Amanda Miller

Winding down

So the season is starting to wind down. I’m trying to get things in order for next year, but they aren’t looking so hot. I’ve sent out probably a dozen emails to different team directors about 2008. No such luck, yet anyway. Might just ride unattached for a year and see where that gets me. It would be nice to be on a team though. There’s a few options I have out here in Colorado, so we will see. I’m just starting the process now, but it almost seems to be too late from what I’ve been hearing back from the directors. Any advice??? I’ve never had to do this before. I’ve only raced for Atlas, and fortunately I knew people on the team so it was pretty easy. That’s all for now. I guess this post was basically asking for advice. So if you have some, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. Thanks and good night!!
-A

Winding down

So the season is starting to wind down. I’m trying to get things in order for next year, but they aren’t looking so hot. I’ve sent out probably a dozen emails to different team directors about 2008. No such luck, yet anyway. Might just ride unattached for a year and see where that gets me. It would be nice to be on a team though. There’s a few options I have out here in Colorado, so we will see. I’m just starting the process now, but it almost seems to be too late from what I’ve been hearing back from the directors. Any advice??? I’ve never had to do this before. I’ve only raced for Atlas, and fortunately I knew people on the team so it was pretty easy. That’s all for now. I guess this post was basically asking for advice. So if you have some, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. Thanks and good night!!
-A

Niwot Criterium

Another day of racing. The day didn’t start off too hot. I came down with a migraine around 1:00. They usually kick my butt the rest of the day. Right about race time, the nausea effects started to kick on. Great. Anyway, I drove down to Niwot, which was about an hour drive. My race was to start at 4:20. At about 3:15 it started pouring. It rained for a good half hour. I debated on what tires to run and at what pressure. I finally decided to through on the Elite’s with my rain tires and run them at 85psi. I did a brief warm-up (2 miles). It stopped raining so I went to check out the course. Already starting to dry, nice, and there were still 20 minutes until my race started. Through the SL’s back on with my regular tires and pumped them up to 105, just in case it was still a tad wet. Headed off to the start area and took a lap after the Men’s 3’s were done. The course was a figure eight. Lots of corners, but nothing to sketcy. There were two turns that were more than 90 degrees, so that made things interesting. Around 30 women showed up for the Pro/1/2 race. Nice!!!

Things started off fast, go figure. 60 minutes in the hurt cage. My stomach never did settle down. I about got dropped so many times. Need to learn to not ride at the back. Several reasons why I did. First, I couldn’t get clipped in so was at the back at the start anyway. Second, people who kept getting gapped would go around me after I just went around them, and then they created another gap…WTF? Third, I wasn’t feeling well. Just wasn’t my day, and I knew it wasn’t going to be. Never should have done the mountain bike race yesterday. But it was fun, so I don’t regret it. I’m still learning to be able to maintain 24mph in a race at elevation. Just taking mental notes of the riders. Got to learn there tendencies and what not. Came in 12th place. It was about mid-pack. Technically was my first Cat 2 race, since there weren’t any cat 3’s in the field. The field is soo much safer, and I love it. I’m so much more comfortable riding here, or at this level. Don’t have to worry about squirrely riders, etc.

Anyway, there’s still one more road race I’m going to do out here. It’s two weeks after Labor Day weekend. But, in the near future, I have goals for Gateway Cup. Flying out Friday night so I won’t make the first race. Will be there the rest of the weekend though. Hopefully it goes well. If not, I just wasted a ton of money. All about the experience though. That’s all for now. Good night!
-A

Niwot Criterium

Another day of racing. The day didn’t start off too hot. I came down with a migraine around 1:00. They usually kick my butt the rest of the day. Right about race time, the nausea effects started to kick on. Great. Anyway, I drove down to Niwot, which was about an hour drive. My race was to start at 4:20. At about 3:15 it started pouring. It rained for a good half hour. I debated on what tires to run and at what pressure. I finally decided to through on the Elite’s with my rain tires and run them at 85psi. I did a brief warm-up (2 miles). It stopped raining so I went to check out the course. Already starting to dry, nice, and there were still 20 minutes until my race started. Through the SL’s back on with my regular tires and pumped them up to 105, just in case it was still a tad wet. Headed off to the start area and took a lap after the Men’s 3’s were done. The course was a figure eight. Lots of corners, but nothing to sketcy. There were two turns that were more than 90 degrees, so that made things interesting. Around 30 women showed up for the Pro/1/2 race. Nice!!!

