Alison Tetrick

It has been brought to my attention that there is some magic to be had in a blonde ponytail.  I hate to admit this, but it may be obvious.  I don’t like changing a flat tire.  I hate it actually.  At first I was convinced I didn’t know how.  We all know that isn’t true now.  I can change a flat, although those CO2 cartridges can still be pretty tricky.  Yet, I have been notoriously known to try to avoid the inevitable tire change. 

Here are some excuses that have been used:

1)      But you are so much better at it!

2)      If we are going to make it back before sundown, you should change the tire.

3)      I can’t get my tire off.  I think this lever is broken.

4)      Hand pump?  What’s that?

5)      I think this tire is too big for the rim.

6)      I think this tire is too square for a round rim.

7)      Wait, which tube had the hole in it?

8)      Here, I will hold your bike…and…

9)      I was reading somewhere about pinch flats.  You want to show me how not to get one?

10)   I race on tubulars. 

Lately as my training volume has increased and I have found myself on the open roads solo more times than not, I have learned to be self-reliant.  I have full confidence I can get myself out of the mess of a flat tires, yet it is still comforting to ride around in West Marin knowing there are myriads of cyclists around just in case.  As I ventured out onto the roads of West Texas, a whole new land was discovered—a land where a cyclist sighting is about as rare as a hill.  A land where a cyclist is a foreign being, and you must be able to “do-it yourself”.

Good thing I can change a flat, but I am sure glad I don’t always have to do so.

Tricks to changing a flat.

1)      Put a little bit of air in the new tube before putting on the tire,

2)      Baby powder on a tube helps it not stick to the tire, some tubes come “pre-powdered” which is great.

3)      Check the tire for what caused the flat.  Often the sharp object of glass, thorns, or needles is still in the tire, and there is nothing worse than changing the tire, start to roll away and blow it out again. 

4)      After securing the tire on around the tube, check the circumference of the wheel for any chance you will get a pinch flat.

5)      Tubulars don’t pinch flat, and you can use some sealant and CO2 to keep rolling after flatting on a tubular.  So, if you love the thrill of riding around on posh carbon tubulars, you can still “fix” your flat until you get home.

6)      Don’t ask me for a trick on the CO2 cartridges, but I recommend wearing gloves because you can get a “freezer burn” from the cold compressed air. 

7)      Bring two tire levers.  It makes it easier to put on and take off the tire.

8)      If you blow a sidewall or get a huge gash, try inserting a wrapper to further protect your tube to make it home.

9)      What goes around comes around, lend a fellow cyclist a tube, because one day that will be you stranded on the side of the road looking for help.  Remember to pay it forward.

10)   When in doubt, see if the blonde ponytail helps.  If not, buck up and do it on your own. 

When I flatted in Texas, I responded by calling Z to have him come help me out because I was out of the proper equipment after the 2nd flat…

 Where are you?  He asks. 

 I respond, I have no idea, but I am on a Farm Market Road, is it 1609, 1606, 1608, or 1607.. and I hear gunshots and see a barbed wire fence.

That’s a lot of help, A.  

Thank heavens for Google Maps on the BBerry as it tells me where I am.  There is no magic when you are all by yourself on the wide open plains of West Texas.  One older gentleman stopped to ask me if I needed a wrench.  No sir, I am fine.  Another group of farmers in trucks asked if I needed a ride.  No Thank you.  Another woman in a Dodge dually asked if I was lost and if I had a family.  Yes ma’am. 

Stranded. I don't think a wrench will help.

In West Texas, you buck up and change your flat all by yourself.  You pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.   Yet, if you find yourself in a bind, there will be many the helpful soul in a place where the only thing as big as the state itself, is the size of the local’s hearts.

Out in the wind swept plains of oil rigs and raccoons, the blonde ponytail doesn’t get your flat changed, but it might get you a ride home, a new friend, or a warm meal of BBQ brisket and cornbread.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  It isn’t just for the tryptophan and pumpkin pie, but also for the vibrant fall colors and time with family.  This year was spent with the family in Texas and it was a truly amazing time. 

Z, the bikes, and I made the trek to Snyder, Texas.  Home of the White Buffalo. 

What West Texas may lack in hills, it has in wide open roads and cotton fields. 

I was able to get out on my bike and was amazed at the ease of high cadence without any terrain modulations.  Talk about a steady effort.  Next time I might bring my TT bike… Hm.. Now, there is an idea.

