and I cannot see the ground. I can't ride outside either, but I'm feeling strangely calm, grateful, and happy. Someone once told me that it's impossible to find a cycling team in which you get along with everyone, and that you want to train, ride, and race with everyone. Well, I think this team has that, and so much more. The key may lie within the word

JenChenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900781483511178315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-81660953099433617022009-12-13T17:27:00.012-05:002009-12-13T19:15:26.820-05:00

A peloton of green descended on Philadelphia this past weekend as Badger, Chicken and Sonja came up to visit the northern contingent of CAWES! The plan? Get together for a weekend of riding, eating, drinking, and schmoozing with our favorite Specialized rep, Mike Abrams! Of course, as expected, some hi-jinx ensued.One of the really important issues to be deal with this weekend, was the plan

Choppahnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-41063032038305206182009-10-22T00:09:00.006-04:002009-10-22T12:38:31.297-04:00

Juniors' Day Out and Maryland Special Olympics Fall GamesThe chicas of Team CycleLife p/b Specialized helped out at the Junior's Day Out event September 26. For most of the team, it was the last cycling event of the year (though the girls weren't racing). It was also an opportunity to finally give back to the sport in a very small, but hopefully significant way. The CycleLife members donated

JenChenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900781483511178315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-20841784118801694062009-09-15T15:31:00.007-04:002009-09-15T16:01:00.101-04:00

We're psyched to be co-sponsoring the Junior's Day Out & Maryland Special Olympics Fall Games with T.E.A.M. FUJI on Sept. 26th in Sykesville, Maryland. Tons of racing opportunities and prizes. See flyer below (if any problems reading it, click on the flyer and it will expand). Register at SportsBaseOnline here.

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-24237250347886711782009-09-03T15:46:00.028-04:002009-09-03T22:25:28.211-04:00

Epic. Fantastic. Heartbreaking. Inspiring. Cool.That pretty much summarizes the trip to Austria to compete in the Masters Worlds. Having gotten my feet wet last year, I came back this year to win the Masters World Championship. It was the race that I'd thought about all year. The race that motivated me when I sat on my trainer in the basement all winter long. Every other race this year was

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-33879739140064132852009-08-10T10:43:00.003-04:002009-08-10T10:47:29.276-04:00

Jen Cheng wraps up her season with a hat trick in the 540 Development W3/4 Series. 540 Series Part II - Jen Cheng - 1st place540 Series Part III - Jen Cheng - 1st place540 Series Omnium - Jen Cheng - 1st Overall Congrats Jen!!!

Badgernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-26142251742738660352009-08-06T20:37:00.002-04:002009-08-06T20:46:59.768-04:00

Go Robin! She's worked her arse off this year and deserves it. And in case there was any question . . . her palmares include a win at Bike Jam, Grandview Grand Prix, and a 3rd in Tour of the Gila crit. And yes, and all this while planning her wedding and baking a mean cherry pie. I think she practices law on the side, too.

goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125749004050758681noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-74991776219402613422009-07-28T07:16:00.005-04:002009-07-28T07:22:17.935-04:00

Go Sara! She's worked her arse off this year and deserves it. And in case there was any question...this photo is of her winning the Cat 3 Crit Championship (photo courtesy of Jim Wilson)... And yes, she can beat you at arm wrestling too, why do you ask?

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-62242304169258625412009-07-28T07:07:00.004-04:002009-07-28T07:23:23.584-04:00

Yep - that's one of my favorite pictures! Tyler Farrar and me at CSC last year. I wish his sprinting abilities had rubbed off. Unfortunately I think he caught my bridesmaid condition.

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-46639904830787647812009-07-13T21:08:00.008-04:002009-07-13T22:21:58.211-04:00

So its Monday after a hard weekend of racing. Am I the only one who feels hungover?? Granted, I'm allergic to alcohol and technically don't know what it feels like to be in the said state of "hungover", but I imagine it feels like this. Dog tired (like I actually fell asleep at my desk today). Puffy face. Bad headache. Gotta love this hobby of ours. But I digress....Saturday was the MABRA

Zignoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-55768126624704066332009-07-07T20:17:00.004-04:002009-07-07T21:02:33.947-04:00

After an exhausting week at Nationals where LJ and Sonja consistently placed top 5 in all three of their races, a successful weekend for the Cat 3s locally, the team happily took a long rest weekend to regroup, chill out, and do some fun stuff. Chicken and Jen ventured out on the 3rd to Rock Creek Park to take advantage of the closed roads and stopped for some fresh cantaloupes and peaches along

JenChenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900781483511178315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-33156356618397161922009-06-24T21:34:00.005-04:002009-06-24T21:44:15.592-04:00

