Splatter Painting

By Angela Brown
Columbia, Tennessee

I raced on Sunday (my first Sport class mtb race), which turned out to be the muddiest race I’ve completed thus far. The Lock 4 Challenge II was held at Lock 4 Park in Gallatin, TN, on Sunday, September 9. Rain was falling when I left the house, but I had missed the first race in this series because of a twisted ankle, and I wasn’t about to miss the second because of Mother Nature.

I arrived to a steady rain. Rumor has it that the place turns into a mudpit when wet. This was only my fourth time on the trail. All three of my previous rides had been in the drought conditions. Sketchy, dry dirt is a challenge in and of itself, so really I don’t care either way. Different conditions, different challenges. I proceeded to the sign up table and listed my new racing category: Sport. Already I felt better!

Right during our warm-up and line up time of 9am, the sky opened up and soaked us all in a steady downpour. At least it was a warm rain. Water dripped off my helmet, soaked my socks, and fogged my glasses to the point of no use. When I made fists with my gloves, it was like wringing out a damp dishrag.

With four Sport women lined up to go, the Sport class guys took off ahead of us and chopped up the trail into a soupy mud. I took the first section of the trail through mud that was thick enough, in some areas, to lose a shoe in if you were hiking it.

It continued to rain through part of my first lap, making some sections of the trail very, very interesting. There are parts that will send you down a hill and into the lake if you’re not careful. I attacked those cyclocross-style, dismounting and carrying my bike through, then getting back on. My only scratches of the day were from doing this, so I’m not convinced this was a good idea.

Then, I felt myself going down and slowed enough to land softly into some shrubs…face first. My face was covered in leaves. I hope it made some kind of pretty pattern. The turtles came out to play and I dodged at least three on the trail.

The second lap, the water had either receded some, or drained, because things went much better and faster. In my last three miles, the expert guys started catching me (their race started later) so I knew I had to get this thing over with. I stood up to crank it out for the uphill finish.

For my first Sport race, I took 2nd place on the 17.5 mile total course in 2:07. And I slept like a baby Sunday night!

I went for a dip in the lake at Lock 4 afterwards with some friends….fully clothed to wash the mud off of everything. I even had mud in my teeth, and slung it in my eye at one point. You haven lived until you’ve attempted an eyewash while moving on a bike, lemme tell ya…..

 

 

Lock 4 Xterra Blast Report

Velo Bella had two teams at the Lock 4 Xterra Blast in Gallatin, TN. All relay teams at the event were grouped into a single category. Team 1 placed 7th out of 16 teams at the event….outstanding, considering the co-ed grouping! Team 2 DNF’d because of a flat tire on the mountain bike portion, but still had smiles all around. Just look at that post-race pic for proof!

At the awards ceremony, Dee Davis won entry to Xterra nationals by winning a Gatorade chugging contest, and Missy Hulbert took a second dip in the lake that day (fully clothed!) to win a gift certificate for gear on the Xterra website. Who says the fun has to stay within the race clock?!?

Team 1: Missy Hulbert (swim), Jennifer Morehead (mtb), Molly “BB” (run)
Team 2: Abby Olson(swim), Angela Brown (mtb), Shelly Collins (run)

We ain’t afraid of no dirt!

The Natasha Cowie Files

Talk about a woman on fire! Southeastern Pro Bella Natasha has been movin’!
Some of the latest results for Natasha:

3rd, U23 Women XC, Mt. Snow, VT
3rd, SERC #9
1st, SERC #8

For a complete list of Natasha’s results, check here.

Chickasaw Bassackwards TT and XC Report

On a couple of hot and dusty days in this dry Southern summer, the Tennessee Velo Bellas kicked bootay and took names at the Chickasaw Bassackwards time trial and cross country mountain bike race in Columbia, Tennessee on June 9 and 10, taking several podium spots.

June 9 • Time Trial
The course was 3.7 miles of some of the fastest singletrack at Chickasaw, with a challenging uphill finish. Results and times are below.

Jennifer Moorehead, 1st place Sport 19-29, with a time of 0:16:27
Angela Brown, 1st place Beginner 19+, with a time of 0:16:46

June 10 • XC
The course is laid in the opposite direction of the Classic course from the March race, with a few variations.

