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Greetings!
Replace your cowbell with some jingle-bells, because December is here. Tis the season of giving, and we're giving you plenty of wonderful racing throughout the month, culminating with the Colorado Cross State Championships on December 15th and 16th!!
How can you be a giver within the cycling community? We've sprinkled some wintry gems throughout this month's newsletter that can help! By giving back, paying it forward, living healthy and being ambassadors to the sport, you can make this a fantastic December for yourself, your family and your community.
Give.
Bicycle Longmont is one of many organizations along the Front Range that works to give kids to bikes during the holiday season. Here's Buzz Feldman of Bicycle Longmont in action:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/hundreds-of-bikes-donated-to-children-who-can-t-afford-one
Clean out your garage while bringing a child some joy!
*Most communities have organizations that work along these lines. Seek one out that's near you and help get kids on bikes this holiday season. Community Cycles in Boulder, Recycled Cycling in Golden/Confier, the Lions Clubs around the metro area, and Bike Denver - all you have to do is look around, and you'll see people doing great things.
Educate.
As part of our on-going efforts to engage and retain new racers, we have updated our New Racer page on the ACA website. When it comes to educating those who are new to the sport, we all have a part to play in this effort. Check out the link and please pass it on.
http://www.coloradocycling.org/new-racer-info
Get involved.
Look for the 2012 Member Survey in the next couple of weeks and give us your thoughts. It's been a busy year with great racing, many opportunities, and significant challenges. We want to hear your opinion!
The 2012 Annual Meeting of the ACA Club Council is in just a few days:
- December 5, 2012
- Rocky Mountain PBS
- 1089 Bannock Street Denver, CO 80204
- Check-In Time: 6:00 pm
Voting is by clubs - please let your club leadership know your thoughts! The agenda, board nominees, and summary of issues are available on the ACA homepage - www.coloradocycling.org
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2012 Colorado Gives Day
Many great organizations that support cycling in Colorado are part of the 2012 Colorado Gives Day, which is a state-wide initiative that encourages Coloradans to give where we live. Last year, Coloradans donated $12 million in one day!
The Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado, as a 501 c 3 non-profit organization, is proud to work with Colorado Gives Day in an effort to increase the revenue that we receive from donors in the community. Thank you for considering BRAC in your year-end donation plans, and for sharing this link with friends and family who support the non-profit organizations that improve the quality of life that we all enjoy. Here is the link to our page on the Colorado Gives Day site.
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Stay Healthy Stay Happy
-from our friends Lester Pardoe and Jason Amrich at
the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine
Ho! Ho! Whoa! Where did that waistline come from? 'Tis the season that works against many of us cyclists. The days are short, the weather is cold and big meals and sweet treats abound! What can you do to avoid the extra pounds and fit in some training this holiday season? Here some tips from the BCSM to help you maintain your waistline and your fitness this holiday season.
Nutrition:
The obvious choice: make wise healthy decisions and eat normal portions. Ok maybe for some of you this works, but for those of us that give into food temptation here are a few suggestions:
1) Use a smaller plate, research show that when we have a bigger plate we eat more.
2) Wait before going back for seconds. If you give your brain and stomach some time to get on the same page, that craving for a second plate of stuffing and potatoes can subside.
3) Desserts... Do you want to know how to remember that desert has one "s" and dessert has 2? Dessert is always good enough for seconds. So with that in mind try small bites and portions. Sample more, but less of each. That way you get to try everything, won't offend your hosts, and avoid "eater's remorse".
4) Eat healthy items first, that way you will be less likely to binge when you get to the treats.
5) Fruits and veggies are nutritionally dense and will help stabilize blood sugar.
6) Try and have a good source of lean protein in each meal.
7) Complex carbohydrates are better than simple ones!
8) Look at the choices:
- Is there a healthier option?
- Can you make something with skim milk vs. cream? Apple Sauce vs. oil? Boiled potatoes vs. fried?
Training:
In theory you should have more time to train, after all this is the holidays and businesses slow down......yeah right! Here are some quick guidelines to help you maintain fitness:
1) Something is always better than nothing. If you only have time for a half hour spin on the trainer...then do it.
2) For most of us this is the season for base work, but you can maintain pretty good fitness for a week or two by short and frequent intense workouts.
3) Cross train. If you have visitors in town then take them for a hike, or go explore where you are visiting. It is a great opportunity to take the family snowshoeing or skiing.
4) Plan and be efficient. If you know you can realistically only get in 3 workouts during the main holiday week, plan those workouts so that you make the most of your time. Put them into your schedule, make them a priority and do it! (maybe early before everyone gets up).
5) Out of town without your bike? Pack your running shoes, clothing for the local gym, or hit a local yoga class. The offseason is a great opportunity to work on weaknesses off the bike.
6) Trainers and stationary bikes are efficient. You have no stop signs, traffic or down-hills. An hour on a stationary bike can be plenty of time for a great workout and equivalent to 75-90 minutes on the road.
7) Borrow or rent a snow bike....trust me they are a blast!
8) Go to www.bouldersportsmedicine.org as we host drop in computrainer training during the holiday season.
9) Lastly, remember you can always find parking at the mall for your bike!
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Cross Cup Racing
It's been an amazing cross season and we wrap things up in a couple of weeks with the State CX Champs at Cross of the North!