The drivers on this Farm Market Roads are a little unfamiliar with a cyclist.  They give me plenty of room as they pass the blonde in the superhero outfit…

The scenery flys by as you ride around here.  The miles you can cover in an allotted amount of time are pretty incredible. 

Thanksgiving was a tremendous success. With sixteen of us present, the table was full of all the favorite dishes..

• Turkey, and I only eat the dark meat.. Yum.
• Ham
• Rolls
• Steve’s homemade cranberry relish, which happens to be my favorite
• Green Beans
• Gran’s Sweet and Spicy Pickles, just beware of the garlic halves
• Fruit Salad, which seems to go well on the ham
• Mashed Potatoes
• Corn Bread Dressing
• Gravy
• Creamed Corn

And then it was on to the desserts!

• Buttermilk Pie
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Chocolate Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake, which was my favorite with a walnut graham cracker crust…
• Apple Pie
• Mincemeat Pie
• Pecan Pie
• Whip Cream
• Red Velvet Cake
• Christmas cookies

 Wow.  After I rolled away from the dinner table, I figure I don’t have to eat until New Years… Another successful year.  One of the best ever.

My parents had to send me a picture of the ranch back in Northern California, and although I was with family here, it was great to be reminded of home.  That’s what Thanksgiving is all about.  Home. Thanksgiving is home.  Whether in Texas or California, this is a special time for me.

I have so much to be thankful for.  God has truly blessed us, and this is a good time to recount our many blessings.  Thank you for your support of my dreams and my aspirations.  Without you, this wouldn’t be possible. 

I am thankful for you.  My home will always be with those that I love, no matter where that is. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Completion credit.

Completion credit never made sense to me. Why tell your students ahead of time that they would receive a passing grade for merely completing the assignment. Where does this teach them to take pride in their work? To make sure each answer is correct and each problem is dutifully explained. If you know that you only have to finish the project, why make sure it is your best effort? This system seemed flawed, and it didn’t work for me. I wanted to explain to teachers the error of their ways. If the students new you were not examining their work, then they wouldn’t immerse themselves into the task and learn.

I never liked completion credit. I took each assignment seriously. Completion credit or not, I was going for the A. I was going to do the assignment like my life depended on it. I have mentioned in previous entries that I am a nerd, right? Point taken. Can we say teacher’s pet? Maybe.

With that being said, I have never competed in a sporting event for completion credit. I always found a big difference in doing something for fun, and doing a race. Races are fun, but if I am doing a race, I am going to race. Half Ironman? I want to qualify for worlds. Running race? I was there to win. Century? I am not threatened by a century, I can go slow if I want, or I can go fast. A century is not a race.  Anything with a timing chip, a medal, a t-shirt, or a plaque, you might as well go for it. Am I competitive? Not in the least. Focused? Possibly. A little OCD? Most likely. I enjoy pushing my limits and building strength by putting myself into competitive situations.

Then that takes me to my latest endeavor. Cyclocross. I have competed at my previous 3 races. Or at least attempted to, the acrobatics of crashes aside. However, I found myself on a technical course. A course that had elements that were above my comfort level. But that’s why I am there, right? To push the envelope. To gain experience and skill to assist in my road racing. But it wasn’t worth injuring myself over. I was still smarting from the previous crash, and was not willing to take a risk that could jeopardize my road season. I found myself competing in an event for completion credit. Did I get “credit” for finishing such a difficult race?  Maybe. It wasn’t difficult in power or fitness, it was difficult in skill. I went from wanting to compete, to wanting to survive. I finished the race. I didn’t even try to compete in the race, but I finished. I finished safe and sound. Mission accomplished? I guess, but it still leaves a slight bitter taste in my mouth. I don’t go for safe. I don’t go for survival. Yet, in a sport that is beyond my limits, I will take a simple “check” for completion credit. Race finished. Pack up the bike, get on my road bike and get some base miles under my November belt.

I still don’t believe in completion credit, but I will have to admit I am glad the concept exists every now and then. Now, what grade would have gotten?

Accomplishments:

• Rode in the MUD for my first time. MUD!?  Really, how fun is that!  I thought I didn’t like getting dirty…
• Didn’t crash.  Which means I didn’t push myself enough… oh well.
• Ran 68 stairs 10 times, really fast. Reminded me of my tennis days running stairs in the coliseum.
• Ran a lot.  Apparently I can still run fast, carrying a bike or not.
• Pretty much ran the whole course, I guess I got a cross-training work out.
• Smiled, had fun…laughed a lot at my ineptitude

Mud. Love it.