Things started off fast, go figure. 60 minutes in the hurt cage. My stomach never did settle down. I about got dropped so many times. Need to learn to not ride at the back. Several reasons why I did. First, I couldn’t get clipped in so was at the back at the start anyway. Second, people who kept getting gapped would go around me after I just went around them, and then they created another gap…WTF? Third, I wasn’t feeling well. Just wasn’t my day, and I knew it wasn’t going to be. Never should have done the mountain bike race yesterday. But it was fun, so I don’t regret it. I’m still learning to be able to maintain 24mph in a race at elevation. Just taking mental notes of the riders. Got to learn there tendencies and what not. Came in 12th place. It was about mid-pack. Technically was my first Cat 2 race, since there weren’t any cat 3’s in the field. The field is soo much safer, and I love it. I’m so much more comfortable riding here, or at this level. Don’t have to worry about squirrely riders, etc.

Anyway, there’s still one more road race I’m going to do out here. It’s two weeks after Labor Day weekend. But, in the near future, I have goals for Gateway Cup. Flying out Friday night so I won’t make the first race. Will be there the rest of the weekend though. Hopefully it goes well. If not, I just wasted a ton of money. All about the experience though. That’s all for now. Good night!
-A

Tipperary Creek Point to Point Mountain Bike Race Recap (sort of)

This will be short, because I’m beat. I guess that’s what 26 miles of racing and 10 miles of warm-up at 9,000+ feet of elevation will do to you. Lot’s of women started the sport race. Couldn’t put an exact number, maybe 20 or more. Definitely awesome to see that many women mountain bikers. They scored us by ages, grouped in 10 years, so that was cool. We were off at 10:28am. I was up at 4:30, to meet the people I was going up with at 5:30. Winter Park is a 2 hour drive from FoCo. We arrived around 8:00 after making some stops. It was in the 40’s once we got there. BRRRRRR!!!

So, the race started off on a straight gravel road. It was flat for about a mile. Then it was a gradual climb on the gravel for another 2 miles. Finally, we entered single track, where we climbed for another 3.5 miles. I kept good position for these first 6 miles, riding in the top 3. Towards the top of the climb, things started to take it’s toll. I was on the leader’s wheel and decided to drop it down a notch as to not wear myself out for the rest of the race. Eventually we went downhill, it was fast and fun. I think the downhill hurts worse than the hill. It’s sort hard on your upper body, and even your legs. You have to hover over the seat and what not. So ladee da, I started to feel like crap. My hands hurt, along with my back, shoulders, neck, you name it. I wore a CamelBak. I haven’t trained with a CamelBak all year. Bad idea! My condition slowly declined. At mile 13, I ate an E-Gel. I never eat energy things during races. Just before. Through the race, I made sure I was drinking. Number one thing to do at elevation since you get dried out quicker. So to make a long story short, I popped and decided to ride the rest of the race at my own pace. I was trying to conserve energy for tomorrows criterium. Even though I was hardly trying, I was losing energy fast. So fast that I even had to get off my bike and walk up part of a climb because I felt like I was going to faint. Don’t know what that was all about.

