Throwin' Back

It's amazing how much we change and grow within 6 years of our lives. No matter what age. As my week of travel goes from St Louis, to Indy, and now to Lindsey Wilson College, I can reminisce on everything like it was just yesterday.

The day I moved to Kentucky for the first time that was it. I drove my '97 Jeep down, bikes loaded up and ready to ride. It was raining when I left Wisconsin, and raining at LWC when u arrived. I think about where I was as a racer and a person. Wow.. 3 years past at LWC, and after a lot of college living, drinks, rowdiness, and playing bikes, I had grown out of LWC.

In 2010 I transferred to Lindenwood University in St Louis. Excellent cycling program, great school, a mountain hike team that had never been to nationals, and no women on the team. That first year at LU was hard transitioning. My graduation in 2011 couldn't come fast enough. Until it came. After about a year off I realised how much support I've received over the years from each school and decided to go back for my MBA. Now we have a solis womens team, many podium places, and are sending a mountain bike team to nationals for the 3rd time since I've been there.

We change as riders, students, but our programs change as well. As I drive through the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, so many memories fill the air.

This weekend LWC hosts the MWCCC Regional Championship MTB races. Until I'm back in classes I can't race, so offering my support is all I can do. Keep an eye out for our Lindenwood riders all over in the results. From track, cross, MTB all the way to road and BMX.

Mizzou Collegiate Race Weekend

While many know I was headed back to Lindenwood University to start my Graduate degree, I also gladly took on the role to be a GA for the cycling team.

I had planned on sticking around up north until the end of September, but with a shortage of coaching staff for our cycling team I was thrilled when our coach called to ask if I could take the mountain bike team to Mizzou.

While he is currently down in Texas with our track team...who are racking up some hardware to bring back!...I am resting after finishing up with day one of the MTB racing. But I hate to fool everyone, I was not racing. Not until I an a full-time student will I be eligible. But it was great helping the team with the cross country and downhill races today. The team is awesome and there is a lot of talent!

Tomorrow we have short track in the morning, followed by dual slalom to wrap up the weekend's events.

Rather eventful, but not on my own racing spectrum. Being around this though is just as great!

The Lost Blogger

I think it is safe to say that this blogger has been lost...maybe in limbo. I will need to revamp...redesign...rethink...re...something.

As I start a new chapter in my life in October, which almost is leaving off where this blog left off, I feel that I could use a refresher and therefore continue my blogging. I will be back in the land of WiFi connections and excitement. Back to bike races, drinking, and books. I'm headed back to school!

Yes, I said it. School. Back to school to complete my Graduate Degree and M.B.A. I am happy with that decision, and now that I have finally found an app on my iPhone which can help me stay in touch, maybe I will do so.

Stay tuned for a refreshing new look and a refreshing new me!

Coming Soon

For Sale: Specialized P.3 Dirtjumper

Selling my 2007 Specialized P.3 Dirtjumper for "dirt" cheap.
MRSP at the time was $1700. Only been ridden by 125lb me. So I am looking pretty cheap. Need to get rid of it and make a few extra bucks. No offer is too cheap...well...maybe


Specs are all pretty much the same as stock, so take a look, make me an offer. Let me know!

lukas_sarah@hotmail.com

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=07PBikes

Progressive Hardtail
The 'P' in 'P.Bikes' doesn't stand for "Pretty". No fluff and no sparkly stuff. Just bombproof rides that mix advanced technology and top-shelf materials with geometry proven in the street, park and dirt.

You study physics on eight-packs, quarter pipes and off random walls down empty streets on the wrong side of the tracks. You need a bike that's not afraid of to take a few tumbles and learn a few lessons on the dark side of the street. So we created the P.Series.

The P.3 can ride it all, but is most at home on the dirt, whether jumping or freeriding hardtail-style.

Gateway Cup Part Deux (cyclocross)

2 great races in St Louis. Gateway Cup and Gateway Cross Cup. Really had a lot of fun at them, and the courses and crowds were great! My legs, not so great. Thanks to both promoters for setting up amazing races.

After having a rocky fall season I thought what better than to throw myself into a small UCI cross field. It seemed like a great idea. So did wearing Owen's longsleeve skinsuit since I never got mine. A bit baggy, but we make it work.