Post Ride

You know people like this, don’t you?

You should stay in Zone 2.

Wednesday Wrap-Up Day.

I know I know.  I have been failing miserably on posting cyclocross pictures.  I just take cross SO seriously.  Ha.  No, actually I don’t, and that’s why I love it.  I can have fun, laugh at myself, and do crazy acrobatic tricks as I catapult myself through the air.  Yes.  I did an impressive “endo”, and ended up sliding on my stomach under the caution tape, and into oncoming traffic of fellow racers.  Oops.  Cross is silly, and I love it. 

It has been a fun adventure playing in the dirt, I am not going to lie.  I went on my first “dirt” ride yesterday.  I borrowed a cx bike from Kat, a trusty steel Bianci steed and took her up Railroad Grade, to the top of Tam.  I looked at the view.  I thought, I am pretty adventurous.  Yes.  Adventurous.  Actually, I am pretty tough.  I have ridden up Tam on my road bike… I have ran up on the trails.  And now, I have officially conquered Tam on a dirt bike.  Nice.  Some mountain bikers didn’t know what to think of the cx bike, and neither did I.  Those cantilever brakes don’t like stopping.  At least it showed me to descend without brakes.  I was careening down those hills like a true dirt rider.  Actually, I was grabbing all the brakes I could, they just weren’t doing anything. 

After I conquered Tam, I thought I would move on to some of my other favorite trails.  Bring on the Coastal Trail up to the Marin Headlands, Rodeo Beach and back home.  Nice.  Mission accomplished.  I did a real dirt ride.  Like I said, I am such a tough adventurer these days.  Right.  Then I had to return the bike to Kat.  Maybe I can get a cx bike someday.  Boo.

The first day of our photo shoot for the Team TIBCO/Look USA calender is complete.  One more day to go.  More details on that later, and I may even be able to sneak a couple of “sample” shots, but we will see.  We had a great time starting at Red’s Java Hut on the Embarcadero.  Great diner food!  I think we were the only “models” that would eat sausage, eggs, pancakes, and hash browns during a photo shoot.  However, this is a great dive to stop in… Burgers, Breakfast, since 1926… I highly recommend this place, they were great hosts today.  And thanks to Larry Rosa our great photographer for picking up the tab there!  He had to keep the “talent” happy, which means we needed to be fed.  What a well-educated guy.  Hungry women is never a good thing, and you add a hungry athlete to that equation?  No good pictures would have been taken. 

Today was awesome, and MM flew in from NYC in all of her stars and stripe glory to pose with her new Look 595 with a sweet custom paint job.  Great day.  One more day of pictures tomorrow!

That’s all I have for my Wednesday Night Wrap-Up.

Piano lessons. 

I took piano lessons each week for about 8 years of my life.  8 years of piano.  8 years of recitals.  8 years of 30-min to 1hr of practicing a day.  8 years of counting down the time left in each practice session until I could go play outside.  8 wonderful years.

Piano is supposed to be beneficial for children because it teaches you to read music, to get that “ear”, and is even shown to help in mathematics skills.  Well, I seem to have missed the math memo, considering this biochemist loves her calculator, but I cansit down, read music and play most things.  Although I am not a pianist currently, I could pick it up again, and feel truly blessed to have this musical history.  I also played the trumpet, but we will save that story for another time.

Even as delightful as the piano sounds, I always found piano lessons and practicing quite difficult.  I went through a myriad of teachers throughout my childhood. 

It started with Mrs. Smith, the church pianist, and she had an overweight miniature Collie.  She was sweet, but I always thought my mom could do a better job.  The candy after the lessons helped motivate me to return.  My mom and sister are both beautifully accomplished concert pianist, and most of my childhood memories have a “soundtrack” to them, as Chopin, Rachmaninoff, or Beethoven play in the background.  I moved on to Mrs. Boyd, a beatiful little person, with a fine ear, and a mean streak with a baton.  If I hit the wrong note, or if my hands didn’t appear to have a tennis ball under them, perfectly arched, I got a stinging slap on the wrist with the baton.  Yet when things were going well, the baton would keep time magically in the air and float along to the music.  I liked Mrs. Boyd, she scared me a little, but I mostly liked her Himalyan cat, Peaches.  The final teacher was Mr. Hampton, he lived in a dark house full of ornate decor, fake plants, and a Airedale Terrier named Geoff.  Yes, I was corrected.  It was Geoff, not Jeff, and I think they were best friends.  He was strict, maybe a little harsh, and my charming personality was never able to break his dark exterior shell. 

