Race Day T-Shirts!

This is the design for the RideOn team race day t-shirt for 2012 (I realize this is not the best quality, but you get the idea):

Each shirt is $10 and you can either get a pink or grey shirt. If you are interested (who wouldn't be?), send an e-mail to SAARideOn@gmail.com with the following information:

-Name
-Size (XS, S, M, L, XL or XXL for $2 more)
-Shirt Color

Orders must be placed no later than Tuesday, April 3rd by midnight. Payment will be due when you pick up you order. The date of pick-up is TBA and we will send you an e-mail about how that will work. Anyone can order a shirt so be sure to spread the word!

Can't wait to see you all in you're awesome RideOn gear at the Race on April 20th at 7:00 pm!

Pre-Quals!

QUALS ARE THIS WEEKEND and everyone is buzzing with anticipation, nerves, excitement and a little bit of fear. We have been working hard for months, and all will be put to the test at 10:50am on Saturday.

Quals is a nerve-wracking event, to say the least. All eyes are on you as you take the track, and although all it takes it four short laps and some clean exchanges, something we've all done zillions of times, the pressure is on as the fate of the rest of our team's Little 500 season rests on your shoulders.

On race day, a botched exchange may cost you to lose a pack or drop a few seconds behind, but there are countless other chances to make up for that one mistake. During Quals, it's do or die.

I'm scaring myself as I type this...YIKES QUALS!!

Last night our team was given the opportunity to do a practice Quals run. This was our only chance to get a preview for what Saturday would feel like; the track was all ours, the lines were drawn in the cinder, and Jordan Bailey announced from the press box.

We had spent most of track practice yesterday doing exchanges and almost-full-speed Quals runs, and were feeling good and ready to go.

Kelsey nervously chattered away about anything and everything, Mary did some pre-race jumping and stretching, and I tried to magically speed up the digestion of the Jimmy Johns sub that was sitting freshly in my stomach. Finally it was our turn, so we took the track.

I started us off with the pace lap, and all I could think was "Holy crap, am I going the right speed? Why am I going so slow? What am I supposed to do???" I had to remind myself that it was just another lap on the very familiar track, and everything would be fine. I rounded turn 3 and started to pick up my pace, and as I crossed the start line, the stopwatch started.

My mind was blank as my legs pounded out the quarter mile. Next thing I knew, it was time to exchange. Mary was set up just as she always was in practice, and I was going to bring the bike into her, as per the usual.

That's where things started to get messy.

For some reason, our exchange failed. I came in hot and a little too far outside, and we just didn't click. Mary went down pretty hard, but gathered herself back up like a champ and hopped on the bike to ride her lap.

Okay, good, we got the bad exchange out of the way, we can still recover this.

Mary sped through her lap, and brought and exchange in to Kelsey. Unlike the millions of beautiful exchanges before, this one didn't click either. Mary and Kelsey both took dives to the ground, and our bike flew through the air past them.

We were done.

A few minutes at the First Aid station, some deep breaths and a few bandaids later, we exited the track, Quals run unfinished, and took a seat in the bleachers to recap what had happened. After some discussion, we came to the conclusion that mulling over the video footage of our falls, breaking down every second of what had just happened, and replaying it over and over in our minds was not going to get us anywhere.

We all know how to do exchanges. We all know how to ride our bikes fast. Everything will work out. Thank goodness we had last night's practice run to get all of our mistakes out of the way. We have two more days at the track to fine-tune out performance before it's show time.

I'm 100% confident in our abilities, and can't wait to see how everything and everyone turns out on Saturday! It's an exciting day for EVERYONE, and hopefully we'll have the Hoosier victory over Kentucky on Friday night fueling us toward a victory of our own (knock on wood)!

See you at 10:50am at the track!!

Quarries Ride!

This week we've been so busy riding our bikes we've forgotten to blog! So coming up will be some updates on the rides we've gone on and the tan-lines we've developed!!

On Monday morning, Helen, Mary, and myself decided to go on a nice road ride toward the quarries south of town. First, we headed past Bloomington South High School and out Fairfax Road. We rode to the back of a neighborhood and parked our bikes at the edge of the woods. With Helen as our tour-guide/camp counselor we took a quick hike to the quarries that starred in the film Breaking Away. The day was beautiful and there were few clouds in the sky, so resting on the rocks overlooking the quarries was both relaxing and breathtaking.


