Just a quick note to say that the blog will be moving to MissingSaddle.com.
MissingSaddle is a really cool collection of blogs written by the pros ect.
I'll leave this site open and may do something with it in the future, perhaps some non bike related stuff if I ever find the time for such things...
I've enjoyed all the comments and interaction with people all over the world that blogging has afforded me and I hope to continue that communication in the future, so visit the new page! I'll be moving all my links there as well and adding a few new ones. If I'm linked to your page I'd love to stay there so just update your address. :)
LizHatch@MissingSaddle.com
It's been fun! See you on the new page.
Amat Victoria Curam
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Arm Coolers???
It was 1000 effing degrees today and my coach was wearing arm warmers (coolers he says). Then again this is a guy that wore full zip thermal leg warmers better suited for a nuclear winter than a sunny 65 degree northern California "winter" day. Ok maybe it was 60.
Anyway, he banned me from taking his picture for the blog but he's getting a mention on here anyway because I appreciate all the hours he's spent with me nursing my brain and morale back to healthy levels since my accident. It's an odd thing how the body will do what it's going to do; you can't force it to heal any quicker than it chooses to but the mind... that's a whole 'nother ball of wax. Your mind will hold on to things like self-doubt and fear for a lifetime if you let it.
So, RZ, you rock man. In the immortal words of Steven Tyler- "I'm back in the saddle again!"
Oh, and by the way, about those "arm coolers"... I Googled them and this is the first link that came up- Arm Coolers by DeSoto Sport at Team Estrogen.com.
I'm jus' sayin'.
Anyway, he banned me from taking his picture for the blog but he's getting a mention on here anyway because I appreciate all the hours he's spent with me nursing my brain and morale back to healthy levels since my accident. It's an odd thing how the body will do what it's going to do; you can't force it to heal any quicker than it chooses to but the mind... that's a whole 'nother ball of wax. Your mind will hold on to things like self-doubt and fear for a lifetime if you let it.
So, RZ, you rock man. In the immortal words of Steven Tyler- "I'm back in the saddle again!"
Oh, and by the way, about those "arm coolers"... I Googled them and this is the first link that came up- Arm Coolers by DeSoto Sport at Team Estrogen.com.
I'm jus' sayin'.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Givin' Up's Way Harder Than Tryin'
So goes the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, Champion by Kanye West.
I got this anon comment from someone -"My girlfriend was/still is ultra hot looking, but it took her winning national championships before she was on the cover of magazines. How times have changed...all you gotta do is be a hottie and win a few local crits." - in response to my Bicycling Magazine post. Did it get under my skin initially? Abso-fucking-lutely! Did it make me feel small and unaccomplished? Maybe a little... I can be a thin skinned titty baby sometimes. I'm working on it, what can I say? But then I got to thinking...
When I first started riding, what was the one final thing that pushed me "over the edge" and onto a bike? What was my tipping point? And then it hit me how my life has come full circle, in a way, considering the Bicycling Magazine article.
Dotsie Bausch. She was my tipping point. And who was responsible for making me aware of her? Bicycling Magazine. I read a short article on her in which she talked about her struggles in life with drugs and eating disorders. Her candid admissions allowed me to see through the hot mess that was my life; it gave me some small seedling of hope that I could have a different and better existence, like she seemed to have. I reached out to her and I was hugely surprised when she responded to my emails with a phone call and spent a bit of time talking to me. Here was this beautiful, accomplished, bad ass woman taking some time out of her busy life to chat to a total stranger. She ended up coaching me online for a few months, we lost touch after a while, as I was still sorting out my life but I never forgot her kindness.
When I finally left the mentally and physically abusive relationship I had been in since the age of 20, the first thing I did was throw myself at the bike. It was and still is my deliverance from a life empty of love, happiness, and real meaning. The joy I feel just hearing my cleats clip into the pedals everyday is immeasurable. The fact that even though I am not a thoroughbred race machine, in the sense that I didn't grow up racing or really do anything all that athletic in my younger years, yet am still progressing and finding my way in this sport is all the more cause for celebration in my eyes. Cycling is an interesting sport; it is not for the weak willed or weak minded, having some exceptional physical capabilities of course helps, but is not the final determining factor in how well you will do. It's not always the strongest who wins; sometimes it's the most crafty, the most patient, the most bloody stubborn one who gets the top spot. Cycling, when you break it down, is a game of probability and it always keeps you hoping through the worst odds that you will prevail. Everyone's victories are different but taste just as sweet.
So to you Mr. Anon, thank you. Thank you for pointing out how times have changed. That can only be a good thing concerning this sport. Like I was inspired by Dotsie, maybe some girl out there will look at me and say "I can do that!" Everyone has to start somewhere, ya know? And huge respect to your girlfriend, Mr. Anon, for blazing the trail for the rest of us.
