I couldn’t see Candance the entire race, but I learned later that she was right behind me.  She hung in there very well for the first 4 laps, but got stuck behind the yo-yo-ing at the back of the crowd and had to keep working hard trying to catch the pack.  Eventually that burned her out.  That made me wonder how teams know where everyones at.  I never knew where she was the whole time.

I stayed with the pack until the end.  I sat in through the entire race and watched the teams work.  I listened to what they said to each other, watched how they pulled in a break, and watched how they tried to support breaks (by the way, I didn’t think any of the teams were organized enough to be at the front and block for a girl on on break).  I thought the actual effort of the race was minimal.  I tried to make one break in the last lap because I had so much energy, but I probably went too hard and gave up too easily.  I was surprised at how lonely you feel all of a sudden when you go off the front.  You really get used to how easy it is in the pack and the security of having everyone around you.  All of sudden your alone and exposed and you know your getting chased.  After I got pulled back in,  I sat back and recovered.  I tried to position myself around one of the girls from the Lee-McCrae Team who I knew had to be their sprinter.  I’d ridden with her before and had pretty good idea what her strengths were.  I wanted to be where she was and watch how she moved up at the end of the race.  I was able to easily move up in the last half mile.  I finished the last hill about five back with nothing in front of me.  I could make a million excuses for myself, but the bottomline is, I didn’t go for it.  I stayed in my seat and peddled as hard as I could, but that didn’t comptete with the ladies who stood up and hammered.  I lost that race the second I knew I’d have to sprint.  I was 8th in the Cat 4 category.  I was dissappointed in myself for having so much left and not giving it my all in the end.

Lastly,  thoughout the race I saw a lot of teams working together and controlling the race.  I made an assumption that they were higher categories only to find at the end of the race that they were cat 4 teams.  That was a wake up call to me that it’s time for us to really start working together.  I feel good about the strength of our team, now we need to fine tune some skills and start working together.

Most importantly, my biggest fear was not realized.  I did not hate racing.  I had a lot a fun and I’m excited to go back today and do it again.

I watched The Juniors finish and can say they finished first and second by a pretty good gap.  No cameras needed!
-Jody Mcfarland
AVS/Deltec Womans Racing Team (sponsored by BioWheels)

These are not trails unfamiliar to me, in fact I rode 83% of the ride only 2 weeks prior. So why…why…why was I soooo nervous??? I laid awake for most of the night; when I actually did slip into REM my dreams took every wrong turn on the ORAMM route…why was my head in such turmoil over this??? Breakfast was just not going to happen either…I managed to get some breakfast drink down and compensated my lack of appetite with a gu and started on my Perpetuem drink early. Chris & I arrived in plenty of time to get situated…chat amongst The Misfits…visit the port-a-john waaaaay too many times (at least waiting in line gave me something productive to do) Finally, time to line up with the rest of the crowd and embark on what is known as the hardest ride in WNC….

GO!!!! I manage to stay with the Misfits, drafting…chatting…calming nerves that had
inexplicitly taken over. We turned up our first gravel road where I latched onto Mr. Stone’s rear wheel…not sure if he was so happy about this…he kept looking to see if I was still hanging on! And, yep! I was gonna hang on for as long……ARRRG!!!!!!! MY GLASSES!!! *%$#@#$% NOT AGAIN….I dropped my lenses! See ya boys… (I must get duct tape and secure those things to my head before the next big ride!)

Back on my bike struggling to make up for lost time. We are then directed to a surprise bit of single-track which happens to be a conga line of hike-a-bikers. I snag my place in line right behind out-of-towner local Cory…we babble our way to the top catching up with mindless chatter wishing we were actually ON our bikes pedaling away. At this point I feel compelled to mention that I was once again behind Mr. Stone…of course that would not be the case as soon as the hill began its negative elevation change.