After taking in the quarries for a while and thinking that this would be a lovely place to have a picnic at, we decided to head back out for the road. Heading out further toward Lake Monroe we came upon Ned's Sculptures (more details about Ned's fabulous art here) a lot filled with many colorful fiberglass animals. Of course we had to stop and take some pictures! Mary posed with the gorilla, Helen found a nice giraffe to hide under, and I posed with a lovely elephant. Ned offered to sell us some animals, but unfortunately we hadn't brought our bike trailers and could not tow any back :(


Jumping back on our bikes we finished our outward journey to Lake Monroe and took in the calm of this beautiful spring day at the lake. Anyone who has been out to the Fairfax State Recreation Area knows that heading into Lake Monroe is a pleasant descent, but heading away from the lake is a steady climb. While the climb wasn't fun, it was made easier by the rest we had just had and we all successfully made it back to the main part of Fairfax Road. The rolling hills we encountered the rest of the way back, with temperatures climbing into the mid-70s completed a perfect Spring Break day in Bloomington!

Reasons to stay in Bloomington during Spring Break

1) Track is open for 8 hours a day!!
Because of the limited track times, many riders miss the chance to ride on the
track due to class, work, and etc. With the extended track times, we will be able
to spend lots of time on the track!

2) We can have unlimited number of
riders! Usually, we are only allowed to have two riders at a time on the track (except
Laura Bliss, who is on Riders Council). We will have an opportunity to ride in
a pace line as a team, and avoid trainers/rollers while waiting for turns.

3) Exchanges, exchanges, exchanges! The
Qualification is the Saturday after spring break, and being able to practice exchanges
on the cinder track is a huge advantage.

4) Save money and save time! We won’t
have to drive 10+ hours back and forth with $4/gallon gas price. Plus,
Bloomington has been warm enough that there is no reason to travel for warm
weather.

5) Bike tan lines which are 100 times
cooler than swimsuit tan lines.

6) Bloomington is awesome when everyone gone! No
traffic, no crowded restaurants, and etc.

7) No extra 5 pounds from excessive
drinking for a week!

Please add to the list, this is all I can think of right now!

Not much to say... but in a good way!

This website shows an inside look to how crazy some cyclist can get! Many cyclists feel that an image must be upheld while on a bike, and while I somewhat agree, sometimes I like wearing zany socks that don't match my kit.

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

Anyway, this particular blog post got my particular mind in quite the whirlwind before my ride this afternoon. More specifically, the particular number six (which is also my favorite number) sparked the windy-whirl in my head.

Rule #6 // Free your mind and your legs will follow.

Your mind is your worst enemy. Do all your thinking before you start riding your bike. Once the pedals start to turn, wrap yourself in the sensations of the ride – the smell of the air, the sound of the tires, the feeling of flight as the bicycle rolls over the road.

Why is it that I ride? What enjoyment do I get from spinning 110 rotations per minute across terrible backroads for hours at a time? I think it's the escape from my real life. Homework, clubs, jobs, bills, parking tickets, grocery shopping, bad dreams, good dreams, pink eye, muscle soreness; when I'm on a bike, those things don't matter. All that matters is the smell of cows' waste in the pastures, climbing up that next hill, and knowing there are more exhausting hills coming soon.

Cycling is a one-[wo]man game. It's about pushing yourself and knowing that you can always go a little harder.

You Might Be a Rookie If...

1. You don’t know where the Wilcox house is.

2. You have to ask someone where Bill Armstrong Stadium is.

3. You show up your first day in sweatpants

4. You also show up the first day with no bike shorts and immediately feel remorse for your private parts

5. No one knows your name so they yell “hey you! You in the yellow!”

6. You think jumping on a bike is going to somehow render your Valentine’s Day null.

7. Your bike is from 2002- and you’re still freakin’ lovin’ it like Schwinn just sent it to you brand spankin’ new.

8. You are afraid to go over the speed of 5 mph

9. Skidding during breaking isn’t even an option- You are no way in hell going fast enough for that.

10. You wear something white to the track- jacket, pants, gloves, etc (this being because you don’t think about getting dirty in the cinder)

11. You don’t even know what cinder is.

12. Hearing how to get cinder out of your leg for the first time is the most shocking and intimidating thing you’ve ever heard.

13. You wear underwear with your bike shorts.

14. You don’t know who won the Little 500 the year before.

15. You don’t know what it means to drop a chain.

16. You have no idea what to do when you drop your chain (after you find what it means)

17. You’re still hesitant to do any kind of work to your bike for fear of getting oil all over your newly manicured hands.

18.  Pack riding means that you are riding at LEAST five feet away from each and every other rider in the “pack”

19. Rider’s Council yells at you to “GET OFF THE BIKE!!!” when practicing exchanges

20. Rollers are the scariest stationary apparatus you’ve ever laid your eyes on (or laid your body on after falling for the 1,000^th time.)