As I grew up, I began focusing on other things.  Needless to say, tennis became  a passion of mine, and the piano lessons faded into the past.  However, I can still remember the hours of practicing and  the hours of lessons.  I remember fine tuning the songs until you accomplished the piece.  Memorizing every note, adding emotion, crescendos, until it was your piece.  You owned it,  you performed it, and you could take pride in it.

Why the story about piano teacher, their pets, and their idiosyncrasies?  Because I have started doing these roller sessions with Charlie to work on my pedalling efficiency.  I am on the rollers for 30 minutes as he helps break down my pedal stroke into manageable portions to increase my cycling economy. 

More economy= Greater Efficiency + Faster

That is an equation I can handle.  The more economical I can become, the more power I can put out with less energy.  However, with Charlie hovering over my pedalling, I felt like I was 8 years old again taking piano lessons.  My “bad habits” were under a microscope.  I was no longer allowed to get away with heavy quads, and a lazy hamstring.  I was forced to focus, to feel, and to perform.  I noticed that I was under the same pressure of a piano lesson when I started counting down the time from 30 minutes.  13 more minutes to go.  12 min.  Focus, Alison, focus on your pedalling.  It was excellent.   I was sweating with the intensity of the focus, not the effort.  The difference between the piano and the rollers is that whe I let my mind wander, I started falling off the rollers.  If only my piano teachers had figured out a way to tell when my mind was wandering during the lessons.  We had been on for 30 minutes, now 33, 34…

Charlie casually asked, how long has it been?

I say sharply, 35 minutes!  

All right, Al, good work, your done.

Bingo.  I bolt off the rollers just as fast as running from the piano bench. 

I don’t know which is more comfortable, a wooden piano bench or a saddle?  Hm.

Ah.  Time to focus on the efficiency and the strength.  Add the 30 minutes of roller work after my strength training… I think I am back to practicing the piano.

Should a cyclist do strength training?  I think so. 

Why? Because my coach told me so.

No, really.  Why? 

 We are so worried about power:weight.  Why add additional muscle bulk to our frames?  I already have a “strong” build, do I really need to add any more muscle?  I tried to get out of it.  I tried to tell my coach that I bulk up easily. 

Why have to join the “meatheads” in the gym that can bench press 2x their body weight, but would have difficulty walking up Mt. Tam, let alone riding it.  Why take the time to lift weights when you could be riding your bike? 

Why?

Do we have to? 

I pondered this question this morning as was doing my “lateral” squats and noticed, my legs are completely jacked.  They didn’t use to be like that with tennis.  What happened?  I haven’t been in a gym since my NCAA days.  Man, do I have to do this strength training? I think so.

Reasons why you should strength train:

•  Bone Density.  Cycling is great because it doesn’t have any impact.  But, if that is all we do, then we are in danger of losing bone density.  So cyclists should cross-train for bone health. Weight training and running help with this.
• Balance.  We are constantly pedalling.  But what about balancing our strong quads, with strong hamstrings?  Abs with a strong lower back?  Doing strength training, laterally, can get us to you balance our bodies. The pedaling motion can overdevelop the powerful hip and knee extensors resulting in an imbalance between the muscles of the hip and thigh. Resistance training can address this by including specific exercises for the hamstring muscle group to maintain proper strength ratios and promote optimal joint stability.
• Injury Prevention.  Enough said.  By building up those “stabilizers” muscles, we can protect ourselves from over use injuries.  Supplementing the cyclist’s training program with strength exercises can help maintain proper muscular balance and enhance the connective tissue network to reduce the possibility of patellar tendonitis.
• You can stare at youself in the mirror like all the other gym rats, like I did this morning, and notice that your legs are completely jacked.
• You can laugh at yourself…seriously, how weak are we?  Well, weak according to some people’s standards, but I would love for them to do 350watts for an hour. Ha.
• Increasing core strength and creating a stable platform for pedaling power.  Strong cores are good.
• Swim suit body?  Ha, maybe.  There is a Team TIBCO calendar coming out.  Just kidding.

