Finding My Inner Strength, Grado to Valdobbiadene

I hope I didn’t leave you feeling discouraged with my previous post, but I wanted to give it to you straight up. That evening, I decided that something had to change. I came to the realization that you have to expect the unexpected and be prepared to deal with challenges as they arise. Although we’d like to think that things will go smoothly, they most often will not. So, I began Stage 3 with a different attitude. I was cautiously optimistic about my knee pain, and was prepared to deal with the fact that I may not be able to complete the Giretto in its entirety.

Stage 3 was our longest ride with 198 kilometers. The day consisted of mostly flat riding with a little bit of climbing at the end. I decided that it would be better to use caution and play it safe rather than risking injuring myself more seriously. So, we started out with a slower pace that day, around 17-18 mph. I hung in there with the team for the first 40 miles or so but after that I started having intermittent knee pain. My Dad suggested that I ride in the van for a little while, at least until we were through the “grunge” miles (long, flat, boring riding). So, reluctantly, I hopped in the van where I spent the next 1 ½ hours. I made the most of riding in the van, yelling at our driver, Danielle, to pull over at every good photo opp (which was amusing since I spoke no Italian and he spoke no English), and waving to all the spectators on the streets who thought we were part of the Giro Caravan!

Gino Gets the Sprint Points!

As time wore on, I grew tired of being in the van, anxious to get back on the bike. Finally, we approached the foothills and I knew it was time. I had been massaging my leg regularly in the van and I felt that I was ready to complete the stage. Plus, it was going to start getting interesting!

I hopped out of the van, eagerly threw my gear back on and headed out with the team. As we made the first turn, however, we were met with what would be the steepest climb of the entire trip. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I didn’t have any warm up whatsoever and I thought for sure my knee was going to give out. I looked ahead and saw the van driving off in the distance, which meant I was committed. I had to climb it now. As we approached the hill I used as much momentum as I could, shifting as I went up. I tried to shift into the granny gear but couldn’t get it in the third ring so I was stuck in the middle! The only way I could get up the hill now was out of the saddle. There was a little pain at the very beginning, but once I really got into the climb that went away. Pretty soon I passed Jennifer, and then my Dad, and not long after I couldn’t even see them behind me anymore! There were HUGE crowds on either side waiting for the Peloton screaming Vai, Vai (GO), Forza (Strong), Brava! At two different points in the climb, spectators came out and decided to give me a little push which I was happy to have. The hill just kept going and going, not giving any reprieve from the steepness; but the crowds kept cheering, and before you knew it, I made it to the top! This was exactly how I needed to start in order to reestablish my confidence, and there was no looking back after that.



Mass Amount of People at Finish in Valdobbiadene

Life won’t always live up to your expectations

I am the type of person that sets high expectations. I set them high for myself, for others, for events and trips - basically for anything happening in my life. Throughout my life, I have always had to deal with these expectations being let down for some reason or another. Regardless of how many times I’ve been let down, I continue to set high expectations. I wonder if this is why so many people have little to no standards – for fear of disappointment?

This trip has not gone particularly as planned so far. On day 1 we were not able to bring out bikes onto Lido for the Team Time Trial. Lido is an island that you must take a ferry to, and the city of Venice absolutely would not let any bikes on the ferry; no matter how frequently we threw out Lance Armstrong’s name. So, disappointed, we rode back to the B&B, dropped off our bikes, and headed over on foot (by ferry). We decided that it may have been best that we couldn’t do the TT anyway since I had been feeling some pain below my knee – something that had started occurring just the week that we had left. Hopefully the next day we could make minor adjustments to my bike set up to see if that would help.

Today was day two, Stage 2 – Jesolo to Trieste. Because they only drink bottled water here, I was drinking less than usual and had a headache from being dehydrated, so before we set out I took a few Advil. I didn’t know it, but the Advil took care of any knee pain I may have been experiencing and I rode through the first 100 kilometers, unknowing. All of the sudden, it started; chronic pain right below the knee. I thought it may go away at first but it persisted and it grew stronger. I wanted to ignore it; I told myself it wasn’t bad and I should just keep riding and it will go away. I started over compensating with my left leg and was basically pedaling with one leg. I tried to press on but I couldn’t keep up. My Dad had adjusted my cleat but the damage had already been done.



Jennifer and Gino rode on ahead of me, while I suffered from behind and tried to maintain a reasonable pace. I thought that maybe if I changed positions and stood up for awhile that may help the condition, but when I came out of the saddle, the pain was so intense that my leg buckled from under me and forced me back into the saddle. Any type of pressure proved to be too much and even bumps in the road were starting to aggravate it.