21. You take it personally when someone yells at you on the track (while they’re actually only trying not to hit you as they are trying to pull off)

22. You only speak to your teammates- all of the other riders are the still enemy

23. You wear your $150 Ray Bans to the track

24. You would rather look cute than be warm

25. You don’t know what the Cascades are (or Bryan Park, old 36, 446, or Musgrave Orchard)

26. You are shocked when you hear other teams have been riding together since August.

27. You didn’t know there were teams that AREN’T Greek (this only applies to rookies in a house)

28. “Little 5 bikes don’t have different gears?” Comes out of your mouth

29. The thought of missing the seat crosses your mind while jumping on and you end up making it much worse by crashing and burning anyway.

30. You still have a shock value when you see certain teams take their jersey off at any available moment, only to be wearing their bibs and sports bras… -__-

31. You’re sore after day one at the track.

32. You are surprised to hear that there are other events during the year other than the actual race- Like whaaaaat?

33. You’re a little worried to take your test on the IUSF website.

34. You don’t know how to get to the Little5 website

35. You don’t know what IUSF is….

36. You didn’t know that the IU Soccer field is in the middle of Bill Armstrong Stadium

37. You ride backwards on the track

38. You’re embarrassed to yell out what you’re doing (exchange in turn blah blah, pulling off, etc etc)

39. You think that your daily salad intake will be sufficient enough to support your worn out body during Little 500 season. (Someone get that girl a chicken breast)

40. One of the most important memories of your life to date is putting on your team’s kit for the first time.

41. You don’t know that a trainer is something you put your bike on inside instead of an overly, juiced-up, ex-army sergeant yelling at you to do ten more sit ups

42. Your team has already told you what teams to make sure you look at during Rookie Week (obviously so they are all reassured that they have the best rookies on the track)

43. Early, late , late, early, late, rotation, late, early, (text someone to double check you’re the late) early, early, rotate…. Is constantly going through your head so you know you don’t miss your practice when someone asks you to go do something

44. You have no idea how in the HELL to use your clips and you finally learn how to use them and someone tells you that you aren’t allowed to use them on the track. WTF

45. You fall for the first time and you’re more concerned about yourself than your teammate or Heaven forbid your bike (you know, the thing that HAS TO stay together in perfect condition for you to win the race that you’ve been training for all year)

46. Rain and snow now mean that you will be riding in the rain and mud all afternoon. It no longer gets you excited to wear your sweet new Hunter rainboots.

47. Sunshine is the determining factor to whether or not you will be able to feel your face that day.

48. You don’t realize that you are going to have helmet hair after practice so you don’t bring a hat to wear to your class that you have immediately afterwards… There goes your chance with that hot guy in your W131 class… damn you helmet hair…

49.You’re worried about the tan lines you are going to get from your bike shorts, jersey, track injuries, etc. for Spring Break

50.You have a loss for words when the vets on your team tell you that you have to stop drinking at a certain point and you immediately think three things:

a. Don’t I go to IU?

c. How will I survive?

b. Oh well, I guess I can get really drunk really fast come April 21^st. BRING ON THE KARKOVVVVV

A Season Opener

There are a lot of great things that come with Spring. Flowers, warm weather, Spring Break, and the ever present longing for Summer becomes even more existent. For some of us, it brings Little 500 season. Feeling the cinder crunch under your (more than likely) worn in tennis shoes for the first time feels better than finally getting that green “correct” picture on your Webwork after spending tireless hours on just one problem. What may feel even better than that is when you take your first lap, you finally get up to speed through turn two, and you feel the tiny black sand-like rocks move under the weight of you and your fixed-gear bike. Then you hear, “On your wheel!” “Overlapping left!” “Inside! Inside!” “Exchange in turn one!” And you quickly snap out of your dream-like state and remember you have to come out of your bike-coma and make sure you don’t crash the whole pack of riders racing around you.

The cold air is hitting your face and making your eyes water so that your tears are going straight back into your hairline and you start thinking about pulling out of the pack. You take five more laps, because you just don’t want to stop peddling. Finally, when your face is numb, your esophagus burns, and you just can’t sniffle anymore, you get to the outside, pull off, and catch some cold air where you hoped you would find your breath. You look up and see the pack racing on the back stretch and you tell yourself that you shouldn’t have pulled off- you could have gone at least another five laps. You can’t feel your face anyways right?