Down a quick grassy trail and onto Kitsuma for the first time…I knew this would be mostly hike-a-bike due to congestion, but I was thrilled to see very few people which allowed me to ride more than I thought. The first bit of downhill is a bit sketchy so I opted for the voluntary dismount to play it on the safe side…then, woooohooooo I love this trail! I had loaded my pockets with treats and still had a heavy camelback so I whizzed on by the first aid station. The climb up the base of Heartbreak was a tough one for me…I just could not seem to get my breath and heart rate at a steady pace so I walked quite a bit of this, it was getting annoying but I knew there was still plenty of pedal time left to do! Star Gap is a new trail for me (I have only done it once in the pre-ride) but it sure is fun! But short! The loooong grassy (apparently named Never Ending Road) was next and NOT a pleasure for me!!! The long loose gravely descent is by far not one of my strong points! I think I used up a lot of brake pad on this one…

Curtis Creek…everyone’s nemesis! At the base I was greeted with camelback fill-er-uppers, Advil-suppliers, electrolyte-freebies and great words of encouragement…off I go to climb the infamous Curtis Creek Road! OH wait…campground toilet…must visit!!! Whew…at the top I was greeted again with the gracious camelback fill-r-upper Wes from his own stash while the diligent Kassi was on a water-run. Chatted a bit with Lela from Biowheels as I dug into my stash of goodies and spent way too long (once again) scarfing down some chicken noodle soup (thanks Megan, it worked great!) and loaded up on some electrolytes and another breakfast drink…mmmm, strawberry!!! I was back to huffin’ along up the dreaded parkway (this is MY nemesis!!! It brought me to tears on the pre-ride…I was not giving in to it this time…nope!) Hoofed up the rather pretty little hike-a-bike to the top of Heartbreak!!! Wooooohooooo….now we are on….our….way!!!! NARF!!!!! What is it??? Why can’t I lay off the brakes??? GO Laurie GO….what is wrong with you???? Something in my exhausted brain is making me go SLOW!!!!! Oh good…someone is behind me! Just the little push I need to get up some speed…I pull over to let him by after what (to him) seemed like eternity only to pass him again while he answers nature’s call…hehe!!! AAAHHHH….as I cross the stream I know I am almost done and feeling good! I stop at the last stop to replenish the water portion of my camelback (I had 2 bladders, one with Perpetuem & one with water…worked great and kept me plenty nourished!) Climb the last gravel road and hit Kitsuma for the last time (managed to ride several switchbacks…yippy!! And yep, I walked the sketchy part again for fear of injuries) then found something inside me that I had lost on Heartbreak…SPEED!!! I pop out at the bottom and hit the pavement with a vengeance…1 mile and I have accomplished a ride I have been working up to for a year!!! I finished (well under my goal) at 9 hours and 34 minutes…a respectable time for an overcautious-gotta-pace-myself-spend-too-much-time-at-aid-stations kinda gal!

Chris finished 8 hours 6 minutes …good job sweetie!!!

On our way home I swore this ride off…nope…never again! I came, I saw, I completed…no more to do here!!! HA!!!! As I sit here and recall the day I remember the moments I could have done better…relish the feeling of accomplishment…say to myself “maybe I will do again???”

Obsession…gotta love it!!!

‘Getting girled’ is the latest in bike racing jargon from the man-pack. Admittedly, I know little of the history of strong women in cycling. My basis for discussion is simply emperical. Many years ago, only a few elite females could hand it to the guys. The lead pack of a road race was seldom anything but a sausage fest. In the dirt, even the Pro women were seldom pulling faster times in than the men’s Expert field. But women’s competition was marginal at the local and regional level in the midwest and SE US. Still, many men have blown themselves up to avoid being ‘girled’.

Before anybody finds any reason to be offended by the phrase ‘getting girled’, let me explain that it is a great thing. Moreover, ‘Getting womanned’ is just too hard to say.

In the mid-90’s thousands of women like Amanda McKay, Trish Stevenson & Karen Masson (now a mom!) got into the packs with the men, put up with our attitudes and egos, and perservered. In the new millenium, these grassroots heroines are huge players in the bike racing scene. They are inspiring all riders, shattering the glass ceiling of the male-dominated sport.