In conjunction with Sports and Spinal PT, Cyclelife racers Sonja Evers and Christina Briseno put on the first of many bike clinics which will be held Wednesdays from noon to 1 PM (excluding next week.) Today we practiced double and single paceline drills and discussed proper group riding etiquette. In two weeks we will practice cornering and bumping (in the grass.) The turnout today was great and

goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125749004050758681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-48064630984804403592009-06-24T17:09:00.007-04:002009-06-24T21:51:53.799-04:00

Worker Chicken with Goat and LJ in towLast laps of the TOW crit TOW was a great success! Cyclelife powered by Specialized put it down and dominated. Check results here:http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2009-1380

goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125749004050758681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-48318247551803330312009-06-17T17:49:00.004-04:002009-06-17T17:56:57.414-04:00

As the events of last weekend slowly fade into memory, two more items to share. The above picture is one. And second, Michelle informed me last night that as I was sitting in the middle of the hot pavement, post-crash, shell-shocked, I made the comment: "I knew I was going to run over either a person or a bike..." It was only after Mitch got home that she realized I chose her.... I blame that

Badgernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-34039064349337415382009-06-13T21:49:00.019-04:002009-06-15T12:09:11.424-04:00

So it's a great day when you can get off your bike and walk, knowing tomorrow, you have the ability to get back on and ride. Unbroken, but for your spirit.Considering the recent wrist fracture our teammate Wendy has had, I cannot complain about a severely bruised hip, a little-bitty road rash on my elbows and waist and an egg on my inner right knee. The advil and Pinot are already helping me

Badgernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-79069192632821847522009-06-03T12:33:00.002-04:002009-06-03T12:35:12.543-04:00

Courtesy of the Washington Post (http://comics.com/affiliate/washington_post/?ComicID=70). Thanks to Maile Neel for sending my way.

Zignoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-58803709799379787422009-05-28T14:23:00.015-04:002009-05-28T15:43:52.357-04:00

Bike racing...it's addictive, all consuming, when it's good there's nothing better, and when it's bad it can boil your bunnies.On the plus side for the team this weekend...The 1/2's had a large, competitive field at the RFK crit. No crashes. A very generous prize list. All the ladies worked hard and CycleLife had a top 10 placing. A very good day. Oh and in case you care about the actual results.

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-78321600215753848022009-05-19T12:16:00.023-04:002009-05-19T13:39:57.279-04:00

The ladies of CycleLife powered by Specialized survived a physically challenging race weekend with the Wilmington Grand Prix NRC race on Saturday in Wilmington, DE and then the Kelly Cup/Bike Jam in Baltimore, MD on Sunday. Both fun venues and fun courses, but for the accidents that always seem to go hand in hand with your registration packet at Bike Jam.We know crashes happen. We hope to escape

Badgernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-68926093930494441182009-05-06T11:24:00.008-04:002009-05-06T12:27:56.654-04:00

For those of you that know me, its been a rough winter. Crohn's disease has been kicking my butt (no pun intended) since the stress of my prelims for my PhD caused a flare back in November of 2007. Fighting fatigue and GI issues left my base training...well, lacking. Luckily, I seem to have experienced a turning point physically and mentally while down south for Speedweek. I went from getting

Zignoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-67217033823957773342009-04-28T13:29:00.018-04:002009-05-05T16:42:57.264-04:00

Speedweek was a blast! Cyclelife powered by Specialized had a great week - we were even in 4th behind the big guns (Colovita, Tibco, and Team Type 1) for a few days. Perhaps with a few more riders we could have . . . . .Team Cyclelife placed 6th of 29 teams and Jen and Leslie had outstanding performances, with 12th and 16th place overall for the week! Sara kicked butt in the 3/4 field, getting on

goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125749004050758681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-69529073274359389972009-04-28T13:29:00.004-04:002009-04-28T13:36:57.486-04:00

One broken bikeOne broken helmetTwo torn kitsRoad rashStill Racing...Priceless!Can't post more.  Racing again in 2 hrs.Check out our album for some pics...

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07368264553069353006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-75256140279312292252009-04-19T22:55:00.011-04:002009-04-20T08:41:16.304-04:00

We're all wiped out from the weekend, and pictures were hard to come by, but for a few goodies.SAT: 8 ladies from Team CycleLife powered by Specialized lined up at the Womens Open Syn-Fit Crit on Saturday. The video camera apparently shut down before the finishing lap, so the officials were able only to piece together the top 15 finishers, but our ladies locked up the 2nd and 4th spot for the day

Badgernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-80494324213547778482009-04-15T09:28:00.006-04:002009-04-15T09:52:19.073-04:00

The following race report written by guest blogger Jen May of CycleLife USA. Photos by Chicken and Badger.Mount Joy, PA, had a cold, wet and windy greeting for CycleLife Powered by Specialized Cat 3/4 women on Saturday morning. Most normal people would say this was a day to stay inside drinking hot chocolate or something, but not so for the about 100+ cyclists, who decided to brave the weather

Chickinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13124465928262894153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-46323769688409438242009-04-08T09:40:00.005-04:002009-04-08T09:50:44.655-04:00

A good weekend for the CycleLife team winning both Walkersville and Tyson's.Lots of photos floating around the internet of the actual racing, but here's what dedication looks like...The team warming up in a dark garage when it's 70 and sunny outside. Plotting strategy.