Wait until the pack has cleared and you mesh back in, just as if you had never gone to the pits. Bike-Coma again. You hear the people yelling around you and you snap back into the river-like flow that you had just left on your bike-of-a-raft. Turn three comes in fast and the tears are flying back just as fast as they were before, but this time you do the best you can to wipe them off with your padded glove because this time, you’re going those extra five laps- and probably more. “Inside! Inside!” escapes your mouth as you move ahead to the front of the pack where the wind is going to hit you harder, but you don’t care. Sometimes tears come with hard work, and that doesn’t mean they always come from grief, but also from the joy in success.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is nostalgia.

Yesterday IUCC (Indiana University Cycling Club) hosted a women's training race. There were about thirty girls in attendance from various Little 500 teams. We left from the Sample Gates and headed out through Cascades to Old 37. The Forest Loop is about 30 miles; however, we only raced about 13 of those miles. We had a neutral/rolling start on an up hill and then raced through Hoosier Forest and down Bean Blossom to Andersen Rd.

The lead pack quickly pulled away from the main pack of girls at the start. There was a loose pack of about 5-6 riders (sometimes fewer) that I stayed with for the majority of the race. We took turns pulling up front and drafting off of each other to conserve energy. This was my first road race experience where I could utilize drafting. My prior experiences include triathlons where drafting is not allowed- there must be 15 seconds between riders. Regardless, it was definitely nice to take turns pulling and then being able to "recover" in the back. From my rudimentary calculations, I believe I averaged about 17.6 mph during the race. For some reason my Garmin was on auto-lap so it lapped every mile; however, I was able to download the data and glean some rough statistics. Needless to say, the first thing when I got home was to turn the dumb auto-lap off- it also beeped every mile and that was super annoying.

Even though, I wish I could have finished better, it was a great learning experience and made me realize that I have a lot of work ahead of me- which is kind of exciting. There was a wide range of rider ability in our group- ranging from riders that have rode competitively for a few years to rookies who are just trying to learn the ropes. It is cool to know that after I graduate and my time with Little 500 is over, there are still opportunities to be competitive and test one's strength and endurance. Peace out!

Meet The 2012 Ride On Team!

Coach Laura Horvath

Hello!  My name is Laura Horvath, and I am the coach for the lovely ladies of RideOn!  I am extremely honored to take part in assisting these young women in preparing for the World's Greatest College Weekend...the Little 500!

While at IU, I participated in the Little 500, riding in 4 races under the team name Cycledelics.  I graduated with high honors in 2006 with a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation and went on to earn a M.S. in Occupational Therapy from IUPUI in 2009.  I am currently living on the south side of Indianapolis with my dog, Rudy (8 lb mini dachshund), and working at a hospital as an Occupational Therapist (OT).  As an OT, I work with adults (who have had an illness, injury, or disability) to assist them in maximizing their independence and quality of life with daily activities (bathing, dressing, cooking, laundry, etc).  In my free time, I enjoy running, reading, watching movies, traveling, and of course, cycling!

I was introduced to the Little 500 my freshman year of college after transferring second semester to IU from Ball State.  A childhood friend of mine was the assistant coach for a men's Little 500 team, and he invited me to hang out at the Little 5 track so that I could meet more people.  He introduced me to all the riders and explained the race.  I was always really involved in sports growing up (cross country and track since age 9 and swimming from age 7), so I quickly became fascinated with the Little 500!  Since it was too late to join a team, I waited until the summer and bought a bike.  My friend who coached the men's team had some of his riders take me out on the roads of Bloomington.  They informed me there used to be a women's team who trained with them called Cycledelics.  They offered to help me get the team started again so that I could participate in the race.  They also encouraged me to go to rookie rides (rides designed for new people to learn the rules of the road).  At the rookie rides, I met a girl named Bri.  She was an awesome rider for Teter who ended up going on to set track records and become a member of the Little 5 Hall of Fame.  Bri was kind enough to take me under her wing and helped me find more teammates.  That year, my team (Cycledelics) rode with 4 rookies and finished 12th place!  We went on to finish 8th, 10th, and 5th respectively over the rest of my Little 5 career.

Through my 4 years as a rider (2003-2006), I learned a lot about the joys, hardships, and disappointments of the race and of growing up.  The lessons I learned from Little 5 still stick with me to this day as I venture out into the "adult" world.  When I think back on my college career and what led me to where I am today, one thing that stands out as a highlight is participating in the Little 500.  Although I would consider myself an average rider, I was very fortunate to have a lot of success on and off the bike.  My greatest accomplishments included being named team captain for all 4 years of racing, being elected to rider's council for 3 years (veteran riders who assist with safety and education of other riders for the race), serving 1 year as rider's council president, earning a Little 500 Women's Colloquium scholarship, and being named an All-Star rider (MVP) by my peers/competitors.  Now, six years later, I am thrilled to add to my accomplishments being named the coach for RideOn!!!