Does strength training impact your performance?  Maybe.  It needs to be translating into cycling strength in order to have a positive result on your cycling.  But, it isn’t all about cycling all the time.  We should also take note of the improvements that this makes in your health and balance!

All right.  I am trying to talk myself into this strength training thing.  I hope this helps.  My legs are jacked, but as long as my shoulders don’t get any bigger….

Oh goody.  The doldrum of off-season is winding down, and plans are coming.  Plans with not much structure, but plans nonetheless.

I await the plans.   The plans, the plans.

On tap for now:

• Look USA Team TIBCO calender produced by VeloNews!  Photoshoot next week.   ”Look” to get yours for 2010!
• Team TIBCO will be the only USA represented women’s UCI Pro Team!  That’s big time!
• Rock n’Roll Health Fair at TIBCO, we will be there, with a Rock n’Roll Trainer to give away!
• Strength training…no really, do I need to do this?  I have the tendency to bulk up!  Uh oh. 
• Rollers, rollers, rollers. 
• Riding, running, lifting….cross? MTB? Maybe. 
• Big goals, big time.
• Team ride in Woodside with our new TIBCO club team, and our favorite Over the Hill Gang!

All right, lots on tap…lots of fun.  Getting geared up.  Getting ready.

I did it.  I entered the world of dirt. 

The girl with the sparkling white Specialized shoes, the attachement to skinny smooth tires, asphalt and the road,  and an aversion to anything involving dirt has crossed over.  And by cross, I mean, cyclocross. 

Before this, I considered the bike path through Mill Valley pretty close to a single track MTB trail.  Anything that wasn’t smooth as silk, was pretty trecherous.  And now?  I might still think that, but I am trying to reach beyond my comfort zone and enter an entirely foreign realm.  A world where there are more tatoos, piercings, and steel.  Carbon isn’t always fastest, and tall argyle socks are common, yet considered unique.  The atmosphere is more welcoming, and the spectators anticipate the prospect for public taunting of the competitors.  It is in good fun, good sport, and a great way to spend the day.  There is a place for everyone and a race for everyone.

I joined the masses in a “stealth” debut a few weeks ago, and had to do it once again.  I am learning and loving it. I got two solid podium spots, and think I can handle this sport.  Now, I just await the bruises to start appearing tomorrow.  I did learn that falling in the dirt is not near as bad as the asphalt.  The dirt is much friendlier when you hit it.   

Cyclo-cross is an interesting mixture of a criterium, a time trial, and some dirt. The importance of smooth handling skills becomes magnified under the pressure of an intense 45-minute effort. Being a complete “roadie,” the differences in cross is the ability to put out high power peaks while continuously getting on and off your bike to run over barriers or up stairs. Imagine doing a criterium in the dirt, and then throw some construction barriers in the middle of a hairpin turn that you have to dismount your bike to get over! It is crazy and requires a different adaptation than road racing. Yet, the high intensity efforts and bike handling drills that cyclo-cross requires is an exceptional addition to a “roadie’s” training regimen. The start of the race is just as important as any other aspect as well. What I mean is that you must explode out of the starting gates because it is difficult to gain time or pass other competitors. This chaotic start takes away the team tactics found in road racing and makes it a sprint to the first corner where eventually the race gets strung out. However, once the race gets going, no matter if you are in first or last, you feel the race all around you. It is refreshing to join the cyclo-cross community, learn a thing or two about handling the bike under different requirements, and of course, be able to laugh at yourself!

I have joined the world of cyclocross.  Well, maybe not joined but at least they are letting me play with them for now. You may not see me jumping off curbs anytime soon, but I am still going to dabble in this sport for a refreshing addition to my transition from off-season to base building.  If you haven’t tried cross yet, you should get out there an do it.  Get a little dirty!

Also, can I say Happy Birthday to my absolutely beautiful Mom!  Today is her birthday, and I got her a way too “practical” present.  I think that makes me old, not her.  She is amazing, and gorgeous! xo

Just when you thought you knew EVERYTHING there was to know about me, and you were ready to call it quits… TripleCrankset.Com did an interview…

Check it out!

I had so much fun working with Len on this and it has some good tennis/cycling comparisons…  before I did this interview I forgot that I played tennis in college, and I use to think about tennis.  Weird.  I do miss those skirts though…