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-61397130315960480532009-03-31T17:29:00.009-04:002009-03-31T18:09:36.608-04:00

Wet roads and a strong field meant it'd be a tough day of racing for the women's 1/2/3 at Jeff Cup. 40 or so riders lined up under the crackling electric wires (added to the ambiance, but what was up with that?) for the first Mid-Atlantic road race of the year in Charlottesville, VA. Some notable names were there with Sarah Caravella, Deidre Winfield, Laura Igoe, and all the local MABRA strong

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-22480918037610686632009-03-31T17:26:00.003-04:002009-03-31T17:29:15.605-04:00

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-43920689259897872192009-03-24T22:40:00.006-04:002009-03-25T00:05:49.258-04:00

I'm pretty sure that Team CycleLife powered by Specialized spends more weekends training out in WV than any team I know. When we heard that our sponsor, Michelle from Teaism, was going to be spending a weekend out there, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to join her in beautiful Lost City. We heart our sponsors!The weather for both days was pleasant albeit slightly chilly at the start of the

JenChenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900781483511178315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-21646079166731375502009-03-18T14:31:00.007-04:002009-03-18T14:53:14.724-04:00

Our #1 fan at Grant's Tomb.Mitch and LJ smiling (fake smiling?) at the start.Mitch attacks early in the race.LJ needs new arm warmers.

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-4520144698869113252009-03-17T00:09:00.002-04:002009-03-17T00:11:20.220-04:00

If you've been having trouble viewing the video below it's now on YouTube.Click here.

Chickinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13124465928262894153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-49028349172757195252009-03-15T22:17:00.004-04:002009-03-15T23:04:45.284-04:00

The weather today kept us indoors for fear of getting sick before race season begins and/or because we're tired of having to clean our spiffy new bikes after riding wet roads. With that in mind, Chicken and Zig made the trek to Casa de Ulmer this morning with full intentions on getting in a good workout - inside or outside- while catching up on gossip... come on, we're a team of women. Gossip is

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-91139387525341679002009-03-14T16:55:00.006-04:002009-03-15T19:44:13.309-04:00

Today Christina and I (Sara) woke up at the crack of dawn (Yes, it's that time of year again!) and traveled to Lancaster, PA for the Farmersville Circuit Race. It was difficult coming up with a pre-race strategy as there would be only 5 of us lining up at the start line, and we had no idea what kind of fitness those people would have at what was the first race of the season for most of us. We

Zignoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-34710220875047178762009-03-04T20:57:00.016-05:002009-03-04T21:13:22.150-05:00

It's tradition. We ride out in Washington County on the coldest day we can find. On the return home, we stop to take a picture with the pig. (l to r: Robin, Michelle, Wendy, Jen, Leslie, Christina, Sonja. Missing: Sara, Melanie)Then we make Coach Mike pose with the pig, too. Say cheese. Or bacon.

Badgernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-48635369232139003902009-01-21T21:25:00.016-05:002009-01-28T20:36:14.990-05:00

The day started with Gluten-free banana-walnut pancakes and coffee. Yum. We started late, rolling out around noon with a 50-60 mile ride planned. The wind chill was definitely not as bad as Tuesday, but it was still cold. Cold enough to make the contents of our water bottles slushy and at times frozen. This fact became key at about mile 38 in the ride. So while in West Virginia, we are fortunate

Badgernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-1370887846570379662009-01-19T18:08:00.004-05:002009-01-19T18:30:26.139-05:00

Although we were disappointed with the rescheduling of our team clinic #3, some of us are lucky enough to be out in West Virginia at the Raw Talent Ranch for some winter skills training. The Chicken at the start of the ride. Today was a balmy 25 degrees, but the Muscle did 4 hours in  minus 4 degree temps yesterday. The Chicken descending a small hill on Howard's Lick road.Shenandoah Mountain

goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125749004050758681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-64190877291523276232009-01-11T18:36:00.003-05:002009-01-11T19:02:42.543-05:00