Singing my song,
Lizzer
p.s. To Dotsie, if she happens to see this- Thank you. I've never had the nerve to introduce myself when we've raced together but I owe you big time.
I got this anon comment from someone -"My girlfriend was/still is ultra hot looking, but it took her winning national championships before she was on the cover of magazines. How times have changed...all you gotta do is be a hottie and win a few local crits." - in response to my Bicycling Magazine post. Did it get under my skin initially? Abso-fucking-lutely! Did it make me feel small and unaccomplished? Maybe a little... I can be a thin skinned titty baby sometimes. I'm working on it, what can I say? But then I got to thinking...
When I first started riding, what was the one final thing that pushed me "over the edge" and onto a bike? What was my tipping point? And then it hit me how my life has come full circle, in a way, considering the Bicycling Magazine article.
Dotsie Bausch. She was my tipping point. And who was responsible for making me aware of her? Bicycling Magazine. I read a short article on her in which she talked about her struggles in life with drugs and eating disorders. Her candid admissions allowed me to see through the hot mess that was my life; it gave me some small seedling of hope that I could have a different and better existence, like she seemed to have. I reached out to her and I was hugely surprised when she responded to my emails with a phone call and spent a bit of time talking to me. Here was this beautiful, accomplished, bad ass woman taking some time out of her busy life to chat to a total stranger. She ended up coaching me online for a few months, we lost touch after a while, as I was still sorting out my life but I never forgot her kindness.
When I finally left the mentally and physically abusive relationship I had been in since the age of 20, the first thing I did was throw myself at the bike. It was and still is my deliverance from a life empty of love, happiness, and real meaning. The joy I feel just hearing my cleats clip into the pedals everyday is immeasurable. The fact that even though I am not a thoroughbred race machine, in the sense that I didn't grow up racing or really do anything all that athletic in my younger years, yet am still progressing and finding my way in this sport is all the more cause for celebration in my eyes. Cycling is an interesting sport; it is not for the weak willed or weak minded, having some exceptional physical capabilities of course helps, but is not the final determining factor in how well you will do. It's not always the strongest who wins; sometimes it's the most crafty, the most patient, the most bloody stubborn one who gets the top spot. Cycling, when you break it down, is a game of probability and it always keeps you hoping through the worst odds that you will prevail. Everyone's victories are different but taste just as sweet.
So to you Mr. Anon, thank you. Thank you for pointing out how times have changed. That can only be a good thing concerning this sport. Like I was inspired by Dotsie, maybe some girl out there will look at me and say "I can do that!" Everyone has to start somewhere, ya know? And huge respect to your girlfriend, Mr. Anon, for blazing the trail for the rest of us.
Singing my song,
Lizzer
p.s. To Dotsie, if she happens to see this- Thank you. I've never had the nerve to introduce myself when we've raced together but I owe you big time.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Get Well, Ryan!
We got some bad news yesterday that one of our sponsors, Ryan Barnett, who works with Blue Bicycles along with Akona Biospeed and Areus had been seriously injured on his bike. He was hit by a landscape company's truck while warming up for the Roswell Crit in Georgia last Saturday.
Ryan was one of the first people to show his support for Vanderkitten last year at InterBike by giving us a ton of free equipment that allows us all to race our bikes and live our dreams. He spent several hours during InterBike chatting with us about our goals for the team, what we needed to get there and how he could help us. Anyone who's been to InterBike knows how hard it is to devote 10 or 15 mins to a single person let alone hours. My heart and prayers along with those from the whole Vanderkitten team go out to Ryan and his family during this time.
Here is a link to the story on Ryan and updates on his condition. SlowTwitch.com
GET WELL RYAN! We are thinking about you.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Bicycling Magazine
Thanks to Bicycling Magazine for including me in their June issue.
I hardly consider myself an authority on training and racing as I still have so much to learn and so far to go. However, I am fortunate to be surrounded by people capable of providing me with the "Best Advice"; I happily pass a bit of that along in the "Best Advice" column of the June issue.
Soon,
Lizzer
Monday, April 21, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
In To Hell- L'Enfer du Nord
I'm not sure I've seen any single picture that better portrays the pure diabolic pain Paris-Roubaix dishes out to those hungry enough to dine at her table.
This is unmitigated suffering encapsulated in one click of a shutter.
And it is beautiful.
This is unmitigated suffering encapsulated in one click of a shutter.And it is beautiful.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Back From Hell?
Redlands-
What can I say...
In retrospect rushing back into a race like Redlands after my crash was not a good idea. Live and learn, eh?