I am extremely grateful to have such a wonderful, dedicated group of young women to share my experiences and knowledge with for this season.  I can't wait to see all of their hard work pay off throughout the spring!  I have always wanted to give back to the race as much as it gave me, so this season, my goal is to help these amazing women walk away from the race with as much love and passion that I have for it.  I hope they are able to look back on their college career with a smile, and appreciate the honor of being one of 132 women to participate in the Women's 2012 Little 500!!

Kelsey Holder

I'm Kelsey Holder and a junior here at IU. After a lifetime of indecisiveness, I finally settled on the majors of journalism and criminal justice. As for what I want to do after I graduate in a year and a half, what don't I want to do? Travel to every continent, teach skiing in Colorado, write for a magazine, write an ethnography on school systems, combat human trafficking, ride my bike across the United States, write a personal memoir under a pseudonym... I rode in the Little 500 last year and fell in love with everything about its connections to IU tradition and spirit. My bike + IU + a race = the best college experience I could have.

Julia Meek

Hi! I'm Julia Meek, a senior double majoring in Journalism and Italian Studies. Originally from Bloomington, IL, I made my way to IU-Bloomington, IN after falling in love with the campus and the programs offered here. Sophomore year, I had the opportunity to ride with the Collins Little 500 team and I have the scars to prove it. Riding in the Little 500 was an incredible experience that I would not  trade for the world. Junior year, I studied abroad for an academic year in Bologna, Italy. I was able to cheer on the newly formed SAA team via skype and talk with the team throughout the season. I am very excited to see what the team is able to accomplish this year!

Morgan Smith

Ciao! I'm Morgan Smith, a sophomore majoring in Journalism and Anthropology. Currently attempting to learn Italian, my dream job is to write and travel with National Geographic. Born and raised a Hoosier, I have been around everything IU since I can remember. After transferring home to IU from Syracuse University, I immediately joined RideOn where I fell in love with the girls and the track. After all the amazing memories from last year, I can't wait to see RideOn compete this spring! 

Danielle Thoe

My name is Danielle Thoe, I am a Senior from Plymouth, Michigan. I am majoring in Public Management at SPEA with a minor in Art History and an Urban Studies Certificate. Currently I'm working as a Teaching Assistant for a couple of SPEA classes, as a transportation planning intern for Campus Bus, and serving as President of IU's Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter. After graduation in May I will be attending graduate school for dual master degrees in Urban Planning and Public Policy. This is my 3rd year riding Little 500, but due to my extremely lengthy (and ridiculous) injury history I haven't yet made it to race day. So this is my Senior year, my last shot. I continue riding because the culture behind this race, the experiences I've had, and the people I've met training for it have been incredible!! Now I just need to take that last jump to be on a bike on race day! 

Molly Carroll

Hi!  My name is Molly Carroll and I am from the tiny town of Shelbyville, IN.  I am a Junior majoring in SPEA Management, getting a certificate in Journalism, and minoring in Communications!  I am a Bartender at the Bluebird, so if you’re 21 and feeling a little thirsty, come see me! I am the director of intramurals and IUDM for Committee of the Whole for the Student Alumni Association.  In my free time that barely exists, I like to go skydiving, travel, go geocaching, riding, and hiking with my overly affectionate Boxer/ Mastiff pup, Beau.  This is my first year riding with RideOn and I couldn’t be more excited! 

Mary Horton

Hello! My name is Mary Horton and I am a senior from Fort Wayne, Indiana majoring in psychology. I grew up riding my bike and I have fond memories of scraping gravel out of wounds due to a propensity to fall and crash. One fall day I was feeling particularly nostalgic for these times and decided to take up cycling. It then seemed natural for me to join a Little 500 team so I didn't have to ride alone and change flats by myself. As a result, I have developed a sincere passion for cycling and am more than stoked for Rookie Week to commence. I'd like to note that the friendships and camaraderie that I have developed with my teammates has been added benefit, though one that I certainly did not expect. My additional hobbies include tennis, underwater basket weaving, trainer workouts, spinach smoothies, and Mario Kart. Currently, I am engaging in a bidding war on eBay to purchase two additional Nintendo 64 controllers for use after prohibition. I cannot wait to take part in one of the nation's most prestigious college traditions. 

Helen Han

Hey! My name is Helen Han. I’m a junior majoring in Economics with minors in Spanish, Mathematics and Psychology. I like turtles, Harry Potter, and coffee, and enjoy drawing graphs for my economics classes.