Mike Birner gives us tips on effective pacelining using his son's blocks.Jay Murphy, Mike's guest rider and helper, rides at the front just as we prepare for another race scenarioLeslie Jennings rocking the new Specialized helmet and shades.

goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15125749004050758681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-65682590097777945602008-11-21T14:02:00.006-05:002008-11-24T12:19:30.728-05:00

On the heels of an exciting opening night with our title sponsor, CycleLife USA, we are proud to announce the roster for the Women’s CycleLife Team 2009. Our team goals for next year include helping CAWES, Inc (Capitol Area Women’s Elite Squad) develop into one of the leaders in promoting women’s racing both at the regional and national level. The ten members of the 2009 squad bring a vast

JenChenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03900781483511178315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-7600826984356487922008-11-12T16:05:00.005-05:002008-11-12T16:17:11.153-05:00

Unfortunately, I missed the good times at the 'Ranch. For the last month, I traded my bike for a surf board in Itacare, Brazil for some much needed time off between forays in the rainforest following the small arboreal monkey I'm studying for my dissertation. BUT I'm home and really excited to get back on the bike with the members of my growing, amazing team!

Zignoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-46074073461014778942008-11-06T20:38:00.010-05:002008-11-06T21:38:44.648-05:00

As I reported on plain-jane-ramblings, the ladies of CycleLife took to the hills of West Virginia as guests of Raw Talent Ranch. RTR, owned by local cycling magnate Jay Moglia, sits at about 2,700 feet right outside of Lost River State Park. (no this isn't the Barn ... this is just a cool pic taken by Jason Merdhot)While we were two ladies shy (Sara is in Brazil and Melanie was busy WINNING at

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-9660107670129244492008-09-02T05:44:00.015-04:002008-09-02T09:24:13.718-04:00

Spent the last week racing for the first time in Europe at the Master's World Cup races in Austria. It's an unbelievable experience - a beautiful area, inspiring people, and 700+ riders from all over the world. The pic on the left is the view from the hotel...The trip is especially easy if you go with Tracy and Rob Lea who have been organizing groups for years. They take care of everything -

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-81822070786706695822008-08-20T11:46:00.029-04:002008-08-20T19:44:19.401-04:00

Nicknames are interesting creatures. Some are bestowed upon us with love and adoration, i.e., waterbug (thanks mom). Others are thrown at us with spit and venom (too many to recount here). And then some attach themselves to us like remora. Remora are those parasitic fish that affix themselves to a host shark or whale, thus earning the name sharksucker or whalesucker. I think I may have coined a

Badgernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-90463733633329239302008-08-12T10:17:00.002-04:002008-08-12T10:53:20.287-04:00

The district championship TT was held this year at Church Creek - this year's second edition of the classic time trial on a flat, fast and windy course. We had 4 women competing - Leslie and Wendy in the 1/2s and Sara and Mel in the Cat3s - all competitors, all with a chance to do something for the championship. Robin volunteered to be support and resident soigneur. Traffic heading toward the

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-32362834319775992008-08-04T13:34:00.004-04:002008-08-04T14:33:07.983-04:00

The Presbyterian Hospital Twilight Crit was the most exciting race of the year with all the strongest professional teams bringing full squads and a number of Olympians to compete for the $15,000+ prize purse. The crit is in downtown Charlotte and the crowds were unbelievable with spectators lining the entire course. The pace was ballistic throughout, with two technical sections that tested the

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-51569920249951493992008-07-23T10:26:00.004-04:002008-07-23T11:39:50.620-04:00

So, the plan going into the Hunny Bop was to get Sara into a break, possibly with me. We're both "breakaway riders" and Sara has been working her tail off for the team, so it was about time we gave her the chance to shine. And shine she did !!The race started with a full field ... we didnt have the entire HPC squad out there but we had a full Kenda team, Artemis brought out their heavy hitters

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-2011761713107603122008-07-17T17:44:00.015-04:002008-07-17T18:03:36.518-04:00

A full field at the start of the Hagerstown MABRA Championship Criterium (including pro cyclist Sara Caravella racing for Team TIBCO). The field started fast and never slowed with HPC throwing in attacks and Team Kenda and Team CycleLife countering. Sara throws an attack mid-race and Jen Cheng notes the cloud of HPC/Altarum gathering behind them...Robin and Melanie race hard through the first

Badgernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-59105712246614149662008-07-07T21:25:00.002-04:002008-07-07T22:13:03.040-04:00

After sitting on the fence for a few weeks, I finally decided to take the trip up to Mass for the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic...and I'm glad. I learned a ton, including:1. Time trials are the best events EVERThe weekend started with a 10 km stair-stepping TT. Not much to say except it hurt. a lot. I rode in at 20.54, good enough for 4th for the day.2. It is possible to survive a 50 mph

Zignoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-55377508708972187412008-07-07T20:08:00.015-04:002008-07-15T11:31:50.458-04:00

As promised - here's a look at how tough our girl LJ really is ... despite being bumped and pushed all the way down the finishing stretch, she held her own and STILL managed to grab a silver medal as she was taken out at the line. Watch the video. The pics tell the aftermath. Adjust your volume appropriately - your camera-woman has a well timed expletive as the video ends ... Note the ice

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-92057618929089878212008-07-05T21:12:00.003-04:002008-07-05T21:19:15.232-04:00

More details and maybe even a video to follow ... but Robin Zimmerly sprinted for a 5th place finish in the women's 30-34 criterium while Wendy Ulmer took the bronze, putting BOTH CycleLife teammates on the same podium ! In the 35-39 field, powerhouse Leslie Jennings took a close 2nd, surviving a dramatic finish line crash. All three competitors were pictured in the local newspaper.

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-46850550381751873962008-07-02T22:25:00.022-04:002008-07-02T23:25:17.099-04:00

Day 2, 3, & 4We know, we've neglected to update our blog. But we've been busy! Suffice to say, we have sufficiently soaked in Louisville, KY and decided that this is a fantastic venue for holding the Masters Nationals Competition. Thanks to Wendy for securing awesome housing for the week--our own single-family home with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a garden veranda where we chill in the mornings

Badgernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-58360402824548393122008-06-29T21:56:00.031-04:002008-06-29T22:56:10.503-04:00

Day 1: Louisville or Bust (No Robin, you don’t have to choose)The essentials: 4 cyclists7 bikes28 wheels 1 pound of gummy bears1 pound of sweet tarts2 gallons of water2 pounds of bananasUnlimited phone minutes United States Atlas circa 1999 Garmin (aka “Jack”)Full bellies (thanks to Pancakes by Jason™) 8:15am – Chef Jason, anticipates the arrival of 4 hungry cyclists. He skips the 7am and begins

Badgernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-35251864720567760382008-06-06T13:32:00.008-04:002008-06-06T13:57:11.329-04:00

We recruited a new teammate at the Murad race. Unlucky for him, (but quite amusing for us) the only jersey we had on hand was my women's small, so it was a bit of a squeeze. But once he was all zipped up, his new colors made him feel like a tough-guy. Tough enough to tell me his chest is bigger than mine. I'm not sure how to take that. It was all fun and games until we had to tell Mark that

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-71861810069836054672008-06-02T11:11:00.004-04:002008-06-02T11:16:29.635-04:00

This was how my race got started at CSC. This is pretty much the story of my day. As this happened, I looked down at the girl (who was on a PRO team) on the ground in front of me and said outloud "Really ? Is this really how we're gonna start this race?".Live to race another day. Thankfully, LJ had a better day, finishing 18th after a long, arduous race. This was a prime example of my

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-9923011260252392392008-05-31T08:35:00.011-04:002008-05-31T14:33:59.680-04:00

Part of my plan to get fast(er) by July is to hang with really fast riders. Lest you think I'm kidding, this plan worked for me in 2007. Friends noticed when I started "coming into form" last year, i.e., actually getting some Ws and hanging in with the big girls at the Crystal City Classic... Clearly, I was doing something different. Okay, so I was actually riding my bike and doing that training

Badgernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-22378056048759528952008-05-19T21:04:00.003-04:002008-05-19T22:18:30.841-04:00

Awesome twisty course. Rain. All the makings of a disaster. Fortunately it was a small field and the women can handle their bikes.Sonja Evers (Joe's) set a hard pace for the first lap and the tone for the rest of the race. Attack after attack after attack. But while the field was small, it was strong and nothing was going to get away. Though we did lose a few racers along the way.At the end there

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-30243669194920425522008-05-19T17:46:00.005-04:002008-05-19T21:02:50.089-04:00

Since most race reports are pretty self involved anyways, I thought I'd go whole hog and do a little stream of consciousness for the first NRC race of the season. For a more comprehensive race report, check out Wendy's blog: http://plain-jane-ramblings.blogspot.com/Here goes...Crap. I missed the race to the line. What's that? Joe Jefferson is doing call ups and is showing the local teams some

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-44149910183406884502008-05-08T11:44:00.004-04:002008-05-08T12:29:56.236-04:00

So, now "race season" is in full swing. I always know when we're getting into the groove when I pull up to the Greenbelt Races for the first time. Route 1 Velo does a phenomenal job promoting this training series year-in and year-out. Many thanks to them for the time, effort and heart they give in order to give us OCD racers a mid-week interval session. Big shout out to our very own Robin, who