As we came into Trieste, I tried to enjoy the beauty of it all but all I could think of was how it wasn’t fair. I trained so hard for so long and now, of all times, I have to get an injury! Now, when it really matters and I should be at the top of my game, hammering the hills and screaming down the descents, now, I get an injury??? It’s just not fair. I took a few more Advil as we reached the bottom of the mountain in Trieste which allowed me to finish the ride. I wish I had been living in the moment, appreciating the winding descents, the sidewalks filled with spectators on both sides, and the streets completely empty of any traffic but the three of us on our bikes; the LAST people on the road just minutes before the pro’s came through. But all I could think of, was, what if I’m hurting myself more? What if I can’t ride all the way tomorrow? What if I can’t climb the Dolomites? It took everything I had to hold back the tears and suppress the emotions I was feeling.

There were high points today, and there were low points. But that’s life. It deals you highs and it deals you lows, and what makes and builds your character is how you deal with the highs and lows. I don’t think that I should have to settle for less. I don’t think I should change my expectations just because things go awry sometimes. But what I do need to change is the mentality that things will always go my way. There are some things that are just out of my control and I need to be prepared for when things go wrong, and learn how to turn it around and make a better situation out of it.

I hope that I can learn from this experience and make tomorrow a better one; stay tuned…

Music Selector is the Soul Reflector

When preparing for a ride the night before, I have sort of a mental checklist that I go through: riding gear – check; helmet, shoes, gloves – check; tires pumped – check; fuel / hydration – check; IPOD charged – check. The last item may seem insignificant but it’s not. While I could complete our training rides without music, it’s much more enjoyable with it. Not only is it nice to have some music to break up the hours of riding, it really helps you to push yourself when you thought you had nothing left to give.

Being out on the bike in 85-90 degree weather for 6 straight hours, climbing hill after endless hill, is a humbling experience. I have a habit of building things up in my head, visualizing what an awesome experience will be – the thrill of it all – without thinking of the pain and sacrifice it will take to get there. The thing that excited me most about doing the Giretto was the opportunity to ride 415 miles in 4 days. Who knows what it will actually feel like on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th days. Will I be as excited about it then?

At some point you need to prepare yourself mentally for the point when it gets hard, really hard. Just the thought of the next hill in the distance is demoralizing. Music plays a huge role in keeping me motivated. I always bring my IPOD with me on rides but seldom use it, reserving it for when I need it most; when my body wants to give up by I need to force my legs to keep moving. The rhythm of the music helps to improve consistency in my pedal stroke, rather than focusing all my mental energy on how hard and painful the climb is. It helps to get me through that last hill, or the last 20. It’s amazing how a change in your attitude or mentality will change the way you approach every hill.

My biggest concern on Saturday was that I wouldn’t be able to live up to the standard I set for myself the week prior. I felt great that week and was really attacking the hills at the end, but what would happen this week? Would I be as strong? Would I be able to keep up at a higher pace? We had upped the anty by adding 20 miles to the ride and were also going to try to maintain an average speed of 15-16 mph. All of this with 7200-7500 feet of climbing. The previous training ride left me confident, which is a great thing, but overconfidence can hurt you and you can be broken down easily. It’s important to stay confident but to remain humble at the same time.

I started to fatigue both mentally and physically towards the end but knew I had to keep going. I knew my body could do it; I just had to get my mind wrapped around it. And when it became too hard, and I started to break down, I threw in my ear buds and just enjoyed the ride.

King of the Mountains

That’s what I felt like after our ride from Apollo to Indiana last Saturday. Our ride was full of intense climbs and fast descents; just how I like it. I’m happy to be out of our flat terrain training and into the climbing. I have always loved the climbs; in mountain biking and road riding. Even when I was out of shape, gasping for breath and nearing the point of puking, I still loved the feeling of reaching the top of that mountain, and even better, getting to ride back down!



I started the ride with some fresh new gear which totally rocked. While my Lazer helmet didn’t really feel any different than my Giro mtn biking helmet, it definitely looked cool. And my Sidi road shoes and new Shimano road pedals made a HUGE difference. I was getting more power out of every pedal stroke and my feet were comfortable and secure. A big difference from my 6 year old mtn biking shoes that were so stretched out my heel would come out every time I’d climb a hill!


My Dad warned that the hardest part in the beginning would be taking it easy, not killing it on the first hill. As I passed him on the first big climb, I told him I was just trying to keep my momentum, but when I reached the top my heart rate was at 191, 6 beats over threshold. I realized then that I didn’t know what it meant, not to “kill it” on the first hill. It was too early on in the ride for me to be at threshold so I backed off.

The first half of the ride consisted of lots of rollers and momentum climbing. Last year I learned how to shift properly and use my momentum to carry me over the hills and it’s improved my riding and climbing dramatically. I’m making it up the hills in record speed and with a third of the effort! By the time I actually have to work, I’m ¾ of the way up the hill. During the last half I really decided to step it up. I attacked the hills without looking back, more confident with every pedal stroke. My legs felt really strong and I didn’t get fatigued or cramped at all during the ride. We finished with 62 miles and 5700 ft of climbing. This Saturday we'll be doing the same route but with an additional 20 miles; I can't wait!

