Battenkill Preride

Yesterday's Battenkill preride was blessed with good weather and a big crowd. Dieter has turned this event into a fundraiser for Farm Team and, from the looks of it, they made some cash! Although the weather was cold, the cloudless blue sky made everything seem much warmer, and if race day turns out even this nice it will be a good thing. There were icy puddles -- one in the parking/registration area and a few along the side of the road in the early part of the ride, but they were always in areas that I never would have been riding. And, yes, it did warm up during the ride and the ice melted away.

The course was generally in good shape. The paved roads showed some signs of the past winter, with some broken pavement and lots of sand, especially on the corners. I do hope that the corners will be swept before the race on April 10. The dirt sections were, in general, quite good. Dieter prevails upon the transportation jurisdictions to refrain from grading any of the roads until the race is over, so they were generally what I like to call "Battenkill Cement," which translates to rock solid with the occasional rounded potholes and random loose stones. Thanks to the cold weather during the week there were areas on some roads that had frost heaves, and there were a few spots that were soft and somewhat muddy, but they were the exception, not the rule.

So, what was the new section like? As much as I was lamenting the loss of eight miles of gentle downgrade on pavement, the addition of 10 miles of more climbs and dirt just added to what makes this course truly Battenkill. It certainly added time to the course, as the ride took me 20 minutes longer to complete than it did last year for exactly the same normalized power. The "new" section had a nice steep dirt climb with little sun exposure, so it featured the highest snowbanks and probably the most muddy sections on the course. The dirt descent was good and smooth, and I could let it go. While at speed I did encounter some soft riding surface that had the effect of slowing down my bike just a bit. My body took a nanosecond to respond, so that was exciting!

I really love the last third of this course. Mountain Road was in good shape as was Meetinghouse. In fact, Meetinghouse was better than usual, with any potholes being on the section where you would be slowing down to go up the last rise. Stage Road was also good, but that could just have been the euphoria that I felt, knowing that it was the last climb of the day. Kind of a bittersweet feeling, such a wonderful ride was almost over. This definitely is a classic and enjoyable course to ride on, which becomes so much more painful on race day. Oh, right, they are all painful on race day.

Bottom line: the roads were in decent shape with nothing out of the ordinary to report. The biggest unknown will be the weather. I am sure hoping that it will be a repeat of yesterday.

Specialized Roubaix Pro SL C2 Red for Sale -- Size 56

Specializeed Roubaix Pro SL C2 Red, 2009 -- size 56 (L) -- $2250.00 plus shipping

This bike is by far the most amazingly wonderful road bike I have ever ridden. I am a fan of rides lasting longer than four hours – day after day – and this bike has been key to making those training days happen! I have never been on a bike so comfortable, yet the bike responds super-quickly to the rider’s demands to go faster. It climbs like a dream and soaks up rough road at the same time.

This bike has been used and raced, but never crashed or dropped. I am always aware that I will eventually be selling my bikes so I strive to keep them in like-new condition. This bike is no exception. It has been professionally maintained. The drive train has been inspected and is in very good shape. Components are SRAM Red shifters and rear derailleur, with Force front derailleur and brakes.

Included with this bike is a brand new Red rear derailleur. I was able to warranty the original rear derailleur, and it is pictured with the bike. It will be installed before this bike is shipped off to its purchaser. Also new: cables and housing, brake hoods, handlebar tape, and Specialized Avatar saddle. The Roval wheels have seen very little use because I race and train with a Power Tap and usually ride with another front wheel. The tires are Continental 4000 clinchers and are lightly used.

The frame has a couple of very very very tiny chips in the paint. There are also a couple of very small chips in the crank arms, mostly likely from errant gravel while riding. The crank arms have been protected with Crankskins that I just removed. I have a new pair of Crankskins that I can include with the purchase.

This bike retailed for $4400.00, and it currently retails for $4900.00.