 I’ve been cycling since summer 2008, and this is my second year as a part of RideOn. I was never a competitive person.  However, after riding in last year’s race, all I could think about was Little 500. I’m so excited for the rookies to go through this amazing experience, and can’t wait to see RideOn’s presence on the track as a returning team.

Cycling and I have love-hate relationship. I always think about how much I hate riding my bike during my ride, but the next day, I can’t wait to hit the road again. It’s called “Cycling Amnesia.” I only remember the good things! This is why, after countless accidents, lots of freezing weather, bruises from exchanges, and taking cinders out of my legs with a needle, I’m still a part of RideOn. 

Laura Bliss

Hey everyone!  My name is Laura Bliss, I am senior studying Communication and Culture, and this will be my 2nd year riding for RideOn.  Originally from St. Louis, MO, I grew up attending summer camp where I would go on bicycle tour trips that lasted anywhere from 5 days to 3+ weeks at a time.  My involvement on the Committee of the Whole with the Student Alumni Association has been the brightest highlight of my college experience, so combining that with my love of biking was an obvious choice last year when the team was created.  This year I have the honor of serving as a member of Riders Council, where my job is to serve to teach and inspire new Little 500 riders and act as a liaison between IUSF and the Little 500 community.  I love everything about Little 500: the great tradition, the competition, the excuse to explore Bloomington, and, of course, my amazing teammates.  I'm excited to see all of our hard work pay off this spring!

Plug Out Challenge!!

This past Saturday RideOn competed in our first pre-Little 500 team event, the Plug Out Challenge!! During this event, put together by IUSA and IUSF, we rode on bikes that are plugged into the wall. During a workout they turn the rider's mechanical energy into electrical energy, which is then fed back into the grid. Not only do these bikes provide a great workout, they reduce energy bills and make the SRSC more sustainable! The Plug Out challenge measured the wattage output of all competing teams and the team with the highest output would WIN!

On the day of the event Mary and I went to the SRSC in the morning to scope out our competition and try to form a strategy. There were 11 women's teams scheduled to compete and we wanted to make a name for ourselves! During each team's 18 minute set, all 4 riders must take the bike (only) once. This means we would all be riding the same bike, and although three of our team's scheduled riders were about the same size and could ride at the same seat height, I am a shorty and needed a different size. In watching other teams we realized that many precious seconds are lost in the time it takes riders to adjust the seat up or down, so we decided to get rid of that problem!! Our strategy, from here on referred to as "The Thoe," was for the person getting onto the bike (tall person) to begin her set standing, while the person getting off the bike (me) would adjust the seat height. We would only adjust the height once and would have almost zero down-time. Brilliant!

When we got to the SRSC to check in, a handful of women's teams had already completed their runs, the leader-board showed Teter in the lead putting out an incredible average of 261 watts! In second was Army Women with 207, followed by Kappa Delta with 206 watts. Clearly our work was cut out for us. After checking in Laura, Mary, Molly, and I were given a 20 minute warm up period to get all those big muscles on our legs fired up. We did a few practice runs of "The Thoe" and posed for some beautiful pictures.

We decided that I would ride first, followed by Laura and then Molly, each of us doing 4 minute sets; Mary was charged with finishing out the remaining 6 minutes of our 18 minute set. At least that was the plan. At the event's start, we were not allowed to begin pedaling the bike that our wattage was being recorded on, so when time started and I tried to pedal I was in for a rude surprise. The frat guy pedaling before me might have been a bit stronger than I and he had the resistance dialed up incredibly high. Just to get my legs spinning I was cranking out 350 watts of power...not good for the rest of my 4 minute set. After 3:30 I was feeling the effects of my start and called Laura over to jump on, she got on and pedaled away as I completed "The Thoe." Laura beasted through her 4 minutes before calling to Molly to hop on. Molly spun away for 3:45 before Mary jumped on. With over 6:30 left on the clock, and no possibility to switch riders again, Mary was left to power out the remainder of our time. And that she did!! With lots of encouragement from the rest of us, and legs of steel, Mary chewed up that 6:30 like it was nothing.

After those exhausting 18 minutes were finished the lovely IUSA gentleman quickly looked at our wattage, 227! That was good enough to slot us in at second right behind Teter. As we moved over to the cool down station we were all feeling pretty good about the numbers we had just laid down. Not only that, but we had just put out a higher wattage than two teams that finished higher than us in last year's race!

Throughout the final few teams of the evening, Delta Gamma did manage to knock us down to 3rd place, but that's still a result we're SUPER proud of. We beat some really good teams, and based on how tired we all were the rest of the night, we definitely left everything we had on the bike!!