Anyway, I really like this trail. It has its uphills, and its downhills. I’ve actually ridden part of the course before. The last part of the trail is a downhill course. It has wooden berms and everything. Pretty sweet. There’s several stream crossing, one that stands out because it was probably close to a foot deep. Yes, I rode it. There was also lots of mud puddles and the like. Roots, rocks, you name it. Good times. Plan to go there again, but not to race. I think it would be an awesome mountain bike training ride. Which brings me to my next point.

Difference between Iowa and Colorado mountain bike racing:
You actually have to train to race out here.
I have been hitting it pretty hard on the road bike since I’ve been out here. Still a few major road races going on, so I haven’t focused on mountain or cyclocross yet. And I doubt I do. I ride my mountain bike probably once a week, maybe twice. They are shorter rides (usually less than 20 miles). So I learned today, that if I want to race mountain bikes out here, I have to focus on it. By that, I mean riding mountain 4 or 5 days a week instead of road all the time. Also, I have to do longer rides, climbing rides, training with the CamelBak. So as far as collegiate season goes, I’ll race mountain. After Gateway Cup, there’s one more big road race. I’ll probably start riding the mountain bike more after that. Hopefully my body will learn the tools of the trade to riding out here. Completely different story.

So end result: I pulled off a 4th place in my age group. It’s not as good as it sounds, trust me. A little under of 3 hours riding time. Lots and lots of climbing (either 4000feet – according to the website or 9000feet – according to my GPS). An overall good time. Now, it’s time to get some much needed rest. Tomorrow my crit isn’t until late afternoon, so I should have plenty of time to start feeling better. Until next time!
-A

Tipperary Creek Point to Point Mountain Bike Race Recap (sort of)

This will be short, because I’m beat. I guess that’s what 26 miles of racing and 10 miles of warm-up at 9,000+ feet of elevation will do to you. Lot’s of women started the sport race. Couldn’t put an exact number, maybe 20 or more. Definitely awesome to see that many women mountain bikers. They scored us by ages, grouped in 10 years, so that was cool. We were off at 10:28am. I was up at 4:30, to meet the people I was going up with at 5:30. Winter Park is a 2 hour drive from FoCo. We arrived around 8:00 after making some stops. It was in the 40’s once we got there. BRRRRRR!!!

So, the race started off on a straight gravel road. It was flat for about a mile. Then it was a gradual climb on the gravel for another 2 miles. Finally, we entered single track, where we climbed for another 3.5 miles. I kept good position for these first 6 miles, riding in the top 3. Towards the top of the climb, things started to take it’s toll. I was on the leader’s wheel and decided to drop it down a notch as to not wear myself out for the rest of the race. Eventually we went downhill, it was fast and fun. I think the downhill hurts worse than the hill. It’s sort hard on your upper body, and even your legs. You have to hover over the seat and what not. So ladee da, I started to feel like crap. My hands hurt, along with my back, shoulders, neck, you name it. I wore a CamelBak. I haven’t trained with a CamelBak all year. Bad idea! My condition slowly declined. At mile 13, I ate an E-Gel. I never eat energy things during races. Just before. Through the race, I made sure I was drinking. Number one thing to do at elevation since you get dried out quicker. So to make a long story short, I popped and decided to ride the rest of the race at my own pace. I was trying to conserve energy for tomorrows criterium. Even though I was hardly trying, I was losing energy fast. So fast that I even had to get off my bike and walk up part of a climb because I felt like I was going to faint. Don’t know what that was all about.

Anyway, I really like this trail. It has its uphills, and its downhills. I’ve actually ridden part of the course before. The last part of the trail is a downhill course. It has wooden berms and everything. Pretty sweet. There’s several stream crossing, one that stands out because it was probably close to a foot deep. Yes, I rode it. There was also lots of mud puddles and the like. Roots, rocks, you name it. Good times. Plan to go there again, but not to race. I think it would be an awesome mountain bike training ride. Which brings me to my next point.

