Cycle Racing

Someone who doesn't know me, but knows of me suggested that I join the women's race team that my club has.

I just started riding this summer, and I've got loads of excess skin that keep me heavier than I'd like, so I'm really hesitant to go any further.

Does anyone have any knowledge of how speedy you need to be to race?

I average 15-16mph on long rides (50+) and 17-18mph on shorter rides FYI

I'm interested, but I don't want to embarass myself either!! Thanks!

What distance are they racing, that's going to make a big difference in the speed.

These are races that happen here in Santa Rosa
http://www.tuesdaynighttwilights.com/

NEW Women’s Introductory Race:

We are going to offer to all women who have raced between 0 and 10 races who are a cat 4 or less to come out on Tuesday nights and race in the first race, which is the juniors race.  You will be mentored by our very own All Sport – Team Swift coach Laura Charameda, and working with Mariko Fischer of Echelon Cycle & MultiSport.  The race is 20 minutes and will be a way for you to learn the etiquette of racing in a group, Cornering, safety, and much more.  There will be no prizes, or primes, this is just a way for you to gain experience.

We’re back in full swing.  Here are the 2011 Tuesday Night Twilight dates:

April 5, 12, 26

May 3, 10, 24, 31

June 21 and 28

July NO RACES SCHEDULED due to Santa Rosa Fair

August 23, 30

September 6

Scott

Here is some more info on racing

http://www.sfbike.org/?racing

Sorry I don't have any advice for you, but want to say: way to go!

I would love to be on a team or in a club, take advantage!

Hey I'll take all the support and encouragement I can get!

There aren't any cycle clubs in your area? Maybe you could start one??

Nope, not a one. There is a triathlon club an hour away in Savannah, but I am not willing to drive that far several days a week for training, just too much driving, and my kids are 2 and 4, and my husband is active duty Army, so his is more than a full-time job.

Where I live is very athlete un-friendly, I follow all the cycling rules and still people hang out their car windows yelling at me to get my "stupid ass off the f**cking road" because they almost hit me when they are texting and driving. And running is just as bad. Plus its a high crime area, so I had to get my conceal weapons permit so I do all my runs and rides with a loaded compact .380. We live in a nice neighborhood and I almost got attacked by a pit bull on a run.

There is no interest in my area for a cycling or triathlon club, its an Army town. The soldiers just want to drink drink drink and the wives just want to gossip and cause drama. Whenever the Army post tries to organize a simple 5k run only 20 or so people show up.

My husband is trying really hard to get us out of here and get stationed somewhere else.

Wow Jillian, that's awful. But I am now even more impressed with how athletic you are! I was already impressed, but geeze...you have to pack a weapon just to ride your bike...that's so disheartening.

I'm totally adding you and your family in my prayers that you get the heck outta there and into a better community. Hang in there and keep workin' it out...you're doing amazing things!

Thank you for listening to my vent, and your prayers. Its hard, I'll be honest, a few months ago I had a mental breakdown about how hard it is to train here, especially with my big race schedule this year. It's lonely, its dangerous, and I just want to live somewhere where I can train safely and not feel like I have a 50/50 chance of coming home alive, I did that the 2 times I deployed to Iraq.

All that being said, I still refuse to stop. I was a morbidly obese prisoner in my own home for far too long to go back to that. I would rather risk my life out there on the streets than to ever go back to that.

Your achievement are all the more inspirational in the environment in which you have to train. I have been blessed over the past three years to have some great support to keep me motivated in my training. Anyone that chooses to come out and run with me at 4:30am with a running vest and flashflight has to be certified or just love exercising. Keep up the hard work and hopefully we can keep you motivated from a distance.
Rob

Are any of these close to you?

http://www.usacycling.org/clubs/?state=GA

http://www.bicyclegeorgia.com/gaclubs.html

http://www.highaltitude2u.com/georgia-cycling-clubs.php

http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/clubsearch_PF.pl

Scott