Jesse Swift Ownin' It. Photo by sportifimages.
An incredible amount of work has been done this season by our amazing race directors! 2012 has seen a higher level in the quality of courses, quality of competition and level of participation. We're eager to see how this translates to success at Cross Nationals in Madison, Wisconsin, and Cross Elite and Masters World Champs in Louisville, Kentucky in January and early February, 2013. For those going to these big events, watch for a tune-up race at Valmont in early January to help maintain your fitness.
*And did we mention that the 2014 Cross Nationals will be right here in Colorful Colorado?!?!? Yep. We got em'!
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2012 Women's Summit
Empower your community. Board President Clint Bickmore answering questions at the Women's Summit.
Photo by 303Cycling.com
Over 70 women attended this year's Women's Summit and the place was bursting at the seams with enthusiasm!
We also were lucky to have...
Happy ladies from Team ten20. Photo from the team.
The response to this meeting was overwhelmingly positive. Jennifer Triplett set the tone for the night with a heartfelt welcome and a challenge to make connections within our community. And from there, the room hit the ground running. We came away with 3 initiatives for 2013:
1. More intra-club/team rides--to help build camaraderie amongst teams. Many women commented that this can help to bring more women into the sport, ease tensions between racers, and help with the typical Cat 3 attrition rate. Consider making it a goal within your team to throw out a few open rides here and there. We can help you contact other teams and spread the word! Use our resources - they are here for you!
http://www.coloradocycling.org/info/clubs
http://www.facebook.com
2. We're bringing back the women's mentoring events for the 2013 season. We're shooting for 3 crits, early in the season. Contact Rachel Scott if you would be interested in mentoring a race. Many women at the summit voiced just HOW HELPFUL THIS WAS when they were first starting out.
3. 2013 Women's Road Camp
This really got the ladies excited. Learn or practice some skills with the women you'll be racing with all season! We'll have instruction, coaches, lunch, a practice race, and not to mention it will be a ton of fun with many awesome women. Details are being ironed out, but here's the basic model:
- A one day, $40 camp (from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.)
- Target is a Saturday in May, 2013
- Morning = skills clinics and learning sessions
- bumping
- passing
- pacelines
- cornering
- holding lines
- Lunch provided (good food!)
- Afternoon= practice race
- closed course WITH mentors!
- Wine was mentioned for post-race recovery...
*Keep watching the ACA newsletters and weekly shout-outs for more info as we solidify this amazing event.
A huge "thank you" to all the women and participants who came to the 2012 women's summit. Next year we'll secure a larger room. We promise. For more information from the night, go to the write-up on 303Cycling.
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Make Two New Friends
Cycling Community Bios
This month we'd like to introduce you to an up and coming Junior -Drew Sotebeer
and a familiar face/voice - Larry 'LG' Grossman
Drew Sotebeer
Junior Man 13-14
Team Groove Subaru-Alpha Bicycle Co.
Drew racing hard. Photo by his dad.
1. How did you get your start in racing?
I started racing because of my brother, he started cyclocross racing one year and I tried it the next and liked it.
2. What skills are you still hoping to improve as a racer?
I want to improve my bike handling skills and the barriers.
3. Who is your favorite person to race against and why?
Nolan Brunner because he always gives me a challenge.
4. What's your pre-race meal?
Oatmeal and a bagel.
5. What's your favorite thing to do OFF the bike?
To be outside and just mess around with my friends.
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Larry Grossman
Race Announcer Extraordinaire
"After moving to Colorado in 1983 from Florida, I sold my car and bought my first mountain bike at the Tune Up bike shop in Gunnison. Since that time I have spent a good portion of my life pedaling recreationally and racing on dirt and asphalt. I've been fortunate enough to be able to turn my passion for cycling into an announcing career. It's not easy to toe the line in any type of bike race, and each and every rider who lines it up should be recognized for the effort. It's not just a race out there, it's a celebration of sport and accomplishment. It's my job to bring an understanding of this to the racer and the spectator."
1. What makes a great race for spectators?
First of all you need a spectator-friendly venue where people can see their favorite riders easily and often. I truly believe this is why cyclo-cross has taken off in popularity over the past ten years. The races are multiple short laps and the majority of the course is typically accessible to spectators. I have also learned over the years that an announcer that has a good understanding of the event and knows the racers can make a big difference as well. A good announcer will keep the spectators engaged in the race as help them understand exactly what is taking place and what may transpire. Good music is a must!
2. What's your favorite race from the cx season so far/best announcing moment?
Boulder Cup...the crowd there is electric and the run up gets crazy.
3. What's your favorite beer?
Oskar Blues Brewery Ten Fidy.
4. What is the best way to bribe an announcer so they will say nice things about you?
Bring him a Ten Fidy, race hard and be an ambassador to the sport we love.
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Shopping for a Team?
Are you looking to join a team? There are many teams out there who are taking applications NOW. Most teams are built on the twin principles of competition and fun. Here is the link to the ACA's Club Page.
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Please watch our website, Facebook (we're near 2,500 likes on our page!) and our weekly updates for the latest in ACA happenings.
Thanks for sharing this e-newsletter with your friends and family. Have a great holiday season!
A HUGE Thank You to Katie Macarelli,
who has been instrumental in the
creation of this issue of the Colorado Racing News.
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