In 2003, I had the opportunity to ride the Shenandoah Mtn 100 with Trish S. I was in pretty good shape at the time and expected to finish in the top 10%. About 30 miles in, Trish grabbed my wheel, and we worked together for the next 30 miles or so. She probably did most of the work. Eventually, she pulled away on a long singletrack climb. I never saw her again. Damn, it made me smile. She won the women’s category with a big margin, and I made it into the top 10% of the robust field about 20 minutes back. (This was my first time at being ‘girled’. Frankly, it was a turn-on.)

Personally, I think this strong woman phenomonon kicks-ass. Maybe it is just because I love the balance women bring to the scene. Maybe its because they smell better than the guys. Maybe its because I own a bike shop and know that stong woman are growing our sport. Maybe its because I was raised in house full of women, and have a daughter. Maybe its because I enjoy watching guys wrestle with humility and their personal demons. For whatever reason, I have no choice but to look forward to ‘getting girled’ more often.

Show the world what you’ve got, ladies!

I liked the thrill of the miles I could cover and continued to meet friends through riding with Robin (my boss). She had me pulling up the Parkway, riding the Ox Creek Plunge, and pressing around the Two Toe River Ride in Burnsville. Robin was riding for the “fellas” at Bio Wheels and I took frequent side trips to the shop and started meeting others to ride with. Eric Krause took me on an amazing ride in Saluda, NC that finished with a 22-mile uphill “death march” through the Watershed and various other rides. I had completed a few century rides and couldn’t decide if I was doing this to fill a void, ride behind men with nice butts or for the scenery. Then I went Mtn Biking and everything became clear.

This is where the real relationship began. The thrill of going downhill was like no other. Although slower on an Mtn Bike, especially on the uphill, I realized that there would most always be a downhill after the uphill and that was where I felt alive. So, like most of us do, I dove in head- first and purchased my first full suspension Mountain Bike. I couldn’t get enough. I was riding with various people with varying skills who really made me realize that you have to ride to get better so that is what I did. I rode as much a possible with encouragement from family and friends.I rode right in to the fall with hopes of jumping back on my bike this spring and feeling like I did the previous season. That was creative reality and a false perception of what truly lied ahead.

My shoulder got better so I started back kayaking. Pulling back from these wonderful people who had encouraged me to ride and who had been supportive. Although my winter travels took me across Central America where the whitewater kayaking through the jungles and the surf were breathtaking, I was missing something. The all over body buzz from a hard afternoon ride, the Friday night hack sessions over local brewed beers at the shop. The conversations with Amber and Matt, into the late night hours of the night, on any subject we could think of to talk about that infected our world. I realized that I had made bonds with good people and made memories that had become embroidered in my mind. I have this same feeling with my circle of whitewater friends, the biggest difference was I was using my lungs (gaining endurance) and strengthening my legs.

So I approached Matt (my kindred spirited friend) and I relayed to him that after reading his wife’s articles on the website, that I wanted my “fellas” back and I wanted to get back on my bike. He arranged for Amber and I to go on our first road ride of the season. Pushing a 45- mile marker, we giggled, and realized that maybe the winter didn’t totally ruin us. We decided to make our weekly rides more intense and more frequent. Riding for 1 hour, then two. You see it was happening again, the comradery, the very essence that had previously attracted me to this particular sport. “I have a hurt shoulder!” ” I am over 30!” “I have severe asthma and I hate up-hills!” I could make up a hundred reasons why I shouldn’t be Mtn Biking but then it all comes back to the single fact that the people I ride with are healthy, happy and successful individuals.

I was having such a grand time riding that I decided to plan my summer vacation around my bike. The question now was which bike. Would I Mtn Bike out west or road ride the east coast? I played with all my options and still in deliberation I decided to summer tour across Alaska. I mentioned this to Matt, one Friday night at the shop, and he talked to me for hours about touring and set me in the direction for my planning process. Little did I realize that somehow, that process had me joining the Bio Wheels racing team. A bit skeptical, I went to the Bio Wheels Team meeting at the Asheville Pizza Company. I listened to why people were there and it was all the same reasons that I wanted to get back with this group of riders. I voiced to Matt that “support” to the team was my main interest because I had done “support” the year before. (taking photos, carrying water and beers for the riders) Well, for those of you who know Matt, understand that “no” really isn’t in his vocabulary and he could possibly talk the bark off a tree. Secretly enjoying the support he gave me and accepting the challenge, I made arrangements to go on weekly rides with Amber and Kristi. (Bio Wheels riders)

The first few rides were probably the most entertaining. Laughing, taking frequent breaks and getting to know each other, I really felt like I was becoming a part of something meaningful. We started running together in the evenings, and riding together on a routine like schedule.