Difference between Iowa and Colorado mountain bike racing:
You actually have to train to race out here.
I have been hitting it pretty hard on the road bike since I’ve been out here. Still a few major road races going on, so I haven’t focused on mountain or cyclocross yet. And I doubt I do. I ride my mountain bike probably once a week, maybe twice. They are shorter rides (usually less than 20 miles). So I learned today, that if I want to race mountain bikes out here, I have to focus on it. By that, I mean riding mountain 4 or 5 days a week instead of road all the time. Also, I have to do longer rides, climbing rides, training with the CamelBak. So as far as collegiate season goes, I’ll race mountain. After Gateway Cup, there’s one more big road race. I’ll probably start riding the mountain bike more after that. Hopefully my body will learn the tools of the trade to riding out here. Completely different story.

So end result: I pulled off a 4th place in my age group. It’s not as good as it sounds, trust me. A little under of 3 hours riding time. Lots and lots of climbing (either 4000feet – according to the website or 9000feet – according to my GPS). An overall good time. Now, it’s time to get some much needed rest. Tomorrow my crit isn’t until late afternoon, so I should have plenty of time to start feeling better. Until next time!
-A

Tipperary Creek Point to Point

I did it. I signed up for the last race of the Winter Park mountain bike series – Tipperary Creek Point to Point. I’m sure I’m in for a real treat, considering the race is just a hair over 25 miles long. Not sure when the last time is I’ve done that many miles on a mountain bike! A little over 4,000 feet of climbing, with a starting elevation of 8,700 feet and a high point at 9,900 feet. Here’s the elevation profile:

Since I knew this was possibly going to be on my schedule for the weekend, I’ve made sure some of my rides this week were climbing. The biggest climbing ride was Tuesday, as I figured the group ride on Wednesday would be flat. Opps, wrong! The group took a different route. We headed to Loveland and then West…into the foothills! Seemed like we were climbing forever. It was a gradual climb though. The group split into several groups. People were popping left and right. A Kenda guy and myself were driving the pace to catch the main group just up the road. Unfortunantly, we were the only ones wanting to work. After pushing 26mph on the gradual incline, I finally decided to stop trading pulls with the guy and chill out for a few rotations. The guy behind me didn’t want to pull through, so we all sat up and went 15mph for a while. A few more hills and it was the Kenda guy and myself getting away from the group. We caught a few other people that worked with us. Not sure if we actually caught all the main group or not. It was sort of confusing. Hard ride though. Definitely more than what my legs wanted! I thought for sure I was going to get dropped hard. The beginning of the ride on the flats was a struggle for me! Hopefully the legs are prepared for the mountain bike race this weekend. We will see. I was originally going to do a criterium in Niwot on Sunday. I’m still planning on it, but I am sure my legs will be destroyed. Guess we will see. Doesn’t look like I’ll be riding tonight. Sort of over cast, chilly, and raining off and on. Tomorrow is a light spin on the mountain bike. That’s all for now. Have fun riding!

-A

Tipperary Creek Point to Point

I did it. I signed up for the last race of the Winter Park mountain bike series – Tipperary Creek Point to Point. I’m sure I’m in for a real treat, considering the race is just a hair over 25 miles long. Not sure when the last time is I’ve done that many miles on a mountain bike! A little over 4,000 feet of climbing, with a starting elevation of 8,700 feet and a high point at 9,900 feet. Here’s the elevation profile:

Since I knew this was possibly going to be on my schedule for the weekend, I’ve made sure some of my rides this week were climbing. The biggest climbing ride was Tuesday, as I figured the group ride on Wednesday would be flat. Opps, wrong! The group took a different route. We headed to Loveland and then West…into the foothills! Seemed like we were climbing forever. It was a gradual climb though. The group split into several groups. People were popping left and right. A Kenda guy and myself were driving the pace to catch the main group just up the road. Unfortunantly, we were the only ones wanting to work. After pushing 26mph on the gradual incline, I finally decided to stop trading pulls with the guy and chill out for a few rotations. The guy behind me didn’t want to pull through, so we all sat up and went 15mph for a while. A few more hills and it was the Kenda guy and myself getting away from the group. We caught a few other people that worked with us. Not sure if we actually caught all the main group or not. It was sort of confusing. Hard ride though. Definitely more than what my legs wanted! I thought for sure I was going to get dropped hard. The beginning of the ride on the flats was a struggle for me! Hopefully the legs are prepared for the mountain bike race this weekend. We will see. I was originally going to do a criterium in Niwot on Sunday. I’m still planning on it, but I am sure my legs will be destroyed. Guess we will see. Doesn’t look like I’ll be riding tonight. Sort of over cast, chilly, and raining off and on. Tomorrow is a light spin on the mountain bike. That’s all for now. Have fun riding!

-A

Rist Canyon Road Ride

Today I opted out of the $5 cyclocross race that New Belgium puts on every Tuesday (starting today). Instead, I rode up Rist Canyon. I’ve talked about this ride before on here, so it should sound a little familiar. It’s a 10 mile climb that’s about 6 miles away from where I live. Nice little warm up before you actually hit the sustained climb. Anyway, I’ve done this climb a total of 3 times now. The first two times it was well over an hour before I made it to the top, which is about 8300 feet. So total, my ride today was 6400 feet of climb. Don’t know how exactly because the climb itself is a little under 4000 feet. To get to the climb, I had to do some climbing over the actual foothills. Anyway, today I pushed myself to places I didn’t think I could go. I made it to the top in just over 52 minutes. Coming back down, it took me 17 minutes. I have no idea what a fast time is up this climb. For me, it felt fast, but who knows. The altitude doesn’t bother me nearly as bad any more. I wish I would have worn a heart rate monitor. I’m sure I would have averaged 190 or so relatively easy. The total ride for me was 33miles, by the time I got home and what not. When I got to the top, there were two guys in what looked like race car suits with race car helmets. They had skate boards of some sort. I really didn’t pay too much attention, called them crazy and off they went. I got a picture of them though. Check it out here. It was interesting, for sure. Alright that’s all for now. There’s pictures from this past weekend on that site as well. I found out I placed 7th overall out of almost 40. Not to shabby. I would have placed 5th overall in the 1/2’s but I guess 2 cat 3’s beat me. Hard to tell who is who around here. Have a good night!!
-A

Rist Canyon Road Ride

Today I opted out of the $5 cyclocross race that New Belgium puts on every Tuesday (starting today). Instead, I rode up Rist Canyon. I’ve talked about this ride before on here, so it should sound a little familiar. It’s a 10 mile climb that’s about 6 miles away from where I live. Nice little warm up before you actually hit the sustained climb. Anyway, I’ve done this climb a total of 3 times now. The first two times it was well over an hour before I made it to the top, which is about 8300 feet. So total, my ride today was 6400 feet of climb. Don’t know how exactly because the climb itself is a little under 4000 feet. To get to the climb, I had to do some climbing over the actual foothills. Anyway, today I pushed myself to places I didn’t think I could go. I made it to the top in just over 52 minutes. Coming back down, it took me 17 minutes. I have no idea what a fast time is up this climb. For me, it felt fast, but who knows. The altitude doesn’t bother me nearly as bad any more. I wish I would have worn a heart rate monitor. I’m sure I would have averaged 190 or so relatively easy. The total ride for me was 33miles, by the time I got home and what not. When I got to the top, there were two guys in what looked like race car suits with race car helmets. They had skate boards of some sort. I really didn’t pay too much attention, called them crazy and off they went. I got a picture of them though. Check it out here. It was interesting, for sure. Alright that’s all for now. There’s pictures from this past weekend on that site as well. I found out I placed 7th overall out of almost 40. Not to shabby. I would have placed 5th overall in the 1/2’s but I guess 2 cat 3’s beat me. Hard to tell who is who around here. Have a good night!!
-A