Surround yourself by greatness and you will become great

I know I am supposed to be blogging about my training and my riding, but what has been persistent on my mind lately has been the incredible feeling I get as I continue to meet people who are selfless, giving, and passionate about helping others. One of the greatest benefits cycling has given me is the opportunity to meet tons of caring, ingenuous, and downright good people. People who truly care about others and will sacrifice not just their hard earned money but their time as well, all to help out not just their friends and family, but people they’ve never met and never will meet.

It is easy to see the negatives in people, to pick out their weaknesses or faults, but I challenge you to find the good in people. Inherently, I think people want to do good things. It brings an inner peace to your soul. The more I see people helping others, and the more I help others, the more I want to continue to do so.

I like to think that things happen for a reason and at all times, the small steps we are taking are part of a staircase that leads to a bigger future. While raising $6,000 so far for LIVESTRONG may be just peanuts in the grand scheme of things, I like to see it as a step in the right direction and a foundation for a new beginning.

The Urban Century

If you’ve never ridden your bike around Pittsburgh, you should, just to put this all into perspective. For those cyclists that live in or near the city and have no other choice but to ride there, I feel for you. If I were in that category, I probably would be fighting hard with the city of Pittsburgh to make it a more bike friendly city.

Our journey began in the parking lot of the Pittsburgh Zoo in Highland Park. There were two others riding with my Dad and I that day who we met on Facebook – Jason and Bob; both enthusiastic cyclists happy to be spending the day, along with us, on our bikes. Jason, being from and living in the city, had a route planned out for us that would amount to 100 miles while keeping us on virtually flat roads the entire time. If you’re from Pittsburgh, you will understand that even finding a short stretch of flat road can be a task sometimes, so 100 miles is impressive!

Our route began crossing the Highland Park Bridge, and I discovered that there are joints that go across these bridges with teeth that seem just wide enough to eat your tire, or so you’d think. Fortunately though, we rode right across with no problem. I realized then, as I would throughout the day, that I am definitely not an urban rider. From there we headed out Freeport Road, which, even on a Sunday, is by no means a low traffic road and was a bit nerve racking at times. I don’t know that it was necessarily the traffic that was causing my distress or if it was the constant swerving, jerking, and jumping that my bike and I had to do to avoid the potholes, construction, barriers and other random obstacles that we came across. I knew as a driver how bad the roads are here, but had no idea what that meant for cyclists. Riding here in the city requires focus, quick thinking, and good bike handling skills. Otherwise, you, or your bike, will soon be broken. I'm sure though that this was due in part to it being so early in the season. Most of the road crews have not even been out yet to fix the winter damage, especially since the snowflakes are still falling!

We did have a few stretches of road that were smooth and free of potholes and we thoroughly enjoyed those sections of road. It gave us a chance to do some pace lining as well. That was the only time I felt comfortable all day in a pace line. There were just too many craters to watch out for and I wanted to be able to see what was coming in front of me. Even on the Jail Trail pace lining was difficult as we had to watch out for walkers, bikers, joggers, skaters, children, and dogs, all of whom seemed to not be paying the least bit of attention to where they were going. And, for some reason, shouting from behind, “on your left!”, does not inspire the sense of urgency I would like for it to in most people.
I nearly had a head on collision towards the end and was thankful to be back on the open road!

Although road conditions were poor, we had a great time on our bikes and made some great new friends. I think having to stay so alert and in tune with my surroundings helped me to keep my mental focus, at least, until the very end. By mile 84, I could “smell the barn”, as my Dad would say, and was quite ready to get back to the car. We’ve done a century on flat roads now; next up, bring on the hills!

“A winning effort begins with preparation” - Joe Gibbs

I was not setting myself up to win on Sunday when I failed to prepare in advance for my ride. I had only given myself half an hour to get myself, my bike and my gear ready. By the time I realized my Global Ride gear wasn’t clean it was too late; I’d have to stop by the club to get a new jersey and shorts. In addition to my cycling clothes not being in order, I had forgotten my riding tights, glasses, full fingered gloves, and my IPOD wasn’t charged!

Regardless of my poor planning and typical Pittsburgh spring weather (cold, dreary, windy, etc), once I got warmed up it felt great to be on the bike. I did 3 laps on river road which amounted to 48 miles – not bad since it was the first week back following my recovery from overtraining. The sun even graced us with its presence a few times! We rode again as a team in pace line formation, each taking our turn pulling at the front. We even did a little filming of our training so we could share the experience with you; click here to see the footage.

I am also happy to report that my new Terry Carbon Saddle made a huge impact in my comfort level on the bike! It was definitely worth spending the money to get a woman specific saddle. Now just to invest in some cold weather gear!