Specs on this bike can be found at http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?arc=2009&spid=39259&menuItemId=0&gold_ses=

More photos available upon request. Email me at thompbike@gmail.com

2010 Cyclocross Nationals

The fall of 2010 was busy with cyclocross racing and travel to those races. What fun! I was lucky enough to be able to combine local, regional and then national races into the months that comprise the season, and my love for this silly sport grew even more.

Coming off a full season of hill climbs, I was a bit tired of racing when the cyclocross season began in September. I have been racing cyclocross since 1992, though, so I knew that the sport itself would regenerate me for the season ahead. I was right! The camaraderie that has grown up within our local cyclocross scene created an infectious buzz which was hard to avoid. Within a couple of races I was again hooked and it was not long before I was looking ahead and putting all of my training and racing eggs into the basket called "nationals." I was feeling good and, with each race, building up to a mid-December peak.

I have some very good friends in Oregon who very generously arranged housing for me in Bend at the home of their friends -- and now mine! -- Albert and Janet. Brian and Corrine Vegter are artists who now live in Baker City, but made Bend their home for a good bit of time after they left New York. Since their move to the west coast we have stayed in touch, and last year Phil and I visited them at their Baker City home. The Vegters were wonderful hosts and even traveled to Bend last year to cheer us on in our races.

This year they really stepped up their game. In addition to arranging housing they were also my dedicated support crew for my championship race. Wow, I felt so honored to have such attention lavished upon me. I had secured a bike for the pit from my sponsor Specialized, and Brian was in the pit with it, awaiting any catastrophe. Corrine was out on the course to give me splits. My coach, Mark Fasczewski, was at the start for me and then would head to the pit as well. Lucky me!

Little did I know that when I lined up at the start line that I would need their help so quickly! The course was a combination of ice, frozen mud, snow, and a couple of huge icy puddles. The gun sounded, we were off, and the fun began, past all the features I just listed and then onto a paved section. I was one of the top four in my race -- hooray! -- and my rear tire was going flat -- oh no :( We went into an off camber section and back onto the pavement from a curb and more of the air escaped from my tire. Darn, the three women I was with just rode away and I had a long snowy/icy slog ahead of me to get to the pit.

I tried to ride, but that was not working, so I eventually got off the bike for good and ran along the course. Everyone passed me, including all the women in the categories that started behind me. This was just the first lap, so my race was not off to such a great start.

I got to the pit, exchanged bikes, and was on my way toward pulling back my field. It was not that easy to do, as I now had some traffic to get past, but I raged on as best as I could. Corrine was telling me where I was, as was Mark, and Brian made sure that my flat tire was fixed and my bike was ready in case I needed to make a switch.

The time on the course flew by all too quickly. I had pulled back to fifth place and had fourth place in sight, but I ran out of race. I had lost too much time slipping and sliding on the ice while running to the pit during that first lap. Oh well, that is bike racing, especially cyclocross! In a 40 minute race there is not much time to crawl back after a mechanical. Still, fifth place was good for a medal and a trip to awards, so all was not lost. I was thrilled for Linda Elgart, who was the winner. Her husband John had won his race earlier that morning, so it was wonderful to see the two of them in their stars and stripes.

The rest of the time in Bend was great! Corrine had some of her amazing ceramic campers and some jewelry on display at a local gallery and it was wonderful to see her new creations. The Vegters also introduced me to some other artists in the area, and I was able to learn about their mediums. My stay with Albert and Janet was wonderful, they were amazing hosts with fascinating stories to tell about their own cycling experiences. Brian and I went around to some bike shops to see what size 29 inch mtb bikes would fit him, and we all went back to watch more racing. One of the weekend's highlights was watching good friend Kym Flynn Fasczewski win the D2 Collegiate National Race. WOW!