In the 2 and half weeks between the accident and the start of Redlands I spent a grand total of 10 hrs on my bike. Where was I expecting the fitness to come from? Who knows. No one ever accused me of being smart.
The reality is that the ramifications of the crash had much greater consequences than I let myself (or others) believe. My constant need to sleep and labored movement of limbs and mind should have been a warning but again, in this sport we tend to ignore these kinds of things. Acknowledging that you might need to recover a bit more, skip that race that you'd been planning to peak for, or the horror- admit you are human(!) can be more painful and demoralizing than the physical penalties we endure.
For me, the thought of all my teammates being in Southern CA without me, racing, was unfathomable. So I went. And so I suffered. And so I missed the time cut on the first road stage in what can only be described as my worst ever day on a bike.
I started off the race by taking the TT fairly easy, skipping the use of our new BH time trial bikes in favor of my road bike. It was a short 5k course with an ass kicking final climb of around 2k. Normally the hill at the end would have been right up my alley but I could hardly get my legs to turn over fast enough to keep me from falling over. Again, another sign not to be racing. Brain says "IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE!!!"
Directly after the TT, I went back to our room and slept. I'd never felt so tired after such a short effort in my life.
Friday- the road race... I'd prefer not to relive it. My legs were painful to the touch before the start and as soon as the road tilted up I went backwards. Not cool. The one saving grace about spending the day off the back, which was a brand new experience for me, was finding a good partner in Megan Elliott. I've seen Megan around races before but had never spoken to her much, just a hello here and there. She and I were clearly on a death march so having one another to make the best of our situation was a welcome relief. She's been racing for a long time and gave me some really good tips and advise on races that I'll be doing for the first time this year. It's too bad that she's retiring soon to go to law school and spend more time with her boyfriend Chris. With all the time he spends in Europe with Astana, she says her own racing has lost it's luster after so many years of doing it and the time away from him becomes harder and harder. I guess I can't blame her but I'll be sad to see her go.
So anyway, we finished the stage but were victims of the time cut. Again, another sign I wanted to ignore... Fortunately for me I had no choice but to turn in the numbers and look forward to the next block of racing.
In the aftermath of the week, after much reflection, after many hours of talking to sponsors, coach and family... I'll be ok. The expectations others have for me are great but my own far eclipse all of these. I have a difficult time admitting to vulnerability or weakness in myself, I hate excuses, I probably push myself too hard to my own detriment. I love this sport so much that I can't accept giving it anything less than my best but in order to reach the goals I've set for myself maturity and patience have to play a bigger role in my racing. Easier said that done? Maybe... but I'm working on it.
Thanks to everyone who sent encouraging letters, they mean a lot. And to the few who sent letters asking why I suck so much- I guess it all dates back to Adam and the apple. What can I say, I'm human. It's in my nature! :)
On that note, off to train-
Heads up!
Lizzer
What can I say...
In retrospect rushing back into a race like Redlands after my crash was not a good idea. Live and learn, eh?
In the 2 and half weeks between the accident and the start of Redlands I spent a grand total of 10 hrs on my bike. Where was I expecting the fitness to come from? Who knows. No one ever accused me of being smart.
The reality is that the ramifications of the crash had much greater consequences than I let myself (or others) believe. My constant need to sleep and labored movement of limbs and mind should have been a warning but again, in this sport we tend to ignore these kinds of things. Acknowledging that you might need to recover a bit more, skip that race that you'd been planning to peak for, or the horror- admit you are human(!) can be more painful and demoralizing than the physical penalties we endure.
For me, the thought of all my teammates being in Southern CA without me, racing, was unfathomable. So I went. And so I suffered. And so I missed the time cut on the first road stage in what can only be described as my worst ever day on a bike.
I started off the race by taking the TT fairly easy, skipping the use of our new BH time trial bikes in favor of my road bike. It was a short 5k course with an ass kicking final climb of around 2k. Normally the hill at the end would have been right up my alley but I could hardly get my legs to turn over fast enough to keep me from falling over. Again, another sign not to be racing. Brain says "IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE!!!"
Directly after the TT, I went back to our room and slept. I'd never felt so tired after such a short effort in my life.
Friday- the road race... I'd prefer not to relive it. My legs were painful to the touch before the start and as soon as the road tilted up I went backwards. Not cool. The one saving grace about spending the day off the back, which was a brand new experience for me, was finding a good partner in Megan Elliott. I've seen Megan around races before but had never spoken to her much, just a hello here and there. She and I were clearly on a death march so having one another to make the best of our situation was a welcome relief. She's been racing for a long time and gave me some really good tips and advise on races that I'll be doing for the first time this year. It's too bad that she's retiring soon to go to law school and spend more time with her boyfriend Chris. With all the time he spends in Europe with Astana, she says her own racing has lost it's luster after so many years of doing it and the time away from him becomes harder and harder. I guess I can't blame her but I'll be sad to see her go.
