California Dreaming – Spring training in NorCal

 

Since my last update six weeks ago, I’ve been hanging out in the San Francisco Bay area in northern California. Despite starting the year with great form, my health took a dive due to complications following surgery in January. So, I redirected my training back to building base fitness, doing lots of long slow distance rides (which are great for exploring—ENZO’s essential!). Although I’ve been focused mostly on recovery, I tackled two races recently: the season’s first National Race Calendar race, Redlands Bicycle Classic in southern California near LA, and an iconic Bay Area race, Cat’s Hill in Los Gatos. Both races were exceptional for Vanderkitten with some exciting and impressive teamwork and results.

Lining up. View from the back at Redlands

Although Redlands seems like ages ago now, it was such a pivotal race for VK, I’d better tell you about it! A four day, four stage tour, Redlands is part of the annual National Racing Calendar (NRC), the premier season-long domestic road cycling series held in the US. The NRC features the nation’s top pro road race events. In 2010, NRC series was won by none other than kiwi superstar Cath Cheatley.

Davide Cerutti, Elle, Liza, Starla, Kate, Amy, Rhae, me, and Jono at Redlands.

Notable in this year’s Redlands Classic was the opening stage, a high-altitude time trial in the city of Big Bear, known in cycling circles as twice the host of a grueling hilltop finish to a stage of the men’s Tour of California. The rolling 7.8 mile/12.5 km TT course followed Big Bear Lake’s north shore offering stunning views of the surrounding snow-capped San Bernardino Mountains reflected in the lake’s crystal blue waters. At 6,800 ft/ 2070 m the course held a challenge beyond the normal tribulations of time trialing -- altitude.

Big Bear Lake and the San Bernardino Mountains

The double hit was a bit much for my recovering body and I suffered for several days from the effort. Canadian Rhae Shaw got the team off to an excellent start, posting the third fastest time of the stage. Through a great show of teamwork, and true grit on Rhae’s part, we were able to hold position through the next three stages to finish with Rhae on the podium, Vanderkitten’s very first NRC GC podium!

Vanderkitten Rhae Shaw third GC at Redlands

For me the timing of Redlands was a bit early in my recovery for such a high-level stage race. My presence at the tour was focused on building character (been doing lots of that lately!) and doing reconnaissance on the technical stages to be better prepared for next year’s race. For those of you who know of the ‘honor’, Lanterne Rouge was my awesome result for my efforts. My first!

Lining up for the start of Redlands Stage 3

Four weeks on and lots more training in my legs, pain related to the surgery nearly gone, I started back with what I would consider my first ‘real’ race of the year—in terms of my ability to actually race—with Cat’s Hill. Known as one of the toughest races in NorCal, Cat’s Hill features a 1-mile/1.6-km course with a 400 ft/120 m long climb. No big deal, right? Did I mention the gradient  – 23%! Make that a wall. Twenty four times around this circuit was perhaps not the most gentle of reintroductions to racing. Nonetheless, I lined up alongside teammates Kate Chilcott and Ruth Winder to help defend Vanderkitten Cat’s Hill title.

Reflections on the start line, made possible by Smith Optics

In temps nearing 90 F/32 C, Vanderkitten was active during the race with me and Ruth putting in early attacks that saw Ruth go solo for several laps. The wind was too much to survive long alone, however, and the bunch reeled her in. The intensity was a bit ambitious for my fitness level with my lungs burning on the first lap. How did I feel racing? Nauseous. I was overcome with the wonderful sensation within 15 min of racing. I persisted despite better judgement and put in an attack up the hill with four laps remaining. Fiona Strouts (Folsom Bike/Cervelo) joined me, and we gained a clear gap on the field.

Climbing Cat's Hill -- all 23%!

My fitness not quite up to the effort, I wasn’t able to hold her wheel and began to tail off while Fiona charged on solo. With two laps to go Kate attacked to break clear of the field along with Mary Maroon (SBRacing). I slowed to wait for Kate who reached me at the top of the hill on the penultimate lap. I used what energy I had left to take Kate over the top and through the headwind section of the course. All but blown, I peeled off to leave her with the final chase. Half a lap remaining, Kate hunted down and passed Fiona and then attacked Mary to take a spectacular win for VK! Pushing to the line with not much remaining, I got caught by a group of five chasers in the final 100 m to finish 8^th with Ruth taking 5^th. Awesome result for VK! And even more awesome is my gradually improving form!

Kate powering to the win at Cat's Hill

Huge thanks to Katheryn and James Mattis and Cooper for being wonderful hosts and friends during my stay in NorCal. Next up Kate and I will be joined by teammate Starla Teddergreen for three days of crits at the MoPro Tour de Grove in St. Louis Missouri 10-12 May.

Ruth, Kate, me, and Jono after Cat's Hill

But we’re only just getting started! Vanderkitten has a new summer jersey in the works, with a debut planned soon. We have space on the jersey for interested sponsors! Would your company or brand benefit from having a logo on the jersey of the most popular women’s cycling team in the world? Email info@vanderkittenracing to find out more. Or if sponsorship’s not for you but you’d like to support the team with a donation, check out http://www.vanderkittenracing.com/#!fundraising/c1o15 to make a contribution of a set amount, or send a note to info@vanderkittenracing to donate an amount of your choice.