Jennifer Moorehead, 1st place Sport 19-29, with a time of 1:41:27 on the two-lap race
Maria Pino, 1st place Beginner 19+, with a time of 0:53:02 on the one-lap race

Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race Report

Tennessee Bellas Sandy Kern and Molly Graves braved the Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race, April 25-28 in Tennessee. The days were packed with challenges, surprises, and lots of fun (a Bella requirement for everything!). Molly Graves, fearless leader of the Tennessee Bellas, tells it in her own words:

Sandy (L) and Molly (R) fit in some goofing around at the Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race.

Day 1: Friday — Time Trial at Leiper’s Fork
This was my first road time trial, and probably my favorite of all the stages.
I felt sadly out of place at the start in my regular helmet & beginner-level road bike — with other girls decked out in full skin suits with sperm helmets, aero-bars on their bikes, disc wheels that make that “whooob-whoooob” sound when they come up behind you — well, you get the picture…!

Somehow I did, and I actually finished. I didn’t break 20 minutes (my goal), but managed a 20:20, which was not bad for me. I chalked it up to the lack of a good sperm helmet! (Do they make those in pink & blue??!) I passed 4 people and played yo-yo with a fifth who beat me on the final downhill (she had the whoob-whoob wheels). I had so much fun that Sandy said I needed to specialize in time trials and get a bella skinsuit. I am considering it, but I may have to start doing more buns of steel workouts if I am going to be wearing one of those suits in public!!

Day 2: Peytonsville Circuit Race (on Missy’s favorite course!)
THis was probably my second favorite stage. The circuit race reminded me of mountain biking because you do several laps of a longer course — in this case, three 11 mile loops — similar to an Expert mountain bike race. The course was rolling and the lead group took off fairly quickly. I managed to hang on for a while to some of the splintered groups, and eventually Sandy and I ended up riding together. We picked up a third wheel, who we later somewhat regretted saving (she wasn’t very helpful…), but all was well in the end because Sandy beat her in the sprint. We saw a lot of people suffering from the heat — one of the top women, Robin Farina, dropped out of the race (she was in second place after the time trial) due to heat exhaustion. Thank God for Enduralites !

Molly stops for a second.

Stage three: Downtown Crit
For those of you thinking about doing a crit, I will say this: It is not as bad as you think. If you have basic bike handling skills and are not afraid of riding in a large group, you will probably do fine — just picture it as a large group ride at top speed going in circles. Okay, wait — that does not sound fun. maybe that’s why I do not think crits will ever be my specialty!

The women’s group splintered pretty quickly, and Sandy hung on longer than I did. Sandy loves crits — the girl is nuts. She did great. For me it was a game of dodging potholes, working on my cornering skills, and trying to hang on for a few moments whenever the fasties lapped me — which happened quite a few times! I spent a lot of time by myself or in small groups. It was a loooong 40 minutes…!

Stage 4: The road race
At the start they started playing the Chariots of Fire theme, and Sandy and I found it hard to keep a straight face. We kept up with the pack for a good hour, but eventually it split as we hit the hillier sections. The first hour was eventful, however — including a group bathroom break called by one of the lead girls who couldn’t get a spot in the portajohn line before the race! Now THAT was a Kodak moment — thirty some-odd women racers squatting & peeing together on the side of the road! Ha!Maybe we’ll make the cover of Velo News!!

The last 2+ hours Sandy and I were alone or with a handful of other women. We kept each other company and I am grateful she was with me — that would have been a LOOONG ride to do alone. At the end we hit the final climb –3+ miles of uphill switchbacks. That was hard. I am so glad that is over. We made the time cut that we didn’t even know existed and finished somewhere near the back of the pack — but FINISHED!

Tennessee Bellas place 4th overall at Gulf Coast Triathlon

Race report by Missy Hulbert

Here’s how it all went down, from my perspective… I’m sure we decided over cocktails some evening that putting together a relay team for a Half-Ironman Triathlon would be a fabulous idea. After we drew straws to see who would do what, it ended like this – Abby Olson, Swimmer Extraordinaire, Dee Davis, Cycling Queen and Missy Hulbert, Runner (sort of).