Plug Out final standings:

Hilly Hundred 2011

October brings out the best things in life: pumpkins, pretty leaves, the smell of crisp autumn air, and sweatshirts.
It also brings out one of my favorite annual events: the Hilly Hundred.

The Hilly first began in June 1968 with only 54 riders touring central Indiana. It has since evolved down to Greene, Monroe and Owen Counties with its main headquarters in Ellettsville, Ind., and houses over 5,000 riders from all over the world. The nonprofit organization Central Indiana Bicycling Association (CIBA) sponsors the Hilly and raises funds for bike safety education, bicycle awareness, and promoting the health, recreational, economic, social and cultural benefits of cycling.

This year was my second year riding in the Hilly. In 2010, my dad assured me I'd be A-OKAY riding even though I hadn't ridden since early July. I went out on that Saturday morning, chilly but excited. By the end of the day, I told my dad, "Dad, my muscles aren't attached to my bones!"
The hills are excruciating and amazing. I felt weak all of Sunday and couldn't walk down my apartment's stairs, let alone ride a bike for 50 more miles.

2011 brought a new outlook on the ride though. After completing plenty of lengthy bike rides, I promoted the Hilly to my RideOn teammates and begged them to join. Helen, Morgan and our new teammate Mary Horton came along on Saturday. My dad and I met up with the girls and road 58 miles.

Morgan and Mary had never ridden it before and were dumbfounded by all of the bikes, food, and events that carried on throughout the day. Helen rode the Hilly in high school with her deCycles group and saw her old companions along the way.

Once the ride ended and we were safely in Ellettsville again, the five of us trudged over to the giant tent in the front parking lot of Edgewood High School to receive our free ice cream and shop for all of the great deals on cycling gear.

As if the cycling atmosphere and spandex shorts weren't enough for us, we were lucky enough to have one of the most beautiful October days of the year. Sunny and blue, we rode against the wind, up hills, and through winding roads.

Although the day was amazing, none of RideOn made it out for the second half of the ride on Sunday. Dad, of course, did because he's awesome like that. I, instead, rested and went shopping with my mom while we waited for Daddy to finish.

The best thing about bicycles, though, isn't the riding or beautiful views. We build a community of riders. A common group who love to ride. And I bet, I bet my left pinky toe, that no rider could ever explain in words the joy he or she receives from getting out on the road.

The Dynasty Starts Tonight

My dad always makes fun of my because I say that I love everyone. I always respond by saying that I just have a lot of love to give. And the love I have for these two women is enough to make me tear-up as I write this. These women were the backbone of the team and frequently went without the praise they deserved. Without them RideOn would not have been such a rich experience and I would be a lesser person.

Exploratory

We found Morgan at a callout, she claimed she had never ridden a bike before bbut was still interested. I remember texting her saying ‘Well if you want to ride you need to come to practice today.’ And she showed up, jumped on a stationary bike and told us that she had just transferred from Syracuse. She was painfully quiet and I wasn’t sure what to think of her the first few times we interacted. She seemed like a nice enough girl but I wasn’t able to get to know her very well. I remember her telling me that she didn’t need to ride that year; she was just testing out the waters. I was selfishly happy she said this because it meant we would have one less broken heart come race day. I went on a retreat with another organization and randomly ran into Morgan’s boyfriend’s roommate who assured me she was a great girl but that life at Syracuse hadn’t been much fun.

Time passed and Morgan wasn’t able to be with us on spring break but by this time she was getting rave reviews from all our other teammates. When I finally had enough time to give to little five I met a Morgan who wasn’t even recognizable as the girl at the first practice. This Morgan was loud, hilarious and full of joy. It was impossible to go to practice with her and not become a little bit more obsessed with her. Laura would always recount tales of how awesome she was when she would give me track updates. Morgan became my role model, she showed up every day knowing she wasn’t racing with a positive attitude and the will to improve. I loved watching her in ITTs and Miss-n-Out and hanging out with her at various team dinners. The night before the race she declared her major after a couple months of exploration and I have never seen a happier person. As we sat in Danielle’s front lawn she assured all of us that the race was going to be great and she was going to be standing right behind us the whole time.

After we finished the 100th lap on race day she jumped over the fence and hugged all of us. I can’t remember what she said to all of us right then but I know we were all crying. She gave our team light and hope through it all and became a woman I am eternally grateful to call a friend. She will be a rider again next year and a director in SAA and I know I will continue to look to her as a role model of humility and positivity. I think all the women of RideOn would agree with me when I say that Morgan Smith truly was the backbone of our team. And she will have me bawling next year when I get to see her ride, so get excited for the longest and tightest hug you have ever gotten girl.