I did "race" another race that weekend, lining up at the back end of the Elite women's field on Sunday. I remembered how much fun I had the year before so I decided to do it again. The course was wet and soupy and my legs got wet and cold. I did not have the snap that I needed to stay with the group just ahead of me and got pulled a lap before they did. Darn! I had fun after the race, though, when friend Inga Thompson showed up at my car. She had watched my race (OMG, I cannot believe Inga watched my race) and wanted to say hello. She and I ended up going over to the Mill District to go shopping after watching the Elite Men race. Retail therapy for both of us, even if we did not buy very much, followed by a bit of time sipping on a local brew. Outstanding!

All too soon it was time to say good-by to friends who make Bend feel like home to me. I had already said good-by to Mark and Kym, then it was time to wish Inga a safe journey back to Eastern Oregon. Brian and Corrine and I headed back to Janet and Albert's, where we had a super pot-luck meal. Monday dawned, and after a mighty breakfast Corrine and Brian headed east as well. I packed my bike while chatting with Albert, then loaded up my car and headed for Fed-Ex, one last trip to the outlet stores, and then the airport. Time to get back to the real world!

Thank you one and all for making my cyclocross nationals such a memorable experience :)

Newton's Revenge, A Bicycle Race Up Mt. Washington

Newton's Revenge, Climb up Mt. Washington. I set a new record for women 55-59 -- 1:24:23 and was the 4th woman overall. Stats for the auto road: base elevation 1563 feet, summit elevation 6288, length of the race is 7.6 miles, with an average grade of 12.7% and an extended portion at 18%. Highest temperature ever recorded at the top is 72 degrees, highest wind 231 mph.

The race was postponed from Saturday, due to torrential rains near the top, making the dirt section extremely rutted and slick. After that decision was announced Phil and I went back to our awesome B&B, the Nereledge Inn B&B and had a superb breakfast, then headed out to be tourists and to find a calm place to ride our bikes. Late in the afternoon the weather cleared and we drove back up to the mountain. Phil had earned a free trip up the auto road for the volunteer work he was going to do at the top on race day, so we used that voucher and drove up the auto road. I am so glad that we did, because I saw that there were some sections that flattened out just enough to give legs and lungs a small break. I figured I would need that! And, oh, it is so beautiful up there, we hated to come back down. We have fallen in love with New Hampshire.

Sunday dawned sunny and warm -- the race was ON! By race time it was HOT, which was my limiter of the day. I felt fantastic warming up and for the first three miles of the race. I had great legs and was good to go, but the heat was relentless. I kept waiting for the temps to cool on the way up or for some of that fabled wind but it never happened! The sun was full on -- clouds, where were you??? -- and what breeze we did have was a tail wind giving absolutely no relief. Like climbing in an oven...

Eventually I went into survival mode, especially once I got above tree line at 4 miles. No more dots of shade. I was just boiling by the time I hit the one mile dirt road section, "the 5 mile grade", so I stopped looking up at it while I was climbing. That part is straight along the side of the mountain and steep, and was my slowest mile, average there was well over 15 percent, probably that 18% that I spoke of earlier. Once back on the pavement I took a few seconds to regroup then hit the "Hairpin" which featured another short and very steep grade. A photographer was sitting on the yellow line (!) and I was wondering how I could negotiate that steep kicker and also avoid him at the same time. I managed to, and then it flattened out again to the "cow pasture."

Almost there, but how far? I could see the observatory and hear people yelling, but there was more steep road ahead. After I recovered a bit I went back to getting the ride completed. The last 50 yards did not disappoint. That 22+ percent grade (seemed like much more) was so hard, but thankfully short. Then a left turn and a few feet to the finish line!

The race ends at the very top, so once you cross the line you have to stop. That was equally challenging! I had two people helping me, keeping me from falling over. They put a blanket on me, which made me hotter, so we took that off and my helmet and got me to a chair. Who would think it would be this hot at the top? I was shaking like a leaf, but after some water and a Hammer Gel I was better. Eventually I got up and walked around, and after a while went to my van to ride my trainer. A wonderful person carried my bike for me while I hobbled down the stairs to the parking lot. What a beautiful place to ride the trainer, way above tree line with all the clouds and vegetation far below us. A mystical place and now one of my very favorites. Again, I did not want to leave.