After racing my....erm...cross bike at Gateway Cup it needed some tuning up from my crash. In a last minute attempt to fix I wanted to race in St. Louis, and it was anything but glorious. I'll admit, being able to see Ashley James again was uplifting, and her support helped me out a lot. She's a true person and it was good to have a spirit like hers around again.

Off the line I was struggling. UCI officials were on my about my tire size. "No, they really are 32mm tires." I tried to tell him and he did not want any explanation.

"You will need to get those check out, now roll up."

Ugh. Pit in my stomach as I rolled up to the second and last row of our starting order. A bit out of it I tried to peak my way around to see the start light which would tell us to go. Seriously? I can't even see it. With such a small group, a strong start it crucial. I guess the light must've turned green because we are going!

I am sure I blew out a knee from spinning so fast. My chain dropped from the big ring and thought I was too weak to go back up. What did I ever do to it to defy my wishes? Maybe it was pissed I had raced it on the road and crashed it numerous times. Understandable.

From there, the race only got worse. Caught up in a crash on a tight turn didn't help. I once heard a saying, others have excuses, but I have my reasons why. I definitely am not sure if mine are true reasons, just a long list of excuses why I felt miserable.

Not only was that race an embarrassment, but I did get a nice payout. I felt like it was consolation payout...Nice try. Better luck in 4 years when your muscles develop.

So, with an exhausted set of legs I try to recover for my first collegiate mountain bike race coming up this next weekend.

Gateway Cup the Original

Losing myself in something other than blogging my updates have been weak. Maybe it is because I do not have too much to update on. Left Boulder, Colorado and back in the Midwest. I am currently in St. Louis, MO. Maybe not the most ideal location to be at the moment, but it will do.

Labor Day weekend was the annual Gateway Cup. 4 days of crit racing in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, my 4 days were short lived only completing one race, Friday's evening race.


Day 1: The heat was blistering as we raced for maybe 40 minutes. Cramped in the finishing sprint and finished in the upper midpack. The field was huge! I was so impressed for a local women's race. Just under 50 starters! Pretty happy to see that. I just wasn't motivated to do anything. All I did for the day was sat in and sprinted in the field sprint.Photo: Me sticking around with my new Belgian teammate, Junior rider Hanne Zmierczak.

Day 2: Felt pretty good during the race. Once again, didn't put that effort out to put my position in a great final place. Maybe that was where I went horribly wrong. Once again a field sprint, but it was fairly spread out.

I was in full sprint, in the drops, standing up, gritting my teeth. All of a sudden a rider that I was following sits up before the finish and rolls her rear wheel into my front. I watched as my front wheel headed into her cassette and heard the blow-out. My front wheel blows and I felt like I it all happened in slow motion. I heard every scrape, and felt every burn. The rim scraped the ground and I fell on my left side. I somehow managed to turn my body during the slide to make sure I would get road rash on every limb. It only made sense. I also made sure to slam my head to the ground as I hit so I could justify buying a new and prettier helmet. I finally came to a hault, but no one else did. Of course, it's a sprint, who wants to stop?? I opened my eyes to see a rider barreling straight at me, no chance of missing. I closed my eyes, and somehow did not feel a damn thing as I got hit. Apparently she slammed my head? Who knows.

So there I was, the finish line just up the road, me lying on the ground, God knows where my bike was, and my head throbbing. After the last of the lapped riders rolled through I was "tended" to.

That ended my Gateway Cup 2011. Or so I thought. Yes, it was the end of my racing that weekend, and for a little bit. After easing my way back into proper hygiene, like showering, I was finally back on the bike.

Raced my ass off at Chequamegon 40, where I could get my ass kicked by Lea Davison and Christian Vande Velde. Brian Matter and my coach TJ Woodruff rocked the race, and I am one of those riders that makes their result look outstanding.

Living in the Mountains

Boulder

Some photos of my first riding day in Boulder

Moving on...

Very excited for what is in store for me next, I have taken 2 jobs out in Boulder. I am looking forward to interning for VeloNews and as well for Trek Store Boulder. Things started going my way after a mentally challenging spring road season, I am excited to be out in Boulder working in the industry I love the most, and riding in some of the best riding in the country.