L to R: Missy, Dee, Abby

The day started with a 4:30am wake up call from the ‘Sarg’ – our swim coach, Ashley. There would be no over sleeping today. As we made our way down to the beach, we made a ‘name’ for ourselves. We were a trio of pink with tons of flare. If people didn’t know our names, they soon would. Abby was first to launch as our swimmer. After a few kidney punches and dunkings in her first competitive open water swim, she made her way to the relay transition tent in third place (of the female relays). It was then she realized that the burning sensation on her face was jelly fish stings…nothing a little vinegar won’t fix.

After a dramatic transition and pass of the chip from Abby to Dee, Dee was off like lightening in the bike leg of the race. She looked especially fancy in her new time trial helmet…not to mention, fast. As Dee came screaming into the transition area, and I do mean screaming, “MISSY, MISSY, I’M COMING…” I was getting psyched for my leg of the relay. As Dee stripped off her helmet and shoes, she ran to meet me at the relay tent. I have NEVER seen her move so fast in my life and I mean that! She was #1 in the transition and third in the bike for female relays.

Dee dropped to the ground; I grabbed the chip and took off in my pink glory. By the time I started the run, I think it was ~90 degrees, no shade, and asphalt. I’ve never been so obsessed with putting ice in my bra in my whole life. When I hit mile 11, I was in a delirious state. The ONLY thing that kept me running and not walking was the fact that I was part of a team. The team was counting on me and I couldn’t let them down, they did their part and it was time to do my part and finish it off. Abby and Dee caught me towards the end in my blurry eyed daze. We crossed the finish line together as a team, Velo Bella TN – Abby, Dee and Missy (4th on the run).

Overall, we ended up in 4th place with a 5:29 total finish time. I promise, no one had as much fun as we did, pink tiaras and boas, no extra charge. Thanks to Abby and Dee for a killer time!

Pro Bella Natasha Cowie places 3rd at SERC #5, Ducktown, TN

Southeastern Pro Bella Natasha Cowie took 3rd at the 5th Southeastern Regional Championship race in Ducktown, Tennessee. Go Natasha! Full results can be found at www.goneriding.com.

WOMEN PRO/EXPERT RESULTS

1 Carey Lowery
2 Paula Burks
3 Natasha Cowie

Women’s Pro/Expert Start

Women’s Pro/Expert Podium

Young Life Mousetail Challenge Race Report

What do you get when you put the Tennessee Bellas with a great bike club like the Jackson Spokes? You get a super mountain bike race with great schwag and an awesome post-race grill!

The inaugural Young Life Mousetail Challenge took place on April 22 at Mousetail State Park in Linden, TN, co-sponsored by the Tennessee Bellas and the Jackson Spokes. The course, according to the race flyer, is mostly single track with some doubletrack sections, and 900+ feet of climbing on a 7.5 mile course.

“Bellas were well represented in all three fields,” Molly Graves, fearless leader of the Tennessee Bellas said, “with Maria Pino and Angela stealing 1st and 2nd in the beginner race, Jennifer beating her own PR on her first lap in the women’s Sport race, and myself and Sandy holding it together through three laps in the Expert race!”

BELLA RESULTS (full results available soon at www.jacksonspokes.com)

EXPERT WOMEN 19+
2nd place, Molly Graves
3rd place, Sandy Kern

SPORT SENIOR 19-29 WOMEN
1st place, Jennifer Moorehead

BEGINNER MASTER 30+ WOMEN
1st place, Maria Pino
2nd place, Angela Brown

This sign at the entrance to Mousetail describes the course more than words ever could. Photo by Dustin Greer.

Molly Graves shows true Bella flair on the course

Sandy Kern on the course…

R to L:
Maria Pino, Velo Bella-Kona, Beginner Women 30+ 1st place
Angela Brown, Velo Bella-Kona, Beginner Women 30+ 2nd place
Jeanie Neumeyer, Team NMB, 1st place Beginner Women 19-19
Photo by Yvonne Horn.

Beginner women’s start. Photo by Yvonne Horn.