OK, so I did not say too much about the climbing -- mostly because that is what it is all about. You just pedal and pedal and pedal, and if you stop you fall over, which happened to a gentleman I was catching up to who had started in a wave or two ahead of me. I was happy with my SRAM Apex gearing, 34 x 32, which would have been perfect if the heat had not zapped me. However, I just gutted it out. My mountain bike experience sure came in handy on the hairpin and the fabled finish line kicker.

What a marvelously put on race! The race promotion was right-on, with all the right stuff. We had number plates for our bikes with disposable chips that we did not need to return, we were greeted at the top with medals and beautiful souvenir Polartec blankets, we had a full fresh turkey dinner post race (yeah, they carved the turkey in front of you) and awards were prompt. There were lots of door prizes too. Mary and Kelly, their staff and volunteers did a magnificent job.

I'd like to thank my sponsors for getting me to and through this event: Hammer Nutrition, Specialized, SRAM, Terry Bicycles, and Sonne's Cycling. Thanks to my coach, Mark Fasczewski, for priming me up and keeping me going, and to my family for putting up with this! A special thank you to Phil for being support person extraordinaire. What a wonderful weekend we had.

When I signed up for this race in January I set out to break my age group record, which I did by 3 minutes and 7 seconds. By race week I had hoped to come in with a time under 1:20, the mythical "top notch" time, but the day's heat did not allow me to give this my best effort. I've got another chance, though...watch out Mt. Washington, I'll be back on August 21!

SRAM and Specialized to the Rescue -- Apex Review

The hill climbs that I have been training for are finally approaching. Whiteface is Saturday, Okemo is the 26th, and my races up Mt. Washington are on July 10 and August 21. While I had no doubt that I could race Whiteface and Okemo on my existing gearing I knew that I needed some gearing help for Mt. Washington. In April I emailed our inside rep at Specialized and he put me in touch with the kind folks at SRAM. Seems that they were ready to release a mid-cage rear derailleur, along with a 32 tooth cassette. Actually, these bits are part of a group, called Apex, that is designed for road use. Parts are interchangeable with SRAM's other road offerings, from Red on down.

Two weeks ago SRAM generously provided me with the RD and cassette combo prior to its impending release. I cleaned my Power Tap wheel and installed the cassette. Justin at Sonne's did a flawless install, replacing my Red derailleur and fitting a longer chain. I was now ready to assault the toughest climbs I could find. An Internet search lead me to some 15 minute climbs just west of Lafayette, where I could crank out 15 minute intervals which started out on 20 percent grades. My four minute intervals could be done on the famed 24+ percent grades of Potato Hill. I was ready.

Wow, climbing with a 34 x 32 is an entirely new experience! This gearing definitely levels the hills. No, I am not going very fast when I am using it. However, I actually have a cadence and can keep within the power range that I want to average for the duration of the hill climbs. Working with this gearing on the steepest of climbs has me working on balance at such unbelievably slow speeds. An added benefit is that I can ride just about any hill I want and keep my power in Level 2 on my easy days. Fun!

Of course, and happily, I am not in the 32 tooth for very long during my intervals. When the grade comes back down into the teens I need some more gear inches, and fast! The Apex derailleur shifts flawlessly, just as I would expect from SRAM, and once back into the smaller cogs my bike rides just as fast as it ever did :) With the recommended gearing for Washington being 1:1 -- this almost makes that cut -- I am thrilled that I did not have to install a triple. Instead, I can just change cassettes, as per usual, when I plan to road race.

SRAM has reminded me that I am not the first to use Apex. It was ridden to a third and eighth place in the infamous hill climb TT stage in this year's Giro. A certain famous cyclist from mountain bike races past is also racing Mt. Washington with Apex. It is fairly certain that he will cross the finish line before me! However, I will be thanking SRAM and Specialized for enabling me to get to the start line with the right equipment and thanking them too as I work my way to the top, somewhere in his wake.

