Racing At Night

A common question racers and spectators ask me.... How can you race in the twilight.  It can be scary but with the right equipment and state of mind, it's a thrill I was recently interviewed by Lynn Lamoureux with Podium Insight with this question.   She has posted the interview at Podium Insight  http://www.podiuminsight.com/2011/07/09/racing-at-night/

TEAM VK wins Pleasanton Fast and Furious

Team work did it.  We succeed as a team.  Here is the team on the podium at the

Pleasanton Fast and Furious Crit last night.  Puuuurfection!

TEAM!

A successful Saturday for the kittens at the 1st annual Watsonville Criterium yesterday afternoon.  The podium was great with Jazzy 3rd and me 5th, but I am most proud of the comment extended to us by announcer Dave Towle.  Dave said to me "It great to see your team come together.  I've seen other teams come and go but your team cares for each other.  You can see that in the racing."
Dave travels all of the world announcing races and seen a lot of teams come and go throughout the years, that was a huge compliment coming from him.  Team VK succeeds by the team we have created.  We work hard for the results needed to make the sponsors proud but we also succeed in the journey it takes to get us there. Our team is well rounded and grounded.  We race hard and play hard, enjoy dinners and post race celebrations with sponsors, give a young girl encouragement and a high five when needed.  VK gives to race communities throughout the US with bike and helmet safety presentations and just good fun.

Thanks to all of our frienda, family and fans who continue to support VK!

A Thelma and Louise Week

JDub me and Moonie: Movies on the Beach, Santa Cruz

Another amazing week capped of with a weekend of racing (Tour De Nez) with the kittens. It started with me hosting Jen Weinbrecht (AKA JDub) and Emily after a successful week of racing the Cascades Stage Race in Bend Oregon.  Having these two in my home was a huge treat.  Coffee was ready every morning, the kitchen was clean, dinners were made, groceries were purchased.  JDub rearrange my pantry and the two of them filled my cabinets with dishware.  Can't believe how easy a 50 hour work week felt with the assistance of people taking care of the home duties.

We filled up the week with, morning coffee talks, recovery rides starting at Easton Bell and even took in a movie at the beach (E.T.) boardwalk in Santa Cruz.  

Believe it or not the week flew and by Friday night we were making final preparations to head out to Reno for the Tour De Nez (NRC Criterium Race).  

Saturday morning our VK local composite rider Courtney Van Dimple arrived.  The four of us squeezed into my GTI and buzzed down to the farmers market to pick up a few road snacks.  We picked up fresh fruit, veggies and nuts for the road, packed up the cars and commenced the VK caravan for Reno NV!  After the 5 hour drive it was standard operating procedures: Check in, quick ride, meet and greet, shower, bed, rise, pre ride and race.

VK had is most successful NRC result to date with Emily Collins placing 4^th.  Amber Rais (Pasta Zara) soloed for the win, final sprint 2^nd Tiff Pezzulo (Primal) 3^rd Katarina Nash (Luna Chix).  VK was aggressive from the gun, attacking and blowing up the field, dropping riders every lap on the 9 corner course with a leg burner hill that was 2 blocks log.  With all the work VK still placed 4 girls in top 20, Jenn Weinbrecht 10^th, Starla Teddergreen 16^th and me 19^th.  

The rest of the afternoon we hung out in the VIP tent, splashed and dunked in the Truckee river, enjoyed a team dinner and celebrated at the local lounge.  It was the first time we have race with JDub since Redlands, she had broken her elbow and is now fully recovered to finish out the season).  The “kids” (Emily and Jazzy) head out at the end of the month and the Tour De Nez was their last NRC with Vanderkitten before the leave.  I can’t believe their stay is coming quickly to an end.  They’ll be here racing locally till the end of the month.

Courtney and Me on the final run at Northstar

Monday morning Courtney and I said out team goodbyes and headed out to the Northstar resort for some “product testing”.  Northstar was beautiful.  We had a full day of fun in the sun and in the dirt; boondoggeling each other in the 10’ burm corners and racing down the downhill courses trying to get the hang of jumping doubles and railin’ it on our rigs.  We were definitely using up all the fun.  People must have been hearing us yell and cheer for each other on the course,  because the were cheering us on from the lifts.  I think the 2 of us were quite the attraction as we were the fastest women on the biggest bike getting the most air.  Of course, it was a pretty slow day up on the mountain, but it was all ours for the taking.

T

The way home was just as fun, we took a quick dip in Donner Lake to clean up and buzzed home with good tunes and memorable laughs.

It's amazing being part of a strong, fun, smart and adventurous group of women.  We let our freedom roam racing hard and playing hard, enjoying laughs, food and memories.  We all need a Thelma and Louise weekend to refuel and refresh for the challenges life tosses at us! 