After talking about some upcoming races the three of us decided to enter the beginners’ race at Knobscorcher April 12th. This brings us to recent history. Friday April 11th rolled around and I decide to go up like I was going to race. (still not sure) Kristi, Kirt, Amber, Hyla and myself drove up to a beautiful setting at our cabin. Matt and Scott had already started a fire (weather was still cold from the snow storm the day before) we entered the cabin and the fun began. We all started creating rap songs about racing and being 30 years old and pulling out our best break-dancing moves. Then Matt showed up and showed us that he could have been the Cincinnati Street Break Dancing Olympic Hopeful back in his day. (nice moves!) The ladies then took off on a run (what turned into an accidental 1-½ hour run which was not recommended the day before a race) as other teammates arrived we watched the sun set, drank an Amber Lager (French Broad River Brewing Beers) and hacked until we couldn’t see the ball any longer. The question of the night buzzing around my cabin was, “Are you racing?” We wrapped up the night with a group yoga session and set off to get some sleep. My eyes were bugging out of my head, (it could have been all the beers I had consumed), but whatever the reason I was nervous and excited about the mornings events.

Race morning arrived and I awoke to the beautiful sunrise and smiling faces. Wolfing down coffee and bacon on my way out the door to the registration post, my stomach was rumbling fierce fully. (After making numerous trips to the porta- potty (mental note to self; don’t drink a six- pack before a race)) we approached the starting line giggling to each other as officials were asking us questions about logistics revolving around the race. I, myself, had never riding Tsali so I was completely oblivious to what was taking place. I spoke to Erica, the lady to my right, and heard words of nervousness at the starting line. I made the comment aloud, “Ladies, lets ride like it’s an afternoon ride.” And we were off.
All my memories from playing tennis and swimming as a child came racing back to me as the crowd clapped and cheered us up the first climb. I climbed away and zigzagged off into single track. I held first place for a good while and proceed to misjudge a mud pit at the base of a climb. I fell. I fell into the mud (my first endo) and could hear folks yelling for me to get up and out of the way. (Note to self: always pay attention to how many people pass you and what color jerseys you now have to catch up with) I jumped back on my bike, knowing I had fallen on my bad shoulder and continued to catch up with the ladies who had passed me. It was exciting, thrilling, and scary all at once. (I stopped at the bails of hay, (which wasn’t the finish line)) I had to start again and complete the race. This was a task because my bike had been stuck in 3rd gear for a while because my chain came off twice (I realized then that I had a lot to learn about riding bikes). Nonetheless, the race was over and Christy, Amber and I had finished our first race. We were smiling from ear to ear. Our teammates seemed more than satisfied with the results. There were 18 racers there from Bio Wheels and the most important part of this team was the support from Chris Wode, Justin’s dad, Ben’s wife and many others. They took time getting us fired up and making everything delightful. We were a presence at this place and it showed. I had found “that feeling” again. This was a place of acceptance. I liked these people, the ladies around me in the race, the judges, and spectators. It was a good feeling and I felt proud. Today is another day. I will go out to Bent Creek and run my 30- minute run and ride my hour ride. I will continue to plan my trek across Alaska. And I will continue to drink beers and hack at Bio Wheels in the evenings. I will grow as an individual and share what I have experienced and learned along my way. I plan on sending journals for you to read while I am venturing across this Grizzly terrain in Alaska. I will look back and remind myself what these “fellas” and “ladies” have done for me in a time of major self- transitioning. Thanks to those “ladies” and thanks to those “fellas” for keeping it real and making riding a fun thing to do.

Here is a great picture from the archive.