Natasha Cowie trains with the Pro Bellas, Races NMBS #1 in Arizona

Pro Southeastern Bella Natasha Cowie is one busy chick! Natasha just returned from training with the Bella Pro team and racing in the NMBS #1 in Arizona. Along with her awesomely dusty 7th place finish on March 31 in the Stage 2 race, Natasha had a blast experiencing life as a pro Bella. Below are some words from the report she posted on the Tennessee Bella Yahoo board.

“Training camp in Tucson was awesome,” Natasha beams in her report, “with TONS of wonderful food cooked by Alex’s mom Judy. It’s really the desert out there, with sand and cacti (we all ran into them…every single one of us was bloody at the end of every single ride). I got my bike on the first day and it is STUNNING. A Kona Kula Lisa in Velo Bella colors!!”

“I crashed pretty hard in the TT on Friday. The soil is so loose out
there, and I was coming down a washboarded hill and slid a little off
my line. I thought I’d just brush past a shrubby tree, but it was
more solid than I thought and I smacked into it and went flying
across the trail. Of COURSE my first thought was for the bike (skin
heals! bikes do not!)…but it’s fine, not a scratch. I was able to
finish and it gave me a good story. My teammates and Alex took care of me and stood by taking lots of pictures while I was in the first aid tent (quote from the EMT: “WOW!! Your knee looks JUST LIKE hamburger meat!!”). Anyway, it wasn’t a problem. I skipped the short track (really a fat tire crit) on Saturday night because I
didn’t want to risk bashing it again, and it was fine in the race
Sunday.”

“I was thinking about the TN Bellas all week. It made me feel so good to know that I had a whole support crew back home sending me happy thoughts.”

“I had a GREAT time. I know it sounds corny, but this is a dream come true for me. The team is awesome. It felt like everyone instantly bonded.”

“I LOVE Velo Bella!! I am SO PROUD to be representing all of you on the pro team!”

And I’m sure the pro team is proud to have you, Natasha. You go girl!

Velo Bella Womens Track Clinic Report

From Emily Fronheiser

The track clinic March 17-18 was a huge success! Fourteen beginners were there to learn about the track life, and most of them came away certified to race on the track (with some more track time, of course). The day started out with everyone getting fit up to their bikes. Then, Cathy gave a great description of the track, history of Dick Lane Velodrome, and explained the differences between a track bike and a “regular” bike.

Once we were all informed on the etiquette of riding on the track, she set us loose to do a few laps on our own. There was a lot of screaming and pounding hearts on the first lap or two, but most of the beginners caught on quickly. Personally, I was so excited after the first lap that I had to come down off the track and get a drink and calm down. Then, I went back out and did three more laps…and came back down to get a drink. My husband got a good laugh out of this when I told him.

Cathy split us into groups, one with Amy and one with Melissa (but which one is which??). We did a few follow the leader exercises where we rode all over the track just to get comfortable with the places where you can speed up or slow down. The next drill was to demonstrate the differences in riding on the various parts of the track (sprinter’s lane, stayers line, rail, turns, etc). We rode four wide across the track and did a sort of paceline where the top rider fell behind to go to the inside lane while the other three moved up the track. It’s amazing the differences between the sprinter’s lane and the rail. It really taught us a good lesson.

Next, it was on to 200 meter sprints. In groups of 4, we rode a neutral lap and then took off at the 200 meter line. This was my absolute favorite part of the day. It was so exhilarating! The Italian Pursuit was fun, too, but it was hard to pace ourselves for all four people to keep up.

After lunch, we did some pacelining drills and then finished up the day with a Scratch Race. The two groups got to race within themselves. The first group was pretty even until the end, when Kelly shot past the pack and I followed. I finally got past her on Turns 3 and 4, and managed to win the race! I’ve never had so much fun in my life!

The second group was a different story! Sarah led out in the 2nd or 3rd lap and stayed out front until the end. There was a great sprint between a couple of the others for 2nd place, though.

All in all, we had a great day, and some of the participants had enough in their legs to train on Sunday, too, to get a little more track time in. I, on the other hand, was a little sore from Saturday and had a long drive home. I can’t wait for the next time I can get down there to ride again! It’s amazing how much more fun riding can be when you’re doing it where you’re supposed to be!

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