So anyway, we finished the stage but were victims of the time cut. Again, another sign I wanted to ignore... Fortunately for me I had no choice but to turn in the numbers and look forward to the next block of racing.
In the aftermath of the week, after much reflection, after many hours of talking to sponsors, coach and family... I'll be ok. The expectations others have for me are great but my own far eclipse all of these. I have a difficult time admitting to vulnerability or weakness in myself, I hate excuses, I probably push myself too hard to my own detriment. I love this sport so much that I can't accept giving it anything less than my best but in order to reach the goals I've set for myself maturity and patience have to play a bigger role in my racing. Easier said that done? Maybe... but I'm working on it.
Thanks to everyone who sent encouraging letters, they mean a lot. And to the few who sent letters asking why I suck so much- I guess it all dates back to Adam and the apple. What can I say, I'm human. It's in my nature! :)
On that note, off to train-
Heads up!
Lizzer
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Dirty Hippies ,Kitty Kits And A Brand New Baby Boy
Current mood- Cranky
I'm about to go to sleep in a hotel room that smells like a hippie's dirty sweaty feet. I am olfactorily offended. Is that a word? It must be... too tired to check. Cranky due to the fact that my little sister gave birth to my nephew last night and I still haven't seen a friggin' picture of him. MOM, IF YOU READ THIS HELP A GIRL OUT! Welcome to the world Nicky!
On another note check out Cycle To.
They are giving away a Vanderkitten kit this week which is kinda cool since we don't sell the team kits...
That's it. I give up.
I'm about to go to sleep in a hotel room that smells like a hippie's dirty sweaty feet. I am olfactorily offended. Is that a word? It must be... too tired to check. Cranky due to the fact that my little sister gave birth to my nephew last night and I still haven't seen a friggin' picture of him. MOM, IF YOU READ THIS HELP A GIRL OUT! Welcome to the world Nicky!
On another note check out Cycle To.
They are giving away a Vanderkitten kit this week which is kinda cool since we don't sell the team kits...
That's it. I give up.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
On The IPod #2
New stuff for the week...
Roisin Murphy- You Know Me Better-
The Moloko singer, now on her own and better than ever. Love her quirky voice and music. Video is awesome too.
Richard Durand- Sweep & Repeat (Sander Van Doorn rmx)
One of those minimal tech ass kickers, keeps my legs going quickly!
Kanye West- Flashing Lights
Genius. That's it.
New Edition- Once In A Lifetime Groove
I loved the Groove Cats redo of this song but it's pretty hard to beat the original. Bobby before Whitney.
Delbert McClinton- Giving It Up(For Your Love)
One of my favorite Texas artists, the guy has a voice that makes you want to move your feet and his band is awesome. My dad gets his dues for this, he raised me on good music.
Scooter- How Much Is The Fish
An oldie but a goodie.
Steve Earle- Guitar Town
Another memory from childhood that has lasted the years. Steve Earle is a brilliant songwriter and outspoken public activist who has been through drug addictions and jail time but seems to always come back with a vengeance. An interesting life story in short.
Everything But The Girl- Before Today(Chicane rmx)
I can't put my finger on it but EBTG always makes me feel good.
Soon!
Lizzer
Roisin Murphy- You Know Me Better-
The Moloko singer, now on her own and better than ever. Love her quirky voice and music. Video is awesome too.
Richard Durand- Sweep & Repeat (Sander Van Doorn rmx)
One of those minimal tech ass kickers, keeps my legs going quickly!
Kanye West- Flashing Lights
Genius. That's it.
New Edition- Once In A Lifetime Groove
I loved the Groove Cats redo of this song but it's pretty hard to beat the original. Bobby before Whitney.
Delbert McClinton- Giving It Up(For Your Love)
One of my favorite Texas artists, the guy has a voice that makes you want to move your feet and his band is awesome. My dad gets his dues for this, he raised me on good music.
Scooter- How Much Is The Fish
An oldie but a goodie.
Steve Earle- Guitar Town
Another memory from childhood that has lasted the years. Steve Earle is a brilliant songwriter and outspoken public activist who has been through drug addictions and jail time but seems to always come back with a vengeance. An interesting life story in short.
Everything But The Girl- Before Today(Chicane rmx)
I can't put my finger on it but EBTG always makes me feel good.
Soon!
Lizzer
Thursday, March 20, 2008
My Favorite Things #2
Does anything say "I am stylish and worldly, yet safety conscious" better than the beret helmet?
I think not!
I think not!
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