5 AM Spring Break Workout

It is impossible to know Trish and not be inspired by her. There are so many reasons to be. She has a grace and poise about her as she works with 100s of students a year that puts us all at ease. She has the ability to challenge us to be better version of ourselves without coming off as cruel or overbearing. And in the last year if you have watched her transform her body, losing over 150 pounds, through hard work, dedication and self-sacrifice you can’t help but stand in awe.

I like to think I have more reasons than most to be inspired by her. She is the only reason my dream of creating RideOn came to fruition. Without her I probably wouldn’t have gotten to ride again and 100s of students, families and fans wouldn’t have been able to experience the fun and passion of the Little 500 season. She helped us build a budget, create Rider’s agreements, and start a tradition of service to the community and alumni association.

But she did more than that for me. She helped me be the captain that my team needed. I spent many afternoons in Trish’s office asking her for advice on interpersonal conflicts, how to challenge riders and how to bring RideOn together. We had many discussions about where we wanted to go with the team and how excited she was for the race and to see us all ride. Through it all she was constantly supportive and encouraging, she gave me the confidence to make decisions for the team and stand behind them. She taught me what being a leader really meant and pulled me outside of my comfort zone as a friend and teammate. The joy she had about being our official timer on race day was unmatched by any of our fans. It is truly remarkable the amount of time, energy and love she gave to us all. None of us will ever forget that.

Next year Trish can get excited for text messages and phone calls haranguing her to go on rides with us or pressuring her into racing in the alumni ride. Even though her role with the team will change, I know she will still be our backbone. I can’t imagine going to ITTs in the freezing

cold next year if she isn’t shouting ‘The dynasty starts tonight” right beside me. I hope that for many years of riders to come her legacy, one of dedication, poise and absolute fairness will live on in the captain each year.

Without these women I can’t imagine how different not only RideOn would have been but my life as well. I am lucky that neither of them plans on escaping Bloomington anytime soon and I can’t wait for many more bike rides, meals and fun together. So thanks ladies!

One Month Later

It is amazing to think that a little over a month ago I was standing on the track at Bill Armstrong Stadium waiting for the race to begin and the clouds to part (sadly the second part never happened). I had the time of my life on the track that day. Isaac was actually mad at me for smiling too big at one point. Having the opportunity to ride in the Little 500, something so unique to Indiana University, is awe-inspiring and thrilling. To race for RideOn and represent the Student Alumni Association was a true honor and to share that with 6 of my best girl friends was so amazingly joyous.

For those of you who were at the race you saw the outpouring of love that we all share as a team. The cinders embedded in our legs, the sweat, the tears and the calories we left on the track unite us all. However, RideOn shares more than that. We are proud to say we built our team from scratch. Over a year ago I brought this idea to the Student Alumni Association. We wanted to create a tradition in the organization of having a competitive cycling squad. But I don’t think any of us imagined what creating a team meant.

There were definitely times when I never thought we would get to the track. I remember one evening in particular completely breaking down in the middle of a solo ride and screaming at two plastic lawn ornaments. Telling them that it would make my life so much easier if they could transform into Danielle and Laura who were out of the state and the country at the time. We ironically took a picture with these deer on another fateful day months later.

But with second semester came new hope. Blake and Nate created a committee who built a huge team of support around us. Then Laura and Danielle came back, Helen stuck with us and Morgan and Kelsey fell into our laps all in a matter of weeks. Laura taught all the girls how to have confidence on the track while our SAA team designed t-shirts, put on events and kept me sane. It seemed like we would finally get to the race. I don’t think I will ever be so relieved as the day we qualified for the race. I remember looking Laura straight in the eyes and saying, “Shit, I didn’t think we were going to do that on the first time.” The two of us finally took a breath.

But through the stress and the uncertainty, a team was born. A group of random girls came together on the track. We learned exchanges, how to push each other and how to instantly make each other’s day. But more importantly we created a tradition. There will always be girls wearing red and black cycling jackets during spring break in Bloomington training to represent SAA. Those girls feel the pain of a hard workout, the joy of racing and the fun of being hit on by multiple guy’s teams since all the other IU females are in Panama City, just as we did.

We can’t fully begin to appreciate what we were a part of and what RideOn will mean to us going forward. I do know one thing is certain; you better bet that I will be wearing my RideOn jacket to many more Little 500s. I am sure I will cry with joy like I did on race day when I watch Claire Bliss ride (no pressure) and hopefully many years from now when I see my own daughter take the track. One thing I know for sure is that I will be a Little 500 alum and a founding member of RideOn forever and there are few things I will ever be more proud of.