Enjoy

JennX

July Update

Wow, where in the heck did June go?  Team VK finished up an excellent month of June with several successes. We raced 6 states across the USA in 23 days of racing, and scored 5 podiums (2nd Glencoe GP, 2nd, 2nd and 3rd Dairyland Stages, Bronze at U23 Criterium Nationals), 4 top 5s (at NVGP and Dairyland) and were in the top ten 19 of the days. We were also in prize jerseys for 6 of the 11 days of Dairylands and Sprint Jersey at Glencoe GP (IL).
It was quite the whirlwind but it was well worth the momentum the team has started.
July's focus is San Rafael on the 9th and Cascades Stage racing 19th-24th.
Many thanks go out to all of the fans who purchased jerseys and t-shirts at the races or online at http://www.vanderkitten.com/ as you may know proceeds from apparel sales fund the teams travel and race entries.  By the way, not of our podiums were in kit.  Here are Emily, Jazzy and me with Hairbangers Ball at the post race party at the Glencoe Criterium
More blogging to come and training and racing continues.  
Happy 4th 

May Update

There's been so much going on since Sea Otter, I can't believe I have not blogged yet. The last time I posted was 2 days before teammate Emily Collins crashed out at the sprint at the last day of Sea Otter breaking her wrist and here I am posting a photo of her placing 3rd at the Scotts Valley Grand Prix almost 100% healed. The team settled down a bit after Otter, but ramped it up last weekend with a double hitter at Cats Hill and the Scotts Valley Grand Prix (SVGP). With our major sponsored present as the SVGP, the team was really happy to podium with such a strong field.

The week leading up to the SVGP was active for me. Monday I did 2 helmet safety clinics at the local SV schools, Wednesday I did a quick radio snippet at local station KSCO. Friday the Santa Cruz Sentinel did a expose on me, the featured rider of the event who, lives, works and races in Scotts Valley. It was fun to be the town hero for a week.

Other than that, I managed to separate my right shoulder on Easter weekend. Yep, this time is was really bad. I was in a sling for a week. I was on my mountain bike again, but I promise, I have been taking it easy, not going big because we are in road season. I came around a corner and my wheel got jack knifed by a small rock and rut, throwing me over the bars. I have a video clip of it. Someday I'll post it, after I view it. I can say this weekend, I am 95% and stoked to be able to pull on the bars pain free.

I've gotten the cooking bug lately. While Emily was staying with me last weekend I had her help me make MONSTER COOKIES, which we shared with our local sponsors. I made my first quiche, and started and herb garden.

Whats on deck.... I'll be heading to Tulsa on June 9th and hoping to get out to ToAD at the end of June. Locally I am planning on the Mt Hamilton RR and Memorial Day crit next weekend. I need a good ass handing before I head out to the NRC's in June.

Work, life and training are getting really tight these days. I really wanted to take off the full 2 weeks and race ToAD but were in peak season at work and being a "manager" with increased responsibilities I can't take off the time right now. I get bummed about it, but then remember that there is racing in Australia in December and I have teammates who live in New Zealand, suddenly not being able to take 2 weeks off in June doesn't make me sad anymore.

Hope all is well with all my riding buddies out there and your enjoying some warm weather.

Enough said, get out and ride.

Sea Otter Day one

I had more fun than I should of today. Sea Otter weather was perfect. I got to the course early got 5 runs in. I dropped in for sponsor meet and greets at Focus, Easton and JL Velo. After a full day in the sun and a bit of a tan, I'm home enjoying the sunset with a New Castle while dinner is cookin'.

The downhill course is soooo much fun. Fun and safe! The designers did a spectacular job setting up a technically challenging course the requires brains and brawn. The finish line of the Downhill Course will be the most popular spot at Sea Otter when the pros race on Sunday. The course finishes up with 3 table tops right near the road, with the last and steepest table tops in front of the grand stands 25 meters from the finish.

Not only was I early to practice, I was the very first rider off onto the course for practice. It was a thrill. Right out of the start house, people were cheering me to pedal and get off the brakes. The energy rocked!.

My first run I was a bit timid, or maybe just smart. I viewed all of the table tops, burms and drops looking at the best lines to take. Some of the stuff they through are you on this course puts you in and lands at angles. I am not quite ready for that skill level, but feel that I was able to find the fastest and safest route for me.

I was a kid in a candy store. I rode right up to the shuttle and said "Again please." Each time I rode down I got fast and my smile got bigger! By my 5th run down the course I was nailing it.... to my sill level.

The whole DH seen is a total zoo. I have experienced Sea Otter as an exhibitor, a roadie and a mountain biker , all of them fun in their own way, and experiencing Sea Otter as a Downhiller is icing on the cake. I spent a lot of time in the sun and dirt today and going to take the day off the bike tomorrow. I race on Saturday at 10.

After my practice, I headed over to the womens pro criterium where my teammy's were competing. It was weird being at the start line and not in the race.

The race was hard! Kristen Armstrong decided to make a last minute appearance and brought the A squad with her. It was a tough race with head winds, 2 x 180 degree turns with hills on both sides. The course blew that blew apart on lap 2. There were lots of attacks and a Primal Map My Ride got a few solo breakaways, but PB and Co was determined to win it.

The drag race finished resulted in 1st Kristen Armstrong (PB Co. 2012) 2nd Sam Sneider (Tibco) 3rd Corine Armstrong (PB Co. 2010) and my 2nd favorite team 4th Tiffany Pizzoula (Primal Map My Ride).

Tomorrow the road race. Can't wait to see my teammy's tomorrow and see how they do. I will be delivering special goodies for them after the road race.

Photo: My only shot of Sea Otter. Hanging with our newest VK fan , Maleah! She is riding up the coast from San Diego to Tahoe and stopped in to Sea Otter for the day.