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-72472507182656395512008-05-05T14:34:00.006-04:002008-05-19T16:18:35.800-04:00

After the sufferfest at Poolesville (see Mel's post below), I decided to take a quick trip up to the Memorial Hall Criterium in Philadelphia to play with some of the out-of-district girls. It was my first "solo" race of the year and I had forgotten how much I really enjoyed racing out of town. Dont get me wrong, we're really lucky that we have such an active, competitive and close-knit racing

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-143118192832340072008-05-04T20:59:00.006-04:002008-05-04T22:02:12.691-04:00

Year after year this race rattles peoples nerves. Even the skilled offroad types are shaken, physically, by the rough cratered surface of mile+ stretch of pot-holed, sharp gravel, washboard section along the creek. It's a decent course but the size of the potholes is obscene and downright dangerous, but despite the treachery, it's still a MABRA classic.We originally planned to have half the team

girloffroadnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-22389845059476327232008-04-22T21:27:00.002-04:002008-04-22T22:07:48.588-04:00

Ok...so prepare yourself for a really corny post, but I need to write about my experience this weekend. At Carl Dolan on Sunday, I found myself in my first REAL solo break (by "real" I mean I didn't fly off the front of the field, look behind me 2 seconds later, and sit up because riding in the wind by yourself = pain). Out there all alone, it was eerily and intensely quiet. The moto was

Zignoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-69271485083775507442008-04-21T11:25:00.004-04:002008-04-21T11:42:02.602-04:00

Despite tornadoes and torrential rain in the DC area, the women's field got lucky. We somehow had one full hour of clear skies at Carl Dolan. About 30 women lined up in the Open Women’s race. Clearly missing from the field was most of the enormous HPC squad which meant the CycleLife team was the biggest team out there with seven riders. The only other team with significant numbers was ADG-Joe’s.

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-71708935937506192092008-04-15T16:08:00.011-04:002008-04-15T16:57:53.603-04:00

Too many cutesy pictures can turn blog readers away. And we loves us some blog readers, so stop. Look left. Now squint. Yep, those are Leesburg's finest worms on Bethesda's finest Specialized Ruby. I thought maybe my teammates were flying past me this weekend because I started my "winter training" late (Feb) or because I have been training extensively (for winter hibernation). But no, it's

Badgernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-91368786221167541562008-04-15T15:03:00.006-04:002008-04-15T15:18:22.673-04:00

This past Saturday Robin, Wendy and I trekked over the river to ride with Melanie and her boyfriend, Judd, in Virginia. We met out in Leesburg and watched the Potomac Pedalers roll out for their ride as we finished pumping up our tires and deciding how many layers to wear. In the end the classic “what are you going to wear, no what are you going to wear” debate was unnecessary as it warmed up

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07368264553069353006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-59589047420351289322008-04-10T13:37:00.010-04:002008-04-10T15:45:58.431-04:00

I’m sitting at my desk at work, finishing up my lunch, and am seriously craving some salty oatmeal cookies. “Where can you find salty oatmeal cookies?” you might ask. Visit Teaism at one of their three downtown locations.My first experience with salty oatmeal cookies was about a month ago when Robin and I figured out that not only were we both working in DC, but our offices are about a half block

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07368264553069353006noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-63343911476826490202008-04-10T10:26:00.007-04:002008-04-10T11:13:47.106-04:00

So last weekend the CycleLife women were dreading our 8am start time in Walkersville. I checked the weather before I went to bed and was really dreading the possibility of rain and cool temps to start the day. I got up a few hours later and the forecast had changed - no rain, and a high of 60+ degrees ! The weather-Gods were smiling upon us ! Bike was already packed, last minute "just in case

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-72396675898055298712008-04-09T22:21:00.009-04:002008-04-09T23:22:09.567-04:00

From the gun, Team CycleLife tried to set a high pace for the circuit race at Tyson's Corner. Wendy led one of the first charges off the front. The first 10 minutes of any race always feel like the worst, especially when the intensity is high and your legs are already tired from a long race the day before. Despite the hurt we were all feeling, we were motivated by seeing each other at the front

girloffroadnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-15946593705051657242008-04-01T11:10:00.002-04:002008-04-01T11:21:37.176-04:00

Seven of the eight members of Team CycleLife lined up on Sunday for the first “real” race of the 2008 season. Driving through sleet, hail and even snow at some times, we were NOT excited about the start. When we arrived at the school for registration, we immediately saw DC Velo’s Ken Young, one of our local rock-stars. He looked like he’d been through Paris Roubaix and was so cold he couldn’t

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-28058105337404229912008-03-27T09:51:00.004-04:002008-03-27T10:25:59.999-04:00