I'll keep you all posted.

Specificity

Two weeks ago I got outside to ride for the first time since returning home from Chattanooga on Feb. 12. In two and a half weeks I had logged over 45 hours on my CompuTrainer, while many of my friends were busy enjoying the snow -- either cross country or downhill skiing. Having skied since I was 6 years old, some folks were mystified as to why I too was not out having fun in the snow. There were times that I was wondering that myself!

My question was answered as I watched an interview of Apollo Anton Ono on the last weekend of the Olympics. He talked about the racer's desire to have the "perfect race" in an "imperfect" situation, and how critical every aspect of training was when working toward that goal. Perfection is hard to achieve, and Apollo reminded viewers that an athlete "gives up a lot" to accomplish his/her goals.

As a coach and competitor I readily identified with the "giving up" part. While my lifestyle of ride, ride, ride, might look appealing to the 9-5 crowd, I can ride that much because I continually train, train, train -- on my bike. I work early mornings and late nights, so I'm pretty ignorant about things like TV shows and movies. Well rounded, I am not! Goals in cycling demand training on the bike, training very specifically, so I am in the gloom of my basement when the white stuff is out there to play in. The payoff is pretty instantaneous as soon as the snow melts, though. That first ride outside was amazing as I rode past snow banks that towered over my head.

My Professional Bio

I was asked to prepare this for the folks at Potato Hill Farm Outdoor Education Center, so I thought I would post it in case anyone else was interested.

Margaret E. Thompson

Margaret Thompson Cycling Coaching Services

Margaret Thompson Enterprises, Inc.

Currently

• President of Margaret Thompson Enterprises, Inc.
• USA Cycling Licensed Level 1 (Elite) Coach
• Category 1 Mountain Bike Racer
• Two time UCI World Championship Master Mountain Bike Silver Medallist
• One National Championship
• Category 2 Cyclocross Racer
• Six bronze medals at USA Cycling National Championships
• Category 3 Road Racer
• Seven National Championships on single bike and tandem
• Multiple Medals at National Championships for single bike and tandem

Education

• Utica College, ‘96
• Major -- CPA Accounting
• Minor – Speech Communication
• Interpersonal
• Organizational
• USA Cycling Coaching Education Programs, leading up to Level 1 Certification in 2007

Professional

• Assistant to Fort Lewis College (Durango, CO) coaching staff at Collegiate National Mountain Bike Championships – 1998, 1999, 2001.
• Assistant Coach for Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO) at Collegiate National Mountain Bike Championships – 2005
• Head Coach for Central Open Cycling Team, Empire State Games – 2005 thru 2008
• Head Coach and head Mountain Bike Program Consultant for Potato Hill Farm Outdoor Educational Center, Boonville, NY – 2008 – present
• Assistant Coach at USA Cycling Elite Junior Mountain Bike Camp, Mt. Snow, Vermont – 2009
• Assistant Coach at SCV Winter Training Camp, Suwannee, TN – 2010
• Ongoing – Individual work with new riders for the Ride for Missing Children – 2003 to present
• Ongoing – Private Coaching Practice since 2003

Personal:

• I moved to the Mohawk Valley area when I was 4 and was educated in local Catholic schools.
• My husband Phil and I have two daughters who have made cycling just one of the many activities that they are passionate about.
• Although I have raced and trained in Europe, Canada, and all over the United States I consider this area to have some of the finest road riding and mountain bike terrain. The beauty of this area is outstanding.

My goals as a cycling coach are two-fold:

• To help cyclists of all abilities formulate and then achieve their cycling goals.
• To foster a love for sport and the outdoors through cycling, enabling the athlete to become a more fulfilled and balanced person. It is my hope that this fulfillment will provide a platform for each individual to become a better person in his or her world.