I could tell something was different about Tuesday afternoon. Despite the fact that I'm in the middle of an audit at work (what, you thought PlainJane was actually descriptive of my personality? PlainJane accountant, my dears), I knew I had to try to skip out a little early. This was the day - rush home, pray that traffic on 895 is light and make a mental list of the most efficient way to get

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-67738130110848419132008-03-24T21:27:00.003-04:002008-03-24T21:44:37.146-04:00

While a few brave souls of the CycleLife squad ventured out a few weeks ago to their first races of the season, I'm only now getting down to the wire on the start of my 2008 road racing season. I figure between road season and cross season (and bon-bon eatin' season) that I have enough cycling in my year, so I try not to rush into the road season. All this means that this Sunday will be my

von-Tnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-21482491276506299682008-03-22T12:12:00.001-04:002008-03-22T12:14:59.150-04:00

Check out the link to cyclingnews. Krietler is making pink rollers, which will go to benefit the USWCDP, US Women's Cycling Development Program.

Jenny Bodinenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-92226516164204522272008-03-15T19:55:00.003-04:002008-03-15T20:21:10.550-04:00

What a BEAUTIFUL day...not a bad way to start the 2008 racing season. Unfortunately the squad was split this weekend with Robin, Melanie (yay...welcome to the team!) and me representin' in the 3/4 race in Strasburg PA while Michelle, Jenny, and Leslie wore the Snow Valley...er, CycleLife colors in NYC. In Strasburg....wow, the 3/4 field keeps getting bigger and stronger every year. Very

Zignoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-88318993868299281942008-03-14T14:14:00.003-04:002008-03-14T14:19:07.346-04:00

Yes, that's right. DOUBLE POST!

von-Tnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-61620590945755507642008-03-14T11:38:00.005-04:002008-03-14T12:08:03.028-04:00

Sara came up to casa de von-T yesterday and I took her on the "Tour de Misery" ride, retracing my steps from Saturday's really fun wet, cold & windy ride. She didn't seem to impressed or even interested, but I kept pointing out famous points of interests along the way. Where exactly I stopped to put on my wind vest. Where exactly I got blown off my bike. Where exactly I realized that my

von-Tnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-45467363751795476632008-03-10T11:14:00.006-04:002008-03-10T12:07:07.774-04:00

While VonT was stalking the radar hoping to get some sunshine and dry roads, her teammates were diligently keeping each other company on our trainers - resigned to a long day looking at each other and the four walls in the basement of the "frat house". You see, VonT is much more optimistic and brave when it comes to avoiding trainer-sessions. The rest of us were depressed and dejected with the

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-43009960945244277912008-03-10T09:33:00.006-04:002008-03-10T13:24:25.649-04:00

Should a cloud like this roll up alongside you while you're out enjoying a spring-like day... ride like hell. DO NOT ride directly into it, even if it is situated directly between you and your way home. Even if it snuck up behind your sorry ass while you were happily be-bopping to tunes on your Shuffle, you unknowingly elicited whatever hell is about to rain down upon you... So get the heck

von-Tnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-34274315353406523402008-03-07T16:40:00.003-05:002008-03-07T16:59:46.278-05:00

Chewy flavor cubesLike a kid on Christmas Day Share with your teammates!

Badgernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-23804738772024918402008-03-05T10:45:00.008-05:002008-03-05T11:33:20.940-05:00

Wendy, Sara and I visited Malaga, Spain last week for some spring training on the bike. We had a fantastic time with the Idles... Great food, great company, great riding, awesome hills. I can't wait to go back! I'm sure Sara and Wendy will have much more to say, but for now let me leave you with my stats:249.08 miles ridden17:28:54.24 hours in the saddle10,371 calories burned21,711 feet

von-Tnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-45090167552665414002008-02-23T15:26:00.006-05:002008-03-03T16:48:34.930-05:00

The ladies of CycleLife anxiously await the opening of their DC "home." While the architectural rendering on the left may not do much to excite the cycling enthusiast or CycleLife blog reader, what's to come sure will.Our CycleLife Home will be located right off the Capital Crescent Trail and across from DC's newest park at the Georgetown Waterfront. Three words. Cookies cookies cookies.Okay, I

Badgernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-9587363442374197682008-02-18T16:26:00.006-05:002008-02-18T16:56:30.222-05:00

At some point early Saturday morning, I realized that I had crossed that thin line between being dedicated to cycling and being obsessive about cycling. I believe it was somewhere between the alarm clock going off at o'dark:thirty and me turning on my newly acquired blinky light to trek to the 7am ride start. The first clue was that this was the third or fourth weekend in a row where I was

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-45063265846612983682008-02-10T20:16:00.000-05:002008-02-10T20:43:57.402-05:00

The impromptu "team" outing (well, any time someone drops by the cycling frat house that is 9821, half the team is automatically present) that led to *my* personal choice for the official 2008 CycleLife team road shoe...

Zignoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-65512070445863255462008-02-09T17:28:00.000-05:002008-02-09T19:22:26.047-05:00

I have always loved the saying, "When pigs fly." This morning, I believe the saying was modified a bit...Jenny's love affair with Thurmont Pig (see below blog) seems a perfect segue into today's team ride.DC Velo has this lovely tradition of the 7am ride: at the height of winter training, one can count 50+ riders, and on days with rain and below freezing temps, maybe one dedicated rider will

Badgernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-29368874773195408242008-02-06T13:33:00.000-05:002008-02-07T11:43:56.768-05:00

As road riders, we often have to deal with the delicate nature of riding alongside 3-ton vehicles with little protection (lycra and a bicycle helmet constitutes "protection"?) on busy roads. Motorists yell at us to get on the sidewalk, pedestrians yell at us to get on the road. What's a cyclist to do?Most cyclists, myself included, try to be courteous to drivers. We know that we're not

von-Tnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-71602251862326693172008-02-04T21:59:00.001-05:002008-02-04T22:45:33.103-05:00

FOR THE PIG!!!!!!I mean is he not the cutest?? Ok ok, I know that is not a real answer but it sort of is. This past Sunday the ladies formerly known as ABRT went on a team training ride with our wonderful instructor, see below for image. We went up to frederick to get in some good hills and all I can say is from the moment I heard we were going to frederick at 8 am in the morning, on a sunday,

Jenny Bodinenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-19420762452633663742008-02-04T16:04:00.000-05:002008-02-04T16:03:42.992-05:00

A while back, my good friend Bill, a member of BBC, stopped me before a race and asked me what motivated me to participate in this sport. It took a few seconds for me to process his question - I mean ... we just do it, don't we? But he pressed on, forcing me to think about what exactly DOES motivate me to make sacrifices in "real life" to play this silly sport. We talked a bit about it and he

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-28257066946935078052008-02-02T19:32:00.000-05:002008-02-02T20:13:27.331-05:00

I woke up this morning thinking I'd need to make an 8:30 am conference call for work. Turns out it's at 8:30 PM (BIG difference), so instead of getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to make the 7am ride in DC (which I had briefly considered, sorry Beth!), I ended up cleaning the house top to bottom waiting for the weather to warm up. Just as I was about to leave my uber-clean house to hit the

von-Tnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-40512033259570116722008-01-28T14:36:00.000-05:002008-01-30T15:35:46.240-05:00

I never thought the "badger" nickname would be so fitting until I looked down at my hand this morning. A lovely black and blue shade and nicely bloated to form a sort of paw. 4 weeks until the fracture heals (I'm told). Face is healing nicely, though I admit to not wanting to shower for two days for fear my face and the skin would come off. Big thanks to my "roadside rescue team" for scraping me

Badgernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-58168583172436305382008-01-26T18:23:00.000-05:002008-01-26T19:54:42.370-05:00

The first visit to the emergency room of the year!We're pretty good at handling these little trips to the emergency room, but today was a new one. An hour from where we started, on a dirt road, with only one inhabited house in sight, and Robin does a face plant going over some ice. YIKES!Despite the banged up face, the neck brace (unneeded they just wanted her wearing it at the hospital), and a

LJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094175139102921704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-78813562377623699292008-01-24T14:34:00.000-05:002008-02-12T19:27:08.626-05:00

Yes, it is official. This mark which will adorn our 2008 kits, bikes, bumpers, etc., is officially registered as a design trademark for use by Cawes, Inc. With it, we hope to encourage women to get out there and ride....!

Badgernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-47359976898011132572008-01-19T13:38:00.000-05:002008-01-19T14:01:37.853-05:00

So, HvT, Zim and I braved the cold weather and early hour this morning to check out the 7am ride in DC. VonT and I woke up at o'dark-hundred to make the quick trek to casa de Zimmerly only to find that VonT forgot her shoes! This happens to everyone at some point, but VonT is actually famous for this trick. (although she claims that she wouldnt have forgotten them had we taken her car).

PlainJanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12338240927957150129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8033712357539486428.post-61435579771491136642008-01-18T22:25:00.001-05:002008-11-14T21:52:12.908-05:00

The “Women Formerly Known as ABRT” were presented with an opportunity to build a women’s team that will compete at the regional and national level, with the future goal of becoming a truly competitive national level team. The team title sponsor is CycleLife, a new bike shop opening in Washington, D.C. in the Spring of 2008. The women have formed a non-profit organization known as CAWES, Inc. (

von-Tnoreply@blogger.com2